Who's that sleeping on your sofa? (The Year in Review 2013)

Hot off the presses, I give you Jeremy Greenberg's Best of 2013.  My entertainment sources were a bit more passive this year, so don't be surprised at the re-weighting of categories.  Without further ado...

FILM:

I never got into Buffy, found Firefly oddly written and poorly acted, and - with the exception of the character of Klara - was disappointed by his run on my favourite comic book.  Still, Joss Whedon sure knocked one out of the park with MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, this year's biggest "small" film.  Made on weekends during the filming of that other, slightly larger project, and intelligently adapted from the Shakespeare play, this "Ado" hits all the right notes: charm, beauty, a bit of magic (just check out that party scene), and great comic relief.  Give Whedon some credit: with a good co-writer, he sure produces some great work!

Another small film with a big heart, Noah Baumbach's FRANCES HA is an Allen-esque "sad" comedy about New York, the romantic spirit, and the dangers of quarter life crises (not necessarily in that order).  Greta Gerwig is the title character (whose name isn't really "Ha", but, well, you'll see), a 27-year-old aspiring dancer (and aspiring adult) with a dreamer's tendency to mishandle relationships, drop golden opportunities, and spend a lot of time crashing on other peoples' couches.  The writing is top-notch, often laugh-out-loud funny, and (refreshingly) never, ever mean-spirited.  Alternately bittersweet and charming, HA is, like its title character, a nice, indie-type friend, who'll be there whenever you just need to cuddle up for an evening.

Speaking of dreamers who spend a lot of time on other peoples' couches, no "Best Of" list is complete without INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, the latest from the Coen Brothers.  Like HA before him, the title character is an aspiring creative, here a 1960's folk singer eking (or rather, subsisting) out a living as a Greenwich Village folk singer.  Davis, as played by Oscar Isaac in a revelatory performance (is there a "Best Debut" Oscar out there?), isn't the most likeable of protagonists, but you'll at least feel sorry for him by the end of the film.  Bad relationships, both romantic (Carey Mulligan plays a friend not afraid to call Davis on his bullshit) and creative (Marcus Mumford "appears" as Davis's ex-musical partner) lie at the heart of his problems, and by the time Davis takes the stage for just-one-more set, you'll have a hard time not feeling for the guy.

Changing direction for a moment, Lake Bell's undeniably charming, very funny IN A WORLD... is about a young creative-type crashing at other people's apartments as she struggles to make it in a highly competitive world.  Okay, I lied: entry four on our list also revisits the Theme-of-2013, this time with a very likeable hero(ine) competing in the man's world of voice acting.  Bell's gigs run the gamut from dubbing kids' cartoons to coaching Eva Longoria on her cockney accent, but - until now - she's never had a shot at the big time.  Here, it manifests as the new "Amazon Games" gig, and a chance to deliver that famous, eponymous, movie trailer phrase.  A pair of romantic subplots, one featuring an excellent and very low-key Rob Corddry as a husband in a faltering marriage, also offer up some lightly comic moments, and contribute to the general, all 'round good feeling that permeates this film.

Finally, in the "it's amazing these movies still manage to get made" category, comes part three in the ongoing "Sunrise Trilogy", BEFORE MIDNIGHT.  If you haven't seen the earlier films, made 10 and 20 years ago, go do so now(!), as they're among the very best romantic films you'll ever see.  This third entry picks up with Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) slightly longer in the tooth, but no less beautiful, in love, and talking up a storm.  And where Entry Two ("SUNSET") was notable for occurring in real-time, just check out that extended single-take near the beginning of this film.  This is a series that thrives on witty, intelligent dialogue (often improvised), and after spending another couple hours with this wonderful film couple, I can't wait for the next entry.  See you in ten years?

VIDEO GAMES:

They're calling this the year of the indie, and with titles like GONE HOME, it's easy to see why.  More an interactive short story than a proper "game", HOME puts players in the shoes of a young woman returned from abroad to an unexpectedly empty family home.  Players are completely free to explore the house at their own pace and discretion, rummaging through drawers, unsealing letters, listening to a teen girl's mix tapes, etc. and getting a hauntingly fascinating look into the lives of your fictional family.  Without spoiling any further, all I can promise is a healthy dose of goosebumps.  Oh, and the voice acting is among the best you'll ever hear.

Finally, while technically not a game, I just couldn't resist one more opportunity to celebrate THE DROWNED MAN. You can read more about this immersive theatrical experience here, but in its open world, compelling non-player-characters, and freedom to rummage about (drawers, letters, as above), it's the closest you'll ever get to visiting a fictional world (outside the digital realm).

CAN-CON BONUS x 3 C-C-C-C-COMBO!
Also part of our annual tradition, some shout-outs to the best Canadian content produced this past year.

THIS IS THE END is outrageously funny, not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for the easily offended.  I haven't laughed so hard in quite a long time.

STORIES WE TELL had its Canadian debut last year, easily topping my previous Best of list.  Since its 2013 American release has put it in the running for this year's Oscars, let's take a look back at what makes it so great.

GUACAMELEE! from tiny Toronto studio Drinkbox Games has been topping all the video game charts, from annual "best of"s, to all-time "greatest indie" accolades.  Check it out!

The Drowned Man: An Exceedingly Spoiler-Free Review of a Cult Classic in the Making

Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate

Before we exit the elevator to begin our descent into hell, our guide hands us each a white mask and sets out three instructions: 1) Do not remove the mask under any circumstances, 2) Do not speak, and 3) Do explore.

With that, I enter the world of The Drowned Man, Punchdrunk Theatre's "immersive" experience, and this decade's new cult classic.

Mature Audiences Only:
So reads the warning on the National Theatre's Website, and very rarely has the M-word carried so much weight.  The fairly traditional NT is serving as co-producer, and its warning is an important one to understand: this "play" requires an open mind, a loss of inhibition, and a very brave spirit.  If you're not prepared for (or even relish) unsettling experiences, this is not for you.  The most courageous should also, to maximise the experience, go into it with a very minimum of advance knowledge.

So, what can I say about this very loose adaptation of Buchner's Wozzeck, without spoiling the experience?

The Plot:
This is in some ways the easiest to share, as its core is completely laid out for the audience before the show even begins.  Echoing Wozzeck, we are informed that we are about to experience two concurrent story-lines: in each, a betrayed lover enacts brutal vengeance before meeting a very watery fate.

How it Works:
The truly spoiler-averse should stop reading here, but it's probably fair to reveal that this is not a normal theatrical experience.  Playing out more like a haunted house (or a video game (more on that in a bit)), what you're actually doing is exploring a completely open world laid out across four massive levels and a labyrinthine network of sets.  These range from the minuscule (hidden rooms abound) to the gigantic (full neighbourhoods, the interiors of large buildings, and so on), all of which offer glimpses into an even more labyrinthine set of narratives that's being acted out by a cast of 40-odd dancer-actors.  

Now, it's easy enough to just spend the night following one character after another as they make their way around the world, and that's one way to see a fair amount of the plot and sets.  However, you'd be remiss if you didn't also spend some time wholly on your own (surprisingly easy to do), summoning up the courage to head off the beaten path and seek out, almost Easter-like, the (dark, creepy) treats awaiting the courageous adventurer.  It really is like a video game world, where as the outsider you're free to wander through the lives, homes, and settings of the characters.  You're free to paw through characters' belongings, digging through drawers, opening letters (which often reveal interesting plot details), and getting up close and personal in a way theatre never permits.  At times, there is almost a feeling that you're the haunter, and the actors the haunted: Every time a character sets aside a personal article, and some faceless audience member picks it up for a quick inspection before the character comes back, it's definitely a strange moment.

The Set: 
Is as important as the plot, if not more so, and all I'm willing to reveal is that if you've ever wanted to explore Twin Peaks, this is the closest you'll get.

A Sense of Dissatisfaction: 
The show has taken some flack for being too obscure, its narrative too hard to piece together, an "Emperor's New" Play, so to speak.  To this I say: you're missing the point if you expect to get at the whole story.  Indeed, the pleasure of the experience is in only getting a glimpse of this strange new world, ever-so-briefly inhabiting a space where you know full well that there is so much more going on.  Yes, when it ended, I did feel a vague sense of disappointment that I'd seen so little of the world (whole rooms and characters, apparently), but is there any fault in theatre that makes you want to see it again? 

Some tips: 
DO go with a friend so you can compare notes afterwards.
DON'T stay with your friend the whole night.
DO push boundaries: there is very little against the rules, and there are very carefully placed staff in place to prevent you from doing anything too stupid.
DO follow some of the tertiary characters.  It becomes pretty obvious who the main narrative agents are (and tempting to only stick with them), but you risk missing out on an exceptional (and potentially intimate) moment with a security guard, secretary, seamstress, or any one of the other characters that populate the world.

Finally:
DO go see it.  Provided you have an open mind, it's an experience you'll never forget.