My Best of 2013

There, that video should get you in the mood for my rather late contribution to the "best ofs" lists of 2013. Unlike most film critics who's lists came out sometime back in December, I do not get paid to see movies and write about them, so I am only coming out with the list now because I feel adequately prepared. I did my best to see the most important and talked about movies of 2013. The one major hole in my viewing is Nebraska which has found its place on many top lists of the year, but I just didn't get around to it. So hopefully I don't see it after a few weeks and decide its the greatest, but somehow I doubt that will happen. I also did not see Blue is the Warmest Color (or as some call it "blue is the longest movie"), but somehow I doubt I would like it that much?

Anyway, 2013 was a pretty darn great year for movies. Things weren't looking so hot (pun!) during the Summer with all the boring blockbusters coming out (Iron Man 3 and World War Z, I'm looking at you). Needless to say, I felt very glad for the friend I had working at the local Regal who made it so I didn't have to pay for nearly all of those films. But then the Fall and Winter season of films and award contenders came out and wow, I was getting flashbacks to 2007 which in my opinion is one of the greatest years for film in my lifetime so far (There Will be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Into the Wild, just to name a few). This year's Academy Awards is going to be a tough one to call in almost every category. Films from genres of all kinds and with all sorts of interesting stories and themes could win big awards this year and it's been a blast getting to watch them all. And with that, I'll get to my list which was very hard to make. So much so that I decided to go with a top 15 instead of the normal 10.

15. The Hunt

Nominated for Best Foreign Language film and from Denmark, The Hunt stars Mads Mikkelsen as an elementary school teacher wrongfully accused of molesting a child. It's an excruciatingly frustrating film to watch as we see Mikkelsen's character attacked and shunned by former best friends when we (as the audience) know he's innocent all along. Brilliantly acted, written, and directed, The Hunt is dark and intense, but definitely one of the strongest foreign films I've seen this year.

14. Short Term 12

Short Term 12 is that rare Sundance Film Festival movie that gets rave reviews and actually turns out to be more than just another movie about sad white people wondering what to do with their lives. The film is about Grace (Brie Larson) and her coworkers who work at a treatment facility for abused and troubled youth. It successfully rides a fine line between terribly sad and wonderfully uplifting. It does not shy away from the harsh realities and effects of kids without families, abused by their families, or simply left alone to fend for themselves but at the same time highlights the efforts of people in this world who care for such kids. A wonderfully acted, written film and a fantastic second feature for director/writer Destin Cretton.

13. Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis could be rightly called a sort of "passion" piece for the Coen Brothers as it does not tackle material or a story that general audiences would find captivating, but it executes its script in only a way that the Coens can deliver. It's got all their signature quirky characters, wit, and pessimism that we've come to expect. Not to mention a great soundtrack. It's lack of a clear purpose may be frustrating to most audiences, but those among us with finer attentions to detail will fall in love with the style and subtly complex themes at work in the background.

12. Captain Phillips

Normally I am not a fan of director Paul Greengrass' style, but he won me over with Captain Phillips. Smartly written and directed, Captain Phillips is definitely Greengrass' best work to date and features strong performances from Tom Hanks and new-comer Barkhad Abdi. Interestingly enough, Hanks did not get nominated for the Oscar, but thankfully Abdi did. It's as strong a thriller as you could hope for and provides an interesting perspective to this true story that goes beyond the action.

11. Prisoners

One of the most underrated movies of the year, in my humble opinion, is Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners. It may lean too heavily on melodrama and a script that gets too neatly tied up at the end, but that doesn't stop it from being very entertaining and intense from the beginning to the end of its 2 1/2 hour running time. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers the best performance, but everyone else does a fine job as well. Still, the best part of the film resides in Villeneuve's excellent pacing and directing and Roger Deakins' beautifully haunting cinematography.

10. American Hustle

While David O. Russell may be relying too heavily on the style of early Scorsese movies at times, that doesn't stop American Hustle from being highly entertaining and one of Russell's best films to date. The all-star cast is a pleasure to watch, specifically Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, and it brings together many of the themes and characters Russell has been working towards these last few years. The story gets a little lost sometimes as the performances and characters take center stage, but that didn't bother me at all especially when it means watching Bradley Cooper and Louis CK's hilarious interaction or Lawrence rock out to "Live and Let Die." Over all, a well directed, acted, and written film from Russell.

9. Dallas Buyers Club

What looked like nothing more than an attempt at grabbing some Oscar nominations turned out to be one of the most effecting and interesting films of the year. Dallas Buyers Club tells a genuinely compelling true story that has multiple layers of themes and topics; specifically, it takes a hard, sobering look at people staring death in the face and doing everything they can to survive. Matthew McConaughey continues with his shockingly good acting and stands a very good chance of taking home the Best Actor Oscar this year. Jared Leto is fantastic as well and could definitely win Best Supporting Actor. 

8. The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street finds Martin Scorsese back at the top of his game in his directing of this rip-roaring ride through the booze and drug soaked life of Jordan Belfort. At 3 hours long, there's never a dull moment. The expert writing, editing, and above all, electric performance from Leonardo Dicaprio make this film not only one of the most entertain films of the year but one of the funniest. Its crude and abrasive content may offend some, but don't misunderstand its purpose, Scorsese and his team are not trying to say any of this is good, not in the least! But that doesn't mean it can't be fun to watch!

7. Philomena

Director Stephen Frears has an incredible knack for taking simple stories and characters and turning them into incredibly thought provoking pieces of cinema, and Philomena is nothing less than that. Philomena's story and character (wonderfully acted by Judi Dench, as always) provide a host of reflection on the past in terms of one's faults and decisions and how those may have affected others. I didn't expect to like Philomena as much as I did, but as it stands, it's one of the most subtly impacting films of the year.

6. Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen doesn't often make great films these days, but when he does, they're really great. Cate Blanchett's phenomenal portrayal of the emotionally troubled, devastated Jasmine is funny, pitiful, and sad to watch in only the way that Allen can accomplish. All of Allen's trademarks are in top form and it also features a great supporting cast including Sally Hawkins and Alec Baldwin. Over all, Blue Jasmine is an excellent and enrapturing character study of a tragic person who refuses to recognize their mistakes.

5. Mud

Much earlier in 2013, writer/director Jeff Nichols released Mud and it received rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival and elsewhere. At its heart, the film is wholly American and a study and critique of masculinity, love, and commitment. It creates nostalgia with its old-fashioned setting of adventure on the Mississippi river, but at the same time it is undeniably modern in the story it tells and the characters it shapes. McConaughey has received more attention for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, but I found his acting in Mud to be equally good in a more subtle way. Nichols' previous films have pegged him as a director to watch, and Mud continues that notion with the utmost brilliance.

4. Before Midnight

Before Midnight marks the end of director/writer Richard Linklater's journey with actors and co-writers Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as they once again portray Jesse and Celine, the couple audiences have come to adore as they walk and talk around Europe. However, this time Jesse and Celine are not in the greatest shape. Before Midnight takes an honest, sometimes brutally honest look at when a relationship reaches the stage where the magic or "spark" seems to have disappeared. Like the past films of the "Before" trilogy, the conversation throughout the film is enthralling, and this time even more so. Jesse and Celine's argument is uncomfortable and sad to watch, but its honesty is very valuable. The reflection and commentary on the passing of time and what it means to commit yourself to another person is one of the most beneficial and insightful experiences I've had with a film for a long time. It's nothing but a triumphant and discerning end to a great set a films.

3. Gravity

The special effects and cinematography of being flung through space have wowed audiences around the world, but thankfully, that is not all Gravity has to offer. It may hold some of the coolest scenes and sights you're likely to see in a film for the next decade, but writers Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron made sure to add a vital and impacting human element to the action. Sandra Bullock's character Ryan acts out one of the most touching scenes this year with a monologue towards the end and it is what brought me to the conclusion that Gravity isn't just an amazing movie to look at, it's also a valuable piece of poignant cinema and a motivational one at that.

2. 12 Years a Slave

After seeing Hunger, I knew that Steve McQueen was an awesome director and knew how to create some seriously intense scenes. Shame only affirmed this idea and then some while taking the tragedy to a whole new level. Unlike some of the stylistic trends of these two films, 12 Years a Slave is simple in its layout and delivery, but extremely powerful in its resonance. Chiwetel Ejiofor is heartbreaking in the lead role and Michael Fassbender utterly ruthless as the cruelest slave-owner. The directing is masterfully controlled and precise and doesn't shy away from making the audience dwell on the brutal situations and circumstances of slavery. As far as period/historical pieces go for the year, 12 Years a Slave wins hands down, and it stands one of the best chances of winning Best Picture and/or Best Director. 

1. Her

Many films of 2013 had things to say about the emotional, physical, and psychological state of humans when left alone. Gravity, 12 Years a Slave, Captain Phillips, All is Lost, each offers a different perspective to being abandoned, alone, left to die. But out of all these great films, I believe Spike Jonze's Her offers the most heartbreaking, poignant depiction of loneliness and our need for companionship in today's society. In terms of the technology of this futuristic setting, Jonze highlights how we need to be constantly connected, encouraged, and satisfied. But in terms of human connection, Jonze shows how technology such as this falls short and we ultimately need real human contact. Literally, this comes down to being able to touch another person and feel their touch for Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix in an amazing performance that was shamefully denied an Oscar nomination). But this also means learning to accept the hardships and failures that come along with dealing with another human being, and ultimately, even if the whole relationship fails, Her shows how sharing your life, a small or large part of it, with another person is an amazing thing. Thus, Her wins the #1 spot on my list of the greatest films of 2013 for its honest depiction of one of the most complex sides of humanity.