Top 10 Films of 2013

Clue's in the title.

10) The Wall (Julian Pölsler, Austria/Germany) - "the Austrian tact for philosophy and psychology helps create The Wall as a smart and memorable film"

9) The Lone Ranger (Gore Verbinski/USA) "there comes a point in the film where the William Tell score/Lone Ranger theme erupts, the Lone Ranger and Tonto pounce into action and excitement pulsates through you"

8) Metro Manila (Sean Ellis, UK/Philippines) - "Nearly every element seems honed to perfection, with a superb ending to leave a definite impression."

7) Nebraska (Alexander Payne, USA) - "Looking crisp with some gorgeous photography and a fantastic score, this is an unapologetic heart-warmer from a director who hasn’t a jaded bone in his body"

6) Enough Said (Nicole Holofcener, USA) - Honest and hilarious. Featuring the talents of the late James Gandolfini and the ever-wonderful Julia Louis-Dreyfus (who needs to be in more films)

5) All Is Lost (J.C. Chandor, USA) - A unique film, built on the skillset of one great actor, Robert Redford. A muted yet monumental performance from the film's only actor - with direction so refined from Chandor.

4) Blue is The Warmest Colour (Abdellatif Kechiche France/Belgium/Spain) - Completely absorbing with two sublime performances. Highlights the highs and lows of love with more tact than nearly anything that's come before it.

3) The Kings of Summer (Jordan Vogt-Roberts, USA) - "It should become the new favourite for a generation – a few decades after the 80′s had Rob Reiner’s classic – brimming as it is with hilarity and heartfelt moments."

2) Muscle Shoals (Greg "Freddy" Camalier, USA) - "an awe-inspiring account with a host of well renowned interviewees thrilled to talk about that special place where the music “comes up through the mud”"

1) Mud (Jeff Nichols, USA) - "Tied to the warming aspect of the story is a sunlight that basks the film in a luminosity, making Mud a quintessential summer movie, and a lasting one at that."

Honourable mentions:
Django Unchained, Lore, Lincoln, Robert & Frank, Ernest & Celestine, Before Midnight, This is the End, Wolverine, Blackfish, About Time, Like Father Like Son, Drinking Buddies

Sundance London 2013: Muscle Shoals Review

Director: Greg “Freddy” Camalier

Starring: Rick Hall, Wilson Pickett, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, the Swampers, Alicia Keys, Bono, Jimmy Cliff

Synopsis: Shedding a light on the relatively untold story of Muscle Shoals – a town in Alabama home to some of the greatest music ever recorded.

As the gravelly, iconic voice of Keith Richards utters – “it’s immortal...it’s in the grooves, man”. The “it” he’s referring to is the sound of Muscle Shoals – the soul and seminal quality of some of the best music ever etched into a vinyl record. For music enthusiasts they may already know the history and importance of Rick Hall and the titular area in the deep south of the US. Still, Muscle Shoals may impart some fresh information for those learned folk. And for those less acquainted with it all, this documentary will tell you everything you need to know.

Kicking off with a profoundly good choice of song – Wilson Pickett’s “Land of 1000 Dances” – the film immediately emphasises the power and vivacity of this music. Soundtrack is, without question, one of the film’s finest elements, but it’s how Camalier pairs it with an image that cements the doc’s magnetism. As you listen to the funk, soul and slow-jams all recorded in the magical studios of Muscle Shoals, you are also given photography of the surrounding area. The majority of the montage happens at the beginning, introducing you to the land that housed the whole story. The film will inspire many people to visit the landmark area with the cinematography being another component advertising the charm of the place.

As a handful of admired musicians continue to praise the locale from start to finish, the legacy can never be queried. Stories from Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (to name a few) about their successful stint in the studios prove Muscle Shoals’ significance. However, these interviews are not the key to the story – it is Rick Hall and the Swampers’ chronicle that gets the deserved limelight. Without those engineers, musicians, producers, and visionaries the world would be without some superb songs.

Being the mastermind behind this musical revolution, Rick Hall gets a healthy amount of screen-time. His stories of creative input (such as Hall writing Clarence Carter’s “Patches” after the death of his father) and quest for perfection are insightful, though some snippets feel superfluous. The Swampers have less to say themselves but, fortunately, are spoken about more frequently by others – they are another vital part to defining the music. As many won’t realise, the instrumental work behind so many of this wonderful rhythm and blues music was conducted by these white dudes. Nearly all of the interviewed artists enjoying pointing this out and rightly so; it speaks volumes about racial awareness, which becomes a rousingly investigated subject.

There is more that could be said about the tracks recorded in the Muscle Shoals studios but it would require an entire series of films. Camalier does a terrific job of diluting that extensive history without making it seem flat or lacking. One thing that the film would have benefited from would be the deletion of filler shots (contrived photography of Hall or the Swampers standing in certain spots of the town), replaced with old stock footage or photos. Overall, however, it is an awe-inspiring account with a host of well renowned interviewees thrilled to talk about that special place where the music “comes up through the mud”.

****

By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on LiveForFilms