During that last month of 2013 I did still manage 13, but as usual last minute shopping, tidying and decorating messed with the timetable so a few films were left to be picked up in the new year.
Thor: The Dark World
Gravity 3D
Jeune et Jolie
Carrie
Oldboy
Saving Mr. Banks
Nebraska
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug IMAX 3D
Frozen 3D
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues
Frozen 3D
A good selection of films this month - animation, horror, drama - and although I enjoyed most of them, there wasn't really any that stood out from the rest. Looking forward though, there are plenty awards contenders coming up which will hopefully raise the bar and start off the new year with a bang.
Favourite-ish Film - Frozen 3D
The second Disney outing of the year pulls loosely (very loosely) from original tale, The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Adds a touch of lightness and whole bunch of sing-along songs to make a very girly princess film. Characters who I had been worried about being annoying were actually less 'in your face' than I had assumed and added a nice comedic touch.
To be honest it could have done with being a little darker, closer to the original, and still kept its fluffy exterior. It was spectacularly beautiful in 3D though with the ice and Northern Lights colours spread throughout, and happily went to see it again later in the month.
I'm not a big fan of the Muppets, always liked the Sesame Street characters more - Cooooount Drrrracula and Coooookie Monster (you just said that in your head using their voices didn't you?) - but thought I would give this one another go on the big screen. I may not have a new found love of the Muppets but it was still a nice little Christmas treat - with lots of singing and the creepiest Muppet of all, the girl Ghost of Christmas Past.
Translated from French, this film is called Young and Beautiful. This is all the film seemed to have going for it though - its young and beautiful lead actress. Basically a tale of prostitution for no other reason than because she feels like it... There was no warmth between characters or seemingly any reasoning for her leap into the sex-for-money business. It left me wondering why? What was the point?
Other films this month included
Thor: The Dark World - again, see October's review.
Gravity 3D - Cuarón's long, spinning, continuous shots are amazing to watch especially with the nature of the film in space and the tension builds to create a great payoff. The characters were a little flat though and a story about a lost child that seemed to just be there to fill a gap while they slowly wandered across space.
Carrie - a remake of the cult film from the 70s, with Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore taking on the lead roles. Although the story stays pretty much the same and still rings true today, there is a lack of emotion and suspense that just doesn't stand up to the original. And let's not forget about some of those poor CG efforts that dragged it down.
Oldboy - another remake, this time I have not seen the original, so was able to take this one at face value. An interesting story with some eccentric characters, who all worked well together. The pacing seemed a bit off though, with his time imprisoned playing out slowly and his actions after his release raced past. I look forward to watching the original.
Saving Mr. Banks - a bit of a weepy one but leaves you singing your little heart out with the catchy songs from Mary Poppins. A behind the scenes look at how the troubled animation/live-action crossover came about, much to the consternation of its author P.L. Travers. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks breathe life into characters that have a great push/pull relationship, keeping you entertained throughout.
Nebraska - this black-and-white dramedy is the film equivalent of 'The Long and Winding Road'. It takes a while to get there but the journey is beautiful, a bittersweet road trip rekindling the bond between father and son firstly, and the whole family by the end. The bright star in the mix was June Squibb who played the matriarch of the family.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug IMAX 3D - figured I would make the most of this one and see it on the big BIG screen, however I needn't have bothered. The film itself is good, carrying on with the travels of Master Bilbo and his dwarf friends through some beautiful set pieces and introducing new characters including Beorn the skin-changer, Elvenking Thranduil and Lake-town resident Bard. However there was no need to see it in the IMAX and, perhaps I'm mistaken, but I thought this was called 'The Hobbit' - there ddn't seem too be that much of the hairy-footed little halfling!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - takes a lot to believe in the amount of coincidences and sheer luck throughout this one, but it's worth the uncertainty for the sweeping landscapes and interesting character development. Kristen Wiig is criminally underused in her role of the love interest, but there is a snow leopard!
Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues - this sequel was too long and just didn't seem to have the same punch as the first. Overall it was a bit of a disappointment, even with the occasional laughs and all the bonkers characters back for a second outing couldn't save it. Long periods of 'drama' overshadowed the comedy aspect, and James Marsden - whose storyline was a washout - could have been a much more credible foe.
That's them all for 2013 then! I will be posting my 'lists of 2013' very soon with a range of categories including Most Surprising Film, Most Disappointing Film, Worst Film, Best Actor and Best Film.
Title Film - All I Want For Christmas (1991)
Starring Ethan Embry, Thora Birch, Jamey Sheridan and Leslie Nielsen
A comedy about two New York City children who launch a hilarious scheme to get what they most want this holiday season. When Hallie goes to visit Santa Claus, she asks for an unusual gift - she wants her parents back together again.
I watched this again during my build up to all the Christmas festivities and reminded me what a heartwarming tale this is, snuggle up with a brew and forget about the cold weather outside!
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