2013 January Preview: for your consideration...

The New Year is here – which can only mean one thing: the exciting, glittery Oscar season is well under way. Films that carry their studios’ high expectations are rolled out in late December over in the States, which means over here in England, we see their releases throughout January. Sick of feeling down and gloomy with the January blues? Felix Film takes a look at the excellent films on offer that should be worth your while.

Gangster Squad (10th January):

What should have been released in November is finally getting its push in January, although any Oscar buzz has suddenly died down and been silenced thanks to that lone gunman in Arizona. The studio rushed to take its trailer down, which featured a scene in which a group of men shoot through a cinema screen with machine guns, probably killing everyone in the cinema, not the message they want to be selling so soon after the actual real-life tragedy. Hasty reshoots were commissioned, and there is very slim chance we will actually get to see that footage.

But here is a potentially interesting cop vs. gangster scenario. Sean Penn is the notorious mob boss terrorising his city, Josh Brolin is tasked with leading a bunch of men into taking this man down; and the fun twist being that the “good guys” aren’t strictly cops. They are allowed to bend the rules and often break the law, in order to complete their one-way mission. Of course, there needs to be a seductive woman involved, and here it’s EmmaStone who steals the heart of Ryan Gosling. She’s trapped in a loveless, frightening relationship with the bad guy, looking for a way out with the good guy.

No points for originality then; but it does sound fun with an ace cast who consistently bring their A-game. Bullets will fly, heads will roll, men will get laid, and things will explode (this isn’t a sex joke, so behave).

Les Misérables(11th January):

Tom “should-give-his-Best-Director-Oscar-to-David-Fincher” Hooper (The King’s Speech) and the cast are mighty proud of their unique musical achievement. Basically, everyone does their own singing, and what you see on the screen is the actors actually doing the live singing. No miming involved whatsoever. It adds intensity, and raw emotions. Anne Hathaway certainly seems to be the front-runner to pick up the Best Supporting Actress Oscar (or a nomination at least) for her heart-wrenchingly beautiful and intense interpretation of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ effectively erasing Susan Boyle from everyone’s memory.

Yes, this further enhances depth and sense of struggle (just listen to the cast trying to get the top notes: it’s one bloody messy struggle, perfectly mirroring the massacre and body count that follow) in the already overwrought, heavily saturated musical, which may be why this is racking up the nominations in pretty much every single award ceremony. There are sensational crowd reactions all over the world, with some cinema audiences literally rising up on their feet to applaud.

But the fact remains, the cast is largely made up of professional actors, not singers. And it certainly shows in their scratchy voices and often uncomfortable vocals that never sit quite right. Hugh Jackman (as much as we down hereat Felix drool over the talented Australian) almost ruins the film’s most beloved solo, Russell Crowe is unintentionally hilarious whenever he opens his mouth to sing, Amanda Seyfried’s weedy soprano voice doesn’t do much to add passion to her romance, Helena Bonham Carter who sounds bored only scarcely impresses in what should have been juicy comedy scenes, and it’s really the supporting players hired for their stage credit, Samantha Barks and Aaron Tveit, who shine.

It’s certainly a film to watch for its scale and intensity, but not for listening to the sensational tunes. The cast can’t even come even close to…say…the West End cast on a dodgy day. Adjust your expectations, sit back, relax, and be bombarded with 150+ minutes of never-ending sentiment and passion.

Django Unchained (18th January):

Financially speaking, this is set to become Quentin Tarantino’s highest grossing film yet, and is also his best reviewed since Pulp Fiction.

Teamed up once again with Christoph Waltz (the man who played the excellent Nazi Colonel Hans Landa in Tarantino’s previous Inglourious Basterds), the unique director now tackles the spaghetti western genre, without failing to add his very own special touches of sensibly over-the-top chaos and mayhem, graphic violence, snarky humour, and outrageous one-liners and an astonishingly well-assembled cast that consists of Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Tarantino-favourite, Samuel L. Jackson.

It’s a revenge road-trip with slick gunfights, as a slave-turned-bounty-hunter (Foxx), with the valuable help from his mentor (Waltz), tracks down his wife (Kerry Washington) who has been kidnapped by a merciless Southern plantation owner (DiCaprio – will he or won’t he get the Best Supporting Actor nod?).

Tarantino has very rarely, if ever, set a foot wrong in bringing his ideas to the big screen, and although an acquired taste, he never lets his fans down, a reliable director who always promises to bring something fresh and original to the table, and he certainly seems to achieve that here.

The Sessions (18th January):

It’s a romantic comedy about sex, but probably not the kind you’re thinking about.

In a bold move to portray sex as something that’s not a trivial, drunken conquest, it rather sensitively approaches the theme with warmth and dignity. For an intelligent 38-year-old journalist confined to an iron lung, it’s Mark O’Brien’s (John Hawkes) curiosity that leads to his search for a sex surrogate. He wants to lose his virginity. He wants to know what sexual intercourse consists of. Enter Cheryl (Helen Hunt), a sex therapist with whom Mark can have a restricted number of six educational sessions. The two are not there to fall in love, they are to merely explore their bodies, Cheryl is to teach Mark about the various senses in his body, to have him control them in intimate moments to ultimately engage in sex when the time comes with another person.

Using the character Cheryl, who is given a never-ending supply of warmth and compassion in Hunt’s terrific performance, the film carefully explores Mark, his condition, and his past, to paint a fuller picture into his life, never patronisingly dismissing him as just another disabled Hollywood stereotype.

Critics and voters are clearly loving Hawkes and Hunt, as nominations are flooding in for the pair’s brave portrayals of their challenging roles, with Hawkes only able to use the expressions of his face to fully engage with the audience. It’s a humble offering but a more than satisfying one, in which gentle bursts of both laughs and tears will come and go.

Lincoln (25th January):

A film that is as informative as it is entertaining, Steven Spielberg turns a potentially dull and dry topic into a fascinating, surprisingly humourous account of how the 16th President of the United States worked his power to pass the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery.

Set during the American Civil War that is proving to be incredibly unpopular as well as costing countless lives, Lincoln needs enough votes, from both his own and opposing parties to push through his addition to the United States Constitution. Cunning lobbying is required, as well as careful handholding of various party members to ensure support.

One of the most dedicated method actors working today, Daniel Day-Lewis, embodies the role of a calm, collected and softly-spoken President, whereas Sally Field, with as much energy and guts she has always possessed in her fiery performances in the past, is as astounding as Mary Todd, Lincoln’s wife. It covers a lot of ground – ranging from various political gatherings in the House of Representatives, delving into the grizzly battlefields, serving as the film’s opening, as well as showing the more domestic, family-oriented side to his Presidency.

Zero Dark Thirty (25th January):

Forget the non-sense controversy stirred up by paranoid politicians and naive individuals who seem to believe that America doesn’t use torture. Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping retelling of the 10-year manhunt and the eventual fall of Osama Bin Laden may not have everything 100% accurate (very few films can actually claim to be just that), but the condensed material is a meticulously structured, impeccably detailed,large scale procedural with a riveting performance from its lead, the ever-so versatile Jessica Chastain. The 10-year hunt takes a toll and forces Maya (Chastain) to sacrifice a lot, and it’s shown in her raw, uninhibited performance of sheer realism. The film is more interested in the personal angle of the story, rather than taking a bigger, over-reaching political stance, and is more triumphant because of it.

A political thriller toblow “Argo” out of the water, it cleverly integrates several real-life events such as its harrowing opening of a completely blank screen only playing audiotapes of various victims of 9/11, and the 7/7 London bombing to push the narrative forward, and even at 157 minutes there isn’t a film more consistently exciting throughout. And with a memorable final parting shot, the film isn’t afraid of directly asking the audience, was all of this worth it?

Won’t Back Down (25th January):

So this isn’t actually even in close range to the Oscar race, since the reviews in the States were so disappointing back in September, but for anyone looking for an easy-going, feel-good movie of two women defying the odds and beating the big bad boys’ bureaucracy club, this is the film for you. As usual, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis are inspirational as they stand together to reform the education system that is failing their children. The system can fail, but a parent can’t – says the film’s tagline and from that you can deduce what a simplistic, feel-good film this will be. Lack of heavy-hitting drama despite its given subject matter that could spark a debate for hours on end, the chances are, you will be disappointed, and this one is for fans of the excellent actresses only.

Movie 43 (25th January):

Definitely has nothing to do with the Oscars. This is the definition of an anti-Oscar film. A crude, offensive comedy that sets out to insult everyone, instead of vying for awards glory, here’s something to make you laugh, and something to make you feel guilty every time you burst uncontrollably into fits of laughter.