Succinct Sunday: 2013 - The Ones That Got Away...

So as usual, my first post of a new year is looking back over the previous one, and I thought I'd quickly summarise the films I didn't get chance to review when they were released.  Trust me, there are films in here to which I'd rather give the full review treatment, and I might do so when I'm travelling around Asia in the upcoming few months, but for now, here are my thoughts...

Hitchcock

Anthony Hopkins delivers a fantastic performance as the iconic director struggling with movie studios to direct Psycho, his most iconic film.  Yet the Hitchcock's screenwriters fudge facts to create a more interesting story when the truth is interesting enough!  A certain misuse of Helen Mirren’s potential and under-utilisation of Scarlett Johansson’s talent hampers the drama, but it is a decent film all the same.

Mea Maxima Culpa - Silence In The House of God

A powerful documentary that is not for the faint-hearted.  Surrounding a grand conspiracy within the Vatican itself, child abuse within the priesthood especially a priest assigned to a school for deaf children in the 1960s USA, Mea Maxima Culpa raises important questions about a topic all too ignored within the Vatican.  The personal accounts of the deaf adults recounting their childhood equally heart-breaking and eye-opening.  

The Bay

A rarity in today's cinema – a found footage horror film that entertains and actually works!  Set amongst a small American fishing town on the Fourth of July, local residents begin to act erratically before mysteriously dying. Turns out, it's the doing of horrible water-borne parasites that begin to infest people bodies.  This film will truly disgust, horrify and repulse you.  You thought Jaws made you stay away from water?! You ain't seen nothing yet.

Oz - The Great and Powerful

This prequel to the original Wizard of Oz is disappointing and then some.  OTGAP features some interesting scenes of potential horror and dread, helmed with delight by Evil Dead director Sam Raimi, but the rest fails to work, attempting to be whimsical and magical.  A poor man's Alice In Wonderland.  Although Mila Kunis proves she is attractive no matter what appearance she has.

Dark Skies

Aliens terrorise a debt-plagued family and the results are eerie at best.  As a person often brought to pants-wetting by alien films, this left me gasping at very few points, relying on loud noises and people acting strangely to frighten the audience.  Admirable in places but nowhere near the terrifying Signs or The Fourth Kind.

Evil Dead

Pointless remake of the 1980s “video nasties” classic, in which Jane Levy attempts to overcome drug addiction with the help of family and friends, resulting in an evil incantation being spoken, blood raining from the sky and limbs being cut off.  Original was iconic, however the remake is simply pointless violence.  Levy delivers an impressive lead performance and the effects are horribly fantastic, but a poor film otherwise.

The Purge

An interesting premise of a single night in America where all crime is legal to keep everyone ‘sane’ for the other 364 days.  Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey provide decent lead performances, but the film is filled with so many flaws and plot-holes that they become distracting after a while.  The film's main threat is memorable but not much else.  Obviously though the premise is spawning sequels, so hopefully things will improve.

Before Midnight

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprise their roles from the previous Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, now struggling with married life and the pressures of responsibility and age.  The fluid improvisational conversations are mesmerising and the characters feel just as realistic as they always have.  A definite recommendation.  Not just this film, the entire trilogy.  Go watch it.  Now.  Go on.

World War Z

Brad Pitt’s hairdo vs. mindless CGI zombies.  The film's box-office takings might tell you that people went to see this CGI-laden, globe-travelling mess of a film, but that doesn’t mean it was any good.  A proper adaptation of Max Brooks’ book would have been fantastic, but instead we have several loud and confusing set-pieces followed by an hour of Mr Pitt creeping around a Welsh laboratory.  Yawn.

Despicable Me 2

Gru, the world’s greatest villain, is back with his horde of farting, one-eyed minions.  The original Despicable Me surprised me back in 2010, leading to high hopes for the sequel and it did not disappoint, as it was wittier, gave extra dimensions to the characters and overall, was funnier.  Plus, more minions?  You can’t go wrong.

Monsters University

Speaking of high hopes, none were as high this year as for the sequel to Pixar’s Monsters Inc.  Whilst the film still did retain some of Mike and Sully’s chemistry, the University aspect and the Scare Games they had to complete bored me and made the film seem laborious and repetitive.  Pixar is still Pixar so I had fun, just less than I expected.

 
Blackfish

One of the most powerful and striking films this year.  The story behind one of SeaWorld’s prized orca/killer whales is a terrible tale of torture, deception and scandal, even if it is a bit one-sided.  The footage taken of these beautiful but dangerous fish as they turn on their unfortunate trainers will certainly leave you speechless.

The Lone Ranger

I watched this with an open mind, having heard a lot of negative reviews and apparent justification for it being one of the biggest flops in cinema history.  Honestly, I didn’t mind it.  Yes, it may be an hour too long, but it is a valid attempt at trying to make westerns appeal to the younger generation, and they tried their hardest.  But Johnny Depp ain’t no Comanche.

 
Insidious Chapter 2

Back in 2011, I didn’t think the original Insidious deserved all the hype and praise it received.  Fair enough, it was scary in places, but it was derivative and nothing we hadn’t seen before.  Now here comes Chapter Two and we are treated to the same kind of jumpscares and cattle-prod cinema from the first chapter! Something new, please.

Prisoners

An interesting story about how far parents would go to discover what really happened to their children if they were in grave danger.  The film offers an intriguing premise and hints at interesting theories throughout, then ruins it in the final third when all the plot strands start to unravel.  Despite this, Jackman and Gyllenhaal are fantastic as ever.

 
Captain Phillips

Back in July I predicted this as being one of the top upcoming films of 2013, and thankfully, I was not wrong.  The true story of the merchant mariner and his crew being taken hostage by Somalian pirates is as exhilarating as it is draining, and the newcomer Barkhad Abdi who plays Muse, the lead pirate, does incredibly well.  The final scene has stayed with me to this day and cements Hanks as one of acting’s living legends.

Philomena

This is such a heartfelt and inspiring story that completely took me by surprise.  I thought this story of a woman trying to find her long-lost son with the help of a down-and-out journalist would be easy Sunday-afternoon watching, but it was a tour-de-force rollercoaster, one that I feel I lived through with Judi Dench’s Philomena Lee.

 
Gravity

Quite simply, an astonishing piece of cinema that makes me reconsider the impact of 3D technology.  Whilst Hugo and Avatar utilised the 3D aspect better than most, Gravity took it into orbit.  The simplistic storyline and sparse use of music gave the film such incredible impact; I was blown away several times during its duration.  Might not impress as many on DVD, but absolutely amazing in the cinema.

The Butler

The Butler details the life of a fictional black butler who works at the White House during several Presidencies.  Cecil (played by Forest Whitaker) is a fictional character, yet loosely based on the real life of Eugene Allen, a White House butler.  So why not just make the film around the real Eugene Allen?  Did these interactions between Cecil/Eugene and LBJ/Nixon/Reagan really take place?  Did he have a son in the Black Panthers?  Did Oprah seriously get nominated for a Golden Globe for her role?!  I'm so confused.
 

Oldboy

Remake of the Korean film and coincidentally one of my favourite films of all time.  Josh Brolin is Joe, a man who is imprisoned for 20 years without no reason, and released with the task of finding out why.  Pointless remake for subtitle-scared audiences.  Tries to take alternate avenues to differentiate from the original, but just becomes worse as a result.  Although I watched it with a friend who had never seen the original and he rated it very highly, despite the film’s dark conclusion.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Incredible continuation of The Hobbit trilogy, with Bilbo and the Dwarves trying to return to their old home.  Some pointless segues and distractions on their journey slow the pace, but the film culminates with an incredible mix of special effects and motion-capture performance by Benedict Cumberbatch, creating the immensely impressive villain of Smaug The Dragon.  Cannot wait for the final instalment.

And with that, we finish with 2013, and focus on the future with 2014.  Some really exciting films are being released this year and I will try to watch them all to let you know whether they are worth your hard-earned cash!

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

The Dunnie Awards 2013 - And The Winners Are...

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a fantastic end of December, however you celebrated it!

It's the last day of 2013 and to celebrate, I have the golden envelope containing the winners of the Mike Dunn Reviews' First Ever Dunnie Awards!  I can tell you're all very excited to discover the victors, ever since I announced the nominees a few days ago, so I'll get right to it!

First, the winner of Best Screenplay.

Now I could have given the award to any of these films; they all contain witty and intriguing dialogue, fresh and exciting characters, plus more twists and turns than a break-dancing competition at M. Night Shyamalan's house.  However, one screenplay definitely stood out from the rest...

THE WORLD'S END differed greatly from writer/director Edgar Wright and writer/star Simon Pegg's previously instalments in the Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, by having a truly damaged character as their main protagonist. 

This could also be said of James McAvoy's Bruce in Filth, but whereas Bruce is nihilistic and sociopathic, Pegg's Gary King is a likeable yet annoying, washed-up deadbeat, who is simply looking for a way to relive the glory days of his youth, even at the expense of the friendship he shares with his nearest and dearest.  King's relationship with ex-best friend Andy (Nick Frost), his old flame Sam (Rosamund Pike) and the town of Newton Haven as a whole has become self-destructive and rose-tinted, with his obsession with completing the Golden Mile taking all priority.

The deterioration of his character and outlook is only complimented by the destruction of the town around the returning school-friends, as both of their attempts at the Golden Mile follow similar paths and feature hidden harbingers of the plot to follow.  The dialogue is as slick as the cinematography, the balance is sublime and there will always be something new that you notice every time you watch The World's End and that is a true sign of an intricate and carefully-planned screenplay.

Next, to present the award for Best Actress...

I tried to be a little diverse with this category, highlighting actresses who work so effortlessly, their performances might have gone overlooked, such as the increasingly-impressive Andrea Riseborough and Rooney Mara, or those who may have acted incredibly well but were overshadowed by the restrictions of the film genre in which they were starring, such as Jane Levy, who was spectacular in the remake of The Evil Dead but won't be taken seriously due to it's overblown and violent content.


However, this year I cannot give the award to anyone but ...

JUDI DENCH for her performance as the titular Irish mother searching for her long-lost son in Philomena.  Her incredibly subtle and gentle portrayal of the real-life Philomena Lee could have achieved the award simply due to her reminding me of my own Nan and the film influenced me to put my emotions above my logic, but screw it, I adored the character of Philomena.  

Her kind-hearted and almost naive nature is so evident all the way through the film that you can't help but empathise with her and that is completely down to Dench's nuance and warmth.  The true story of how Philomena was treated at the Irish convent is appalling but how she was able to forgive her tormentors is truly amazing, and her explanation is handled terrifically well by Dame Judi.  The portrayal never falls into mimicry or caricature, as Dench keeps the character grounded and realistic.  But what else is expected of this very accomplished actress?  Never count out The Dench.

Moving on now from Best Actress, we have the winner of the Best Actor award...

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about how JAMES MCAVOY is by far one of my favourite actors of this current generation.  His performances in both Filth and Trance have propelled him to the heights of fame, as well as the lofty heights of The Dunnie Award winner's ceremony.  In both these films, McAvoy provides such a range of acting abilities, I was completely bowled over by what this young man from Port Glasgow showed.

Whilst Bruhl and Cumberbatch showed intensity, Pegg showed humour and pathos and Hanks showed natural acting ability, I feel McAvoy showed all of these this year in his two leading performances. 

His natural charisma and charm simply ooze off the screen in both films as he portrays unreliable narrators and provides steady groundwork for both stories to build.  Whilst the audience might not trust his character, you feel comfortable in his ability to entertain, even when acting despicably or dishonestly and that is a rare trait for a leading actor today.  His charm and talent transfix the eye to the screen, despite the vulgarity or confusing actions that he is doing.  With his vast range and inherent likability, Mr. McAvoy is definitely going to win an Academy Award soon, you mark my words!

Now, back to the technical awards, with the award for Best Director...

This has been one of the most difficult decisions to make in the deliberation of The Dunnie Awards.  Whilst Greengrass and Cuaron deserve their nominations due to outstanding direction in both Captain Phillips and Gravity respectively, I feel like I should champion someone who will not get the attention they deserve due to factors such as obscurity, surreal or outlandish topics or just the fact that Gravity and Captain Phillips have been grabbing all the headlines this year and overshadowing the other great feats of direction.

With that in mind, ever since watching Stoker back in March, I have been haunted by the incredible cinematography, beautiful score, impressive performances, terrifying set pieces and was left literally speechless at the end, convinced that I had just witnessed a moving work of art, even if it was one that I didn't fully understand.  I feel that this is fully attributable to the director CHAN-WOOK PARK.

Chan-Wook is a South Korean director, most famous for his 'Vengeance' film trilogy, that includes Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.  Stoker is his first English-language film and he certainly was able to apply all that he had learnt in Korea to his first American production.

I should wait before announcing the award for Best Film, but since we're already discussing it, I might as well combine the two awards...

STOKER is by far, my favourite film of the year and the winner of this year's Dunnie Award For Best Film.  Very similar to how I felt about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World a few years ago, when someone asks me why, it usually takes me a while to explain.

As I mentioned earlier, I was left speechless as Stoker's credits began to roll across the screen.  Every scene was intricately designed and beautifully constructed, the performances are so subtle and effortless and yet powerful and precise.  I quite openly consider the film on a whole is a masterpiece and a welcome addition to Chan-Wook's already-stellar backlog, even though I know it will not be to everyone's taste.

The storyline is macabre and sometimes morbid, but also sensual and fantastic.  I watched it with my fellow cinema critic and we had two completely different experiences whilst watching it.  I saw a certain vampiric element in the background of the film whereas he saw a simple, but chilling, family thriller, but we were equally bowled over it.

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And that is that for 2013!  Thank you for joining me in celebrating the year that was!  Roll on 2014 and all the cinematic treats that lay before us and I will see you at the second annual Dunnie Awards next year!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!