10. THE WOLF OF
WALL STREET
Anyone who has been following this blog would know that I have three
favourite directors: Brian De Palma, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese.
Whenever any of these masters comes out with a new film it is an
event to me, however when “The Wolf Of Wall Street” was
originally announced I wasn't as enthused as I normally am for a new
Scorsese project. First off, the film that eventually came to be was
nothing like I thought it was going to be. I had no idea about the
book it was based on so just the words “wall street” turned me
off because the last thing I wanted was to sit for two hours watching
arrogant guys working on the stockmarket; it just sounded a bore.
However as I know now, “The Wolf Of Wall Street” is nothing like
that, in fact it is almost the opposite as we watch Jordan Belfort
and his friends party to excess after manipulating the stock markets
to make themselves some of the richest men in America. These guys
suddenly think themselves untouchable and due to how rich they are,
feel they can do anything. Everything they do is done to excess
because everything they have they take for granted and means nothing;
soon life itself means little; all it is about is having a good time
and making money (no matter who you hurt doing so). While a lot of
critics complained that Scorsese glorified Belfort and his friend's
drug and sex fuelled exploits, I think they are missing the point.
Scorsese needs to show just how fun these parties and the like are,
so you get an understanding of why these men became addicted to such
a lifestyle, but make no mistake about it, “The Wolf Of Wall
Street” is a morality tale about the dangers of excess, which is
shown very simply by how much of a tool these guys ultimately look
like. At the end of the day, the film is about the rise and fall of
a man who thought himself bigger and more important than anyone
around him; it just happens that a lot of his exploits are hilarious
as much as they are irresponsible. Quickly, on the acting front
DiCaprio shines in the very showy part of Jordan Belfort, and he is
ably assisted by Jonah Hill in one of his dramatic roles. The film
has a wonderful cast but it has two very impressive cameo roles from
Matthew McConaughey and Jean Dujardin. For a film that is three
hours long, it moves at a cracking pace and is always entertaining.
It is hard to believe that this film was directed by a man who is
aged 72 because it feels like the work of a young filmmaker, but at
this late in the game, are we really surprised that Scorsese has the
ability to do anything he chooses?
9. THE DOUBLE
This is the second of my doppelganger thrillers to make
this list but although at first they seem similar, the two films
couldn't be more different, not least because “The Double” also
works well as a very dark comedy (and it is very funny). What is
interesting is that when I saw both “Enemy” and “The Double”
(within a week of each other), I originally thought “Enemy” would
be higher on this list but as the year has gone on, “The Double”
has just stayed with me that much more. The thing that impresses me
most is the design of the film. It is just so precise and of its own
world. Although the film is set in the future, everything looks as
though it has come from the past with gadgets run by gears and metal
as opposed to everything being smooth and digital. It gives the film
a great texture. Director Richard Ayoade along with his design team
create a world that is bereft of colour with a lot of greys and
browns used with the odd splash of blue whenever Mia Wasikowska is on
screen. With the use of deep, dark shadows, it creates an almost
“black and white” colour film. What “The Double” is about is
having a lack of identity as if nobody sees you and the comedy of the
film comes from the fact that when our main character's (Simon) exact
double shows up, no-one notices. At least not Simon, they all notice
his double (James) because he is the exact opposite to him in that
he is confident, charismatic and very outgoing. Simon sees what
little life he has slipping away which ends up causing him to fight
to survive and come out of his shell. The further the film goes
along, the darker (thematically) it gets and the one film I kept on
being reminded of while watching “The Double” was Roman
Polanski's “The Tenant” which is one of my all time favourites.
Like Jake Gyllenhaal in “Enemy”, Jesse Eisenberg does a fantastic
job with differentiating between Simon and James, with Simon being
very twitchy and nervous all the time, whilst James always has an air
of confidence around him to the point of arrogance. One final note
about “The Double” (although I really have heaps more to say
about the film) was that I thought it was a nice touch that Ayode
cast all of his cast members from his previous film “Submarine”
in the small, bit parts of this film.
8. WADJDA
If
for nothing else, “Wadjda” is a stunningly achievement for the
fact that it is the first film to ever be made in Saudi Arabia and it
was by a female director. Considering how restrictive society is for
females there, it is almost unbelievable how this film got made.
Director Haifaa Al Mansour was not allowed to speak to the male cast
members directly and when shooting scenes outside in public she had
to direct from inside a darkened van parked on the street. It is
seriously a miracle that the film even got made, but for it to be a
film of such class and beauty is something else entirely. What makes
“Wadjda” so great a film is its simplicity; it is about a young
girl named Wadjda who wants to buy herself a bicycle, but under the
guise of this simplicity, Al Mansour is able to give insight into
what it is like to be a female living in Saudi Arabia. Do not fret
though, this isn't a political piece where Al Mansour has some agenda
she is trying to get across, rather she is just honestly portraying
what life as a female is like in her country. The film is also quite
funny at times although I would never call it a comedy. The fact
that Wadjda herself is such a cheeky girl, you cannot help but laugh
at her when she is defying her mother or talking back to her. She is
just so damned cute and Waad Mohammed is perfectly cast in the role.
She also has fantastic chemistry with her screen mother played by
Reem Abdullah and it is this chemistry that makes the scenes between
mother and daughter the highlights of the film. The interesting
thing about the (unnamed) mother character is the difference in her
and her actions from when she is in her own house compared to when
she is outside in public and it is a real eye-opener in regards to
the repression of women in Saudi Arabia. I'm not sure if I am
getting across just how fun this film really is, but although
“Wadjda” is a beautiful and happy film, it is not without its
sadness too, with most of these scenes having to do with the mother.
I implore you to check out “Wadjda” because it is just a great
crowd pleaser. Click here to read my original review.
7. FISH & CAT
This was the only Iranian film that I saw at MIFF this
year and unsurprisingly it blew me away. I do not know what it is
about me and Iranian cinema but I am always impressed by what I see.
However what made “Fish & Cat” unlike any other Iranian film
(or of any country) is that this 140 minute film is shot in one long
continuous take. No doubt this is an impressive feat, but it doesn't
stop there, because within this single take, we are witness to a
number of flashbacks and scenes that are told multiple times but each
time from someone else's point of view. It is extraordinary how the
film comes together and the logistics and rehearsal to make this
whole thing work must have been a headache for all involved, and yet
for the audience, it is all seamless. To be totally honest, I was so
caught up in the style of the storytelling and bedazzled by it all,
that I'm not entirely sure that the plot of the film warrants how
high it has found itself on this list. Frankly I do not care because
“Fish & Cat” is all about technique and I was spellbound by
it all. Seriously my mouth was agape a number of times during this
film, stunned by what I was witnessing. The story of the film is
relatively simple as it is about a group of friends who travel down
to a lake to participate in a yearly kite flying contest.
Neighbouring the camp on the lake is a small restaurant who has a bad
habit of serving meat of the human variety, and the scary part is
that its three cooks are currently out in the woods looking for some
fresh meat. What is interesting is that the film is based on real
events which is pretty shocking. While the film itself goes for 140
minutes, the time-span of the actual events in the film would
probably only last fifty minutes at most, but we are constantly
revisiting the same scenes over and over again. It might sound
repetitive and boring but it is the total opposite as you are totally
focused by it all as you learn more and more about what is happening
each time you witness the scene from another point of view. And do
not forget that this is all in one take; simply stunning.
6. NIGHTCRAWLER
This is the second time that Jake Gyllenhaal has made it
onto this list in a starring role, and the film is one that just came
out of nowhere for me. Until about a month before its release I knew
nothing about the film and then it started getting rave reviews and
it was released in Australia soon after. I immediately checked it
out and fell in love with the film and its sleazy main character, Lou
Bloom. The film is a satire about today's sad state of journalism
and about the increasingly blurring of the line between news and
entertainment. The fact that if there is blood or gore in a story a
news service will run it in an attempt for ratings. Gyllenhaal is
yet again superb as Bloom and couldn't be more different from the
other recent roles he has played. What I love about Gyllenhaal is
that when he creates a character he builds them from the ground up
starting with their body language. With Lou Bloom he creates a
character that barely blinks which is very disconcerting because you
just feel the man's gaze on you at all times. He also plays this man
as someone very charismatic, which is important because he is a man
who does deplorable things in an attempt to advance his position in
work and life, but he still needs to be someone the audience and the
other characters of the film relate to and gravitate towards. Make
no mistake, Lou Bloom is a disturbed man, and while initially it
appears like he is just professionally motivated, things begin to
turn when he starts to participate in the news rather than just
observing them, to the point of withholding information from the
police of crimes he has caught on film. What I really liked about
“Nightcrawler” is that it is a film that continues to build until
it reaches a fever pitch for its finale, which may be the films only
downside because I knew exactly how it was going to end well before
the end, therefore I guess it is predictable. Still it is a minor
quibble of a fantastic film. I must quickly make mention of Robert
Elswit's seedy night-time photography that gave L.A a very dark and
desperate look to it, and I thought it was fantastic to see Rene
Russo in a substantial role again (and she is very good too).
5. 12 YEARS A SLAVE
This was actually the
very first film that I saw in 2014, which is a testament to just how
good a film it must be that I still remember it when it comes time to
doing this list. “12 Years A Slave” is the incredible true story
of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York that is kidnapped
and sold into slavery where he spends the next twelve years of his
life under a number of different owners. Originally I expected this
film to be very heavy and a bit of a slog to get through, and
although it deals with a lot of confronting themes and unflinchingly
so, I found the whole thing to be beautifully made mainly due to
Chiwetel Ejiofor's sensitive portrayal of Solomon himself. He is a
proud man who refuses to give up this pride and self respect just
because he is now considered a slave. It really is a stunningly
powerful performance, full of nuance and emotion; you cannot take
your eyes off of him. Equally as strong but in a much uglier role is
Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps who plays Solomon's longest owner in
the film. Most of the film's confronting scenes involve the
Fassbender character who fully commits to these scenes to expose
their true ugliness including a very painful scene of him whipping
Patsey, a young female slave who is played by Lupita Nyongó. From a
content point of view it is a terribly painful scene, but from a
filmmaking perspective it is the film's most exciting moment because
it is all told in one long continuous shot that has been masterfully
achieved by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (whose work, unsurprisingly,
is brilliant throughout the entire film). The thing that surprised
me most though was Hans Zimmer's score. For a film like this, I was
expecting something very large and sweeping in an attempt to
manipulate your emotions, something done with a full orchestra and
everything. While I know little about music, it appears that what I
got was something quite different and a lot darker to compliment the
horrific images on screen. For me personally, I thought it added a
great deal to the film. While there is plenty more to say about this
equally disturbing and emotionally beautiful film, here is not the
place, so I will end by saying that director Steve McQueen has
created yet another stunning achievement with “12 Years A Slave”
that rivals his previous film “Shame” in brilliance.
Unsurprisingly I look forward to whatever may be McQueen's next film.
4. THE RAID 2: BERANDAL
“The
best action film for at least a decade!” is how I summed up “The
Raid” in my best-of list of 2012 (where it came in at #5 on that
list) and I stand by that comment, except it has only taken two years
for that statement to become obsolete as “The Raid 2” betters the
earlier film in every department possible making it not just the best
action film for at least a decade, but one of the best action films
ever made. If the first film didn't prove it, the second film
certainly has shown us that director Gareth Evans is clearly the new
master of action films. Unlike his contemporaries, he painstakingly
works out every moment of each action scene and doesn't finish
shooting them until he is absolutely satisfied with the results. We
are not just talking one or two takes here, we are talking well past
thirty if that is what is needed. Regardless, the proof is on the
screen because the action in this movie is just insane and very
inventive. Evans and his star Iko Uwais have combined to create some
of the most awe-inspiring action ever captured for a film and what I
particularly like is that each action scene is different from the one
that came before it. There isn't that sameness which can sometimes
make an action film boring. Here we have a large number of fights,
be it one on many, one on one, one on two, weapons or just open
hands; they are all spectacular and I haven't even mentioned the
vehicular madness yet. The original film was a claustrophobic
experience with the entire film taking place in a multi-storey
building that the cops cannot escape from. For the sequel, Evans
opens everything up, letting the story breathe and introducing a
number of new characters into the story. Apart from the fights, this
sequel is bigger in every way possible not least of all with its
extended running time of two and a half hours, but Evans proves he
has quite the cinematic eye by perfectly choreographing a scene of
dialogue just as excitingly as one of his action scenes. He
understands when to move the camera and more importantly how, and is
able to create a tangible world for his characters to inhabit. If
there is a criticism of the film, it is that with all the new
characters, it gets a little confusing just who is who and their
exact function in the plot, but this is a minor quibble of a
fantastically kinetic motion picture. If you are not impressed by
the final fifteen minutes of this film then you are unable to be
impressed; it is truly outstanding in its complexity. Click here to read my original review.
3. ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE
Oh
my god! Is Jim Jarmusch the coolest guy in the world? He is a true
original and makes films like no other, and that is something to be
thankful for in this cookie-cutter age of cinema. He always creates
such engaging and interesting characters that are so easy to fall in
love with even when they are not doing much on-screen which, if we
are being honest, is often in a Jarmusch film. I especially love it
when Jarmusch ventures into genre filmmaking which he has done with
his latest film “Only Lovers Left Alive”, which happens to be a
vampire film – one of the coolest vampire films ever. The film is
about Adam and Eve, vampires deeply in love and that have been
together for centuries, and yet live countries apart. Adam lives in
Old Detroit, whilst Eve lives in Morocco. After a conversation with
Adam over the internet, where he bemoans about the state of the world
and of human kind, Eve understands that he is in suffering from one
of his depression moods and decides to leave her abode in Morocco and
reunite with her husband in an attempt to show him just how good life
can be again. As soon as Eve arrives in Detroit and the pair are
together once more, Adam starts to pick up and begins to have fun
with his loved one, but all this is threatened when Eve's sister Ava
shows up for an uninvited visit. From the opening frame, I was in
love with this film. It grabbed me right from the get-go and even
though it moves at a snails pace that some might find disconcerting,
I was entranced for the entire two hour running time. All of
Jarmusch's films look amazing, but this is especially true of “Only
Lovers Left Alive” as the production design here is so detailed
that it just gives the whole universe that the film exists in, a
lived in quality to it. It doesn't feel fake; you believe that Adam
would live in a place like he does, and the same with Eve. Being a
Jarmusch film, music also plays a big part of the film, particularly
here because Adam is actually a famous musician. All the
performances in this film are pitch perfect (I'm really becoming a
Tilda Swinton fan these days), but I have to single out Mia
Wasikowska's energetic and playful performance as Ava. She plays her
as a naughty little kid who has no responsibility for any of her
actions. She just does what she wants without thinking. Whenever
Ava is front and center, Wasikowska just lights up the screen; it is
unlike any role she has done before. My final thought on this film
is if you ever wondered what a Jim Jarmusch vampire film would be
like, check out “Only Lovers Left Alive” because it is everything
you imagined it would be, and it is fantastic. For a brief while I
actually thought it was my favourite film from this original artist
(until I saw “Dead Man” on the big screen again, and it took back
top spot) but it easily comes in at number two; yes folks, it is that
good. Click here to read my original review.
2. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
After
my disappointment with his previous film, “Moonrise Kingdom”, I
was afraid that my love affair with Wes Anderson's films may be over
because what I reacted against most was his (over) stylisations
within that film which is an Anderson trademark. Thankfully it
appears that my reaction to “Moonrise Kingdom” must have been an
anomaly because he has followed that film up with his best yet, “The
Grand Budapest Hotel” which also has to be his most stylised film
to date and I loved every second of it. The film, as per my original
review, is “set
in the early 1930’s in the fictional European country of Zubrowka,
where we are witness to the many adventures of the famed concierge of
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gustave H. and his trusted lobby boy, Zero.
The oddball couple find themselves mixed up in a story involving a
murder mystery, an art theft, a jailbreak and a battle of wills in
regards to a family fortune, all against the backdrop of impending
war”. The best thing about the film is the character of Gustave H.
who is hilariously played by Ralph Fiennes. Often considered a
stuffy actor of period films, Fiennes shines with the comedy of this
film and makes the famed concierge Anderson's greatest character yet.
The rest of the cast is filled by a who's who of Hollywood with bit
roles going to the likes of Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray,
Saoirse Ronan, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton (again), Adrien
Brody, and Willem Dafoe, just to name a few. All of them are
excellent as is Anderson behind the camera himself. He seems to be
in total control of the film at all times expertly handling the
difficult tone of nostalgia and melancholy (whilst creating a
comedy). As you would expect the film is packed to the gills in the
visual department, with each set filled with the tiniest details but
I loved the fact that Anderson appeared to be celebrating the
artifice of filmmaking reminiscent of the film's time period. He
uses a number of techniques such as matte paintings and extensions,
to the use of miniatures, and even a bit of stop motion animation.
It all comes together beautifully though. Speaking of beautiful, as
usual Robert Yeoman's cinematography is precise and beautifully
composed and I must say I was happy to see Anderson's use of the
colour yellow finally being taken over by another colour, this time
with pink. It is well known that the film is actually in three
different aspect ratios depending on the time period of the story,
but the majority of the film is shot in the 1.33 Academy ratio, which
works very well for Anderson's detailed heavy images. The only
negative I have for this film is I think it has one too many framing
devices; with the third one too cute for its own good. Other than
that “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a fantastically funny film and
one that is very easy to re-visit over and over again, and the best
part is it gets better with each viewing. Click here to read my original review.
1.
HOUSEBOUND
So
here we are finally. My favourite film of 2014 was none other than
Gerard Johnstone's “Housebound”, a brilliant horror/comedy that
came out of nowhere from New Zealand. Those that have been following
this blog may know that I really do not like comedy in my horror
films. It just rarely works and nobody understands how to get the
balance right between the horror and comedy with most people
overdoing the comedy totally which undercuts the horror.
“Housebound” is the perfect example of a horror/comedy done
right. The whole thing is hilarious and scary when it is meant to be
either and the reason why it works so well is because it doesn't rely
on gags, the situations the character's find themselves in are funny
but they are played totally straight. We, the audience, are the ones
laughing not the characters, which is important to the film's
success. The other great thing about “Housebound” is that it
defies conventions; you just never know where this film is going
which is so great for a viewer. It is awesome not knowing what will
happen next, or guessing the ending five minutes into the film. The
plot of the film is about an immature twenty something girl, Kylie,
who is sentenced to house arrest at her mum's house for six months
after a bungled robbery attempt. Whilst living and trapped in this
house, strange things start happening and it isn't long before Kylie
starts believing that the house may be haunted and just what does the
creepy next door neighbour have to do with all of this? One of the
most incredible things about this film is that Kylie is such a
selfish, bratty bitch, and yet through the performance from Morgana
O'Reilly in this role, you can't help but fall in love with her and
you are with her for every second. She is just brilliant
particularly with her “I don't give a fuck” stare that she gives
all the time. A lot of the comedy comes from Kylie's mother, Miriam,
who is the nagging kind of mother that you would hate to be trapped
in a house with for six months. She could talk the leg off a chair
and yet nothing she says is at all interesting; it's just noise.
Still, again, you really find yourself loving her. Actually come to
think of it, that is true of all the characters. When it comes down
to the horror part of the film, this is also expertly handled but
Johnstone does an amazing job of changing the type of horror film you
are thinking you are watching regularly. At first the film comes
across as a ghost story, and while I am not going to give away any
secrets of the film, lets just say that by the time “Housebound”
is over, it is a completely different type of horror being explored.
While there are a couple of gory scenes particularly one moment at
the end, the majority of the horror is done via suspense including a
great segment on the roof of the house near the finale. Just like
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Housebound” is a film that gets
better with each viewing and it is just so easy to watch. It was the
film I watched more than any other in 2014 and I have recommended the
film to so many people since. That is why “Housebound” is my
favourite film of 2014, and I cannot wait to see what Gerard
Johnstone does next.
Well
there you have it, that was my round-up of the year that
was 2014. Hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it, but before I
finish, lets have a brief look at the upcoming year and my most
anticipated films of 2015.
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