Sandrine’s Favorite LA Film Fest 2013 Films and Recap
The 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival has officially ended and we have shared our thoughts along the way. And now it’s time for me to give you my final recap and tell you about my favorite films at the festival.
Below you will find the list of all the films that I saw at the festival in order of preference (the titles link to the review for the films and documentaries are denoted as such):
1) Short Term 12 – This one was a big surprise and it’s one of my favorite films this year. Highly recommended.
2) Europa Report – For sci-fi fans, this one of the better films following explorers in space that I have seen.
3) Code Black (Documentary) – A really powerful documentary following doctors at the LA County hospital. One of the best documentaries I have seen.
4) Fruitvale Station – Another really powerful film based on true events with some amazing performances, but it’s a really hard one to watch. It will stay with you.
5) The House That Jack Built – Another surprise for me at the festival, I ended up really loving this original family drama.
6) Casting By (Documentary) – If you have ever wondered about the people who discovered the faces we have come to know and love like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Clint Eastwood, you’ll find this documentary about casting directors fascinating.
7) The Spectacular Now – A great coming of age story that features two strong lead. If you’re a fan of the genre, chances are you’ll love this one.
8) Only God Forgives – The most unusual film of the bunch. It’s quite the acid trip as the director would describe it, but I really enjoyed it.
9) Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – Another unique film focusing on a few main characters and their connection to one specific event. A bit slow at times, but with some great performances, it’s worth a look.
10) Goodbye World – An end of the world type story. Not the best that I have seen, but definitely a different take on the subject. It had some good moments and I enjoyed it overall.
11) The New Black (Documentary) – A good documentary tackling on the anti-gay message featured in the African-American community. It’s very timely too.
12) My Stolen Revolution (Documentary) – Another really powerful documentary taking at a look at women who were taken prisoner after the Iran revolution.
13) All of Me (Documentary) – An interesting documentary following women in the BBW (Big Beautiful Women) Club, including some of their weight-loss journey as well as an exploration of their experience with the world.
14) Black Out (Documentary) – My least favorite documentary of the festival. It had some good parts, but unfortunately the documentary at only 47 minutes felt too long and a bit repetitive.
And that’s it for 2013! Thanks for jointing us, hope you get to catch up on a few of the films I mentioned and hopefully you’ll join us again in 2014.
Follow me on Twitter @sosandrine and Facebook
