 |
| Every film by a McDonagh brother is a must see. |
*It would, of course, be more accurate to call it my favorite film of 2013 as all film criticism is, on some level, subjective. If you were to favor "12 Years a Slave," "Her," "Gravity," or "About Time" I wouldn't take issue with you. Also, "Short Term 12" is currently streaming on Netflix.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier shot to the top of the Marvel catalog with a twisting & turning script that smartly hewed to the issues of the day & a cast in, Evans, Johansson & Anthony Mackie, that was overflowing with chemistry.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is the best comedy to come out this year & one of the better works, in an already storied carrier, by writer/director Wes Anderson. It has a wonderful screwball wit, with enough darkness added to make the action matter & give it the emotional depth that elevates above nearly everything else to come out this year, & Ralph Fiennes is sensational––he likely won't get an Oscar nomination because the Academy long ago abandoned comedies, but he should absolutely win a Golden Globe.
Neighbors edged out 22 Jump Street, & demolished A Million Ways to Die in the West & Sex Tape, for the title of mainstream comedy of the year. Jump Street may have the funniest moment, thanks entirely to Channing Tatum, but Neighbors proved victorious thanks to its strong casting of performers who had not previously been given the comedic roles they deserved. Rose Byrne proved her comedic chops in Bridesmaids but here she gets to go toe to toe with Seth Rogen the entire film & never does she feel out her element. Dave Franco has been elevating bit parts in comedies for half a decade but finally got the chance to shine here. Finally Zac Efron, after years of struggling to make it big as a dramatic actor, came back to the comedy side of things & bested his winning performance in 17 Again.
Obvious Child is the more realistic version of the one night stand scenario from Knocked Up, which is to say it's a romantic comedy that revolves around an abortion. That may immediately turn some off of the movie, but those who aren't bothered by that premise will find a surprisingly sweet movie that allowed Jenny Slate to show she can play much more than Jean-Ralphio's sister.
I may be biased towards Veronica Mars, seeing as I was one of many Kick Starter contributors, but creator Rob Thomas (not of Matchbox 20) gave us Marshmallows a fun little adventure that we could savor, & Kristin Bell a film role she could actually be proud of, while proving that if given the chance there's still much more story to tell in Neptune, California.
Snowpiercer, which can be seen at The Loft in Tucson or On Demand, may have topped The Winter Soldier as the most captivating action film of the year, though that shouldn't bother Chris Evans seeing as he's the lead here as well. Snowpiercer is similar to Raid: Redemption with its characters single minded goal to reach a certain destination, here being the front of a train rather than the top floor of a slum, but with an allegorical bent that makes it far more than an action movie.
One last thing before I get to the list. This list is in no way meant to represent all of the movies worth seeing over the next three months, if it were it would be twice as long. If you want to watch half of the male cast of New Girl pretend to be police officers go for it, I'll probably be in the seat next to you. Want to see Liam Neeson kick ass in a movie with an actual brain for the first time since The Grey? Awesome, me too. What about Denzel going all Man On Fire again? Sounds pretty good, right? Ready for Teen Wolf's Dylan O'Brien to be the next young adult hero sensation? I know I am. Want to see Thomas Middleditch & T.J. Miller of Silicon Valley, Happy Ending's Adam Pally, & ultimate dream woman/Community star Alison Brie in a comedy from the writer of Old School?* You'd be crazy not to. How about Keira Knightley stuck in arrested development & hanging out with Chloë Grace Moretz & Sam Rockwell? Seems like that would be fun. What about Michael Bluth, Liz Lemon, Peter Russo, & Adam Sackler all playing siblings? That's got to be interesting. That's seven movies that didn't make the list & I want to see all of them. So if a movie's not on this list don't take that as my recommending you not see it, rather the films below are movies I very much recommend you see if they even remotely interest you as much as they do me.
*Part of the reason "Search Party" didn't make the list is it's lack of a trailer.
Now on to the top 20 films of the next three months...*
*Click on the name of the film to go to a preview of it.
Movie I'm Recommending but Isn't Making the List Because of My Obvious Bias:
Home, James (August 12th on iTunes, Amazon, VHX & Google Play)
Why I'm Biased: My cousin's husband, Jonathan Rossetti, is the writer/director/star of the film.
What it's about: James is a Tulsa photographer who meets & falls for Cooper, a local party girl. As their relationship deepens Cooper's hard drinking ways threaten to derail James & it becomes clear the two must choose between each other & the pursuit of their dreams.
Why You Should See It: Beyond the fact you'd be benefiting my family members the movie is thus far 3/3 on positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so you don't have to worry about my trying to sell you on some shitty movie.
Interesting Fact: Actress Kathleen Rose Perkins, who has a role in the film, also appears in two movies in the top 10 of my list. Clearly she has good taste.
20. What If (August 8)
Who's In It: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter films), Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi), & Adam Driver (Girls).
What It's About: Wallace (Radcliffe) meets Chantry (Kazan) at a party & an immediate bond is formed, however she lives with her long time boyfriend (Spall). They become best friends, but the question becomes is that really enough?
Why You Should See It: The movie was originally titled "The F Word" so you know it will have some bite to it, while Radcliffe & Kazan appear to be at their most charming. Mostly though the more Adam Driver you can have in your life the better.
19. Kingsman: The Secret Service (October 24)
Who's In It: Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Samuel L. Jackson (Whatever he mutherfucking feels like), Mark Strong (Kick-Ass), Michael Caine (The Dark Knight trilogy), & a bunch of young British actors.
What It's About: A veteran secret agent (Firth) recruits a promising kid off the street for the agency's training program just as a new threat to the world rises.
Why You Should See It: Whether it's been writing, directing, or both Matthew Vaughn has yet to make a movie that wouldn't at least be described as good & this looks to be his most stylish film since his Layer Cake debut. Plus any time you get to see some of Britain's best actors cut loose & have fun you're in for a good time as well.
18. Frank (August 22 in limited release*)
*If you're reading this chances are you live in Tucson in which case "limited release" means El Con and/or The Loft will get the movie within 5 weeks of the limited date (On Demand is increasingly an option as well). If you live in a larger city the wait time will be shorter, & if you live in a less populous area you may not get it at all.Who's In It: Michael Fassbender (Prometheus), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight), & Scoot McNairy (Argo).
What It's About: Jon (Gleeson) is a young musician who finds himself in over his head when he joins an offbeat band lead by the mysterious end enigmatic Frank (Fassbender), who always wears a giant Papier-mâché head.
Why You Should See It: Do you need more than Michael Fassbender playing a guy wearing a giant fake head? You do? Well you're an idiot, regardless of that fact Gleeson revealed himself to be an endearing lead in last year's fantastic About Time, Gyllenhaal has every bit the talent of her more famous brother, & the film has received favorable reviews. Also the last scene of the trailer has me laughing every time I watch it.
17. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (August 22)
Who's In It: Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50), Eva Green (Casino Royale) & most of the actors from the original.
What It's About: A bunch of anti-hero bad-asses face off against evil bad-asses.
Why You Should See It: Because you liked the first Sin City, unless you didn't... then probably best to skip this.
16. Kill the Messenger (October 10)
Who's In It: Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), Michael K. Williams (The Wire), Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan), & a bunch of other good actors. Seriously, look at the imdb page.
What It's About: The true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb (Renner) who came upon the CIA's drug smuggling operation they used to fund Nicaraguan rebels. Drug kingpins & CIA operatives advise him to let it go but he continues to uncover the conspiracy, even as it threatens his career, his life, & his family.
Why You Should See It: An incredible true story, fantastic cast led by a two-time Academy Award nominee, one of the best directors in television (Michael Cuesta's worked on Dexter & Homeland)... What's not to like?
15. Life After Beth (August 15, limited)
Who's In It: Dane DeHaan (Chronicle), Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Rec), John C. Reilly (Step Brothers), & Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect).
What It's About: Zach (DeHaan) is crushed when his girlfriend Beth (Plaza) dies, but is thrilled when she turns up alive at her parents house. However her return becomes problematic when she slowly turns into a zombie.
Why You Should See It: A great cast, a fun concept, & strong reviews all suggest this will be better than The Walking Dead. Or at least a lot more enjoyable.
14. About Alex (August 8, limited)
Who's In It: Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), & Jane Levy (Suburgatory).
What It's About: After one of them attempts to commit suicide a group of twenty-something friends reunite for a weekend away. They attempt to keep everything friendly & supportive but gradually old crushes & jealousies complicate things.
Why You Should See It: It's all about that cast. There's no comedic actress on TV I enjoy more than Plaza (Plus Safety Not Guaranteed, co-starring New Girl's Jake Johnson & currently streaming on Netflix, is one of my favorite films of the decade), & I love Levy, Greenfield, & Ritter to various degrees as well. If you're not a fan of any of them this might be inessential, but for me it's a can't miss.
13. Birdman (October 17)
Who's In It: Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), Edward Norton (Fight Club), Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love), & Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover).
What It's About: A washed up actor (Keaton) who used to play a superhero must overcome personal & professional problems in order to launch a Broadway play in an attempt to regain his stardom.
Why You Should See It: If you got most film critics to list their most anticipated movies of the next 3 months this would be near the top for all of them. Not just because of the phenomenal cast, which also contains Oscar nominees Naomi Watts & Amy Ryan, but acclaimed Mexican writer/director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Personally I've never warmed to his work all that much. 21 Grams is good, but horribly depressing, while Babel was ambitious but only one of it's sprawling stories worked for me. And the trailers thus far... They're interesting, but I feel like this movie is on a wavelength that I'm not sure I'll connect to. This could be Oscar contender, Babel was after all, & I do like the cast, so it makes the list, but consider this a movie with both a very high ceiling & a low floor.
12. The One I Love (August 22, limited)
Who's In It: Mark Duplass (The League) & Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men).
What It's About: With their marriage on the rocks a couple escapes to a beautiful vacation house for the weekend at the behest of their therapist. Initially a romantic retreat surreal happenings quickly make the reexamine themselves and their marriage.
Why You Should See It: If you only know Duplass from The League you're selling yourself short as he, & his brother, are both great filmmakers (Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a personal favorite, & it's streaming on Netflix!) & he proved himself a more than capable romantic lead in Safety Not Guaranteed. Meanwhile you know how good Moss is if you've watched Mad Men, & if not you should watch Mad Men. So spending the entire movie with them sounds like a treat, the plot (which I dare not fully spoil) is original & intriguing, & the reviews are uniformly positive.
11. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (September 12)
Who's In It: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), James McAvoy (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Viola Davis (The Help), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), & William Hurt (Broadcast News).
What It's About: Once happily married, Connor (McAvoy) & Eleanor (Chastain) have become strangers to each other as the result of a tragedy. They struggle to understand each other & reclaim the love they have lost, if it's still possible.
Why You Should See It: In making a romance you would struggle to find a better pair of actors than McAvoy (So heartbreaking in Atonement) & Chastain (who should've won best actress for ZD30), but what's really interesting is the way the story unfolds. Originally filmed as two companion films, one from Connor's perspective & the other from Eleanor's (both received rave reviews last year), writer/director Ned Benson has re-cut them into one film. It's a daring premise & one that, if it pays off, could be the romantic film of the year.
10. Dear White People (October 17, limited)
Who's In It: Tessa Thompson (Veronica Mars), Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris), Teyonah Parris (Mad Men, Brandon P. Bell (Hollywood Heights), & Dennis Haysbert (24).
What It's About: A satire of modern race relations, it follows four African-American students at a predominantly white college as they navigate through campus life & racial politics.
Why You Should See It: As a progressive Obama voter who has always, not secretly, wanted to be black this might be more up my alley than most's but unless you're so sensitive & closed minded as to write off a movie because you don't like the title (In which case you'll fit in on the imdb & youtube comments for the movie) this seems like a safe bet to make you laugh, & maybe think too. After all the trailer is hilarious, writer/director Justin Simien won the Breakthrough Talent award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, & it's strong reviews have universally praised it's lack of heavy handedness.
9. The Interview (October 10)
Who's In It: Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), James Franco (Pineapple Express), Lizzy Caplan (Party Down),* & Randall Park (Veep).
*I could've just said, "All three from 'Freaks and Geeks'" (streaming on Netflix!) since that show was fantastic.
What It's About: Dave Skylark (Franco) & his producer Aaron Rapoport (Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show "Skylark Tonight." When they land an interview with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (Park), who's a fan of their show, they are recruited by the CIA to assassinate him.
Why You Should See It: Rogen & his writing partner Evan Goldberg hit it big with their directorial debut last year in This Is the End, are back with another big budget, high-concept comedy. That either appeals to you or it doesn't, but even if it doesn't go just to see Caplan in a rare mainstream film appearance (Or you could just watch Showtime's incredible Master's of Sex for your Caplan fill).
8. The Skeleton Twins (September 12, limited)
Who's In It: Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Ty Burell (Modern Family), Boyd Holbrook (Hatfields & McCoys), & Kathleen Rose Perkins (Home, James).
What It's About: Estranged twins Maggie (Wiig) & Milo (Hader) are giving up on life when an unexpected reunion forces them to evaluate how their lives, & relationship, went wrong.
Why You Should See It: Wiig & Hader are unbelievably funny comic performers but here they get to also stretch their dramatic muscles & by all accounts they do so admirably. The film also won the screenwriting award at Sundance this year so it seems like a wonderful meshing of material & performances.
7. The Drop (September 12)
Who's In It: Tom Hardy (Warrior), Noomi Rapace (Prometheus), James
| Gandolfini (The Sopranos), & Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone). |
What It's About: Bob Saginowski (Hardy) is a Brooklyn bartender who finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry & embroiled in the investigation that follows, an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's the past.
Why You Should See It: Besides Tom Hardy being awesome & it being your last chance to catch the late great Gandolfini on the big screen, The Drop is the first screenplay by author Dennis Lehane whose novels were adapted into Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, & Shutter Island. If this merely approaches the quality of those three films it will be one of the better two hours you spend at the movies all year.
6. Whiplash (October 19, limited)
Who's In It: Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now), J.K. Simmons (Juno), Melissa Benoist (Glee), & Paul Reiser (Mad About You).
What It's About: A young drummer (Teller) struggles to rise up the ranks as a jazz musician while dealing with an overbearing instructor (Simmons) who demands perfection.
Why You Should See It: Whiplash swept the major Sundance awards, winning both the audience & grand jury prize for best dramatic feature, & the ever underrated Simmons is being suggested as a major contender for his first Oscar nomination. Teller, who has an easy charm that elevates every film he's in, does his own drumming & has been praised for being every bit Simmons equal. These are the sort of performances you don't want to miss.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy (Out Now)
Who's In It: Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Dave Bautista (WWE), Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies), & the voices of Vin Diesel (Fast Five) & Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook).
What It's About: After stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan (Pace) brash adventurer Peter Quill (Pratt) finds himself the object of an unrelenting manhunt. After discovering the power of the orb Quill must bring together a ragtag group of fellow fugitives in a last stand to save the galaxy.
Why You Should See It: Because this looks to be a more fun, & much weirder, version of The Avengers. Pratt looks to have the perfect mixture of bravado & levity for an action hero, the rest of the cast is a wonderfully diverse group, & writer/director James Gunn (He of underrated cult horror classic Slither & Raiin Wilson demented superhero vehicle Super) continues Marvel's inspired choices of directors to helm their films.
4. Love Is Strange (August 22, limited)
Who's In It: Alfred Molina (Spiderman 2), John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler), & Cheyenne Jackson (United 93).
What It's About: After almost forty years together, Ben (Lithgow) & George (Molina) finally get married in a ceremony in lower Manhattan. But when George subsequently loses his job teaching music at a Catholic school the two must sell their apartment & live separately until they can afford a new home. George movies in with their former neighbors, a pair of cops, & Ben is off to Brooklyn to live with his nephew, his wife, & their teenage son. The two must struggle with both their separation on the new living dynamics they find themselves in.
Why You Should See It: One of the year's best reviewed films critics are hailing Lithgow & Molina for career best work, no small praise when you've been working as long as they have. And any love story that avoids melodrama in favor of the many little moments, otherwise known as an anti-Sparks story, is deeply appreciated.
3. Calvary (August 1, limited)
Who's In It: Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids), Kelly Reilly (Flight), & Aidan Gillen (The Wire & Game of Thrones).
What It's About: Father James (Gleeson) is a good-natured Irish priest who receives a death threat while administering confession. Even as he continues to reach out to his daughter (Reilly) & the members of his parish, helping them with their various moral dilemmas, he can feel sinister forces closing in around him.
Why You Should See It: Whenever a McDonagh brother releases a movie it goes near the top of the must see list. Younger brother Martin made instant classic In Bruges, & the most commercial of the brothers' films, Seven Psychopaths. Older brother John Michael made The Guard & now arrives with his latest. Both brothers hew towards dark comedy & while The Guard felt dryer than Martin's work it's also the only one of the brothers' work to receive a happy ending, so it'll be interesting to see how this one plays out. Granted issues of morality, especially as played out in the Catholic Church, may not be as interesting, or potentially humorous, to you as they are to me.
2. Gone Girl (October 3)
Who's In It: Ben Affleck (Argo), Rosamund Pike (The World's End), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Tyler Perry (Tyler Perry movies), Kim Dickens (Friday Night Lights), Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), & Kathleen Rose Perkins (Home, James).
What's It About: On his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Affleck) reports his wife, Amy (Pike), has gone missing. As the police investigation sharpens & the attention intensifies Nick's portrait of his marriage comes into question & he becomes the lead suspect in the case.
Why You Should See It: David Fincher directed it. There, we're done. From the moment I saw The Social Network that's been my thought process on a Fincher film. Maybe you don't feel quite as strongly about that film but he's also done Se7en, Fight Club, & Zodiac, so chances are you're a pretty big fan of at least one of his movies (Or you really need to start watching them). Beyond that the story is based off of an international best seller, there is early buzz that Pike could be an Oscar contender, & you get to see actors like Perry & NPH in roles much different from their normal fare.
Who's In It: Ellar Coltrane (Essentially unknown), Patricia Arquette (Medium), Ethan Hawke (Training Day), Lorelei Linklater (Daughter of director Richard Linklater).
What It's About: Filmed intermittently over 12 years, to allow the actors to age in real time, Boyhood follows Mason from the age of five to adulthood & all of the moments in between.
Why You Should See It: Boyhood was released on July 18 but since it hasn't come out in Tucson I put it on the list because it needs to be. It's earned the best reviews I've ever seen for a movie. Out of 47 reviews recorded on Metacritic 39 were 100's, it has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 9.4/10. One of my favorite comedians, Mike Birbiglia posted this on his facebook page two days ago: "Okay, so Boyhood is one of the greatest films I've ever seen. It's what film could and should be. I may cry for weeks." That's the sort of thing everyone who's seen this movie is saying. At this point I might be getting your expectations too high, but I'm just trying to get you to go see it because too often people never bother to see films like this––the little, beautiful, ones that touch your soul––and that's a shame.
BONUS MOVIE!You may have noticed the complete lack of horror movies on this list, because few horror movies interest me enough to warrant a spot on the list, but luckily I did one last second google search on when the one horror movie I'm excited for comes out.
The Guest (September 17, limited)
Who's In It: Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Leland Orser (Taken), Sheila Kelley (Gossip Girl), Maika Monroe (Labor Day), & Lance Reddick (The Wire).
What It's About: A soldier (Stevens) introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who was killed in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.
Why You Should See It: It's from the writing/directing team that made last year's clever slasher You're Next, & the reviews are all strong while hinting at an unexpected twist. If, like me, you prefer your horror with a side of humor this will be 2014's horror movie for you.
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