2013 In Review: Top Ten Films

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Gravity

2013 was a fantastic year for film. It’s as simple as that. Technological boundaries were broken, Disney made a triumphant comeback with not one but two wonderful animated releases, Noah Baumbach proved what could happen when you make a film on a shoestring budget and in black-and-white, and Steven Soderbergh bid a fond farewell to the cinematic world with the fantastic one-two punch of pharmaceutical drama Side Effects and outlandish Liberace biopic Behind The Candelabra. Continue reading “2013 In Review: Top Ten Films” →

2013 In Film: A Summary

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Frances Ha

2013 has brought with it a lot of things, both good and bad. But in this particular post I’ll be focusing on the film-related highlights that I’ve experienced over the past twelve months, from a mini adventure in London that included my first ever podcast appearance to a wine-soaked preview screening of Gravity at the newly converted IMAX cinema in Glasgow. I’ve interviewed idols, attended film festivals, and even walked a red carpet. Continue reading “2013 In Film: A Summary” →

Review: Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie (2013)

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Walking With Dinosaurs

Named after the massively successful six part BBC documentary TV series that aired in the late nineties and in which this half-baked, feature-length film is based upon, Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie is a live action/CGI hybrid from co-directors Neil Nightingale and Barry Cook. It’s without a doubt visually stunning, with the best constructed dinosaurs since Jurassic Park. Yet it’s botched spectacularly by a paper-thin script and laughably silly voiceover work from such actors as Justin Long and John Leguizamo. Continue reading “Review: Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie (2013)” →

Review: American Hustle (2013)

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American Hustle

The third part in his own self-proclaimed reinvention (one that’s so far brought with it The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, two Academy Award winners), American Hustle finds David O. Russell at his most playful, tackling the infamous ABSCAM scandal – a hugely publicised FBI sting into political corruption – with a tremendous amount of wit, vigour and vibrancy. While certainly not without its faults, it’s a film that’s more often than not massively entertaining, and a constant platform for spectacular performances and outlandish 70s fashion. Continue reading “Review: American Hustle (2013)” →

Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

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Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The inspired absurdity of Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy ensured that, even after its initial box office disappointment (its overall worldwide cume rang in at a paltry $90M), the film – co-created by comedy duo Adam McKay and Will Ferrell – went on to become a well-loved cult classic. Now, nearly a decade later, and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues has emerged from development hell as a worthy, if at times bloated and slapdash, sequel that’s more of a hit than it is a miss. Continue reading “Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)” →

Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)

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The Desolation Of Smaug

After the bloated and unsatisfying first instalment in the Hobbit film series left many frustrated and disappointed, it comes as a relief to discover that its follow-up, subtitled The Desolation Of Smaug, is a considerably more forcible and pleasing romp. It’s fun and spry, with a bulging sense of adventure and urgency that excuses a vast majority of the more superfluous moments. Peter Jackson’s penultimate return to Middle Earth feels as much like a piece of The Lord Of The Rings saga as one could hope. Continue reading “Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)” →

Review: Nebraska (2013)

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Nebraska

American writer and director Alexander Payne has carved a successful career from exploring the comedy and drama of life through the world-weary eyes of ordinary individuals, from Jack Nicholson’s Warren Schmidt in About Schmidt to George Clooney’s Matt King in The Descendants. His latest, the poetic and bittersweet Nebraska, is no different, and has already cemented itself as a strong awards contender after receiving plaudits upon its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Continue reading “Review: Nebraska (2013)” →

Review: Frozen (2013)

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Frozen

For a studio that, in its heyday, brought to the screens some of the most beloved animation films of our time, Disney have been struggling in recent years to emerge from the shadow Pixar, their powerhouse sibling, cast upon them. Their recent efforts, however, have displayed a huge amount of promise, with Tangled in particular worth honourable mention. But it’s their latest, the enchanting and extremely entertaining Frozen, that proves Disney’s classic formula can be adjusted to incorporate contemporary values. Continue reading “Review: Frozen (2013)” →

Review: The Selfish Giant (2013)

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The-Selfish-Giant-film-st-010_zpsc71ca4df

Three year’s after receiving recognition and numerous awards for her documentary on the troubled life of playwright Andrea Dunbar, writer and director Clio Barnard returns to the fold with The Selfish Giant, a poetic and beautiful social realist fable that finds her back on the run-down, doubtful council estates of Bradford. Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s short story of the same name, the film is a difficult, but beautiful watch – one that seizes the audiences attention from the off and rarely lets up. Continue reading “Review: The Selfish Giant (2013)” →

Review: The Family (2013)

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The Family

The Family hails from Nikita and Léon writer, director and producer extraordinaire Luc Besson. But, while it’s decently made and contains an assortment of stout performances from a host of competent actors, it never reaches the heights it so ambitiously aims for, and will undoubtedly leave a sense of utter – and entirely valid – amazement as to how it’s possible for so much to go so drastically wrong when so many talented individuals are involved lingering in the air long after the end credits roll. Continue reading “Review: The Family (2013)” →