Movie Mayhem

Before we get too far into 2014 I wanted to share a post I started writing a couple weeks ago!

As many of you know, Ram and I see A LOT of movies. He is a huge movie buff (or as he would say, "cinephile") and even majored in Film at Columbia University (so smart!) I'd say we probably go to the movie theater at least once a week, sometimes more, and he goes a lot without me... plus, he is addicted to Netflix (I can't watch a movie at home to save my life) - all in all, he probably sees 4-5 movies a week. Crazy, yet impressive. 

As I've done in the past two years, I compiled a list of every film I saw in 2013 - I beat my 2012 total (33) and tied my 2011 total... I saw 35 movies! Go me. And just as I did before, here is a list of my Top Ten Favorite Films of 2013!

10. Blackfish

To me, a documentary has done its job if I walk out of the theater and can't stop thinking about the story. Blackfish was excellent - it made me think. I was never a huge fan of Seaworld before, but I'm certainly in no rush to ever go to one again... I think the imparted the information in a clear and concise way and I appreciate that in a documentary.

9. The Heat

I am a huge proponent of comedies starring female comedians and actresses, so it's no surprise that I liked this. To be honest, the plot of this was fine, nothing special, but I really appreciated how it showed off the comedic chops of all the women involved - I'm a die-hard fan of Melissa McCarthy and couldn't stop laughing whenever she was onscreen, plus Ram and I were PSYCHED that the movie also starred Jamie Denbo and Jessica Chaffin, who played a HUGE role in our proposal!

8.This is The End

I am a big, BIG fan of the Apatow comedy crew - in particular I have a deep love for Seth Rogen and my boyfriend Jonah Hill, so I was really looking forward to this. It was the perfect summer flick - hilarious, over the top, and completely raunchy... I laughed the whole time. LOVED all the celebrity cameos, too. I want to buy this one on DVD so I can watch it whenever I'm in the mood!

7. Enough Said

I don't know what it was about this that I liked so much, but I walked out of it with a nice, warm feeling. I love Julia Louis Dreyfus and really appreciated her neurotic craziness - I rooted for her even while she wasn't doing the right thing. James Gandolfini was a wonderful actor and I thought he was very special in this - quietly tender yet powerful. It was a very sweet film and I thought you could tell they had a good time while filming it.

6. Don Jon

From the moment I saw the preview for Don Jon for the first time, I couldn't wait to see it. And it lived up to my expectations, which is always nice! I think what I liked best about this film was the plot - it was unusual and kept me wanting to know more. There were a few plot twists and unexpected characters and elements that I wasn't expecting that really intrigued me, and I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt did an excellent job of writing, directing, AND starring in this.

5. Frozen

Um, you guys? Frozen was AWESOME. Ram had heard great things and convinced me we should go... I wasn't expecting much but it was fabulous. He says it's just as good as Lion King and the other Disney classics - I don't know about that, but I do know that I loved the female character-driven story and adorable main characters... plus I cannot stop singing "Let It Go!"

4. Wolf of Wall Street

Another movie starring my boyfriend Jonah Hill, so obviously I was gonna like it! :) I'm not gonna lie, three hours was a BITTTTTT much for me, but my attention was captured for 90% of this movie. I know it's gotten flack in the press for supposedly "glorifying" the behavior of these financial degenerates, but I thought it did the opposite - highlight their bad behavior while showing the audience how miserable they were, despite having everything money could buy. Leonardo and Jonah were excellent - but my favorite may have been Matthew McConaughey. His scenes were priceless! 

3. Her

This is Rami's favorite film of the year. I was a little nervous going in - I knew how highly anticipated it was for him and I honestly didn't know how I'd feel about it, but I actually thought it was beautiful. Spike Jonze created a whole new future world that I actually thought was completely believable and not at all far-fetched. This film was the most beautifully shot of all the movies I saw this year - so many lovely frames, angles, and colors. Another film with unexpected twists and unique characters.

2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I very clearly remember walking out of the first Hunger Games film and saying "I cannot WAIT to see the second one." A year and a half later, I finally got what I wished for and I really loved it. I think Jennifer Lawrence is just a spectacular actress and human being and I thought the new director did a great job of making the book come alive onscreen. Now I can't wait for the NEXT one!

1. 12 Years A Slave

I can't get over this film. It was so raw, emotional, and brutal - it was almost uncomfortable for me to sit through, and for that reason it earns the #1 spot on my list. Film doesn't always have to be pleasant or beautiful, something I have learned by watching several of Steve McQueen's movies. He is a director who doesn't shy away from using the most degrading, painful images in order to make his film as powerful as possible. The actors in this movie - some well-known, and some new (to me) - were all phenomenal - I'd be surprised if this movie doesn't earn many acting awards in the upcoming awards season. This true story of Solomon Northrup affected me deeply, and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

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So that was 2013's film anthology, in a nutshell! Wonder how many I'll see in 2014?!