Most critics release their Top Ten Lists in December or at least the first week in January. I am usually a little behind because I have to wait for Charlotte to get the last few films I want to see before making my decision. But the time has come. I have struggled with my choices, debated them within my mind, and finally concluded that today, in this moment, these are the films that I think are the best of 2013.
Two criteria I use in making a best list are “Do I want to see it again?” and “Did it move me emotionally?” These two questions almost always define great films.
First, here are thirteen films that almost made my list: “American Hustle,” “Before Midnight,” “Captain Phillips,” “The Conjuring,” “The East,” “Frozen,” “Her,” “Monsters University,” “Mud,” “The Purge,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Short Term 12,” and “The Way Way Back.” In a lesser year, any of these could have made the “BIG” list.
And here they are in reverse order:
10. Rush
I still cannot understand why Ron Howard’s racing film did not catch on. (It made less that $27 million.) Amazing action, stellar cinematography, great acting, and masterful dialogue carry this true story of rivalry and ultimately respect. I have no interest in auto racing in any form whatsoever but I was enthralled with every moment of this film.
9. Inside Llewyn Davis
I love the fact that Joel and Ethan Coen will create a movie about any subject and it is almost always intriguing and superbly presented. I have little interest in folk songs and the people who sing them, however every frame of this film captivated me. Oscar Isaac should at least be nominated for best actor, though he probably will not be. And this film boasts the best performance by a cat in the last several years.
8. Still Mine
A small quiet film about aging, dignity, human rights, commitment and love. This film was seen by fewer people than any other film on my list ($1.2 millon at the box office) but I believe it boasts the single most touching, poignant and wise scene in any film of this past year. There is no release date yet for the DVD, but if and when it comes out, I hope many will discover the authentic joy and love this true story holds.
7. Disconnect
After the first six months of the year this film was at the top of my list. Again, a film almost no one saw ($1.4 million at the box office), which is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. I can hardly go anywhere that I do not spot reminders of the truth of this film that is all about our current dependency on our electronics.
6. Gravity
Visually awe-inspiring. Great performance by Sandra Bullock. A captivating story. And the best live-action 3-D I have ever seen. This is also the most financially successful film on my list with a current gross of $256 million. But whenever I think back about Gravity, it is not the visuals that I ponder or the popularity of the film. It is the sad woman, grieving the loss of a child and confronting herself on issues of faith, and whether she has the will to go forward into uncertainty.
5. Philomena
This film was flying below the radar and even after I began to hear good things, I was still slightly reluctant to see it. Ending up fifth on my list proves if won me over. Another amazing true story (one of six on my list this year which might be a record). Judy Dench will most likely not get her second Oscar for this film, but if I could cast a vote, she would get mine. The moments when she is still and the camera is on her, Dench speaks volumes without any dialogue. And the final moments of the film are priceless.
4. 12 Years a Slave
The most disturbing film I saw this year and that list includes The Conjuring, The Purge and You’re Next. But 12 Years is disturbing because it is real and true. It is not an easy film to endure, but it is an important film, and after some time away, I feel I am ready to view it again, not because it will be easier to watch a second time, but because it will not be. And that is the strength of the film.
3. Dallas Buyers Club
Two Golden Globe winning performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. That would be enough to recommend this film but there is so much more. There is the wonderful scene in the grocery store that I wrote about in my review. There is the transformation of McConaughey’s character plus the politics and humor and so much more. Of all the films on my list, this is the biggest surprise. I did not expect to like it this much.
2. Nebraska
The day I sat down and ranked these films, a friend of mine called me to tell me he had just seen Nebraska the night before. As we talked of the film, I realized how much joy this simple movie brought to me when I saw it, and whenever I have thought about it since. It is not a lot of things some other films on this list are, but it is still an amazing piece of work, hitting all the right notes.
1. Fruitvale Station
Whenever I describe this film to anyone I always start by telling the person about the structure of the story. What a smart decision director Ryan Coogler made. Compared to many films on my list, this is small film. (And one few saw with a box office gross of only $16 million.) As far as films about race this year, The Butler and 12 Years a Slave are both more ambitious and more popular than Fruitvale Station. But the images I most remember from any of the three films are the glimpses of a young man’s life before he went to the Fruitvale Station on New Year’s Eve.
There you have it. Counting the thirteen “honorable mentions” you have twenty-three films to catch on home video in the months ahead. They are a diverse group, but if you choose any of these, I do not think you can go wrong.
Cinema Corner 