This year's list was, again, following a continuing trend, even easier to compile than last year's. That being said, I also saw far fewer films this year than usual, so the list is biased in that respect. Films I'm sure would be on the list had I actually watched them: 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Dallas Buyer's Club, Inside Llewyn Davis, Her, Fruitvale Station. So, feel free to discuss whether you think those should have cracked this list, what you thought, etc.
So, disclaimers out of the way, let's get to the ten best movies of 2013.
10. Side Effects
I feel like this one is going to be rapidly forgotten by a lot of people, and that's really too bad. One of the best living American directors, Steven Soderbergh, retired from making feature films this year (along with the great Hayao Miyazaki, and if you don't know who he is, shame on you), although he did also direct the HBO special Behind the Candelabra. This movie is a solid, expertly crafted thriller with great acting and fun twists. It also manages to skirt the tricky subject of pharmacology and the age of antidepressants, but other critics have seen it in the reverse way. Whatever your stance on it and whether you think the film has something to say about depression in this country is unimportant though, and getting bogged down in that discussion would detract from the quality of the film itself. Do yourself a favor and catch Steven's swan song.
9. This Is the End
Seth Rogen has been helping write and starring in comedies for a long time now, but this is the first time he's been in the director's chair, and the results were more than anybody could have expected. The only movie of the year that managed to get real belly laughs out of me, This Is the End succeeds for two key reasons: the real-life relationships and spontaneity of the actors involved, and the willingness to go there. As in, just when you think the film is going to stop and reel back and not do "that thing," it does that thing and then some. It could be argued that this is a bold artistic statement in and of itself, but this of course also depends on your tolerance for CGI penises and arguments about male ejaculation.
8. The Place Beyond the Pines
A very populist contender and fan favorite this year, but also a very polarizing film, both due to the presence of Ryan Gosling, putting on his dramatic face once again and reminding us all why we fell in love with Drive (which Only God Forgives failed to do on a spectacular scale). But that's not what makes the film good. It's the writing, which is attempting to tell a big story with big ideas, and succeeds...somewhat. It would be higher on the list, but I feel the overall result is a bit clunky and the film was too ambitious. That being said, it's worth your time. Just be willing to meet it halfway, and temper your expectations.
7. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Yeah, so The Hobbit is on the list again this year, too. Eat me. This movie is so much fun it's stupid. It managed to paint a big goofy grin on my face throughout and even tug on my heartstrings, even when it's self-consciously using cheap tricks in order to do so. But the CGI was less obtrusive this time around, and was much better paced in terms of storytelling. It's a true middle of something, and inhabits all the qualities the middle should have. Overall, just big, blockbuster fun.
6. Stoker
Chan-wook Park has been a big name in South Korean cinema for a very long time now, and for good reason: he's a damn fine filmmaker. It's about time he started earning more respect (Spike Lee directed a remake of Oldboy this year that failed to make a big splash, and I didn't see it at any rate). So, Stoker is his first movie to be released theatrically stateside, and it may be hard for some people to understand why what they are watching is so good, at first. This is, of course, because foreign aesthetics when it comes to filmmaking are much different than ours. Stoker has beautiful, mesmerizing cinematography, the DP performing tricks that made my head spin at first, then quickly melted into the overall experience that is the film. Great acting from everyone involved, and also being creepy and taut without ever falling into a strict genre definition of thriller or horror, this has genuine crossover appeal and bodes well for the future of importing great movies here to the USA.
5. To the Wonder
This is the first Terrence Malick flick I've ever watched, and it was probably, definitely NOT my best decision, because diving into this cerebral, experimental, visually dazzling mess of a fucking movie with no reference point as to what I was in for was so disorienting and hard to swallow I had to fight to stay involved...but I'm glad I did. This movie is certainly not for everyone, so take my endorsement with a grain of salt, but there is no denying Malick's talent and auteur-status. To the Wonder is a beautiful, thoughtful meditation on love, powered by solid performances and one-of-a-kind cinematography. Sometimes it starts to feel repetitive (okay, I get it, they're in love...I don't need to see them spinning and dancing in a field anymore), and it's far from perfect. Perhaps even over-ambitious. But no worse for it.
4. Prisoners
I remember when this film was released in theaters, and I thought, "Meh, looks like a thriller movie. Hugh Jackman. Boring." Then, out of nowhere, it started getting post-release hype...and it continued to build, and build, and finally by the time it was released on DVD my expectations were through the roof. I absolutely had to see this. And miraculously, everyone was right. Prisoners is a damn good movie. It's a thriller, nothing more and nothing less on paper, but it's approached with a degree of care for its characters and drenched in psychological realism, with a bold in-your-face ending that refuses to kowtow to expectations. The experience sharply reminded me of the difference between reading a cheap Dan Brown or James Patterson book and reading actual literature...and in a Justin Cronin-like fashion, Prisoners manages to bridge that gap. How refreshing to see a movie that's more concerned with the way people act as opposed to getting from Plot Point A to Plot Point B.
EDIT: Spring Breakers (Actual #4)--In making this list, I accidentally skipped over Spring Breakers, the Harmony Korine film that was released stateside in March last year. It originally premiered overseas in 2012, thus I failed to include it in my process of tabulation. Thus, Side Effects is no longer in the actual top 10, and should be considered an honorable mention. Every other preceding entry is one step lower, accordingly.
This one crept up on me. I remember seeing trailers for it and thinking it looked awful, which is a typical first reaction. Spring Breakers is a strange sort of creature. Harmony Korine, the director, originally wrote the screenplay for Kids which launched his career, and has been making oddball films ever since. He has a particular knack for distilling and observing some of the more bizarre, disturbing aspects of American culture. After learning he was behind Spring Breakers, and that it was actually going to get a major theatrical release, my interest was very piqued. It failed to make a huge splash, which was to be expected, because marketing a Korine picture must be a nightmare, and even those who went out to see it were confused, often disgusted, offended, disappointed, angry. Spring Breakers can and should elicit all of these emotions, because it's not what it appears to be on the surface. It's actually a terrifying, acidic satire of the new American dream, awash in neon lights and dizzying repetition, pulsing dubstep, bouncing titties, liquor, and money. The entire experience is like a hazy dream that feels incredibly vivid while you're in it and then quickly becomes difficult to piece back together once you wake up. Not for the faint of heart, Spring Breakers is a bold artistic statement and a confirmation that Korine actually knows what he's doing.
3. Before Midnight
Richard Linklater is one of my favorite directors. He just does it good, time after time, no matter what kind of movie he's making. A bit of a primer on Before Midnight: back in 1995, Linklater made Before Sunrise, a cute, talky romance flick that connected with audiences and critics alike. Flash forward nine years, and he releases Before Sunset, a film that is also very cute and talky, but is following the same characters, nine years after they've met. Now, we're given Before Midnight, and it's continued with the concept: our characters are still together, nine years later, and we're seeing a relationship that has been weathered and beaten by the ravages of time. It follows the same sort of structural gimmick: it's a lot of walking and talking, but the stark realness of it penetrates deep. It should be noted that the film is pretty unique in its ambitions, and if you think this sounds interesting, just take a look at the next project Linklater's working on, titled Boyhood. No, go ahead. I'll wait.
Anyway, this is a great movie, and totally deserves the spot on the list, but a warning: do not attempt to watch this without watching the prior two films first. It is NOT ADVISED. You will absolutely ruin and spoil any enjoyment you may have hoped to gain from it. But definitely do check out this trilogy, because they just keep getting better and better.
2. Pacific Rim
Haha! Yes, giant robots fighting giant monsters! CGI! Special effects! Wooo!
Not convinced? Perhaps, but I don't care. Haters be damned, this movie was so kick-ass fucking radical cool it made me feel like a little boy again, full of wonder and pure enjoyment. This is the essence of cinema, people! Hell, all art! To make us fucking feel something. And God, does this movie succeed. It kickstarted my adrenaline like no other action flick since The Matrix, genuinely raised my pulse, literally took my breath away, and gave me a jolt to the gut like no other movie this past year. It's nothing short of a goddamn miracle of spectacle. So what sets it apart from the pack? It's a deceivingly simple trick, one that a lot of people I've talked to can't quite wrap their head around: the movie has heart. No, really! Real heart. As in, it was made by a filmmaker who actually cared about what he was making. He respected the material he was working with, respected the genre. He had a vision of what he wanted to create, and he executed it with such aplomb I'm stunned. He doesn't care about money. He doesn't care about the studio. He just cares for his art, and he pours his heart into it every time. That man? Guillermo del Toro. See, when you put a man in the director's chair with respect, care, and a vision, he will usually end up creating something worthwhile. Still not on board with Pacific Rim? Allow me to direct you to this page, which will very carefully and very accurately explain what happens when this same sort of film gets made by an amateur and why Pacific Rim is superior: http://tinyurl.com/mpjucdj
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
Duh. Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance of his career, working with the great Martin Scorsese once again, turning out a wunderkind of contemporary cinema, timely, comedic, frightening, true, provocative, inflammatory. I shouldn't really have to sell this to you. Just go see it. It's better than Casino, it easily stands side-by-side with Goodfellas, it's going to be remembered as one of the best from one of the all-time greatest.
Honorable Mentions:
The World's End--Edgar Wright continues to grow and evolve with every movie he makes, which makes me wet for Ant-Man. Also, great end to a great trilogy.
Mud--Jeff Nichols is quickly on his way to becoming a quintessentially American filmmaker, and Mud is not only a big notch on his belt, but Matthew McConaughey's as well. Seriously, this guy finally learned how to act. Almost plays out like a Mark Twain fable.
Thor: The Dark World--For fans of superhero movies and those following the Marvel Movieverse, this is a very exciting, well-made entry that bodes well for the rest of Phase Two and beyond.
