Violette
Compliance
Blue Jasmine
Frances Ha
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Philomena
The Great Beauty
Rush
The Place Beyond the Pines
I see more films than the average person because my boyfriend is a huge moviegoer and works in the film industry. So here is yet another list rounding up my top new releases in 2013. Two fictional films which are largely based on real life events ‘Compliance’ and ‘Philomena’ really moved me with their shocking cruelty and disturbing truths. ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ felt in many ways like a novel in film-form since it straddles two periods of time and generations. While not a perfect film, it's ambition is admirable and it made a really powerful emotional impact. The decadent roller-coaster ride that is ‘The Great Beauty’ is so original and entertaining it’s a film that haunts my dreams. Another foreign language film that captivated me and which I’ve written about before is the powerful ‘Violette’ exploring the life of the feminist author. One big blockbuster that took me by surprise was the historical racing double-bio pic ‘Rush.’ I didn’t think a film about car racing could grip me so much or speak so strongly about rivalry, friendship and ambition. A critically-acclaimed film that I had the biggest expectations for and it lived up to all of them was ‘Gravity’ which terrified and thrilled me watching it in IMAX. I never thought a Woody Allen film would make its way into my top ten of the year again but ‘Blue Jasmine’ was excellent. Blanchett and Hawkins really brought it to life. However, I also loved the way the script moved from present to past gradually revealing Jasmine’s tragic downfall. The Coens’ film ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ is a collection of clever powerful vignettes which come together to form a whole with the entire film looping back on itself like a mobius strip. The incredibly talented Oscar Isaac makes you follow and really care about Llewyn though he is oftentimes unsympathetic with his high-minded artistic ideals and tempestuous nature. No other filmmakers draw such powerfully comic and haunting performances out of their supporting actors. A film which made me feel sheer joy with its humour and humanity was ‘Frances Ha.’ Frances is another character with artistic pretentions, but who is all the more loveable for her foibles as she awkwardly stumbles into full adulthood.
