Prisoners
Despite a stock screenplay that doesn't
mind indulging in thriller clichés,
Villeneuve's direction has this slow-burner of a film wound tighter
than a drum. Excellent performances from everyone involved,
especially those forced to flesh out underwritten characters. And oh,
yeah: Deakins is still a god (in case you'd forgotten), evoking the
bleak late-autumn atmosphere like a film noir in colour.
*** out of ****
Wadjda
This touching drama about an ambitious
girl daring to find her own way in a world that constricts her free
spirit is not only an interesting commentary on religion and values
in contemporary Saudi society, but essentially just a wonderful story
told with economy, gentility, and care. Haifaa Al-Mansour's layered
screenplay rings with wit and honesty, beautifully acted by all
involved, especially young Waad Mohammed as Wadjda.
***1/2 out of ****
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Maudlin and melodramatic domestic drama
only really comes to life when the Greek chorus of bluegrass
musicians periodically pipe in, adding much needed jolts of flavour
to this otherwise paint-by-numbers exercise. Jumpy chronology doesn't
seem to serve much purpose besides to mix things up.
**1/2 out of ****
The Hunt
As a male member of the education
profession, I gotta tell ya: this is the scariest horror film I've
seen in 2013. The situation is so f***ed up that it threatens to
stretch credulity, but stop and think about it for a moment and
you'll realize that, yeah, people do always assume that
children tell the truth. It's agonizing to watch the life of a decent
man (the excellent Mads Mikkelsen) suffer such irreparable scars as a
result of a little girl's foolish lie, but writer-director Thomas
Vinterberg is such a fine dramatist that we cannot look away.
*** out of ****
The Place Beyond the Pines
Although it takes a while to get going,
this meticulously scripted saga of guilt and legacy continues to mark
Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) as a talent to watch with a
distinct artistic voice. The ensemble is excellent with high marks to
Bradley Cooper who commands his third of the film as a rookie cop
disillusioned by corruption and haunted by his “heroic” actions.
*** out of ****
Ain't Them Bodies Saints
David Lowery's mise-en-scene (which
bears some resemblance that of certain masters) does exude a hypnotic
vibe, thanks in no small part to Daniel Hart's score, but the overall
effect leans more towards 'put-you-to-sleep' hypnotism than
'mesmerized-in-awe' hypnotism.
** out of ****
Out of the Furnace
Scott Cooper improves on his debut
feature Crazy Heart with this richly evoked revenge thriller,
demonstrating an elegant grasp of storytelling economy. Christian
Bale gives a somber, deeply felt performance that allows for
supporting players Woody Harrelson and Casey Affleck to do some
scenery-chewing. Dickon Hinchliffe's acoustic-over-strings score
creates a perfect unified voice for the film's soundtrack.
*** out of ****
The Book Thief
Though populated with lovely
performances (especially from its young lead Sophie Nélisse),
it can't shake the predictable movie-of-the-week strokes that make it
feel like every scene is trying to be the poignant scene of
the film. Nor can it shake its literary source material, with a
script that seems like it could be a transcription of the novel on
which it's based.
** out of ****
20 Feet from Stardom
20 Feet from Stardom
A modern history of music as seen (and
sung) by the best background vocalists in the business who never
“made it big”; either because of conspiring obstacles or because
they were simply unwilling to accept the pressure of a solo career.
Music fans will undoubtedly respond to the film's killer soundtrack
and the subjects' passion for their art, but that can't undo to
stigma of too many talking heads reminiscing about the past.
**1/2 out of ****
Lone Survivor
As far as action movies go, Peter
Berg's Afghanistan-set war film about a special-ops mission that goes
horribly south has some stellar craft on display (especially Wylie
Stateman's sound design and the grisly makeup effects), but the group
dynamics of the imperiled soldiers feels somehow put on. It also rubs
the wrong way how a number of directorial choices here depict the
marines with unfailing nobility, while their enemy is painted in
simplistic “evil” brushstrokes.
**1/2 out of ****
