TOP THREE FILMS OF THE FIRST 1/2 OF 2013.

Since June is coming to a close, and that we're halfway through the year, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about my top three films from the first half of this year. I've been to the cinema countless times this year, probably seeing the majority of features released into UK theatres, therefore I am choosing from an extremely wide selection of films. Possibly expect a list of the top films I'm anticipating for the second half of the year in the next few days.

Seeing as I'm from the UK, some of these films could have possibly have been released late 2012 in your country of residence, but not on my small island!
In no particular order:

Stoker, dir. Park Chan-Wook.

I have already done a post on Stoker, which can be found here. I loved this film. The performances by Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode are outstanding, however as with all Park Chan-Wook films, the cinematography is outstanding and is responsible for a lot of the enjoyment I got out of this film. It feels that Chan-Wook is blessed with the ability to make shots so interesting without diverging from the plot and entering experimental cinema. There is a fine line between directors who aim for this and directors who achieve this, and Chan-Wook most definitely falls into the latter category.

Cloud Atlas, dir. Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski & Andy Wachowski.

Again, I've made a post on this film also which can be found here. I cannot express my love for this film. It's a long film, there's no questioning that, however when taken into consideration the amount of stories within the film, the length is broken up and made thoroughly enjoyable (provided that your cinema doesn't have ridiculously uncomfortable seats like mine). With elements of comedy, drama, romance and suspense, the film boasts possible the most diverse range of themes of any film from the year.
The film's highlight for me was definitely not a cinematic feature however, as the film was an adaptation of a novel, it features direct quotes from the book. These quotes are beautifully fitted with the amazing cinematography and outstanding costumes from both past eras and the futuristic ones.
Perhaps save this film for a rainy day as it's one you will get invested into and lose three hours of your day, however don't go on for the rest of the year pushing this film aside, as I know I sometimes do with longer films that I haven't got a direct interest in seeing, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the adventure, or numerous adventures, that this film will take you on.

The Place Beyond the Pines, dir. Derek Cianfrance.

Possibly my favourite film of the year, Derek Cianfrance did amazingly in portraying the lives and connections of a number of different characters. This film presents itself in three sections, with interestingly, everybody I have spoken to about it enjoying a different section the most. I personally enjoyed the first and last segments the most, feeling that Ryan Gosling's performance reigned supreme and Dane DeHaan's running a close second. Without a doubt the films main attraction was Ryan Gosling playing the 'main' role, which would make me a small bit upset seeing as Cianfrance's past work has been outstanding and his films are intriguing, however Gosling earned every audience members ticket money in this performance.
A clever advertising trick was played with the promotion of this movie, with a characters death not being hinted at at all throughout the advertisements, teasing the audience with constant plot twists and turns. A strong favourite of the year, this film is a brilliant crime drama and another outstanding film from Cianfrance.

CLOUD ATLAS & THE POWER OF NUMEROUS DIRECTORS:

Cloud Atlas was a film I was highly anticipating since I first heard of the adaptation being made. The concept itself is enough to provoke intense interested from anyone interested in pushing the artistic boundaries of film, however the feature of this particular film that intrigued me the most was the use of three directors, two of whom being responsible for The Matrix Trilogy and V for Vendetta (both absolutely astonishing films, and some of my personal favourites), and the third director being responsible for some less-known films, but still some exceptionally good ones such as Run Lola Run and Paris, Je T'aime.
I was not disappointed by the film.

Although arguably perplexing and requiring constant concentration for 3 hours, I found the numerous stories moving and beautifully told. The excerpts from the original novel by David Mitchell were compelling and fitting, it didn't appear forced, simply streaming its way into the film in coalition with the great cinematography.
In basic terms, for those who aren't aware of the plot, the film follows numerous stories of numerous people through numerous periods of time, with links in the characters thoughts and situations linking them. From the 1800s to the 2300s, the film takes you on a journey of drama, sci-fi and comedy, to name a few. For those sceptical of the plot, as I know many people are, think of it as a number of different short films, all with a few similar themes, mix up the formal editing techniques and you have Cloud Atlas.

The connection with the characters is one thing I was sceptical about before watching the film. How the hell are they going to introduce so many characters (check the IMDB character listings, for the top 10 actors credited, they play a total of 56 characters between them) and expect the audience to, first of all, keep up with who is who, and also how do they expect us to relate and empathise with these characters, who come and go so quickly.
Although, yes, if the film was based on only one of the seven major stories it tells, there would be an extreme connection between audience and character, one of the beauties of this film is the quantity of characters going through the same issues in their heads. The introduction to all of these characters is not aimed at giving you a connection with just one of them, it wants you to understand the links, almost (getting a little bit deeper) question the process of human life. There was a quote from Halle Berry's detective character in the film which I think sums it up quite nicely.
I'm definitely paraphrasing here:

"I'm just wondering why we keep making the same mistakes over and over"

The situations involved in the film, although only one of them (and interestingly, the comedy storyline) is set in the modern day, are reflective of the struggles of the past, future and most obviously present.
The portrayal in the film of a man in the 1930s in a homosexual relationship, having to hide his desires (jumping out of a window at one point) and conform to the beliefs of society could reflect the current fight for global equality.
The futuristic story of a village of people haunted by the 'Kona' tribe could be representative of the constant civil wars in Africa and the uncertainty of the future for many people living under conditions similar.

This film is arguably one of the best I have seen for numerous years (although this is only an opinion, made clear by the man in the cinema who snored ever so loudly for two thirds of the film). It is a perfect blend of spectacular editing, a solid storyline (or seven), and cinematography that rivals that of many current directors.
This film is an event, prepare to sit back for three hours and be blown away by a combination of visual effects and good old fashioned cinema.