10 Movies I am looking forward to in 2013

2013 is officially off and kicking now. With Gangster Squad(2012) out last week, we even had our first notable release of the year as well. 2012 was a great year for cinema, one when the ticket sales went up for a change. Even though I am still scrambling to wrap-up the last year with some of the movies that have missed through the cracks, I think it is time to see if 2013 can be as good a year as 2012 was, it is look forward to what the next year has in store for us. So, today I give you the list of some of the movies that I am looking forward to this year. We have very limited information about most of the movies on the list right now. Some of them are bound to disappoint, some movies that are not in the list will probably surprise me as well but I think it will be interesting to see what do I think of these movies at around the same time, next year. Here we go.

Honourable Mentions: 

The Great Gatsby - I would have been much more excited for it, had it been released in 2012. And even though I loved Moulin Rogue(2001), Baz Luhrmann can be a hit or miss. 

Only God Forgives: After Drive(2011), Nicolas Winding Refn is teaming up with Ryan Gosling once again and is taking us into the kick boxing world of Thailand. What's not to like?

Gravity: I am not a big fan of Alphonso Cuaron or Sandra Bullock but I won't turn my head from them either. Story doesn't look half bad and Mr. Clooney is there. So, we have hope. Let's see how much it delivers.

Passion: In my opinion, Brian De Palma is an over-indulgent director who takes his movies a little too far. But after last year's Love Crime(2010), I have hopes from this movie. If De Palma can keep him in check, it can be something worth watching.

The World's End - Only reason this is in the honourable mentions and not in the actual list is because I still haven't seen Hot Fuzz(2007). But Shaun of the Dead(2004) is one of the best comedies I have seen and if it is anything like that, I am game.

And now, 10 movies that I am really looking forward to this year, in no particular order.

I'm So Excited: We couldn't have started with a better title. All I need to know about this movie is it's directed by Pedro Almodovar. All I DO know about this movie is it's directed by Almodovar and casts Paz Vega, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Benderas. Over the last couple of years, I have sat through a bunch of his stuff. Like Every movie Almodovar does, this will probably make me a lot uncomfortable and ask questions that I'll probably won't want to talk about openly. But despite knowing that, I go and watch Almodovar movies because I cannot deny the fact that each and every one of them is a real piece of art. This one won't be any different. 

The Wolf of Wall Street: Not only Martin Scorsese is back after endearing Hugo(2011) little over a year ago, this is Scorsese once again teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio. Looking at their track record, this should be a good enough selling point. But off course, there is more. They have assembled quite a good cast however most important thing from my point of view, is they have an intriguing storyline. "Story of a Long Island Penny Stockbroker who served 20 months in prison for refusing to cooperate in massive security fraud case that involved the corruption on wall street, banking world and also mob infiltration" I am Sold. 

Inside Llewyn Davis: This is Coen Brothers returning to the scene after True Grit(2010) couple of years ago. Coen Brothers have tried some unconventional casts in last few movies they have done and more importantly, made every single one of them work perfectly. This is yet another unconventional cast of Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake plus Coen Regulars like John Goodman. We still don't have a trailer or a poster or even a synopsis for this February release but if anyone can make this work, it will be Coen Brothers. Plus No Deakins who does play a major role in their movies. So that should be interesting too. 

Twelve Years a Slave: Discounting some of his shorts, Steve McQueen has only made two movies but they are Hunger(2008) and Shame(2011). I don't think I know any director whose first two movies are as good as these two. So, after that if he wants to shoot a movie about how to eat a matchbox, rest assured I will be there. But being Steve McQueen, he isn't. He is making a movie on slavery and even if look at the cast he has assembled, I am sure you will be as excited as I am - Chiwetel Ejiofor, Quvenzhane Wallis, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch with Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson and many many more. 

The Monuments Men: Over the past few years, George Clooney has turned into a man who can do no wrong. Almost every project he has touched has become successful. Even his directorial efforts aren't any different. Following his usual line of movies with political background and a strong moral message, he is going into the holocaust period focusing on group of art historians and museum curators trying to save the renown pieces of art that Nazis have stolen from destroying. With a strong cast of Clooney himself, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Daniel Craig with Bill Murray, John Goodman and Jean Dujardin, this will be worth the wait till December.

Now You See Me: Up until the moment I saw the trailer for this movie, this was no where on my radar. I wasn't even aware of it's existence. Even now, I have no interest in any of the director's previous films but the trailer of this movie was one of the bests I have seen and got me really intrigued. The Concept of FBI agents tracking a team of magicians pulling of actual bank robbery during their performance sounds quite interesting. Also cast of Jessie Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Dave Franco with Martin Freeman and Michael Caine should be worth seeing. 

Before Midnight: Third installment of Richard Linklater's trilogy following Before Sunrise(1995) and Before Sunset(2004). When I first heard about the possibility of such a film, I kind of shrugged it off. After all, it's 9 years after the second installment and there is no indication in Before Sunset that we need any follow-up of that. But then I realized there is a 9 year difference between first two as well and if someone asked me in 2004, I probably would've made the same argument against Before Sunset and guess what, I ended up loving it even more than Before Sunrise. So lesson learned. I am not going to write it off or at least till I have seen it.

Her: Like Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino, Spike Jonze movies are first and foremost Spike Jonze movies, if you know what I mean. Now I wasn't crazy about Adaptation(2002) neither was I head over heels for Being John Malkovich(1999) but I saw both these movies out of sheer curiosity based on the insane story lines. I also think they went a little too far delusional but still I can not deny how unique these movie are. Her looks like yet another venture in a similar direction. Plus, it has Amy Adams in it. I have seen every movies she has done in a last decade and I have no intention of breaking that streak.

Labour Day: Jason Reitman is another director who might have very few movies on his resume but I think the fact that every single one of them impressed me a lot makes up for that. It seems like he makes 1 film with Diablo Cody then one without her. This is his 'without' turn. So if it is anything like Up In the Air(2009) or even Thank You for Smoking(2005), even though for a strange reason it reminds me of Little Children(2006), I am ready to wait. From the looks of it this might be his most dramatic movie yet but he does have a great cast of Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin and Jacki Weaver along with others to carry it.

Lowlife: I have actually not seen any movie James Gray has directed. So, I am taking a kind of blind shot here as I am not sure what exactly to expect from this. But the first thing that caught my attention was its eclectic cast. Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Pheonix and Marion Cotillard is a really interesting cast which can do wonders together. Plus, what little we know about the plot makes me further intrigued. An Immigrant woman, dazzling magician, Ellis Island. I don't really know much about this movie right now but from what I do, It is safe to say I am excited for it. Hopefully by then I would seen some of the Gray's movies and it will be worth it.

So, what are you waiting for in this new year?

Hunger

23rd March 1931. The Day every Indian remembers as 'Shaheed Diwas' i.e 'Martyr's Day' because on that day 3 of the Indian revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, were hanged at the tender age of 24. Along with around 25 other revolutionaries, they were being tried for the case that is known as 'Lahore Conspiracy Case'. While the case was being tried in court, Bhagat Singh and his fellow revolutionaries went on Hunger strike. Their demand was to be treated like 'Political Prisoners', on equal terms as other European prisoners. By Law, they were needed to be treated equal. So, Indian revolutionaries were asking for Clean clothes, Separate cells, Books and Newspapers just like any other political prisoners. This hunger strike went on for 116 days before the British Government, then ruling India, relented and agreed to give them what they were asking for and claimed life of 1, Jatindra Nath Das on his 63rd Day of Fast. Legend has it, he died saying 'Not a Single Drop, Bhagat' as he died of a beating he took while Police were force-feeding them to break their fast. And when I watched Hunger(2008) today, I could not help but draw some parallels here.

Hunger(2008) here, is about the strikingly similar event that happened against the same government, some 50 years after in Ireland. It focuses on Second Hunger Strikes in 1981 by Bobby Sands and other IRA members. 9 of them died before Margaret Thatcher relented. Bobby Sands himsel died after 66 days of Strike. It opens up with prison guard Raymond Lohan leaving for work, making sure that he is not getting killed by IRA(which he eventually does, in a horrible fashion). He checks the road is empty before leaving, bends down to see if someone has planted a bomb in his car, and still hesitates before turning the ignition On, all the time with his wife watching him from the window, as if praying to keep him alive. Tension is palpable here. In Prison, IRA members are on Blanket Protests which are escalated into Dirty Protests against the cancellation of  'Special Category Status'. Story moves forward with concentrating on two prisoners, Davey Gillen and Gerry Campbell, who are in a cell together with just a blanket on them. Part of Blanket Protests and Dirty Protests is told as their story. We see the brutalities they suffer at the hands of Guards as they refuse to leave their cells and themselves to be cleaned up. And we also get introduced to Bobby Sands, who is also part of these protests. Third part of the story concentrates on Bobby Sands and his Hunger Strike and is by far most disturbing segment I have seen.

What this movie is best known for is 16 and half minute conversation between Bobby Sands and his Priest. Though whole film is about the political intentions and rights, this scene is the only occasion where they actually discuss about it aloud. The reason why this scene is so special is not only because it was shot in one single long take(and I thought Inglourious Basterds(2009) had longest single take scene. Looks like Michael Fassbender has some fascination for them), but also because you will hardly find anything so explosive with the dialogues like 'Jesus Christ had a backbone but them disciples, every disciple since... you’re just jumping in and out of the rhetoric and dead-end semantics.' and he is talking to a priest who makes his leaving giving sermons to everyone. Conversation that takes place between them here is extremely well constructed. Initially they take friendly digs at each other, eventually it turns to more serious matters at hand when Sands mentions about the Hunger strikes.  Our Priest is troubled by the fact that previous Hunger strikes have failed to achieve anything out of it. He questions his integrity, his motives, his commitment(According to Wikipedia, Liam Cunningham, who plays Priest moved in with Fassbender and they use to rehearse this scene almost 12 times everyday. How is that for a commitment?). However, Sands is not going back - 'I will ACT. I will not stand by and do nothing'.

Main reason why I wanted to watch this movie was because of all the buzz around director Steve McQueen with the release of Shame(2011) - THE Movie I am looking forward to. This is his debut movie. And what a debut it is !! Even though I was very much interested in all the politics in the background, it is evident that he had a different direction in mind and he takes it forward in that direction like a master controller. He is not interested in making it a political propaganda taking either of the sides. He very casually skips by everything that is happening outside, even a fact that Sands gets elected to the House of Commons is only mentioned in the ending slides. He has named his movie Hunger for a reason and he focuses on that. In many ways, it is a debut movie for Michael Fassbender and he is equally devastating as well. He embodies Bobby Sands - his resolve, his determination to perfection. He works wonders in the 16 and half minute scene with his dialogue delivery but he is equally effective even when he is not even talking e.g a look on his face when UDA orderly who refuses to help him or him pushing his protruding ribs in a desperate attempt to stand up. And it is your worst nightmare to see him die slowly and slowly. Fassbender does all this with such a finesse that makes you wonder where was he all these years? I knew about Christian Bell loosing 28 Kg for The Machinist(2004). But, I did not have the faintest idea of Michael Fassbender undergoing similar regime.

Hunger can make you feel nauseated, it can very easily kill your appetite. It makes you uncomfortable almost the whole time. But even then you know that you are watching something great, something you never have and probably will not experience again. With the kind of buzz around Shame(2011), we can only expect more greatness is to follow. While in College, I always wanted to know more about 3 things - IRA, Stalin and Napolean. Not a start I imagined !

Rating(out of 5):