Best of 2013

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It was a pretty damn good year for movies, and I managed to see almost everything I wanted to. So without much more preamble, here's the list:

The Worst Movie I Saw This Year:

Star Trek Into Darkness - What may have been passable, dirt-dumb blockbuster entertainment outside of the Star Trek franchise is instead an insultingly wrong-headed entry in the long-running series.  That it manages to pervert the entire mission-statement of Star Trek by making it a weak 9/11 parable and cautionary tale about the woes of Big Government, AND an embarrassingly lazy use of the series greatest villain, is almost impressive. 

The Runners-Up: 

The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, The Conjuring, Side Effects, Spring Breakers, Stoker, Gravity, Crystal Fairy, The Spectacular Now, Iron Man 3, Pacific Rim, Dallas Buyers Club, Furious 6, Touchy Feely, The World’s End, This Is the End, Behind the Candelabra.

The Best:

10. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Big-budget franchise filmmaking doesn’t get better or more subversive than this, and the visual upgrade from director Frances Lawrence raises the weakest book to a new level. Sharp performances from newcomers Jena Malone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Sam Clafin add to the already impressive cast.

9. Enough Said - A wonderful examination of our inability to get out of our own way, with a great lead performance from Dreyfus and a warm, lived-in turn from the late Gandolfini.

8. Nebraska - After a slight detour into more conventional storytelling with THE DESCENDANTS (which is still plenty good), Alexander Payne makes a thoroughly Alexander Payne movie, with the biting humor, creeping sadness and mundane detail that make his movies so unique.

7. The Act of Killing - The most harrowing filmgoing experience I’ve had this year, this documentary may not be an easy sit, but it features a few of the most powerful, disturbing and gut-wrenching scenes I’ve ever seen in my life.

6. Before Midnight - Another beautifully naturalistic chronicle of Celine and Jesse at a turning point in their relationship. This one may be a bit more contentious and bruising than the last 2, but it’s a fantastic look at the hazards and joys of a long-term relationship… and a reminder that all love stories look like this at some point.

5. 12 Years a Slave - The most immersive and engrossing portrayal of slavery I’ve ever seen. Chiwetel Ejiofor has long been a favorite of mine, and here he’s given a role worthy of his talents. That one of the most indelible moments is a 2-minute shot of his face as he takes in his surrounding is a testament to his acting and Steve McQueen’s restraint as a filmmaker.

4. Blue Jasmine - This is why we just shrug and let go when one of Woody Allen’s movies is a miss, because we know he’s still capable of movies like this. A hilarious, frustrating and timely look at a woman on the edge that manages to walk an insanely tricky line of making Jasmine a monster that we somehow root for. Blanchett’s performance is one for the history books, and she’s ably supported by Sally Hawkins, Bobby Canavale and, of all people, Andrew Dice Clay.

3. Inside Llewyn Davis - The Coens most emotional movie, well… ever, what at first looks to be another wry puzzle from the Brothers slowly reveals itself to be an in-the-moment examination of grief and the unbearable cycle it can throw you into. That the Coens gave Oscar Isaac the kind of break-out role he’s been on the brink of for years is just the cherry on top.

2. Short Term 12 - A beautiful, naturalistic look at a foster-care facility, and the people that run it, is an even more effective look at our buried pasts and how they can be drudged up when you least expect them. Brie Larson reveals a whole new depth of talent here in a commanding and heart-breaking lead performance.

1. Her - What could easily have devolved into a cautionary tale of the dangers of our reliance on technology or an easy joke is instead a revelatory examination of loneliness and melancholy that still manages to be one of the warmest movies I’ve seen in years. Joaquin Phoenix is the big, bruised heart at the center, and as fantastic as he is, he is consistently matched by Scarlett Johansson (who’s never once on screen) and Amy Adams. Spike Jonze manages to create a fully realized not-so-futuristic society that seems totally lived-in, and doesn’t ever pass judgment on the way they live their lives, but uses it as a backdrop for this singular, beautiful movie.

Top Ten of 2012

I didn't do this last year, but there were too many films I loved not to this year. I also totally cheated with my number 3, but those movies feel like kindred spirits and no one is going to read this anyway. Here's the lists:

The Worst:

10. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED

9. WRATH OF THE TITANS

8-1. PROMETHEUS

The "I Have No Clue What You People See In This" Movie of the Year:

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

The "The More I Think About It, The More I Realize It's Not Very Good" Movie of the Year:

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

The Best:

Runners-up: THIS IS 40, MOONRISE KINGDOM, SOUND OF MY VOICE, THE RAID, JOHN CARTER, WRECK-IT RALPH, LES MISERABLES, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, SAVE THE DATE, MISS BALA, HEADHUNTERS, THE INNKEEPERS, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

10. CLOUD ATLAS - Tonally inconsistent and overlong, CLOUD ATLAS still manages to be completely thrilling when The Wachowski's/Tykwer start weaving their stories of love, captivity and the search for freedom together. It's an easy movie to roll your eyes at and dismiss, but it's audaciousness is impossible to deny.

9. THE MASTER - The most hypnotic and challenging movie of the year, as much as I enjoyed watching THE MASTER, it was the discussions I had afterward that made me love it. The acting on display is astounding.

8. YOUR SISTER'S SISTER - Man, Lynn Shelton just has my number as a writer/director. Her aesthetic and themes seem almost tailor-made for me and I'm defenseless against her films, even when they're as flawed as this one. Though it can't equal the excellent HUMPDAY, this follow-up still feels authentic in a way few films do.

7. CABIN IN THE WOODS - The rare horror film that works as both text and subtext, the film completely dissects the horror genre-- and what the audience wants from it-- all the while being unbelievably entertaining. The last act is a horror nerd's wet dream.

6. 21 JUMP STREET - What could've been a lazy rehash of a crappy TV show is instead the funniest and easily most rewatchable movie of the year. Jonah Hill is reliably funny, but it's Channing Tatum that's truly surprising with a hilarious, and oddly vulnerable, performance.

5. THE AVENGERS - The most fun I've had in a movie theater in YEARS, this is the movie I dreamed of when I was a little geeky kid, and the fact that it's ridiculously entertaining without insulting your intelligence is just one of it's MANY strengths.

4. DJANGO UNCHAINED - Equal parts hilarious and horrifying, this may just be Tarantino's most mature movie to date. The film walks an incredibly tricky line of being wildly entertaining while constantly reminding the audience of the undeniable horrors of the slave trade. It doesn't hurt that DiCaprio gives the performance of a lifetime as the despicable Calvin Candie.

3. (TIE) TAKE THIS WALTZ/MARGARET -
WALTZ- A portrait of a deeply flawed woman questioning her deeply flawed marriage, Sarah Polley's 2nd film has no easy answers and never lets it's characters off the hook. Where most films would've ended, Polley takes hers a bit further to show that happy endings really are just stories that haven't ended yet.
MARGARET - An undeniably flawed but absolutely riveting snapshot of a teenage girl going through a crisis after she holds herself responsible for the death of a random passer-by in NYC. Kenneth Lonergan's long-delayed film is undeniably messy-- and often frustrating--but that serves to make the film feel more alive than almost any other movie this year. 

2. LOOPER - On the surface a stylish and entertaining sci-fi/noir mashup, repeat viewings only serve to deepen Rian Johnson's film with themes of vicious cycles and maternal love. An incredibly game cast push it over the top to be one of the most unique and surprisingly moving films of the year.

1. ZERO DARK THIRTY - Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal manage to make what is essentially a procedural into the most thrilling, engrossing and riveting piece of film-journalism of the year (decade?). It's rare that a movie so impersonal (and not about people in a room just talking about their relationships) hits me so hard, but it's so expertly assembled and performed you have to remind yourself you're watching a fictionalized version of the hunt for Bin Laden. The fact that it feels wrong to use the word "fictionalized" in that last sentence shows what a towering achievement the film is.

LOUIE - "Subway/Pamela"

Last night's episode of LOUIE was, oddly, one of the most romantic things I've seen in a long time. But only in the way that this show could be romantic, which means undercutting it with a healthy dose of pain and rejection. This is, after all, still LOUIE.

The episode started with a lovely little vignette that showed New York City in all it's beautiful, disgusting glory (something this show does often and well), setting the tone for the entire episode. A man in a tux plays his violin in the subway station, moving Louie almost to tears-- but any enjoyment is soon obliterated by the fat, homeless man taking a hobo shower right behind him. Perfect moments don't exist in Louie's world.

Once on the subway, Louie fantasizes about cleaning up a puddle of liquid on a subway seat everyone is staring at, becoming a hero to his fellow passengers. These are the types of fantasies I think everyone can relate to having on a day-to-day basis. Not grand gestures, just little things. But we don't do them, because what if no one noticed? Then you're just the asshole with a wet sweater. It's a common theme in Louis CK's stand-up, the desire to be better than you are, and this may have been the best manifestation of those themes on the show to date.

This led into Louie's "date" with Pamela and one of the most remarkable moments this great show has achieved so far. After a lunch filled with conversations about Pamela's asshole and perfect soup (yes, you read that right), the two take a stroll through a flea market and Louie begs Pamela to get the chance to express his feelings for her. The following speech is, in a word, perfect. And I don't mean perfectly eloquent or perfectly delivered, it is quite imperfect in both those respects. But that's exactly why it feels so right, because it feels real and raw. Pamela's inability to reciprocate those feelings actually makes it more perfect, because romantic speeches don't solve everything. It's a bummer, and I couldn't help but want her to tell Louie she's loved him all along, too. But that's not this show, and it would've felt totally wrong.

The episode ends with a bit of a cruel joke, naturally. Louie leaves Pamela's apartment, only realizing once he's left that she offered for him to take a bath in between offers of food and drink. When he calls to make sure he heard right, she informs him he did but that the offer is rescinded. So Louie leaves, frustrated and dejected. I'm not sure where this leaves Pamela and Louie, but I know that I can't wait to see her pop up in the future and break Louie's heart all over again.

Grade: A

RANDOM THOUGHTS
- Pamela Adlon is perfect in this episode. I know I've used that word a lot, but, dammit, I don't know what else to say. She's funny and vulgar and sexy and mean but somehow still totally likable.

- "The constant flow of penises into your asshole just tapered off?" "Yeah, just died out"

- "Kick a Jesus in the face, this is delicious"

- "I can't wait to eat the shit I take from eating this"

- Pamela's response to that last line was so sweet.

- "I went on a Ferris Wheel one time, and I screamed like a little girl who just saw a spider in her vagina"

SONS OF ANARCHY - "Widening Gyre"

Ahhh the chess piece episode. Every show has at least one a season. The episode all about moving characters into certain places (either externally or internally) for the larger season plot. They can be artfully done or they can be a little boring and mechanical, and while "Widening Gyre" wasn't a bad episode per se, you could definitely feel the writers pushing the characters into their places before they head to Ireland.

We begin with the fallout from Jax bedding Ima, the porn star, when Tara walks in on them in the morning. I don't know about you but I'm getting a little sick of Jax's attempts to push Tara away. I understand why he's doing it but I think it's become pretty obvious that it's not going to work and it's starting to feel a bit redundant. He keeps trying and then relenting a bit, rinse and repeat. It's just not revealing anything new about the characters and it's getting tedious. Still, the conversation between Jax and Opie served as a reminder of what happens to SAMCRO's old ladies, and how you can't really push them away no matter how hard you try.

We move on to some trouble between The Grim Bastards and Calaveras, where the latter brutally murdered one of the former's memebrs. The Sons, naturally, want to patch this over as quickly as possible, given the truce between them and the Mayans is a day old. This was largely a throwaway story, as it was pretty clear the only reason for it was to strip Salazar of his power and piss him off enough to get some sort of revenge on the Sons. It did seem to sort of underline the Mayan/Sons truce, as the scene ended with hugs all around (something that is almost too dramatic of a change), but I'm sure the payoff for this will be appropriately horrifying and dramatic later on.

And so we get to Gemma, who remains the most interesting part of this season thus far. Her conversation with Maureen was certainly revealing but also a bit clunky. They talk about their children not knowing what happened with John Teller in Belfast and Maureen reveals John is the father of her daughter, Trinity. It just seemed like a tease and not a very well-handled one at that.

Tara later helps Gemma with an impromptu hospital breakout that gave us the most affecting moment of the episode when they say goodbye. Tara's relationship with the MC, and Gemma in particular, consistently provide the show with some of its most rewarding material. A lesser show would have had the two still at odds in season 3, but the writers have given the show something far more interesting and emotional with the MC's acceptance of Tara and vice-versa. So even a quick moment of them saying goodbye feels like so much because we know how far they've come to get to that point.

And so the episode ends with the Sons (minus Tig) leaving for Belfast and the Belfast Sons chapter warning Jimmy of their arrival. Like I've said throughout, I'm sure that once the season is laid out, this episode will prove to be vital in terms of moving the plot along, but it just was not a particularly involving episode of television. But next week we get a 90-minute episode of the Sons in Belfast, which looks to be chock full of the things we love from this show.

Grade: C+

RANDOM THOUGHTS:
- I don't really know what's going on with Chibs' wife and kid in this episode, and, like most of the Irish plot this season, I'm a little confused and find it hard to care about. Hopefully this next episode clarifies and deepens that plotline.
- "You do realize that pretty much every Latina you bone ends up dead, right?" Beautiful, just beautiful.
- Poor Unser, he can't do anything right. No matter which way he goes, he's betraying someone. I'm sure that death would be welcomed at this point.
- Tara's boss got some redemption this week, but I don't really buy it. Tara's really that good of a surgeon that Margaret's willing to break the law?
- I really don't care about Opie's porn star girlfriend. Their rift and reconciliation took all of half a day and didn't add anything to the episode.
- Salazar and his girl watch Tara leave Jax's... there's no way this ends well.

MAD MEN - "Tomorrowland"

The 4th season of MAD MEN has really been a season of change, with all the characters being in some state of flux. They've all had moments of trying to define who they are in the agency and outside of it. They've changed in ways both big and small, both deep and superficial. So it's only natural that the season (and an episode titled "Tomorrowland") ends with some giant steps forward, and the characters looking into the future, instead of the past.

As soon as Don asked Megan to go with him and the children to California, I think we all knew what we were in for. But that doesn't mean that the storyline didn't offer up surprises and rewards along the way. Sure, we could tell Megan was good with kids in "The Beautiful Girls" and she was smart enough not to expect too much in "The Chinese Wall" but there was a warmth and intelligence to her character here that was only hinted at before. She knows what Don wants the second he knocks on her door after she returns from a night out (in fact, it was the first thought that went through her head when he asked her to go in the first place), she teaches the kids a French song and reacts calmly when Sally spills a milkshake, and, most importantly to Don, she's dismissive of his past and tells him she knows who he is now. I expected Don to ask her to marry him by season's end but I didn't expect it to seem like a pretty good idea. Sure, there's something cowardly in giving Faye the boot. She knows Don's past and has seen him at his most vulnerable. She basically tells Don to "get over it and move on" in the beginning of the episode, only I don't think she expected it to be away from her. But Megan makes sense for his family, something I think Don probably tells himself is a big reason why he chose her.

Peggy's season arc was nicely completed with her acquisition of the Topaz account. It showed her fulfilling Don's expectations of her, she took control of the situation and nailed the pitch almost completely on her own. She's autonomous and confident in that meeting, which is what Don has been looking for from her this season.

The last 20 minutes of the episode were so cheery and positive I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I almost thought Matthew Weiner and co. had stooped to a dream sequence until Peggy and Joan had their glorious tete-a-tete, giving voice to the audience's own doubts. Don's announcement almost perfectly undercuts Peggy's moment, not only does his news trump hers but Joan plants the seed of Megan becoming a copywriter. As if that's all Peggy had to do to begin with.

Unfortunately for Betty, the future is not looking too bright for her. I actually think her role this season was the perfect size, there's only so many times Weiner can show what miserable person she is before it gets redundant (aka Season 3). However, what little screen time she did have managed to slightly deepen her character, if not make her more likable. And her manipulative attempt to reconstruct her relationship with Don was both infuriating and heartbreaking. It's interesting to see their roles reversed, Don is the one looking foward, unafraid, and Betty is the one regretting her past.

And so ends one of, if not THE, best seasons of MAD MEN. This is now two seasons in a row that the show has ended on a positive, hopeful note, which is both shocking and a relief. There's enough dark that the light feels justified, and after a season with Don seeing rock bottom it's nice to see him bounce back and be happy. For now.

Grade: A-

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

- As per usual, any scene where Don is complimentary and warm towards Peggy makes me want to cry a little bit. I'm a softy.
- "Did you get cancer?"
- Speaking of, Roger is left in a weird position. How much longer can his place be justified without Lucky Strike?
- SCDP is far from solid, and the Topaz account surely helps, but we didn't really get much of an idea of where they'll be when we pick up. I assume functional, but how functional?
- Joan DIDN'T get the abortion, as I suspected. I wonder how Roger reacts when she starts showing, hope we get to see that.
- "Well I learned a long time ago to not get all my satisfaction from this job." "That's bullshit!"
- Pete didn't end up with a whole lot to do this season. He had a kid, had some financial troubles and Don saved him. Interesting moments but not really a big arc.
- Ken, also, didn't have much to do except refuse to use his soon to be father-in-law to the agency's advantage. And where was Ray Wise?
- Poor Glenn, can't catch a break.
- When's season 5 start?

RUBICON - "You Never Can Win"

I'm generally a fan of the season finale that takes place after the big event the season has been building towards. When a season ends with the big event (be it a break-up, a confrontation between two adversaries, or an oil tanker blowing up) it tends to feel somewhat anti-climactic, the fallout is always where the real drama lies. So I was very much looking forward to RUBICON's season (series?) finale, which takes place after the bombing in Galveston Bay. And while it was a very good episode, a few lackluster elements kept it from being a great finale.

Before we get to the finale though, let's chat a bit about the show in general. The pilot was intriguing, if far from perfect, but the two episodes that followed it caused me to think I would never be able to truly get into the show. The conspiracy surrounding David's death was front and center, while the rest of API remained in the background. The pacing was slow, sure, but that's not something that's usually an issue for me. It wasn't until the series fourth (excellent) episode that I believe the show and its problems really came into focus. Dealing with the lives of the people that work at API and what it really means to work in the intelligence community immediately gave the show the depth of character it had been so sorely lacking by focusing mostly on Will. From there on out, the characters only deepened more and more and the conspiracy aspect, while still very important, wasn't the only thing the show had going for it. The characters became their own entities, instead of just pieces on a chess board. So when the bombing in Galveston Bay actually happens, we feel the characters sense of failure. It's something that seems easy but most conspiracy shows don't come anywhere close to achieving.

Anyway, onto the finale. The episode was at its strongest when it focused on Spangler and the consequences he faces. Surprisingly, those consequences come from his other conspirators and not Will. They ask him to stop the operation since they've been exposed too much, but he refuses, unwilling to stop what's already been set in motion. Even when Will confronts him at the end he refuses to take any sort of responsibility, blaming what they've done and who've they killed on the nature of humans in general and the tough decisions everyone faces. Only most people's decisions don't kill innocent people, Will reminds him.

Another strong aspect of the finale was Will's decision to pull Miles into the conspiracy at large. It served as a helpful reminder of how horrifying it must be to realize the work you've been doing is being perverted and twisted for others personal gain. His scene with Julia really punctuated what that must feel like and how nothing can really erase that horror. Tanya's quitting API was also good, if not entirely surprising, and Lauren Hodges weary, teary-eyed delivery made me realize how much I'll miss her character if the show does return.

Unfortunately, not everything was handled so deftly. Andy's taped confession to Katherine felt a little broad for the show and didn't fit with the tone. Same goes for the shadowy room where the other heads of Atlas McDowell rendered their verdicts on Spangler's fate. The reveal that Andy has been a part of the conspiracy was a nice twist, but really only raised more questions (and made me wonder about her behavior in past episodes). Katherine's death was also shocking in the swiftness and ease with which it took place, but made me wonder what purpose that character ever ended up serving, besides putting Will on the right track. And while the confrontation between Will and Spangler was something I was dying to see, it didn't serve as a very good end to the season. Will sees the portentous four-leaf clover and that's the end? Since the audience had already seen it, it didn't provide much of an impact for a season-ending moment.

Still, nitpicks aside, I sincerely hope that AMC picks up the series for another season. There's really no other show I can think of that's been able to imbue a conspiracy-type show with so much character while still delivering an engaging plot. There's still a lot to explore in a season 2.

Grade: B+

QUESTIONS FOR SEASON 2
- I have a feeling Spangler does not go gentle into that good night. Will he help Will bring down the others? Is that why he was so dismissive of Will writing his report?
- What happens when Will finds out Andy is involved? Does that bring them together? I know some were annoyed by her character, but I thought their moments together provided more insight into Will's character than most other interactions.
- Did Will get the DVD from Katherine before she died? I don't think so.
- Does Kale become head of API if Spangler dies or goes into hiding? That'd be cool but maybe not provide much drama for the agency.
- Does API even continue to exist? The powers that be may decide to cut ties with the agency.
- God, I hope this show gets a 2nd season.

LOUIE - "Pilot" and "Poker/Divorce"

I am a bit of a comedy nerd. Not Judd-Apatow-cold-calling-comedians-in-high-school nerdy, but I have my comedians I have become obsessed with and devour as much of their material as possible. Louis C.K. is one of them. I came to the C.K. fan club a little later but I adore the guy and everything I've seen of his (though I skipped LUCKY LOUIE, because it was supposedly awful and I didn't want to see him in something awful). I was thrilled to learn he was getting his own show on FX, which could use a comedy hit besides SUNNY (Don't say THE LEAGUE. It sucks.) So is LOUIE everything I wanted and so much more? Uh yeah, pretty much.

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little worried after the pilot. It was fitfully funny but not quite what I wanted. Expectations probably had something to do with that, sure, but the pilot definitely had some issues. It felt a bit like 2 extended sketches starring the same character mashed together and the bus bit barely got a chuckle from me. Louie's awkward date was definitely funny, but still a little too familiar. But the fact that there was a scene where C.K talked about his daughters "infected vagina" and made it funny? That ain't no small feet.

"Poker/Divorce", on the other hand, was excellent from start to finish. The poker scene was not only hilarious, it was oddly moving. The comedians joke about their gay friend, and when he gives them a genuine, heartfelt answer about the term "faggot", they take it in... and then joke about it. That's as real a moment I've seen on a comedy this year. And this is episode 2. The rest of the episode was equally as good, as Louie looks far back into his past after he signs his divorce papers. His encounter with an old high school friend was awkward, real and funny; which is a difficult balance to strike.

As you can tell from these descriptions, the show isn't just a joke machine. It's trying for relatable (often painfully relatable) comedy, and it scores a bulls-eye. The stand-up routines serve as the culmination of his awkward/painful experiences and how he gets his comedy and they manage to be funny without feeling extraneous (if you compare it to SEINFELD, you're right and oh so wrong). I don't know if I've ever seen a sitcom quite this dark, while also being so very, very funny. And that's meant as a big compliment. LOUIE stings as it makes you laugh; what more could a comedy nerd ask for.

Pilot: B
Poker/Divorce: A-