FILM: The Butler (dir: Lee Daniels, 2013)

"I don't think God meant for people not to have a family."

This Oscar-baiting trot through the recent decades of American racial history through the eyes of a (frequently conveniently-fictionalised) true story of a White House butler certainly packs an historical an emotional punch.  This is Daniels' most considered and controlled film so far, yet there are still moments when the directer resorts to melodrama that softens the impact of even the film's strongest scenes, not helped by an often generically twee music score.  There are a number of great performances, including Oprah's character journey as the wife, and Gaines' son, but carrying it all is the towering Forest Whitaker, always a heartfelt and quiet (if underused) actor who here is superb in a performance of true dignity and sincerity.  Even if at times too preachy and a rather blunt instrument, the relationships and issues on display make The Butler a strong - but not perfect - movie experience.

FILM: The Hunger Games Catching Fire IMAX (dir: Francis Lawrence, 2013)

"Such bravery.  Such spirit.   Such contempt. "

Hunger Games 2 is a strong, serious and well-made film, which certainly puts the Twilight movies in the shade.  Here, the extra cash allocated enables some impressive and expansive world-building.  There is an impressive and relentless feel of bleakness and fear, which serves the central character's growing horror at the dystopian society shown well.  The casting of Jennifer Lawrence is key, an instinctively detailed actress who navigates the soapier sections effectively, Hutcherson raises his game this time out, and Donald Sutherland gives a wonderfully cruel turn.  The film bears its long running time very well, the only real criticism being that the plot mechanics make this sequel a virtual narrative re-run of the first film but with harsher content.  Nevertheless, Catching Fire sets up the next episode extremely well, but let us hope that the double-dip finale maintains the quality.

FILM: The Counsellor (dir: Ridley Scott, 2013)

"Don't you think that's a little cold?"
"I think that the truth has no temperature."

The Counsellor is an adult thriller that (unusually) starts with and shows the consequences of making a wrong choice rather than showing the actions leading up to it.  Ridley Scott shows yet again that he can take any genre and make it look stunning on the big screen, and the five leads - Fassbender, Bardem, Cruz, Diaz and Pitt - are all as watchable as ever and act the heck out of the material.  The actors are clearly relishing this dialogue-driven movie, thus providing the movie's strength and ultimately highlighting its main weakness.  Much has been made of The Counsellor being Cormac McCarthy's first original screenplay, but unfortunately the dialogue is theatrically-stilted, the main theme (greed) is hammered home while others (notably sex and women) feel underformed, and the plot mechanics grind along with little subtlety.  Nevertheless, Fassbender creates a compelling performance of a man whose life falls apart, and Cameron Diaz gets one of those rare roles that allow her to show her ability to great effect, Daniel Pemberton's score is a pleasing marriage of John Barry and Hans Zimmer's styles, and the 'catfish' story provides one of the funniest scenes of the year.

FILM: Captain Phillips (dir: Paul Greengrass, 2013)

"They are not here to fish."

To say this film is a compelling viewing experience would be an understatement.  The (recent) real event of the eponymous captain's cargo vessel being taken by Somali pirates is to some extent given a literal join-the-dots and slightly airbrushed Hollywood treatment, but the real power here comes from Greengrass's trademark fusion of rapid-fire editing, shaky-cam and true cinematic eye which all combine to give the film an almost relentless sense of urgency and/or tension.  Hanks is excellent, building character through tiny early details and never fails to find anything but real emotional truth throughout (which makes the final scenes quite harrowingly raw to watch), but credit is also due to Barkhad Abdi's considered but tough performance as the pirate 'captain'.  For all concerned to create such a nail-biting film out of very familiar material is a terrific achievement and is one which has real impact on the big screen.

FILM: Gravity 3D IMAX (dir: Alfonso Cuaron, 2013)

"Trust me, it's a hell of a story."

Gravity is a remarkable film.  A familiar story (essentially a cross between Apollo 13 and the space station section of Armageddon) is brought to the screen using cutting edge visual technology, extremely well-controlled direction and editing (from lengthy single takes to dazzling flash-cut effects sequences) with powerful performances and well-written dialogue.  The film switches with ease from elegiac images of beauty and terror to genuinely white-knuckle action sequences, making it 'one hell of a ride'.  Clooney is Clooney in a role that fits him perfectly and is delivered with well-considered ease, and Bullock shows terrific range and depth, a remarkable feat considering she spent most of the time acting against nothing in a green-screen cube.  3D and IMAX are the optimum way to watch, with stunning visuals of planet Earth and space that goes on forever, but it is ultimately the bigger themes of hope, survival and humanity that make Gravity so compelling, and this true fusion of heart and technology makes for an immersive and compelling movie experience. 

DVD: V/H/S/2 (dirs: Gareth Evans, Eduardo Sanchez et al, 2013)

"Are you seeing weird stuff?  Like people who look dead?"

This sequel multi-story tale is stronger than the original collection.  The framing story, whilst hardly credible or weighty, works more effectively than the first film's haphazard equivalent, and the tales themselves are more watchable and better written/acted overall.  The best of the bunch is Gareth Evans's tale of a literal descent into cult Hell, the increasingly madness well realised on the screen in both style and content.  There is a lot of surprisingly effective P.O.V work across the stories, notably the zombies-in-the-park segment, but the low-fi VHS-stylings really add little overall.  As a concept, the modern-day portmanteau approach gives much-needed variety of content, but sharper writing and better execution would still benefit this burgeoning franchise.

FILM: Philomena (dir: Stephen Frears, 2013)

"I'm angry!"
"Must be exhausting."

This poignant autumnal story is an absolute gem.  Based on a true story, the reflection on real-world issues, ranging from the treatment of (Catholic) women falling pregnant out of wedlock years ago to the Reagen administration's shameful handling of AIDS, provides a solid bedrock to this sincere and at times heartbreaking tale of one elderly woman's search for the son she (perhaps) unwillingly gave up for adoption nearly fifty years previously.  Frears's direction is careful and assured, visual compositions are often quite beautiful, and the script is a delight, balancing the mismatched pairing of journalist Sixsmith and Philomena and the deeply personal story beats with aplomb without being saccharine.   That Judi Dench can convey so much without even uttering a word is astonishing (and makes up for the possibly excusable wayward accent) in a potentially award-winning performance, and Coogan shows yet again that he can be a fine actor.  Without a doubt, Philomena is a wonderful treat.

FILM: Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa (dir: Jeff Tremaine, 2013)

"After that, I never ate fishsticks again."

Bad Grandpa changes the usual Jackass formula with a through road-trip narrative that works surprisingly well and with consequently tighter and shorter pranks than the sketch-based previous films and with a notably higher hits-to-misses ratio.  More mildly offensive than outrageously shocking this time out, the pairing of the grandpa and his grandson give the film a curiously innocent charm amongst the expected profanities, bad taste and bodily fluids jokes, with the public's astounded reactions more as a consequence of the surreality of situations that are presented.  Of the many highlights, the stripper night, the adjustable bed, the malfunctioning ride and the diner scenes are all priceless, but the glue that holds is all together is the immensely enjoyable relationship created between Knoxville's grandpa character and young Jackson Nicoll as his grandson Billy.  Bad Grandpa is hardly high art, but it is enormous fun.

FILM: Thor - The Dark World IMAX 3D (dir: Alan Taylor, 2013)

"I have got this completely under control."
"Is that why everything is on fire?"

Marvel's current run of terrific movies continues: the Thor sequel is gloriously entertaining.  The spirits of Jackson, Lucas and Emmerich make their presences felt, but Alan Taylor not only expands on the first film successfully but also gives The Dark World a very grounded feel that is easy for the viewer to buy into.  Hopping between 'realms' and, er, London is handled deftly, with a very economical and slick script enabling real pace and energy.  Indeed, story is king, with some quirky and unexpected narrative choices making for an interesting and compelling experience.  All of the main cast return and without exception are terrific in their roles on screen, with the addition of Christopher Eccleston as an acceptable villain and a superfluous and underwritten 'intern's intern'.  The movie also shows true scope and scale and looks simply fantastic.  As is usual with Marvel, an unexpected cameo is seamless, and Stan Lee's trademark appearance is fun.  The mid-credits teaser plants the MacGuffin that will not doubt be used in future episodes, but this movie is steeped in age-old themes of revenge, family and loyalty that make this particular space fantasy work so well.

FILM: Ender's Game (dir: Gavin Hood, 2013)

"It was a good game.  Thanks."

Gavin Hood certainly makes up for his X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie with this surprisingly serious, effective and enjoyable adaptation of a notoriously difficult novel.  Re-tooling the politically-correct mix of central characters for the tweenage market works well, and Asa Butterfield makes a remarkably good job of portraying Ender's growing militaristic mindset and the emotional extremes of a typical teenage boy.  Another surprise is Harrison Ford, giving one of his more credible and consistent performances.  Unusually, this is a movie that screams out for 3D presentation, but the strong design and eye-catching visuals work well enough in its cinema-released 2D format.  Steve Jablonsky also deserves credit for his ominous and atmospheric score which ranks amongst his best.   Although the film is perhaps somewhat streamlined both morally and narratively, Ender's Game is an unexpectedly thoughtful, grim and well-made movie.