2013, a year of movies.

Hey,

I've been away for a while. Figured I'd try to do something to catch up. The following is a list of all the movies I've seen in the cinema over the past year. With some small commentary. Sadly I can't find everything I've watched at home. I'll start adding those in from 2014 and onward.

January 2013

Playing For Keeps (2012) - Pretty much crap, I enjoyed myself but that was mostly because of the beer we brought.
Gangster Squad (2013) - Quite nice, but I expected more of it. Felt like Sean Penn was channeling 20 clichés at once.
Django Unchained (2012) - This was everything I could ever want from a movie. Definitely my new favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, and that's saying quite a bit.
Chimpanzee (2012) - Meh, not great. Had some nice images but I felt like the story aspect of it was forced.
The Master (2012) - Very interesting movie, definitely worth the watch. Think I'm gonna review it some time soon to get a second feeling for it.
Flight (2012) - Was better than I expected, the scene where the plane is plummeting from the sky was beautifully done.
Django Unchained (2012) - Saw this a second time in about a week's time. That should tell you something about how much I liked it.
Lincoln (2012) - It kept me interested, but that's about it. I felt like the only reason it was so succesful was because of America's incredible patriotism.

February 2013

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - Nicely done movie, it was interesting in a way that it provided insight in this grand manhunt. But at the same time it was not necessarily patriotic, and at times even quite critical.
Io e Te (2012) - Quite cool, nothing that really blew me away. But definitely nicely done and had some parts that made it stand out.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) - Terrible, but at the same time terribly entertaining. I went to see this with a group of friends and a copious amount of alcohol. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
A Haunted House (2013) - This might've actually been worse than 'A Good Day to Die Hard' but at the same time even more entertaining. Again, alcohol is kind of a necessity.   

March

Promised Land (2012) - Kind of average, it had a plot twist. But the plot twist was so random I felt it took more away from the movie than it added. Wouldn't recommend this one. 
Beautiful Creatures (2013) - Well, I think teen girls will love this. Me and my very male and no longer in his teens friend watched this and we soon discovered why we were the only guys in the cinema.
Hitchcock (2012) - In preparation for this movie I watched some of Hitchcock's films. Such as Psycho (1960), Vertigo (1958), Rear Window (1954), and one or two others. All those movies amazed me, especially some scenes in Rear Window blew me away. The semi biographical movie Hitchcock was not as amazing. But still entertaining in its own right.
Side Effects (2013) - This was actually a lot better than I expected, this movie was not afraid to take drastic steps. Which I appreciated.
Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013) - Very entertaining at times, but generally just not what it could have been.
The Saphires (2013) - Bad. Slightly charming at times, but in the end, just bad.
A late Quartet (2012) - Beautiful film, was thoroughly impressed by this one. Some scenes will stick with me forever.
The place beyond the pines (2012) - Very cool, I loved a lot of it, but  felt like it was slightly dragged out at certain times.
Kon-Tiki (2012) - Interesting, entertaining, that's about it.
Stoker (2013) - I loved this film, it was a cinematographic masterpiece. The directer, Chan-wook Park, is a genius. I highly recommend anyone who can stand some intense movies to watch Oldboy (2003), not the terrible American remake.. And if that matches your taste, you can continue with Sympathy for Mister Vengeance (2002) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005)

April

21 and Over (2013) - This movie kind of feels like a mix between Project X and the Hangover. It left me with some laughs and I might watch this again when I'm either very hung over or in the progress of getting very drunk.
Mama (2013) - I wasn't scared, wasn't entertained, wasn't really interested. The best part of this movie was watching my friends squirm in their seats. 
Spring Breakers (2013) - This felt like a movie made for the sole purpose of shedding some new light on a couple of Disney girls. It was quite terrible, the one thing I recall was a bunch of kids sitting around in bible group. When one of them stands up and claims to be "Jacked up on Jesus!".
Oblivion (2013) - I'm glad I didn't watch the trailer for this. Because that way I actually quite surprised by the plot twist. And managed to enjoy this movie. Nothing I'd particularly recommend to others to watch though.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - I'm a sucker for superhero movies, but I think that if I weren't, I would not have been able to enjoy this movie. 
Warm Bodies (2013) - Pretty cool, it had some aspects that made it stick out to me, but at times it felt a little off. Kind of like it was almost brilliant, but was held back by some faults.

May

Stoker (2013) - Watched this again.
Stand up Guys (2012) - I quite liked this, nothing special but it was charming in its own way. And had a core of truth that was kind of beautiful. Whilst not getting too dramatic.
The Croods (2013) - Enjoyable, that's it.
Hannah Arendt (2012) - Impressive movie, left me with some ethical and moral things to think about.
The Grandmaster (2013) - I'm not sure if it was because this was our 4th movie of the day, but this is one of the only movies I have ever walked out on. 
Night Train to Lisbon (2013) - It was alright, but now there are some thoughts that have stuck with me, but nothing strong enough to keep the movie up.
The Great Gatsby (2013) - Great cinematography, just a visual joy to look at. I liked this a lot, but felt off at times. With some small changes I think this could've been amazing.
Olympus has Fallen (2013) - Terrible. Bring beer, and lots of it.
The Iceman (2013) - I enjoyed this at the time, but now that I think back to it, I can't figure out why. Would not recommend this to anyone, but at the same time would not discourage anyone from watching it.

June

Only God Forgives (2013) - The concept behind this movie was brilliant, but the executed was poor at best.
Trance (2013) - I hated the plot twist.
Star Trek (2013) - In preparation for this movie I watched Star Trek (2009). Both very enjoyable, I love Nick Frost's character in this movie. I like how they managed to make this very approachable for people who haven't watched all the old Star Trek. Without pissing off all the die-hard Trekkies. 
Now you see me (2013) - We had a cool little stunt when we watched this, as a promotional event they blew money into the cinema during the movie. It got me 5 euros, that was the only noteworthy part of this film.
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - Watched Despicable Me (2010) Before going to this, both incredibly funny, charming and at times touching films. Recommend these to anyone, anywhere.
Disconnect (2013) - This offered more than I was expecting, left me with some food for thought. Worth the watch, but nothing spectacular.
Frances Ha (2013) - I loved this film, it was so incredibly charming in its own way. This should've gotten so much more love and attention. But I barely know anyone who has actually seen it. It's a movie about the average day to day troubles in life. But the way it's presented to us makes it beautiful.

July

Monsters University (2013) - Watched Monsters, Inc. (2001) before going to see this. They've gone a long way in terms of animation since then. But that didn't necessarily make it a better movie. Just prettier, but very funny at times.
Man of Steel (2013) - Pretty cool, but slightly disappointing. Although I may be a bit biased since I hate Superman.
The Wolverine (2013) - Wolverine, fuck yeah!
The Frozen Ground (2013) - I hate Nicholas Cage with a burning passion of a thousand volcanoes. But as far as Nicholas Cage movies go, this wasn't terrible. 
Kapringen (2013) - Impressive and intense film, felt real and raw.
Le Passé (2013) - Very impressive, deserves more recognition.

August

We're the Millers (2013) - Terrible.
Red 2 (2013) - Watched Red (2010) to provide some backstory, both quite bad, but in a charming kind of way.
Behind the Candelabra (2013) - Wasn't much of anything.
Pacific Rim (2013) - My friend and I had no idea what the hell was going on in this movie, that may have had something to do with the copious amounts of consumed alcohol.
Elysium (2013) - Was kinda cool, but was lacking in many aspects.
The Heat (2013) - Bad.
The Lone Ranger (2013) - I enjoyed myself, but felt like a weak reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean in the Wild Wild West.
Blue Jasmine (2013) - The first great Woody Allen film in a while. And I'm a big Woody Allen film, so that was a good day for me.

September

White House Down (2013) - Terrible, luckily I barely remember anything about it since I was drunk out of my mind.
Jeune et Jolie (2013) - Visually definitely not shy, surprised me at times and overall decently impressive. Worth the watch.
Prisoners (2013) - Overall just a good, solid, movie. Not much noteworthy about it tho.
Rush (2013) - Better than I expected, in the end it wasn't so much about racing as it was about the concept of competition. Which I thought they visualized very well.
What Maisie Knew (2013) - Great film, shows us a look at divorce through the innocent eyes of a child. Amazing.
All is Lost (2013) - Daring concept, was not captivated by the execution.
The Butler (2013) - Had some impressive moments in it, and generally a strong theme. But it lost me at times by how 'American' it was.
The Way, Way Back (2013) - I loved this, Sam Rockwell's performance kept this movie from becoming gloomy. This allowed us to view a quite emotional topic without making it a necessarily emotional movie.
Fruitvale Station (2013) - Strong, was surprised it turned out to be a true story. Not sure if I feel that makes it a better or a worse movie. I liked the concept.

October

Gravity (2013) - Just beautiful. Amazing visuals, it really felt like I was drifting around in space. I felt like the ending was a bit too much of a standard movie ending, but as a whole I thought it was great.
Don Jon (2013) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Director's debut, I loved it. It showed great promise for future projects by showing he was not afraid to go for odd subjects while at the same time knowing exactly what he was doing.
Short Term 12 (2013) - Very moving.
About Time (2013) - I liked this, charming, witty, moving. And just well done. Nothing spectacular in the ways of cinema history. But definitely better than the average romantic comedy.
Escape Plan (2013) - Terrible, absolutely terrible. But at the same time absolutely hilarious because of how bad it was.
The Art of getting by (2011) - Kind of a standard coming-of-age story. Some parts made it worth for me to watch, but wouldn't urge people to go and see it.

November

Thor: The Dark World (2013) - Don't recall much of this, was very drunk. Guess I'll have to watch it again some day. Although if Thor (2011) was any indication, I probably didn't miss much.
The Counselor (2013) - As a film, it was quite disappointing. But the concepts that it conveyed and touched on were very interesting and made me think about things I hadn't thought of before. Would not recommend watching this for the movie itself, but just as a general experience. I liked it.
The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) - I loved this, it's by the same director as Amelie and it has the same way of showing us a different way to look at the world. I was charmed, intrigued and moved.
Captain Phillips (2013) - A solid movie.
Up in the Air (2009) - Slightly better than average because of the message it carries. Not particularly special though.

December

Hunger Games, Catching Fire (2013) - Against popular opinion, I thought this movie was absolutely terrible. Just terrible. Even worse than part one.
Raging Bull (1980) - Right after I watched this I was impressed, but wasn't sure what else to think. The days following this movie I kept thinking about it, and the more I thought about it the more I liked it. There are so many layers to this film. Very impressive.
Drinking Buddies (2013) - Not good, but enjoyable. Made me want to drink beer.
Juno (2007) - Charming, witty, funny.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - This is the movie I've been recommending to anybody and everybody. It's the newest film by the Coen Brothers, whom I love, and it's amazing in its own way. I'm planning on watching it again. 
The Blind Side (2009) - Quite overdramatic, but all in all not a bad movie.
Frozen (2013) - Watched this with two of my roommates, it was a lot of fun. The Olaf character was hilarious, but a bit too close to a musical for my personal taste.
Ted (2012) - I had seen this before, still very amusing. 
The Spectacular Now (2013) - Nice movie, for some reasons it didn't have the feel of a standard coming-of-age film. And it kind of tricks you into being deeper than you initially think.

January 2014

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - Great movie, another Scorsese success. Just a three hour long thrill ride, what struck me most was that it all flowed so fluently. It was impossible for me to determine what the halfway-mark of this movie was. It was just one continuous story.
Clerks (1994) - Great dialogue, clever jokes, in general an underrated film. I feel a lot of people get hung up on the dick and fart jokes and lose sight of the fact that this is actually a strong movie.
Clerks 2 (2006) - The jokes aren't as smart as in Clerks I, but it's still a very funny movie.
The to do list (2013) - I thought that Aubrey Plaza might be able to lift this movie up somehow, but it was as terrible as the trailer and the summary suggest.
Philomena (2013) - A moving tale, that was surprisingly funny at times, which helped keep the mood from getting too gloomy.
Enough Said (2013) - Slightly more interesting than your average romantic comedy because of the underlying message.
Nymphomaniac Part 1 (2013) - I was impressed, slightly shocked and unsure of what to think. I'm glad I saw this movie, but not sure if I'll watch part 2.
Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - Good story, great acting, which makes this movie very strong.
Parkland (2013) - Terrible.
Ender's Game (2013) - Not as good as the book, since it focuses more on the sci-fi and less on the psychological and the ethical aspects. But better than I expected.
Our Idiot Brother (2011) - Quite bad, but charmingly so. 

February 2014

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - I had been putting off watching this movie because every had been saying it very much felt incomplete. After watching this I knew exactly what they meant. Great movie, lots of fun, and adventurous. But it felt like half the movie was missing.
That Awkward Moment (2014) - Absolutely terrible, but I enjoyed myself because I had a lot of beer.
Only Lovers Left Alive(2013) - Not sure what I think of this one quite yet. Definitely interesting.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) - Pretty cool movie, not much noteworthiness to it tho.

Well, that was quite the list. Hopefully I'll keep a slightly more steady stream of updates from now on.

Finally, as a sort of closing summary, per request, a top 5 of recommended watches. Not necessarily in order of preference. I decided to list movies that haven't really reached the spotlight. 

Frances Ha (2013) - This movie rekindled some of my hope that movie makers will realize that big explosions on Times Square can be fun, and it certainly attracts a certain audience. But it really isn't needed to make a beautiful film. Day to day life in New York is beautiful enough in itself.

Le Passé (2013) - I saw this at a 'Sneak Preview' and then never really heard anything from it ever again. Although I believe it has won an award or two. To me it shows the great tension that is inevitable in any relationship.

What Maisie Knew (2013) - This is just so well done, we get a look at divorce through the eyes of a child. The way she proudly presents her 'new daddy' to her class at school. It showed me that there are a million ways to look at the world. And we tend to assume everybody shares our vision.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013) - I loved the feel of this film. At times it felt like a fairy tale, whilst it managed to deal with a quite serious theme. The underlying message it conveyed really struck me and stuck with me.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - I have not yet managed to explore every aspect of this film. There is one thing I am certain of tho; the Coen brothers have once again managed to achieve brilliance.


Teun