This will be the first of many lists to come at the end of each year. Of course, this particular list is the exception due to it coming out when 2014 is over halfway over. I have taken much time thinking and analyzing these films and many others in an attempt to make a list that I feel is substantial. 2013 was one of the greatest years for film in recent memory and quite possibly one of the most heated competitions for Best Supporting Actor in a very long time.
Many careers turned completely around, most notably Matthew McConaughey with duel stunning performances in Dallas Buyers Club which was followed in early 2014 with HBO's True Detective. I had over 25 films in consideration at the beginning of my brainstorming for this list. I narrowed it down to 10 films that I personally feel were the best when it came to artistic qualities, acting, directing and overall enjoyment.
As with previous lists, I will stress that this is all based on my own opinion. This is my personal top 10 and this means it will not be agreeable for everyone but I do encourage thoughts and comments. If you honestly feel that something is missing or in the wrong spot, tell me why. I am always up for edits if a good valid point is made. As always, thank you for stopping by to read this and I appreciate your support. Hope you enjoy the list!
10. The Place Beyond the Pines
IMDB SYNOPSIS: A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.
Director: Daniel Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendez, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne & Dane DeHaan
The Place Beyond the Pines possesses many surprises and twists that audiences didn't see coming based upon the initial reviews. Yet every aspect of this film shines golden; from the score to the cinematography and the acting, there are no weak points of this film. The fact that Cianfrance can make a movie so crisp and beautiful whilst using a new artistic structure is truly saying something about his talents.
I personally feel that in 20 years, The Place Beyond the Pines will be considered a classic and will be studied by many aspiring filmmakers in the future. This film was by far one of the best films of the year and also the most unique. It may be draining emotionally due to its plot elements and situations but it is well worth it when the final credits roll. Sins of the father is a very honest and true subject in real life and this film displays the destruction it can cause on all the lives around the father.
9. Out of the Furnace
IMDB SYNOPSIS: When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement doesn't follow through fast enough, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice.
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana & Sam Shepard
Woody Harrelson has been in the spotlight more in recent years than ever before. His star status improved with Zombieland but the television series True Detective skyrocketed him into new popularity he hasn't traversed yet, even gaining an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. To see him go into a villain role was a very interesting journey for me. He did not disappoint. From start to finish, Harrelson is terrifying in Out of the Furnace. He steals every scene that he appears in throughout this film.
As for the other actors, Casey Affleck is absolutely haunting as a war veteran who suffers from terrible PTSD that leaves him addicted to underground violence. But let's not forget Christian Bale. The Oscar winner has never been bad in a movie. Once again, he becomes the character he was cast for. His calm demeanor and hidden angst are prevalent throughout this piece and finally come to an explosive finale towards the end of the film. Bale is perfect for a role of a man who is pushed too far.
Scott Cooper helms this film after his freshman hit Crazy Heart which won Jeff Bridges the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar back in 2009. This is another piece, much like The Place Beyond the Pines, that is beautiful in every shot. The directing is very smooth and the story often plays out so patiently that it feels torturous to the characters (the final scene is a good example). Out of the Furnace is a film about broken men in time of desperation and is, in my opinion, the most underrated movie of the year.
8. Man of Steel
IMDB SYNOPSIS: A young itinerant worker is forced to confront his secret extrastellar origin when Earth is invaded by members of his own race.
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne & Russel Crowe
What happens when you combine the minds of the Dark Knight Trilogy and the director of films like 300, Watchmen and Dawn of the Dead (2004)? You get a Superman movie that is not for children. With the previous bombs of Superman movies, like Superman Returns for example, I was very excited to hear of a darker interpretation of the character. Superman has many great stories in the comics but they were never brought to the screen in their true form. Henry Cavill was the perfect actor to take the role of Clark Kent/Superman.
When it comes to villains, General Zod is usually the best character for a freshman effort. I was skeptical, not really liking the original Zod from the first Superman movie. But from the first moment Michael Shannon graced the screen, I knew we had ourselves a worthy adversary for Superman. From start to finish, Michael Shannon was exhilarating as Zod. Many people didn't like Man of Steel. I found it to be the greatest Superman movie of all time. The story was emotionally gripping and dove into a much serious immigrant theme for the Man of Steel.
The special effects were some of the best I have ever seen and the cinematography was very appealing to the eye and offered a sad, almost ominous tone to the entire film. I remember seeing the action sequences in this film and thinking: "This is what it would really look like if superhumans fought in a city". That alone should tell you of how crisp and beautiful the action scenes are in this film. The acting may not have been Oscar-worthy as many superhero movies are not seen for their acting, but all of the actors/actresses were fabulous in their respective roles. The back story of Krypton was visually stunning as well as incredibly interesting. I am a huge fan of darker takes on things and Man of Steel made Superman dark in the best of ways.
7. Only God Forgives
IMDB SYNOPSIS: Julian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok's criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother's recent death.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas & Vithaya Pansringarm
Director: Nicolas Winding-Refn
Movie critic Chris Stuckmann has two videos about this film on YouTube, one being a standard review and another being a deep analysis of the movie. Both links will be posted at the bottom of this list. Stuckmann is quoted as saying: "It's rare that a film comes along that splits the film community so much." With this statement, I can only agree 100 percent. This film was a love-it-or-hate-it scenario. Film-goers either adored Only God Forgives or absolutely despised it. It was even booed at the Cannes premier. My first time watching this film, I could barely get through it. Then after a few days, I decided to give it another shot. I am glad I did.
This is by far the most visually stunning film I have ever seen. Every single shot is a blend of colors and hues that give birth to an atmosphere unlike any I have ever seen. When asked about the lack of dialogue in the film, director Nicolas Winding-Refn, from Drive and Bronson fame, was quoted as saying: "Julian doesn't say much but the language of silence is the most poetic of all. Images and sounds touch our emotions more than dialogue ever can, so we made use of movement and space to describe the character". The idea that images can tell as much of a story as dialogue is a very interesting approach for a movie and Refn did nothing but impress.
The film has been described as "ultra-violent" by critics and it does have several scenes that will make you cringe but at the end of the day, the symbolism and deep-rooted metaphors placed throughout the film are so beautiful and thought-provoking that I can only ponder on the time it took to create this idea of a man trying to fight God. I highly recommend Chris Stuckmann's analyzed review on this film for it will open your eyes to many beautiful concepts sprinkled throughout the story.
The cinematography is Oscar-worthy and the score by Cliff Martinez is haunting and intimidating. Kristin Scott Thomas was terrifying as Julian's mother and Vithaya Pansringarm is the best cop villain since Gary Oldman's Norman Stansfield in Luc Besson's Leon: The Professional. Overall, Only God Forgives is a visual journey and is the type of piece that comes along very seldom. It can be dissected and interpreted in a million ways and that is part of what makes it so beautiful. Only God Forgives is the most beautiful film of 2013 and one day will be a classic.
6. Elysium
IMDB SYNOPSIS: In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. A man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster & Sharlto Copley
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Neill Blomkamp stunned moviegoers with 2009's District 9. There was a lot of anticipation and excitement for his sophomore effort in Elysium. Once again, this is a film that was very split between critics. Many people felt it lackluster and rushed. I for one found this to be the best science fiction film in a while. Then again, Prometheus is one of my favorites so I may be a sucker for films critics don't like.
Matt Damon was great in this film, at some moments even heartbreaking. Sharlto Copley was incredibly scary as the villain Kruger. He is an actor who has been doing a lot of films recently and has started late but impresses with each role. Copley was the highlight of the awful Oldboy remake starring Josh Brolin and directed by Spike Lee. Elysium used several techniques in the action scenes that I have not seen before and this aspect of the film was very refreshing. Many viewers saw this film as a political propaganda motif aimed towards immigration and social class warfare. When you treat the film as a film and not try to politicize everything, it is a very enjoyable experience.
The score was beautifully epic and certain shots had such amazing cinematography. The story is a very interesting one and is quite possibly not too far from the truth seeing the way that the world is falling apart in recent times. Elysium is a darker science fiction experience than many films of the same genre and it has a lot of scenarios that are cringe-worthy. I thoroughly enjoyed Elysium and at the beginning of the year it was my favorite film thus far.
Matt Damon was great in this film, at some moments even heartbreaking. Sharlto Copley was incredibly scary as the villain Kruger. He is an actor who has been doing a lot of films recently and has started late but impresses with each role. Copley was the highlight of the awful Oldboy remake starring Josh Brolin and directed by Spike Lee. Elysium used several techniques in the action scenes that I have not seen before and this aspect of the film was very refreshing. Many viewers saw this film as a political propaganda motif aimed towards immigration and social class warfare. When you treat the film as a film and not try to politicize everything, it is a very enjoyable experience.
The score was beautifully epic and certain shots had such amazing cinematography. The story is a very interesting one and is quite possibly not too far from the truth seeing the way that the world is falling apart in recent times. Elysium is a darker science fiction experience than many films of the same genre and it has a lot of scenarios that are cringe-worthy. I thoroughly enjoyed Elysium and at the beginning of the year it was my favorite film thus far.
5. 12 Years a Slave
IMDB SYNOPSIS: In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt & Alfre Woodard
Director: Steve McQueen
Now we are getting into some of the heavy hitters. 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. Steve McQueen already had much favor with audiences due to his works on films like Hunger and Shame (both starring the enigmatic Michael Fassbender). I was skeptical going into this film with all of the slave movies that have been made in recent time. I couldn't have been more surprised.
12 Years a Slave is the kind of movie that grasps your attention from the very opening sequence and doesn't let you go until the heartbreaking end of the film. It is based on the real Solomon Northup's classic autobiography about his life as a once-free man and then the transition into slavery. Michael Fassbender was possibly the most terrifying slave owner the silver screen has had in a long time. What makes his character Edwin Epps so scary is the human aspects of his fractured personality. From the ignorant justifications to the several weaknesses he shows on screen, he is terrifying because he has emotions like the rest of us . . . only he has power to do something when he gets angry. Lupita Nyong'o was unbelievable in this film. Her win was well deserved. Every scene with her as Patsey is as heartbreaking as the last and she holds such a fragile place in the monstrous world that our own home once was. Chiwetel Ejiofor is astounding in his first major leading role. He is a broken man who refuses to give up on hope.
Hans Zimmer delivers, as expected, with a powerful and mesmerizing score that fits the hopelessness of the film so well. Steve McQueen proves that he is an elite director with amazing technique in this film. Several scenes couldn't have been shot any better than what we see. He perfects angles that some would find difficult. 12 Years a Slave is possibly the greatest historic slavery movie that has ever graced the silver screen and will be remembered for a very long time.
12 Years a Slave is the kind of movie that grasps your attention from the very opening sequence and doesn't let you go until the heartbreaking end of the film. It is based on the real Solomon Northup's classic autobiography about his life as a once-free man and then the transition into slavery. Michael Fassbender was possibly the most terrifying slave owner the silver screen has had in a long time. What makes his character Edwin Epps so scary is the human aspects of his fractured personality. From the ignorant justifications to the several weaknesses he shows on screen, he is terrifying because he has emotions like the rest of us . . . only he has power to do something when he gets angry. Lupita Nyong'o was unbelievable in this film. Her win was well deserved. Every scene with her as Patsey is as heartbreaking as the last and she holds such a fragile place in the monstrous world that our own home once was. Chiwetel Ejiofor is astounding in his first major leading role. He is a broken man who refuses to give up on hope.
Hans Zimmer delivers, as expected, with a powerful and mesmerizing score that fits the hopelessness of the film so well. Steve McQueen proves that he is an elite director with amazing technique in this film. Several scenes couldn't have been shot any better than what we see. He perfects angles that some would find difficult. 12 Years a Slave is possibly the greatest historic slavery movie that has ever graced the silver screen and will be remembered for a very long time.
4. The Hunt
IMDB SYNOPSIS: A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son's custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Wait . . . you haven't heard of this film? Doesn't surprise me. When it comes to snubs, this film was the king of it this year. The fact that it didn't win Best Foreign Film at the Oscars completely blows my mind. The Hunt is a haunting film in its own right. It is not haunting because of the subject matter or even the acting, it is haunting because of how damn realistic it is. This film shows the true assuming and judgmental nature of people. Gossip. Rumors. Hatred based on a lie. You got it all.
You watch a man's life fall completely apart and never be the same all because of a little lie. If you have ever wanted to see what it would be like for an innocent person to be accused of a horrible crime and watch as everything around them shatters to the ground, this is the film for you. I can promise you that you will be so enthralled by the acting and sequences in this film that you will forget you are watching a movie.
The technical aspects of this film were very good but what stands so far above any technique and skill is the brutal portrayal of a shattered and wrongfully accused man by Mads Mikkelsen. His lead acting in this film is on par with the lead acting of the top two movies on this list. The Hunt did not get a lot of buzz in the states and it didn't get much release here either which I feel hurt its chances at the Oscars. If you ever get the chance to watch this movie, I highly recommend it. It is an unreal experience and a beautifully acted and directed film.
You watch a man's life fall completely apart and never be the same all because of a little lie. If you have ever wanted to see what it would be like for an innocent person to be accused of a horrible crime and watch as everything around them shatters to the ground, this is the film for you. I can promise you that you will be so enthralled by the acting and sequences in this film that you will forget you are watching a movie.
The technical aspects of this film were very good but what stands so far above any technique and skill is the brutal portrayal of a shattered and wrongfully accused man by Mads Mikkelsen. His lead acting in this film is on par with the lead acting of the top two movies on this list. The Hunt did not get a lot of buzz in the states and it didn't get much release here either which I feel hurt its chances at the Oscars. If you ever get the chance to watch this movie, I highly recommend it. It is an unreal experience and a beautifully acted and directed film.
3. The Conjuring
IMDB SYNOPSIS: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor & Ron Livingston
Director: James Wan
Okay, I don't think that it is too much anymore to say that James Wan is the greatest horror director to come about since Alfred Hitchcock. I must include his best friend and co-writer Leigh Whannel for the credit. Whannel has been with Wan on every project and the two make the best horror team in showbiz. This duo has not come out with a single "bad" horror movie. Yes, Dead Silence was not their best effort but it was still good in the sense that it was entertaining. First they released Saw, which was an amazing film that the rest of the series bastardizes, then Dead Silence, then Insidious and within one year Insidious: Chapter Two and The Conjuring. Insidious: Chapter Two almost made it on this list but I decided to have only one film by Wan and with that in mind The Conjuring easily wins.
This is the best traditional horror movie to come out in the past 30 years. Audiences and critics alike rejoiced with this film because it was a breath of fresh air in a genre that has been dying out due to battered franchises and awful remakes. From the introduction of this film and on, it is almost a nonstop terror of a ride. There are scenes in this film that scared me more than anything has in a while and that is saying something because most horror movies just don't affect me.
James Wan has a unique style of direction with his horror movies. I heard someone say that Wan earns his scares and I couldn't agree more. From his direction to the 70's setting, it is an adventure. The soundtrack is perfect and the score by Joseph Bishara is absolutely haunting. If you haven't seen this film, I recommend waiting until midnight, getting some friends over, turning all the lights off and watching this film. It will be the best thrill ride you have had in a long time. Wan has since announced that he will not be returning to horror for a while which disappoints me, but the man has got to branch out as a director. He will return to the genre one day, and I will be excited to see it.
2. Dallas Buyers Club
IMDB SYNOPSIS: In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto & Jennifer Garner
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Around the 2011-2012 film seasons, people started taking note of McConaughey's sudden shift from RomCom king to indie film enthusiast. From Killer Joe to Bernie to Mud, McConaughey began building an interesting resume unlike his previous films. Dallas Buyers Club was the pinnacle of this transformation as an actor. The fact that he followed it up with True Detective is also astonishing. With this film, McConaughey proved to the world that he was a top class actor and even won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Performance. He plays Ron Woodroof and completely becomes the man he is portraying. Dallas Buyers Club has quite possibly the most realistic AIDS victim depictions I have ever seen.
McConaughey is amazing in this film and wrenches at your heart strings as a man who realizes his own mortality. Now . . . to the controversial but universally loved supporting role; Jared Leto plays transgender man Rayon. Leto had been in some hits prior to this like Lord of War, Fight Club and Requiem for a Dream, but when it comes to Dallas Buyers Club, his role in the movie is some of the best acting I have ever seen in my life. I could not believe the transformation that both of these actors went through. Leto is hilarious yet depressing as his character's AIDS affliction becomes worse.
Some sequences in this movie will make you want to burst out in tears and others will make you feel triumphant and invincible. Dallas Buyers Club instantly became one of my all time favorites after my first viewing and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a film with great acting and an inspirational yet saddening story.
1. Prisoners
IMDB SYNOPSIS: When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo & Paul Dano
Director: Denis Villeneuve
I am just going to start this review by saying that this is my favorite film of all time. I have seen thousands upon thousands of films and this is it! From the classics to the indies, Prisoners stands above them all for me. Every single shot of this film looks like the director took hours to make sure that it was perfect. The experience is so dark and brooding that with every shot the atmosphere blends into the absolutely cinematic direction of this film. You could pause any second of this film and it would be beautiful.
The story is so interesting and holds so many different twists and turns that it will keep you on your toes the entire film. I can usually predict an ending but this film had me running in circles. The score by Jóhann Jóhannsson is perfect. It captures the emotionally disturbing and dark thematic material presented throughout the film.
Every single actor/actress in this film were in their best performance modes. Hugh Jackman was an adrenaline ride, Davis was great, Bello was perfect as a tragedy-stricken mother, Howard was amazing as a conflicted father, Leo was brilliant and Dano was excellent and at his weirdest yet. But the best of all was Gyllenhaal by far. When I watched this film for the first time I could not believe that the man playing Detective Loki was the same one we have seen in so many teeny bopper films and romances. Gyllenhaal made his transition from heartthrob to serious leading man status. He was by far the best part of this film and it pains me how much this movie was snubbed at the Oscars. It only got a nomination for cinematography when it could have easily had a nomination in almost every field.
Prisoners will stimulate you in ways you didn't think a film could. The atmosphere of this film is unlike any other I have seen. It is noir but at the same time resembles other genres as well, perhaps even Gothic. The acting is on par with the other films in this list and the journey as a whole is mesmerizing and leaves you in a daze when the credits roll. All in all, Prisoners is a great example of what I rarely call "a perfect film". The last film to get such a title was The Dark Knight. Prisoners was, at least for me, the best film of 2013 and it is my favorite film of all time. I highly encourage you to see it if you haven't already.
Honorable Mentions:
The Wolf of Wall Street, Fruitvale Station, Her, American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis, Saving Mr. Banks
Thanks so much for stopping by to check out this list. It means a lot to me. I hope you enjoyed it and pour your thoughts into the comments and let me know what you think. Also, as I promised, here is Stuckmann's standard and analyzed reviews of Only God Forgives:
Standard Review for Only God Forgives:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maUudBkqImE
Analyzed Review for Only God Forgives:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOPZURubLyU
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