My final six reviews of the year 2013...

2013 has been quite a hectic year for me. I haven’t gotten around to as many movies as I’d have liked to, and I still have quite a bit of catching up to do before I call the year quits. In celebration of the New Year, I did some brief write-ups for a few movies I recently got around to. Hope you enjoy reading them, and Happy New Year!

Saving Mr. Banks movie review.

Who doesn’t love Mary Poppins? You’d have a difficult task tracking someone down who doesn’t like this movie, and for good reason. It’s an iconic, imaginative, and lovely film with great depth to it. But did you know this classic almost never got made?

This is the topic of the latest Disney released live action feature, Saving Mr. Banks, a film inspired by the infamous butting of heads between the book’s author P.L. Travers and Walt Disney (Ya’ll know who he is),  over how the film ought to be brought to the screen.

Truth be told, the main reason I got so excited about this movie is because I’ve always wanted to see a Disney biopic, a character study that, while it would show him as the revolutionary he was, would also delve into his numerous vices. So, you could probably imagine my disappointment when I found out that this story would be more focused on Travers. However, I was still excited for it, and having finally seen it, I have a lot to say.

Happy birthday to Hayley Williams!

The fantastic lead singer of Paramore turns 25 today!

By the way, I love this song!

The Past (Le Passé) movie review.

Merry Christmas, everyone! With The holidays in full swing, and the inevitable Oscar season beginning, I thought I would finally turn my attention to the Iranian-French film, The Past. Anyone who has been reading my blog since April knows that this has been my most highly anticipated movie of the year, mainly for two reasons. It’s the first film to be directed by Asghar Farhadi since his excellent, Oscar winning Iranian drama A Separation, and it also stars the fabulous Berenice Bejo, who had already made high marks in 2011’s The Artist.

Having been prepped by Farhadi before A Separation even began filming, and originally intended to have Marion Cotillard in the lead role (which, having seen the film, I’m not sure she would have carried it as well), The Past received a lot of hype and anticipation out of the Cannes and Toronto International Film Festivals. Personally, I was not disappointed. Acting as something of an unofficial sequel to A Separation, The Past explores the themes previously established in that film, and refines them to even more robust order.

The Butler movie review - 100th post special!

After much waiting, I finally got around to seeing The Butler. Or, as it's more accurately called, Lee Daniel's The Butler

For many, it seemed as if the battle over a title (quite a nonsensical one at that) overshadowed the actual film, at least early on. Directed by Lee Daniels (obviously), who previously directed the much loved Precious back in 2009, the film is a collaborative effort between he, and screenwriter Danny Strong, loosely based on the life of White House butler Eugene Allen.

The film has generated much positive word of mouth and Oscar buzz, and… um… Okay? I can certainly see why a lot of people really enjoy The Butler, but for me, I did feel like it left a lot to be desired.

Thor: The Dark World movie review.

With Marvel’s first phase in the Marvel Cinematic Universe already completed, and having already set the second phase on the right start with Iron Man 3, we now venture back to the Nine Realms in following Asgardian Avenger Thor on his continued journey. It’s been two and a half years since his first solo venture, and having been directed by Shakespearean thespian Kenneth Branagh, it was a fun, kitschy, and suitably, refreshingly theatrical spin on the modern superhero film.

Flash forward to present day, where we are now witness to Thor: The Dark World. A product of much built up hype, as well as several production problems including reshoots, Thor: The Dark World, now under the directorial eye of Alan Taylor, is a beefed up adventure that rarely lets up. Just as the original Thor played like a big-budget Shakespearean play under Branagh’s direction, Thor: The Dark World can be seen as an extended episode of Game of Thrones under Taylor’s direction, albeit with less focus on politics, and more focus on action packed thrills.