My 10 (and a half) Best Films of 2013

As 2013 comes to an end it is time to reflect on the greatest films we have been treated to over the last year!

So, in no particular order, here are my 10 (and a half) favourite UK releases of 2013!

1. Les Miserables
It's hard to believe that it has been less than a year since Hugh Jackman pranced across the big screen singing about how he stole a loaf of bread. One of the first big films of the year, the movie adaptation of the world's best-loved musical did not disappoint; Russell Crowe's dodgy vocals aside, the talented all-star cast definitely made this film an instant classic!

2. Wreck-It Ralph
Despicable What? Monster's Universi-Who? 2013 was all about one animated hero, and he came in the form of Ralph - the misunderstood video game villain who dreamed of being a hero. Voiced by Mr. Cellophane himself, John C. Reilly, and with Sarah Silverman bringing the laughs as cutesie glitch Vanellope, Wreck-It Ralph was the perfect combination of humour, narrative and heart - putting the sequels to established classics Despicable Me and Monsters University to shame.

3. The Great Gatsby
A debatable choice as it is no secret that this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic book received largely mixed reviews. However, Baz Luhrmann, Leonardo Dicaprio and Carey Mulligan are three of my favourite people in the industry. Throw in an incredible soundtrack, all of the beautiful 1920s fashion and of course those parties and there is very little that can go wrong in my mind!

4. Behind The Candelabra 
Around the time of this movie's release you couldn't walk for two seconds through the London underground without seeing yet another poster advertising the outrageous, sordid and unbelievable true story of history's greatest entertainer: Liberace. A vastly entertaining watch with perhaps the best performance of Michael Douglas' career to date; it is a huge shame that Hollywood refused to back this film stateside, meaning that it will inevitably be snubbed by the Oscars, because Douglas is truly deserving of, at the very least, a Best Actor nomination!

5. This Is The End
No doubt one of the stupidest movie releases of the year but what can I say, I just loved it. This Is The End exceeded my expectations and then some in providing laugh-a-minute comedy with a brilliantly, self-aware cast. There is absolutely no doubt that this is the funniest film of 2013!

6. The Conjuring
The first horror film in my 22 years of life that actually scared me, so for that reason (and because I don't want to be haunted for not including it on my list) it deserves a mention. Very creepy.

7. Captain Phillips

Yet another true life story with yet another Oscar-worthy performance, this time in the form of Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips. Arguably the most tense film of 2013 as I was on the edge of my seat throughout - nobody does it quite like Mr. Hanks...

8. Saving Mr. Banks

...Which can be proven by his second inclusion on the list, this time alongside the brilliant Emma Thompson in the emotionally-charged, fascinating and entertaining tale of how Mary Poppins came to be. Although tainted with a few little white lies incorporated to make Walt Disney look good, this was an enchanting film that had me on an emotional rollarcoaster of tears and laughter throughout. Plus, I just really love the movie poster.

9. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Due for release on Boxing Day, this is just the feel-good, heartwarming film that we need to round off 2013. Although by no means an instant classic or a cinematic masterpiece, TSLOWM is laugh-out-loud funny whilst harbouring an interesting and thought-provoking message. The beautiful cinematography and great performances make the somewhat predictive narrative forgivable, this will be the perfect movie to remedy those post-Christmas blues!

10. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

A long overdue arrival to The Hunger Games fandom led to a late addition to my top films of 2013. Having finally read the books and been left unspeakably disappointed by the first Hunger Games film, I caught one of the last screenings of Catching Fire earlier this week. It more than makes up for the monstrosity that is the first film as it truly captures the tone of the books in this heart-wrenching and epic power-struggle between the people of the Districts and the evil President Snow. One of the most loyal film adaptations I have ever seen, every significant moment of the book is pin-pointed and presented to perfection. Catching Fire has everything that makes a great film -heartbreaking emotion (One word: RUE!), high-tension action sequences, beautiful cinematography, great characters and stellar performances. I only hope that Mockingjay follows in this film's footsteps and we can all just pretend the first one never happened.



1/2. The Call
Not worthy of the full glory that other films received but I can't make this post without a special mention to the first half of The Call. A film whose second half would make my 'Worst Films of 2013' list as it ruined a brilliant, fast-paced, intense and emotional hour of genius with perhaps one of the stupidest and most unforgivable endings in cinematic history. It has been months since I watched the film and I am still upset that such incredible potential was let down in this way; had the rest of the film been as good as the first half, The Call would have been in my top films list for sure. Instead, it is definitely number one for disappointment of the year!

Well, there's my round up of the best 10 and a half films of 2013!! Keep an eye on my blog for my next article with the ones to watch for 2014!!

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Love,

SAVING MR. BANKS

Always a fan of a good 'real-life story', Saving Mr Banks was one of my most anticipated films of 2013; marketed as the true account of how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) convinced the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson),  to let him adapt her beloved novel into a film for the big screen I was intrigued by the story and excited to learn more. Travers was notoriously against the idea of Mary Poppins becoming a Disney film and it took Walt Disney twenty years of asking before she even agreed to meet with him, and

Travers was adamant there would be no animation

once the film preparation was underway an epic battle ensued between Disney and Travers as she insisted on being involved with every aspect of the adaptation - she was adamant that the film would not include any songs, any animation or any made up words.

I think it is is clear to see who won that power battle.

As well as following Disney and Travers on their journey of creating the movie, the film is made up of many flashbacks of Travers' troubled childhood, particularly the turbulent relationship with her father (played by the brilliant Colin Farrell), thus providing a deep and somewhat emotional insight into why she was so protective of her book and it's characters. Although at times these flashbacks could be a bit emotionally exhausting they were incredibly valuable to the narrative and as her past visually unraveled the audience were able to connect with Travers in a way that would not have been as effective had it merely be mentioned verbally.

However, the main strength of Saving Mr. Banks was without a doubt the incredible cast. Emma Thompson is one of my favourite actresses and her portrayal of the stern, uppity P. L. Travers who is haunted by the memories of her childhood was extremely powerful. Likewise, Tom Hanks as the lovable 'buddy-buddy', all round 'good guy' Walt Disney was brilliantly played and although he didn't have an excessive amount of scenes, the film would have faltered without him as he stole every scene that he was in. The supporting cast can not be faulted in any way - from Ralph, Travers' driver, to the Sherman Brothers - every character had a role to play, nobody felt like an awkward spare part or was left behind and each actor gave a great, well-rounded and human performance.

Julie Andrews with the real Walt Disney & P.L. Travers 

Despite the strong performances and entertaining narrative there were aspects of the film that I found a little difficult to swallow. As this is a Disney film of course it was always going to be on Disney's side - the film concludes with Travers overcome with emotion and jubilation at the final Mary Poppins, when it is renowned that in reality she was outraged by her treatment and the loopholes that Disney had snuck into her contract that undermined the creative decisions they had previously agreed on. As a result Travers refused to let any of her future books be adapted. In fact, Travers was so offended by the way that Disney treated her book that when asked for the rights to make Mary Poppins a West End musical she agreed only on the condition that no Americans were to take part in the production of it.

The sugar-coated, 'happily-ever-after', 'Disney-is-such-a-great-guy' element was a little too sickly and forced when you are aware of  the reality behind the film, but as a work of fiction, and if you allow yourself to let go of the reality and maintain an element of ignorance, the ending was incredibly powerful and when I left the cinema I felt slightly dazed by the emotional roller-coaster that I had experienced as a result of the flashbacks and Travers' fictitious yet heart-breaking reaction to the final film.

All in all, Saving Mr. Banks is a charming and heart-warming film - powerful performances and an intriguing plot make it an interesting and captivating watch. I do recommend seeing it but be sure to take what you see with a pinch of salt instead of a spoonful of sugar and remember that although he is undeniable the incredibly creative man behind most of our childhoods, Walt Disney wasn't truly the 'all-round good guy' as so desperately put across in this film.

★★★★☆

Saving Mr. Banks is out nationwide from the 29th of November

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Love,

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Captain Phillips had everything against it when I went to the screening last night. A serious case of travel sickness en route to the cinema (which is weird as in my day-to-day life I get 2 buses, 2 trains & 4 tubes a day so no idea why travel sickness decided to rear it's ugly head last night), made for unpleasant viewing at the best of times but combined with the only available seats being far too close to the huge cinema screen for a film that is mostly close ups and shaky camerawork meant that I spent 95% of the film staring at the floor, sipping water and trying not to be sick. Why didn't I just leave the screening you ask? Well, the answer is simple: because Captain Phillips is bloody brilliant.

Captain Phillips tells the true life story of... Captain Phillips, as played by Tom Hanks, who was on the US-flagged cargo ship along the coasts of Africa when it was hijacked by Somali pirates. Phillips saved his crew in an incredible display of bravery before being kidnapped and held for ransom.

The story alone is an intense and action-packed roller-coaster ride; from the moment the Somali's are spotted on the ship's radar there is a pulse-pounding threat of doom and although you know that they will board the ship you can't help but hope that the ship and all of the crew will get away safely. Hanks embodies Phillips flawlessly in an incredible performance that makes it impossible for the audience not to immediately feel compassion and empathy for his character. Phillips' desperate and quick-thinking acts are ultimately what saves the crew's lives and you can't help but be in awe as the character puts on a brave and almost friendly/buddy-like facade to the pirates in an attempt to negotiate his way to safety whilst clearly masking the fear and panic that is consuming him. It is fascinating to watch Phillips attempt calmness as he guides the pirates around the ship whilst simultaneously taking the measures necessary to help the hiding crew.

The drama really begins to unfold when the pirates kidnap Phillips, an unexpected change of scenery refreshes the look of the film and keeps the tension high. As proven with director Paul Greengrass' other films (most notably United 93), he is incredibly good at showcasing the claustrophobic and trapped feeling of his protagonists and although the amount of extreme close ups combined with the shaky 'at sea' camera shots did nothing for my sickness, it aided the film's storytelling as you really felt that you were trapped in there with Phillips and that your life was also at risk which only served to heighten the overall effect of the film.

As mentioned, Tom Hanks gave a stand-out performance; he encompassed the fear, confusion, anxiety and panic that you would feel in that situation and the way he was constantly concerned for his family was heartbreaking. However, Barkhad Abi gave an equally strong performance as leader of the Somali pirates Muse. It would have been easy for Greengrass to keep the enemies as bland and impersonal, just faceless tyrants with no story or background. Instead, and thankfully, each of the pirates are given their own personality, their relationships with eachother are clear and only add to the horror on board the ship as it becomes more and more blatant that they aren't entirely sure of what they are supposed to be doing.. And their individual personalities makes them seem more human which consequently makes the concept all the more scary. They are just normal humans with families and worries of their own; not rare or special violent super villains - they are real. Barkhad Abi really shone, even when sharing a scene with acting legend Tom Hanks, and that is an impressive feat and it was his performance that made the panic and sense of unwinding chaos all the more prominent.

Captain Phillips is a great portrayal of an absolutely terrifying real life ordeal, the strong performances and clever direction do the story justice and consequently blend together to make one of the biggest must-see films of 2013.

All in all I give Captain Phillips ★★★★☆

Captain Phillips is in cinemas nationwide from Friday the 18th October!

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you like!

Love,