Best Movies of the Year - 2013 edition
Ahhhh, yes. This time last year, I was in a tizzy, scrambling to come up with a list of my top 10 favorite movies of 2012, which was a problem because there was only one movie I could really get behind: Les Miserables. Sure, there were a few solid titles like Skyfall and Paranorman, but there were a bunch of movies I had liked when I saw them, but, by year's end, hadn't seen in months (Argo, The Perks of Being A Wallflower) and had a hard time mustering enthusiasm for. Thankfully, that's not a problem this year. Because of tighter finances and a regular all-day work schedule, I didn't see nearly as many movies in 2013, and, due to some fatigue, I didn't even review them all on this site. Still, I've been making unofficial Top Ten lists every year since 2003, and this anniversary year had a bunch of movies that delivered.
It's not easy to put movies in order, because every movie is different. After all, how do you compare a movie like Fruitvale Station-a movie that plays like a day-in-the-life pic until a gripping last 20 minutes-with an explosive blockbuster like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire? And like the Academy is going to have to decide, how do you determine which movie was better: a feast for the eyes that's also an exercise in unrelenting suspense, like Gravity, or a haunting, slow-burn drama that packs one heck of an emotional wallop, like 12 Years A Slave? It's never easy, especially when, this year, I had four particular movies that each, in their own way, absolutely knocked my socks off (Catching Fire, Gravity, 12 Years A Slave, and Captain Phillips). I could probably, at any given moment, talk myself into why any of them was the best, or why I'd rather re-watch one instead of the others. Luckily (or unluckily, I suppose), 12 Years was the only one of that quartet I haven't seen a second time, so I've got a pretty good handle on how good I really thought they each were. But anyway, here's the list:
Honorable Mentions
I always have to do this, because I enjoy movies, and ten is too few to acknowledge (is it weird to say I actually feel bad for movies at times like this? Because I do...). Some movies I enjoyed very much this year were the true-story Formula One rivalry flick Rush, which centered on the relationship between two very differently-cut individuals (played by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl); the zombie-human romance Warm Bodies, a surprisingly delightful and upbeat flick that was a huge breath of fresh air after all the drama that usually packs theaters; and Ender's Game, a visually-brilliant, largely-faithful adaptation of Orson Scott Card's book about a genius boy who gets a chance to prove his mettle at an elite, futuristic military school.
10. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
It could be a little dry as it dutifully recounted history, but not only is a lot of that history plenty interesting, but the movie was given even more weight by South African icon Nelson Mandela's death in early December. Strong performances by Idris Elba and Naomi Harris headlined this drama that sought to explain Mandela's almost-improbable desire for peace and unity, even amongst the white South African minority that had oppressed him and his people. I walked out of that movie more amazed by the story it told then by its merits as a movie, but I'll probably watch it again.
9. Man of Steel
I walked out of Man of Steel raving about its awesomeness, and, after three other viewings of the film (including two on DVD), I'm confident placing this movie here. It's true it burns through a lot of good will in a perfunctory, not-too-exciting action/destruction bonanza of a last half hour, but, before that, Steel proved an uncommonly good character drama, establishing Superman's origins both on Krypton and on Earth. I guess we'll see how its Superman vs. Batman sequel goes in a few years, but, with some great visuals and a killer cast, this movie gave me one great gift: it reminded me how awesome rooting on a superhero with real, childlike joy and awe can be. Best superhero movie since The Dark Knight, in my opinion.
8. Her
With an interesting premise and a few great actors, this movie lured me in, and, though I grew a little tired of its 'oversexualization', I couldn't help but be impressed by the brilliant writing. It's about a man in love with the female voice of his computer, but, with writer/director Spike Jonze's flowing dialogue and Scarlett Johanssen's note-perfect line delivery, it's hard to look back and acknowledge that Samantha had no physical presence in the movie. Her was, at times, laugh-out-loud funny and, at others, touching and brutally, emotionally real. Interesting how a movie in which a computer had the lion's share of the dialogue was one of the most human of the year.
7. Saving Mr. Banks
We're already getting to the nitty gritty, because this was one of the most fiercely-moving films of the year. It may have been a little conventional, but this story--about how stingy, uptight author P.L. Travers agreed to let Walt Disney turn her beloved literary creation, Mary Poppins, into a movie--crackled with dry wit, inner turmoil, hilarious situational humor, and tearjerking pathos. Oscar snubs Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks were terrific, as was a large, wonderful supporting cast that helped re-establish the glory of both Disney and showbusiness.
6. Fruitvale Station
Fruitvale is only significant because everybody knows the end, but that's what makes it so good. This day-in-the-life of accidental shooting victim Oscar Grant has a little bit of everything, from realistic domestic strife and inner turmoil to gut-wrenching suspense and heart-wrending tragedy. At 85 minutes, it was short but unforgettable, with star-making performances by Michael B. Jordan and Melonie Diaz. This movie truly made me want to go out and be nicer to people, to not judge people on their appearances.
5. Star Trek: Into Darkness
I might have worn out my enthusiasm for this movie by watching it a ton since I got it on DVD, but this sequel to the 2009 reboot--one of my all-time favorite movies--was completely engaging and exciting. Adding slick Brit Benedict Cumberbatch to a cast already consisting of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban, and beefing up the screen time for the terrific Simon Pegg, Into Darkness left me looking forward to J.J. Abrams' next "episode".
4. 12 Years A Slave
Here's where it gets hard. Close to an hour into this quiet but devastating drama, I was unimpressed; an hour later, I walked out repeatedly uttering things like "wow" and "that was a good movie". You've got to have a tough stomach to watch this hair-raising story (a true one) about a free black man from the North who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War south. You'll never forget some of the scenes of whipping and beating, and you'll be hard-pressed to forget some of the acting performances, from supporters Paul Dano and Sarah Paulson to the Oscar-nominated trio of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o. It can be bleak, but this superbly-moving film deserves every accolade it's been getting. **Even though it's 4th on my list, I will have no complaints when it wins the Best Picture Academy Award.**
3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The flat-out best movie adaptation of any book I've ever read. I saw it opening night in a theater rife with feverish excitement, and it delivered, completely fulfilling anything fans of the book or the previous movie could have hoped for. Catching Fire is a sprawling, sensational, action-packed spectacle that immediately eclipsed its predecessor as the better film, and finally convinced me that Jennifer Lawrence really is a force of nature to watch out for. Lawrence heads a great cast, and director Frances Lawrence (no relation) brings all the goods, making masterful work of some of the book's best sequences (the poisonous fog, the jabberjays, the lighting tree). I'm almost surprised it wasn't nominated for Oscars; it was that good. My high opinion of it held up after a second viewing; good luck, future blockbusters, in matching this level of awesome.
2. Captain Phillips
Almost forgotten in the midst of more emotional (12 Years A Slave) and flashier (Catching Fire) movies, Captain Phillips was going to come in low on this list until I rented it and re-watched it last night, and it blew me away. It's not Tom Hanks' acting, either...the movie's amazing authenticity, it's thinking-person's action, and hair-raising suspense make it a top-of-the-line thriller. I wish they'd beefed up the ending a little bit, but, otherwise, I have no other complaints about this rock-solid movie I could watch again right now.
1. Gravity
Back in October, I walked out of Alfonso Cuaron's amazing brainchild raving that it was one of the best movies I'd ever seen. While that was passion-of-the-moment praise, to be sure, I watched it a second time, and, was again, blown away by its stunning visuals, nonstop suspense and primal fight-for-survival themes. I'd never been a Sandra Bullock fan before...I am now. I'd never wanted to see a movie in 3-D before; I accomplished that today, and am happier for the experience. From its epic tracking shots to its story to Bullock's acting to the amazing visual effects and the soaring emotion of the ending, this is just a great, great movie.
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