Best of 2013

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2014)

This film was the winner of 2013 for me. While there were some strong lead characters out there last year, Joaquin Phoenix's 'Theodore' was one I've not seen much of from male leads. A mix of sweetness, quirky femininity, vulnerability and a tragic darkness, that manages to go deeper than cocaine rampage. The dialogue and philosophies all throughout was top notch, ranging from hilarious to heartbreaking. Relationships between individual characters seemed honest, and the subtle changes in how we interact with different people were accentuated; adding more layers to the characters.
Despite not being the biggest fan of Arcade Fire, their job on the score was fantastic, syncing perfectly with the emotions on screen. Visually the film was stunning, great cinematography, a bit of 1920's inspired get-up, despite being high tech, "the future" wasn't overwhelming. Spike Jonze created a future L.A. that had the warmth and comfort of socialism (without ever directly referencing this); even artists were fully employable. His use of harsh, literally cold contrasts emphasised the protagonist's feelings of loneliness; also making sure we didn't get tired of the films primary aesthetic. The pacing was that of European cinema, smooth, dropping the audience off just nicely after the climax. I highly recommend.