Film in 2013 was fantastic. We
saw tons of wonderful performances, powerfully emotional dramas, hysterical
comedies, gripping thrillers, big and entertaining blockbusters, and grand
technical achievements. This year was particularly difficult in narrowing down
my choices for my favorite films, performances, directors, and technical
accomplishments. For example, I loved Amy Acker in Much
Ado About Nothing and Oscar Isaac in Inside
Llewyn Davis, but neither quite made the list, and the same can be said for
David O. Russell’s
wonderful directing in American
Hustle or Hoyte Van Hoytema’s
sublime cinematography in Her (both
just missing out on the list, when they would have made it in most other years).
And, there are a number of good films that did not make the list either (and a
few I have not yet seen). As it stands, the LeapBackBlog Film Awards are made
up, through difficult deliberation, of the films that entertained me and
grabbed me as something special, the performances that engaged me, and the
craftsmanship that delighted me. These are my favorites of 2013.
Her is
a film that address emotions we all struggle with and openly embrace when it
comes to our relationship hopes, dreams, and fears. Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett
(as well as some additional contributions from Karen O) deliver a
score that fits these emotions as well as the hip aesthetic of the film. Her
has a cool pop-culture quality to it, and thus it is only fitting that Arcade
Fire would be scoring the film. Their music fits the ambiance wonderfully,
while also adding an additional emotional accent. It is wistfully optimistic,
in that there is an inherent sadness (as there is with the main character
Theodore) but also a real hope that happiness and true connection is still a
possibility (here is
their song Supersymmetry, written for the film).
K.K. Barrett has
made a career out of making films that feature a fresh, modern, and
sophisticatedly cool style (things like Being John
Malkovich, Adaptation.,
Lost
in Translation, Marie
Antoinette, and Where
the Wild Things Are). He does the same again with Her.
From the costume design, set decoration, and set design/locations to the
lighting, the film has a brilliant aesthetic of bright solid colors that pop
against the mundane of normal life. Barrett does not just create his art for
the sake of being art; it also fits really well with the film’s narrative.
Theodore just wants to find connection, when he feels so alone. With his bright
shirts, he is always singled out in the frame, amplifying the sense that he is
separate from the world around him. Barrett’s design work in Her is
extraordinarily cool (I want to live in Theodore’s world – his apartment, his
office, the restaurant he goes on a date too – everything is so interesting and
artistically compelling).
American
Hustle is a film that will likely be best remembered for its standout
performances, but also for its fabulous production design (and costume design,
courtesy of Michael
Wilkinson). The whole affair is grand game of dress up with outrageous hair
styles and extravagant costumes, but Judy Becker’s work does something magical.
It completely embraces the con-man genre and all the shenanigans that come with
it, while also grounding the film in what feels like a realistic world. She
offers a backdrop that is playfully nostalgic with a sense of realism as well
(given the world of the narrative). It is splendid work.
12
Years a Slave is a heartbreaking tale of Solomon Northrup’s perseverance in
the most treacherous and humiliating years of his life – a free man tricked and
sold into slavery. Sean
Bobbitt’s cinematography is beautiful as he uses natural lighting to great
effect. The Louisiana plantations that Solomon finds himself tethered to feel
lazily sublime and even whimsical through Bobbitt’s photography, remarkably
juxtaposed to the horrors that Solomon witnesses and is forced to endure. But
there is also a tension and inner darkness to Bobbit’s work as well, as if this
exquisite backdrop only exists as a thin veil desperately trying to conceal a
rotten and decaying society – a façade to hide pure evil (similarly to the way
the film shows that really the true villain of the South is the honorable man
who simply abides and takes part in slavery – who is more a villain Ford or Epps?).
Bobbitt’s collaborations with Steve McQueen have
and continue to produce some of cinema’s finest work. And, on a side note,
Bobbitt’s photography for The
Place Beyond the Pines was also very good.
Bruno Delbonnel – Cinematography – Inside Llewyn Davis
It is no secret that Bruno Delbonnel is
one of my five favorite active cinematographers (along with Emmanuel Lubezki, Roger
Deakins, Wally Pfister,
and Robert
D. Yeoman). He continues to bring his style of color saturated photography
to the films he works on with such an elegant mastery. With Inside
Llewyn Davis, he gives the film a feel and look that is almost surreal but
at the same time very fitting for the time period and place (1960s Greenwich
Village). It echoes the sadness of the film, while still adding a resonating
beauty. It is phenomenal work.
Emmanuel Lubezki – Cinematography – Gravity
One might ask: “Why does Gravity
feature 2013’s most impressive cinematography? All the visuals are created
digitally.” Simple, while Emmanuel Lubezki
and director Alfonso
Cuaron worked with the visual effects team to create the look of Space,
Lubezki still painstakingly needed to match everything that happens in the
visual effects, lighting wise, on the actors’ faces when they were filmed live –
no small task (in fact, a very difficult task). Lubezki’s lighting is perfect,
beautiful, and enthralling. His collaborations with Cuaron continue to push the
boundary of what is possible in film.
A lot of what makes Rush
a great sports drama is its atmosphere of high stakes. Anthony Dod
Mantle’s brilliant digital photography gives the film all the atmosphere it
can handle. His work creates a thrilling and realistic experience for the
audience, often giving them the feeling that they are right there with the
drivers, whipping around the track. His ability to mix his footage with actual
footage seamlessly is also paramount to the film’s perceived realism and ability
to pull the audience into its narrative. As much as I like and support film
still being shot on film, Dod Mantle continues to make a strong argument for
digital.
Gravity
is an exciting, intense film. Steven Price’s
score works perfectly with the visuals and emotions of the film, creating an
‘edge of your seat’ experience for the audience. The music also captures the
feeling of isolation very well. There is a removed sense to it, a sadness that
comes from being lost and alone (the piece entitled Don’t Let Go is a good
example). Working with director Alfonso
Cuaron, Price plays with his score as well. There are moments in which he
blows it out to jolt and captivate the audience. It is wonderful work. And, on
a side note, his score for The
World’s End is very good too.
Adam Stockhausen’s
production design in 12 Years a Slave is paramount to the
film’s success, as he must create a world that feels as honest and natural as
possible. He does this and more. The film looks and feels real, which only
pulls the audience further into the narrative and emotional power of the film.
Solomon’s world is bright in the North as a free man, but when he finds himself
enslaved his world becomes utterly bleak. His cramped, dark, and decrepit world
is presented in the shadow of the grand homes of his masters. Stockhausen is
able to put the audience in Solomon’s place, making the experience all the more
devastating, haunting, and ultimately uplifting (in that Solomon does preserver
in the face of everything that would strive to bring him down).
Hans Zimmer’s score
for 12
Years a Slave is probably my favorite of 2013. Not because it is
necessarily the best composed music (though, it is quite elegant and moving –
his piece entitled Solomon
comes to mind), but because Zimmer also employs incredibly raw (almost
off-putting) distorted noise as well to create a very visceral and unnerving
experience (the score used during the riverboat scene when its paddlewheel is
thrashing is particularly intense). It is this modern musical aesthetic applied
to what is otherwise a very naturalistic period piece that stands out and is so
striking. It is ambitious and brilliant work from Zimmer, collaborating with
director Steve
McQueen. Zimmer also provided great musical scores for Man
of Steel, The
Lone Ranger, and Rush
in 2013.
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