2013 was a year, where I would say quality wise in terms of story telling Hollywood was much ahead of it’s European counterparts. Less said about Bollywood the better, the quality of films in Bollywood nosedived. If you thought nothing could be more worse than Ra.One you should have watched Chennai Express. This time instead of the usual list of Best films list released in 2013 I would also list the names of the films which I discovered in 2013. I must tell you sometimes discovering the work of legendary filmmakers is such a divine pleasure.
First let us look at the films which I discovered this year but not necessarily released in 2013. They are not arranged in any particular order.
Les amants du Pont-Neuf (1991) (French) Dir- Leos Carax
This was pure magic in the form of Cinema with Leos Carax welcoming us to his world of magic, love and jealousy. The film is set against one of the oldest Paris bridges where a former circus artist played Alex, who is now an alcoholic meets Michele who is an artist but is slowly loosing her vision and both of them fall in love. Leos is brilliantly aided by Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant by bringing Michele and Alex to life on screen. Words fail to describe the experience I had while watching it, may the clip below can help you to soak into the magic of Leos Carax.
Duvidha (1973) (Hindi) Dir- Mani Kaul
This was my first Mani Kaul film and I was somehow avoiding it feeling he was over rated and people just dropped his name to sound cool. Boy I was mistaken. The narrative structure used by Mani shows how a film is a director’s medium and not actors.
Cinema is Nicholas Ray said Jean-Luc Godard
In a Lonely Place (1950) (English) Dir- Nicolas Ray
I love the noir genre, and this was the year I discovered Nicolas Ray. Featuring Humprey Bogart, this film has one of the best one liners ever spoken on the silver screen. Dixon Steele (Humprey Bogart) is a screenplay writer with a temper who is suspect in a murder case of young women. While a statement from his neighbour Laurel ( Gloria Grahame) clears him and soon they fall in love, but Laurel becomes more and more convinced of Dixon murdering the young girl.
Johnny Guitar (1954) (English) Dir- Nicolas Ray
It is sheer genius of Nicolas Ray, that he still is one of the few directors who used colour brilliantly in his film. Johnny Guitar is a testimony to this fact. The film deals with how lynch mob or right majority sacrifices rights of individual and minorities. You do not have to take my word for it, do read Roger Ebert’s take on this film here. Nicolas Ray was an influential figure in New French Wave Cinema, he has inspired directors like Martin Scorsese, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard to name a few.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000) (Hindi) Dir- Jabbar Patel
I have to admit, that even though I was aware of Jabbar Patel’s filmography I had not watched his movies. I was also unaware of Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar’s contribution to the society at large. This 3 hour film never had a dull moment in it’s entire duration. It is a must watch for those who want to understand the intricacies of casteism which is still prevalent in our society. Malayalam actor Mammoty plays the titular role for which he won the National Award.
Viridiana (1961) Dir- Luis Buñuel
I watched this beautiful piece of art, at MAMI 2013. I went for the screening because I liked the synopsis. The genius of filmmaker Buñuel is what makes it fresh and new even today not only in terms of storytelling but technically this movie is still strong. I would place it among top ten films you must see,if you ever had a chance only to see ten films. You can read more about this film here.
Now coming to the list of Best Films of 2013, not arranged in any particular order.
Lessons in Forgetting Dir Unni Vijayan
This is the best Indian indie film released in 2013. It is based on the novel of same name by Anita Nair. The film told in flashback narrates the story of a father who comes to India, after his daughter meets with a freak accident. The film deals with an important issue of how a society which supports female infanticide eventually leads to many other problems for female in society.
Shahid Dir – Hansal Mehta
If I had to choose one Indian film which is a must watch this year, then it had to be Shahid. As India gears up for elections in coming months I suggest you watch this film. The only Hansal Mehta movie I loved was Jayate before this. Shahid made at minuscule budget shows us why the vision of director matters and not the budget of the film. The film is a semi-biographical on life of lawyer Shahid Azmi who fought for rights of innocent people who were jailed because of their religion and nothing to do with terrorism. For me if you ask Shahid Azmi fought for the idea of India, a India which had a place for everyone irrespective of their religion.
Soodhu Kavvum Dir –Nalan Kumarasamy
I had reviewed this film earlier this year, and I had written “Nearly half way into 2013 this is one of the best Indian films released so far. In fact I feel also feel that this will emerge as one of the best one of the best Indian films of the year as we take stock at the end of the year. Go watch it.” I am glad to say that I was not proven wrong, you can read more about this film here.
Burning Bush Dir –Agnieszka Holland
This mini tele-series commissioned for HBO is four hours long, and let me tell you not once did I look at my watch in those 4 hours, and this was my last movie of the day, after watching 3 movies earlier that day at the film fest. The film starts with Jan Palach just 20 years-old immolating himself to death in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. The film is not about Jan Palach, but it is about the struggle of his mother and lawyer who want to bring dignity to his death and cause. Eventually the get justice after 30 long years after the fall of Czech Regime in 1989.
This film underlines the importance of human lives and the cost of fighting for one’s right against an oppressive government.
The Act of Killing Dir- Joshua Oppenheimer
Usually I do not rank films, but if you ask me which was the film which moved me last year, then it has to be The Act Of Killing, a documentary about state sponsored killings in Indonesia. Very few details are known about this incident, and these killings are not discussed even today. The perpetrators of these crimes are still unpunished, as the victims were communists with the West indirectly supported this killing.
This film would have been like Times Now Newshour, instead Joshua follows Anwar Congo who has personally executed this killings, he is boastful of the killings at first. He gets the opportunity to re-enact these scenes, while reliving the incident various people undergo different emotions, the younger generation feels it is because of those massacre that paramilitary is powerful and they still earn respect. In one scene Anwar plays the victim, and he starts to realise how things are different from other end.
By the end of the film, you realise the futility of killings over ideology, religion, race and what’s more important is to stand up for those who were killed and affected by violence, A society which does not care about it’s weak or minorities will not survive.
In the context of Indian Politics, this is a must watch film. Before you make your mind for general elections 2014, watch this documentary.
Before Midnight Dir – Richard Linklater
One of the best screenplays to come out in 2013, I hope they win an Oscar for this. Jesse and Celine seems to have captured imagination of an entire generation, you can read review of Before Midnight here and here.
The Amazing Catfish Dir –Claudia Sainte-Luce
This is an wonderful debut by Claudia Sainte-Luce, who also has written the story of this film. The film easily could have been an exercise in melodrama, but Claudia does not venture into that zone and instead she keeps it as real as life. Claudia (Ximena Ayala) is a woman in her twenties with no real family or friends . When Claudia is admitted for removal of her appendicitis, Claudia meets Martha (Lisa Owen) and her four children, from three different fathers.Martha is suffering from HIV positive, soon Claudia becomes a member of the family and experiences new emotions of family,love and fear of loosing our loved ones.
The Spectacular Now Dir- James Ponsoldt
One of the very rare teen dramas which does not resort to stereotypical cliches usually seen in Hollywood films. This is an story of budding alcoholic, who falls in love with not so perfect girl. Sutter is a class clown, who recently broke up with his girlfriend, while he is not sure of his feelings for Aimee at start, he believes he is helping her. Sutter soon realises he has to deal with his alcoholism which is a problem and his friends think he will end up nowhere.Can Sutter rescue himself from alcoholism and start a life with Aimee. This wonderful take on teenage and their issues will touch your hearts for sure.
Locke Dir – Steven Knight
This 90 minutes film with comes with a tagline that might make you think it is a run of the mill thriller, but it is not. Tom Hardy drives from one part of town to other, in those 90 minutes his life changes, right from his job to his relationship with his wife. This human drama by British film maker Steven Kinght is a masterpiece.
Bad Hair Dir –Mariana Rondón
Junior(Samuel Lange) is a nine year old boy who stays with his mother who is a single parent in over-populated township of Venezuela. Junior wants his curly hair to be straightened, while his mother feels he is turning into homosexual. The film deals with sexualisation of young girls, who want to grow fast and became beauty pageant winners, the economic disparity between rich and poor, the parents imposing their views about what is right and wrong on their children. This tragic comedy film makes you think and laugh at the same time and the young actors are a delight to watch.
Five Years Dir –Stefan Schaller
Based on real life incident of Murat Kurnaz who was sold by Pakistani Government to USA, he was detained for 5 years in Guantanamo Bay for 5 years with not a single piece of evidence. This despite the fact that within one year both German and US government concluded he was not a terrorist.
The film looks into 5 years of his life spent in the infamous Guantanamo Bay where he was tortured physically and mentally, a look at the other side of terrorism which does not get reported in media.
Blue Jasmine Dir- Woody Allen
Woody Allen deals with the financial world in his own way and it is great to see New York again through the eyes of Allen. Jasmine is forced to move to San Francisco with her sister, after her husband has been arrested in connection to financial frauds. Jasmine has hard time in adjusting to her new surroundings, and her new job as a receptionist at dentist. This is by far one of the best works of Woody Allen in his long and illustrious career.
Cate Blanchett as Jasmine is wonderful and I would be disappointed if she does not get an Oscar for her brilliant performance.
Inside Llewyn Davis Dir- Coen Brothers
If I have to describe this in one word I would say masterpiece. You can read the review of this film here.
Flashback- You can read my list of Best films for 2011 and 2012 here and here respectively.
Hope you have a great 2014 and good time at the cinemas.
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