Comments on: The New Yorker’s Worst Of 2013 List Includes ‘Before Midnight’ & ‘All Is Lost’ “With ‘Gravity’ Close Behind”

By: BEF

BEF — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

While, I don't agree with them being the worst, I get why he'd include them if it didn't do much for him … Honestly, if something that you hear is fantastic comes up short I'm sure you're gonna look at it more critically or harshly than something like "Grown Ups 2" which is something that would make you surprised if you didn't think it was just terrible ….

I personally think "Gravity" has a lot of splendor, but also major shortcomings. It wouldn't be on my top 20 movies of the year, but I still think it's good. The "worst" is a little overstated, perhaps by the New Yorker, since he clarifies that it's films that fall short of their ambition. In that regard, I'd agree.

PLUS it's someone's opinion … there's no facts anywhere in top 10 lists, people shouldn't just seek validation of their own opinion via these. It's nice when some are different — this one provided me two titles I've not heard of that I'll seek out: "Night Across the Street" and "Oversimplification of Her Beauty." That is something that top 10s are good for is raking through films and uncovering some for people. There's nothing to get excited about in a Peter Travers' list of "these films are most likely to be nominated for Awards."

AND – in the same way that folks might accuse Rich of trying to get more clicks and views — well so is Playlist by running headline about his worst films, not the hugely different list of best… Well, I take that back … if they went with New Yorker puts To the Wonder at the top of the list for films of the year … there'd probably still be 16+ comments since some people hate Malick so much.

By: caro

caro — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

even a Malick fan like me, i know that TO THE WONDER is not good

By: Xander

Xander — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Wow, so Richard Brody apparently has no taste. Before Midnight was one of the best films, not just of this year, but all time.

By: Imy

Imy — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

It's no wonder people have disregarded critics in favour of user reviews.

By: Tomincmh

Tomincmh — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

I wonder if he's been hanging out with Armond White a lot recently.

By: jonnybon

jonnybon — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

You have to be f*cking crazy to call this films the worst of the year. He may personally find them to be overrated, but there is no way he actually believes they are bad films. He just wants attention. Prick.

By: A-man

A-man — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

"greatest disproportion between the emblazoned ambition and the mediocrity of the result"

so on the money for Gravity. over-hyped and under-written.
most of it felt like a video-game, only without the control, obviously.

(Potential Spoilers, so be careful now.)
any imagery was far too in-your-face with its message (Sandra Bullock floating around like a foetus in the womb is just too obvious) – the story wasn't gripping, so I couldn't care about her peril. and you knew she was going to make it to Earth anyway. Clooney coming back was obviously a ruse. and her reason to go back to Earth and "start living again" was all just too bloated and see-through. far too unsubtle.

I think it might have been better if they didn't show whether she survived the landing – they NEVER should have showed the surface of Earth.

Effects were great, yes.
As a film though? Disappointment personified.

By: Marko

Marko — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Huh. So I guess they really do own top hats and monocles over there.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

He's dead on about Gravity. An extremely impressive and dazzling film, to be sure, but I didn't care at all for Sandra Bullock's character, and I'm not sure if it was her performance or the lack of material. It was incredibly trite and lacking in depth.

He is so far off base with regards to Before Midnight. I'd really like to hear what he has to say about that. I can't even really conceive of any criticism so detrimental to the film's merit.

By: gert

gert — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

lol what a douchebag

By: Todd

Todd — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

The strongest list I've seen so far, and the article mentions a bunch more films that he liked. His definition of "worst" is much closer to "most disappointing".

By: Paul Russo

Paul Russo — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Never mind 2013, Gravity was one of the worst movies EVER. Honestly horrible acting, slower than snail sex pace, less exciting than watching beards grow, absolute zero chemistry, no plot to speak of (other than "ok lets get to the next space station!"), an unoriginal message (if there even was one), pandering to 3D CGI, and horrendous, horrendous dialogue. The ONLY thing that was even REMOTELY interesting was trying to guess how they did the zero/low gravity scenes. Every single person listed in the credits for this movie should publicly apologize profusely, refund all ticket money in triplicate (to also compensate for time lost), and then immediately dine on cyanide pills.

But hey, that's just my 2 pennies.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Douche.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Took the words right out of my mouth.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Translation: "Please give me attention so I feel significant"

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

From now on, all movie critics who are going to do a worst of list, and not include the actual worst movies like Movie 43 or Scary Movie 5, need to change title fr worst to most disappointing. I'm all for seeing what the critics felt were the most disappointing, but to call them worst is just unreasonable. So critics, give us your best, worst, and mos disappointing, otherwise you're gonna look like jackasses.

I think I would punch a critic in the face if they truthfully told me they enjoyed Movie 43 over Before Midnight.

By: ngchikiu

ngchikiu — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

This is a clear sign of film critics that didn't see enough movies this year and are clearly picking the ones they want to see.

By: MDL

MDL — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

I've defended Brody for his top ten but his 'worst list' is purely backlash reactionary.

By: marchello

marchello — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

If Richard Brody preferred Bad Grandpa to All is Lost, Before Midnight or Gravity then he needs to either retire or the New Yorker needs to replace him. Or just omit the Worst list entirely…

By: prem

prem — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

I'm glad he's breaking the common consensus that To The Wonder was somehow a failure. I loved it and think it exists fully within the realm of Malick's modern work. As for Gravity and Before Midnight, those films dont even interest me to see, so someone not liking them doesn't come as a complete surprise. I've found critical darlings like Gravity of late have often been massively overrated.

By: jim

jim — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

Gravity was awful and Bullock should retire. Shes a media invention.

By: bonney

bonney — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:28:35 +0000

good