12 Years A Slave - Review

NEW SLAVES

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

12 Years A Slave is a devastating experience. I don’t think I was prepared to watch this film. I don’t know if anyone can ever be. But we must watch it as it is one of the most important films ever made. Important because it is based on an important chapter in history. Its importance in terms of cinema is elicited by the fact that this is the first film that depicts the reality of slavery. Moreover, this is a poetic and elegant piece of filmmaking. It’s not just a great film but great art.

Top 35 Films of 2013

2013 has been a great year for the movies. I could make 3 and a half top 10 lists of the best films of the year and that’s exactly what I will do. 35 films that you need to watch from 2013!

Before that, I would like to name some films that didn’t make the top 35 but are worth noting. Some of these films were either warmly embraced or harshly rejected or simply overlooked and misunderstood but they all struck a chord with me:

Amongst the superhero films. Man of Steel was my most anticipated superhero film. Since I’m a huge Superman fan, I had a love-hate relationship with the film. There were several things that I found cool and a step in the right direction. Instead of fantasy, they took the sci-fi route. Although, after every step there came a wobble. I’d either warm up to it or hate it more judging by the direction in which Hack Snyder takes the mythology further. Adding Batman to a sequel which Superman deserves doesn’t seem like a good move at all. Iron Man 3 was more of a comedy than a superhero film. I was laughing and enjoying it as much as I could but when they made a complete joke out of Iron Man’s arch-nemesis, Mandarin, the film lost me completely. The Wolverine was several notches higher than the previous Wolverine film and ended up being an actual film with good dialogue and visual thrill rather than just a slam-bam action film. There was one more superhero film, which I thought was the best one. At least, the one I loved the most. It can be found in the Top 35 below.

Oscar Nominations Predictions 2014

This year it is down to 3 films - 12 Years A Slave, Gravity and American Hustle. The nominations will exhibit which film the Academy really loved. Expecting all of them to get around 10 nominations to make this a legit competition.

My predictions:

BEST PICTURE

12 Years A Slave

Gravity

American Hustle

The Wolf of Wall Street

Her

Captain Phillips

Nebraska

Rush

Saving Mr. Banks

Inside Llewyn Davis

Could show up: Dallas Buyers Club and Philomena

Should show up: Blue Jasmine and Prisoners

Top 10 Bollywood Films of 2013

This is my favourite time of year, of being a film reviewer - choosing 10 best films of the year. I don't know if these films are the best but they are certainly what appealed to me the most.

Before I list the top 10, I'd like to name the films that didn't make the cut but are worth mentioning. Starting with EK THI DAAYAN. What an incredible first half! In my review I mentioned it is perhaps the best mini horror film India has ever seen. A crushing disappointment that the second half didn't live up to the first. Another film that had a wonderful beginning but a terrible ending was SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE. Repetition and faux-progressive childishness took over something charming and genuine. A romantic comedy that I thought was unfairly maligned was I, ME AUR MAIN. Now this film had an ending which was truly progressive. The characters don't recklessly reject societal norms and aren't as ignorantly confused. John Abraham is an actor with a limited range and probably other actors could have done this film justice. It's not easy playing a selfish character and I admire him for not playing it safe.

There was one more film that the actor took a big risk with and it paid off. MADRAS CAFE was not struck by the curse of the second half, in fact it had a weak first half but a smashing second! If only it wasn't a methodical procedural and had a personal, emotional story to go with it, it would have not just been on the top 10 but perhaps at the top of it.

There were two films about friendship that I enjoyed - KAI PO CHE and FUKREY. Raj Kumar Yadav aced it and stole the movie from Sushant Singh Rajput. He doesn't enjoy the same popularity but I hope he gets there some day. Fukrey is not a great film but it's such a good one. The characters aren't spoon-fed, we get to hang out with them, actually get to know them. Not many films in India do that. It also helps that the film has some hilarious moments and memorable characters. Someone get Chucha a Campa!

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2013:

10. CHENNAI EXPRESS and YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI (tie)

Chennai Express is probably not the kind of film you would see "film critics" appreciating but who cares. This film is so much fun that it makes guilty pleasures feel unguilty. Comedy is something that needs to be laughed at, not analytically appreciated and I laughed all throughout this film. Stereotyping, bad humour, overacting - these are the words thrown around to dismiss this film. I would throw around the same words as the reasons why I enjoyed it including Deepika's accent and SRK's ham-fest. Pauline Kael (one of the greatest film critics) said: "Films are so rarely great art that if we can't appreciate great trash, there is little reason for us to go". If you still can't understand why I put this film here, I have three words for you: Life of Pi?

For Roger

Today is a sad day for film criticism. A sad day for film lovers. A sad day for film. I've never met him or personally interacted with him. What I have with him is a connection with cinema through words. Through his words, I got to know him, a sense of him. The lovely man that is Roger Ebert.

He writes without knowing who will be reading. There are many like me who have felt this connection. I've never done this - writing an obituary. For Mr. Ebert, saying goodbye in words, especially when he won't read it, seems fitting.

I was a pre-teen when I first came across his reviews. I was overjoyed to see him celebrate films like Almost Famous, Minority Report, Spirited Away, Harry Potter, Lost in Translation and some Indian films like Taal and Lagaan. I was underwhelmed when he didn't respond ecstatically to Lord of the Rings, or A Clockwork Orange. When he changed his rating of The Graduate from 4 to 3, I learned the film adage: films don't change, the audience does. I still stick by my dislike of Fight Club since I have his 2 star review backing it. I still believe he was behind the Oscar wins of Crash and Million Dollar Baby. It's been more than a decade that I've continuously logged onto his website to see what he thinks. His word matters. Not just to me but to almost everyone involved in films, directly or indirectly. If a movie makes it on his list of favorites, I have to watch it. I'm sure many of us do. His Great Movies section introduced me to foreign cinema even before I went to film school. I discovered several great filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Martin Scorsese through his love for them. His commentaries on DVD especially that of Citizen Kane is essential for any cinephile. Watching movies and then having a mental dialogue with him was my film school.

What makes him such an influential figure?

Why does his opinion matter?

I believe it is because of one thing and one thing only. Whenever I would finish watching a film, I always had these thoughts floating around. When I read Ebert this thought started surfacing- "Yes, that's what I was thinking!" Slowly, it became that's not what I was thinking. Soon, I had an opinion of my own. In a nutshell, Ebert is superb at articulation. Unrivalled. The best.

To me he is a teacher. He taught me not just what to watch but how to watch. Most importantly, how to love movies. He is the Guru Dronacharya to my Eklavya. (If you aren't familiar with the episode from the Mahabharata, you must acquaint yourself - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekalavya)

I recently saw Trouble with Paradise (1932) and as usual, instantly went to Ebert's Great Movies section. He begins his review with this observation. Perhaps my favorite opening to one of his reviews:

When I was small I liked to go to the movies because you could find out what adults did when there weren't any children in the room. As I grew up that pleasure gradually faded; the more I knew the less the characters seemed like adults.

Need I say more?

I would be lying if I didn't confess that I had prepared myself for this day. He had taken a break in 2006 during his struggle with cancer and I was elated when he returned. But a few days back he posted his final blog entry about his "leave of presence" and this wasn't like the one before: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2013/04/a_leave_of_presense.html

He ends his final post with these elegant words: So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies.

I woke up today and got the news over several text messages and calls.  Faithful friends who are aware of my reverence for this kind man decided to drop the bomb. Even after the knowledge of Ebert's signal, I was shocked. It was too soon. I've been trying to get on with my day. I told myself that there are about 126 movies left to watch from his Great Movies section out of 363. I am looking forward to it, now more than ever.

Thank you for taking me on this journey with you, Mr. Ebert. I'll always see you at the movies.

Top 12 Films of 2012

The cinematic year of 2012 is being touted as a great year for cinema. For me, that was last year. Although this year did offer some great films. If I was talking about quality of film, there are several movies that did not end up on the list but a case could be made for them being better films. But what I am talking about it that as each year passes and I write about films, I have been discovering my film choice more and more. I have come to a realization that film appreciation has nothing to do with film love. I may appreciate something, I may hate some parts of something but what matters to me is if I love it or not. If I do, how much do I love it?

Sometimes list-makers leave off certain films because "that film is being liked by everyone but I am different". Sometimes list-makers add movies that they possibly won't see ever again but if a reader looks at a film at number one which they've never heard of, they might take that extra step and actually seek it out. To each his own and I believe all of this stands true and absolute. I'm only trying to make you understand why the films on the list below are chosen so. To me what matters is the blu-ray disc I would insert into the player a few years from now. The films I'm passionate about.

My comprehensive take on the films released in 2012 but did not make the top 12 are here: http://bit.ly/W2Q4Hm

#12

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

It's been a while since a film came along and I knew it may not be a great film with a stupendously original story or mind-boggling technical innovation. I also knew that those things don't matter much, a film's greatness lies in the spirit of the story. The smile I had on my face and the sense of cinematic contentment that followed after the film got over was an indicator of the fact that I absolutely loved it. I know I'll be watching this film many years from now, I know I'll be listening to the soundtrack. I know I'll be quoting it and I know it will remain close to my heart.

#11

FRANKENWEENIE

Tim Burton was fired from Disney in 1984 after he completed his short film, Frankenweenie, which they thought was “too dark and scary for children”. I’m sure this remained Burton’s greatest strength as he is probably the only director working in Hollywood who made dark into something delicious. Nobody does it better than Burton. He goes back to his roots and combines it with what has stemmed his career till now and springs up a beautiful film. Frankenweenie is not just the best animated film of the year but also the one of the most warmhearted films of the year. 

#10

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

A romantic dramedy of the highest quality, an instant classic. David O. Russell goes back to his Flirting with Disaster days (my favorite film of his before this one came along). Jennifer Lawrence is a rare beauty and owns this movie. How many films can we call inspirational these days? How many films play by the book but add newness to conventional storytelling? A wise man once told me "A good story is a cliché well told". This holds true for this more than any other on this list.

#9

LES MISERABLES

I love musicals but I was wary after I heard that this would be a sung-through musical. Never having seen the original stage musical, I had only heard a couple of songs before since they are everywhere. I was surprised by how much I loved this movie. The connection it wants with the audience is only emotional. The plot isn't conveyed with dialogue but the emotion of the singing. The spirit and passion of this film is palpable and the conclusion is monumental and stirring.

#8

THE MASTER

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the best contemporary American directors. Frankly, I prefer the 90s Anderson but the 2000s Anderson would definitely impress Kubrick and Welles. The thematic elements of his two latest films is probably the reason why this great film did not top the list. Technically it is a marvel. It is film hypnosis at its best. Phoenix, Hoffman and Adams are electric and offer a "master" class in acting. If you want to study acting, I believe every actor should just watch two films – Network (1976) and Magnolia (1999). You’re done. Nothing else is required. 

#7

DJANGO UNCHAINED

As a Tarantino film, I was sufficiently pleased. As a fan of cinema, I found something lacking, especially the relationship between Django and Broomhilda. This is made up by the stupendous performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz. It is an enjoyable and entertaining B movie with equal bouts of awesome action and delectable dialogue.

#6

SKYFALL

Skyfall brings James Bond back to basics, an old dog with new tricks. A bunch of great actors and technicians along with a strong script gives you one of the best Bond films ever. I've always wanted to see more of Bond's childhood and Sam Mendes scratched that surface a bit more. A great companion piece to this film would be the documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, which is also my favorite documentary of 2012. Strong bias would be the cause, yes, but it must be seen by each fan of this ever-evolving film franchise.

#5

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES/ THE AVENGERS

The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers are two sides of the same coin and that coin is called awesome. If this year would be earmarked with a category it would be the year of the superhero films.

The Dark Knight Rises still has the best ending of any film this year (Nolan knows how to end those babies) and The Avengers is an unadulterated geek fest.

I would add the sleeper hit CHRONICLE and the second-best film in the Spiderman series - THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN here but a four-way tie would be a bit too much.

#4

MOONRISE KINGDOM

Film criticism has led to the oft used term of a movie being called a gem. I've never felt the need to call a film a gem anywhere more than here. In fact it is a chest of gems, a treasure to behold. Wes Anderson is an acquired taste and when you have acquired it, there is no stopping you from washing your throat down with his piquant spirits. Moonrise Kingdom is one of his perfectly processed creations.

#3

LINCOLN

Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner dare to make a film about politics than go for a conventional biopic or a war film. Daniel Day-Lewis gives every actor reasons to feel like a novice while he gives us another masterstroke of acting. He doesn't just embody characters but captures their enigma. How many actors go that far? I have no doubt in my mind that in the years to come Lincoln will be looked at as a landmark film, a masterpiece. It is lyrical and majestic and a fine entry in Spielberg's already masterful resumé.

#2

CLOUD ATLAS

Time. Cloud Atlas is a film about various times. It is only fitting that this film will be looked upon as a masterpiece only with time. It is at once cerebral, emotional and spiritual. The ambition of the Wachowskis and Tykwer can't be matched by any filmmaker this year. While watching the film I was in awe of the beauty of the images and the themes. The expansive story might get confusing but its rewards are aplenty. The score by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil is a triumph and the best of the year.

#1

LIFE OF PI

You don’t need to believe in God to watch Life of Pi. Your faith in humanity should be enough. To love Life of Pi, you need faith in cinema. What befalls your eyes is a master at work as Ang Lee creates a movie miracle. A third dimension is added but what Lee does with it is not something to be written about but something to be experienced. A common theme in his films is closure. As with life, we meet several people and bid goodbye to everyone (eventually). This is the first time Lee was faced with a challenge to film a story about not a man and fellow human but an animal. It is one thing to part with your friends but another to part with your beasts. This for me is the best film of the year.

2012: Year in Review

Before I jump into naming my favorites, I'll mention films other films that almost made the list, films that I enjoyed, liked, and a dozen other feelings that they brought out in me. Here's my take on the films of 2012.

But first we must begin with my least favorite film of the year. I don't usually hate movies, even the movies I dislike (as you can see on the right corner, I'm a film lover, not a critics) but there are few films which make my blood boil and I hate them with a passion: PROJECT X tops my list. I enjoyed most of it but I couldn't stand the irresponsible ending. I couldn't believe my eyes. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2 isn't the worst film in the series (that would be Eclipse) but here's to the ending of the worst cinematic franchise in human/ vampire/ werewolf history. THIS MEANS WAR made romantic comedies look so so so bad. DREDD 3D turned out to be a terrible version of THE RAID: REDEMPTION which is a must watch for all fans of action films and an enormously better film.

Now onto film that I couldn't love, despite me wanting to. I'll be watching THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY countless times but I was thoroughly disappointed when I saw it the first time. It was a bloated version of the story which should have been only one film but then again, it's middle earth. ANNA KARENINA was such an interesting failure that I feel bad not liking it. It is hard to make films out of a literary masterpiece, there is a lot at stake. The failure of this film lies partly in the narrative device used in the film, ambitious but not entirely successful. Although, the actual failure lies in the casting. Aaron Taylor Johnson is not Vronsky. ON THE ROAD turned out to be thoroughly disappointing as well. One of my favorite novels made into a film which doesn't capture traces of the essence of Jack Kerouac's prose but not quite.

Gandalf the Grey: "Let's make Lord of the Rings as bad as the Star Wars prequels."
Radagast the Brown: "Leave it all to me."

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD worked for only half way for me. After that it became too schmaltzy and this is coming from someone who loves to be manipulated emotionally (if done right). THE IMPOSSIBLE is a fair example. But apart from the staggering performance by Quevanzhane Wallis I couldn't take much from the film. The hackneyed dialogues, the manipulative music, meshed with the poverty porn and the thing I liked the least - the allegorical nature which pretends to be poetic. Yes, the film just did not click with me. Another film whose reach was more than its grasp was KILLING THEM SOFTLY. The least interesting conversations and a muddy political allegory disguised as a crime film. Succeeds at none of it.

Moving on to films I love:

My favorite foreign films of 2012 happened to be TABU, AMOUR, RUST AND BONE, HOLY MOTORS and NO. Tabu is simply beautiful, its filmmaking craft is stunning and not just because of its Murnau homage. Rust and Bone is a powerful film about loss and hope, Jacques Audiard's most profound effort. Holy Motors is such a film. Yes, you read that right. It's a "film" with a lot of mosts. No is a unique film shot in 16 mm about a propaganda in Chile which would make Gandhi proud. Amour is one of Michael Haneke's best films and probably the cruelest joke he has ever pulled. Nobody is laughing and everybody is hurting.

Not exactly its British counterpart but another film about a bunch of old people that I liked was THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL. Maggie Smith shined in her role and Judi Dench proved she can do no wrong.

The film I had anticipated the most last year was HITCHCOCK. It didn't turn out to be a great film but due to my reverence for Sir Alfred I could not even begin to dislike it. In fact, I totally went with it. It does lose its way many times but it does capture something right. Hitchcock deserves better but I can make do with this till that happens.

Science fiction and horror fused together to offer three terrific genre films this year: LOOPER, PROMETHEUS and CABIN IN THE WOODS. Looper is as good as it gets, it is a thrilling sci-fi adventure which has tips its hat to horror films during the latter half. Prometheus did not please fans of the Alien series but I found myself watching this multiple times. Cabin in the Woods is a love-hate letter to horror films which gets better and better the more you watch it. As far as psychological horror goes, one film which I love due to my allegiance to Italian Giallos is BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO. Toby Jones' performance is unjustly overlooked here. The conventional horror films I found enjoyable were THE WOMAN IN BLACK (good atmosphere and one amazing location), SINISTER and THE POSSESSION.

Animation was a bit of a let down for me this year. There was only one film that truly stood out (which is in the top 12 so I won't mention it here) when it is generally many films every year.  RISE OF THE GUARDIANS charmed me completely and PARANORMAN was a nice surprise. BRAVE is  endlessly rewatchable and WRECK-IT RALPH is sweet despite having seen this story many times before. THE PIRATES! turned out to funnier than I expected it to be and THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY is not as good as a Miyazaki film but is another winner from Studio Ghibli. My guilty pleasure was the monster mash HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA.

There were two films about alcoholics. FLIGHT and THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE. The Magic of Belle Isle is a sunny movie. You know that feeling you get when you sit in a garden in the sun and do nothing? The film is low on plot but heavy on feeling. Rob Reiner knows how to transport you to a small town like no other. Another sunny family film that I enjoyed was THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN. Flight had a brilliant plane crash sequence with a smashing performance by Denzel Washington. Robert Zemeckis returns to live action with grace. But if you're planning to travel by air any time soon do not watch this movie or even THE GREY for that matter which also had a plane crash sequence and the rest of the film turned out to be the better Liam Neeson vehicle than TAKEN 2 ought to have been.

Two films that were panned by critics but I thoroughly enjoyed were MIRROR MIRROR and JOHN CARTER. John Carter took me back to why I love Star Wars (1977) and the beginning with Tatooine. Tremendous fun to watch. Mirror Mirror also lies in the boat as it was superbly enjoyable with Tarsem Singh making the better, more imaginative Snow White revisionist film. It was a very good year for women at the box office. The other Snow White film made more money and is not bad at all. I loved Steven Soderbergh's HAYWIRE as well. A film that came out around the same time as these movies and found widespread love and big box office numbers was THE HUNGER GAMES. It is one of the big success stories of 2012. I also don't know where to mention PITCH PERFECT so I'd just name it here, since I was talking about films that were fun and with women in it. Chick flick but not stupid.

Two hilarious comedies that I'm sure I will be watching many times over are TED and 21 JUMP STREET. I am not a fan of foul language and dirty minded humor but Ted happened to be a film about a man-child who can't grow up. I found myself in splits while watching this film and it made me care for a teddy bear. It made me care for a fucking teddy bear, goddamn it! Dirty language brings me to THE DICTATOR. Yes it was funny but Sacha Baron Cohen has done better before. 21 Jump Street is cleaner that way. The laughs are delivered the way I like them and the bromance always helps, not to mention the fact that it's a good movie. TO ROME WITH LOVE did not blow everyone away coming at the heels of his magical last film but I found it to be perfectly Woody and a delectable treat.

One of my favorite category of films is one which doesn't really have a category. Indies, low budget dramedies? I don't know what exactly. They are: DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, RUBY SPARKS, CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER and JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME. If you want to watch a truly quirky film, Damsels in Distress should be seen right away. These days any films with oddball characters or situations are called quirky but this is the true definition of it. Ruby Sparks is an original quirky film as well about a manic pixie dream girl who comes out of a writer's imagination. Celeste & Jesse Forever is a film to be seen if you're single, it helps that it's really good and that I love Rashida Jones. Jeff Who Lives At Home shows Jason Segel's talent. Duplass brother never fail to impress. Two more little movies that turned out to be surprisingly delightful although not as good as the above films - SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED and SEEKING A FRIEND AT THE END OF THE WORLD. Two more films which were on the dramatic side - THE SESSIONS and TAKE THIS WALTZ.


ARBITRAGE was a classy thriller about an unlikable character who commits crimes and makes us like him even when we don't. BERNIE is infinitely better in that regard because you have Jack Black. If I had it my way, he would be getting nominated for an Oscar for this. Richard Linklater still remains the most under-appreciated contemporary American director. Matthew McConaughey also gave a terrific supporting performance.

Matthew Mcconaughey had a fairly decent year. There was also KILLER JOE and THE PAPERBOY. The latter tuned out to be deplorable, to say the least. MAGIC MIKE had the best performance by him in any movie of his this year. Albeit, its true achievement lies in the fact that Steven Soderbergh made a movie about male strippers that isn't a trashy comedy but an actual movie. Not exactly a guy movie? Well, that bit was handled by END OF WATCH. An exhilarating buddy cop movie with some stunning action set pieces.

Argo fuck myself? Sowie, I'm not the one that fucks.

The two films that didn't find a spot on my top 12 but will be remembered for years to come are ARGO and ZERO DARK THIRTY. American jingoism aside, both films were well-made and made Hollywood films look good. Argo is a escapist entertainment with a rousing third act. But then I found out it didn't really happen that way. Also, I just can't support films which show West as innocent heroes and east as evil villains. Zero Dark Thirty on the other hand, was more responsible with its political stance. Jessica Chastain knocked my socks off, especially at the wee end by shedding just one tear, this also happens to be one of the best shots of the year.

My top 12 films of 2012 are up here: http://bit.ly/ZBIN2h