With another year drawing to a close Aaron Yap presents “these brutally culled, sheepishly un-ranked bests of what I saw in 2013”. How do they stack up against the best films of 2013 as decided by all our writers? Read on to find out…
TOP 10 ALTERNATIVE LIST
Newish/recent movies that I saw non-theatrically, or for various reasons did/could not fit into my Flicks list.
It’s Such a Beautiful Day – Don Hertzfeldt’s knack for wringing uncanny reservoirs of dimension from his crude stick figure drawings has never been more apparent than in this mesmerizing, multi-media, micro-epic meditation on life, existence, etc. It’s like a lo-fi, scrappy The Tree of Life: just as cosmic and exploratory, but much shorter and often hysterically funny.
The Crash Reel – Much, much more than a snowboarding doco — in fact, don’t even approach it as such; Lucy Walker’s film examines the aftermath of a training accident that left young Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce with a serious brain injury. An affecting, inspirational, occasionally agonising-to-watch tale of dashed dreams, rehabilitation and reinvention.
Resolution – If Drew Goddard’s recent Cabin in the Woods rubbed you the wrong way, like it did me, with its ultra-glib form of meta-horror, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s fabulously loopy character-driven low-budgeter is the ideal corrective. It’s clever, but quieter, more cerebral, chock full of creeping unease. A gem in a market flooded with DTV crud.
Drug War – Johnnie To’s most straightforward, no-nonsense action pic in ages, judiciously trimmed of expository fat and executed with lean, mean, elegant precision. The incredible closing shootout once again demonstrates To’s peerless flair for complex but spatially coherent action choreography.
The Loneliest Planet – Julia Loktev’s masterful use of engulfing landscapes to convey the unnerving ambiguity and bubbling tension of an emotionally fraught trekking scenario add up to an unexpectedly powerful, even devastating experience. Superbly naturalistic performances. Wish I’d seen seen this in a theatre.
Leviathan – Easily the year’s most sensorily immersive stunner. Shot entirely on board a commercial fishing trawler with GoPro cameras, this ethnographic masterpiece sucks you into its bleak environment with images of nightmarish, abstract beauty set against the noise of sea life being gutted, squawking seagulls and clanging machinery.
Berberian Sound Studio – A terrific celebration of old analog sound production in cinema wrapped inside a claustrophobic, dream-like, brain-teasing Lynchian rabbit hole. Not a drop of blood in sight, but tons of atmosphere, with eerie, dissonant score by Broadcast.
Miss Bala – Visceral, hair-raising trip into the world of Mexican drug cartels. Astonishing direction by Gerardo Naranjo, whose exceptionally fluid, virtuosic long-take style constantly keeps us disoriented by the threat of violence erupting at any moment. Horrifying, gritty, edge-of-your-seat viewing.
The Tall Man – Despite this being the follow-up film from the director of Martyrs — one of the most talked-about horror films in recent years — The Tall Man barely made a blip. Probably ‘cos it was marketed as a generic-looking horror flick when it’s more of a lost Twilight Zone episode. The plot’s ingeniously structured, the ending made my jaw drop, and Jessica Biel gives her best performance to date.
Byzantium – Neil Jordan made a new vampire film and no one cared! Part Gothic noir, part coming-of-age fable, this stylish, lushly shot revisionist bloodsucker is his most cohesive, satisfying work in years.
Rewind This! – Such a great, entertaining history lesson in everything VHS, made with plenty of affection, nostalgia and also insight. VHS geeks will have a field day. I might blog this one up in a bit more detail one day. Buy it here.
TOP 10 FAVOURITE DISCOVERIES OF 2013
These are older films I caught for the first time this year that I loved. (I tried not to include to any Shelf Life picks — too many gems there).
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) – I’d always been aware of this Sydney Pollack film due to its crazy title but I wasn’t really prepared for how frankly insane and dark it is. And it’s a true story — about a Depression-era dance marathon where contestants dance for weeks on end to win $1500 while spectators watch on. A lot of them get ill, some go insane, a few die. A truly grim, proto-reality-TV-type spectacle.
Trick ‘R Treat (2007) – Michael Dougherty’s nifty Halloween anthology has gained a loyal following since being largely ignored upon its release, and you can add me to that cult. Directed with panache, it captures and honours the annual celebration’s colourfully festive, ghoulishly fun spirit.
Eye of the Needle (1981) – Underrated, well-done romantic spy thriller starring Donald Sutherland as a ruthless Nazi agent who stabs a lot of people with a switchblade while falling for Kate Nelligan on the English coast.
And God Said To Cain (1970) – Cool Spaghetti western from versatile Italian journeyman Antonio Margheriti with a dread-filled Gothic horror feel. Klaus Kinski creeps in and out and frame like a ghost throughout this solid revenge yarn, plotting payback as a storm ominously looms in the background.
I Walk the Line (1970) – Generally panned John Frankenheimer pic, and I don’t see why. Moody romance/character study set in the grimy-as-hell Tennessee boonies, with a perfectly downbeat finale. Absorbing perfs from Gregory Peck and Tuesday Weld.
2010: The Year We Made Contact (1984) – Sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey is way better than its reputation would suggest. Of course it pales in comparison to Kubrick’s singular vision, but taken on its own terms, it’s an intelligent, engrossing piece of science fiction that doesn’t insult its audience like most Hollywood films today. This from a director who would later make Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. Also, big Roy Scheider fan here.
When the Wind Blows (1986) – This anti-war animated feature blew my mind. It’s like a cartoon version of Threads! Maybe the most depressing and heartbreaking thing I saw all year (sorry Blackfish).
Buried (2010) – Director Rodrigo Cortes really rose to the challenge of making an entire movie set INSIDE A COFFIN. A Hitchcock experiment taken to mind-bogglingly minimalist extremes, as realistically calibrated as possible given the circumstances, plus Ryan Reynolds is surprisingly watchable. I also dug Cortes’ enjoyably goofy follow-up Red Lights, which everyone seemed to hate.
The Wild Child (1970) – Wonderful, beautiful black-and-white Truffaut period piece, based on a real-life account of a 18th century doctor trying to bring a feral, forest-dwelling boy into society. Néstor Almendros’s cinematography is just sublime. Compassionate, philosophically rich filmmaking.
The Hill (1965) – Sidney Lumet’s criminally neglected WWI prison movie. Sweaty, intense, filled with crackling performances, including a career standout from Sean Connery.
