The Most Anticipated Action, Drama and Comedy Films of 2013

It’s truly incredible that we are already in the middle of February. Didn’t we have our New Year’s Eve party like, last week? Aren’t some of us still feeling a slight hangover from the Holidays?

Well, time seems to go by faster in this extremely connected age we’re in. The festival circuit is already under way with Sundance and Berlin in the bag. The film world has seen the first gems that will shine in the following months, new deals have been made and new stars have been born. Now is the most accurate time to show you the films that will thrill and shake our hearts and souls in 2013. There is something for every taste, from big budget action to simple and delicate festival darlings.

So here we go! Click on the title to watch the trailer (if available).

1. The Grandmaster. Directed by Wong Kar Wai. Staring Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang and Cung Le.

The 1st Chinese to win the best director award at the Cannes film festival, Won kar Wai is one of the most stylish, original auteurs of our time. Director of the festival darlings The Chungking Express, In The Mood For Love and 2046, he brings us this year the tale of Yip Man, the martial artist master who trained Bruce Lee. What to look for: The most beautiful and poetic Kung Fu ass kicking fest you’ll ever see.

2. Old Boy. Directed by Spike Lee. Staring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley and Samuel L. Jackson.

The 2003 hyper violent cult hit Oldboy (2003) from director Chan Wook Park has gained an immense loyal following over the years. The film depicts the story of a guy that has been kidnapped and imprisoned without apparent reason for almost two decades, and one good day is released and given only five days to find out who is his captor. The material is so good, Steven Spielberg was attached to the project at one point, but finally dropped it because of legal issues. Fans have been crying out loud that a remake would be a sacrilege and fear for a watered down Hollywood version of the violence, sexual themes and overall dark nature of the original film. But indie icon Spike Lee says he’s known for everything BUT being a softy. We will soon find out.
What to look for: This will be either an outrageous blasphemy of a film, or the most dark and violent movie you’ve seen with an A list cast.

3. Only God Forgives. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Staring by Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Burke and Ying.

Drugs, city night life and violence have been always the recurrent themes in Winding Refn’s films. His distinctive take on these elements, with an off beat editing, weird pacing and stunning photography have made him one of the most original filmmakers in recent times, catapulting him to mainstream success with Drive. This year he’s going to Bangkok to show us a crossover between the classic Western and a cop thriller. What to look for: Simply put, the best crime film of the year.

4. Nymphomaniac. Directed by Lars Von Trier. Staring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Shia LaBeouf and Jaime Bell.

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny Lars Von Trier is a filmmaker you can’t ignore. Apart from his artsy, fake posture and bratty attitude, he is one of the few filmmakers out there today that can make the movie going experience a lot more than just a popcorn eating venue. He now tries to play our minds with a tale of a nymphomaniac that makes an account of her sexual experiences to a low life that had just saved her from a beating. What to look for: Von Trier’s will rattle up your psyche not only with his habitual thorny themes and distinctive shaky camera moves, but also with explicit, real on-camera sex.

5. Twelve Years A Slave. Directed by Steve McQueen. Staring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Paul Giamatti.

Steve McQueen is one of the most promising directors of the last decade. A long established and successful visual artist, he jumped to making films in 2008 when he delivered the soul crushing tale of Irish Republican Bobby Sands in Hunger. Later in 2011 he shocked the world with his second feature, a stylish and memorable portrayal of the day to day of a sex addict in Shame. Twelve Years A Slave is based on the homonymous novel by Solomon Northup and David Wilson, that depicts the real life story of Northup, a free born black man who is kidnapped in the mid 1800’s to be sold as a slave in Southern Louisiana only to be rescued twelve years later. His previous efforts have earned him various accolades including a BAFTA, a Golden Camera in Cannes and an Oscar Nomination, so it’s safe to say this film will leave no one indifferent. What to look for: Yet another unbelievable performance by Michael Fassbender and the artistic consolidation of McQueen, one of the most unique cinematic authors of years to come.

6. Inside Llewyn Davis. Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. Staring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and Justin Timberlake.

After taking on the western genre with True Grit, The Coen Brothers are back with this nostalgic look at the 60’s, portraying the story of a Dylan-esque folk singer and his struggle to make a career in New York’s Greenwich village scene. Oscar Isaac stars as the aspiring musician Llewyn Davis, and the adorable Carey Mulligan plays Jean Berkey, the musician’s love interest. The script is penned by the Cohens, loosely based on 60’s icon Dave Van Ronk’s posthumously published memoir The Mayor of MacDougal Street. What to look for: The most emotional film of the Cohen Brother’s filmography to date. It would be unforgivable if this doesn’t involve a scene with Carey Mulligan singing.

7. Mad Max: Fury Road. Directed by George Miller. Staring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Zoë Kravitz.

Max Max is one of the most successful portrayals of post apocalyptic dystopia ever made on film. A clever mix of violence and ingenious production design on a shoe string budget, it has greatly impressed audiences around the world ever since it’s original release in 1979 and has influenced popular culture ranging from Gary Newman’s album Warriors to the animated hit series Futurama. This is not a remake. This is an actual sequel, penned and directed by George Miller himself, the original author of this revered classic. We will see Tom Hardy playing the iconic Max Rockatansky, the role that brought Mel Gibson to stardom. What to look for: Cool Leather Jackets worn out by radioactive sand storms, inhospitable deserts full of psychopaths, and a bald Charlize Theron playing a villain that will make you wet your pants with a stare.

8. Her. Directed by Spike Jonze. Staring Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara.

Spike Jonze is the most prominent of a group of successful music video directors of the MTV 1990’s boom that made the transition to feature films with relative commercial success. He is recognized by an unusual visual style that mixes live action with animation and puppetry to portray weird, offbeat tales. This year he brings us the story of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer who falls in love with the advanced operating system of his phone… Now that’s a pitch! What to look for: An incredibly delightful and funny tale that reflects on our relationship with technology and how it can affect our very sense of humanity.

9. Don Jon’s Addiction. Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Danza and Julianne Moore.

This film will soon hit the theaters after being picked up by Relativity Media (Paul, Sanctum, The Fighter) at the Sundance Film Festival. Don Jon’s Addiction brings us the story of a contemporary Casanova (Gordon-Levitt) that feels dissatisfied with his life despite being a total hit in the eyes of others. He pulls the hottest girls every weekend, is obsessed with his looks, car and apartment but yet finds in porn his only real relief. At the end two very different women (Julianne Moore, Scarlett Johansson) will give him a lesson he will never forget. What to look for: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut was praised and bashed in equal doses at Sundance, which means this is a flick that leaves no one indifferent. A must see.

10. Los Amantes Pasajeros (I`m So Excited) Directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Staring Javier Cámara, Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Cecilia Roth.

This film deserves to be greatly expected just because of two simple reasons: One, it’s directed and written by Oscar winning Pedro Almodóvar, one of the most distinctive directors of our time, and secondly, because it has the most WTF trailer of recent memory. What to look for: Off beat, tacky comedy, vibrant colors and lots of sex.

11. This Is The End. Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Staring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco and Paul Rudd.

I know many of you may be saturated by Seth Rogen’s omnipresence in recent years. But one can’t deny his talent and powerful screen presence when the proper conditions are set. (50/50, Zack And Miri Make A Porno, Superbad) This project began as a comedy short titled Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse intended to do a traditional festival run, but its trailer (which you can watch here) was such an online success that Mandate Films got the option to turn it into a feature. What to look for: This will be light, maybe superficial and also predictable. But with a cast like this, you will not leave the theater without some great laughs.

12. Bling Ring. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Staring Leslie Mann, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga and Erin Daniels.

The “Bling Ring” was a real life gang of Californian teens who burgled Celebrity houses from 2008 and 2009. It is said they managed to sum almost 3 million dollars in cash and belongings from their thefts. This tale of celebrity obsession can’t be in better hands than Sofia Coppola’s. She has tackled with fame and teen anguish before, most notably in her feature debut The Virgin Suicides and in her latest flick Somewhere, one of the best of 2011. What to look for: An incredible script that accurately portrays without any prejudice the mind of a contemporary teenager and it’s relation with media. Also expect hip costume design and a hell of a soundtrack. This will surely be the launch to supernova status stardom for British actress Emma Watson.

13. Olympus Has Fallen. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Staring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman and Rick Yune.

Antoine Fuqua has a special talent for turning action crime films into something more than just bullets and explosions, very much in the tradition of the now legendary Michael Mann. His characters are usually well developed for an action movie, and the plots he chooses to work with are always full of unpredictable twists and turns. This year, he brings us a spectacular blow em up where Gerard Butler kicks a lot of terrorist ass in order to save the president of the United States, played by Aaron Eckart. What to look for: An incredibly loud and bombastic action movie good enough to take your girlfriend without fearing she will fall asleep.

14. Nebraska. Directed by Alexander Payne. Staring Bob Odenkirk, Bruce Dern, Will Forte and Stacy Keach.

Alexander Payne is one of the most original directors of our time. He manages to take ordinary, simple events and turn them into extraordinary tales full of incredibly rich characters. In Nebraska, (penned by Bob Nelson) a father and his son travel from Montana to Nebraska in order to claim a million dollar Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes prize. This will be a hilarious road film, as they will encounter along the way a series of friends and relatives to whom they owe money. What to look for: Clever and witty dialog, uncomfortably funny situations and possibly an Oscar contender for 2014.

15. Fruitvale. Directed by Ryan Coogler. Staring Michael B. Jordan, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand and Melonie Diaz.

This compelling feature debut was the big star at the this year’s Sundance Film fest, taking home both the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award. This film tells the real life story of Oscar Grant, a young black man murdered by a white police officer in 2009. Ryan Coogler took what appeared to be a sensitive, difficult material ideal for a Documentary, and turned into a fiction film with political, moral and social overtones. What to look for: An impressive debut that will springboard the career of Director/Writer Ryan Coogler and lead character Michael B. Jordan.

16. Like Someone In Love. Directed by Abbas Kiarostami. Staring Rin Takanashi, Tadashi Okuno and Ryo Kase.

Abbas Kiarostami is one of the most awarded and respected directors alive today. His unique, intimate style has earned the Palm d’Or in the Cannes Film Festival, the Leopard of Honor at Locarno and numerous accolades in Venice and Tokyo. Like Someone In Love follows the story of a young Japanese girl that finances her studies though prostitution. One day she meets an unexpected client with whom she will develop a strange connection with transcendent consequences for both. What to look for: Very human performances by both lead actors, (Rin Takanashi, Tadashi Okuno) and a ultra sensible film that will stick to your bones like radioactivity.

17. Blue Caprice. Directed by Alexandre Moors. Staring Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Joey Lauren Adams and Tim Blake Nelson.

First time Director Alexandre Moors got into the spotlight by appearing in Filmmaker Magazine’s list of top 25 new faces in 2012. A prolific video director, with work for Big Sean and Crystal Method under his belt, in Blue Caprice he tackles with the true story of the Beltway sniper attacks that terrorized Washington D.C. for three weeks in 2002. What to look for: A very controversial film where the audience gets to experience the perspective of the perpetrators and not their victims. This film will also be a necessary reflection about the current gun control legislation in the U.S.

18. Before Midnight. Directed by Richard Linklater. Staring Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick.

Simply put, Linklater is a hell of a director. He has made animation, comedy and thorny dramas with the same freshness and originality. Ever since he appeared in the scene with his now iconic Slacker (1991), his very name has turned into a trademark of independent film and D.I.Y attitude. His successful Before Sunrise (1995) is regarded as one of the most remembered romantic films of all time, portraying the love story of two complete strangers in the course of an evening. In Before Midnight, the third installment of this romantic trilogy, we see Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke retake their roles nine years after the last film. They are married now, with two children of their own. What to look for: This movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to a roaring, cheering audience. Word of mouth says this is the best of the trilogy.

19. The Seventh Son. Directed by Sergey Bodrov. Staring Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes and Djimon Hounsou.

Sergey Bodrov is one of the most successful Russian directors of recent times. He rocked the film world a couple of years ago with the epic film Mongol taking home Six Nika Awards (Russian Academy Awards) and an Oscar Nomination. This year he has teamed up with Julianne Moore, Djimon Hounsou and Jeff Bridges to make an IMAX 3D spectacle centered on the tale of Thomas, a young wizard apprentice an his struggle to save himself and the world from dark powers. What to look for: This film is based on the best selling novel series The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney. Hardcore fans should be delighted the film remake has a cast and crew of such pedigree. This will definitively be a very well executed movie.

20. The Look Of Love. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Staring Steve Coogan, Imogen Poots, Anna Friel and Stephen Fry.

Winterbottom is a prolific director that delivers almost a movie per year. He can jump with success from the nostalgic and poignant portrayal of Manchester’s musical scene of the early 90’s in 24 Hour Party People, to the steamy, controversial drama of 9 songs. This film tells the true story of Paul Raymond, the owner of the first strip club of the UK, and his rise to become a powerful real estate owner, often called “The King of Soho” What to look for: Fantastic Production Design and a wonderful soundtrack full of essential British Rock and Roll.

This year is going to be a great year for film goers with many interesting newcomers and iconic directors returning to the ring. Some fantastic films that didn’t get into this list but are worth mentioning, are The Past, from Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, the comic adaptation Vi är bäst! from acclaimed Suede Lukas Moodysson, the Samurai action film 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves, David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche, Hou Hsiao-Hien’s The Assassin, Sylvaine Chomet’s feature length incursion into live action titled Attila Marcel, Catherine Breillat’s Abus de faiblesse, David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and the the Kickstarter funded directorial debut of Belle & Sebastien’s Stuart Murdoch titled God Help the Girl, staring Emily Browning.

Among the heavyweights that return this year, we have Jean Luc Godard’s first incursion into 3D with Goodby to Language, Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert, and Terrence Malik’s secret project staring Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale and Natalie Portman.

You can complement this list with our previous post, The Most Anticipated Fantasy, Horror and Sci-Fi Films of 2013.

…Which is your most expected film of 2013?