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With 2014 fast approaching there is no doubt that this year has been unforgettable for movie-lovers worldwide, with the birth of some unforgettable titles.
But as the quality increases there are always those select few that get left behind.
We overview the year, looking back at those films that had the potential to be very good – but really, really weren’t…
Only God Forgives
Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, 2013 bought us his second collaboration with Hollywood hunk Ryan Gosling.
After the success of 2011’s Drive, hopes were high for the drug-drama Only God Forgives – sadly we were wrong.
After receiving laughs and boos during its initial screening at Cannes, it seemed the crowd of critics weren’t quite as forgiving as the ‘big man’ himself.
The film was showered with criticism not only for being too ‘arty’, but for the script, the acting…basically everything.
Admittedly the film is one of those open to interpretation – though it seems according to an IMDb rating of 5.9 especially, that our interpretation on this occasion was pretty awful.
The Counsellor
Ridley Scott, known for American Gangster, Blade Runner, Gladiator and plenty more, is a more than established director – but this year saw him direct one of his worst films to date.
The Counsellor was one of the most anticipated films of the year starring a seemingly endless list of Hollywood’s major stars: Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem.
But its rather tedious storyline, pointless plot and an acting quality failing to meet expectations drove it into the ground.
IMDb rated this one a 5.8, again a score way below par for someone as accomplished as Ridley Scott.
With multiple films set for release under both his direction and production in the next year or so, we can only hope that The Counsellor was a minor scratch on the polished CV of this director-producer.
Oldboy
If there was an award for the most ‘ballsy’ director, it would go to Spike Lee.
This year he took on the challenge of remaking Oldboy – a Korean classic released in 2003 that introduced the western world to one of the most brutal yet imaginative storylines we’ve had for quite a while.
Starring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen, this movie received a less than warm response from almost everyone.
Admittedly there is no escaping the fact that this particular storyline is so original that it’s
always going to be captivating – but that’s about where the praise ends.
Spike Lee attempted his own take on it, although it seems his quirky camera angles
and slight tweak of the script here and there didn’t win over his viewers.
Rated a miserable 5.0 on IMDb, Spike Lee’s Oldboy goes down as the greatest movie failure of 2013…but honestly, are we surprised?