Great Movies of 2013: Action and Thriller

This is my last installment discussing my favorite movies of 2013.  My first blog has my top 5, followed by a second blog on my favorite Romance and Comedy movies and most recently I wrote about my favorite Dramatic movies.  As mentioned before I'm not a fan of gore, so there will not be any commentary on Horror movies and I don't go out of my way to see any animated movies other than something from Aardman Studios.  Keeping with policy of no spoliers, there are none below.

In my top 5 movies I already said that Gravity was my favorite movie of 2013 and I rated Rush as my third favorite movie of 2013.  So, what other movies are great?  Per my opinion these both are worth watching,

Action:

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips (Adventure/Drama)  - Tom Hanks gives a great performance as Captain Phillips along with Barkhad Abdi who plays the Somali pirate in this action/dramatic movie based on the real life events that occurred on the Maersk Alabama.  You can see my original movie review here. 

When I started blogging I thought that I would write more movie reviews, but I rarely ever see a movie opening weekend anymore. As for action/dramatic movies I would put the story, cinematography and character development for Rush above Captain Phillips.  However, watching this movie is certainly a good use of anyone's time.  (My IMDB rating 8/10)

Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness - Action/Sci-Fi - This is the second installment in the original Star Trek reboot and it features a young crew led by Chris Pine as Captain James Tiberius Kirk.  In this installment a terrorist attempts to destroy a Young Federation of Planets and the team on the USS Enterprise has to stop this one-man  weapon of self destruction. 

What makes this movie enjoyable is the great action sequences, great CGI and these young actors bringing the original Star Trek characters back to life.  JJ Abrams does a great job in creating the pace of this movie and it is solid on the overall canon of Star Trek.  I think this movie is worth seeing if you are a Trekkie or not... But if you are a Trekkie you would have seen this back in May of 2013 and would have formed your own thorough opinion.  This movie was the first time a Star Trek movie was done in 3D and probably best watched on a 3D television.  There are a few particular sequences that were extremely well done and I won't spoil them for you.  This movie was released well before Christmas on DVD.  (My IMDB rating 8/10)

I made a concerted effort the last few weeks to see several Dramas, but I have not made the same effort with action movies.  I would like to see still of 2013 RED 2, Wolverine and Enders Game.  Other action movies I thought were solid include The Hunger Games: Catching Fire starring Jennifer Lawrence, Catching Fire Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, and Oblivion starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman.   The latter deserves a George Lucas rewrite for the ending.  

Was there an action movie that was better than my four suggestions?  Was Superman really that super?  Are you not sick of Ironman?  Tell me what you think below.  

Great Movies of 2013: Dramas

In continuing with my two earlier blogs I'm summarizing my favorite movies of 2013 and this time it is Dramas.  I realize that there are other common genres of movies including Horror and Animated/Family movies. I'm really not a fan of blood and gore, and as for cartoons I typically see them years later with my nephew and niece.  Can't give an opinion when I'm willfully ignorant.  My next blog will be on my favorite Action movies of 2013.

Dramas:

My favorite drama of 2013 was Dallas Buyers Club, followed by 12 Years a Slave.  I have already previously commented about them in my Top 5 Blog.  

American Hustle

American Hustle (Drama/Crime) - This film combines a good story with a great ensemble cast (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, and Robert De Niro.) This is a fictionalized tale based on the Abscam scandal that occurred in New Jersey during the late 1970's. It tel;s the story of con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), along with his partner in crime (Amy Adams) who are forced to work for a rogue FBI agent Richie Dimaso (Bradley Cooper) who is fishing for corrupt politicians.

This is a fun film to watch for the 70's costumes, hair styles, decor and boat sized cars.  Batman really let himself go in order to get into role and Christian Bale's reportedly gained 40 pounds to play the lead.    Overall acting was great with Christian Bale standing out along with  Louis C.K. who pleasantly surprised. This film is nominated for 10 Oscars which is impressive, but I doubt David O. Russell film will win any other than Costume Design.  This movie did a lot of things well, but was not as exceptional as Dallas Buyers Club or 12 Years a Slave.  His last movie Silver Linings playbook was also great, but with 9 Oscar nominations only walked away with the Best Actress award for Jennifer Lawrence.  Certainly worth seeing and you can still find it in Theaters.
(MY IMDB vote 8/10)

Her 

Her (Drama/Romance) - This movie was impressive and eerie as we are so close to having AI (Artificial Intellgence) that can have a conversation with us.  This movie takes place in the near future when a lonely and recently separated writer (Joaquin Phoenix) develops a romantic relationship with a newly developed operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson.  Written and directed by Spike Jonze who initially had the idea in the 90's long before Apple's Siri and is his first movie completely written and directed by himself.  What is impressive is the seamless interplay between between Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johannson off-screen voice.  Furthermore that Spike Jonze decided on the editing room floor to completely recast the voice to Scarlett Johansson from actress Samantha Morton who did all the initial voice work.

Joaquin Pheonix demonstrates again that he is a phenomenal actor and shows considerable range compared to 2012's The Master or 2005's Walk the Line.  Other notable actors in the film include Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara    After seeing the movie it made me look at my smartphone differently and wonder if the next one will be able to do more than simple commands like the computer on the USS Enterprise.  You can currently see it in theaters. (MY IMDB Vote 8/10)


Other dramatic movies that I enjoyed in 2013 include Captain Phillips and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.   Both have good stories and solid acting, although I think Mandela movie would have been better if it was a mini-series or broken into two long movies.  It suffered from showing too much history into a too short of a movie.

Agree? Disagree?  Should I have waited to watching Philomena or Nebraska before saying my favorites of 2013?  Add your comments below.

Great Movies of 2013: Best Romance and Comedies

This is a follow-up entry to my top 5 favorite movies of 2013.  My wife and I have been busy seeing at least one movie a week since the beginning of December and it is my goal to see the majority of Oscar nominated movies.  At the moment I have seen 6 of 9 best picture nominees and the three that remain are 'Her', 'Nebraska' and 'Philomena'.  Also, I have not seen 'Frances Ha' or 'Inside Llewyn Davis' which have garnered a lot of critical praise.  In continuation of my personal belief that 'spoilers' ruin the fun, I don't go into any significant detail about each movie.  These are my favorite Romance and Comedy movies in alphabetic order.  I will post one more blog on what were my other favorite dramas and action movies of 2013.

Romantic Movies:

About Time

About Time (Romance/Drama/Fantasy) - This is a wonderful story and makes a great movie to watch on a date night.  This is imaginative tale tells the story of Tim an awkward 'ginger' who learns on his 21st birthday that he can travel backward in time.  With this power he decides to make for himself a better life by getting a girlfriend, but this proves harder than you think.  Tim is portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson (son of actor Brendan Gleeson) and his romantic counterpart is Rachel McAdams, who now plays the love interest of a time traveler for third time ('The Time Traveler's Wife' and 'Midnight in Paris.') Overall the acting is convincing and Bill Nighy stands out playing the doting father of Tim.  Australian actress Margot Robbie ('The Wolf of Wall Street') manages to keep herself clothed in this picture and certainly charms.

This is the third movie that Richard Curtis wrote and directed ('Pirate Radio' and 'Love Actually') after a long career of comedic writing.  This movie is not nominated for any Oscars, but I think it is worthy of a best original screenplay nomination and a best supporting actor nomination for Bill Nighy.  This movie is no longer in theaters, but will be out on DVD February 4, 2014. (My IMDB vote 8/10)

Enough Said

Enough Said (Romance/Comedy) - This is the last movie starring James Gandolfini and I was sad to here of his passing in June 2013. This is a story of a divorced woman (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who pursues a man (James Gandolfini) and learns that he is the former husband of her new friend (Catherine Keener).  This is a movie that is clearly directed at Baby Boomers and for Hollywood it is rare love story involving people of the same age.  Both Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and James Gandolfini are born in 1961.  Usually you see the divorced older male chasing someone in their 20's. Toni Collette also appears as the bestfriend to Julia Louis-Dreyfus character and provides levity.

This movie is the fifth feature film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener and like all her movies before stars Catherine Keener.  I can't say I have seen her previous movies, but per IMBD this is the highest rated movie so far in her career.  What made this movie for me was the dynamic between James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the awkward everyday people they portrayed.  It shows the talent of both actors and that James Gandolfini was more than Tony Soprano.  (My IMDB vote 7/10)


Romance is my second least favorite movie genre after horror. I'm not much a fan of silly popcorn Hollywood love stories, but there are two movies from 2013 that still like to see which are 'Her' and 'Before Midnight.'  Other romantic movies I did enjoy from 2013 is 'Don Jon' and Joseph Gordon Levitt did a great job writing and directing this modern love story.  I also saw a few stinkers including 'Drinking Buddies,' 'Admission' and 'The Big Wedding.' Watch these at your own peril.

Comedy:

Blue Jasmine

Blue Jasmine (Comedy/Drama) - The latest Woody Allen movie is a tale of a New York socialite (Cate Blanchett) who falls under hard times and arrives in San Francisco to impose on her working class sister (Sally Hawkins.) This movie is nominated for 3 Oscars (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay.)  Cate Blanchett performance is impressive and I think she'll likely garner the Best Actress Oscar over Meryl Streep ('August: Osage County.')  Woody Allen does a great job developing the characters by going forward and backward in time.  The cast also includes Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Bobby Cannavale and comedian Andrew Dice Clay in roles that are natural fits with their previous work.

This is also the only movie that I' am recommending that passes the Becdtel Test, although I think 'Gravity' should get pass as Sandra Bullock has the majority of screen time, dialogue and there is no love story.  I strongly recommend seeing this movie where I think Cate Blanchett has delivered her strongest performance yet in her career. This movie can now be found on DVD.   (My IMDB vote 8/10)

The World's End

The World's End - (Comedy/Action/Sci-Fi) - This is the third in a series of movies written by Comedian/Actor Simon Pegg and directed by Edgar Wright.  The first two were 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz,' and if you enjoyed them than you will certainly enjoy this.  What made those two movies great was the comedy combined with the bizarre out there circumstances that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost find themselves in. This story is about 5 mates from high school who try recreate and an epic pub crawl 20 years later.  Of course they all have grown and settled into their careers except for Gary (Simon Pegg) who's development arrested in his teens.  Plenty of English comedy and of course a plot twist that makes these 5 gents the only hope humankind's survival.

Other notable actors appear in the movie include Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike.  This movie received no Oscar nominations and that doesn't surprise me as this movie is an acquired taste.  This movie is certainly a lot more enjoyable than some of the Hollywood comedies of 2013 such as 'The Internship', 'The Heat', 'We're the Millers', 'Identity Thief' or 'This is the End.' (My IMDB vote 7/10.)


On my yet to see list of 2013 movies that are comedies is 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' and 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.'  If I am a true Oscar completest I'll have to see 'Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa' which is nominated for best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  What was your favorite Romantic or Comedic movies of 2013?  Please add your thoughts below.

My Top 5 Movies of 2013

With Hollywood's award season now full on and everyone with their list of top movies I thought I would chime in.  Mrs. Shopaholic and I have made a concerted effort the last two months to catch up on movies and have been impressed by many.  Based on what we have seen I compiled my top 5 favorites of 2013 and a few honorable mentions to boot. Sticking to my policy of "No Spoilers," as why ruin a good thing. 

#1 Gravity:

Gravity (Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller) - This movie is visually stunning!  It has to be seen in IMAX 3D and if you can remember back to the wow factor of seeing Avatar in 3D; this movie takes it to the next level.  Director Alfonso Cuaron and his son took a real NASA concern and turned it into a marvelous thriller.  The combination of the sound effects, musical score and the brilliant animation/cinematography puts this movie heads above the rest.  It is not Sandra Bullock's acting that makes this best picture in my mind, it is everything else. 

Astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson may have exposed all the inaccuracies, but he also said that they got the majority right. Remember their is no sound in space.  

This was the best movie I saw in theaters in 2013 and I would not wait for it come on home video.  (My IMDB vote 9/10)

#2 Dallas Buyers Club

Dallas Buyers Club (Drama/Biography) - Matthew McConaughey was brilliant in this movie and this was the best acting performance male or female that I have seen in 2013.   The movie tells the story of Texas electrician/hustler Ron Woodruff who gets diagnosed in 1985 with AIDS and how he works around the system to get the AIDS medication he needs for himself and others.  One of the others includes Jared Leto who plays a emaciated Drag Queen and his movie return after a 5 year absence from acting.   Both actors lost significant amount of weight and look far from their normal charismatic selves.

  

Matthew McConaughey is nominated for Best Actor and Jared Leto is nominated for best supporting actor and I would not be surprised if they both take home an Oscar.  The movie also features performances from Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn and Denis O'Hare.  (My IMDB vote 9/10)

#3 Rush

Rush (Action/Drama/Biography) -  This movie dramatizes the rivarly of top 1970's Formula One Drivers Austrian Niki Lauda and Englishman James Hunt.  This movie takes place in era when 1 in 4 race car drivers died on the track and prior to the many safety improvements of the 80's.  This movie shows two large personalities with very different approaches to racing, one James Hunt is an aggressive risk taker and the other Niki Lauda a perfectionist and scientist.  These two personalities are played well by Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Spanish actor Daniel Bruhl (Inglourious Basterds) who both have convincing accents.  This movie combines good car action sequences, character development, drama and thrilling moments.  This movie also provides another glimpse into the 1970's like American Hustle with the fashion and hairstyles.  Ron Howard did a great job directing and bringing this story to life.   (My IMDB vote 9/10)

  

#4 12 Years a Slave

12 Years A Slave - (Drama/Biography) - After last year's excessive Django Unchained someone needed to show the reallity of slavery during the antebellum.  This tells the story as written by Solomon Northrup a free black man from upstate New York who was tricked and kidnapped into a life of slavery.  Actor Chiwetel Eijofor gives a brilliant performance as the lead character and brings this story to dramatic life.  Overall the cast delivers exceptional performances including by Michael Fassbender (a slave master), Lupita Nyong'o (slave woman) and Paul Dano (plantation supervisor). Also, look out for other notable actors including Michael K. Williams (aka Old Omar from the Wire), Dwight Henry (Southern Beasts of the Wild), Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes), Paul Giamatti (John Adams) and Brad Pitt. The latter who helped produce this movie.

English director Steve McQueen deserves great praise for making a movie on such a difficult subject and getting such great performances out of the cast.  This was his third feature movie and it leads the Oscars with 9 nominations.  I doubt Steve McQueen will win the Oscar as I suspect Alfonso Cuaron will win for Gravity.  But, I certainly look forward to seeing his future movies. Similarly, Chiwetel Eijofor was brilliant, but Matthew McConauhey in my mind was just a little more impressive in Dallas Buyers Club.  (My IMDB vote 9/10)

#5 The Way, Way Back

The Way, Way Back (Comedy/Drama) - This is a funny strange comedy that tells the story of shy 14 year-old Duncan who goes on summer vacation with his mother (Toni Collete) and her boyfriend (Steve Carell).  However, Steve Carell is not the source of comedy, but the source of dramatic friction.  What makes this movie truly enjoyable is Duncan's friendship with the local owner of Water Wizz water park (Sam Rockwell) and the ensuing shenanigans.  This movie was written and directed by Jim Rash (aka Dean Pelton on Community) and Nat Faxon (screenplay writer of the Descendants). They both have small roles in the movie along with Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Rob Corddry and Amanda Peet.  Allison Janney has particular memorable scenes as the annoying next door neighbor that demonstrates to Duncan he can have a far worse of a mother.  

The title is taken from a colloquialism for the rear seat of a station wagon and initially the movie was suppose to take place in the 70's but because of budgetary constraints takes place in present day.  This movie was my favorite comedy of 2013 (you can't always watch dramas) and was far better than The Internship, Identity Thief, The Heat, Admission, We're the Millers, and This is the End.  Note: I have not seen Anchorman: The Legend Continues (My IMDB vote 8/10)

My next upcoming blog will be on my honorable mentions for other great movies of 2013 that are worth anyone's time.  Comments? Suggestions?  Have a better Top 5?  Please add it below.

Somali Pirates Don't Say "R" - My review of Captain Phillips (Spoiler Free)

This movie is the dramatic retelling of the 2009 hijacking of the MV Maersk Alabama a US cargo ship off the coast of Somalia.  The movie stars Tom Hanks as the lead Captain Phillips and he delivers a quality performance which we have come to expect from him.  Tom Hanks plays the everyman leading the working class crew's cat and mouse antics to evade capture.  On the other side is actor Barkhad Abdi who leads the hijackers in his first movie roll.  The latter delivered a very strong performance and I felt a strong sympathy in this characters drive to support his family.  It is easy to hate criminals, but this movie makes the point that these pirates are victims as well.  I would not be surprised if this actor is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The movie is a thriller and the director (Paul Greengrass - The Bourne Supremacy and United 93) does a great job of building up to critical moments of drama.  It features several strong action sequences and they stand out because they lack the usual Hollywood bravado we have come to expect. There are no 'one-liners' and no great diatribes by Somali pirates.  What you will see is a lot of khat chewing, the stimulant that gives the pirates their courage.

It is interesting to see the techniques the crew uses in attempts to evade the pirates and how the pirates over come them.  You'll ask yourself why they wouldn't have any guns aboard a ship, especially considering the daily love fest of gun out of the states.  But this is a true story.... so hindsight is not here to save the day.

This movie goes into wide release October 11, 2013 and is well worth watching.

In conclusion: 8 out of 10

Click here for the official trailer.