films | The Pun Is Sure

Top 25 Songs and Films of 2013: (15-6)

For an explanation of the WAR value next to each song and movie, see the previous post, my Top 25 Songs and Films of 2013 (25-16) or click here, https://thepunissure.com/2014/01/13/top-25-songs-and-films-of-2013-25-16-with-a-nod-to-mlbs-war-system/

Here are my Top 25 Songs and Films of 2013 (15-6):

15. Kings of Leon – Supersoaker (WAR value: 7.0)

It’s not just that I wasn’t over the moon for “Supersoaker” when I first heard it, I really didn’t like it. I thought it was an odd choice for a lead single — the wrong choice. Man alive was I misguided. I think I changed my mind sometime after I’d heard the track for the tenth time. Its wonder and greatness unfurled to me like a flower exposing itself to the warmth of spring. It was a risky but brilliant choice as a lead single. It sounds modern yet classic. Caleb Followill’s vocal is fantastic. The production is flawless. And the line, “I don’t mind, sentimental girls, sometimes…” kills. “Supersoaker” is far and away the best song on their latest LP, Mechanical Bull, and one of the best songs they’ve ever done.

The Conjuring (WAR value: 5.0)

The Conjuring was legitimately frightening with twists and turns aplenty. The rare horror film that’s scary yet fun to watch. An impressive directorial effort by James Wan, who used a game cast to delicious effect.

14. The 1975 – Sex/The City (WAR value: 7.3)

Sex:

I prefer this original version to the newer, slightly massaged version. There’s something a little more free about this one. It breathes better. “Sex” is rife with passion. It’s desperate, uncomfortable, energetic, and it sounds so bloody good. It sounds undeniably of the present. It seems like the musical hooks number in the thousands, and even still, there are more. I haven’t seen this band live yet, but I’m willing to bet a large sum that the line “she’s got a boyfriend anyway” is sung with rapturous vitality at their shows. “Sex” announced that The 1975 are interested in filling arenas in the near future.

The City:

Where I prefer the less polished, original version of “Sex”, I prefer this, the more polished, newer version of “The City”. The mix of kick-drum-heard-on-the-moon, electric guitar plucking and pulsating, and shoe-gaze synthesizers is a titanic combination. Many other bands are employing this type of sound, but almost no others make it sound as good as The 1975. I also love how the lyric in the chorus can be heard as “the city is” or “insidious” depending on what you want to hear. Neat trick. This band is up to some really big things.

Pain and Gain (WAR value: 5.1)

Here is where I retract my earlier statement about Michael Bay. Sure, he can make bloated films that seem to coast by on action-by-numbers, things breaking, blowing up, and the like. Pain and Gain has some of that, but it’s also extremely enjoyable. Mark Wahlberg was game as the lead in this take on the pursuit of the (Performance Enhancing Drugged Up) American Dream. But by far, I enjoyed this movie most because of The Rock. Dwayne Johnson’s absolutely hilarious. I didn’t know he had this kind of performance in him. He was a riot for much of the film, at turns being loony, irrational, paranoid, and unpredictable. For me, it’s his finest acting job to date. Pain and Gain is preposterous, trashy, silly, stupid, but so damned fun.

Song-wise, I’d say the following tunes are in an echelon above everything else this past year. These are special songs…

13. Neko Case – Local Girl (WAR value: 8.0)

From time to time, I’ll mention how a band or artist sounds unique, because of their voice, lyrics, or sound. With Neko Case, I couldn’t mean the sentiment more, and it’s all of the above. No one in the world has a voice like hers, so clean, so full of force and power. Her voice sounds like a mountain having a conversation with the wind, repeated to the plains and sung for the animals. Her lyrics are one-of-a-kind, considered, literate, creative, and heart-rattling. And her sound is just as rare, an ode to the alt/country/pop of yore. The melody in “Local Girl” is absolutely, positively, stunning. Neko soars here in every way imaginable. It’s my favourite song from her of-course-it-is brilliant(ly titled) album, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. Neko Case is a throwback. I couldn’t be more firm in my resolve when I say I love her as an artist: her voice, music, intelligence, and creativity. For me, it’ll always be Neko Case and then everyone else.

This Is The End (WAR value: 5.4)

This Is The End is a tonne of fun. Seeing the stellar cast play caricatures of themselves was delightful. James Franco and Seth Rogen were on point. Michael Cera was a riot. And Jonah Hill was really good too — spoiler alert — particularly in the bust-a-gut-funny scene where he’s possessed and is tied to a bed.

12. Blue October – Sway/Bleed Out (WAR value: 8.1)

I feel close to Blue October. From the first time I heard “Hate Me”, I fell for lead singer Justin Furstenfeld’s passionate delivery and way with melody. The band hasn’t garnered the attention they deserve since that first big hit. They’re still pumping out mammoth, great-sounding, emotionally resonating alt-rock songs though, with “Sway” and “Bleed Out” being two gargantuan efforts. Both tunes contain hooks galore. They induce shivers. They tug at heartstrings. They’re beautiful songs. I can’t say enough how much I dig Blue October, and how much I love these two spectacular, emotionally invigorating songs.

Sway:

Bleed Out:

The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug (WAR value: 5.7)

This movie looked spectacular, particularly the dwarves’ escape from elven captivity into the river. The Hobbit is one of my all-time favourite books, so I was trusting, wide-eyed and receptive to how Peter Jackson and company would visualize Tolkien’s seminal tome. Jackson did it justice, inasmuch as a movie can do a book justice. I was immersed in the world — yet again — and can’t wait to see how things wrap up in the final instalment.

11. Chvrches – Recover/Now Is Not The Time/Lies (WAR value: 8.3)

All three of these songs, “Recover”, “Now Is Not The Time”, and “Lies” are perfect, pristine pop songs. It’s the construction, the delivery, the sum of the sounds. Everything is bang on. I bet Chvrches were meticulous in crafting these songs. It sounds like no detail was left unconsidered. Sometimes this can make a song bland or robotic. Not here. These songs are brimming with organic life and freshness. What stunned me most was that Chvrches kept dropping hit after hit after hit. I was flabbergasted. It didn’t make sense that any band or artist could be that prolific, especially a new band like Chvrches. But after “Lies” and “The Mother We Share” came “Recover”, after which came “Now Is Not The Time”. At that point, I was seriously shocked. It wasn’t possible that a band’s first four songs could be that good. But it was happening. Then, came “Gun”, which is also fantastic, and a few months later, their debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe finally arrived. Then we were given more(!) bangers, “Lungs” and “Tether” leading the way. I’m still perplexed by how this came to be. Chvrches are the best new band I’ve heard since Future Islands. Their way with synth-pop — in an absurdly crowded field — is utterly unique, an immaculate amalgam of the past with an uncompromising and unrepeatable take on the present and future.

Recover:

Now Is Not The Time:

Lies:

American Hustle (WAR value: 5.8)

I enjoyed American Hustle, and I will admit that it’s, in many ways (the acting, direction, and story), an excellent film, but something’s holding me back from liking it more. The only thing I can come up is that the leads, though acted superbly, are tough to root for. When I watched it, I didn’t feel like I had a “dog in the race” so to speak. I sat down to watch it, and it experienced it without ever really pulling for anyone to come out on top. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper were particularly good here, but they were better, and so much more likeable, in Silver Linings Playbook. I’d like to give it some time, watch it a second time to see if I still feel the same way.

10. The Boxer Rebellion – Diamonds (WAR value: 8.6)

The Boxer Rebellion don’t get enough credit. They had two dazzling songs a few years back, “Evacuate” and “Semi-Automatic”, though unfortunately, the band didn’t explode like they should have. In 2013, they came back with what’s probably the best song they’ve ever done in “Diamonds”. I was obsessed with the song for weeks and weeks. It’s the overwhelmingly sad way Nathan Nicholson delivers the vocal. It’s the opposing force of nature that is the music, shimmering guitars buoyed by steady drumming and subtle synth underpinnings. It’s the rise and fall, the simplicity of the lyrics, the drifting away, from blame, from anger, not necessarily to a place of peace, but to a place that’s just away. “Diamonds” speaks to the futility of one person’s attempt to keep a relationship from being gobbled up by expectations of progress, and literally, that sparkling signifier of a gem. Ironic, as this song is undoubtedly one of the precious jewels of 2013.

Spring Breakers (WAR value: 6.0)

All-in-all, Spring Breakers is a good movie. It’s occasionally funny and unabashedly youthful, in its confusion, energy, and wildness. The four lead girls were decent. Make no mistake though, this movie’s carried by James Franco. It looks like he had a blast playing Alien (Riff Raff, if you’d believe Riff Raff), and that was undeniably infectious. It’s my favourite James Franco performance to date, and his strangest. The Alien-singing-Britney scene is one of my favourite movie scenes of the past few years. It’s demented, sweet, frivolous, impetuous, and absurd. And it’s why Spring Break will last forever, y’all.

9. The Knife – Full of Fire (WAR value: 8.8)

“Full of Fire” is a monstrous concoction of political intent, industrial sound-sculpting, and electronic imagination. It’s a frenzy of pulse, weaponry, and skill. It’s a nine-minute tour de force in bad-assery. Karin and Olof have never sounded so vital, so in control, so angry. Shaking The Habitual, from whence “Full of Fire” comes, is a dense affair, with not nearly the amount of hooks as The Knife’s last album proper, Silent Shout. There are a few outstanding tracks, and also a 19-minute track where The Knife do everything possible to lose your interest. They’re not fighting for you to listen. That commitment is up to you. They’re way past that, fighting for something much, much bigger. The album, and “Full of Fire” as its solider in the foreground, is a left-field effort from the maybe the most left-field band on the planet. “Full of Fire” is indeed burning, and full of so much more than heat.

World War Z (WAR value: 6.1)

World War Z is reminiscent of Book of Eli and I Am Legend, but more fun than the former, and waaaay more interesting than the latter. It’s Contagion with more intrigue and more of a rooting interest. I was gripped the entire way.

8. Drake – Hold On, We’re Going Home (WAR value: 9.0)

By far, the catchiest song Drake’s ever done. It’ll be on playlists from here to eternity, which is what Drake and producer Majid Jordan had intended. Everyone intends to do something like that. Everyone would love to be a part of a song this special. It’s just such a rarity to connect on that intention. What makes the situation even more amazing is that the beat and vocal seem so effortlessly constructed and delivered. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” is a monumental pop song. (I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention part of the appeal is the subtle ode to Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”, particularly the “duh-dah-duh-da’s.” Here’s the link to that song if you’d like to compare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26hsZqwveA)

Star Trek: Into Darkness (WAR value: 6.6)

Benedict Cumberbatch is a bad, bad man. I loved so much about this film: how it looked, how the plot aligned, how it was acted. I quite enjoyed the first instalment of JJ Abrams’ reboot, but this one is warp speed beyond that one. The franchise has a great cast: Pine, Quinto, Soldana, Urban, Pegg, Cho, and Yelchin. I can’t wait to see what the next offering has up its sleeve.

7. Sky Ferreira – You’re Not The One/Heavy Metal Heart (WAR value: 9.2)

While a million-plus-one pop tarts do their tired take on dance-pop, Ferreira’s forked off and brought the rock back in pop-rock. Her sensational debut LP, My Time, Night Time, is a loud, pulsating, sexed up affair with nary a filler tune to be found. I was blown away when I first heard “You’re Not The One”. The guitar riff centres the song, simple but out-of-this world catchy. Ariel Rechtshaid’s production is flawless. When I first heard the entire album, I was floored by how consistent and immediate it was. I was hoping for the best, but sure there wouldn’t be anything to match the brilliance of the lead single. I was wrong. “Heavy Metal Heart” is a beast. Avril Lavigne can’t even dream of a song this good. Gaga would have a massive hit on her hands if this were on Artpop. The reality is, no one else has “Heavy Metal Heart” but Sky Ferreira. Even though she’s a relatively new artist, the song is invariably hers. “You make my heavy metal heart beat” is sung with such gusto, such energy, that you’d swear Ferreira’s heart is made of long, bleach-blonde hair, black leather, and power chords. Maybe it is. I wouldn’t rule anything out with this one.

You’re Not The One:

Heavy Metal Heart:

Anchorman 2 (WAR value: 6.9)

I loved this sequel. For as silly as some of the jokes might’ve been, I always got the sense that Ferrell and company were meticulous in choosing to keep the best ones. I loved David Koechner (Champ Kind). I loved chicken of the cave, even though I’ve never tried it. I loved how the team would occasionally beat jokes to death. The cameos were a lot of fun. I think it’s really tough to be consistently funny nowadays, and Ferrell, Adam McKay, et al have accomplished that here. I’d be more than down for a third instalment (although Ferrell, please do a Step Brothers sequel first, thanks).

6. Haerts – Wings (WAR value: 9.4)

I adore the funk out of this song. It was on heavy rotation from the first time I heard it. It screams 80’s. It’s right now. It’ll be around for a looooong time. It’s not simply that Nini Fabi’s vocal soars, it’s the palpable feeling of joy in being able to fly for the first time. It’s growing wings and lifting, dipping, ascending, cruising, feeling the wind course through your hair like it never has before, like it was never able to before. There is wonder in this experience. There is release. “Wings” is perfect from the first second, but if it wasn’t already so, it somehow gets even better at 3:44, when the music starts to shuffle, and birds can be seen in the distance, flying together, singing and dancing.

Side Effects (WAR value: 7.2)

If this had been released later in the year, the buzz around it would’ve been much larger. I loved the plot and the acting. There were a tonne of twists and turns, and the story is filled with deception, decoys, and ploys. It’s a meditation on the sad state of mass addiction to pharmaceuticals and the damning, horrifying prescribing of modern “medicine,” not to cure, remedy, or build health, but to suppress and sustain dependency. I liked each of the leads’ performance, but in particular, I thought Rooney Mara was fantastic. Steven Soderbergh has had a great run the past couple years and Side Effects is the best of a stellar recent bunch.

Top 25 Songs and Films of 2013: 25-16 (with a nod to MLB’s WAR system)

I decided to spice up the format of my Top 25 Songs of 2013 list. I saw a lot of good films, some dazzling ones, in 2013, and wanted to list my favourites, but didn’t want to keep writing best of 2013 lists into June, so in lieu of two separate lists, I thought I’d deliver more bang for the less bucks and list songs and movies together in a smorgasbord of pop culture delight. So henceforth, from 25-1, each slot will contain both a song (there may be more than one song — see here https://thepunissure.com/2014/01/07/top-100-songs-of-2013-100-81/ for my rationale behind this) and a film.

Lists are a fun endeavour, and part of that fun, for me, is being as accurate as possible in conveying the specific value of a song or movie. In order to impart this specificity, I sought a way to augment the basic list number (25, 24, 23, etc.). Why? Because many of the top 25 songs are, for the most part, more special to me than the films residing in the same slot. Why is this the case? First and foremost, because music is the dearest art to my heart. But practicality plays a part too. One is able to listen to a song more often than one is able to watch a movie. One can build a rapport with a song more easily, on the whole, than with a film, which takes 30-50 times longer to watch and engage with. Occasionally though, there are transcendent films, that even upon a single viewing, can have an effect equal to or greater than a song.

What I want to do with this Top 25 Songs and Films of 2013 list is illuminate my favourite tunes and movies and distinguish the precise value between one and the other. (I know, I know. In the grand scheme of things, art’s value is unquantifiable and ebbs and flows as tides of passion rush forward and recede. But bear with me, I’m trying something fresh and having some fun with it, so let’s just roll with it, shall we?)

How have I chosen to do said distinguishing? With a system of measuring value that’s used in Major League Baseball, called Wins Above Replacement (Player), or WAR for short. I’m a big baseball fan, and part of the beauty of baseball is the depth with which statistical analysis pervades the sport. One such statistic, and probably my favourite of the new stream of measurements, is WAR.

What is WAR? Diehard baseball fans and/or stat geeks will already know, but for those who aren’t that, I’ll try to be as general and brief with the description as possible.

The WAR system says, generally, how much better or worse a given player is than the average (or replacement level) player in a given year. Specifically, it says how many more wins a player has produced for his team than the average player. Since WAR is a newish system of measurement (to most people), WAR is constructed differently depending on the source, but the goal is the same: to signify the total sum (offence, defence) of a player’s worth.

A player with a 2.0 WAR is a decent player, and it means he has produced two more wins for his team than the average player. Progressively, a 4.0 WAR is really good, a 6.0 WAR is excellent, and anything above that is freaking fantastic. Simply, the higher the WAR number, the better the player.

Using a specific example, Mike Trout had a 10.4 WAR in 2013 (according to Fangraphs http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=10155&position=OF), meaning he produced 10.4 more wins for his team than the average Major League Baseball player. That’s beyond brilliant. That’s historically good. That number is nearly impossible to obtain, but then again, Mike Trout is impossibly good at baseball.

Got it? Good. I realize that’s a very brief description of a relatively complex system, and it’s kind of an obscure thing to reference in a list about songs and movies, but cross-genre blog posts are where it’s at in 2014, and that’s where I intend to be.

I chose to include a WAR number beside each song and movie in the Top 25 because I want to be unequivocal about the value each song and movie hold for me.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say there will be some very good movies missing from my list; because of the time needed to experience a film, it cannot be consumed at the same rate a song can. Unfortunately, I’m not a film critic (Guinevere is snickering https://thepunissure.com/2013/03/01/how-to-do-better-at-predicting-the-oscars/) and can’t watch 5-10 films per week, so I’ll have missed some movies, probably some very good ones. Here are a few I would’ve loved to have seen but haven’t at present: Her, Fruitvale Station, Captain Phillips, All Is Lost, Nebraska, The Wolf of Wall Street, and many others.

Lastly, the songs and films that are listed together in the same slot won’t necessarily have any connection, be it thematic, emotional, or otherwise.

Here are my favourite 25 Songs and Movies of 2013:

25. Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know? (WAR value: 5.5)

It took me some time to fall heavily for “Do I Wanna Know?”. The guitar riff is punishing from second six. Alex Turner’s magnetism abuses soundwaves. His swagger accosts the mic. His slick back don’t take no crap. This song is at once bad-ass and nonchalant. I love Matt Helders’ (AM’s brilliant drummer) soaring backup falsetto. The song’s climax of sounds is delectable. The song is a straight-away tease. Do I Wanna Know? Of course I do, if it sounds like this.

Hangover 3 (WAR value: 3.0)

I’ve a different opinion than most people I’ve talked to about the Hangovers. I really like Hangover 2, and enjoyed Part 3, the darkest of the trilogy. Some were thrown off or dissatisfied by the linear structure of this one, but not me. Cooper, Helms, Galifianakis, and Jeong are great and they seem remarkably comfortable playing their characters. I was sorry to see this franchise come to the end of the road. To-da-loo muthaf***asssss (must be said with a lilting voice, preferably as a tinted window closes), thanks for all the laughs.

24. Paramore – Still Into You (WAR value: 5.7)

After all this time, I’m still into this song. I cannot get sick of it. This tune offers a quick synopsis of why Paramore are so good: Hayley’s playfulness, sincerity, and hooks galore. From the band’s gobsmackingly amazing self-titled album, “Still Into You” got better with repeated listens. Their crossover country/alt/pop ballad, “Hate To See Your Heart Break” was my jam when the album first came out — it’s still a super track — but this tune stands above it and the rest of the eye-opening collection of genre-scrambling tunes on Paramore’s latest. This song is the next logical step from still-brilliant “That’s What You Get” and “Misery Business”. I’m glad “Still Into You” exists. The feeling is more than mutual.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire (WAR value: 3.3)

More interesting than the first, which is a good flick, and more action-packed. Apropos of nothing, Donald Sutherland’s hair in the film is whiter than an arctic snowflake, and it’s fantastic. I’m looking forward to the next two films, to see what comes of Catniss and company, but also, and perhaps just as much, to see what becomes of Sutherland’s regal, frosted coif.

23. Cold War Kids – Bitter Poem/Bottled Affection/Loner Phase/Lost That Easy (WAR value: 5.7)

These four songs are the highlights of what I think is Cold War Kids’ most consistent and compelling album to date, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts. Sure, for most, they’ll probably never top “Hang Me Up To Dry” or “Hospital Beds” in terms of leaving a turn-your-head impression, but the band continue to sound better, more comfortable, and more cohesive with each passing album. I enjoy all four of the following songs equally, though Nathan Willett’s delivery, and lyrics of “Bitter Poem” hold a special place in my heart.

Bitter Poem:

Bottled Affection:

Loner Phase:

Lost That Easy:

Cloud Atlas (WAR value: 3.3)

Cloud Atlas was a lot of things, including messy. This offering from the Wachowski siblings shot for the moon, and missed, though they deserve kudos for trying. Segments of the movie made sense, and I’d even go so far as to call some scenes beautiful, but overall, cohesion was absent. This could’ve been the best movie of the year if it was more tightly knit. I applaud many of the actors (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae come to mind) for displaying dexterity while inhabiting multiple characters. Faults notwithstanding, I have a feeling I’d enjoy this movie more with a second viewing.

22. London Grammar – Wasting My Young Years (WAR value: 5.9)

Possibly the most heartbreaking song of the year. The formula is pretty simple: Hannah Reid has a stunning, incomparable voice; the lyrics are extremely powerful; the melody is simple but resplendent. The resulting amalgam is what I consider to be, already and unassailably, a classic song.

Trance (WAR value: 3.4)

A cool, zig-zagging, trippy film from Danny Boyle about altered realities and trust, set to a high-stakes game of life and death. I really enjoyed the performances of the three leads: James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, and Vincent Cassel.

21. Daft Punk – Get Lucky (WAR value: 6.0)

I think one word sums the song up: Ubiquitous. “Get Lucky” was literally everywhere in 2013. On pop radio, rock radio (!), EDM stations, it connected with a huge range of demographics and permeated pop culture like few songs do. It was a bona fide phenomenon. A trick that could’ve only been done by the masters, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, the progenitors of electronic funk. Beyond being extraordinary sound-crafters, the duo is incredibly savvy with their image, both in how they look and how they’re perceived. They showed their acuity as they staggered the release of “Get Lucky”, building a frothing fervour of interest, fanning the flames of anticipation for their comeback. I’d argue it was a much needed comeback too. They had a bulletproof reputation, thanks to their indomitable 90’s material, but for as much as they’re loved, they were without a bona fide hit for about 10 years. That’s an eternity in pop music. I think they knew this, and realized they had to bring the heat to sate, excite and re-captivate their massive built-in audience. That they did so with such ease speaks to the nature of their considerable talents.

Man of Steel (WAR value: 3.6)

I loved the opening scenes; Krypton looked amazing. I enjoyed much of the rest of the film too. The fight scenes may have been a little overbearing, but all-in-all, I’d consider this a successful reboot. And sure, it might not have been Michael Shannon’s best role of 2013 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dngOH9G4UPw) but he was still convincing as General Zod, and Henry Cavill was solid in the lead role. This franchise has a lot of potential, and I’m really excited for the next instalment.

20. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors (WAR value: 6.1)

I couldn’t believe it when I heard JT had been sitting on this track for a few years. Must be nice. 99% of players in the pop game would’ve killed their manager to get their hands on a track this good. This is the best song from both of the LP’s JT released in 2013. I think Timberlake is best when his pure pop side shows. Sure, he can pull off the new school Rat Pack crooner schtick, but he’s best when he does a song like “Mirrors”, except there are almost no other songs like “Mirrors”. It’s a one-of-a-kind gem. It’s funny that the song’s lyrics are kind of narcissistic if you examine them with any depth, but the tone is so sweet and the melody is so strong that it hardly matters.

Iron Man 3 (WAR value: 3.9)

Iron Man 3 was a tonne of fun. Robert Downey Jr. looked ever so comfortable playing Tony Stark. The effects were great. Ben Kingsley was the real scene-stealer though, particularly in the scene where the script gets flipped.

19. Mutya Keisha Siobhan – Flatline (WAR value: 6.1)

What a comeback. The original Sugababes proved that they still have what it takes to flourish as a collective. Their maturity as women, singers, and friends is striking. More importantly than those important things though, is that I don’t think there’s another girlgroup or boyband on the planet, counting the last 20 years, that can harmonize like Mutya, Keisha, and Siobhan. “Flatline” is Capital P Power Pop at its absolute best.

Drinking Buddies (WAR value 4.0)

An eminently likeable film. Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson are just so damn down-to-earth. The chemistry and futility between two close friends who know deep down that they should be more to each other but “can’t” for reasons having to do with “life” is played with such poise, perfection, and grace by both leads.

18. Lorde – Royals (WAR value: 6.3)

To give the racism backlash any credence whatsoever is to miss the point entirely. This is a teenager who put her life (feelings of apathy, disillusionment, etc.) on blast, and I’m sure that was, at least in some way, a terrifying thing to do. I think this is a great commentary on what “home” feels like for a young person from a small country or town: being proud of where you come from, confused that it seems unfulfilling, wanting to break free (and out), but aware that the bright lights might not be all they’re cracked up to be. To comment on such things — at Lorde’s age no less — over such a simple and delicious beat is what makes “Royals” so special.

Pacific Rim (WAR value: 4.2)

Popcorn cinema at its finest. It’s not a surprise when any Guillermo Del Toro vehicle is a success, but this is an impressive display, as in other hands, say Michael Bay’s (I reserve the right to retract this sentiment a few spots on), Pacific Rim would’ve probably been a hot mess.

17. Best Coast – Fear Of My Identity (WAR value: 6.7)

I can listen to this song over and over and over. It’s a melodic delight. “The hate is getting darker, the fear is growing larger, but I know, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh-oooh-ooh, I know…” is a lyric I found myself humming or singing often in 2013. The lyric “You taught me that my heart would grow old…” is sung by Bethany Cosentino with such sweetness, belying its corosive, acidic intent.

Behind The Candelabra (WAR value: 4.7)

I came upon this movie by chance, on television, and I was transfixed. Matt Damon is absolutely brilliant as Scott Thorson, Liberace’s young, secret lover in a relationship built on tumult. It’s possibly my favourite Matt Damon performance ever (he’s pretty awesome in “The Informant” too). Michael Douglas also deserves credit for a splendid turn as Liberace. Steven Soderbergh is a fantastic director who’s been on a great run with his last 3 films: Magic Mike, Side Effects, and now, Behind The Candelabra. I can’t wait to watch this movie a second time.

16. Arcade Fire – Reflektor (WAR value 7.0)

I was so intrigued by Arcade Fire’s choice to go in this sonic direction that I think it took me some time to warm to “Reflektor”. I had to adjust to James Murphy’s influence on Arcade Fire’s sound. There’s so much going on here, so many layers. The dynamism of this song is off the charts. It’s not surprising that Arcade Fire could pull off a dance track with such ease. There’s nothing they can’t do. The lyrics, the piano, the sax, the production — everything is superb. It’s a great track now, and I think it will have staying power. If the “songs of 2013” are looked back on in 5 or 10 years, this will be a must mention, and quite possibly, the cream of a loaded, bountiful crop.

Upstream Color (WAR value: 4.9)

Upstream Color is not: an easy watch, a particularly enjoyable watch, a wrist watch (although this could be debated). It’s relatively light on dialogue too, and at times, the pace is super slow. So why the fuss? Because it’s incomparably unique, the visceral vision of writer/director/actor/editor/Craft services provider Shane Carruth. The film is weird, tough to follow (I don’t think there’s one definitive thing I’d say this movie is “about”), but also, extremely impressive, a piece of art that’s tough to look away from. Upstream Color is a dreamy film. Hell, it might even be a dream. I can’t be sure if it’s of fancy or physics. It’s somewhere. It just is.

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