After a lackluster beginning, and having to follow up from the mega-year 2012, everyone expected this year to be a bust. But then, among the ashes of Gangster Squad and Movie 43, were a few blockbuster surprises like Oz the Great and Powerful and critical darlings such as 42. No one knew how to handle the summer season, with a few predictable successes (Star Trek Into Darkness, Despicable Me 2), middle-ground surprises (The Heat, Fast & Furious 6), and flat-out bombs (After Earth, The Lone Ranger). By the Fall movie season, early predictions were tossed out the window, with one critical success right after another. This has led to an exciting onslaught of Oscar contenders, which has proven to be a very interesting race.
Now, on the cusp of 2014, it's time to take a look back on the film year that was 2013. So, without further adieu, here are the Top 10 Movies of 2013.
10. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
A parable of financial excess, The Wolf of Wall Street is arguably one of the best Scorsese-Leonardo DiCaprio collaborations ever filmed. A pet project of the actor for years, the story of Jordan Belfort is a hedonistic look at the guilty pleasures in life, with obscene amounts of profanity, sex, and drugs lacing the film into a sinful entree. Only Martin Scorsese could turn this movie into an artful character study, making each sinful desire a necessary plot device. Wolf is shot with the same rabid intensity of the infamous day-long cocaine chase from Goodfellas, crafted into a 3-hour drama with so much to talk about. Scorsese makes us want to join this fraternity of criminal stockbrokers, reminding us why the filmmaker is so good at directing evil.
9. Monsters University (Dan Scanlon)
It was a ripe year for animation, and many people will name half a dozen other cartoons they liked better than this one. But Monsters University stuck with me throughout them all, and for that reason, it makes my favorites of the year. It brings up several eyebrow-raising comments about the education system as a whole, a theme few kids movies tackle. MU is a fun setting with colorful characters, best of all giving fans of the original Monsters, Inc. the same style of humor and pacing. It's a vast improvement over Cars 2 that shows Pixar is still capable of making a good follow-up (even after all these years). Come for the Disney brand, stay for the hijinks, and remember it for the loving emotions behind the best animated movie of 2013.
8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Francis Lawrence)
Few action movies have the nerve to make audiences think a little bit. They drown them in meaningless babble and nonsensical situations, numbing them from the problems of the real world. But The Hunger Games franchise fights for just the opposite, and Catching Fire is a fine entry into this canon. Fueled by the raw energy of the novel source material, this sequel addresses political themes much better than the original installment, pitting the hero Katniss Everdeen against the corruption of the Capital and its malevolent leader President Snow. Jennifer Lawrence brings her star power into the role once again, leading a beautiful cast of talented performers. It's fast-moving, nail-biting thriller that proves how sequels can fix and improve upon the first, making us excited for future movies and the forthcoming revolution.
7. The Way Way Back (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)
In their own way, coming-of-age dramas can say more about a human life than anything else. Under the lens of a teenager, the world can seem a large and intimidating place, and in The Way Way Back, that world is a beach centered around a water park. Liam James plays Duncan with realistic emotion, demonstrating how much more grown up kids can be than adults. Steve Carrell surprises with an antagonistic performance, but Sam Rockwell gives the more shocking show, in easily my favorite role of his to date. It was the summer drama we all needed, and we're thankful for it's wider release than normal. The Way Way Back is an accessible, funny, and heartwarming tale about growing up, and learning how to count on friends to lead the way.
6. Saving Mr. Banks (John Lee Hancock)
Movies about making movies may not seem appealing, but they have proven to be an intriguing genre that educates viewers on the magic of cinema. This year, it came in the form of Saving Mr. Banks, which chronicles Walt Disney's journey to secure the rights to Mary Poppins from book author P.L. Travers, wonderfully portrayed by Emma Thompson. Disney is played, for the first time, by an actor, and who else better to perform the role than American everyman Tom Hanks. With several allusions to both Mary Poppins and the Disney canon throughout the picture, Saving Mr. Banks is also a fascinating look into the creator of the supernanny, giving viewers an almost separate flick in her frequent flashbacks. It's a touching tale of acceptance, and masterfully demonstrates the lengths to which a person will go to protect their creation.
5. Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass)
Much like Argo, Captain Phillips makes a real-life incident surprising, chilling us to the bone even though we all know how it is going to end. This is possible due to three people: Paul Greengrass, whose Bourne experience gave him the necessary camera comfortability to accurately shoot a claustrophobic and gripping story with a documentary-esk shaky cam; Barkhad Abdi, whose portrayal of the film's villain is interestingly sympathetic, giving another layer to this story that easily could be one-sided were it not for such a graceful performance; and, of course, Tom Hanks, who makes a career comeback (yes, a comeback- think of the last good movie you saw him in, odds are it was almost a decade ago) by returning to his roots of the average guy, forced in an impossible situation yet able to keep his cool to protect his crew.
4. Iron Man 3 (Shane Black)
The best action movie of the summer is not only a superhero movie, but the most genuinely satisfying film of the season. Showing more Tony Stark than the metal hero himself, Iron Man 3 is a refreshing follow-up to The Avengers, with an original story that gave comic book fans and regular audiences plot twists no one was expecting. Robert Downey Jr. carries the film's intensity, but several other characters anchor the project in heightened cinematic technique. It remains one the best entries into the Marvel canon, and started summer with an explosion of fun that was never quite replicated.
3. 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
12 Years a Slave is an educational experience into not only the United State's dark past, but the disturbing potential of humanity itself. Steve McQueen, the director of sex-addiction examination Shame, brings the same canine intensity to this motion picture, a film of symbolic power told from the point of view of a single slave. This is part of the movie's appeal; Chiwetal Ejiofor has finally made his way to the center stage by portraying real-life hero Solomon Northup, who sees first-hand of slavery's brutality after losing his lifelong freedom. 12 Years a Slave does not hold back anything; all cards are on the table, from every stinging lash to every twisted lecture by Michael Fassbender's bible-thumping slave driver. If they can even stomach it, 12 Years should be required viewing for every high school student in America, to show how terrifying the U.S. once was, and to guarantee that it never happens again.
2. American Hustle (David O. Russell)
From the moment we first saw the trailer for American Hustle, we knew we were in for a cinematic treat. David O. Russell has slowly become one of my favorite directors, after The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook made a huge impact on their respective Oscar years. Now, he has combined the best elements of both casts to craft an intricate crime saga, delving audiences into the rich culture of the 1970's. The cast is worth the price of admission alone, and each actor gives a performance of the highest possible caliber. Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and most of all Jennifer Lawrence all prove that they are among the finest actors of our generation. It's an addicting story with the best collection of characters of the year.
1. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)
Gravity is the most visually spectacular movie since Avatar, and is much better executed. In only an hour-and-a-half, Cuaron takes us on a roller coaster ride of zero-gravity entertainment, making us feel like we are actually in outer space. Gravity is a thrillingly imaginative piece of science fiction that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible, demonstrating all that cinema is and should be capable of when done perfectly. Sandra Bullock gives the greatest performance of her career, and George Clooney is irreplaceably perfect for his comedic part. From the onset of the 13-minute IMAX 3-D opening shot, the film literally took my breath away. I was shaking for hours afterwards, because I knew I had just completed one of the greatest movie theater experiences of my entire life. Or, simply put, the best movie of 2013.
Well, there you are: the best films of 2013! I hope you enjoyed the list, and are adding these films to your Netflix queues as we speak. Just for fun, here are a few Movie Critic's Club Awards that we hope you enjoy!
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Christian Bale, American Hustle (Runner-up: Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock, Gravity (Runner-up: Judi Dench, Philomena)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Sam Rockwell, The Way Way Back (Runner-up: Jake Gyllenhaal, Prisoners)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle (Runner-up: Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street)
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity (Runner-up: Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips)
Best Screenplay: Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell, American Hustle (Runner-up: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave)
Best Song: "Please Mr. Kennedy", Inside Llewyn Davis (Runner-up: "10538 Overture", American Hustle)
Comeback of the Year: Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks (Runner-up: Mathew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, The Wolf of Wall Street)
Honorable Mentions for the Top 10: The Heat, Despicable Me 2, Philomena, 42, Don Jon, The Wolverine
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