The Bad Guy's Top 50 Movies of 2013

[The Bad Guy]

It's been a very eventful year for me in my personal life. As a result, I haven't been online as much and it took me longer to get around to seeing everything I wanted to in order to write this list. There are still some things I was not able to get to in time (At Berkeley, Bastards) and some other things I will have to consider 2014 films due to distribution issues (A Touch of Sin, The Wind Rises etc).

As usual, I will post a list of 20 honorable mentions that missed the cut. These films are listed in no particular order.

Also, please feel free to comment throughout this thread and tell me how wrong I am about everything.

Honorable Mentions:

Stories We Tell
Gasland 2
The Angels Share
The Place Beyond The Pines
Dirty Wars
20 Feet From Stardom
This Is The End
A Hijacking
Prisoners
My Brother The Devil
Captain Phillips
Behind the Candelabra
The Kings of Summer
Simon Killer
Post Tenebras Lux
Gimme The Loot
You're Next
Pain and Gain
Frances Ha
Pacific Rim

[The Bad Guy]

50. Like Someone In Love

http://i.imgur.com/sxFOyTP.jpg?1

From the film's opening in a noisy Tokyo bar all the way to an elderly man's disconnected phone call, the story seems keenly focused on the way that people communicate with one another. Much of the dialogue comes in the form of communication devices such as intercoms or voicemail recordings. The face-to-face interactions are often wrought with confusion or dishonesty, resulting from societal pressures or a desire to avoid awkwardness.

These interactions are never dull, in fact they can downright intense at times, but it's also sad to consider how difficult truly open communication can be between people. The collateral damage that results from this can be considerable, and Kiarostami's film doesn't shy away from showing these consequences that result in ways that are both big and small. While these ideas are disconcerting, they are well worth thinking about. Like Someone In Love invites us to examine why these invisible barriers exist and how to navigate them.


49. Dallas Buyers Club

http://i.imgur.com/0BftGBu.jpg?1

Despite the awards buzz and critical success, Dallas Buyers Club has been (in my anecdotal experience) one of the more controversial films of 2013. Many are quick to criticize the film's depiction of the FDA politics and the demonizing of official medical channels by those in the buyer club community. While I agree with some of these criticisms I do not think that the film was wrong to display the palpable anger that many AIDS patients had at this time, even if that vicarious outrage simplified an inherently complex problem.

Unlike films made on the subject like How To Survive A Plague, Dallas Buyer's Club is not inherently about the AIDS crisis. To me, this film is primarily focused on the story of Ron Woodroof and the emotional journey he undergoes after his diagnosis. It's a compelling true story and the character is brilliantly portrayed by Matthew McConaughey. For these reasons I was willing to overlook some of the film's more controversial elements and lose myself in the journey of this man both struggling to prolong his life while re-evaluating what makes life worth living.



48. A Band Called Death

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A Band Called Death tells the incredible true story of a pioneering band that simply called themselves 'Death'. They were an all-black punk band comprised of three brothers. It was the early 1970s, a time when Motown music was the norm for black musicians and their style was completely obscure. But the Hackney brothers were uncompromising, playing the music that they loved and even refusing a record deal because they wouldn't change the name of their band.

I'll avoid going into too much detail about the story, so as to avoid spoilers. But I will say that it's an emotionally turbulent story with plenty of trials and tragedies for the band, as well as their family. In its own way it's also an uplifting story about celebrating obscurity, perseverance, and the importance of family ties from one generation to the next.



47. The Counselor

http://i.imgur.com/1G4CPkU.jpg

The Counselor is one of those films that might simply be "too weird to live, too rare to die". Despite its star-studded cast, a Cormac McCarthy screenplay, a big name director in Ridley Scott... the film was a colossal failure both with critics (it has a woeful 34% on Rotten Tomatoes) and moviegoers (it took in only $17m in box office sales). While it's bound to show up on plenty of Worst Of lists for 2013, there is a small but vocal group of movie buffs that walked away from it pleasantly surprised. I am one of those people.

It's unsurprising that many people criticize the lack of likeable characters or the uncompromisingly bleak script. But I actually admire the film for giving such a huge middle finger to these storytelling conventions and showing the raw ugliness of the drug trade. It leaves a strong, lasting impression of savagery that's hard to shake. Not to mention the fact that it's filled with some of the most stunning scenes of the year, including some shocking death scenes and a very unique story involving a car. In one scene, Reiner (Bardem) tells the counselor (Fassbender) that he regrets telling him such a shocking story and insists it would be best if he simply forgot it. I for one am glad for the experience, and I doubt I'd be able to forget some of these scenes if I tried.


46. Fill The Void

http://i.imgur.com/iiquyGJ.jpg

The story of Fill The Void involves an arranged marriage proposal between Shira and a promising young man. One day, Shira's older sister dies in childbirth and leaves her widowed husband with a child that he plans to take with him overseas. Not wanting to lose her only grandchild, Shira's mother urges her to marry her sister's widowed husband.

Set in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community, there are times when their world seems completely alien to us. Yet Fill The Void explores the nature/nurture issue with empathy and understanding. We can see clearly why Shira is conflicted, but we can also see those invisible forces of family and tradition pulling her into this world and into a life that she's not sure she wants to live. It's a fascinating portrait of how easily one can become assimilated into the environment they're born into, and how these cultures sustain themselves from within.


45. Beyond The Hills

http://i.imgur.com/dFwXTHL.jpg

Taking place inside an isolated Romanian convent, Beyond The Hills tells the story of Alina reuniting with her childhood friend and lover Voichita. But having been in the isolated convent for so long, Voichita is now devoutly religious and a changed woman. This unrequited love drives Alina to madness, as she desperately wants to elope with Voichita but increasingly finds the situation to be hopeless. What plays out next is something I won't go into much detail about, since it's better not to know too much going in. I will say that it becomes a very tense and ethically dicey situation, one that transpires without any clear heroes or villains.

It would be easy for Mungui to take this true story from 2005 and make it into preachy film about repression or the self-criminalization of religion. But the film never gives into this temptation. Yes, the priest is a harsh and devout man, but he is not motivated by malice. The convent is culpable in what goes on, but so are other secular institutions like the hospital. We understand that these people are trying to make the best of a very difficult situation, but perhaps no institution is capable of dealing with the underlying conflict.

Though the film is a tad overlong, it's a fascinating story and its ideas stay with you.


44. Star Trek: Into Darkness

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The latest (and potentially last) Abrams installment, Star Trek: Into Darkness, is a fast-paced thrill ride with moments of genuine tension and emotion. Yet it still manages to throw in quite a few jokes and references along the way. It's a difficult task to infuse lighthearted humor into a film and still have the audience on the edge of their seat, but somehow Into Darkness manages this while so many other films fail to get it right.

This sequel is in some ways an improvement over the first. Much of the film's quality is thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of 'John Harrison'. The character is mysterious and captivating, and he keeps the audience guessing what he'll do next as this chess game plays itself out. The action set pieces are abundant and the special effects are top notch, just as they were in the first film.

If you've seen the Star Trek reboot then you have some idea what you're in for with this sequel. Some Trek purists are still going to be put off by how fundamentally different it is from classic Star Trek TV and film, bemoaning the fact that this morally complex sci-fi universe has essentially been transformed into a big budget roller-coaster ride. While they do have a point, I think it's safe to say that most people will be too busy enjoying themselves to mind. It does just about everything right in the way of the Summer blockbuster.


43. The Selfish Giant

http://i.imgur.com/phcaF3f.jpg

When the two boys, Arbor and Swifty, get kicked out of school they decide to scavenge illegally for whatever metals they can find and pawn off. Their working poor environment is a bleak one without much hope for a proper future, so despite Arbor's bad influence it's easy to see why Swifty succumbs to his friend's bad influence and follows him down this self-destructive path. The two are consistently exploited and mistreated by the scrapyard owner, but the boys remain eager to do his dirty work for him - starved for whatever money they can get their hands on.

This story about the English underclass can be tough to sit through. It's worth it, however, because Clio Barnard's film is beautifully constructed and creates a vivid portrait of these children's lives. It's a film of desperation and hopelessness that leaves an indelible impression on the viewer, bringing to light a world that is often invisible to most people. Without giving anything I way, I'll add that the final act hit me like a ton of bricks.


42. The Square

http://i.imgur.com/Na1WTUV.jpg

The Square is filled with excellent footage from Tahrir protestors, documenting a revolution that has spanned years of time. It's rare that a film can show you what it was like to be involved in a historic political movement as its happening. This film does that and infuses all the anger and urgency of a disillusioned populace, willing to do whatever it took to take back their country from a corrupt dictatorship.

At times, the film can feel a bit jumbled, which makes it difficult to become more emotionally invested (there were over a dozen different editors working on the project). But what The Square lacks in quality editing it makes up for in the quality of its footage, the voices of its people, the maturity with which it handles its subject matter, and its value as a historical document of the Arab Spring.

Part of what I like about The Square is also what I find frustrating about it. The documentary offers no solutions to the relentless corruption and cycle of political corruption other than rallying at Tahrir square. So while the enthusiasm and resolve of the protesters are inspirational, I was left wondering how much good (if any) was being accomplished by the activists. It's always refreshing to see a documentary present these problems without framing them. After all, complex political problems like those in modern Egypt are not easily resolved. At the same time, it can be discouraging to see so much passion for political reform run into corruption time after time.


41. Blackfish

http://i.imgur.com/TnKPpk5.jpg

The most compelling film about the ethical treatment of animals since The Cove. Blackfish explores the disturbing relationship between companies like Sea World and the whales that they hold in captivity. Dealing with several famous incidents of whale violence against human trainers, the film delves into what causes these otherwise peaceful animals to attack. Unsurprisingly, the conditions of their captivity are appalling and suggest that such outbursts (while rare) are the direct result of human behavior.

Blackfish can at times be heartbreaking to watch, but much of the emotional turmoil doesn't come from the vivid footage, it comes from stories recounted by those involved and from the shocking information we're given about the lives of these captive whales. The film is at its best when it is exploring the ethical implications of animal cruelty, but it can get a bit distracted at times, fixating on the legal process involved in workman's compensation relating to the attacks. Clearly it's an impassioned advocacy film, but it's an effective one. It's hard to imagine people walking away from this justifying the imprisonment of these majestic animals for entertainment.

This film made me recall my experience at such a show when I was a young child. I enjoyed myself at the time, but it never occurred to me that I might be participating in something inherently unethical. I also recall being brought on a field trip once as a child and seeing dolphins held there. Our teacher asked our class how the captivity of dolphins related to the problem of slavery, which caused all of us to snicker and make snide remarks. But because of films like Blackfish, I now fully understand what she was saying. She had a point.

[Dukefrukem]

So far so good. I've seen most of these so I question your placement of Star Trek and you mention it's an "improvement" over the first which I couldn't disagree more with. I think this was one of the worst movies of the year for me.

[Pop Trash]

I think this was one of the worst movies of the year for me.

YARP. Aside from Man of Steel, there was no other movie that annoyed me more.

[Grouchy]

So far so good. I've seen most of these so I question your placement of Star Trek and you mention it's an "improvement" over the first which I couldn't disagree more with. I think this was one of the worst movies of the year for me.
Seriously.

[The Bad Guy]

Wow, I guess this is a not a place that takes kindly to Star Trek Into Darkness.


So far so good. I've seen most of these so I question your placement of Star Trek and you mention it's an "improvement" over the first which I couldn't disagree more with. I think this was one of the worst movies of the year for me.

Well, I was trying to say that there are a number of ways in which it's better than the first film. The biggest one being that Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan was much more intriguing and menacing than Bana's Nero. I actually think the two films are of comparable quality overall, with each being better in certain areas.

[The Bad Guy]

40. Nebraska

http://i.imgur.com/2crdhyn.jpg?1

Nebraska's mid-western landscapes and black-and-white footage may be reminiscent of a Bella Tarr film, but don't be fooled. Alexander Payne's film is a comedy/drama that often feels more like the former than the latter.

The story centers around David's father Woody, who is convinced that he has just won a million dollars in a magazine sweepstakes and must go to Lincoln Nebraska to collect his prize. David knows it's a scam, but his efforts to convince his father fall on deaf ears. Finally, David begrudgingly agrees to drive his father to Nebraska. It's a modest story, but it's also a very endearing one.

As we go on this journey with David and Woody, we watch them learn about each other and develop a father & son connection that appears lacking earlier in the film. We also begin to understand more about Woody's character when he's juxtaposed with some unscrupulous folks who mean to take advantage of him. The earlier portrayal of him as an alcoholic father begins to fade, and even though we recognize that his faculties are slipping we begin to understand him and root for him. It's a heartfelt film, boosted by quality performances from the entire cast. And for a story that's so simple, it actually manages to produce one of the better endings of the year.


39. The Past

http://i.imgur.com/OgmVCtX.jpg?1

I wasn't as fond of Asghar Farhadi's latest film as I was with A Separation, which I felt had more thematic depth and a more compelling narrative. But this is still a truthful and tense domestic drama that is another strong addition to his resume. He seems to be a modern master of making mountains out of moguls, finding high stakes tension within families that on their surface appear nondescript or ordinary.

The Past is beautifully acted and contains an explosive plot. At times the film may seem slow, as life often does, but there are intermittent bursts of sheer tension or tragedy that are on par with some of the best thrillers. Aptly titled, the film explores themes of past regrets and the inability to right wrongs committed. Characters who might find happiness if only they could let go of what transpired and live in the present, but their troubled pasts won't let them resolve things so easily. Perhaps the only thing I didn't like about the film was the ambiguous ending, which felt disjointed from the rest of the film's narrative. Otherwise, this is a gripping and often painful drama that is well worth your time.


38. Wadjda

http://i.imgur.com/URCrzzF.jpg

Wadjda is the first feature film to ever be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. It's the first Saudi film ever made by a female director and the only film I've ever seen from the country. It's perhaps fitting that such a unique film would advocate religious and social reform through its protagonist, Wadjda, an 11-year-old girl who aspires to buy a bicycle and race alongside her male classmates. It's a straightforward narrative, but it's so compelling because of its unique setting. No film I've seen has ever given me this kind of insight into what it's like for women in an orthodox Muslim country, so while many of the storytelling elements seem familiar it all feels fresh and unique. We root for Wadjda despite her constant troubles and disappointments. We know that the world she inhabits isn't fair, but we admire her struggle and her character in the face of such adversity.

Waad Mohammed is absolutely delightful as Wadjda. I don't know where they found this girl, but she fits the role perfectly and you fall in love with her character from the very first frames. The film is worth watching for this reason alone.


37. Blue Jasmine

http://i.imgur.com/yY9F2VA.jpg?1

Woody Allen returns to form with Blue Jasmine, or what I sometimes like to jokingly refer to as Schadenfreude: The Movie. We see Jasmine's character in the aftermath of her fall from grace, married to a wealthy husband who ran into legal trouble and wound up with his life destroyed. But despite these hardships, Jasmine is unwilling to adjust her lifestyle or find any humility. She's a downright mean and self-absorbed woman, whose antics consistently astound the viewer. The character is brilliantly portrayed by Cate Blanchett, who sells it so well that we completely forget we're watching an actress in a role. Some could argue that she gives the best female performance of the year, and while I wouldn't put her at #1 I'd be hard pressed to criticize that choice.

It's a film filled with dark humor and clever dialogue. The outlandish premise allows for plenty of memorable exchanges as we watch this woman's fall from grace, leaving behind a life of privilege that she experienced but never earned. Blue Jasmine does take a bit of a somber turn towards the end, when it's revealed in full detail how these present circumstances came to pass. I imagine some viewers may have radically different interpretations on this, part of which would depend on whether you began to empathize with Jasmine's character or simply found her unredeemable. I personally thought the final act was emotionally complex but ultimately satisfying.


36. Side Effects

http://i.imgur.com/or3fifr.jpg?1

It can be difficult to talk about Side Effects without delving into spoiler territory. The film is constantly taking twists and turns, starting in one direction before delving into full-fledged thriller territory. The audience is left trying to put the puzzle pieces together as new bits of information are slowly revealed. We're not entirely sure what to think until the film's final act, when everything becomes perfectly clear. Scott Burns script kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the film and I walked away from this story impressed with its unrelenting intrigue.

If this is one of Soderbergh's last films then I believe it's one he can look back on and be proud of. It's a compelling mystery yarn that's very well edited, and it features some standout performances from Rooney Mara and Jude Law. It may not be a film that has much to say about the human condition or the ethics of pharmaceuticals, but it's one of the most exciting movies of the year.

[EyesWideOpen]

Wow, I guess this is a not a place that takes kindly to Star Trek Into Darkness

Ignore them. It's a good movie.

[Dukefrukem]

Wow, I guess this is a not a place that takes kindly to Star Trek Into Darkness.



Well, I was trying to say that there are a number of ways in which it's better than the first film. The biggest one being that Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan was much more intriguing and menacing than Bana's Nero. I actually think the two films are of comparable quality overall, with each being better in certain areas.

It not only threw up on the established Star Trek universe, but it was a poor attempt at homage and trying to remake already established scenes in the franchise. Why not try and ... ya know... create new ones?

[The Bad Guy]

35. The World's End

http://i.imgur.com/IEAevNC.jpg?1

The World's End is the third installment in what may be considered Edgar Wright's trilogy of comedy. As you might expect, the combination of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg is as good as ever. The gang's signature brand of humor is what we've come to expect, and this one delivers plenty of laughs as it builds towards the inevitable chaos. But what separates this installment from Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead is its focus on nostalgia. Even though Gary King is a bit of a twat, it's easy to understand his motivation to re-live the glory days of his youth. There is an emotional center to this film that seems genuine, whereas the character dramas in something like Hot Fuzz always seemed ironic and purely comedic.

Some have questioned whether this installment lives up to Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz. Is it as good as the previous installments? I think it comes up a bit short, to be honest. That's not to say that this isn't a very good film or that isn't a worthy addition to their body of work. It gets a bit messy at times, sure, but there's plenty of laughs and enjoyment to be had here. It's a great movie to see with your friends and grab a pint afterwards. If nothing else, we'll always have the disableds.


34. Lore

http://i.imgur.com/nS3whKd.jpg?1

Lore tells the story of Berlin's downfall in 1945, but it's told entirely from the perspective of a fourteen year old German girl. Left to fend for herself and her destitute siblings after being separated from her SS parents, Lore must find a way to ensure the safety of her family and make it out alive. The children cross paths with a young Jewish man, who takes them under his protection despite Lore's obvious misgivings about who he is. There is an awkward dynamic between Lore and what she discovers, both in this young man and the world around her. Much of the narrative she was told throughout her life is called into question, and she must decide whether to ultimately trust in this young man or cut ties.

The film has several transcendent moments of music and cinematography, sequences that are immediately arresting. The style of the film feels fresh, almost like a fairy tale, and this atmosphere is heightened by the feel of the forests they walk through and the haunting glances of Saskia Rosendahl. We are never quite sure what she is thinking, yet we hope for the sake of her and the other children that she'll adapt quickly. It is only in the final act of the film that we get a clear sense of what direction she will go. An unexpected sequence of events quickly transform into regret, as Lore must come to grips with her disillusionment.


33. Mud

http://i.imgur.com/aGB7LGk.jpg?1

A lot of Mud is almost like seeing a classic American novel coming to life onscreen. A number of viewers and film critics have compared it to a Mark Twain story, and it's easy to see the similarities. Sure, the characters of Mud and Ellis aren't destined to go down alongside Huck Finn or Jim in the annals of American storytelling, but the film has a richness to its characters and setting that is rare in modern American cinema. Matthew McConaughey and the young actors, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, help bring these characters to life with their raw performances.

The script is far more layered than your typical coming of age film, showing many different aspects of adulthood that intrude on Ellis' life. It's interesting to see such a savvy young kid coming to grips with his perceptions being shattered. It also explores some interesting themes about the dynamic between men and women, at least from the male point of view. Mud and Ellis both seem to be guilty of idolizing women who don't seem worthy of such adoration, nor do these women seem to reciprocate those feelings.

The problem is that while the film is excellent for much of its running time, I feel that the film stumbles a bit in its final act. The script suddenly becomes crowded with pivotal events, and much of the tone and truthfulness that worked earlier in the film begins to get lost. A more grounded finale might have served the story better, but when Mud works it works very well.


32. La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus

http://i.imgur.com/wCm0KkH.jpg?1

One of the most thematically rich and thought provoking films of the year, La Camioneta follows the journey of a decommissioned U.S. school bus as it makes its way to Guatemala. Upon arrival the bus is re-painted, decorated, and given a colorful new life as a popular mode of transportation. These flamboyant looking buses play an important part in the everyday lives of people, and they are also the centerpiece of a major political problem in the area. Local gangsters often demand protection money from the buses operators, and if they are not paid there are occasionally mass murders or assassinations involved as a penalty.

Though the film does go into detail about these problems, it is not a political advocacy film. Mark Kendall's documentary is more concerned with exploring philosophical notions of resurrection and shared experience. The film asks whether there is something transcendent about the buses themselves, something that lasts beyond the physical transformation. It's similar to the idea of the human soul being separate from the physical body, able to survive death. The same nostalgic bus that you rode to school may migrate and intersect with the lives of others a continent away, so in that sense the bus still lives on, becoming something entirely new yet strangely familiar.


31. All Is Lost

http://i.imgur.com/N6xlunm.jpg

I imagine All Is Lost is not a film for everyone. It features virtually no dialogue and no human interaction. We do not even know the protagonist's name or back story. The film is simply Robert Redford's character adrift at sea in the Indian Ocean, struggling to do everything in his power to survive a catastrophe that is leading him inexorably towards his death. Some might find this slow or difficult, but if you are able to lose yourself in the story it becomes a compelling vicarious experience. The minimalism allows us to feel as though we are truly adrift at sea, sharing in our protagonists experience as though we were him.

This minimalist journey is beautifully shot and acted, and is an engrossing experience to lose yourself in. We know that our protagonist is likely doomed, yet we cling on for any chance of hope or to see just how bad things might get. The sense of environment and the feeling of peril is palpable throughout. The experience of walking out of the theater and back to a loud, bustling reality was jolting in all the right ways. You almost feel as though you've been adrift at sea for days on end.

The story makes an interesting 2013 compliment to Cuaron's gravity, which is also a nearly solo performance taking place amidst a nightmarish struggle to survive. Though the execution of each film is so strikingly different that I'd say the similarities mostly end there.

[The Bad Guy]

30. Eega

http://i.imgur.com/XOMorbr.jpg?1

It's a story as old as time itself. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy gets killed by an evil rival for his love, boy is resurrected as a vengeful fly.

What's interesting about Eega is that for its first half hour it's a very by-the-numbers production. It doesn't seem like there's anything special about it. But when our hero meets with an untimely demise and returns as a fly, that's when things start to get a bit crazy. The film quickly escalates into the realm of the absurd, but it doesn't overplay its hand by becoming a pure comedy. There are a number of intended gags throughout the film, but there's this odd juxtaposition of scenes that are played straight and others that are intended as humor. Some might consider that a weakness, but I liked it because the core concept is so outlandish that it often doesn't need anything else to be entertaining. My favorite scene (the one before the intermission) is actually played as tense and serious.

It's a completely bonkers film, because how could it not be? If you're looking for something a bit off the beaten path you could do a lot worse than Eega. Don't expect a cinematic masterpiece, but expect to be thoroughly entertained. I can safely say that it's unlike anything you've ever seen before.


29. Only God Forgives

http://i.imgur.com/RZh8s6J.png?1

Arguably the most controversial film of 2013, Nicolas Winding Refn's latest has been blasted by critics and booed at festivals. It's not hard to see why, either. This is an incredibly stylized and violent film with a challenging script. Not only that, but the film sees to gleefully defy audience expectations. Whether you love or hate it, Only God Forgives is an undeniably bold film from a director who doesn't need to take such risks at this point in his career. I think it's admirable that Refn has the courage to tell the kind of stories he wants.

Only God Forgives is one of the best looking films of the year, it has one of the best characters of the year in Vithaya Pansringarm's Chang, it has a gorgeous soundtrack that's dark and edgy, and some of the scenes in here are absolutely brilliant. All that being said, this is not a perfect movie. Even after watching it twice there are some storytelling elements that (in my opinion) don't work very well. Some of the violence feels gratuitous, which didn't bother me, but was an issue for a lot of viewers. It's such a radically different film from the norm that mainstream audiences in particular will loathe it, and quite a few film critics would be eager to echo those sentiments. But the elements of this film that do work are so incredible that I have to overlook many of its sins. This is a movie that people will watch half a century from now and still debate. It's that unique and it's that good.


28. Philomena

http://i.imgur.com/q1GT3sM.jpg?1

Based on the true story of Philomena Lee, this buddy dramedy stars Steve Coogan and Judie Dench in the search for an elderly woman's long lost son. Delightfully scripted and well acted, the film manages to navigate smoothly between comic scenes and the weight of its subject matter. It's often tough to watch, but it strikes an overall balance that most people are comfortable with. It would have been easy to take this story and turn it into a messy, sentimental mess of a film. Thankfully, Philomena skillfully avoids these pitfalls to deliver a film that is both funny and heartfelt.

The film does take a few creative liberties with the story of Philomena Lee, and although I can understand why they did these from a storytelling perspective I don't feel that it was necessary. Philomena's story is already so compelling and emotional that the additional window dressing strikes me as the film's one real flaw. Some have criticized the film as anti-catholic, but I think that's a misinterpretation of the film. The ending of the film puts both extremist Catholics as well as secular liberals in their place, because this story is ultimately about ethical values and how we deal with being wronged. It is not an agenda film, but instead it's a human story about one mother's struggle to come to grips with her past.

One of the film's final moments is among my favorite scenes of the year.


27. Enough Said

http://i.imgur.com/aUuB6jV.jpg

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said is a middle aged romance with a twist. Two single parents, Eva and Albert, are about to face empty nest syndrome and face the prospect of being alone in their houses. The two meet at a party and hit it off, with everything seemingly going well. But soon after this Eva learns that her new massage trainer and friend, Marianne, is actually the ex-wife of Albert. Rather than reveal this connection and risk losing one of them, she continues to play innocent and continues meeting Marianne to get the dirt on Albert.

While that might sound like the premise for a wacky rom-com, Enough Said's script is actually playing it honest and straight. The conflicted Eva and her lies by omission are believable, not wanting to get hurt again after having been through a divorce. But there are also tense ethical dilemmas she faces. Is she poisoning the well by finding out everything wrong with Albert? How far does she go to find out everything she can?

James Gandolfini & Julia Louis-Dreyfus both give standout performances, and the addition of Catherine Keener makes this a strong ensemble cast. Gandolfini's performance is bittersweet, since he's showing a side of his talent than many people never saw. Louis-Dreyfus honestly surprised me more than any actor or actress from last year. I never would have considered her someone that could handle serious dramatic content, but she really did it justice. The emotional connection between the two feels so authentic. The dialogue in the film deserves a lot of credit here, since Holofcener appears to have a great eye for subtle moments in conversation.


26. Europa Report

http://i.imgur.com/ndXwVsb.jpg

One of the most intelligent sci-fi films to come out in years, Europa Report takes a plausible concept to make a movie about man's search for extraterrestrial life. Jupiter's moon, Europa, has a glacial surface but a molten core, meaning that beneath that thick layer of ice there is an underwater ocean with thermal heat down below. If mankind will ever make contact with an alien species, it seems probable that Europa will be where it happens. This film explores what such a mission might look like in the near future.

Many might dismiss the film as found footage sci-fi horror, because much of the film's marketing campaign makes it seem this way. This would be a mistake, because Europa is a film that tries to stay grounded in a hypothetical reality, rather than adding on plot elements that might cater to a box office campaign. The filmmakers recognize that actual space travel is claustrophobic and frightening enough, without any sort of alien virus or supernatural occurrences taking place during the months en route to their destination. It puts a premium on authenticity that is refreshing in today's landscape of sci-fi.

The film asks questions about how far we ourselves would be willing to go as the situation becomes increasingly high stakes. Would we risk our own lives to further one of mankind's greatest potential discoveries? A thought-provoking and tense film, Europa Report is a thinking man's science fiction. If someone like Neil Degrasse Tyson had a film studio, this is the sort of movie he might produce.

[dreamdead]

Lots of stuff here that I intend to get to, like All Is Lost, Like Someone in Love, The Past and The Selfish Giant. Mud and Side Effects are the two that I expect to see within the next week or so. I'm interested in how most of the indie filmmakers of the Green/Nichols variety seem like they have to make their Night of the Hunter adaptation.

Interesting defense of Only God Forgives. It's the kind of film that vehemently stands apart from the rest of the middlebrow fare and demands attention, even if I don't think that everything came close to working. At this point Gosling's lack of dialogue is its own stereotype in independent films, and undercutting his masculinity doesn't seem that radical to me. But the stylistic flourishes are madcap and the sort of thing that make me want to defend it as well. My biggest frustration was really with how little Gosling's missus is given to do, so that the claims of ornamentalism become a little too valid for my liking.

[Dukefrukem]

I love your list so far even with Star Trek on it but oh no.... Europa Report?

[The Bad Guy]

I love your list so far even with Star Trek on it but oh no.... Europa Report?

Films set in outer space seem to be divisive, I suppose. A number of people on this forum and elsewhere point to those films as problematic.

I personally thought Europa Report was a fascinating watch. It helps that I'm naturally interested in space exploration and scientific questions, so its nice when a film caters to those interests of mine. It's extremely rare that a film like this gets made.

I often speculate about what that expedition (which will inevitably happen) might be like, and what the odds are we might find life there. I personally think the odds are above 50% at least when it comes to bacteria, and there's reason to believe that the moon might have a complex aquatic ecosystem. When you consider how varied life is on our planet and how vast the cosmos is, it seems extremely improbable that life only exists on Earth. When you consider rogue planets with their molten cores and moons like Europa, it's possible that the vast majority of life in the cosmos exists below the surface of otherwise uninhabitable planets.

The film focuses on many of the practical concerns a crew might face during a mission of such duration. The extended period of time it takes over months to reach ones destination, the impact that has one's psyche and resolve, the difficulties involved, and the sense of scientific exploration are all well realized in the film. Maybe I'm just a huge nerd, but I loved all of that.

I also loved the ending, which never hurts.

[Russ]

Some well deserved rep for the name checking of Eega, a terrifically entertaining film .

It's the best fly movie since... well, since The Fly.

[The Bad Guy]

25. No

http://i.imgur.com/68nV2ti.jpg?1

No takes place in Chile in 1988, when a referendum was held to determine if Pinochet should remain in power. An advertising campaign was launched to convince people to vote 'No'. René Saavedra is hired to spearhead this campaign, but he thinks the current campaign is too concerned with showing the atrocities of Pinochet's regime. "I think this doesn't sell" Saavedra says, and he undergoes a campaign of commercial advertising in order to bring about political change. But his methods of advertising rub those within the No campaign the wrong way, after all, many of them have lost family members. The use of mimes or dancers seems tacky, so they're hesitant about using the same methods that sell cola to run a political campaign of this magnitude.

Even if you're already familiar with the story, the film plays out like a political thriller. It's shot entirely with archaic cameras, resulting in a visual representation that is ugly, but that captures the political time and place. The footage appears ugly, much like the political period that it represents. It even splices in a lot of footage from the No advertising campaign, and due to the consistency of presentation the film never 'drops the baby', maintaining its feel of authenticity throughout.

Monahla Dargis had an interesting comment, saying that Gael GarcÃ*a Bernal's René might represent a different kind of tyranny, one in which freedom is reduced to the freedom of consumer choice. While I find that intriguing, I personally think the character also represents a kind of pragmatism in the face of extreme adversity.


24. 12 Years A Slave

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Some will consider this film an unassailable masterpiece. Others will argue that a film like 12 Years A Slave is unnecessary, exploitative, pornographic, or manipulative. After all, do we really need a film to tell us that slavery is wrong? Is Steve McQueen's vision of Solomon Northup's story really necessary in 2013?

While it's not the transcendent movie that some reviews or awards might lead you to believe, it's still a very powerful film and a part of our history that we probably don't talk about enough. It's true that we had Django and Lincoln in 2012, but McQueen's film just goes for this in such a gruesome and unflinching way. It's the kind of movie you might expect about slavery that the director of Hunger and Shame might make, giving us a vision of slavery that I won't be able to shake. Part of this is due to just how stellar the cast is - Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lupita Nyong'o, and Michael Fassbender are all excellent and help to disguise what weaknesses the film might have (let's all just forget about the inclusion of Paul Dano).

Maybe the biggest compliment I can give the film is that I've honestly never seen a film about American slavery like this. You'd think that this would be a more intense version of a film that has been made dozens of times over, but 12 Years actually feels like a completely fresh and unique vision. Seeing's Northup's story on the big screen is the closest I've ever come to vicariously experiencing the horror of slavery in cinema. Several scenes of the film, and the final sequences especially, are among the most emotional and memorable scenes I've witnessed all year. The final scene actually made me shed a tear.


23. Like Father, Like Son

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Written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, Like Father Like Son tracks the story of two families who face a shocking revelation. When the wealthy Nonomiyas want their six-year-old son Keita to get into a prestigious school, a standard DNA test is issued to verify that he's actually their child. The results come back negative, and from there the hospital must step in to inform both the Nonomiyas and the Saikis that their biological children were somehow switched at birth. The parents of each family must come to grips with this and ultimately decide whether they will choose to raise their biological child, or keep the son that they have raised for the past six years as their own.

The two families are from very different social positions, one which is more well-off and uptight, whereas the other is a more care-free and working class family. It really delves into the notion how we mold our children in our own image and how we define family. There's a line in the film about how with each passing day the children will begin to look different from the family who raised them, increasingly resembling their true biological parents. Is everyone going to be comfortable knowing that they raised the child of someone else when this biological truth becomes impossible to ignore? Yet, how do you simply discard those six years you spent raising your son, thinking that he was your own blood?

If you've ever seen a Koreeda film, then you know that this is a film that isn't going to succumb to heavy drama or sensationalism. This is a story that's handled with a delicate touch, yet it's a quietly powerful story that doesn't pretend that there are easy solutions to its nature vs nurture dilemma. He's so good at crafting human stories and directing child actors that you don't view it thinking you're watching a film about an issue. It flows smoothly as a human drama, always feeling as though it earns everything it achieves through its genuine portrayal of these characters.


22. War Witch

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Written and directed by Montreal filmmaker Kim Nguyen, War Witch is a harrowing story about a 14-year old girl named Komona who is forced to murder her own parents and join a rebel army in the Democratic Repulic of Congo. When she becomes the sole survivor of an attack on her squad, aided by her visions of ghosts who direct her to safety, she is branded as a War Witch by the rebel army and employed by the army's leader Great Tiger. She is suddenly seen as a valuable tool in winning this war.

The world that Komona inhabits is so alien to me that the experience of watching the film is like being transported to Mars. The environment is one that is so rich with mysticism and superstition that it would strain credulity in almost any other setting. Nobody seems to question Komona's powers, or even view them as something incredibly unique. Great Tiger had already employed several War Witches before Komona, and she is warned that if she doesn't perform her duties adequately she will meet the same demise as those who preceded her. The moral universe she inhabits is equally shocking, as the circumstances that surround her and everyone else cause people to do otherwise unspeakable things as a matter of course. It's horrifying to know that such things go on in our modern world, so being closely exposed to them is a jarring experience. Is it an accurate depiction? I honestly couldn't say, but the film feels visceral and authentic in a way that few others do.


21. Museum Hours

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Museum Hours is the tale of two adrift strangers who find refuge in Vienna's grand Kunsthistorisches Art Museum. Anne is a foreigner, visiting a relative who is facing a medical crisis and slipped into a state of unconsciousness. Johann is a museum guard who spends his days quietly observing the paintings. The two cross paths and begin to form a deep, yet platonic, connection. They begin to spend a great deal of time together and share their thoughts on art as well as intimate details about their lives.

What separates this from a film like Lost In Translation is its focus on the value of art and how that interacts with life. There are moments where they're inspired reveal these details about themselves due to the ideas the paintings inspire in them, showing that the art on the walls is not static, but interactive. In the same way that they observe the paintings, the paintings are observing them, conjuring up past memories and helping them to forge a better understanding of themselves. There are several brilliant scenes that focus on Bruegel's paintings, both articulated by Johann and a tour guide who explains the pieces in extensive detail.

Museum Hours is a beautiful film about art and friendship. But perhaps the film's greatest attribute is that it helps is to see the world in a fresh new way. It challenges us to question how we budget our attention. Is the focus of the grand set piece painting the great historic figure scaling the mountain, or is it the small child standing apart by himself? Is the value of Anne's journey in seeing her dying relative, or is it the unlikely chance encounter with a museum guard, someone who would often blend into the background and go entirely unnoticed? For a long time after seeing the film I was inspired to look at my seemingly mundane surroundings in a new way. Whether I was walking down a snow covered road and observing how the ice formed around a street lamp, or seeing the unattended blankets of a homeless person amidst rush hour traffic in center city. Museum Hours reminds us that art is all around us if only we take the time to look.

[The Bad Guy]

Interesting defense of Only God Forgives. It's the kind of film that vehemently stands apart from the rest of the middlebrow fare and demands attention, even if I don't think that everything came close to working. At this point Gosling's lack of dialogue is its own stereotype in independent films, and undercutting his masculinity doesn't seem that radical to me. But the stylistic flourishes are madcap and the sort of thing that make me want to defend it as well. My biggest frustration was really with how little Gosling's missus is given to do, so that the claims of ornamentalism become a little too valid for my liking.

*some Only God Forgives spoilers in this reply*

I actually feel like Chang is the central thematic character of the film, even though Julian appears to be the protagonist and receives more screen time. So his lack of dialogue and the undercutting of his masculinity (while very subversive by 'movie star' standards) don't strike me as all that out of place when I view it from that vantage point.

Also, I feel as though the character of Maï is intentionally ornamental. I feel like this is actually important to the plot and Julian's character arc. He is incapable of having a normal relationship with a woman due to his twisted sexual upbringing with his mother, so the woman he is currently involved is an expensive prostitute who he is not that romantically intimate with. He literally uses her as a showpiece, straight out telling her that he wants her to pretend to be his girlfriend. He wants to show his mother that he is able to be with a woman besides her, even if the act isn't convincing to Crystal.

I don't think that's in any way sexist within the context of the film, but an important aspect of the story in which (let's face it) a lot of characters aren't given much to do. Crystal, however, is given the most dialogue of any character in OGF. She's actually one of the strongest and more memorable female characters from any 2013 film, in my opinion. Even if she is a terrible person.

[The Bad Guy]

20. Happy People: A Year In The Taiga

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Werner Herzog's latest documentary focuses on the indigenous people living in the Siberian Taiga. The colossal wilderness that surrounds this place is one and a half times the size of the United States. In the village of Bakhtia there are roughly 300 inhabitants. The village is so remote that the only ways to reach it are by helicopter or taking a boat down the river Yenisei. There is no telephone, no running water, and no medical aid. The inhabitants lives also haven't changed much of the past few centuries.

The film closely follows several fur trappers over the course of four seasons. These men spend much of the year away from the village, living lives of solitude out in the great expanse of wilderness and shuttling from one small cabin to the next. These solitary trappers go up against incredibly cold temperatures, inclement weather, and food scarcity. They must survive off the land by using their honed crafts and do so without many of the modern amenities that most of us would consider essential. Apart from their snowmobiles, their lives represent a throwback to the days of prehistoric man. Yet the title of the film, Happy People, appears fitting given much of what we see. This is clearly a lifestyle that Herzog deeply admires, and he seems to believe that there is a kind of tranquility in returning to nature. They essentially exist without government, without taxes, without technology, without car payments, without an employer etc. One simply gets to work and live in the beauty of the Taiga, and the only person they must answer to is themselves.

The footage of the Taiga is beautiful and compelling. There are images and moments in this documentary that I will remember for a very long time to come. It's also a philosophically rich film that asks us to consider how we define happiness in our own lives. These individuals face incredible adversity, yet they're also free of many of the burdens of modern society. Although I doubt I'd last very long in such conditions, I was honestly finding myself admiring their way of life at times and considering the benefits of what such an existence might bring. I think a lot of men have at times fantasized about living such an existence. With Happy People, we're given a rare glimpse into that world.


19. Rush

http://i.imgur.com/ZRFhOOq.jpg

I'm not a Ron Howard fanboy and I don't follow Formula One racing. But this film is without question one of the greatest sports films I've ever seen.

I actually think that I benefited greatly from not knowing about James Hunt and Niki Lauda's infamous rivalry back in the 1970s. There's a reason why this tale has become a legend among Formula One enthusiasts, and why the two men are still so well remembered to this day. The two men challenged each other and prodded each other, each motivating the other to be better. Despite their shared profession and comparable talents, the two men are nearly polar opposites. The Austrian Niki Lauda is meticulous and calculating, far better at setting up the car and assessing strategy. The British James Hunt is a reckless playboy who succeeds because of his fearlessness in the face of death and his God-given talent. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl do a great job of bringing these legends to life.

The film looks terrific, doing a great job capturing the feel of the 1970s. The cinematography and racing sequences are really well constructed. You get a palpable sense of the danger and excitement involved when it's just you and a thin layer of metal separating you from the high speed chaos around you. Some of the shots, like this first person perspective of a race that takes place in the rain, are legitimately terrifying. Lauda often reminds himself that there's a 20% chance of death in his profession, and when you see it from that vantage point you instinctively know he's telling the truth.

Rush is an incredibly thrilling sports film, but above all it's just a great story. It reminds me a little bit of the film Warrior, in the sense that we're shown two different men who we both empathize with and who are competing for the same prize. I went into it thinking that James Hunt was essentially the protagonist, but later on in the film I actually found myself identifying with Niki and rooting for him. It's a thrilling battle between these two competitors, who must push themselves to their limit and risk absolutely everything to win.


18. The Spectacular Now

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Based on Tim Tharp's novel by the same name, The Spectacular Now is both familiar and fresh at the same time. It's a sensitive and poignant coming-of-age drama, the film overturns many of the cliches we typically find in the genre. It surprises you with a lot of subtleties and unsentimental screenwriting.

The story follows Sutter Keely, a popular high school guy who enjoys his parties and enjoys his booze a little too much. After undergoing a breakup he crosses paths with a reclusive, nerdy girl named Aimee Finecky. At first glance the two seem completely wrong for each other, but they begin to develop a relationship that slowly blossoms into something special throughout the course of the script. I like how it's not written as though Aimee is changing herself for Sutter or pining after the popular guy. She doesn't change herself in any way for him, although she seems to have some incremental influence on Sutter which causes him to reassess some aspects of his character throughout the film. Sutter isn't exactly transformed, and he still carries a host of emotional problems and remains an alcoholic. The film never actual uses the word 'alcoholic', which is surprising considering that James Ponsoldt directed last year's Smashed, but it's clearly an important element that is touched on in several scenes. These kind of subtleties and intelligent writing help this story shine. The relationship between Sutter and Aimee is beautiful and always believable throughout the highs and the lows. The film does take creative liberties with the ending of the novel (which I did not read), and while I'm not sure the change is an improvement it is still a fitting way for the story to end.

Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are brilliant in this film, each of them turning in one of my favorite best actor/actress performances of 2013. The supporting cast which features the likes of Brie Larson, Bob Odenkirk, Kyle Chandler, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead really shine as well. Some of them only step in for brief scenes, but they're all important to the story. While there are some comedic moments in the film this is mostly a dramatic and emotional script, so having such a great dramatic ensemble was very fortunate.

A hit at the Sundance film festival, The Spectacular Now is a beautiful and moving film that you owe it to yourself to watch.

[The Bad Guy]

17. Upstream Color

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Upstream Color may be the most challenging film of the year, and it's certainly one of the most difficult to write about. For those that saw Shane Carruth's Primer, this will come as no surprise. He's a filmmaker that takes on challenging narrative puzzles that raise interesting sci-fi concepts. I personally thought that the story was great (even if I'd need multiple viewings to understand some of its elements). My interpretation of the film hinges a lot on an unexplained link between the physical world and what might be considered the soul. The chemistry at work in the film seems to suggest that there is some mysterious connection that is bridged by the use of this drug that, while physical in nature, has a permanent impact on the psyche and shared experience of living creatures.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of these sci-fi elements were inspired by a real drug known as The Devil's Breath or Scopolamine, considered by many to be the most dangerous drug in the world. A single gram of it would be enough to kill five adults, so it only requires the slightest amount to fall under its spell. Once the subject has been intoxicated, they lose their capacity for free will and must do whatever they're told. To the casual observer, the person may not even appear to be drugged, but if you asked them to give you their bank account information or their valuables they would have no choice but to comply. The drug in Upstream Color isn't entirely like this, but the sequence in the house with Kris reminded me of it and made me wonder.

The production values in Upstream Color are off the charts. It has incredible sound design, arguably the best soundtrack of the year, beautiful cinematography, a wonderfully original screenplay, and solid acting. Aside from the fact that the film is going to be logically incoherent for a popular audience, there's very little to criticize or dislike in the film. In fact, I would say that even if you're left completely baffled by the story there is enough going on here to justify seeing it. I can say that about Upstream Color in a way that I can't about Primer, which I feel doesn't have nearly as much going for it aside from its narrative puzzle. It's an emotional journey of two broken people as much as it is science fiction mystery. The question shouldn't be whether Upstream Color is worth watching, but rather, how many times should you see it?


16. Frozen

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I recently learned that Disney has bought out a lot of the creative talent from Pixar. This makes a lot of sense when you consider that Pixar has been declining (Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University), while Disney has been ascending rapidly in terms of quality. With Frozen, Disney seems to have cemented their place in modern American animation. Yet despite the influx of talent from America's former #1 animation studio, Frozen is in many ways a throwback to the classic Disney musicals of old, like Lion King and Aladdin. That's not to say that Frozen doesn't depart in some ways from the formula, because it does, but audiences expecting something along the lines of Pixar's golden age are going to get a different product. Characters will burst out into song quite often, and the pace is more in tune with these Disney classics. There is nothing quite as adventurous as the opening sequences of films like Wall-E or Up.

A refreshing aspect of Frozen is that it doesn't follow a lot of conventional narrative structures Disney is often know for. For instance, there are unlikeable characters but there is not your classic Disney villain anywhere to be found here. The film casts aside a lot of the usual patriarchy we're used to seeing. The story really hones in on the relationship between Anna and Elsa, which is quite rare when you consider the dynamics we typically find among siblings in animated films. This is a refreshing new territory for Disney, and it allows for a few surprises in the film's final act, even if much of what leads up to it seems like a familiar journey.

You can tell that a lot of effort went into crafting this film. The animators really burned the midnight oil, even managed to integrate different types of snow and melting into the computer graphics. The resulting CGI is often gorgeous to look at and feels surprisingly real. The songs are catchy and show a wide variety of range, since is there isn't one consistent musical style used throughout the film. Actresses like Kristen Bell are surprisingly good in their roles. The film has a lot going for it to recommend it as much more than a family outing at the theater, though it works quite well in that context, too.


15. Wolf Children

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Despite all those nice things I just said about Frozen, it was not the best animated film I saw from last year. That distinction belongs to Mamura Hosoda's Wolf Children (or as cultured anime enthusiasts might call it, Okami Kodomo No Ame To Yuki). You may recognize Hosoda's iconic style from his other films like Digimon: The Movie, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Summer Wars. In my opinion, this is his finest film to date. With the upcoming retirement of Hiyao Miyazaki it's entirely possible that Hosoda will be carrying the baton as the greatest living director in Japanese animation. If he can keep producing films of this quality, then that statement will be uncontroversial. I'm sure that Studio Ghibli has considered re-hiring him.

The story of Wolf Children follows 19-year-old Hana, who falls in love with a mysterious young man while studying at university. Unbeknownst to her, he is actually one of the last living werewolves, and has the ability to freely transform between his human form and wolf form. Undeterred by this, Hana never wavers in her love, even bearing two children (Ame and Yuki, or Snow and Rain) over the course of her relationship. The screenplay turns a lot of tradition werewolf lore on its head, reinventing the mythology to better serve this story of romance and motherhood. But despite their benign differences from normal humans, Hana knows that the outside world would never accept them for who they are. They are forced into a life of solitude and obscurity, which only becomes more intense as unexpected tragic events unfold. Eventually, Hana must move the children to a remote part of Japan where they live essentially as hermits, preparing her children for the inevitable choice they must face - to join the natural world as wolves, of to somehow find a way to embrace human society.

There are so many things to like about this film, but mostly I enjoyed it for its compelling story about a struggling mother and her children. It's at times incredibly emotional, ranging from moments of joy to the profoundly bittersweet or tragic. The characters feel so genuine that we really empathize with all of them. The film is absolutely gorgeous to look at, particularly the shots of nature around the family's remote mountain home. There are some images that I wouldn't mind hanging on my wall.

The ending is sure to divide people, but I personally thought it was excellent. It tied together many of the themes present in the film, and I thought it was a moving finale.

[The Bad Guy]

14. Before Midnight

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The third installment in Richard Linklater's Before series, Before Midnight meets up with Jesse and Celine roughly one decade after the second film. We're immediately shown the consequences of Jesse missing his flight and choosing to leave his wife for Celine. The opening sequence takes place in a Greek airport, where Jesse begrudgingly parts with his son. The opening shows that this third installment isn't going to shy away from showing the repercussions of the life decisions that each have made, and the rest of the story follows suit. This is certainly the most volatile and challenging of the three movies, and there are times when it takes some dark turns that the other films do not.

In a sense, this is a cautionary tale about love. We know the depths of compassion in this relationship and have seen them play out at their best. But given a long enough timeline nearly every relationship encounters turbulence. To see such a loving couple encounter many of the same hardships that lesser romances run into is humbling, but it's also essential. It's almost unheard of for relationships to span so much time without running into these kinds of problems, so when it occurs in Before Midnight it doesn't seem as though it's an excuse to insert drama. It feels like a natural byproduct of the couple's time together and the logistical sacrifices they've made in their marriage.

Part of what makes this film effective is in knowing what came before it. It's nearly impossible to discuss or evaluate Before Midnight without having seen the prior films and putting it in its proper context. We've seen their intimacy unfold over the course of several decades, and in this installment we see verbal drama play out that feels troubling and authentic. Like the previous two films, the clever dialogue transports us into the moment. It's almost as though we're engaging in a kind of voyeuristic exercise, hearing private conversations that we're not sure we ought to be. The film succeeds simply because of this smart dialogue and the captivating performances, which is a bit of a rarity these days. But for those familiar with the trilogy, the quality of the scipt and execution will come as no surprise. This is an installment that absolutely lives up to the first two films, even if its quite different, and it's one of the most authentic examples of human relationships that I've ever seen.


13. Short Term 12

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Written and directed by Destin Cretton, Short Term 12 is an encouraging example of what cinema can be. It's an independent film done without much fanfare or advertising, I had honestly never heard of it until after its release and everyone seemed to to be buzzing about how good it was. After seeing it I have to agree that this is one of the most compassionate and powerful films in recent memory.

The film takes place in a short term facility for troubled teens. Grace and Mason are a romantically involved couple who work together at this facility, though they both seem drawn to it for different reasons. Mason seems to have a very loving and compassionate family upbringing which helped inspire him to make this part of his life's work. Grace, on the other hand, seems as though she is coming from a very different background and was almost forced into this profession out of sheer desperation. We're given hints about what might have happened to Grace as a minor, and it helps us to understand just how driven she is to help these children, even if she's in many ways as troubled and conflicted as they are. Their relationship feels heartfelt in a way that few young relationships are in cinema these days, and the balance struck between their work and personal lives feels authentic.

It's a sincere portrait of troubled teens and those who devote themselves to making their lives better. John Gallagher turns in a strong performance as Mason, and the child actors (like Lakeith Stanfield and Kaitlyn Dever) are great compliments. But the real standout here is Brie Larson as Grace, who gives the most noteworthy performance of her career and should now be considered among the best young actresses in modern cinema.

There's not a single moment in this film that feels false, thanks to a very intelligently crafted script and great acting. I never felt like it was overdoing it or minimizing its subject matter. Short Term 12 aspires to show us the challenges and benefits of social work. There are no easy solutions to the problems these teens face, and the film doesn't try to tie everything up in a neat bow. However, when I walked away from this movie I did so with a smile on my face. I knew that I'd seen something special and the story made me feel a little bit better about the world. The idea that there are people out there who care so deeply for these children is inspiring.


12. Drug War

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One of the best thrillers I've seen in some time, Johnnie To's Drug War intelligently written and well paced. It doesn't waste any time getting into the thick of things, choosing to forgo character back story and sentiment. The film begins with a car crash and quickly delves into a double agent plot to bring down a major drug cartel from the inside. It's just as well, because the intricate web of ulterior motives and betrayals is entertaining enough on its own without any unnecessary flashbacks to a character's family or their troubled past. Some might look at this as a weakness, but I think that in the context of this film it's a strength. It's a lean 107 minutes that's packed with intrigue and action. It's a film that knows what it is and what it wants to do.

To's film is an atmospheric work about the cops and criminals surrounding the Chinese drug trade. It's a riveting and often subversive look at the Chinese drug trade that's filled with twists, action set pieces, and tension. The protagonist of the film, a high ranking meth dealer named Timmy Choi, isn't all that personally endearing. But one of the things I find most interesting about the film is that the law enforcement agents aren't endearing either. We're not given cues about who to root for which you might expect. There's also a considerable amount of fallout in the film, and while a lot of can be pinned on Choi there is a sense in which nobody in the film is blameless. There are no squeaky clean characters in this mess, which is perhaps a commentary on the nature of drug prohibition itself. The collateral damage is the byproduct of overly ambitious drug enforcement as much as the drug trade itself.

Perhaps the only criticism I have of Drug War is that there is a moment where Chinese censorship rears its ugly head. There is a scene where someone is asked to prove themselves by snorting some lines of meth. While it's considered to be very strong meth, it's highly unlikely that two lines of crank would render someone incapacitated in the way we see on film. It seems as though Johnnie To had to make some compromises in the film to appeal to government censors and make the drugs seem even worse than necessary. While this is the only thing that stood out to me, I do wonder what else (if anything) had to be altered in the making of this film. That being said, it doesn't detract too much from the overall product, and quite frankly it's amazing that a film about drugs was allowed to be made at all in China.

[The Bad Guy]

11. Blue Is The Warmest Color

http://i.imgur.com/iNvoW2B.jpg

Clocking in at three hours, this feels like a romantic epic that spans years of time. Some may wonder whether this length is necessary for a romantic drama, but I would argue that in this case it is. When you really dissect it there doesn't appear to be anything that is unimportant and the film never drags. According to IMDB there were over 800 hours of footage shot for this film, which is absolutely crazy and makes its running time seem almost constricting in context. Because of its editing and vast scope, it's almost like we're watching a series of films unfold in a single sitting.

This is a movie that plays with storytelling in some creative ways. It even breaks the fourth wall in one scene, acknowledging that there's an aspect to literature that can be unappealing. Knowing too much about a characters thoughts and motivations, Adele argues, is not necessarily a good thing. The mystery that comes from not knowing is sometimes more interesting, because it allows for artistic interpretation. Much of Blue Is The Warmest Color's screenplay operates on this assumption, as we're often given very little to go on in terms of what's happening in the privacy of each character's mind. This is a stylistic choice that some may consider a fault, while others will embrace it, as Adele would. We're never given enough information to say anything definitive about each character, which leaves us guessing, just as we would be left wondering in life.

There is something so visceral and real about Blue Is The Warmest Color. There are moments between these young women that feel incredibly intimate, and I'm not just talking about the scenes that you might think I'm talking about. Some of this is due to the quality of the storytelling and direction, but I think most of it comes down to how good these actresses are. Lea Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos give what I consider the best acting performances of the year, regardless of gender. The chemistry that these two display in the film is nothing short of remarkable. I'd go so far as to say that it's historic, and that we're unlikely to see this kind of dynamic for years to come.

It's not going to be an easy watch for a lot of people. It's at times emotionally devastating, and the film got an NC-17 rating for its lurid content. But it's such a powerful romantic film that to ignore it for these reasons would be foolish. It's one of the best love stories I've ever seen.


10. Inside Llewyn Davis

http://i.imgur.com/WYLizwj.jpg

The Coens have always been some of the most imaginative and challenging filmmakers of the modern era. With Inside Llewyn Davis, there's no reason to think they've lost any of their edge. Breaking just about every convention imaginable, this film presents a strongly unlikeable but oddly talented musician who is trying to make a name for himself as a folk singer in the early 1960s. If you're expecting the usual narrative arc of a man who grows as a person and triumphs as a platinum artist, then you're going to be left sorely disappointed.

Our protagonist is actually a total prick. Not only does he fail at basic life decisions time and again, but he has a stubbornness and mean streak that make him very hard to empathize with. When Jean calls him an asshole there is nothing we can say to argue. While it's hard not to root for a struggling musician who is the center of this narrative, Llewyn doesn't give us much else to go on in terms of cheer-leading.This troubled artist is well realized by Oscar Isaac, who I almost didn't recognize at first from his role in as Standard Gabriel in Refn's Drive. I don't recall seeing him in anything else, which coupled with his talent helped me see Llewyn Davis as a unique individual. He's very well cast for such a role.

It's worth nothing that the film also has one of the best soundtracks of the year, one I've listened to many times since seeing the film. It runs the gamut from highbrow to lowbrow, from one style to the next. Apart from the truly bizarre "Please Mr. Kennedy" song, there seems to be an implied merit to all of these musical numbers regardless of their styles. Songs ranging from 'Hang me, oh hang me' to 'Five hundred miles' are both worth listening to for different reasons, showing how subjective and diverse the medium can be. It's fitting that this kind of ambiguity exists in the films soundtrack, which also seems to be present in Lewin Davis' character and his art. We're never quite sure what the Coens think of Davis, both as an artist and a human being. There are aspects of his character that are endearing, but we also see his failings in terms of being a selfish and callous man. We see some of the talent he has in terms of his music, but whether he's considered an overlooked gem is a questionable proposition.

I admire the Coens' for taking such an unconventional approach, and they've crafted a script that is filled with layer and nuance. It may actually be the Coens' most re-watchable film, which is a heavy compliment considering their body of work. I feel as though I could see this film many times and come away with different impressions and ideas on each subsequent viewing. The ending in particular, which is a further exploration of the film's opening sequence, is ripe for discussion and interpretation.

[dreamdead]

Interesting recent choices. Upstream and Before Midnight are my two favorite fiction films of the year (The Act of Killing is #1 overall), and so I'm interested in seeing how you write about those selections still to come.

I found the script to To's Drug War rather underdeveloped in that we understand little of the personal psychology of the cops. Despite all that, though, I was astounded at how far and how fatalistic the film went in its finale. That's likely the most shocking action closing scene I've seen recently. Reminds me of the peak New Korean Wave, with all of their tonal shifts and incongruities, where no one was guaranteed to make it out alive.

I'm planning to rewatch Upstream Color next week, focusing on its approach to ecology and the natural environment (planning a comparison teaching project with Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake), and expect that a study on the regenerative aspects of the body (and morphology implicit to the body) will yield another layer of inquiry. Anyway. Nerd hat off.

I'm slightly bothered by Kechiche's adaptation of Blue is the Warmest Color, especially the continued focus on the male pursuer during the final scenes at the art gallery. Although the French comic also suggests a degree of bisexuality given the affair, Kechiche's layering of male surveillance seems to go farther than Julie Maroh's comic, and so I remain slightly perplexed whether he wants to critique this man or offer him as a legitimate alternative for Adele.

[Dukefrukem]

Interesting recent choices. Upstream and Before Midnight are my two favorite fiction films of the year (The Act of Killing is #1 overall), and so I'm interested in seeing how you write about those selections still to come.

I found the script to To's Drug War rather underdeveloped in that we understand little of the personal psychology of the cops. Despite all that, though, I was astounded at how far and how fatalistic the film went in its finale. That's likely the most shocking action closing scene I've seen recently. Reminds me of the peak New Korean Wave, with all of their tonal shifts and incongruities, where no one was guaranteed to make it out alive.

I'm planning to rewatch Upstream Color next week, focusing on its approach to ecology and the natural environment (planning a comparison teaching project with Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake), and expect that a study on the regenerative aspects of the body (and morphology implicit to the body) will yield another layer of inquiry. Anyway. Nerd hat off.

I'm slightly bothered by Kechiche's adaptation of Blue is the Warmest Color, especially the continued focus on the male pursuer during the final scenes at the art gallery. Although the French comic also suggests a degree of bisexuality given the affair, Kechiche's layering of male surveillance seems to go farther than Julie Maroh's comic, and so I remain slightly perplexed whether he wants to critique this man or offer him as a legitimate alternative for Adele.

I agree with you with Upstream and Before Midnight; two of my favorite of 2013. Upstream just got released on Blu-ray so I'm excited for a rewatch.

[The Bad Guy]

Interesting recent choices. Upstream and Before Midnight are my two favorite fiction films of the year (The Act of Killing is #1 overall), and so I'm interested in seeing how you write about those selections still to come.

Those are some fine choices for your top 3. Glad that you'll be reading along with my top ten. I'm looking forward to writing the rest of the list and should it finished soon, hopefully by tomorrow evening.


I found the script to To's Drug War rather underdeveloped in that we understand little of the personal psychology of the cops. Despite all that, though, I was astounded at how far and how fatalistic the film went in its finale. That's likely the most shocking action closing scene I've seen recently. Reminds me of the peak New Korean Wave, with all of their tonal shifts and incongruities, where no one was guaranteed to make it out alive.

I actually enjoyed how Drug War just jumped right into the fray without giving us much in the way of character development, though I can see how some others might consider that a weakness of the film.

I agree with everything you say about the film's finale, however. It was a pretty extreme finale and one of the best scenes I saw all year.


I'm planning to rewatch Upstream Color next week, focusing on its approach to ecology and the natural environment (planning a comparison teaching project with Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake), and expect that a study on the regenerative aspects of the body (and morphology implicit to the body) will yield another layer of inquiry. Anyway. Nerd hat off.

It's such a fascinating film. It's been a while since I watched it and I definitely want to revisit it as well. I'm unequipped to respond to that area of scientific inquiry, but I'd be curious to know what you think about the implications in the film about the unexplained spiritual aspects. The fact that events going on with the pigs many miles away has an impact on the psychology of these individuals seems to suggest that there is something going on that transcends our understanding of physical reality, not necessarily the religious notion of the soul, but something akin to the Higgs Boson, Neutrinos, Dark Energy etc. which science is ill equipped to fully explain. But when you rule out the alternatives the answer, however unlikely, must be true.


I'm slightly bothered by Kechiche's adaptation of Blue is the Warmest Color, especially the continued focus on the male pursuer during the final scenes at the art gallery. Although the French comic also suggests a degree of bisexuality given the affair, Kechiche's layering of male surveillance seems to go farther than Julie Maroh's comic, and so I remain slightly perplexed whether he wants to critique this man or offer him as a legitimate alternative for Adele.

I'm not familiar with the original graphic novel, so it's difficult for me to make comparisons. I will say that the art gallery scene and Adele's bisexual tendencies tie in nicely to how the film operates. There's room for speculation there, and her activities keep us guessing at who she is and what she wants. Her sexuality is not clearly defined, nor are many of the character motivations in the film.

[The Bad Guy]

9. The Hunt

http://i.imgur.com/cnq3TBN.png?1

A lot of people will probably go into The Hunt thinking that this is a mystery movie. But Thomas Vinterberg's film makes it clear from the outset that this isn't the case. It's the story a falsely accused man whose life is turned upside down by a random lie. Before the plot of the film kicks in we're shown about a half hour of Lucas' life and come to see him as a good man. We also see the circumstances that bring about this lie in full detail, so that when it happens there is no doubt it's untrue. This makes the charges of child molestation all the more difficult to take, and without the ambiguity the film is able to focus entirely on this modern day witch hunt and the fallout to Lucas' career and personal life.

Throughout the story we can fully understand each character's motivation and how they react to the scandal. There is not a film about villains or assigning blame to any one person, though there's a collective herd mentality that is disturbing. Part of the film is about how eager society can be to condemn someone in the court of public opinion, which is often born out of a twisted appetite to demonize the other as much as it is from moral outrage. There's one scene that takes place in a grocery store, for instance, where Lucas becomes indignant and refuses to leave. The store clerks take some extreme measures to make it known that they want no part of him, yet Lucas does the best he can to stand his ground.

Mads Mikkelsen has long been one of my favorite actors. In this film I believe that he gives one of the top performances of the year, and it's a refreshing role for him. We often see him play dark or villainous characters, so to see him portray such a likeable everyman allows us to see the range of his talents. But this central performance is just one of many reasons to see this film. It's an incredibly engrossing and psychologically disturbing drama. At times the tension can almost feel unbearable, yet the film seems to be arguing that such emotional turmoil is necessary as a thought provoking exercise. It asks tough questions about human nature, and the way it goes about answering them is often brutal.

Oddly enough, I actually was reminded of Rashomon while watching The Hunt. Obviously not in terms of design or storytelling, since the two films are nearly opposite in these respects. But part of what I took away from each film was that it's always dangerous to make assumptions about the truth. There's a reason why in legal contexts the burden of proof is on the State, rather than the accused. It may allow for the guilty to go free, but such a system still engulfs innocent men and women. It's far messier in the court of public opinion, where a man like Lucas might have some chance at avoiding legal repercussion, but has no chance of washing the stain away completely.


8. Spring Breakers

http://i.imgur.com/2IGNsnS.jpg?1

Spring Breakers is a completely insane and wonderful film. Yes, it's indulgent and funny, but Harmony Korine also infuses dark and melancholic tones into the film. It comes across as a sincere depiction of youth culture taken to the absolute extreme. Yet Korine seems to simultaneously revel in this stuff while also offering a cautionary message about the dangers of unbridled excess. It's not hard to see why the film was so widely misunderstood or so controversial among critics and audiences. Nobody said it better than the man himself. In an interview with the New York Post, Korine said "I make a specific type of film, and it goes hard. It's not always for everyone."

The film features my favorite performance by an actor last year. James Franco's Alien probably wasn't destined to get the awards recognition he deserved, due to the film's lurid content, mixed reviews, and Korine's reputation (his last film was called Trash Humpers). But this character is so impeccably acted by Franco that I was mesmerized every second he was on screen. Rarely have I seen anyone transform so completely into a role. And while it doesn't hurt that the script and makeup crew gave him a lot of help, complete with the ever quotable 'Look at my S**t' monologue, it's hard to imagine anyone else pulling off such a chameleon role the way Franco did here.

Spring Breakers features my favorite scene of the year, too. There is a montage sequence set to Britney Spears' 'Everytime' which is one of the most surreal and captivating things I've ever seen in a movie. I had to laugh a little when I first saw it, because there was such a profound sense of 'what am I watching right now?'. Even after seeing this scene countless times it still resonates with me and hasn't lost its edge. The sequence, like much of the rest of the film, is an odd combination of satire and sincerity. While the song is undeniably kitsch and the activities witnessed are clearly over the top, there is also a hallucinogenic beauty to it all.

One of the great things about Harmony Korine's latest film is that it managed to sneak up on audiences. Not only was the film hailed as one of the year's best by film enthusiasts, but it was also decried as 'the worst party movie ever' and one of the worst films of all time by many who saw it in theaters. I have to admit that seeing people getting tricked into watching art films can be a lot of fun by itself. Some young people at my screening walked out of Spring Breakers with their brains completely scrambled, probably anticipating a fun excursion like Project X, but instead seeing something more reminiscent of Godard.

Spring break forever, bitches!

[The Bad Guy]

7. The Great Beauty

http://i.imgur.com/PabhtRK.jpg?1

Written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, The Great Beauty is a film that pays homage to classics of Italian cinema. There are obvious nods to Fellini's La Dolce Vita, for instance. While it takes inspiration from its predecessors it is also very much about modern day Rome. Sorrentino has said that he wanted to show the juxtaposition of the city's proud history and culture with the vapid decadence of a post-Berlusconi Rome. But even for those with no knowledge of Fellini's work or modern Roman culture, this is a film that is exceptionally captivating all the same.

It's impossible to see the sights and monuments without in some way comparing yourself to the majesty of what came before you. Yet the film's protagonist, despite achieving financial success and his life's goal, seems to feel as though his life is missing something important. He hasn't written another book in over forty years, and the news that one of his lovers from his youth passed away suddenly causes him to evaluate how he's been living. Jep Gambardella came to Rome at a young age with the goal of becoming not just the life of the party, but to have the ability to make parties a failure. As an older man he achieved this goal a long time ago, yet now that he's close to the end of his life and seems to look back and wonder whether there was a point to it all. He surrounds himself with like-minded individuals who are, like him, spiritually bankrupt. He and those in his circle consistently party all night long and sleep all day, caught in a never ending cycle of indulgence as the time fades away.

However, the film is not as nostalgic as you might imagine. It actually brims with energy. Perhaps the most important thing to say about The Great Beauty is that it's just so much fun to watch. There's a lot in here to dissect if you want to delve into it, but the film doesn't take itself too seriously. It's more of an emotional film than a cerebral one. It plays with the viewer's expectations and emotions, switching from poignancy to frivolity on a dime, sometimes transitioning from a high class party to the tranquil beauty of an abandoned museum or going from a series of jokes to a crushing insult. The opening sequence of the film shows a tranquil scene of tourists taking in the sights as choir music echoes from a nearby building, and then we're immediately taken to a rooftop party to end all parties as electronic music blares loudly amidst the chaos. It's easy to fall under the movie's spell as we're shown these incredible shots and sequences, accompanied by one of the best soundtracks of the year. Some may contend that the film is more style than substance, and while the film traverses some very familiar territory about the unexamined life it does so in such a beautiful and imaginative way. When the style is this good, I'll take it.


6. Stoker

http://i.imgur.com/Dh1RFnX.jpg

I probably won't get a lot of people to agree with me on Chan Wook Park's Stoker, but I think it's a fantastic film. Apart from Oldboy I actually consider this to be Park's best work. But for everyone who feels the way I do (and I have met some people who think this is the best film of the year) there are dozens who range from thinking it's merely OK or even not that good. I think a lot of this comes down to the film's unconventional style and execution, opting for mysterious circumstances and a foreboding sense of dread while most films would have a more coherent narrative with a rooting interest.

While I'd like to talk about some of the things I love about this movie, it's simply not possible to do so without delving into spoiler territory. So much of the film plays with misdirection and intrigue. Even basic scenes are filmed in such a way as to confuse the viewer, only tying things together towards the end of the sequence and showing you what's really happening. Much of the same could be said about the movie as a whole, which keeps you guessing about what's going on inside the privacy of these characters' minds until the final act. There are even moments where the cinematography is doing the same thing, like a brush combing long hair that slowly fades into a field that looks the same. While this all may sound reminiscent of bad twist endings, Stoker does it a little differently, only giving you enough information to get by. When we learn what's really going on with the people in the film these aren't really twists as much as they are reveals. Once the closing credits role, everything that preceded them begins to make perfect sense. Watching the film a second time is recommended, because it allows us to revisit these scenes with a brand new understanding. Seeing Stoker again was almost like watching a different movie, and I loved that.

Park really outdid himself with his use of style and mood. It's the presentation of the story that makes this gothic thriller work. The film is just so eerie and intriguing, yet it's also so well shot and edited that it goes by at a rapid pace. I was captivated from the word go, and was on the edge of my seat as this dark and creepy film unfolded. When the ending finally came I knew I'd seen something uniquely great. It's a film I've seen multiple times already and look forward to watching again.

[The Bad Guy]

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

http://i.imgur.com/jOrul1t.jpg?1

There were a lot of films that came out last year that dealt with the unexamined life. Three of them are even here on my top ten list. But none of those other films were quite as good as Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. This is arguably my favorite Scorsese film, and it showcases both him and Leonardo DiCaprio in rare form.

First of all, I think it's important to say what The Wolf of Wall Street is and isn't. Does the film offer some profound insight into the world of business ethics or the nature of capitalism? No, it does not. Despite all the monologues and its epic running time, this is not a film that's going to give audiences any better understanding of financial markets or change someone's political worldview. The film seems to be self aware of this much of the time, including one sequence where Belfort speaks directly to the audience about an Initial Public Offering taking place. Instead of finish with this basic bit of information about what an IPO is, he cuts off halfway and jokes to the audience that they probably don't care anyway. "The real question" he asks "is was all this legal? Absolutely ****ing not!"

So if that's the case, what makes this epic film about crooked brokers so good? Quite simply, this is one of the most entertaining movies I've seen in years and it's the funniest of 2013 by far. It's incredibly well acted, edited, scripted, and shot. Despite its length, there is never a dull moment in here. It honestly may be the quickest three hours I've ever sat through in the cinema. Some of these scenes (like the boat sequence or the lemmons incident) are destined to become some of the more infamous moments of 2013. Nearly everything about this wild ride is handled brilliantly, so I have no doubt that this one is going to be quoted and talked about for the rest of my life.

Many of the initial reactions to Scorsese's latest have been critical. Some have cited that the film isn't very deep, which I would agree with but don't mind. Some have stated that the film's excessive drug use, sex, and foul language are offensive. I can't dispute that these elements are in the film, so I would just say that this is not a film to watch with your children or grandparents. Others feel that Belfort and his crew are being idolized, or that this portrayal is an endorsement of their greed and depravity. This I think is misguided. Martin Scorsese has been depicting morally dubious characters in an unapologetic fashion for a long time. Part of what's great about cinema is its ability to take us into the mindset of other people. By showing the film entirely from Belfort's point of view and avoiding much of the collateral damage that's left in his wake, we're able to understand what makes him tick and how someone could engage in such activities. As Kathryn Bigelow said in regards to last year's Zero Dark Thirty "a depiction is not an endorsement".


4. The Act of Killing

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Produced by Werner Herzog and Errol Morris, Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing may be the most unforgettable film I have ever seen. That's not something that I say lightly, but this is a documentary so shocking and so bizarre that many of its scenes will be etched into my memory for all time. Forty years from now I will still be able to vividly recall the waterfall scene, the giant fish with its dancing girls, the tears of those shaken by acting out the parts of the victims, and the look on Anwar's face as he watches his own performance.

The film itself is a testament to the confrontational power of cinema. These Indonesian executioners took part in a genocide in the 1960s, purging communists, communist sympathizers, intellectuals etc. in a wave of violence that claimed at least one million lives. But the political infrastructure that was responsible for these atrocities is still in place to this day. Men like Anwar Congo did not have to go into hiding or repent for their mass murder, in fact, many still treat them as national heroes. They are not remorseful for what they have done, even though these men executed people in mass numbers. Oppenheimer gives them the tools to tell their story through a movie, and the documentary follows these men on their journey as they go about constructing this motion picture, eager to tell their story to the world.

The Act of Killing deals with a some familiar subject matter, like the banality of evil. But a lot of this film is simply unlike anything I've ever seen, and asks some unique questions that don't have easy answers. Is it possible to commit such unspeakable crimes and suffer no penalty for them? And this is not necessarily penalty in terms of legal consequences or retribution, but even if you're never ostracized or dragged to the Hague to stand trial, can you really just walk away from so much killing and remain psychologically stable as a person? Some of the men in this documentary seem to rationalize their actions to the point where they claim they've never had nightmares or regrets. Others, like Herman, almost appear incapable of empathy to great extent, but Anwar Congo seems to have moments where you can sense he is struggling to come to grips with it all. There's plenty of room for debate here when it comes to neuroscience, nature vs nurture, and the concept of karma. But one of the more intriguing aspects for me was that while Adi appears not to be remorseful, someone like Anwar does seem troubled. Anwar's reaction is born out of what we would define as healthy emotions, but is he better off for it? A person like Adi may never have to suffer these mental consequences, while Anwar will probably be haunted by nightmares and emotional turmoil for the rest of his life.

There are quite a few moments in here that are so stunning and surreal. Many of the cinematic choices made by these former executioners are audacious and flabbergasting. And by the end of it all, it's difficult to say what lessons might have been learned. Joshua Oppenheimer is optimistic that this documentary will help to challenge people and educate them, perhaps making the world a better place in the end. But producer Errol Morris is more cynical. He feels that despite how provocative and interesting the exercise is, in the end we learn nothing.

[EyesWideOpen]

Stoker is my favorite film of the year so I've got your back.

[Dukefrukem]

Booooooooo Spring Breakers! But great list! Keep going!

[baby doll]

Booooooooo Spring Breakers! But great list! Keep going!Oh boo yourself. Spring Breakers is awesome.

[The Bad Guy]

3. Her

http://i.imgur.com/afoVm2z.jpg?1

Spike Jonze's Her is a science fiction story set in the not so distant future. In this reality, people are more intertwined with technology, and new software aims to become the world's first fully personal operating system. Through user customization, the OS1 becomes a unique artificial intelligence that caters itself to the user's personality. Yet the AI is so advanced that it's difficult to distinguish whether the software coding is any different from our DNA, and if there is something like a soul there it would be possible to fall in love with that AI, which people begin to do. Our protagonist, Theodore Twombly, is one of these people.

The premise for Her may seem outlandish, but it doesn't feel this way when you're watching it. Much of this is due to the quality of the performances and how intelligently written the screenplay is. The relationship between Theodore and Samantha feels emotionally authentic. You can understand why Theodore would fall in love with her/it, and a lot of people in this futuristic world seem to feel the same way. There is a social stigma attached to dating an OS in this world, but a lot of people seem to be supportive and even curious about what it would be like to take part in that kind of relationship.

What I actually find most interesting about Her are the philosophical questions it raises about 'reality' and how we define real experience. Throughout the film we're constantly reminded about this conflict between the real and the unreal. In one scene, Amy shows a documentary she's working on about sleep. Nobody seems to understand why there's such a long take of her mother lying unconscious, but Amy insists that it's worth seeing and thinking about because "we spend a third of our lives asleep". In another scene, Samantha tells Theodore that the past is essentially not real and that it's "just a story we tell ourselves". Theodore's place of work involves him forging letters that come out of a printer as though they were handwritten in cursive, and while the quality of his writing is considered to be very good, should it matter to the emotionally satisfied father/lover/etc. that the letter was written by a complete stranger? Even the elevator in his building has a black and white image of a forest moving through the backdrop, creating the pleasant but false illusion of the natural world.

Consider how much of our own lives are consumed with unreal activities. Whether we're sleeping / dreaming, watching movies or television, reading literature, playing video games, spending time on our smartphones or computers, being lost in thought etc. we start to realize that for many of us the unreal actually exceeds what many of us would define as real experience. But how do we define real experience and what makes it inherently more valuable? With Her's hyper connected digital world and central relationship between man and machine, the film seems to be challenging us to ask how far is too far? At what point does the unreal start to become too intrusive, becoming a dystopian nightmare? Some will find Theodore and Samantha's relationship to be sweet and wonderful, while others will see it as unnatural and frightening.


2. Gravity

http://i.imgur.com/XzHNnYC.jpg

It's often said that literature is a superior medium to film. There's a strong case to be made here, because the written word can do things that movies can't do. A brilliant writer like Leo Tolstoy can reveal subconscious truths about characters or offer profound insight into their private thoughts, allowing for a richness of detail that doesn't translate into moving pictures and sound. That being said, cinema can do things that the written word cannot. In Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, we're given one of the best representations of this in movie history. Gravity may not be an intellectually challenging film, but it's an astounding sensory experience.

Nearly everything in this ninety minute adventure is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in cinema. When Cuaron first expressed a desire to make this film the technology to do so hadn't been invented yet, so he and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki had to wait four and a half years from the time the screenplay was finished until the final product was completed. The project was so ridiculously ambitious that there were times when they would be working on scenes with no idea what they would look like, so they simply had to have faith that it would somehow work in the end. Thankfully, all that patience and hard work paid off, because the end result was unlike anything ever seen in movie history. The cinematography may not appease purists, but there are long takes in here that are so and give us such a vicarious sense of dread and excitement. Every technical aspect of the film from the sound design to the special effects are superb, and help to further the willing suspension of disbelief.

While this will inevitably be compared to some of the all-time great science fiction films, it should be noted that Gravity is not a film of ideas in the way that Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is. The film does have some rather obvious symbolism about life, death, and man's place in the cosmos. But this is a screenplay that has more in common with Ridley Scott's Alien. It's not a complicated story, and it doesn't have to be in order to be scary or effective. The Cuarons know that a simple story about the struggle to survive is all that's needed here. Other than one or two lines of clunky dialogue, I really love this screenplay coupled with its execution. I was so invested in what was going on at every turn, and it had more of an emotional impact on me than just about anything I saw all year. We're thrown into the plot right away and the tension rarely lets go until the film's stunning climax.

Gravity is a film that demands to be seen on the biggest, best display possible with the nicest speakers you can find. After I saw it in IMAX I knew that I was going to have to return time and time again to get the full 3D experience in that setting. It's rare that we get to experience anything like this in the theater, so when the opportunity presented itself I wasn't going to let it slip away.

[The Bad Guy]

Stoker is my favorite film of the year so I've got your back.

Nice


Booooooooo Spring Breakers! But great list! Keep going!

Well, as Harmony Korine says, he makes movies that go hard. Some people just don't like movies that go hard. What can I say?

Thank you, by the way.


Oh boo yourself. Spring Breakers is awesome.

Spring break! You get crazy? Spring break... spring break... :cool:

[The Bad Guy]

1. Let The Fire Burn

http://i.imgur.com/EVxpimI.jpg?1

Let The Fire Burn covers the disaster of May 13th, 1985 in the city of Philadelphia. Years of escalation between city government and a small urban group known as MOVE resulted in a deadly confrontation. The assault on the house was of such a scale that residents within the surrounding neighborhood were ordered to evacuate their homes before it began. The headquarters of the MOVE organization was surrounded by scores of police officers who were armed with automatic rifles, helicopters, and military grade aerial explosives. By the time the conflict had ended, over 10,000 rounds of ammunition had been fired on the fortified house, a bomb had been dropped on the roof which caught fire, eleven people had died, and due to an order to 'let the fire burn' the flame spread until 61 row-houses were destroyed.

How did the unthinkable become reality? Jason Osder's documentary attempts to answer this question by piecing together archival footage from that time period, including a hearing panel that was set up to investigate how things escalated to this point. The crackling footage is edited together so brilliantly, it feels tense and visceral even three decades later. The film is often heartbreaking to watch, but this is not an advocacy film. Osder is only interested in showing us how things progressed on both sides of this conflict over an extended period of time. In doing so, we start to see how nearly everyone has a legitimate argument to make. This is a story that is filled with moral complexities, so that even when we disagree with an action taken by MOVE or the Police we can at least understand why they did it. All we can do is watch and listen as a tragedy born of stubbornness and ideology unfolds before our eyes. The film is almost a microcosm of how communication can break down between groups, or how countries go to war with each other.

One of the more amazing things about this story is how little it's talked about or remembered. I'm a Philadelphia resident and I was surprised to learn that many people had never heard of the time the city bombed MOVE. Yet for those that do remember, the stains of the past are still relevant today. You can go to Osage avenue and see the area that was attacked. Although there is nothing to indicate the significance of the location, no plaque commemorating the eleven lives that were lost on that day, the evidence of that disaster is still there. The homes that burned down were hastily rebuilt by the city, but the area was largely neglected by local government and the city residents. Walking through that part of the city today is eerie. Almost nobody lives there, and the experience of being there is almost like visiting a ghost town. The tragedy still lingers in that area, a stain on the city's past.

Perhaps the most important thing to say about this documentary and the incident involving MOVE came from a clergyman who spoke on the hearing panel. He reminded everyone what this story was about and why the investigation into the events was worthwhile. In the heat of such anger and procedure, he said, it's easy to forget that the person on the other side of the conflict is a human being.

[baby doll]

You did a list like this last year, right? How many of the films that made your 2012 list would you want to watch again now? Are there any that you've watched again since and how did they hold up?

From the movies on your 2013, I wouldn't hesitate to take another look at Before Midnight, Beyond the Hills, Mud, Nebraska, No, and Spring Breakers, but have little or no desire to revisit The Act of Killing (I actually found this a bit of a slog), Blue Jasmine (watchable enough but rather clunky at times, as all of Allen's movies are to varying degrees); Drug War (the best Hong Kong cop movie of the 1980s, but I don't think that's saying a whole lot); La Grande bellezza (there's not a trace of wit in Sorrentino's hyperactive style, which can't disguise how familiar and thinly conceived the characters all are); Gravity (for all its wowness, much of the plot struck me as perfunctory if not downright dopey); The Hunt (a kind of secular passion play); Rebelle (yet another Canadian movie that considers form and style secondary to issues); Short Term 12 (entirely solid despite almost being a Canadian film, though I have no desire to watch it again); Side Effects (it's basically the same movie as De Palma's Passion, but it comes on like it's going to be an intelligent character-driven movie before turning silly halfway through); Star Trek Into Darkness (by collapsing the eternal Spock-McCoy conflict into the same character, they turn Spock into Kirk and Kirk into Tom Cruise's character from Top Gun); or The World's End (the scene where the aliens explain what they're doing and the heroes tell them to buzz off stops the movie dead in its tracks and goes on forever).

[MadMan]

They made a movie about the Philly bombing? Wow.

[MadMan]

I love Wolf of Wall Street. May Marty continue to make great movies about terrible people. I think I liked that movie partly because I'm that guy who often roots for the villain, but also because I enjoy viewing and seeking out controversial movies.

[MadMan]

Upstream Color is great btw. I love its mysterious elements.

Naturally I liked Only God Forgives. Its messy ugly and brutal.

[dreamdead]

Huh, never even heard of your #1, nor of the event itself. That said, you didn't steer me wrong with Girl Walk // All Day last year, so once this is released onto DVD, I'll give it a rental.

I too am interested in your answer to baby doll's comment, when you get the time.

Meanwhile, I've begun to have greater appreciation for Stoker's excellence in form and visual/sound design, even if the script is just workable.

[The Bad Guy]

You did a list like this last year, right? How many of the films that made your 2012 list would you want to watch again now? Are there any that you've watched again since and how did they hold up?

From the movies on your 2013, I wouldn't hesitate to take another look at Before Midnight, Beyond the Hills, Mud, Nebraska, No, and Spring Breakers, but have little or no desire to revisit The Act of Killing (I actually found this a bit of a slog), Blue Jasmine (watchable enough but rather clunky at times, as all of Allen's movies are to varying degrees); Drug War (the best Hong Kong cop movie of the 1980s, but I don't think that's saying a whole lot); La Grande bellezza (there's not a trace of wit in Sorrentino's hyperactive style, which can't disguise how familiar and thinly conceived the characters all are); Gravity (for all its wowness, much of the plot struck me as perfunctory if not downright dopey); The Hunt (a kind of secular passion play); Rebelle (yet another Canadian movie that considers form and style secondary to issues); Short Term 12 (entirely solid despite almost being a Canadian film, though I have no desire to watch it again); Side Effects (it's basically the same movie as De Palma's Passion, but it comes on like it's going to be an intelligent character-driven movie before turning silly halfway through); Star Trek Into Darkness (by collapsing the eternal Spock-McCoy conflict into the same character, they turn Spock into Kirk and Kirk into Tom Cruise's character from Top Gun); or The World's End (the scene where the aliens explain what they're doing and the heroes tell them to buzz off stops the movie dead in its tracks and goes on forever).

First of all, I would say that how re-watchable something is (which is often theoretical) is just one of many factors to be considered, but doesn't really make or break something for me. For example, Haneke's Amour is a film that I loved and placed at #5 last year, but I'm not rushing out to see it again anytime soon. This isn't to say I wouldn't want to revisit it at some point, but I don't see what more I could get out of it by re-watching it so soon. Whereas something like Stoker really invites you to re-watch it with fresh eyes once you've solved the mystery.

Last year's #1, Girl Walk // All Day, is a film that I've re-watched about seven times and even attended an outdoor screening of. It does help that the film is still so much fun to watch even after seeing it so many times, and there are little things you pick up in terms of the shots and moves juxtaposed with the music.

It's interesting to see your list of what you deem re-watchable and not. For instance, one of the films you list as something you'd like to revisit, Beyond The Hills, is a film I probably won't ever see a second time. One of the criticisms I had was that it was overlong and could have been edited down, but it's well worth watching once for its central conflict and ideas. While other films like Gravity I was eager to re-watch in IMAX several times because the experience was that intense and enjoyable. I also find The Act of Killing something that I've been eager to re-watch with people several times, and don't find it the slog that you do, apparently.

From my 2012 list I would say that generally the higher you go the more likely it is that I've re-watched something. There are two ways to look at that. One would be that these films had an unfair edge because I was able to see them several times, so they're fresher in memory and I was better able to dissect a lot of their details after mastering the plot and suspension of disbelief isn't as important. The other way to look at it would be that there was a reason why I sought out these films and re-watched them in the first place.

But I have to say that, in all honesty, my opinion of a film usually doesn't change after repeat viewing. It's incredibly rare that seeing something again would cause me to change my mind about it, which I suppose is a good thing because I tend to be really absorbed into the initial viewing. The best examples I can think of recently are Only God Forgives, which I appreciated a bit more on a re-watch, and The Dark Knight Rises, which I thought less of on subsequent viewings. But for the most part, it doesn't tend to work that way.

Also, due to distribution and a short theatrical schedule, my #1 of 2013 is something I've only seen once.

[Ivan Drago]

Glad I wasn't the only one who really liked The Great Beauty. That gets better and better the more I think about it!

[The Bad Guy]

They made a movie about the Philly bombing? Wow.

Yeah, and it's entirely composed of archival footage.


I love Wolf of Wall Street. May Marty continue to make great movies about terrible people. I think I liked that movie partly because I'm that guy who often roots for the villain, but also because I enjoy viewing and seeking out controversial movies.

I often find myself rooting the villains as well, so we have that in common. I actually think that a lot of what Belfort is depicted of doing in the film is relatively benign compared to a lot of truly harmful economic practices (my father is a business ethics professor so I get some insight into this), but he's definitely not your usual protagonist.


Upstream Color is great btw. I love its mysterious elements.

Naturally I liked Only God Forgives. Its messy ugly and brutal.

I think Upstream is much better than Primer, which I appreciated mainly as a puzzle. Upstream has a lot more going for it, but it's also rich with depth in terms of science and philosophy.

Only God Forgives is very good. Not in the same category as Drive, for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Huh, never even heard of your #1, nor of the event itself. That said, you didn't steer me wrong with Girl Walk // All Day last year, so once this is released onto DVD, I'll give it a rental.

I too am interested in your answer to baby doll's comment, when you get the time.

Meanwhile, I've begun to have greater appreciation for Stoker's excellence in form and visual/sound design, even if the script is just workable.

Hopefully you enjoy Let The Fire Burn as much as GW//AD. They're two very different films, but they are each masterpieces in their own way.

I'm familiar with a lot of the criticism of Stoker, although I do love the storytelling. I'm glad you're able to appreciate some of its AV elements if nothing else.


Glad I wasn't the only one who really liked The Great Beauty. That gets better and better the more I think about it!

It's so good. I was happy to see it win the Academy Award, especially after the disappointment of seeing The Act Of Killing take a backseat 20 Feet From Stardom.

[The Bad Guy]

A quick update: Let The Fire Burn is now available on DVD in the U.S. as of 3/25

[dreamdead]

A quick update: Let The Fire Burn is now available on DVD in the U.S. as of 3/25

Wow. ... Few things hit harder than the epilogue concerning the cop who rushed out and rescued Michael from the fire. Such an indictment of the racism that lingers beneath the issue. Need to think about this one more, but early reaction was impressive and a gut-puncher.

[MadMan]

Yeah, and it's entirely composed of archival footage.Wow. That's really cool.


I often find myself rooting the villains as well, so we have that in common. I actually think that a lot of what Belfort is depicted of doing in the film is relatively benign compared to a lot of truly harmful economic practices (my father is a business ethics professor so I get some insight into this), but he's definitely not your usual protagonist.Well the other thing is that the FBI takes out Belfort and his people, but they don't solve really anything by doing so. They didn't stamp out the disease. Also Belfort is so un-abashedly unapologetic throughout the entire movie, which is almost refreshing. I liked that they didn't make any excuses for his behavior or blame it on anything other than the fact that Belfort and his friends wanted to be stinking rich off the backs of others. Does it make it right? No, of course not.


I think Upstream is much better than Primer, which I appreciated mainly as a puzzle. Upstream has a lot more going for it, but it's also rich with depth in terms of science and philosophy.Yes I too prefer Upstream over Primer, although its more of a slight preference. Upstream is indeed more complex and therefore far more interesting, although I do love Primer for its mindfuck premise and plot.


Only God Forgives is very good. Not in the same category as Drive, for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.I agree, although having seen Bronson and Valhalla Rising I'm amused that the critics compared Only God to Drive when Only God is more like Bronson with a good deal of Rising involved. I wonder if many of them have actually seen anything other than Drive from Refn. Probably not.