A Year in Review: 2013

"And now, the end is near, and so we face the final curtain. My friends, I'll say it clear. I'll state my case of which I'm certain:" it's been an interesting year at the movies. What started out as a marathon of critically poor films has turned into some of the best cinema has to offer. I'd love to reflect on the hundreds of movies that came out this year, but, however, my schedule (and wallet...and age) does not permit such luxuries (at times, it's a blessing). As of such, I only saw 6 of this year's films, either in theaters or on DVD later in the year. So instead of a top 10 list, I'll just rank all the films I saw in my order of preference. I thought about doing something like that last year, but, well, I didn't. So we'll just start here, with my list of the movies that I saw in 2013.

6. Now You See Me
Dir. Louis Letterier; PG-13 

Coming in at the bottom of my list is the surprise summer blockbuster, Now You See Me. It wasn't an awful film; in my review, I called it a fun chase film, awarding it 3 out of 5 stars. However, it's not a film I often think about, and the highlight action sequence pales in comparison to those of other films that came out this year. If you have a free night available on HBO, or you have some friends over with Redbox or Netflix at hand, put in Now You See Me--you'll have fun, even if the film isn't great.

5. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Dir. Francis Lawrence; PG-13

Coming in at number 5 is a film that I did not review. I felt that with the circumstances that led me to see the film, the audience I saw it with, as well as the fact that I had not seen or read the first Hunger Games book/movie, it wouldn't be appropriate to do a full review of it. However, here I can say that if I did review it, I would have given it a score of 3.5 out of 5 stars. The film was thoroughly entertaining, and the energy never let up. I enjoyed the revolutionary themes and the corrupt oppressive government. However, I felt three major things kept the movie from being as good as it could have been: a Twilight-style love triangle, a too-sudden ending (I don't care if it was that way in the book), and monkeys--it will make sense when you see it. But they're just a few things--so go see it! It's by no means the best movie of the year, but it's a darn good one.

4. Warm Bodies
Dir. Jonathan Levine; PG-13 

Coming in at number 4, we have the zom-romcom Warm Bodies, which, in my original review, I gave 4.5 out of 5 stars. In retrospect, I may have been a bit too gracious with my score, but this was a very funny film with original directing. It was thoroughly entertaining, and a fresh take on the supernatural craze these days. One of the few good movies that came out in February, Warm Bodies makes it to the number four slot in this list.

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Dir. Peter Jackson; PG-13

I may have focused a bit on the negatives in my original review, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Desolation of Smaug, giving it 4 out of 5 stars. What it lacked in emotion, it made up in nuance and entertaining action sequences. Better than An Unexpected Journey in many ways, this little Hobbit made me a very happy fellow, eager to see how Peter Jackson paints the finale for Smaug, Bilbo, Thorin, and the gang. Now you may be wondering why a 4 is higher up than a 4.5, and that's because I enjoyed The Hobbit a bit more than the technically better Warm Bodies. Regardless, if you haven't seen this yet, see at some point, whether now or during the trilogy marathon at AMC Theaters for There and Back Again (you know it's going to happen).

RUNNER-UP: Zero Dark Thirty
Dir. Kathryn Bigelow; R

With all the Oscar buzz that happened towards the beginning of the year, and watching it around the same time as last year's Argo, I had forgotten that, technically speaking, Zero Dark Thirty was a 2013 film, and it is one of my favorite films, earning a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars in my original review. This Osama bin Laden assassination thriller is gritty and realistic, but it's also, in a way, thought-provoking. I still think about the last shot of Maya on the plane leaving Iran after seeing bin Laden's dead body. This movie explores themes of vengeance and what happens when we let vengeance control us. Many people argue this as a propaganda piece, but I disagree. It's a film that explores important themes and a film that you can think about, even if you can't thoroughly enjoy it because of its subject matter. If you can handle some R-rated language and torture sequences, make sure you check out Zero Dark Thirty--my second favorite film of the year.

BEST FILM: Saving Mr. Banks
Dir. John Lee Hancock; PG-13

This is undoubtedly the best film that I saw this year. I was pumped for Saving Mr. Banks since I reviewed the trailer back in July, and this film did not disappoint at all. Entertaining, funny, heartfelt, and with fantastic performances from everyone involved, especially those of Emma Thompson and Paul Giamatti. Mary Poppins is a revered classic among many, especially Disneyphiles, and this is one of the few films that I've seen in theaters where the audience clapped at the end. That has not happened since I saw Les Miserables last year. Why? Because this film was made, not as Disney propaganda (Walt Disney isn't painted as Mr. Perfect), but as a meaningful picture that was careful in what it did. Were some events altered from real life to film? Likely. But does something like that really matter when this film is put together so well? Butter my butt and call me a biscuit if this film does not at least get nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I need to see this film again before I can say it's one of the best films I've ever seen, but I can tell you, this rightfully deserves all 5 out of 5 stars.

Well, there you have it! As time goes on, I'll certainly watch the films I've missed, like Gravity and Captain Phillips and Frozen, but I didn't see any of them in time to make them one of the films I would put on this list. When I see them, I'll let you know what I thought about them right here. But before that, I feel that I have some explaining to do. Back in July, shortly after the facelift, I published a post entitled "Changes: A Branch of the Tree of Life," in which I explained that the blog as a whole would dramatically change within weeks of the post. As you can tell, that has not happened, and I fear it may not for some time more. I do plan to move from here eventually, but I don't have the time right now that would justify having a separate website with a new URL. When my time frees up more, then it will be more practical to consider moving away from "The Pianoman's Blog." When I find that opportunity, I will share my plans, and when the move occurs, I will celebrate with an in-depth review of The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick, my favorite film of all time. But until then, check my tribute of this year at my new YouTube channel! Click the YouTube button on the video to subscribe!



But as Michael Buble once sang, "it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, and I'm feeling good." What films did you see this year that you enjoyed? That you hated? That you were indifferent about? What film in my list do you find my thoughts absolutely ludicrous for? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below! Happy New Year, y'all!