As I write this, we are now 27 days into 2014 which means
thanks to the effect of New Year’s consumption, the polar vortex freezing our
brain cells and probably something that has to do with Rob Ford, we can’t
remember 2013. Every publication wraps-up the year with a billion slideshow
articles they turn in before winter break because they’re pretty positive
nothing will happen during those last two weeks.
Then we’re done! No more 2013! Now it’s time to focus on
“films” like I, Frankenstein
and….what the hell is The Nut Job?
Today I’m going to go against the grain and write about the best of cinema from
last year even though we are almost a month into its predecessor. I can never
do it at the end of December because there are too many movies that I want to see
before I write my (pseudo) definitive list.
This year I want to go even crazier. I want to talk about my
Top 61 films because I see this as one of the best years in cinema I’ve ever
experienced. Also I think the film market is changing. Right now you have
access to amazing films so you don’t have to go see The Legend of Hercules. There are more options!
Last thing before this gets any longer (Ha!), even though I
waited to see more movies, that doesn’t mean I saw everything. I still missed About Time, After Tiller, Ain’t Them
Bodies Saints, Bastards, Best Kept Secret, Beyond the Hills, Caesar Must Die, Clear History, Deceptive
Practice, Ernest & Celestine, Escape From Tomorrow, Go For Sisters, The Hunt, Night Across the
Street, Paradise: Love, Pieta, Post Tenebras Lux, Sightseers, Smash & Grab:
The Story of the Pink Panthers, Something in the Air, Starbuck, Tim’s Vermeer,
A Touch of Sin and You Ain’t Seen
Nothing Yet. I’ll get to those…one day.
Last first thing, why 61 films? Because I was going to do 60
and then I realized I forgot to put one on my list halfway through writing
this. Why even have this many? Make it to the end of the article, but now let’s
get started…
#61
How to Make Money
Selling Drugs
This movie is so obviously influenced by The Wire it’s even bold enough to have
scenes from the HBO masterpiece and interviews with David Simon. The gimmick of
making this movie a “How To” guide is a lot of fun and serves as a nice
counterbalance to the depressing financial statistics about how the decades long
War on Drugs has severely damaged America.
Currently Available on DVD.
#60
Hey Bartender
Another year, another documentary about an awesome niche
world I’ve never seen before. This movie shows the cultural rise of the
cocktail and how the right bartender could be just as exciting as the brilliant
new chef. Always cool and slick, this brings such a nice allure to this world
and the work it takes to make a successful environment.
Currently Available on iTunes
#59
Behind the
Candelabra
In America, this movie premiered on HBO. Internationally,
this premiered at Cannes. If this would have been in theatres first, we would
be seeing an Oscar nomination for Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, but since it
aired on television it was up for Emmys. The quality didn’t change, just the
way you paid for it. And this is a very fine film. Steven Soderbergh put the subject
before his own techniques and allowed for some really beautiful performances in
a strange surreal world. Man, I hope Soderbergh comes out of retirement.
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#58
Berberian Sound
Studio
As you will see from the rest of my list, I love it when a
movie can only be a movie. Not just because this deals with post-production
sound editing, this is a movie that lives and breathes (and scares) you through
crazy images and psychological untangling. Toby Jones is incredible where his
world starts to dissolve into the schlocky Italian horror film he’s editing.
This has confident filmmaking from the first to last frame.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#57
Philomena
Whoa, this is a Best Picture nominee. That’s sweet/weird.
It’s too bad because now everybody is going to watch this wondering “Is this
one of the nine best films of the year?” The answer is obviously no, it’s the
57th best. Yet it’s still a really good true story told in a
charming fashion. Steve Coogan has great writing chops as he co-crafts a story
for grown-ups that is always more interested in the small moments than the big
ones.
Currently in theatres. The Blu-Ray/DVD will be out March 4th.
#56
Blackfish
Once any company becomes too big, I know that they aren’t
saintly. Yet it’s scary when you realize just how bad they can be. This indictment
against Sea World has pissed off everyone who has seen it and it’s because they
really know how to make an argument. Most of the interview subjects are ex-Sea
World employees who truly love orca whales and have to speak up once one of
their trainers died and Sea World tries to put the blame on the young girl.
Powerful, horrifying footage.
Currently on Netflix Instant
#55
V/H/S 2
Others have their Friday
the 13ths or their Paranormal
Activties, this is my horror franchise. Like the last one, it’s a
series of short films held together with a creepy throughline of discovering
VHS tapes with really weird stories found on them. The third segment is so
absurdly good that my audience burst into a full applause in the middle of the
movie. These films are always a fun because it lets a bunch of talented
filmmakers experiment with the POV format with really exciting results.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#54
In a World…
There are a bunch of independent comedies filled with
today’s top comedians but this one right away feels different. First thing,
this has a fantastic premise: Lake Bell tries to become the first woman who really
break into the voice-over world. Secondly, that ensemble of comedians (Rob
Corddry, Ken Marino, Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro, Nick Offerman, Michaela
Watkins) aren’t just playing their typical personas but actual characters which
requires actual acting. While still being funny, this isn’t a joke machine but
a really well-constructed story with a great ending. I want more Lake Bell
movies!
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#53
I’m So Excited
Pedro Almodovar can make a movie that delves deeply into the
vulnerability of the soul to find incredible hidden truths. Also he can make a
movie about drunk stewards who figured they’ll probably crash so they
should lip-sing to cheer up first class. This is such a funny movie that works
in this strangely balanced world where things can be very very silly and yet
you do care about this colorful soap opera in the air. This is Almodovar
through and through.
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#52
Iron Man 3
I watch Marvel movies for one reason: the awesome filmmakers
they bring into their world. I adore the last Shane Black/Robert Downey Jr.
team-up, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and
this didn’t disappoint as a follow up. This movie finally broke apart the typical
superhero structure by changing up how they dealt with villains and fight
scenes. Plenty of great dialog, bold choices and without a doubt the best
post-credits scene Marvel has ever done (because it wasn’t a stupid tease for
the next movie).
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#51
Stoker
This movie should be seen entirely for its cinematography.
Usually I can say that for something like Samsara
where that is the whole movie, but this is what makes this movie special. The
story is familiar (Shadow of a Doubt meets….Shadow of a Doubt) but Hitchcock never
had such a batshit crazy camera. This is the camera that reinvents every room
of the house and can dramatically change what it means to play piano with
someone. The trio of actors are game to let the movie change around them with
nifty results.
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#50
This is the End
Judd Apatow did a great job with casting Freaks and Geeks way back when, but he
did an even better job seeing them not just as actors but storytellers. Seth
Rogen has always been an interesting screenwriter since Superbad and now finally he gets to have the freedom to make even
bolder choices while moving more personal. Handling the apocalypse
isn’t just a setting for crazy jokes, but a look to examine their vain
lifestyle and what they want to do to become better people.
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#49
Stand Clear of
the Closing Doors
First Heartland film on the list! An autistic boy finds
himself stuck on the subway without a clear way to get home. A typical journey
like this would focus on the plot steps he needs to accomplish, but with Ricky
as our protagonist it’s a different story. The movie is filled with scenes to give the
audience the chance to understand what Ricky would and wouldn’t do. All of his actions
feel genuine as are the frustration his family feels in his absence. Quiet and
curious, a real treat.
Currently Unavailable. Follow their Facebook for more info.
#48
Life According to
Sam
Filmmakers Sean and Andrea Nix Fine have a gift of finding
the most extraordinary kids and giving them the opportunity to show who they
really are. Sean Berns may have been known by his Oprah appearances or his enthusiasm
for the Patriots. He was the perfect public face of Progeria because he was
such a genuinely inspirational individual. Why I like the Fines so much is that
they can have great admiration for their subjects while still showing their
humanity. Showing the less than perfect aspects doesn’t turn the piece cynical
but makes them more powerful.
Currently Available on HBO Go
#47
First Cousin Once
Removed
I’m going to keep talking about this later in the list, but
a documentary can’t just be a good subject. This is a visual story and you have
to have a reason why you made a movie not an article. First Cousin Once Removed is one of the most fascinatingly edited
movies of the year because it took the patience of getting so much repetitive
footage. To examine the man the grandfather is now means you have to reexamine
how you know somebody. A man without memory isn’t influenced by his past
actions, but the personality that will always remain. Absolutely fascinating
and emotional.
Currently Available on HBO Go
#46
Cutie and the
Boxer
Artists are weird subjects for movies because it’s never
easy to capture what is going on in their head. The art is used to search for
clues but what if you had another source? I don’t love the art by either one of
the titular artists in this movie, but I love watching how their relationship
kinda completely works. Their age gap is significant, he’s often very cruel and
emotionally distant, but they both need each other in their own way. It’s a
weird spiral of love, hate and the canvas they use to breathe.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#45
The Spectacular
Now
I turned this on Christmas Day because every trailer made
this look like a sweet tale of young love. Nope! That’s there and handled well,
but it’s more of this really strong character study about a boy on the verge of
no longer being the shit. Miles Teller is excellent as he deals with a lot of
difficult emotions coming from different sources while maintaining the charisma
that worked so well for the character in high school. It's because of this performance that the characters and the audience never want to give up on him.
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#44
White Reindeer
Independent movies have just as many clichés as the
Hollywood ones. All can be done well if you make the moments feel real. This
movie always had credibility because of how fantastic Anna Margaret Hollyman
was displaying unprocessed emotions of grief and confusion. Also why this movie
is so good is because when it goes into moments of heightened decisions, it
never applauds itself for being quirky but unflinchingly deals with it as part
of her process.
Currently Available on iTunes
#43
Don Jon
Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote a movie where he gets to have sex
with Scarlett Johansson and somehow that only makes him more charming. This
movie never feels like an ego trip but making a nice argument for the way
relationships are distorted by the narratives we intake. Already he’s proving
he has a nice style as a director and clearly is passionate about stories he
wants to tell. Very strong first feature.
Currently on Blu-Ray/DVD
#42
Nebraska
There’s an uncomfortable reality surrounding this movie.
People are focusing on the poor nature of some of the family members, but I
also see so much truth in the kindness of the core characters. This is one of
the best examples of learning about a character’s past without the use of
flashbacks. It’s sprinkled along so well that it is able to earn all of its
amazing cathartic moments. I love the patience of this film.
Currently back in theatres. Blu-Ray/DVD will be out on February 25th.
#41
The Square
I try my best to keep up with the news but sometimes I feel
I need a history lesson. When I read about the Egyptian revolution, it was hard
to understand what was going on. This documentary rectified all of that. The Square works as a great educational
tool, but it’s a lot more emotional than I would have expected. It’s more than
seeing how they have to fight for their rights, but why they’re fighting so
hard. The footage they were able to capture was just incredible.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#40
Drug War
Now it’s time for the opposite of my last pick! Do you want
to watch the coolest cop movie with the undeniable best action scene of the
year? Then stop caring about subtitles and put this on. It’s a cop vs.
robbers movie for adults meaning the plot will move fast, the characters aren’t
stupid and it may not come together perfectly. This movie was exciting and
awesome from beginning to end. Now I need to watch the rest of Johnnie To’s
movies.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#39
Crystal Fairy
& the Magical Cactus
A few years ago, everybody kept (unfairly) saying that Michael
Cera plays the same role over and over again. Recently, he’s blowing up that
concept. He went down to Chile to make two movies with Sebastián Silva and this
is the one I found to be really amazing. Cera is so committed to being such a
realistic asshole that their journey to find a hallucinogenic cactus becomes a
different type of endurance contest. Cera refuses to become cartoonish but
draws upon our own worst selfish impulses.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#38
Somebody Up There
Likes Me
There’s something so wonderfully goofy about this movie that
I could never turn away. It has a touch of Wes Anderson other-worldy behavior
but without any of his precision. The movie creates this haze that envelops the
main character to drift through every life decision without any emotional
attachment. It’s a weird criticism of the man-child that goes a step further
with its only weird style. I ended up watching this twice in a row because I
was so amused by its one-of-a-kind world.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#37
Bad Milo
Ken Marino has a demon possessing his butt. Still with me?
Good. The demon is a metaphor but learning what that is is part of the great
fun of this horror comedy. Everybody is committed to this insane premise and
everyone is giving their best comedic take on the characters while Marino is
giving the dramatic performance of his career. In addition to a cool character
study, there is some awesome world-building going on here.
Currently Available on DVD (Will be on Netflix next month)
#36
Computer Chess
The initial premise of this movie drew me in. In the 80s,
there was a yearly competition between programmers to develop a computer
program smart enough to beat a master in chess. All of the characters in this
conference make a fantastic ensemble but writer/director Andrew Bujalski in
interested in more than just letting them bounce off each other in a hotel
room. The movie gradually gets more ambitious as it starts to blend its genres
and scope to make a truly unique experience.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#35
Leviathan
There isn’t a story in this movie or any characters. Yet I
couldn’t look away because I saw a world I had never seen before—neither had
the people involved. The filmmakers when on a shipping boat and placed cameras
in the most curious of places capturing unseen moments of danger and beauty in
what seemed like a mundane environment. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to see this
in theatres, but it was still very effective on a decently sized TV. Do not
watch on your phone; you won’t know what you’re looking at.
Currently Available on DVD
#34
C.O.G.
I love David Sedaris’ work but I never really thought they
were adaptable. I didn’t know it was possible to translate his dry sense of
humor. Jonathan Groff ends up being a perfect conduit because he was willing to
be really awful. David’s journey through an apple factory begins as the most
ironic of actions but the film takes a really fascinating path. In many ways,
this is the movie to end hipster movies because it’s a search for the genuine
connection and how hard that could be.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#33
Contracted
Here we go. You can peak at the rest of the list, but I
assure you, this is the best horror movie of the year. I like me some
heightened horror movies, but I love me the ones where none of the characters
even have a clue what genre they’re in. This Cronenberg devolution of a SDI
gone very wrong works at being gross-out but works even better at creating
really powerful drama amongst its characters. Everyone feels very lived-in
which only raises the stakes. Watch this one.
Currently Available on iTunes
#32
Side Effects
Perfect transition! Here’s another movie where women
shouldn’t be trusting medical officials and it’s hard to tell what genre
they’re playing in. Soderbergh is fantastic at keeping the cards to the chest
because it’s so hard to read the tone of this movie. It has an agenda. Is it
pro-medication or anti-medication? Was Jude Law’s character right or wrong? Is
there a problem with the system…or is there a different problem? The twists in
this movie are quieter than most movies and that makes this even more
effective. Seriously, don’t retire Soderbergh.
Currently on Netflix Instant
#31
Captain Phillips
There is a distinctive Paul Greengrass style that I like a
lot. It perfectly gelled into the Bourne universe and it especially works in a
hostage thriller. With the use of realism, it becomes even more unnerving when
the boat is taken. For it stops feeling like a set, but a home that we’re also
living in. Every beat feels and unnerving down to its amazing final scene. It’s
not on my list, but I also recommend the Danish film A Hijacking as a companion film.
Currently on Blu-Ray/DVD
#30
The Great Beauty
The title doesn’t lie; this film is gorgeous. Every frame
brings out the best of Rome and all who live in it. From the new age parties to
the antique ruins, this is exquisite. What’s so nice is that it throws us into
this world for quite awhile before we meet our protagonist who has grown unimpressed
by it all. His dissatisfaction has made him a bit rude but the movie treats him
as a challenge. Wanting you to look at him further and figure out what makes
him tick. The results are wonderful.
Currently on DVD internationally, will hit the Criterion
Collection on March 25th
#29
Gimme the Loot
Can this be a TV show? Please? I can’t imagine only getting
81 minutes with these characters and this world. This is my favorite heist film
since The Brothers Bloom and yet (as
I be vague) this could be the opposite of that movie. Two graffiti artists
decide they want to finally get the respect they deserve by tagging the Apple
of the New York Mets. All they have to do is get the money to pay off the
security guard. What results is two people working really hard to make this
happen in a smooth, cool series of events.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#28
Museum Hours
I love walking through art museums but I never end up
getting those earpieces to tell you all the history about every piece. There’s
something very soothing about immersing yourself with art and learning from the pieces and the people around you. This movie
perfectly captures that experience by highlighting the building, not the art.
Those who inhabit the building are enriched by what they see and each other.
Currently Available on iTunes
#27
The Forgotten Kingdom
Another one that really worked for me at Heartland. Before
watching this movie, I admit I didn’t even know where Lesotho was on a map.
It’s a country that is completely surrounded by South Africa and it feels like
it is working hard to keep its culture from the surrounding area. Our
protagonist returns home for family reasons and quietly discovers the power of
such a place. What’s the most impressive about this movie is how much
writer/director Andrew Mudge places in the hands of his actors. It is entirely
up to these performances to make all the subtleties of the story work. That
takes a lot of confidence in your direction and this was Mudge’s feature debut.
I’m very excited to see what he does next.
Currently continuing its festival run.
#26
When a Wolf Falls
in Love With a Sheep
It’s not a secret that I love romantic comedies and this one
is an ambitious one. It has an Amelie-esque
look at the world and like that movie a lot of its “quirky” elements are fueled
by an undercurrent of sadness. It’s not just a story of a young man trying to
win back his girlfriend who goes off to cram school, but a whole environment of
people all holding onto something they shouldn’t. This is visually creative
that fits well with its puzzle-structure where every little piece fits to pull
off its wonderful ending.
Currently Available on….YouTube. I’m not sure it’s supposed
to be there….but it’s there.
#25
Much Ado About
Nothing
Just in case, the internet wasn’t in love with Joss Whedon
he made a Shakespeare movie at his house with his friends while on break from
making the freakin’ Avengers. And he
did a fantastic job. So much so, I kinda wish he was doing another one of these
instead of another Marvel film. He took my favorite Shakespeare comedy and
brought an element of cool to it. The wit is always admired, but Whedon adds
new physical humor that isn’t there as a distraction. Even when the original plot
goes into some weird directions, Whedon makes it work by caring deeply about
the characters. This is one of the ones on my list, I could watch this any day.
(After typing that, I turned on this.)
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#24
Mike Birbiglia:
My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
//
Bo Burnham: “what”
What?! A tie and two films that most people wouldn’t argue
are films?! MY LIST. I’m a big fan of stand-up comedy and these two as
performers. The medium isn’t something that really needs to be improved, but a mic
and a stool doesn’t work for every storyteller. At the end of Birbiglia’s
outstanding one-man show I realized this was as powerful as anything else I saw
this year. He told a complicated and amazing story that is worthy to be called
cinematic despite the fact that he never left the stage. Burnham is delving
deeper into themes he has explored for a few albums but now he’s being even
more experimental in his techniques. He is creating a unique visual experience
that feels inspired by Edgar Wright. These may not fit into traditional definitions
of “films”, but it checked off every box that fulfilled what I want from a
great movie.
Both are Currently Available on Netflix Instant. “what” is
also free on YouTube
#23
Valentine Road
This is probably the angriest I was at a documentary this
year. (Sorry whales.) A young homosexual boy was shot point-blank in his junior
high. What happened next was just absurd as more people of the community
started to defend the killer. The film restrains itself by letting every side
of the issue say their peace, often times not for their betterment. The movie
is sophisticatedly composed which makes it even more heartbreaking.
Currently Available on HBO Go
#22
Hank and Asha
There’s a gimmick at the heart of this movie that only makes
the movie stronger. The title characters live on opposite ends of the world.
She saw his film at a film festival in Europe and was inspired to send him a
video message. A romance begins to blossom when he responds with his own video
message. Since they’re both young documentarians each one of their messages
isn’t just someone sitting in front of a webcam, but sophisticated and glorious
expressions of their emotions. Also the gimmick creates an intriguing acting
challenge where Andrew Pastides and Mahira Kakkar have to act against a camera,
not another person. The results are magical.
Not Currently Available but I hope a DVD is coming soon
#21
To the Wonder
I thought I understood Terence Malick’s new stage of
filmmaking after The Tree of Life,
but this film shows he’s capable of even more than I imagined. Like The Tree of Life, this is an emotionally
gorgeous film but it’s a whole lot sadder than anything he’s done so far. He
fills the movie with characters desperate to try to connect to each other, but
something always lets them down. It is tied into their faith with God and their
faith in humanity. There aren’t any easy answers but there’s something
engrained in the core of all of their souls that allows them to keep trying no
matter how low they feel.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#20
Gideon’s Army
There are a billion lawyer shows and books, but rarely do I
see any of them cover public defenders. Probably because their life isn’t as
glamorous and that’s why this movie is so important. I don’t think there was a
more sympathetic character on screen last year than Travis Williams. The man is
a real life hero and this film honors him and so many in their profession by
making a tight intelligent documentary. There’s never a false or unnecessary
scene. By the end, you just want to give all of them a hug.
Currently Available on HBO Go
#19
Short Term 12
I’m excited for Dustin Cretton movies. The man knows how to
write characters with such a keen attention to detail. There’s never a false
moment or action which means every character actor in the business should be
waiting outside his house, hoping he has a part for them. Brie Larson gives a
career-changing performance as a woman who works in a group home for troubled
teenagers. Throughout the film, you learn just how exhausting this situation is
for everyone, but also why it’s so vital.
Currently Available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#18
The Wolf of Wall
Street
Remember all the noble things I said about the characters of
my last two movies. Strike that and reverse it for this crew. This feels like Martin
Scorsese’s first proper comedy since After
Hours yet this is way more sinister. Even though there have been plenty of
movies about the economic crisis and the immorality of Wall Street, none have
been able to use their own world against them. Every frame of this movie uses
their absurd lifestyle to show how dumb they all are. Leonardo DiCaprio plays
Jordan Belfort like Daffy Duck as he reverses the polarity of his natural
charisma to act like a complete dork. Who happens to be rich. Silly rich.
Currently in theatres
#17
Wadjda
Enough can’t be said about how amazing Waad Mohammed is in
this movie. She gives a joyful effortless performance as a young girl who just
wants to buy a bicycle. That proves to be a task that puts her up against
plenty of societal and religious struggles that makes this a deceptively
complicated film. There’s a passion to the movie that reflects the director’s
own struggles to make this as she was the first woman who direct a movie in
Saudi Arabia.
The Blu-Ray and DVD will be out on February 11th
#16
Inside Llewyn
Davis
I typically hate stories about artists because usually it’s
the storytellers being too indulgent and self-congratulatory. That is
absolutely not the case here. Llewyn is a folk singer who fights for his art in
a world that isn’t interested. He is so entwined with his music, it is really
him that the world is saying no to. He is unlucky, but he also makes some poor
decisions as he continues to grief for his dead partner. Oscar Isaac plays this
character without asking for any pity, just a couch to crash on. It’s a sad
world with no reward, but I found myself caught up in rooting for Llewyn. Not
to succeed, exactly, because that will never happen. I just want him to be
okay.
Currently in theatres
#15
The Wind Rises
Now, this is a movie that is the storyteller being indulgent
but that’s why it works. (Yes, I’m okay to contradict myself within a
paragraph.) Much like A Prairie Home
Companion, this swan song is a chance for Hayao Miyazaki to refect on his
own career. Instead of looking at a filmmaker, he looks at a boy who wanted to
design planes more than anything else in the world. However living in Japan
during World War II, there is only one group that can put money to designing
planes. There’s a powerful struggle about the compromise of art and what one needs
to do to achieve your dreams. Then at the end, what do you get? Every sequence
in the air is awe-inspiring and any example of destruction is haunting. This
isn’t just an expensive way of being self-reflective, it’s a sweet way to say
goodbye.
Will be released to more theatres next month.
#14
Gravity
This was undeniably the most fun I had in the theatre. I
gasped several times and I even was on the clichéd edge of my seat several
times. Every scene of chaos felt brand new because of the attention to detail
to give us an action film in an entirely new plane. Audiences are getting to
watch a new display of physics where simple actions are now seemingly
impossible. While this insane domino game would be fun on its own, this movie
resonated for me because I cared about the main character. By the end, I wanted
her to live, defy the elements and make it back home because she really earned
it. I’ve never seen Sandra Bullock act so well.
Currently in theatres
#13
This is Where We
Live
There’s a level of realism where the only way you know
you’re watching a fictional film would be that the characters would notice
there’s a camera in their home. Every character of this struggling home is so
well thought out and performed in a masterful way. This is a tale that refuses
to work like a Hallmark movie in that it is up to the characters to defend
themselves, not the film. To take care of a family like this is exhausting and
never glamorous, but this movie managed to make something really special and
endearing about the process.
Currently unavailable. Hopefully a DVD will come out soon.
#12
Mud
There are heroes and then there is Mud. A young boy finds a
mysterious man with a boat in a tree who wants to get his girlfriend back. This
seems like the beginning of a fairy tale but that’s not how this world works.
This is such a great coming of age film because we are watching this young boy
figuring out what’s possible as we are. Every new piece of the mystery makes
the world feel richer. This is a lovely movie that continues to show the great
range of writer/director Jeff Nichols.
Currently available on Blu-Ray/DVD
#11
Like Someone in
Love
It’s best to go into this as blind as possible. This doesn’t
have crazy plot twists or anything but it wants to challenge you how much you
can learn about the main character. Actress Rin Takanashi is going to give away
as little as she can, which makes for surprisingly compelling cinema. There’s
a heartbreaking sequence when she is listening to her voice mail early in the
movie that only makes her more intriguing. Abbas Kiarostami is brilliantly
making movies that are making me not trust movies. His tactics seem clinical
but the results really resonate.
Currently Unavailable. Hopefully a DVD announcement is soon.
#10
An Adventure in
Space and Time
Yes!!! Doctor Who
even manages to make my list about movies! This is my list on my blog so I get
to be as biased as I want. This is a made-for-TV movie that depicted the first
few years of the 50-year-old program. It is filled to the brim with love for
the show, but unlike so many biopics I’ve seen—it knows how to keep its focus.
It is faithful to the spirit of the time, especially David Bradley wonderful
portrayal of William Hartnell. The actor to play the First Doctor was a
difficult man at times, but there was also an undeniable warmth. A very worthy
celebration.
Currently Available on iTunes. Hopefully a Blu-Ray is coming
soon.
#9
Frances Ha
Noah Baumbach made my all-time favorite film Kicking and Screaming. I’ve loved many
of his films since then but he has grown more cynical with how he treats his
characters. There is a lot of suffering going on…until Frances. Unlike the show
Girls, this is a movie that really
wants its characters to succeed. There’s hope and inspiration but that doesn’t
cancel out the growth that has to happen first. There are no shortcuts in this
movie and that leads to some hilarious results. There is a vibrance and an
excitedness that I haven’t seen from Baumbach in awhile. I’m excited to see
more.
Currently Available on Netflix Instant
#8
Blue is the
Warmest Color
There are so many romantic movies with an objective to win
over somebody else. While the core relationship between Adèle and Emma is key,
the real journey of the movie is Adèle looking to find any sort of connection
where she is able to feel comfortable as herself. This isn’t just her sexuality
but all parts of her personality. The movie is this exquisite search for a life
that she’s happy with. Adèle Exarchopoulos’s performance fits so inline with
this movie that the three hour runtime races by thanks to every moment feeling
important and revealing.
The Criterion Blu-Ray/DVD will come out on February 25th.
#7
12 Years a Slave
It’s kinda crazy that Steve McQueen is now an Oscar
contender. In all regards, his style doesn’t gel with the Academy. His first
two films were a raw unflinching look at an NRA hunger strike and sex
addiction. Now he turns his eye to the brutal inhumanity of American slavery.
Despite having a bigger budget and a bigger cast McQueen never backed down.
Nothing about this movie feels like a typical Hollywood period piece. There’s
no cheesy title cards saying how long Solomon Northup has been held captive or
emotionally monologues as he looks towards the fields. What is there is,
perhaps, the greatest representation of slavery ever made. There’s never a
moment in the movie when you forget that these are human beings who never deserved
to have any of this happen. Powerful, unforgettable and important.
Currently in theatres
#6
Blood Brother
As I’ve mentioned before, documentaries have to be more than
journalism just like narrative films have to be more than just a good story. It
is a visual medium where every component of filmmaking needs to reflect your
subject. This examination into the kindness of Rocky Braat was exhilarating and
hopeful because of Steve Hoover’s impeccable direction. The story of a young
man choosing to leave New York to work at an Indian AIDS orphanage could be
manipulated into a guilt-ridden depressing feature. Yet that’s not what Hoover
found when he visited his friend. This was a place of joy. Partly because the
infected children don’t understand how bad their situation is, but also because
that’s how everyone was viewing their experience. The children made Rocky a
better person and Rocky improved upon their lives. Even in the darkest corners
of the planet, there is hope.
The Blu-Ray/DVD comes out next month. All profits will go to
the children in the AIDS orphanage.
The Final Five
5. The Act of Killing
4. The World’s End
3. Her
2. Before Midnight
1. Upstream Color
There were five films that I gave a perfect grade to in 2013
and here they are. A perfect grade means that I found them masterful, but I also
found them to be incredibly emotional. With the other 57 movies on the list,
I’ll happily debate their worth all day and night but these I’d rather not. Not
everybody will like these five, especially my number one. These are special to
me and represent why I find movies to be so powerful.
For example, I still can’t comprehend all that I saw in The Act of Killing. It wasn’t the
violence that upset me, it was the violent men. Even though I knew I was
watching a documentary, it seemed liked a fantasy world. A short-story “what
if” concept where the coolest kids in high school were psychopaths and the
world adjusted around that. Allowing the opportunity for these Indonesian men
to look back on their killings is one thing but this is allowing them to
creatively recreate it. This is an unseen and terrifying insight into their
psyches. The rabbit hole goes even further when the director allows them to see
the footage from this movie. This is the movie I’ve had the best conversations
about because these men are a bleak enigma that we desperately want to
understand if only so we can better understand the darkness of humanity.
On the other end, The
World’s End has a plot point involving crazy straws! I am a complete Edgar
Wright fanboy and that’s because he is the most exciting director working
today. I have adored all four of his films and this is a bold step forward.
None of his movies have been simple joke machines, but this one is delving more
into its characters than ever before. Both times I watched it, I felt a
powerful chill during a key running scene because they earned these moments of
sadness. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright continue to evolve as storytellers as they
retire tricks before they become stale. This is a more ambitious side to an
already ambitious storyteller. This is so good, I’m now excited for something
called “Ant-Man”.
The World’s End
and Her both use the science-fiction genre
to comment on society. While End has
a list of corrections, Her has a list
of “what if”. Both of them are wanting to create a better world to connect with
each other on a more genuine level. There is a beautiful romance in the middle
of Her where one of the two happens
to be an OS. She is not Siri, she is not a robot. From her first moments, the
film proves that she is a unique personality with thoughts of her own. At first
I thought this would be a movie about how Sam was there to help Theodore move
past his divorce, but every relationship has evolution on both ends. Sam is a
character just as much as Theodore and the movie completely commits to that.
Man, I wish there was a way to transition from evolution of
relationships to Before Midnight.
I’ll edit one in later. Anywho, Before
Midnight continues the impossible magic of this series where every sequel
actually makes the previous films better. This is now the second time we’ve
looked back into the lives of Jesse and Celine. While it has the feel of the
previous entries—there’s a lot of walking and talking with a beautiful European
backdrop—this is shockingly different. The tone is prickly, the stakes are
higher but the characters are always true. This series is a brilliant
achievement in cinema and this entry has the best performances thus far. For it
can’t end here, could it? (It could.)
Then we finally have it. My #1 film of the year. I’ve
written almost 7000 words to get here, managed to talk about 61 other films all
to say that Upstream Color is the
best film I saw last year. Why is this better than all the rest? Because this
is the only movie I watched and thought, “Damn, this could only be a movie.”
The reason I was so drawn into this sad story was because the editing and
visuals were so essential in creating this bizarre new world. There is no
precedent for what happens to these characters and I’m not even sure if we’re
supposed to understand it all. The whole film, these characters are betrayed by
their own emotions to the point of collapse. I was caught up in it all because
trauma is trauma. This movie has its own surface mythology, but, to me, the metaphor is
there for sexual abuse. Upstream Color
could have just been a clinical experiment in structure and genre, but instead
it’s something richly personal. I’m someone who sees (clearly) way too many
movies and when I finish something I have never seen before and that shows me
an exciting new kind of story—I take notice.
The Act of Killing is on Netflix Instant
The World’s End is on Blu-Ray/DVD.
Her is in theatres.
Before Midnight is on Blu-Ray/DVD.
Upstream Color is on Netflix Instant.
Are you still reading this? Thank God. Almost done, I swear.
So why did I write this absurd article? Why list 62 films instead of just 10?
Why bring up the easiest way to see these films?
For the best films don’t just go to New York and LA anymore.
I live in the middle of Indiana and I had access to all of these movies. We
have film festivals that end up playing some of the best films of the year,
more television channels are getting faster access to incredible documentaries
or producing some of the best movies themselves. So many freakin’ 2013 films
are already on Netflix. A good number of this list originally appeared on Video
on Demand so you can rent an excellent film through a cable provider (or iTunes
or Amazon) for usually half the cost for a ticket to the theatres. While I love
seeing movies on the big screen, there are other options designed to make it
easier and affordable for everyone to see and support great filmmakers.
At the end of the day, this list doesn’t matter to the
industry. None of the filmmakers get any trophy (or better yet, prize money),
nothing I wrote will shift Oscar voters but it does accomplish what I love to
do: connecting people with amazing art.
Enough reading. Go watch some good movies.
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