Cinema Usher Matt Aistrup presents the best films of the year…
Just who are these people who take your tickets and show you to your seats every time you come to Cornerhouse? What’s their story? And why should you care what they think about the films that are being screened? Well, as an usher myself I’ll try to answer these questions as best I can.
We’re a diverse bunch. Some are students working part time to fund their studies; for others it’s a second job after their main nine to five; and some are creative types (artists, musicians, actors, writers and film makers) who freelance but work at Cornerhouse to supplement their wage. However, one thing we do all have in common is that we all love cinema and watch a lot of films! In that respect we have one of the best jobs in the world. “You’re going to pay me to sit in on the screening to make sure everything is OK whilst the movie is playing? Erm, OK!”
We usually watch most films more than once and develop strong opinions about them, discussing them with anyone who’ll listen (as you’ve probably experienced). If it’s been on at Cornerhouse then at least one of us will have seen it. So forget about the Oscars, the Sight & Sound critics poll and the Guardian annual review; and welcome the only end of year list that matters – the Cornerhouse Ushers’ Top 10 Films of 2013.
1. The Great Beauty
Dissecting The Great Beauty to unravel the reasons why it was such a remarkable cinematic experience isn’t easy, and rightly so. Expertly crafted to the point of hypnosis, and home to such a distinctly magnetic lead performance from Tony Sevillo, Sorrentino has delivered a film that is boldly unique, complex, and somehow greater than the sum of its parts.
– Joel Nicholson
2. Amour (released 2012, screened 2013)
Michael Haneke films are always beautifully thought out and executed. He is such a skilled craftsman you get the sense that no second on screen is left to chance. Amour (Love) is no exception. It feels perfectly constructed as Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant play an aging couple struggling to cope with an illness that is slowly destroying Riva’s character Anne. The film takes place in their flat for all but one scene and includes flash backs, present day and dream sequences that juxtaposes the couples life before the illness alongside a steadily worsening Anne. It is a heartbreaking watch but it never revels or exploits the emotions that such a subject inevitably brings up. Put simply it is a beautifully crafted film about love.
– Hannah Dalby
3. The Act of Killing
A phenomenal documentary that is as brave as it is manipulative. Joshua Oppenheimer’s portrait of two self-celebrated ‘sadistic’ Indonesian executioners was shot over six years and executive produced by Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. It’s an incredibly haunting and intense journey towards epiphany punctuated by elaborately surreal re-stagings made of the killers’ actions as played by themselves via various Hollywood film genres that include film noir, drag and musicals! Has to be seen to be believed but is not quickly forgotten.
– Chris Paul Daniels
4. Spring Breakers
Harmony Korine’s film is not a satire or teen flick; it is just a highly stylised and funny piece of trash. Don’t take Spring Breakers (or yourself) too seriously, and enjoy the blaring soundtrack, vivid colours and music video-like structure. James Franco’s performance as Alien is my favourite of the year.
– Michael Lyons
5. McCullin
There’s usually one film every year that blows me away. This documentary is simple in its style with McCullin giving a commentary on his harrowing and equally beautiful pictures of war zones around the world. He speaks with such passion and authority that you can’t help be drawn into the emotion felt when he snapped the scenes for the first time. It’s rare a film makes me cry but I have to admit when sat in the safety of a dark Cinema 2 I shed a few tears throughout! McCullin was probably the last photographer to be given universal access to war zones around the world and his pictures aren’t just a documentation of a conflict in a far away country, they’re unique in that they find the humanity amongst scenes of horror.
– Dean Brocklehurst
6. No
Pablo Larrain strikes a perfect balance exploring the anxious paranoia of Pinochet’s final days and the passion and commitment of those responsible for engineering his downfall. As the final part of his Pinochet trilogy (the film was preceded by Tony Manero and Post Mortem), No is a refreshingly considerate, powerfully told and surprisingly funny moment of victory, achieved from the vision of a man with all the odds stacked against him.
– Andy Livingstone
7. The Selfish Giant
Clio Barnard follows up The Arbor with another ferocious social commentary set on the mean streets of Bradford. The Selfish Giant is loosely based on the children’s story of the same name but we’re never quite clear if the giant is the deceitful scrap metal worker, Kitten (Sean Gilder), or if it’s the economic establishment keeping the two young protagonists (Conner Chapman and Shaun Thomas) outside the walls of opportunity. Underneath the bleak industrial landscapes and run-down council estates lies an angry, heartfelt tale of friendship and survival in a land of deep inequality.
– Matt Aistrup
8. Behind the Candelabra
Absurd, yes, but completely sincere and serious in its portrayal of a complicated, obsessive and all consuming love affair. Stand out performances by Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, supported by a great cast and and laugh out loud scenes with Rob Lowe.
– Claire Dorsett
9. Wadjda
When Haifaa Al-Mansour, the director of the first international feature film to be entirely shot in Saudi Arabia was asked about how she was treated after the release of Wadjda, she laughed and said she was treated like a hero and a pariah all at once. Wadjda is a funny and contemplative film about a young girl with a dream to ride a bike, despite the expectations of a conservative society. But more than that it’s a brilliantly executed insight into the expectations and roles of women in a slowly changing society.
– Ceri Lindsay
10. Blackfish
Blackfish – sad fish, big fin, sad fin. It’s an outstanding documentary about captive killer whales in psychological trauma and how a multi billion dollar company manipulates the public into thinking enslavement of these intelligent animals is all just good educational fun. Director and producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite unearths the terrifying facts about Seaworld with interviews from former trainers, marine experts and spectator footage.
– Marie-Claire Cadillac
And if you missed top pick The Great Beauty first time around fear not. We’re bringing it back for Play It Again for one last screening on Fri 27 Dec. Watch the trailer and book your tickets here.