Six months ago, I postulated that the best movies of the year would arrive over the course of the second half of the year, as per usual. I was right, not that this is a difficult thing to predict. During the spring and summer months, Hollywood is focused on blockbusters. They don't necessarily have to be good, they just have to give viewers another helping of their favorite franchises without being embarrassing. Anything shooting for something beyond that is dubbed as "Oscar Fare" and released in the autumn or later. It's all neatly compartmentalized. Everyone gets what they want, but there's a predictable rhythm to it all.
Nevertheless, I'm pleased to note that my Top 10 list here, in contrast to last year's, spread the ball around a little more. A vast majority of my choices in 2012 were released in the November-December timeframe. This time, only three films on the list fit that description as September, October, and even July received a little more love.
A few notes: don't expect any superheroes or other franchise favorites to make the list this year. Really, 2012 spoiled us with The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and Skyfall. That's blockbuster representation we might not see again for a long time. The closest thing we had to that this year was The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which, for what it's worth, I'd rank #16, just barely behind my five runners-up choices.
Also, I normally have a pretty easy choice most years in selecting my No. 1 movie. Not this time. I went back and forth many, many times between two films before finally settling on one. Really, they should be 1 and 1A, and either one of them would've ranked ahead of my No. 1 from last year (Looper).
On with the show! First, the five runners-up (in alphabetical order):
And now for the Top 10, presented in reverse order with commentary:
Scorsese and DiCaprio are back and in great form, and this time they’ve taken things in a different direction. The Wolf of Wall Street is a bio-pic, but the filmmakers throw us a changeup by making this take on the slippery-dealing, hard-partying Jordan Belfort into a comedy. It makes for a fresher, not to mention more entertaining, approach than what we’re used to seeing with movies like this. And in all the times DiCaprio has worked for the director, this is easily the most wow-worthy performance he’s given.
Of all the movies in my Top 10, Prisoners has by far the most plot, and does it ever need its full 153-minute running time to tell it. It is both an awesomely unpredictable mystery thriller and a fascinating dive into brutally tough questions about morality and the law. Oscar buzz is curiously low for this movie and its stars (in particular Hugh Jackman, who is even better here than he was in Les Miserables), but don’t let that stop you from scoping this one out. It’s a superior thriller that not only keeps viewers guessing, but gives them plenty of after-movie debate material as well.
It sure feels good to include a Woody Allen movie in a Top 10. And while the venerable actor/director has another winner on his hands, it’s his star actress who deservedly earns all the accolades. Cate Blanchett turns in career-best work here as a character who is deplorable for her superficiality and addiction to wealth yet nonetheless fascinating for all the same reasons. Blue Jasmine hits all the right notes with its commentary on elitism and mental illness, and just when you think you have the movie’s title character figured out, Allen introduces a final wrinkle that forces you to re-evaluate everything.
Spike Jonze really knows how deliver movies that are unique, moving, darkly funny, and thought-provoking. He’s an auteur much like Quentin Tarantino, where a new film of his represents an event for a select group of movie-lovers. The basic premise of Her, that of a man starting a romantic relationship with a sophisticated, human-like Operating System, may sound ridiculous, but Jonze mines it for all its worth and takes the story in fascinating directions. Originality is at a premium these days in
Quite a few of 2013’s best movies are based on or inspired
by a true story, and Captain Phillips is
no exception. Though the ending is a matter of historical record, director Paul
Greengrass’ movie is likely to enthrall and exhaust most viewers. It’s a more
exciting movie than anything featuring superheroes or fast cars because the
characters and situations connect and feel real. Throw in superb performances
from the ever-reliable Tom Hanks and newcomer Barkhad Abdi and you’ve got a
movie that should leave an impact on just about everyone, whether they’re
looking for pure entertainment or something more.
5. Disconnect
I can’t for the life of me understand why a
drama this engrossing doesn’t have a place among the year’s Oscar hopefuls. Disconnect is nonetheless 2013’s great
hidden treasure, a movie few saw but absolutely need to see for its blistering
commentary on the darker side of social media. With a classic ensemble approach
to storytelling that I always appreciate, all three of Disconnect’s story threads engage, intrigue, and enrich the viewer.
I’ve seen it twice (it holds up extremely well on a second viewing) and
sincerely hope movie-lovers everywhere see it at least once. It is for and
about our Digital Age.
Yes, the graphic, NC-17-rated lesbian sex scenes in this movie caused quite a stir. But what makes Blue is the Warmest Color so memorable is that it’s about so much
more than nudity and orgasms. It’s about a young woman’s very realistic
struggle with life’s transitions, coming of age, and relationships. Lead
actress Adele Exarchopoulos gives, in my humble opinion, the best female
performance of the year, beating out Blue
Jasmine’s Cate Blanchett by a whisker. The language barrier and three-hour
running time appears daunting, but those two obstacles are surprisingly easy to
overcome. Give it time and patience and you’ll be rewarded with one of the
year’s most memorable experiences.
3. Gravity
Director Alfonso Cuaron went seven years between
this film and his last one, and the wait was worth it and then some. Gravity represents technology in the
movies used for its maximum impact; has the vastness and danger of space ever
felt like as much a character in its own right as it does here? The story,
while simple, is both realistic and resonant; this is not only about a woman’s
fight for survival but about the gamut of emotions she runs through in trying to
achieve it. Gravity also delivers a
resounding message to Hollywood
I understand the counter-argument against 12 Years a Slave, that it provokes anger
rather than healing, but I couldn’t disagree more. This blisteringly powerful
movie deals with an overwhelmingly dark period in human history, and filmmakers
who take on this challenge should absolutely not flinch from showing the
ugliness of slavery nor the wrenching emotions displayed by everyone involved. 12 Years a Slave isn’t made to entertain
viewers; it’s made to challenge and move them, and does it ever. Boasting
superb acting across the board (in particular from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita
Nyong’o) and perfect pacing, director Steve McQueen has made the slavery-based
film all others will now be judged by.
This is the only movie of 2013 that I feel goes
beyond simply telling a great story and becomes a teaching tool. It breathes
three-dimensional life into a main character that could’ve easily been depicted
as little more than an angelic victim. Its endgame is phenomenal, delivering
the hardest emotional punch of any movie this year in spite of the fact we all
know its coming. Yes, some scenes deviate from the historical record of Oscar
Grant III, but this isn’t a documentary. Instead, it’s narrative as statement,
whether you interpret that statement as political, existential, cautionary, or
all three. Fruitvale Station
represents the timeliest and most transcendent film of 2013, and its impact
will stay with me longer than any of its counterparts. It came out in July, and
even after Hollywood
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