Top 35 Films of 2013

2013 has been a great year for the movies. I could make 3 and a half top 10 lists of the best films of the year and that’s exactly what I will do. 35 films that you need to watch from 2013!

Before that, I would like to name some films that didn’t make the top 35 but are worth noting. Some of these films were either warmly embraced or harshly rejected or simply overlooked and misunderstood but they all struck a chord with me:

Amongst the superhero films. Man of Steel was my most anticipated superhero film. Since I’m a huge Superman fan, I had a love-hate relationship with the film. There were several things that I found cool and a step in the right direction. Instead of fantasy, they took the sci-fi route. Although, after every step there came a wobble. I’d either warm up to it or hate it more judging by the direction in which Hack Snyder takes the mythology further. Adding Batman to a sequel which Superman deserves doesn’t seem like a good move at all. Iron Man 3 was more of a comedy than a superhero film. I was laughing and enjoying it as much as I could but when they made a complete joke out of Iron Man’s arch-nemesis, Mandarin, the film lost me completely. The Wolverine was several notches higher than the previous Wolverine film and ended up being an actual film with good dialogue and visual thrill rather than just a slam-bam action film. There was one more superhero film, which I thought was the best one. At least, the one I loved the most. It can be found in the Top 35 below.

Walt Disney Pictures came out with 3 good live-action films this year. Two of them didn’t get their due (judging by Oscar snobbery, it turns out none of them did). Oz: The Great and Powerful is one of those visual vomits where almost everything on screen is unreal. I loved Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Mirror Mirror (2012) and I don’t think there is a well-balance critique of why I do. Obviously, I enjoyed Oz. The Lone Ranger was a badly timed and marketed film. It was considered a box office disaster before it released. Johnny Depp’s star power couldn’t save it either. I couldn't understand why this film wasn't loved. The final hour of the film is blockbuster filmmaking at its best. It is pure fun.

There were some other films, which I though were fun to watch. Now You See Me might not be the most intelligently crafted mind-bending film like The Prestige or a good con film like Ocean’s Eleven but it was so Hollywood. Yes, Hollywood. It reminded me of films I enjoyed in my childhood only to grow up and find out that they aren't considered all that good. (Add buckets of tears). Fast and Furious 6 was supposed to be a blockbuster, which it became, but this franchise could have gone in the mind-numbing direction like The Expendables. Instead, this movie was genuinely fun and entertaining. Not in a bad way. World War Z was supposed to be a box office flop as well but unlike the Johnny Depp juggernaut, this one turned out to be a success. I’m not sure about the book to film translation but a zombie franchise is always welcome. It helps when it is well-directed and fantastically thrilling. One movie I enjoyed the hell out of last year that also happens to be my guilty pleasure - Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Fairytale revisionism is here to stay. Sequel please!

The Spectacular Now and Drinking Buddies. The former film’s ambiguous ending ticked me off but the latter’s open-ended parting made me love the film more. The problem is that The Spectacular Now is a better film than Drinking Buddies. The Spectacular Now actually treats a teenage romance like a dramatic film would and not dismiss it as puppy love in a rom-com. What I loved about Drinking Buddies the most is that it never spelled relationships out for us. It laid them bare with their labels stripped off.

Philomena and Dallas Buyers Club were both good movies with important tales to tell. Philomena is a heartwarming story with a lovely performance by Judi Dench and the film I almost put on the top 35. Steve Coogan gives his first dramatic turn and I hope he continues to give us more good movies like these. This could have been converted into sentimental tosh but the film gives a surprisingly balanced depiction of a woman who does not lose her faith even when the institution loses its humanity. Dallas Buyers Club has two incredible performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. The clichés didn’t let me connect with this film as much as I could have. An average film at best but it should be seen for its relevant chronicle.

Behind The Candelabra is one of Steven Soderbergh’s two final films. Another film with two brilliant performances, namely Matt Damon and Michael Douglas. It’s a fantastic film but if I have to pick one last film by Soderbergh which made me wish he’d never leave filmmaking, it’s the one that made the top 35. Danny Boyle took a break from serious filmmaking with Trance. A break as spunky and exciting as this one is well deserved. As far as a true blue thriller is concerned, Soderbergh beat him to it (no, I won’t talk about that film just yet). Only God Forgives was another Nicolas Winding Refn exercise in style. I’m almost sick of hearing that Ryan Gosling is repeating himself and/or has a limited range. It’s as if people have seen only 3 films of his. The music and Kristin Scott Thomas’ performance alone make this film worth a look-see.

A film that I really wanted to put in the final list, but I couldn’t find a spot for was The Book Thief. The film has a great story. The actors are well-cast. Sophie Nelisse's face is utterly cinematic. No proof of Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson's acting talents are needed. The only thing needed was a big of movie magic. Brian Percival (who directed some fantastic episodes of my current favourite show on television - Downton Abbey) is good with finding heartwarming moments in hard reality but this film needed more of an other-worldly approach like Life of Pi. The text needs to breathe and open itself up for cinematic interpretation. Albeit, it's hard to deny that a damn good story lies in there thanks to Markus Zusack's source material.

Now for the big 35:
(I cheated, it's actually 38)

35. WARM BODIES

The best rom-zom-com of the year. Since a genre like this one has perhaps 3 films to its name, it’s easier to make statements like this one. Most zombie films these days have more com than rom but Warm Bodies fixes the dead-people-falling-in-love weirdness of the Twilight series and offers a film that is amusingly funny and charmingly romantic.

34. ERNEST & CELESTINE

A film about a bear and a mouse and… teeth. It is also about a beautiful thing called friendship. Recently, we have had a slew of French animated films, which need a bigger audience. If you haven’t seen La Illusioniste (2010), Persepolis (2007), A Cat in Paris (2011), A Town Called Panic (2009) or Ernest et Celestine, you must start somewhere. This is a delightful charming little film that sucks you into its world of innocence and touches your heart in more ways than one.

33. THE WAY WAY BACK and THE KINGS OF SUMMER

2 films set around the season of summer make for a perfect watch on a Sunday. Double-dip these films as they both cater to teenage angst and rebellion. They both make you a part of their universe. The Way Way Back features a wonderful soundtrack and a brilliant performance by Sam Rockwell. The Kings of Summer is super witty and with a character called Biaggo who needs to be seen to be believed. Also, there is an unrequited love story in there.

32.  AMERICAN HUSTLE and THE GREAT BEAUTY 

David O. Russell combines style with substance and gives us a film that is running on cinematic fumes of excitement. There are four terrific performances here. Christian Bale, my favorite one in the film, is in top form. Amy Adams does one of her strongest acting work to date. Jennifer Lawrence almost made me believe she was miscast just because she was outdoing the other actors in each scene. Bradley Cooper has come a long way as an actor. The film might be about nothing but if you are interested in characters and performances, this is a goldmine.

 If there could be a modern version of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960), it wouldn’t be this one. Frankly, which film can be? Paolo Sorentino’s ode to the vibrant city of Rome gives us many vacations into the episodic life of Jep. Parties, past glories, long-lost love, it’s not just a celebration of a city but of human life. With all its uncertainties and frivolities and, most importantly, its beauties – The Great Beauty is a film that pulsates with a passion for life.

31. ENOUGH SAID

 Lovely and amazing, that’s what Nicole Holofcener’s movies are. If only she had someone who could pick film titles for her. This is an incredibly mature depiction of a relationship and what comes with it. When you think of a romantic comedy, young people in their 20s comes to mind. Whatever happened to people in their 30s and 40s? For what it’s worth - Enough Said is the best romantic comedy of 2013 (with two live human beings, that is).

30. NEBRASKA

June Squibb. That’s all I have to say about this movie. I know I should appreciate Alexander Payne’s poignant filmmaking or Bruce Dern’s performance or how Will Forte was actually not bad at all. But – June Squibb. She gives one of my favorite performances of the year and creates one of the most wonderful characters I have ever seen on the big screen. No exaggeration here. June Squibb is regal.

29. SHORT TERM 12

Brie Larson is the find of 2013. Her performance in this film, which deals with the sensitive world of teenagers in dire need of help, made me want to give each character a hug. If only I could tell them it will all be okay but then when they have a character like that of Brie Larson, I know they will be taken care of.

28. SAVING MR. BANKS

Emma Thompson gives a tremendous performance in this heart-warming film about the making of one of the most beloved family-film classics – Mary Poppins. Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney and watching him and Thompson fist their way through the film is endearing. The one performance that took me by surprise in this film was given by Colin Farrell. He gives this film an unexpected jolt of emotional depth. It’s impossible to watch this film and not come out singing one of the songs from Mary Poppins. For me, it was Let’s Go Fly A Kite.

27. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Everybody who has seen this film knows the kind of cinematic beauty that occurred in that last scene of the film. I came out of the film feeling that this is what filmmaking is all about. Tom Hanks is incredible. If you thought nobody can match his performance in a film, you need to watch Barkhad Abdi. He not only gives him tough competition but outshines him. This is mind-boggling filmmaking and in any other year, it would be sitting pretty in the top 10.

26. LABOR DAY

The critical bashing of this film makes no sense to me. This is easily the single most unfairly maligned film on this list. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin give smashing performances. Yes, the film has its imperfections but what the film perfectly captures is a sense of time and place. You feel like you are in 1987, New Hampshire. This film slowly snuck up on me and I was moved by its love story the way I was with Bridges of Madison County (1995) and it reminded me of the small town loveliness of Rob Reiner and Steven Spielberg films meshed with an Alfred Hitchcock set-up. There's more to love here than dislike.

25. THE WORLD’S END and THIS IS THE END

These two films are the best hang-out films of the year. You know those movies that you can watch with your friends and hang-out with them and the characters in the film? These two comedies about the end of the world are just that. While I preferred Edgar Wright’s film and his brilliant finish to the Cornetto trilogy, I have to admit that the final moments of This Is The End are in another league of movie awesomeness. If there is a list of the best film endings of all time, you cannot make one without giving at least a mention to this film.

24. SIDE EFFECTS

Steven Soderbergh decided to quit filmmaking. It’s a big loss but I’m sure it’s a temporary retirement and we will see more of him. On his way out, he has given us one of the best Hitchcockian thrillers in years. It’s been a while since I saw a film and was constantly surprised by the turns that the plot was taking. It gave me a feeling that cinema had lost, the simple act of constantly surprising the audience.

23. THE CONJURING

Finally, a horror film that makes the genre look good again. James Wan made a film that horror film fans devoured and made everyone reconsider a genre usually dismissed as one that only lends itself to shocks and no story. Vera Farmiga is a magnificent actress. She plays one of the two ghost hunters in the film. For most of the running time, she is in character. A strong woman who uses her gift for the benefit of others. Then comes one scene, where she sees something so malevolent that it scares the living daylights out of her. In horror movies, we hold on to the strong ones, the ones in control, the experts. The fact that we see her so vulnerable, better still - that we don't see what she saw, is what good horror films are made of. That is scary.

22. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

J.J. Abrams successfully rebooted Star Trek and gave us a sequel, which was equally brilliant, if not better. Several nods to the films that came before and some new relationships are made. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Khan Noonien Singh is a smashing villain.

21. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

Monsters, Inc. is one of my favorite animated films of all time. Its reputation has evolved over the years and this highly anticipated sequel suffered at the expense of insipid expectations. I still can’t believe how anyone can watch that wonderful final act of the film and say this is not “Pixar-good”. IT IS!

20. THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Hands down, the best superhero film of the year. Probably because it is less of a superhero film and more of a fantasy adventure set in space. The long climax has an action set-piece with portals that open and close letting the characters travel to different realms and dimensions. This is happening while a massive fight is taking place. This alone is the reason why I loved this film. Then, there was Loki.

19. THE HEAT

I mentioned two great comedies above but if there was one film this year that had me in splits for two hours straight; a comedy that made me laugh out loud, it was The Heat. Whoever thinks that women aren’t funny, needs to meet Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. Paul Feig made a damn good film two years back called Bridesmaids. He is perhaps the most feminist director in America today. He shows women like they should be shown on screen – nothing less than men.

18. RUSH

The fact that this film did not make my top ten shows how good a year for movies this was. One of Ron Howard’s best films happens to be a film about car racing. This is no Fast and Furious but an account of a Formula One legend on the real-life rivalry of Niki Lauda and James Hunt. It couldn’t have been given a better cinematic hat-tip. Anthony Dod Mantle’s cinematography is hair-raisingly good. Daniel Bruhl’s performance is one of the biggest Oscar snubs of 2013. The fact that this film was completely shut out of the nominations is nothing less than a joke.

17. THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

A real movie. Derek Cianfrance isn’t afraid of dismissing a conventional structure. The three acts couldn’t be more distinctive and could be seen as three different films. Each one is worth 5 good movies. The section with Ryan Gosling is outstanding but then I saw the other two, which ended up being better. To sum up this epic, you could look at this Biblical proverb: ‘Sins of the father are visited upon the sons'. This is not a brilliant film because of what it is about but because of what it says about it.

16. FRANCES HA

Take a Woody Allen film, add some pizzazz of the French New Wave and give it a 21^st century coming-of-age Lena Dunham-ish finishing touch and you get Frances Ha. This film is relatable, funny and and simply fantastic. 20-somethings don't get movies that deal with something apart from a quest for romantic love. Frances Ha is about life. Noah Baumbach has found his muse in Greta Gerwig. I cannot wait to watch their future collaborations.

15. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

The Coen brothers give a beautiful tribute to those who don’t make it in show business. It’s set in the American folk music scene in 1961. Each song is wonderfully redone – from 500 Miles and The Last Thing on My Mind to Hang Me, Oh Hang Me and Farewell. The film is one of the saddest films I’ve ever seen but also funny and lovely. 

14. TO THE WONDER

Meditation. This word is being increasingly used to describe movies these days. There will soon come a day when someone will call a Michael Bay film a mediation on destruction. From where I see it, only one man’s films are allowed to be described as meditations. To the Wonder is Terrence Malick’s meditation on love. It is not a film. It is a ballet between romantic love and spiritual love. This film’s place on this list is at 0, not even number 1; it is beyond lists and beyond criticism. But since it doesn’t work as a “film” as much as Malick’s others, I have decided to sandwich it in between somewhere.

13. PRISONERS

Prisoners is one of those films, like Zodiac (2007), that will not pop up on best-of lists but you will find it on the IMDB top 250 because everyone keeps recommending it. A serial killer film that gives this sub-genre a much-needed diabolical twist. Hugh Jackman is great in the lead role but it is Jake Gyllenhaal's twitchy performance that won me over. If there is one performance that got ignored by the awards bandwagon this year, it is this one right here.

12. PACIFIC RIM

One of the most awesome movies ever made? Hell yes! Pacific Rim is fun and awesome and everything else in between. It is a massive film with massive robots and massive monsters. It captured a part of my childhood that not even video games can match up to. Del Toro was supposed to be directing The Hobbit films and personally I would have loved to see those. But then we wouldn’t have had this and Peter Jackson’s middle-earth epic in the same year.

11. THE GRANDMASTER

The Grandmaster is not a film about Ip Man, Bruce Lee’s teacher. It isn’t a biopic. It’s a Wong Kar Wai film about those who are stuck in the past are unable to move forward. In the final half hour, you can see a true blue Wong film where we see a tale of forbidden love surface. It’s about how romantic love had to take a backseat when life had taken the front seat. It’s a sad fable but it is also Wong’s most perceptive film and perfectly in line with his stunning body of work.

10. THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG

This film improved heavily upon the first film. Peter Jackson and Warner Brothers are allowed to make more money at the expense of Tolkien’s imagination. Just give us good movies. I was let-down by the first film but The Desolation of Smaug is a stupendous blockbuster and a much needed return to Middle-Earth's wonders. The Smaug confrontation is a major chunk of this film and it is filmed with might and sweep. If only the final film improves a little bit more, all criticisms against Peter Jackson's decision to shoot three movies would wear the ring and vanish.

9. THE GREAT GATSBY

Big-budget films usually deal with superheroes or franchises based on books. Action, sci-fi and animation are genres that receive collective audience approval. Baz Luhrmann has a gift of putting up a spectacle of relationships. Films about people. He adorns them with beautiful costumes and lavish sets. In 3D. The music is amazingly used and the melodrama is never looked down upon. How many filmmakers do that these days? Leonardo DiCaprio is in movie star-mode after a long time in this celebration of excess and forbidden love.

8. FROZEN

Frozen is an instant classic. Disney films are usually criticized for giving false hope to a huge number of girls who wait for their prince charming to save them. Disney has not only given us the film we have all been waiting for but perhaps the most feminist entry in their cannon. To top this, we have great songs, lots of laughs and a great story which doesn't feel like a leftover from other animated films. I will be watching this film for years to come. I know you will too.

7. BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Richard Linklater's trilogy finds a closure. I hope. After two films of will they/ won't they, we get something close to a conclusion. For me, this film was a thriller. The final hour of the film is a nail-biting finish as we see one of the most loved couples on film decide whether they will endure or bend and break. The earlier films were more fantastical than this one but this film uncovers the reality of relationships. Some movies you watch, others you feel. (Sorry Harvey, wrong movie)

6. BLUE JASMINE

Woody Allen is one of my favourite filmmakers of all time. Although, this is the only time where a Woody Allen film belongs to someone else. This is a Cate Blanchett film. She made me not just empathise with an unlikable character but actually feel love for her by the end of the film. I understood her, I felt for her. This year many films celebrated excess and materialistic indulgence. Blue Jasmine deals with what comes after it gets taken away from you. This is Woody Allen's best drama.

5. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

The Wolf of Wall Street is a cinematic carnival and a cinematic abomination. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a career-best performance and Martin Scorsese goes back to his Goodfellas days. To quote @DougieHarrower on Twitter - this film is everything that is wrong with the world and everything that is right with cinema. Scorsese doesn't spoon-feed us with a message. He ends the film with a closing shot of an audience. A mirror for us to see. We all saw ourselves in this film. Some turned away and others didn't like what they saw. Most are obsessed with how others will see themselves in the mirror. Usually I defend a film I love but I'd rather have people hating this film for the right reasons than blindly loving it for the wrong ones. 

4. THE HUNT

The Hunt is one of those films that restored my faith in the art of cinema. Many films did that this year but this film is fueled by a story, which tells itself as organically and cinematically possible. It’s also a great Christ allegory where we see our Jesus being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. There will always be people who doubt him; he will be hunted by them always. A cross he will have to bear even after redemption.

3. 12 YEARS A SLAVE

12 Years A Slave left me devastated. The emotional pounding this film gave me is unlike anything I’ve felt with a film before. There are many tragedies of human suffering that have taken place throughout history. Slavery in America was an evil that most filmmakers have chosen to look away from. Steve McQueen lays out an unflinching experience for us to bear. Perhaps the most important film of the year and if I was a better person I would put this film on top of this list. I don’t know if I will watch it again but I will because I must. I must not look away.

2. HER

Her is this is year’s most poignant and beautiful love story. This film could have been about a creepy pervert but Spike Jonze focuses on the relationship humanity shares with technology these days and if it remains unchecked, what it could lead to. Moreover, this film shows that vision is not a concept that can be applied to a big-budget commercial film. A tender film about relationships also requires vision. This vision transcends deep down into the human mind and heart. Everything about this film is beautiful.

1. GRAVITY

I usually preface these yearly lists by saying “these are my personal favorites” or that I don’t know what the best film of the year is. I can only say what appealed to me the most. But then there are times when I can claim that this is the best film of the year. (12 Years A Slave is a very close second) Certain films are simply the best. 2010 had The Social Network and 2007 had No Country for Old Men. These films become classics. Gravity is one for the ages. A film about learning to let go of a tragic past instead of shutting yourself out of this world. A film about rebirth of the self. It’s a technical marvel and a cinematic wonder and undoubtedly, the best film of 2013.