It was an average year for movies, but there were
many tremendous performances.
Maybe it wasn’t as good as 2010, but it was
better than 2011. The top six on my list probably aren’t as good as that group
in 2012, but the depth is similar. What was unique about 2013 was there was a
group of movies that were powerful and well worth seeing, but not memorable
enough to make my top five like “12 Years a Slave,” which will probably win
Best Picture.
I wish I could have seen all of them, but here
are my opinions on the year in movies for 2013.
Still hope
to see: August Osage County, Saving
Mr. Banks, Labor Day, The Book Thief, Inside Llewyn Davis, Out of the Furnace,
The Fifth Estate, Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom. … Comments: I don’t believe Lone Survivor counts as a 2013 movie and
the only one I really wish I had seen already was the Coen Brothers’ Llewyn
Davis.
The worst
of 2013: The Place Beyond the Pines,
Man of Steel, Jobs, World War Z, Anchorman II, The Hangover III, Good Day to
Diehard, Gatsby.
Barely
missed the worst list (each had something that saved it): The Conjuring, Don Jon, Olympus Has Fallen,
Prisoners, Spring Breakers, Side Effects, Elysium, Machete Kills, Blue Jasmine,
Enough Said. … Comments: Spring
Breakers had an interesting story, but the movie was so incredibly poorly made.
When Jessica Alba dies early in Machete Kills you know you’re in trouble. The
gorgeous Rooney Mara almost saves Side Effects’ predictable story.
Honorable
mention: Safe Haven, Star Trek into
Darkness, The Internship, Oblivion, Iron Man 3, The Wolf of Wall Street, The
Purge. … Comments: The Purge is not
a movie I usually like, but it was so chilling and crazy that I almost thought
it was good. Wolf was so much over the top that it became a farce to me, but
there were some entertaining moments.
20. The
Butler – Forrest Whitaker and Cuba Gooding were outstanding, but as others
have said -- this was more like a good TV movie.
19. White
House Down – Sure, it was Diehard at the White House, but it was way better
than the other similar movie – Olympus Has Fallen – and the plot was somewhat
believable.
18. Fruitvale
Station – The true story of Oscar Grant III was well done and makes you
very sad and angry. I needed more depth to the story to place it higher on the
list.
17. Captain
Phillips – The movie was strong and interesting until Tom Hanks got off the
ship. After that, it just really dragged and the ending was nothing special.
16. All is
Lost – Robert Redford performs an amazing one-man show on a sailboat, with
no dialogue. Still would have liked a little background. Has a memorable
ending.
15. Closed
Circuit – Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are terrific actors who carried a
movie that was a little less intense and different than it appeared to be in
trailers.
14. Philomena
– Dame Judi Dench goes on a journey to find her long-lost son in a movie
that has an interesting ending, but is a little slow to get going.
13. 42
– Really thought this early-2013 movie about Jackie Robinson was well done and
that Harrison Ford might warrant some award recognition, but maybe I over-rated
it a bit on first viewing.
12. Catching
Fire – Jennifer Lawrence is tremendous again in the second of the Hunger
Games trilogy, which made me really excited to watch the next. Could have
easily been a few spots higher.
11. 12
Years a Slave – An amazing achievement by director Steve McQueen, which
could win him an Oscar. That would be fine with me. The film just didn’t make
me say “wow” when I walked out. But the Duck Dynasty guy should be locked in a
room to watch it over and over and over and over.
--
10. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty –
The film doesn’t have anywhere near the intrigue and power that many I ranked between
11-20 have, but I just enjoyed Ben Stiller’s journey and especially those big
beers in Greenland.
9. Short
Term 12 – Brie Larson and John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom) are young
supervisors of a residential treatment center for youths who deal with problems
in both their own lives and those of the kids. Could have been longer and
answered more questions, but a unique story with a standout performance by
Larson.
8. Dallas
Buyers Club – Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto provided virtuoso
performances in a movie about the beginnings of the Aids epidemic.
7. Gravity
– Was unsure how Sandra Bullock would be in this role about survival on a space
station after a disaster, but she nailed it as usual. I don’t care whether some
of those things could have happened. It was a good watch.
6. Rush
– Ron Howard’s film about the Formula One racing rivalry between playboy James
Hunt and intense Niki Lauda is incredibly compelling and entertaining.
5. The
Way, Way Back – I might be the only person that has this on their top
10 list for 2013, but I just loved this fun coming-of-age story near Cape Cod,
where I vacationed many summers. Sam Rockwell should have been nominated for best
supporting actor.
4. Her
– Some might call it creepy or weird, but this movie is about relationships,
how we interact with each other and the exaggeration of what could happen in
the future. I found it unique and fascinating. And, yes, I would date Scarlett
Johansson’s voice.
3. American
Hustle – David O. Russell directed my pick for the best movie of 2012 and
he puts together another pulsating movie, with tremendous acting, about
political corruption and scam artists. Lawrence and Amy Adams are memorable.
2. The
Spectacular Now – Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley play absolutely
rich characters in a unique story about a young man who goes on a journey of
self-awareness after he spends most of high school living for the Now.
1 – Nebraska
– Alexander Payne, who directed my favorite film of 2011, weaves an amazing
story about an aging veteran who is searching for something to live for in the
final years of his life. His journey makes you laugh, think and cry a bit.
That’s why it was the best movie of 2013 in my opinion.
Previous
picks for Best of the Year
2012 – Silver Linings Playbook
2011 – The Descendants
2010 – The Social Network
2009 – Inglourious Basterds
2008 – Frost/Nixon (The Wrestler a close second)
2007 – Once
Best of Decade
2000-2009 – Almost Famous
OSCAR PICKS
Best
picture – Well, you know my pick.
But I think “12 years a Slave” will win.
Best actor – Bruce Dern (Nebraska). I think there’s a small
chance he wins, but if not McConaughey is the pick. He was absolutely stunning
in Buyers Club. Leonardo DiCaprio was great, but I just didn’t like the movie.
Redford should have been nominated.
Best
actress – I love Meryl Streep. But
does she have to be nominated every year?!!! I’m rooting for Adams, but I think
Cate Blanchett’s turn in a very average Woody Allen movie “Blue Jasmine” was
pretty impressive.
Best
supporting actor – Leto should
win, but Barkhad Abdi was outstanding in “Captain Phillips.” Wish the Academy
would be more open in its nominating process to give people like Rockwell (The
Way, Way Back) and James Franco (Spring Breakers) a chance.
Best
supporting actress – Jennifer
Lawrence dominates the screen in “American Hustle” every time she is there and
June Squibb is an absolute riot in “Nebraska.” Hope one of them win. Would like
to see Rebecca Hall nominated one of these years. She was great in “The Town”
and this year’s “Closed Circuit.”
Adapted Screen
play – John Ridley for “12 Years a Slave.”
Original
Screen play – Hopefully
either Spike Jonze for “Her” or Bob Nelson for “Nebraska.”
