MyETVMedia’s Favourite Films of 2013

Posted 10 years ago by myetvmedia

It has been an outstanding year for film and coming up with a list of the best was easy. Here are the myetvmedia reviewers top picks.

Donal’s top Films & Docs

Films:

Pacific Rim
The blockbuster of the year, and nominated for two Annie Awards, ten visual effects awards, and winner of Best Visual Effects at the Hollywood Film Awards and Best Horror/Sci-fi Film at the Las Vegas Film Critics Society. It’s got action, adventure, rocket fists, and a positive message of unity and cooperation. It’s sturm und drang with a human heart at it’s burning nuclear core. I knew I was going to love it, but I was surprised at how honest and pure it was. Too many big budget blockbusters choose to focus on the ugliness and cruelty of the world, this chose to show humanity at its best, a rare ray of hope amidst fallen heroes and all-too human failings. Read full review here.

 

Oculus
Two kids had their lives destroyed when their father murdered their mother and tried to kill them. Years later, the siblings are re-united and determined to find out what really happened that awful night. Atmospheric, creepy, tragic, it plays up the tension instead of the claret. It’s set to release in April 2014, and as a long time horror fan, I would urge you to check this out whenever you can. Read full review here.

 

Good Vibrations
I’m not going to go into too much detail, having just reviewed it, but check out the review and go watch it. It’s amazing. Read full review here.

Docs:

Dirty Wars
Directed by Jeremy Scahill, winner of the Sundance Award for Cinematography, and nominated for Best Documentary at this years Oscars, Dirty Wars is an in-depth examination of the war on terror and the rise of private military contractors. Travelling from Afghanistan to Yemen by way of Somalia, Scahill investigates nightraids, cover-ups, US support for African warlords and the assassination of Anwar Al-Awlaki, a US citizen. Terrifying and important, this is a must see. Read full review here.

 

Jodorowsky’s Dune
Going behind the scenes of the greatest movie never made, Jodorowsky’s Dune is a fascinating look at the process behind putting together a crew to create something beautiful. A meditation on art, commercialisation, and Orson Welles’ weight gain, it’s a beautiful, powerful look at Jodorowsky, his worldview and the creation of art. Read full review here.

 

Marshall Films & Docs

Films:

Gravity
Total Immersion. Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece weaves storytelling and visual fx so seamlessly that you will feel like you are in space. This is VFX being used as a filmmakers tool at its full potential. Gravity is a groundbreaking technological achievement that needs to be experienced on the big screen (IMAX 3D if possible). Read full review here.

 

Dallas Buyers Club

A powerful true story based on Texas electrician Ron Woodroof and his efforts to revolutionize access to medication for HIV/AIDS victims. The strong script is supported by a career redefining, where-did-that-come-from performance by Matthew McConaughey. Read full review here.

 

Docs:

The Armstrong Lie
Award Winning Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Dark Side) intimately captures the collapse of one of the most revered athletes of our time. The Armstrong Lie is both a fascinating exploration of professional cycling’s steroid culture and a deeply personal character study of the enigmatic Lance Armstrong. Read full review here.

 

Watermark
A breathtaking, beautiful panoramic journey, Watermark is an artistic visual essay that moves across several continents weaving the tale of man’s interconnectivity with water. In the same vein as Baraka, Watermark doesn’t preach any messages but instead uses images to arouse curiosity and foster discussion. Read full review here.

 

Astrid’s top Films & Docs

Films:

The Past
Director Farhadi’s last feature A Separation, winner of the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film focuses on the initial separation and subsequent divorce. The Past is a captivating expansion on the themes Farhadi begun exploring in his last film. The performances are stellar—Bérénice Bejo won Best Actress for her performance at the Cannes Film Festival—and the many unexpected plot twists keep the audience engaged, while enriching the films layers of context. The Past was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes. Read full review here.

 

12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen’s third film, the historical drama 12 Years A Slave is undoubtedly his most powerful yet (if you have seen Hunger and Shame you’ll know that is saying a lot). McQueen’s mastery as a director is on full display throughout this gripping movie that will shock and deeply disturb. Phenomenal filmmaking. 12 Years A Slave received a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best supporting Actress, Costume Design, Direction, Film Editing, and Writing categories. Read full review here.

 

Don Jon
Joseph Gordon Levitt showcases his comedic, directorial and writing skills with this witty and insightful romantic comedy. Probing romantic and gender stereotypes, Don Jon poses a number of intriguing and intelligent questions while remaining heavy on the humour. Scarlett Johansson and Levitt execute their rolls to a tee. Read full review here.

 

The Great Beauty
The Great Beauty is at once a poetic snapshot of Rome and a meditation on the meaning of life. Expertly directed by Paolo Sorrentino, this gem of Italian cinema is a visual feast. Part Fellini, part Baz Luhrmann, insightful and engaging, The Great Beauty is a character study interspliced with humor and a refreshing self awareness. Beautiful cinematography, an exceptional performance from Toni Servillo, it is no wonder this film is cleaning up in Best Foreign Film Awards and nominations. The Great Beauty received the Golden Globe for best foreign film and has been nominated in the same category for an Oscar. Read full review here.

 

Like Father, Like Son
Like Father, Like Son is a moving study on parent–child relationships and attitudes about raising children. Probing the “nature vs. nurture” debate, Hirokazu Kore-eda (Air Doll, Nobody Knows) explores the question through this touching story of two boys whose families discover their six-year-old sons were switched at birth. Like Father, Like Son is a beautiful meditation on the meaning of family. Kore-eda captures the intimate moments and emotional subtlety with great skill. The film screened both in Cannes, TIFF, and VIFF, nominated for the Palme d’Or and winning the grand Jury Prize in Cannes as well as winning the People’s Choice Award at VIFF. Read full review here.

 

Docs:

Buying Sex

Buying Sex is a truly masterfully crafted documentary by award winning husband and wife team Teresa MacInnes and Kent Nason. Buying Sex poses the highly controversial and timely question: “Is prostitution the ‘oldest profession’ or the ‘oldest oppression’.” While exploring this debate Teresa MacInnes and Kent Nason take us to two countries paving the way in their approach to the issue: New Zealand where prostitution has been decriminalized and Sweden where the purchase of sex is criminalized as opposed to the selling. Superbly executed, you will feel compelled to thoroughly explore MacInnes and Nason’s complete filmography. Buying Sex was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Read full review here.

 

Tales from the Organ Trade
Tales from the Organ Trade is an enlightening look at the ‘black-market’ buying and selling of kidneys. Examining the issue from a global perspective, Ric Esther Bienstock travels all over the world tracing the trafficking of organs from the donors/sellers, to brokers, to surgeons, to the recipients. What one might expect to be a black and white portrayal of exploitation is in fact a nuanced, and well-balanced exposition on the benefits of legalizing the organ trade.

 

After Tiller
After Tiller is a fascinating documentary about the highly controversial issue of third-trimester abortions. Only four doctors in all of the United States continue to practice the procedure after the high profile assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009. This highly polarizing and sensitive subject is adeptly explored by director/producer team Martha Shane and Lana Wilson. Shane and Wilson probe all sides of the issue: interviewing patients and doctors, delving deep in the ethics, emotions, risks, and complexity of the topic.

 

Shooting Bigfoot
Shooting Bigfoot is a audacious exploration of the American Bigfoot obsession by British documentarian Morgan Matthews. Matthews interviews and accompanies some of the USA’s most dedicated sasquatch hunters on multiple expeditions in search of the legendary beast. What he captures is both hysterical and priceless. Matthews’s perspective as a Brit, and his accompanying dry wit make for an exceedingly entertaining watch.

 

 

Christophe’s top Films & Docs

Films:

Rust and Bone
After winning Best Foreign Language film at the 82nd Academy Awards with A Prophet Director Jacques Audiard manages to come up with another masterpiece. The film is full of brutal realism and extreme violence tempered with romanticism. Read full review here.

 

The LunchBox
Indian director Ritesh Batra’s debut film “The Lunchbox” (Dabba) was the winner of the Cannes Critics’ Week Viewer’s Choice Award, the Golden Rail (Grand Rail d’Or). The film is a beautiful story narrated with tremendous warmth revolving around two strangers whose lives unexpectedly and miraculously intersect with a wonderfully contemporary twist that develops through exchange of notes via a lunchbox. The movie touched my heart and made me drool for Indian food. Read full review here.

 

Docs:

Charlie is My Darling
This fascinating documentary is an intimate behind-the-scene diary of life on the road with the young Rolling Stones featuring the first professionally filmed concert performances of the band’s long and storied touring career, documenting the early frenzy of their fans and the riots their live performances incited. A diamond in the ruff. Read full review here.

 

The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne
How does a poor single African American women becomes one of the worlds most notorious jewel thief? This is an absolutely riveting story, far more interesting than some of the blockbuster films being released this year. Being a black women in the 50’s in a time when black people were under intense scrutiny and being able to pull off such a scam for so many years is incredible. Read full review here.

 

Lauren’s Top Films & Docs

Films:

Palo Alto
Palo Alto marks the directorial debut from Gia Coppola,granddaughter of prolific filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Adapted from James Franco’s collection of short stories about Northern California teenagers, Palo Alto proves to be a visual gem about current youth culture that doesn’t try too hard to beat you over the head with an allegorical lesson. Read full review here.

 

Docs:

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
‘Punk Prayer’ made the short list for this year’s Oscars, putting in the category against films like the ‘Armstrong Lie’, ‘Blackfish’ and Sarah Polley’s ‘Stories We Tell’. It also won a World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for “Punk Spirit” at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Besides it’s high accolades, this film about The Band Pussy Riot and their arrest after their 30-second anti-Putin protest performance simply kicks ass. Featuring a wicked soundtrack featuring Peaches, this activism based documentary illuminates that the battle for gay, women and migrant rights is one that we need to stand together on. Highly recommended. Read full review here.

 

Burt’s Buzz
Burt’s Buzz is a charming documentary about Burt Shavitz, the reclusive genius behind the highly popular beauty line known as Burt’s Bees. Making it’s World Premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Burt’s Buzz is an affectionate look at the man behind the bee’s. Read full review here.

 

– The MyETVmedia Team

 

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