Monday, July 22, 2013

Favorite Movies of 2013...So Far - Javi's Take


Just like Jonesy, here's my favorite movies for the last six-ish months. It's been a rather interesting year in that I honestly haven't been to the theater that much. I've been focusing on looking at older movies, TV shows, and of course, my Godzilla project. But there are some definite gems. These are just personal favorites despite any critical acclaim: 





This is my favorite movie of the year so far, and one of the only movies from my own "most anticipated movies" that hasn't been complete crap. This amazingly directed and conceived movie shows the beauty of film.  It is gorgeously shot even if the movie's scenes are constantly cutting forward in time and place, it makes the movie a little hard to follow but if you can, it's the most rewarding cinematic experience you'll have this year.



I might've been a little rough on this movie when I reviewed it for Fantastic Fest, but re-watching it recently, it has to be one of the most charming comedies I've seen. There's a lot of heart along with the tongue-in-cheek humor.

While this year's January slots were not nearly as good as last year's, the definite surprise of the early part of the year is the ::sigh:: zombie rom-com that's hilarious and has a lot of heart.


FAST & FURIOUS SIX
While it's not better than FAST FIVE, it's still probably the most fun I've had all year at the movies. The laws of physics were broken, cars were driven, and punches were punched. The biggest flaw of the movie? No crazy sexual tension between Vin Diesel and the Rock like in FAST FIVE. :-(


The most mainstream of this trashy auteur's filmography, it's also a gorgeously shot contemplation on the current teen culture's misconception of what success looks like.


The single funniest movie I have seen today, it's a very endearing and modern take on the "coming of age" type of movies. The three leads are all hilarious in their own way and while there are some small editing issues, it's nothing that most won't be able to gloss over.


THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
This movie is ballsy in some rather specific ways that I can't get into due to spoilers. I love movies with father-son motifs, and this one ripe with them. It is one of the boldest, yet flawed, attempts to tell a long and powerful story about fatherhood, the choices that we make and how they affect others.


Whatevs, Trekkies. I don't care about the whole "it's not Star Trek" nonsense. I like to think of reimaginings as that. This may not be the socio-politically conscious series that it first started out as, but damn if it isn't a great action movie. 


I DECLARE WAR
My favorite movie from last year's Fantastic Fest, this is yet another coming of age type of movie involving the most serious game of "War" I've ever seen. It doesn't hold up nearly as well upon repeat viewings, but the allegorical nature of the story should resonate with anyone.


Because I like my super heroes to be interesting, I thought this alternate take of Kal-el as an alien truly trying to come to terms with his powers and his place in the world was something that made me care about the character. Too often, he is portrayed as the most powerful Boy Scout and frankly, he's boring. The rather.....reckless third act aside, this is my favorite Superman movie that's not SUPERMAN RETURNS.


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