Angie’s Most Anticipated Films Of 2013 Revisited: My Hits And Misses
No year in cinema ever shapes up exactly the way we’d expect. In fact, it’d be boring if one did. Still, when faced with the promise of a whole new year of movies, I can’t help try and predict which ones I’ll love or hate. I put my best guesses in list form last year, and I did it again this year.
Now, in the spirit of journalistic integrity (or, less charitably, critical solipsism), it’s time for me to look back atmy most anticipated films of 2013and see just how reality measured up to expectation. Hit the jump to see how great or terrible I was at guessing what’d be my favorite films of 2013.
In all, I was right about40%of the time. Depending on how you want to look at it, that’s either a really good batting average, or a really bad high school exam score. Make of that what you will when you look overmy most-anticipated list for 2014.
10.ParadiseParadisewas the wild card on my list last year. I didn’t expect greatness, but as a fan ofDiablo Cody’s other work I was curious to see how she’d acquit herself in her directorial debut. What I got was a shaky comedy that lacked the sizzle of Cody’s earlier screenplays, but that went down smoothly nonetheless thanks to nice performances byJulianne Hough,Russell Brand, andOctavia Spencer. Here’s hoping she’ll fare better next time.9.The Heat
I was right to expect the pairing ofMelissa McCarthyandSandra Bullockto translate into comedy gold. I was wrong to assume that the film around them would measure up to that same lofty level. Supporting characters felt uniformly one-note, and all the exaggerated Boston accents in the world couldn’t make the setting feel like anything other than a generic Hollywood backlot. (This despite the fact that the movie was actually shot in Boston.)
Visually,Chan-wook Park’s English-language debut was nothing short of stunning. It’s moody and beautiful, to the extent that you could pause the film at almost literally any moment and have a picture worth framing. And okay,Matthew Goode’s performance as Uncle Charlie was one of the most disturbingly seductive of the year. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much substance underneath that high-shine gloss. Hey, at least I was right about it being better thanSpike Lee’s remake of Park’sOldboy.
7.The World’s End
Apparently even I had no idea I’d loveThe World’s Endas much as I did. At the time, my explanation for putting this film on my most-anticipated list (at #7) was simply, “Edgar Wrighthasn’t made a bad film yet, and I have no reason to believe 2013 will be the year he starts.” I had no ideaThe World’s Endwould surpass his earlier work to be the richest and most rewarding of the Cornetto trilogy. In the end, it was my second favorite movie of the year.
6.The Great GatsbyBaz Lurhmann’s film lacks the poignancy that makesF. Scott Fitzgerald’s original novel such an enduring classic, but I’m in the minority of people who liked the movie anyway. If I had to sum up the entire film in one moment, it’d be the one where Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) finally makes his introduction:George Gershwin’s"Rhapsody in Blue"swells to a climax as literal fireworks explode, and DiCaprio flashes the killer smile that broke hearts the world over inTitanic. It’s overwrought, obvious, and ostentatiously cheesy, but I found myself grinning ear-to-ear nonetheless.5.The Wolf of Wall StreetMartin Scorsese’sGoodfellasis one of my very favorite movies of all time, so I’m disappointed that I didn’t likeThe Wolf of Wall Streetmore. As wonderful as it was to watchLeonardo DiCapriostretch beyond his usual shouty, brow furrow-y, my-wife-is-deadroutine (the OD scene is an instant classic), the experience as a whole rang hollow. A tidy moral isn’t required, but after three hours I’d like to come away withsomethingmore than, “Quaaludes are a hell of a drug.“4.Inside Llewyn Davis
I putInside Llewyn Davisat #7 on my top-10 list after seeing it just once, and I suspect I would’ve ranked it even higher had I found the time to watch it a few more times. But I’ve no complaints. One viewing was enough to tell me thatOscar Isaacmade the absolute most of his breakout role, and that the soundtrack (produced byT-Bone Burnett) was every bit as lovely and heartbreaking as I had hoped.
The premise ofAlfonso Cuarón’sGravitycouldn’t be simpler, but the execution made it one of the most awe-inducing experiences I had at the cinema all year. The long, fluid opening shot alone is worth the price of admission — and that’s saying a lot, since this was a film that demanded you shell out extra for 3DandIMAX. Between this andThe Heat,Sandra Bullockhad a very, very good year.
2.Much Ado About NothingJoss Whedon’s shoestring take on Shakespeare was a fizzy confection with delightfully unexpected flavors. So why wasn’t it more memorable? Perhaps part of the issue is that some of the original’s plot points simply ring false in a modern setting, especially one with such a low-key vibe. On the plus side, Whedon has a very nice house,Nathan FillionandAlexis Denisofcontinue to be funny as hell, andAmy Ackerdeserves to be a much bigger star than she is.1.Before MidnightBefore Midnightwas both my most anticipated movie of 2013 and my favorite movie of 2013. I liked it so much, I felt compelled to makeRichard Linklater’s (possible) 2014 releaseBoyhoodat the top of my most-anticipated list for 2014. Simply put, I’d say I knocked this one out of the park.
