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New York Film Festival · 2013

New York Film Festival 2013

Official Selection

Programme

37 films · 26 reviews

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12 Years A Slave

Review preview for 12 Years A Slave

One of this year's must-see films, this is not simply a worthy tribute of a subject too often ignored by Hollywood; it's also a remarkable piece of cinema in its own right.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
A free black man is abducted and sold into slavery.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Steve McQueen; Writer: John Ridley, based on the book by Solomon Northup; Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lupita Nyong'o, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, Quvenzhané Wallis, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, Garret Dillahunt, Michael K. Williams, Taran Killam, Alfre Woodard, Scoot McNairy, Bryan Batt, Dwight Henry)

Full review

About Time

Review preview for About Time

This is complete hand-waving trash - he's an ignorant, privileged cocky arsehole and good things happen to him. Pass the sick bucket.

Scott Macdonald · 1 out of 5
A young man who discovers he can travel in time decides to use it to try and get a girlfriend.

(Country: UK; Year: 2013; Director: Richard Curtis; Writer: Richard Curtis; Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, Richard Cordery, Joshua McGuire, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, Will Merrick, Vanessa Kirby, Tom Hughes, Clemmie Dugdale, Harry Hadden-Paton, Mitchell Mullen)

Full review

Abuse Of Weakness (Abus De Faiblesse)

Review preview for Abuse Of Weakness

Breillat shows from her own experience with having suffered a stroke and the camera tells of the hospital and the patient's progress in a tone that is unsentimental, poignant, free.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
Film about Catherine Breillat’s 2004 stroke and subsequent self-destructive relationship with star swindler Christophe Rocancourt.

(Country: France, Germany, Belgium; Year: 2013; Director: Catherine Breillat; Writer: Catherine Breillat; Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Kool Shen, Christophe Sermet, Daphné Baiwir, Laurence Ursino, Catherine Breillat)

Full review See: Isabelle Huppert interview about Abuse Of Weakness , Interview with Kent Jones about the New York Film Festival

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Review preview for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

The film trundles along quite merrily without much plot, easily driven by the tension of the original premise.

Max Crawford · 3.5 out of 5
The hapless presenter is caught up in a hostage negotiation situation.

(Country: UK; Year: 2013; Director: Declan Lowney; Writer: Peter Baynham, Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons, Armando Iannucci; Stars: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Sean Pertwee, Anna Maxwell Martin, Felicity Montagu, Simon Greenall, Monica Dolan)

Full review See: Article about Steve Coogan at the New York Film Festival

All Is Lost

Review preview for All Is Lost

It's a courageous performance in more ways than one.

Richard Mowe · 3 out of 5
One man must battle to survive after his boat sinks in the ocean.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: J C Chandor; Writer: J C Chandor; Stars: Robert Redford)

Full review

American Promise

This intimate documentary follows the 12-year journey of two African-American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson)

At Berkeley

Documentary examining the University of California, Berkeley, from multiple angles - the administrators, the students, the surrounding community.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Frederick Wiseman)

Bastards (Les Salauds)

Review preview for Bastards

The precision of Claire Denis' perplexities, the ardent blows that fire at the heart and the head, are unequaled in her film Bastards (Les Salauds).

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
A vengeful man sets out to find out about the businessman who caused his family's ruin.

(Country: France; Year: 2013; Director: Claire Denis; Writer: Jean-Pol Fargeau, Claire Denis; Stars: Vincent Lindon, Chiara Mastroianni, Julie Bataille, Michel Subor, Lola Créton, Alex Descas, Grégoire Colin, Florence Loiret Caille)

Full review See: Interview with Vincent Lindon about his career , Claire Denis in conversation on Bastards

Blue Is The Warmest Colour (La Vie D'Adele - Chapitre 1 & 2, The Life of Adele, Blue Is The Warmest Color)

Review preview for Blue Is The Warmest Colour

A commanding painting of passions, relationships and enlightenment.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
Two young women fall unexpectedly and passionately in love.

(Year: 2013; Director: Abdellatif Kechiche; Writer: Julie Maroh, Abdellatif Kechiche, Ghalia Lacroix; Stars: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Jérémie Laheurte, Catherine Salée, Aurélien Recoing, Mona Walravens, Alma Jodorowsky, Fanny Maurin, Benjamin Siksou, Sandor Funtek, Benoît Pilot, Baya Rehaz, Karim Saidi)

Full review

Burning Bush (Hořící Keř )

This film, which opens with a scene portraying the self-immolation of Jan Palach, presents a suggestive panorama of Czech society on the threshold of the oppressive twenty-year normalisation era. It centres on the female lawyer who defended Palach’s sacrifice in the wake of false allegations; in her judicial defeat, and in her moral victory, she represents the countless numbers of similar conflicts that arose between the individual and totalitarian power.

(Country: Czech Republic; Year: 2013; Director: Agnieszka Holland)

Captain Phillips

Review preview for Captain Phillips

The premise questions our storytelling conventions.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4.5 out of 5
Thriller based on the true story of the seizure of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship in 2009 by four Somali pirates.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Paul Greengrass; Writer: Billy Ray, Stephan Talty, based on the book by Richard Phillips; Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Addirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, David Warshofsky, Corey Johnson, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez, Max Martini, Omar Berdouni, Mohamed Ali, Issak Farah Samatar)

Full review

Child Of God

An unstable sociopath in early 60s rural Tennessee descends into an animal-like state.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: James Franco; Writer: James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Cormac McCarthy; Stars: James Franco, Scott Haze, Jim Parrack, Tim Blake Nelson, Jeremy Ambler, Fallon Goodson, Vince Jolivette, Brian Lally, Nina Ljeti, Elena McGhee, Nathan Mohebbi, Terrance Huff, John Holt, Coby Batty, Anna Kooris)

Her

Review preview for Her

It is in these details, the small objects Jonze provides us with in his film of disembodied desires, that essences become distilled.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
A lonely writer falls in love with his new all-purpose operating system, leading to romantic and existential complications.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Spike Jonze; Writer: Spike Jonze; Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde, Rooney Mara, Bill Hader, Matt Letscher, voices of Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Wiig, Spike Jonze, Brian Cox)

Full review

The Immigrant (Lowlife, Nightingale)

A young immigrant woman falls into prostitution and becomes caught in a love triangle between her pip and the man who wants to save her.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: James Gray; Stars: Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner)

Inside Llewyn Davis

Review preview for Inside Llewyn Davis

The pace may seem deliberate but the Coens obviously want us to uncover the character's layers gently rather than him being delivered ready-made.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
One week in the life of a talented, failed singer/songwriter in Greenwich Village, New York, in the Sixties

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen; Writer: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen; Stars: Oscar Issacs, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund )

Full review

The Invisible Woman

Review preview for The Invisible Woman

The film suffers from a profusion of good taste

Angus Wolfe Murray · 3 out of 5
Adaptation of Claire Tomalin’s 1992 biography, which brought Charles Dickens' secret 13-year affair with a young actress to light.

(Country: UK; Year: 2013; Director: Ralph Fiennes; Writer: Abi Morgan, based on the book by Claire Tomalin; Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Kavanagh, Joanna Scanlan, Tom Hollander, Perdita Weeks, Amanda Hale)

Full review

Jealousy (la jalousie)

Review preview for Jealousy

Jealousy is a carefully constructed film with plenty of family ties for the director.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4.5 out of 5
Autobiographical cinema from director Philippe Garrel, in which his son Louis and Anna Mouglalis star as actors and lovers trying to reconcile their professional and personal lives.

(Country: France, Germany; Year: 2013; Director: Philippe Garrel; Writer: Marc Cholodenko, Caroline Deruas-Garrel, Philippe Garrel, Arlette Langmann; Stars: Louis Garrel, Anna Mouglalis, Emanuela Ponzano, Arthur Igual)

Full review

Jimmy P: Psychotherapy Of A Plains Indian (Jimmy Picard, Psychothérapie d'un Indien des plaines)

Review preview for Jimmy P: Psychotherapy Of A Plains Indian

Del Toro and Amalric with contrasting acting styles make a magnetic duo yet the ponderous detail of the therapy occasionally bogs down the film, so much so that even the two actors cannot surmount it completely.

Richard Mowe · 3 out of 5
A Native American man is admitted to hospital after fighting in France and forms an unexpected friendship with the doctor who treats him.

(Country: France, US; Year: 2013; Director: Arnaud Desplechin; Writer: Sherman Alexie, Arnaud Desplechin, Kent Jones, Julie Peyr, based on the book by Georges Devereux; Stars: Benicio Del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, Gina McKee, Misty Upham)

Full review See: Arnaud Desplechin salutes Misty Upham , Interview with Arnaud Desplechin about Jimmy P , Interview with Arnaud Desplechin

The Last Of The Unjust (Le Dernier Des Injustes)

Review preview for The Last Of The Unjust

The film with all its large time leaps gives the impression not of something alien, long dead, but very pertinent to the now.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
Benjamin Murmelstein addresses his unique relationship to Adolf Eichmann and his role as the last Jewish elder of Theresienstadt.

(Country: France, Austria; Year: 2013; Director: Claude Lanzmann; Writer: Claude Lanzmann; Stars: Benjamin Murmelstein, Claude Lanzmann)

Full review

Like Father, Like Son (Soshite Chichi Ni Naru)

Review preview for Like Father, Like Son

Shuttling back and forth between the families, Like Father, Like Son scrutinises words, deeds, allegiances.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
When he discovers his baby boy was accidentally swapped with another at birth, whom he has raised and loved, a wealthy businessman must decide which one he truly feels is his son.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2013; Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda; Writer: Hirokazu Kore-eda; Stars: Masaharu Fukuyama, Yôko Maki, Jun Kunimura)

Full review See: Interview with Hirokazu Kore-eda about Like Father, Like Son , San Sebastian diary: Futbolin, Enemy The Zero Theorem and Like Father, Like Son

The Missing Picture (L'Image Manquante)

The director uses animation to present a dispassionate portrayal of the horrific experiences his own family suffered under Pol Pot’s regime.

(Country: Cambodia, France; Year: 2013; Director: Rithy Panh)

Nebraska

Review preview for Nebraska

Behind the surface simplicity of a father and son road trip lurks a sharp and bitter-sweet odyssey with a strong sense of satire.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
An alcoholic father and his resentful son travel cross-country together to collect big sweepstake winnings.

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Alexander Payne; Writer: Bob Nelson; Stars: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, Stacy Keach, Stephen Clayton, Missy Doty, Rance Howard, Kevin Kunkel, Angela McEwan, Devin Ratray, Anthony G. Schmidt, Melinda Simonsen, Ronald Vosta, Mary Louise Wilson)

Full review

Nobody's Daughter Haewon (Nugu-ui Ttal-do Anin Haewon)

Review preview for Nobody's Daughter Haewon

This apparently meandering, unfocused story conceals an acutely observed portrait of a society in flux.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
With her mother about to emigrate and her affair gone stale, Haewon faces a challenging future.

(Country: South Korea; Year: 2013; Director: Hong Sang-soo; Writer: Hong Sang-soo; Stars: Jeong Eun-Chae, Lee Sun-kyun, Ye Ji-won, Yoo Joon-sang)

Full review

Norte, The End Of History (Norte, Hangganan Ng Kasaysayan)

The commission of a crime changes three lives forever.

(Country: Phillipines; Year: 2013; Director: Lav Diaz)

Omar

Three childhood friends and a young woman find their relaonships destroyed by the pressures of the Palestinian struggle.

(Year: 2013; Director: Hany Abu-Assad; Stars: Waleed Zuaiter, Adam Bakri, Samer Bisharat, Eyad Hourani, Leem Lubany)

Only Lovers Left Alive

Review preview for Only Lovers Left Alive

What is so disarming about Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive is a scarce sense of appreciation - of the vampire couple for each other and the appreciation by both of them for what is great in the world.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4.5 out of 5
A vampire couple contemplate a changing world.

(Country: Germany, US, UK, France, Cyprus; Year: 2013; Director: Jim Jarmusch; Writer: Jim Jarmusch; Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin, Slimane Dazi, Wayne Brinston, Aurelie Thepaut)

Full review See: New York Film Festival diary one: Captain Phillips, The Invisible Woman, Only Lovers Left Alive

Real (Riaru: Kanzen Naru kubinagaryû No Hi)

When his lover attempts suicide and falls into a coma, the man who has adored her since childhood enters her mind in an attempt to solve the mystery behind it and save her.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2013; Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa; Writer: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, based on the book by Rokurô Inui.; Stars: Takeru Satô, Haruka Ayase, Keisuke Horibe, Kyôko Koizumi)

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

Review preview for The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

He takes the antihero into areas of sad you never knew you wanted to avoid.

Angus Wolfe Murray · 2.5 out of 5
A sad little man who dreams of heroic derring-do goes on a real life adventure in cold countries

(Country: US; Year: 2013; Director: Ben Stiller; Writer: Steve Conrad, based on the story by James Thurber; Stars: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Jon Daly, Shirley MacLaine, Kathryn Hahn, Grace Rex, Gary Wilmes, Sean Penn )

Full review

The Square (Al Midan)

Review preview for The Square

As a reflection of the mood and struggles of those seeking democratic change it is immersive and visceral even if its up close and personal approach means that the political sphere is rendered in broad brushstroke terms.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Examination of the revolution in Egypt, from the perspective of a group of activists.

(Country: Egypt, US; Year: 2013; Director: Jehane Noujaim)

Full review

Stranger By The Lake (L'Inconnu Du Lac)

Review preview for Stranger By The Lake

The investigation has a surreal aspect to it that stretches credulity while the final resolution seems unsatisfactorily far-fetched.

Richard Mowe · 3 out of 5
After a shocking incident takes place at a cruising spot, a young man is caught in the throes of a dangerous passion.

(Country: France; Year: 2013; Director: Alain Guiraudie; Writer: Alain Guiraudie; Stars: Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick d'Assumçao, Jérôme Chappatte, Mathieu Vervisch, Gilbert Traina, Emmanuel Daumas, Sébastien Badachaoui, Gilles Guérin, François-Renaud Labarthe, Claude Bellelle, Slawomir Cieminski, Jean-Marie Crémier, Bernard Delavaux, Bernard German)

Full review

Stray Dogs (Sag-haye Velgard)

Two orphaned children struggle to cope with life in Afghanistan after the Taliban.

(Country: Iran, France; Year: 2004; Director: Marzieh Makhmalbaf; Writer: Marzieh Makhmalbaf; Stars: Gol-Ghotai, Zahed, Agheleh Rezaie, Sohrab Akbari, Jamil Ghanazideh, Agheleh Shamsollah, Razeddin Sayyar, Maydeh Gol)

A Touch Of Sin (Tian Zhu Ding)

Four characters represent different areas of China and different strata of contemporary society.

(Country: China; Year: 2013; Director: Jia Zhangke)

When Evening Falls On Bucharest, Or Metabolism (Când Se Lasa Seara Peste Bucuresti Sau Metabolism)

Review preview for When Evening Falls On Bucharest, Or Metabolism

Is Porumboiu simply seeing how much he can get away with? How far does this artistic experiment extend beyond the screen?

Jennie Kermode · 2.5 out of 5
A director and his leading actress converse off set about the difficulty of capturing reality.

(Country: Romania, France; Year: 2013; Director: Corneliu Porumboiu; Writer: Corneliu Porumboiu; Stars: Bogdan Dumitrache, Diana Avramut, Mihaela Sirbu, Alexandru Papadopol )

Full review

The Wind Rises

Review preview for The Wind Rises

Miyazaki's films linger for a long time, they can't be pinned down, their meaning won't dissolve on the horizon.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 5 out of 5
Hayao Miyazaki brings together the engineer Jiro Horikoshi and the author Tatsuo Hori in a fictional epic tale of love.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2013; Director: Hayao Miyazaki; Writer: Hayao Miyazaki; Stars: Hideaki Anno, Mirai Shida, Jun Kunimura, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miori Takimoto, Mansai Nomura, Steve Alpert, Masahiko Nishimura, Shinobu Ôtake, Morio Kazama, Keiko Takeshita)

Full review

Le Week-End

Review preview for Le Week-End

Likely to strike the strongest chord with couples who understand there's a double meaning to enduring love.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
A couple take a make or break trip to Paris.

(Country: UK; Year: 2013; Director: Roger Michell; Writer: Hanif Kureishi; Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan, Olly Alexander, Xavier De Guillebon, Brice Beaugier, Sébastien Siroux, Marie-France Alvarez, Charlotte Léo, Denis Sebbah, Lee Breton Michelsen)

Full review See: Roger Michell and Hanif Kureishi talk about Le Week-End , San Sebastian diary: Child's Pose, Le Week-End, Gravity and Hanif Kureishi