2013 Films
The ones I've seen in order of preference from most to least favourite.
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- DirectorRithy PanhStarsRandal DoucJean-Baptiste PhouRithy Panh uses clay figures, archival footage, and his narration to recreate the atrocities Cambodia's Khmer Rouge committed between 1975 and 1979.This is a very special film made using minature carvings. The rating and user reviews on IMDb do not do the film justice.
10/10 - DirectorPawel PawlikowskiStarsAgata KuleszaAgata TrzebuchowskaDawid OgrodnikA novice nun about to take her vows uncovers a family secret dating back to the German occupation.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsMira BarkhammarMira GrosinLiv LeMoyneThree girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band -- despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead.This IS the best from Moodysson to date. I loved this and will buy it on dvd to watch again and again. Hate the sport! :D
9/10 - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingKristin Scott ThomasVithaya PansringarmJulian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok's criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother's recent death.Holy moly, this was fantastic! Love. love, love it!
9/10 - DirectorBen WheatleyStarsJulian BarrattPeter FerdinandoRichard GloverAmid the Civil War in 17th-century England, a group of deserters flee from battle through an overgrown field. Captured by an alchemist, the men are forced to help him search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field.Weird and wonderful film with terrific atmosphere and soundtrack.
9/10 - DirectorLars von TrierStarsCharlotte GainsbourgStellan SkarsgårdStacy MartinA self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating.The tone of Charlotte Gainsbourg combined with the febrile and expressionless Stacy Martin is intoxicating. Mesmerising and sad film.
- DirectorNicolas PhilibertStarsJean-François AchilliEvelyne AdamJean-Claude AmeisenTwenty-four hours in the life of Radio France, from one dawn to another. Along its corridors, inside its recording studios, with its producers, presenters, journalists and various guests. And outside on a motorbike in the wake of the Tour de France or in the company of a thunderstorm photographer.Witty and thoughtful documentary following the staff and guests over a 24-hour period in the life of Radio France.
9/10 - DirectorClio BarnardStarsConner ChapmanShaun ThomasSean GilderTwo thirteen year-old working-class friends in Bradford seek fortune by getting involved with a local scrap dealer and criminal.Gritty and fabulous.
9/10 - DirectorDiane KurysStarsBenoît MagimelMélanie ThierryNicolas DuvauchelleThe story of the marriage between Michel and Lena, as told by their daughter Anne, with reflections on the mystery of abiding love.Finally got to see the film on dvd. It didn't receive any distribution in the UK, not even at the French Institute! I love the film for many reasons and it's beautifully shot featuring two of my favourite French actors.
9/10 - DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanMelonie DiazOctavia SpencerThe story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.Well made film about a shocking incident.
9/10 - DirectorJulie BertuccelliStarsMaryam AboulgilaFelipe Arellano SantibanezMiguel Angel Cegarra MonsalveHow to integrate into French society when you are a young immigrant newly arrived in Paris? Just join the school of La Grange aux Belles where, whether you are named Agnieszka, Eduardo, Kessa, Maryam or Youssef, you can improve your French and gradually adapt both to the French school system and to the way French people act and think... Julie Bertuccelli followed the days of the special needs class at La Grange welcoming foreign students from all over the world during the 2011-2012 school year and makes us witness to the positive spirit that prevails there under the wise guidance of Brigitte Cervoni, their inspired French teacher.Marvellous documentary with a great cast and an emotional ending.
9/10 - DirectorYves MontmayeurStarsMichael HanekeJean-Louis TrintignantYves MontmayeurMichael Haneke, theorists of the image that knows better than any other the dregs of our society with their existential fears and emotional derail ment to bring to light - a portrait.Well made documentary of a fascinating subject, Michael Haneke.
9/10 - DirectorKim MordauntStarsSitthiphon DisamoeLoungnam KaosainamSuthep Po-ngamLaos. In a land ravaged by war and exploitation, a boy whose family believe he is cursed must redeem himself by taking part in a dangerous rocket competition.Very imaginative film that is a coming-of-age film with a difference.
9/10 - DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsJavier CámaraPepa CharroCecilia RothWhen it appears as though the end is in sight, the pilots, flight crew, and passengers of a plane heading to Mexico City look to forget the anguish of the moment and face the greatest danger, which we carry within ourselves.Brilliant film. This bawdy comedy has a lot of heart.
9/10 - DirectorJonathan GlazerStarsScarlett JohanssonJeremy McWilliamsLynsey Taylor MackayA mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.Unique and clever film. Eerie soundtrack and stunning visuals make for a film with a very alien feel.
8.5/10 - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsMichael DouglasMatt DamonScott BakulaA chronicle of the tempestuous six-year romance between megastar singer Liberace and his young lover Scott Thorson.Well made with film with superb performances. I would have liked more introspection.
8/10 - DirectorRitesh BatraStarsIrrfan KhanNimrat KaurNawazuddin SiddiquiA mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.Fantastic film; a modern classic for sure. A witty but terribly poignant tale about food as the elixir of life in this tale of self rediscovery.
8.5/10 - DirectorRagnar BragasonStarsThora Bjorg HelgaIngvar SigurdssonHalldóra GeirharðsdóttirA girl is caught between the life that took her brother and her own inability to strike out on her own. In her grief, she finds solace in the dark music of Black Metal and dreams of becoming a rock star.A bleak tale of grief infused with Icelandic metal.
8/10 - DirectorBruno DumontStarsJuliette BinocheJessica ErreroRobert LeroyWinter, 1915. Confined by her family to an asylum in the South of France - where she will never sculpt again - the chronicle of Camille Claudel's reclusive life, as she waits for a visit from her brother, Paul Claudel.Slow, stark and challenging as the viewer is pitched into an asylum in early 20th century France and given little overt narrative structure. Juliet Binoche is superb as is the use of the landscape and stone surfaces.
8/10 - rated for JB alone it would be 10/10 - DirectorChika AnaduStarsUche NwadiliNgozi NwanetoNonso OdogwuB For Boy is a contemporary drama set in Nigeria, about one woman's desperate need for a male child. It explores the discrimination of women in the names of culture and religion.A taut story that is well played.
8/10 - DirectorAndrea Luka ZimmermanStarsJohn BergerA documentary about residents in Istanbul who care for the street dogs.Innovative, witty and heartfelt documentary on life, relationships and animals.
8/10 - DirectorSteve McQueenStarsChiwetel EjioforMichael Kenneth WilliamsMichael FassbenderIn the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.Very good film. Excellently shot with many lingering images. Great acting and a fascinating, if horrifying, story.
8/10 - DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsEmma ThompsonTom HanksAnnie Rose BuckleyAuthor P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
- DirectorHany Abu-AssadStarsAdam BakriLeem LubanyEyad HouraniA young Palestinian freedom fighter agrees to work as an informant after he's tricked into an admission of guilt by association in the wake of an Israeli soldier's killing.Claustrophobic film with a stunning ending. Adam Bakri is as good an actor as his elder brother.
8/10 - DirectorAnne FontaineStarsNaomi WattsRobin WrightXavier SamuelA pair of childhood friends and neighbors fall for each other's sons.Intriguing subject matter well told and beautifully packaged.
8/10 - DirectorBruce GoodisonStarsNoof OusellamZarrien MasiehYasmin MwanzaThree teenagers forced to leave their family, friends, and homes behind learn to live in yet another hostile country: the UK.Compelling characters drive the film and its story.
8/10 - DirectorDestiny EkaraghaStarsKevin GarryTosin ColeMalachi KirbyGONE TOO FAR follows two estranged teenage brothers over the course of a single day as they meet for the first time, and struggle to accept each other for who they are. Yemi can't wait for his big brother to join him on the estate in Peckham - but when Ikudayisi arrives from Nigeria wearing socks and sandals Yemi questions both his judgement and his African heritage. A day on the estate filled with danger and excitement teaches both of them the values of family and self respect.Funny and affectionate view of black rivalries in Peckham, South London. If you're from London then this will resonate. The mum in the film is fantastic.
7.5/10 - DirectorMahamat-Saleh HarounStarsSouleymane DéméAnaïs MonoryCyril GueïDespite a paralyzed leg, Grigris, 25 year old, dreams of being a dancer. A challenge. But his dreams are dashed when his stepfather falls critically ill. To save him, Grigris resolves to work for petrol traffickers.An interesting film from Chad, if a little ragged in places. Great soundtrack and a compelling lead performance.
7/10 - DirectorFabio GrassadoniaAntonio PiazzaStarsSaleh BakriLuigi Lo CascioSara SerraioccoSalvo is a body guard and hit man for a mafioso. After foiling an attack on his employer, Salvo hunts down the man who organised it and encounters the man's blind sister. She causes Salvo to question himself and his existence.The art house form intersects with the action/gangster genre. Saleh Bakri is very good as Salvo.
7/10 - DirectorZhangke JiaStarsWu JiangBaoqiang WangTao ZhaoFour independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.The first of the four stories had great atmosphere that was lacking in the following three. The third one was patchy but had some terrific scenes. An interesting enough film because of what we get to see of China. Beautifully shot film.
7/10 - DirectorJim JarmuschStarsTilda SwintonTom HiddlestonMia WasikowskaA depressed musician reunites with his lover. However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.There's lots to like in this mournful film about America and her dying culture. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston are good as a languid and charismatic couple. Unfortunately the languor did not quite work for me.
Great soundtrack.
7/10 - DirectorJohn CurranStarsMia WasikowskaAdam DriverLily PearlA young woman goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog.A fascinating tale with splendid photography and camels to boot!
7/10 - DirectorAsk HasselbalchStarsOscar DietzAmalie Kruse JensenSamuel Ting Graf12-year-old Pelle is bitten by an ant and develops superpowers. Aided by comic book nerd Wilhelm, Pelle creates a secret identity as superhero Antboy. When a super villain The Flea enters the scene, Antboy must step up to the challenge.Great fun! If you like Scandinavian cinema then this film continues that fine tradition. If you like your superhero films with a quirk then you'll like this.
7/10 - DirectorChris BuckJennifer LeeStarsKristen BellIdina MenzelJonathan GroffFearless optimist Anna teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.Much against my better judgement I enjoyed this. Some beautiful animation, Elsa's castle, and funny characters, including and especially Olaf!
7/10 - DirectorBiyi BandeleStarsChiwetel EjioforThandiwe NewtonAnika Noni RoseSisters Olanna and Kainene return home to 1960s Nigeria, where they soon diverge on different paths. As civil war breaks out, political events loom larger than their differences as they join the fight to establish an independent republic.A handsome production of an Ibo family's experiences during the Biafran war.
6.5/10 - DirectorSerge BozonStarsIsabelle HuppertSandrine KiberlainFrançois DamiensAfter an Algerian informant is murdered, two female investigators are sent to investigate.A completely nutty film! Enjoyable.
- DirectorXavier DolanStarsXavier DolanPierre-Yves CardinalLise RoyA grieving man meets his lover's family, who were not aware of their son's sexual orientation.A dark, semi-psychotic film.
6/10 - DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsJack O'ConnellBen MendelsohnRupert FriendEric Love, 19, is locked up in prison. On his first day, he assaults another inmate and several guards. He's offered group therapy and his dad, an inmate as well, tries to talk sense into him. Can he be rehabilitated?A gruelling film that deals with the repugnance of crime and prison.
6/10 - DirectorDenis CôtéStarsPierrette RobitailleRomane BohringerMarc-André GrondinTwo lesbian ex-cons, Victoria and Florence, are trying to make a new life in the backwoods of Quebec. Seeking peace and quiet, the couple slowly begin to feel under siege as Vic's probation office keeps unexpectedly popping up and a strange woman in the neighborhood soon turns out to be an increasingly menacing shadow from Flo's past.This film shocked me because everything about it was unexpected. A subtle and down-beat story with good acting.
6/10 - DirectorPhilippe GodeauStarsFrançois CluzetBouli LannersCorinne MasieroIn November 2009, French security van driver Toni Musulin makes off with nearly 12 million euros, then turns himself over to the authorities a week later.Based on a true story it is a character study all the way of someone called Toni Musulin, portrayed by Francois Cluzet who is as good as ever.
6/10 - DirectorBong Joon HoStarsChris EvansJamie BellTilda SwintonIn a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.Good, pacy film with an excellent Tilda Swinton - the star of the film. The film loses pace in the final quarter and the ending was a bit meh.
6.5/10 - DirectorFrans WeiszStarsMels van der HoevenDaan SchuurmansJan DecleirFinn lives with his father, a carpenter. Both are grieving the loss of Finn's mother, who died giving birth to Finn on Christmas Eve. Religious symbolism and music as a source of healing accompany Finn and his father as they try to live.I was a bit disappointed with this film. Hoping for Kauwboy (2012) with music, this film features a crow and a young bereft boy and grieving father. There the similarities end. This film is more fantastical than Kauwboy and rather sentimental.
6.5/10 - DirectorStephanie SprayPacho VelezStarsChabbi Lal GandharbaAnish GandharbaBindu GayekA documentary about a group of pilgrims who travel to Nepal to worship at the legendary Manakamana temple.
- DirectorPierre CoffinChris RenaudStarsSteve CarellKristen WiigBenjamin BrattWhen Gru, the world's most super-bad turned super-dad has been recruited by a team of officials to stop lethal muscle and a host of Gru's own, he has to fight back with new gadgetry, cars, and more minion madness.
- DirectorDon McKellarStarsTaylor KitschBrendan GleesonLiane BalabanTo survive, a dying Newfoundland fishing village must convince a young doctor to take up residence by any means necessary.Warm, gentle comedy made better by featuring Brendan Gleeson.
6/10 - DirectorPhilippe Le GuayStarsFabrice LuchiniLambert WilsonMaya SansaTwo actors. One play. Can the differences between the two egocentric men be put aside for the sake of friendship and theatre?Pretty good film on the travails of being an actor particularly one type cast in a soap and another who has given up acting but is persuaded to retread the boards. Moliere is a hard master.
6/10 - DirectorAharon KeshalesNavot PapushadoStarsLior AshkenaziRotem KeinanTzahi GradAfter a little girl is brutally murdered, a suspect avoids arrest due to lack of evidence. Working separately, her father and a cop decide to do something about it.Pretty good film. Had lots of atmosphere but I felt judgemental about the way it was made even though the story was strong.
6/10 - DirectorClaire DenisStarsVincent LindonChiara MastroianniJulie BatailleMarco returns to Paris after his brother-in-law's suicide, where he targets the man his sister believes caused the tragedy - though he is ill-prepared for her secrets as they quickly muddy the waters.The film has a mysterious elegance but it's a nasty, grubby story beneath the aesthetics.
6/10 - DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsKatie ChangIsrael BroussardEmma WatsonInspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.Pretty good film. Very cynical and no one comes out of the film well.
6/10 - DirectorErik SkjoldbjærgStarsAksel HennieWes BentleyStephen LangA thriller set at the beginning of the 1980's Norwegian Oil Boom and centered on a diver whose obsession with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea leads to tragedy.Convoluted drama about the machinations of laying pipelines in the sea for oil and gas in Norway. Based on true events, this is a bleak film.
5/10 - DirectorDavid LoweryStarsRooney MaraCasey AffleckBen FosterThe tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.Disappointing. The film's premise was too thin to sustain the film which suffered from Malick type photography. Casey Affleck was good, as was the actor playing the sheriff, and the soundtrack was atmospheric.
Being generous - 5/10 - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.Nice looking film and I enjoyed the music. Found the story dark. I was disappointed with it overall.
5/10 - DirectorFrançois OzonStarsMarine VacthGéraldine PailhasFrédéric PierrotAfter losing her virginity, Isabelle takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting her clients for hotel-room trysts. Throughout, she remains curiously aloof, showing little interest in the encounters themselves or the money she makes.Saw this at the LIFF. Intriguing premise that wasn't developed as fully as I would have liked. Well acted and funny in parts. More funny than erotic or sexy.
5/10 - DirectorAleksey GermanStarsLeonid YarmolnikAleksandr ChutkoYuriy TsuriloIn the distant future, a space traveler from Earth breaks a special law and interferes with the history of another, Medieval-like planet.
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsJesse EisenbergCommonMark RuffaloAn FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances, and reward their audiences with the money.Quite good, but too slick and rather shallow.
4/10 - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHideaki AnnoHidetoshi NishijimaMiori TakimotoJiro Horikoshi studies assiduously to fulfill his aim of becoming an aeronautical engineer. As WWII begins, fighter aircraft designed by him end up getting used by the Japanese Empire against its foes.Hmmm, animation's not my thing and that affected my view of the film. Also, animation makes everything pretty and fairytale-like, I'm not sure I find this in any way representative of human stories.
4/10 - DirectorRebecca ZlotowskiStarsTahar RahimLéa SeydouxOlivier GourmetGary, an unskilled young man, lands a job as a decontamination sub-contractor at a nuclear power plant in the lower valley of the Rhone. Inducted into the workforce by supervisor Gilles and veteran Toni, Gary discovers that radiation contamination is not just a risk factor but an everyday hazard. At the same time, he begins an illicit affair with Karole, the fiancée of Toni.A very uneven film because it seemed to be confused as to whether it was a love story or a story about low paid workers at a nuclear plant. There were moments of real atmosphere and a pretty good soundtrack but a big disappointment. Olivier Gourmet was under used ... again!
4/10 - DirectorRoger MichellStarsLindsay DuncanJim BroadbentJeff GoldblumA British couple return to Paris many years after their honeymoon there in an attempt to rejuvenate their marriage.A so-so film about a couple's marriage and mid-life crisis.
4/10 - DirectorDaniel GellerDayna GoldfineStarsCate BlanchettSebastian KochThomas KretschmannAbout a series of unsolved disappearances on the Galapagos Island of Floreana in the 1930s.So-so documentary about murder amongst European settlers on the remote island of Floreana in the Galapagos.
4/10 - DirectorShane CarruthStarsAmy SeimetzFrank MosleyShane CarruthA man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.Interesting concept that didn't work for me. The film had a mesmeric effect and was striking though.
4/10 - DirectorDanny BoyleStarsJames McAvoyRosario DawsonVincent CasselAn art auctioneer mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.Flashy film with a plot that is unnecessarily convoluted. Lacks charisma and was a waste of Vincent Cassel's time.
3/10 - DirectorBenedikt ErlingssonStarsIngvar SigurdssonCharlotte BøvingJohann Pall OddsonA country romance about the human streak in the horse and the horse in the human. Love and death become interlaced and with immense consequences. The fortunes of the people in the country through the horses' perception.Disappointing and poor. Not recommended.
3/10 - DirectorGuillaume NiclouxStarsPauline EtienneIsabelle HuppertLouise Bourgoin1760s France. Suzanne is shocked when her bourgeois family sends her to a convent. There she faces oppression and torment, leading her to fight back and expose the dehumanizing effect of cloistered life.Dull film about the plight of young men and women forced into religious orders. Isabelle Huppert appears in the last 35 minutes of the film only.
3/10 - DirectorRalph FiennesStarsRalph FiennesFelicity JonesKristin Scott ThomasAt the height of his career, Charles Dickens meets a younger woman who becomes his secret lover until his death.Rather boring. The bittersweetness of the relationship between Charles and Nellie makes this non-romantic.
3/10 - DirectorSpike JonzeStarsJoaquin PhoenixAmy AdamsScarlett JohanssonIn a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.A bad film dressed up to seem good but as cliched and predictable as the worst films.
2/10 is generous but there was a nice colour palette and some interesting camera shots.