Cindy Prascik's 2013: A Movie Year in Review

Dearest Blog, if my count is correct, in 2013 I saw 74 movies that I hadn't seen before. Following is a list of my favorites on the year, as well as a few moments that stand out for me...for better or for worse!

Two important notes:

A film's placement on this list won't necessarily reflect its original rating, as time and repeat viewings favor some films, while others don't fare as well.

This year in particular, it seems my list is distinguished as much by the films I didn't see as the ones I did. Know that Dallas Buyers' Club, 12 Years a Slave, Inside Llewyen Davis, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and Kill Your Darlings, to name a few, are not willful omissions, but rather movies that just didn't play anywhere I could get to them.

So...without further ado... *drumroll* ...my top ten!

10. The Croods

This offering from Dreamworks Animation isn't quite How to Train Your Dragon, but it's a heartwarming family tale that is so gorgeous to look at it moved me to tears a couple times when I saw it on the big screen.

9. The Great Gatsby

The most recent film version of this literary classic is driven by yet another extraordinary turn from the always-spectacular Leonardo DiCaprio, who deserves a best actor nod here as much as for The Wolf of Wall Street. It also features some of the most stunning costumes and set pieces to be found at the cinema this year, a true feast for the eyeballs.

8. Pacific Rim

An old school monsters-versus-aliens epic, Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim was a big screen must see, distinguished by fantastic effects and a rousing performance from Idris Elba.

7. Now You See Me

Seemingly summer's only offering that wasn't a prequel, sequel, or reboot, Now You See Me is blessed with a great cast and a fun, original premise. It grabs your attention and never lets go.

6. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Upon first viewing, this was a bit of a disappointment to me, but it's grown on me enough to earn (back) a spot in my yearly best-of list. The addition of a useless female character is offset by my affection for the franchise and, especially, the magnificence of the titular dragon himself. (Disclaimer: The Hobbit has also been aided and abetted by the presence of two of my favorite screen hotties: Aidan Turner and Luke Evans! Shallow much? I know.)

5. Dead Man Down

Terrific performances from Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace anchor a well-crafted, at times brutal, movie that's smart, deliberate, and tense from beginning to end.

4. American Hustle

The year's strongest cast delivers uniformly excellent performances in an exciting film full of twists and turns, laughs and tears.

3. Star Trek Into Darkness

With 17 big-screen viewings, the most recent installment in the Trek franchise wins 2013's "favorite obsession" award, a sequel I loved even more than its predecessor.

2. Metallica Through the Never

One of just two movies to receive a perfect nine of nine Weasleys in 2013, Through the Never is mostly just a concert film with a little extra mustard on it. What a concert film it is, though, boasting a career-spanning setlist from one of the world's top metal bands that sounds a-maz-ing in digital surround sound. Undoubtedly the most fun I had at the movies this year! *horns up*

1. The World's End

My other perfect score in 2013 went to my most-anticipated film of the year, high expectations not crippling this one as they so often do. I named The World's End my number one the minute I saw it and, frankly, nothing else ever came close to dislodging it from the top spot. I stand by each and every glowing remark in my original review of this final installment in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, with one exception: at the time, I gave Nick Frost and Eddie Marsan credit for doing the acting heavy lifting, while Simon Pegg was the funnyman this time around. Having watched the film dozens of times since its July release, I have to amend my assessment of Pegg's work to give credit for one of the best all-around performances I saw this year, as heartbreaking as it is hilarious. It's a shame neither he nor the film is likely to be nominated for any major awards, though they're turning up on plenty of best-of lists by bloggers, magazines, and online movie sites, folks who don't get paid (or paid off) to tell you what's good and what isn't. The World's End masterfully blends comedy, drama, and sci-fi/fantasy, a perfect film that easily tops my list.

And now 2013's tidbits and also rans:

It broke my heart a little to have to cut Elysium from this list. Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks also had a fair shot at making it right up to the last, but in the end I think I liked The Croods better...by a hair.

Weirdest Cinema Experience: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's porno that's not really a porno (Don Jon).

Most Criminal Waste of Fine Actors (tie): Paranoia (Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford)/The Counselor (Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt).

Best Movie You Totally Missed: Phantom. (It lasted a whole seven days at my cinema.)

Hottest Cinema Vampire: Gemma Arterton (Byzantium).

Funniest Coincidence: Peter Capaldi credited as "WHO Doctor" (World War Z) just weeks before being named the new Doctor Who.

Best/Worst Gag: Hansel (Jeremy Renner) gets Diabetes from too much candy (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters).

Best Cameo: Backstreet Boys (This is the End). I may or may not have jumped out of my seat and *squeed* out loud!

Most Horrifying Idea Ever: Running, climbing zombies (World War Z).

Most Curious Choice That Actually Worked (Against All Odds): Gary Oldman as Elvis (Guns, Girls & Gambling).

Worst Film of 2013: Only God Forgives (but I doubt even He can forgive this mess).

So, kids, there you have it, my thoughts on the year that's ending. 2014 promises to be extra-awesome, with no less than three big-screen outings for my favorite, Mr. Leonard Gary Oldman, so I'll see you at the movies!

Until next time...



Let's Boo Boo!

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Saving Mr. Banks & American Hustle

Dearest Blog, yesterday I braved the holiday throngs for a couple movies I hoped would prove worth it, Saving Mr. Banks and American Hustle.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on my agenda was Saving Mr. Banks, the story behind the story of Mary Poppins, and of Walt Disney's struggle to bring the beloved classic to the big screen.

If ever one of my reviews required a disclaimer, it's this one, so here it is: I HATE Mary Poppins. I hate the character, I hate the story, and if you start singing one of those stupid songs within my earshot, I will pull out your vocal cords through your eye sockets. I was recently scarred by an attempt to watch I'm Not There despite the fact I despise Bob Dylan, so, if I feared my distaste for the subject matter might leave me unable to enjoy this film on its own merits, it's understandable. As it turns out, I needn't have worried.

Saving Mr. Banks is a glorious piece of filmmaking, carried squarely on the shoulders of its magnificent leads, Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. The two so thoroughly embody P.L. Travers and Walt Disney that it's almost jarring when the old photos used in the end credits don't have their faces. Thompson makes Travers a sympathetic character, even at her stiffest and most difficult, and Hanks...well, if Mr. Disney and Captain Phillips land him two spots on the "Best Actor" lists come year end, that's fair. The supporting cast is also pretty special, with standout performances from Ruth Wilson, Colin Farrell, and Paul Giamatti.The story-within-the-story flows smoothly between flashbacks and present-day happenings, and the costumes and scenery effectively dictate the feel of each sequence and scene. "Nice" is so vanilla that it almost doesn't seem like a compliment even when it's meant as one, but Saving Mr. Banks is just a nice movie that I think pretty much anyone will enjoy. If the film is sentimental, it's in a good way, rather than the eye-rolling way of some of the unfortunate trailers running with it. I cried so much I had to sneak out the back door of the cinema because I was embarrassed to walk through the lobby! If it had that effect on someone so utterly UNsentimental about Mary Poppins, those who love the book and/or the movie had better bring a whole box of Kleenex with them!

Saving Mr. Banks runs 125 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements including some unsettling images."

Young or old, Mary Poppins fan or not, I don't think a person could help but enjoy this movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Saving Mr. Banks gets eight.

Next up was my birthday present from Hollywood, American Hustle.

When a pair of con-artists is busted, they're forced to work with the FBI in an attempt to hook some bigger fish.

It will come as no surprise to anyone when I say awards season movies aren't necessarily my cup of tea. That's not to say I don't often enjoy them, but my taste generally runs more summer blockbuster than Oscar bait. When I start seeing "Academy Award Nominee" and "Golden Globe Winner" before all the names in the trailers, that's exactly what I'm looking for in those movies, performances that knock my socks off. I am pleased to report American Hustle delivers more than a few of those in a fun, exciting ride that will hold your undivided attention from start to finish.

Christian Bale is terrific in the lead, the formerly cut Bruce Wayne barely recognizable as a paunchy fashion nightmare with a bad combover. Bale gained 40 pounds for the role, and, sadly, this movie makes more of a point of showing off his flabby bare belly than the last Batman did of his six pack. His performance is extraordinary, smart and subtle when it needs to be, over the top when it has to be, just all-around perfect. Bradley Cooper is terrific as the FBI agent slowly losing his grip as he tries to make his name on the case, as is my beloved Jeremy Renner as a politician trying to do the right thing in perhaps not quite the right way. On the ladies' side, Amy Adams is fantastic, but can't help be overshadowed by another stellar showing from Jennifer Lawrence. If you were harboring any inexplicable, lingering doubts as to whether Lawrence is actually the most perfect human being in existence, well, this should erase them for good. Finally, I was absolutely delighted to see two of my Boardwalk Empire favorites, Jack Huston and Shea Whigham, who are both great in smaller roles.

American Hustle begins with the warning: "Some of this actually happened." Like Pain & Gain, these people's behavior is sometimes too stupid to believe, and yet...there it is. The movie goes from serious as a heart attack to laugh-out-loud funny in the blink of an eye, the plot zigging and zagging to keep you on the edge of your seat, without getting muddled or confusing. The awesome 70s soundtrack is bound to bring back fond memories for those who remember the era, even if the hairstyles and fashions do not!

American Hustle clocks in at 138 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive language, some sexual content, and brief violence."

For all the time I spend at the cinema, I think I deserved a really great movie for my birthday and, with American Hustle, I got it. Of a possible nine Weasleys, American Hustle gets eight and a half.

So, dear Blog, that's all the news that's fit to print for now. If time and the listings cooperate, and if I can manage to make myself see something besides The Hobbit, I've got a half-dozen new releases to squeeze in over the next seven days before I can finalize my year-end top ten. Fingers crossed!

Until next time...



Would you believe me if I said these are three of Hollywood's hottest leading men??

MOVIE REVIEW AMERICAN HUSTLE

Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Amy Adams star in director David O. Russell's fictional period crime drama about a reckless FBI agent who recruits a con man and his alluring partner into a scheme to ensnare corrupt politicians and gangsters. Smooth-talking Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) is a hustler of the highest order. No mark is off limits for Rosenfeld, especially when his crafty partner Sydney Prosser (Adams) is by his side. When renegade FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper) thrusts the deceptive duo into the treacherous world of New Jersey power players and underworld heavies, the thrill of the hunt grows too strong to resist. Meanwhile, New Jersey politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) gets caught in the middle, and Rosenfeld's capricious wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) holds more power than anyone could imagine. Louis C.K. and Jack Huston costar. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence.

Release Date: Dec 13, 2013

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 9 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Who said prestige films had to be a laborious task? American Hustle is wonderfully crafted and skillfully acted film that sizzles from the opening scene. David O. Russell has been on a hot streak as of late and American Hustle may be his best yet. I’d never have imagined that Russell would have become an actor’s director after all the fall out from I Heart Huckabees but some how he’s become a master at extracting some of the finest work from his performers. American Hustle’s cast is firing on all cylinders deliver performances that are fully realized and engaging throughout while being incredibly entertaining. It’s the kind of filmmaking high wire act that incredibly hard to pull off but the cast and crew deliver in all facets. Christian Bale continues to top himself with each performance and this might be his best. Bale’s performance is a virtuoso exhibition of varying shades of gray throughout while maintaining a real sense of the character’s heart. Amy Adams, whose becoming a much more interesting actress with each role, gives her character a fiery but broken heart. Adams has more than a few moments where she just commands the screen with emotion streaming out of her eyes. Bradley Cooper is perfectly manic and unstable as the FBI agent, showing again that Russell can get him to deliver his best work. Jennifer Lawrence is equally impressive in a smaller role. Lawrence may have a limited role but her screen time and character are incredibly memorable. Jeremy Renner also delivers some of his finest work as the good hearted but misguided mayor. American Hustle is one of those films that is so well done that the 2 hours just fly by with nary a dead spot. It’s one of the year’s best which is likely to rack up nominations come award season.

A