If you are expecting to have your mind-blown by a groundbreaking film, Philomena is not for you. This is a very basic film that it typical British drama. However, it is a great film that has a touching story and wonderful performances by a pair of leads that are absolutely eclectic. True stories or, as…
Tag: best films of 2013
August: Osage County (2013)
In all my years of watching films, I have never quite seen a film like August: Osage County. That isn’t to say it is better or worse than all the other films I’ve watched, just it is incredibly unique and unlike any other family drama, I have seen. This is the type of film you…
Prisoners (2013)
Child getting abducted, skillful father takes the matter into his own hands. Where have I seen that before? Well, Prisoners tells the same story, but does so with such a unique and brilliant style, it feels like we are looking at a completely different story as opposed to the same taut plot. There were two…
American Hustle (2013)
David O. Russell is an oddity as a filmmaker – he is purely an actor’s director, and he’s grabbed 11 nominations for his actors over his past three films, with three wins. The man clearly knows his craft and how to work with actors. Of course, up until today, my favourite film of his was Silver…
The Conjuring (2013)
When one of your favorite films is The Shining, it will take quite a film to terrify you. The latest in a rapidly rising trend of possession films is a wonderful little horror film that combines shock horror and period drama to create quite an entertaining film that hearkens back to late period Hitchcock. What makes The…
Gravity (2013)
Not many films completely take me by surprise and seriously hit me in the face with how amazing they are. Gravity was one such film. It stands as one of the most marvellous achievements in technical filmmaking and was absolutely spectacular from start to finish. One must realize that this film may appear boring –…
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
When cinephiles of the future look fondly to the past, there will be certain filmmakers who have made such an indelible impression, they have changed cinema and the extent to where we can push it. Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Howard Hawks. The one person who would be right on top of that list is Martin…
12 Years a Slave (2013)
The measure of a great film is one that not only entertains but also allows a degree of discussion to happen between audiences about the messages of those films. One film that has caused a lot of discussion in the masterpiece 12 Years a Slave. While not in any way a perfect film, 12 Years…
Frances Ha (2013)
Noah Baumbach is the new king of independent cinema, and Greta Gerwig the queen. When the two of them decided to work together, I believe all was right in the world at that second. Frances Ha was that very collaboration, and I believe we saw a new side of the amazingly talented (and beautiful) Greta…
Frozen (2013)
Recently, mainstream animated films have lost some of the quirkiness that defined them a decade ago. Recent offerings such as Brave and Tangled have been good, but not overwhelmingly great. Also, the films have become increasingly female-centric, which while not in any way a flaw, can be misconstrued as trying to sell to the feminine…
The Postmodern Pelican 