Wednesday, January 15, 2014

My Top 10 Films of 2013




1. Frances Ha
A raw yet delightful late twenties coming of age story reminiscent of French New Wave, a little Woody Allen and slightly less pretentious than HBO's Girls.  Dialogue borders between clever and obnoxious.  Awkward humour aplenty.  But really it's about that scary, confusing and exciting time when one transitions from youth to adulthood.

2. Spring Breakers
This was probably the most polarizing movie of the year. I went in skeptical expecting to hate it but when the end credits rolled I walked out of this neon drenched bacchanal shaking my head in WTF-was-that disbelief and awe.  There are some seriously "blurred lines" between exploitation and satire here.  There is no one to root for and every character is despicable and yet it's the perfect reflection of North American society and its consumerist culture.  

3. Her
It's rare to see a "sci-fi" movie that doesn't involve superheroes, explosions or alien invasions. Her is melancholic, depressingly romantic with an aesthetically pleasing futuristic production design and a lot of feelings.  It's a beautiful story of an ill-fated romance between man and machine and a commentary on our society's ever increasing misanthropic reliance on technology.

4. The Act of Killing
A gripping and unique documentary about the reenactments of the 1960's Indonesian genocide murders by the very perpetrators aka death squads who committed the killings. Disturbing but powerful stuff.

5. Only Lovers Left Alive
An existential love story  between two vampires (Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton) set in modern day Detroit and Tangier.  Beautifully shot, droll and eccentric. Persian rugs aplenty, musical instruments and books messily askew, night drives through the motor city's derelict locales, I fell in love with this romantically dystopian world. 

6. Before Midnight
Love is hard and the unrealistic expectations we place on relationships backfire.  In the final chapter of this trilogy the two lead characters walk around beautiful locales, talk endlessly and bicker realistically, and it is all charming and fascinating to watch. 

7. Blue is the Warmest Color
The most striking aspect of the film are the naturalistic performances and the intimate cinematography. Once the film starts, one forgets the outside world and is totally immersed in this heartbreaking and passionate love story. It is mesmerizing to watch.

8. 12 Years a Slave
This is an important and powerful film.  Though it does not stray from conventional storytelling, it is the most interesting film about slavery (sorry Amistad).  Fassbender, Ejiofor and Nyong'o are phenomenal.

9. Inside Llewyn Davis
I'd like to preface that I don't like folk music but this story of the trials and tribulations of a folk musician in 1960's had me enchanted from the start.  It strips the glamour from the romantic ideal of a struggling artist at least for the audience but it's something the main character still has to come to terms with.  Funny, offbeat, thoughtful and steers clear of sentimentality.

10. Stranger By The Lake
A sexy beach murder mystery at a lakeside gay cruising spot. Equal parts nature film and Hitchcock thriller, with the emphasis on cock-ian.

Honourable Mentions:
Matthew McConaughey continues to impress with the haunting coming of age Mud and the solid Dallas Buyers Club.  Very moving and impressive were tiny indie films Short Term 12 and Museum Hours (thanks Karl for the reco). I was also intrigued by the melo-documentary Stories We Tell and the unconventional Leviathan. The comic interaction of the leads in the The Heat and the meta-comedy This Is The End cracked me up.  I had high hopes for Gravity and although it is remarkable filmmaking, after the adrenaline wore of, I felt irked by the clichéd dialogue and backstory as well as the overdone spiritual themes; but go see it in 3D anyhow.  Ari Forman's follow up to Waltz with Bashir, The Congress had an interesting story but I found it too trippy and disjointed.  Upstream Colorwas beautiful and absorbing but I'm still trying to understand it. Fans of Dogtooth should check out the equally bizarre and darkly funny Borgman.  
If I missed any musts, please let me know.  At the time of compiling this list I have't seen the following though I hear they are excellent: In A WorldBroken Circle Breakdown andAll Is Lost.

Fin!

ps. Apologies for the misplaced or lack there of commas and semicolons.