Let’s face the facts. From technology being advanced to unimaginable heights with Alfonso Cauron’s space-thriller “Gravity” to slavery being portrayed in a way that shook up the expectations of everyday movie-goers in the harrowing “12 Years a Slave”, 2013 was a groundbreaking year for movies. If you’re a fan of animated movies, the year may have been a sore disappointment, yet as a whole it offered highly original, unique and innovative movies.
It also changed who I am as a person, taught me important lessons about life and unexpectedly, made me realize that movies could mean so much more than just entertainment.
Listed below are my picks for the top 10 movies of the year, consisting of films that I have no hesitation in calling ‘art.’ If you love movies or have a passion for filmmaking, I highly recommend that you check these films out as soon as possible.
1. The Place Beyond the Pines
Heartbreaking, unforgettable and in every sense of the word powerful, “The Place Beyond the Pines” is a film that completely changed my perspective on life as well as the movies. When you’re dealing with three different stories, it’s definitely not an easy job to stuff them into a single film yet this is one of the only movies I’ve seen that has. Uplifted by three of the best performances you’ll see this year, “The Place Beyond the Pines” reminded me why I’ve always loved movies: not only to be entertained but also enlightened by messages about life. I didn’t want it to end, and as soon as it did finish, I immediately wanted to watch it all over again. This rarely ever happens, and may be the greatest compliment I’ve given any film.
2. 12 Years a Slave
Words cannot describe how I felt after I experienced this movie. I truly felt as if a film had touched the deepest corridors of my emotions and changed my outlook on life. The brutal true story of an ordinary man that struggled to deal with the dehumanization that was Slavery, “12 Years a Slave” left me in awe. Whether it was one of the best performances from an actor I’ve ever had the privilege to witness, or Steve McQueen’s realistic direction, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen even when the subject matter was challenging to digest. If I were to make a list of movies that I felt would be remembered 20 to 30 years from now, you can bet that “12 Years a Slave” would surely be one of them…
3. Dallas Buyers Club
One of the few movies this year that had a story that deserved to be told. Not many movies today have the ability to teach you a lesson about life, yet “Dallas Buyers Club” is an unforgettable film that tugs at the heartstrings and enlightens the mind. Watching it, I couldn’t help but wonder, how in the world did Matthew McConaughey manage to make me care for such an unlikable character? How could a director add humor into a subject as depressing as AIDS? And what about Jared Leto, who pulls of the role of a transgender woman as if he was always born to? Both Leto and McConaughey caught my curiosity when I first saw the film’s trailer, but now they have my attention.
4. Prisoners
Of this day and age, many filmmakers cite Alfred Hitchcock as their main inspiration for movies, yet rarely ever do we see movies that feel like they could have been made by the Master of Suspense. “Prisoners” is one of those unique films, a fantastically acted, superbly shot and thought-provoking thriller that raises questions about human obsession. Hugh Jackman delivers an unforgettable performance as a frustrated father whose obsession with finding justice, reminded me greatly of James Stewart’s iconic character in Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”. Like so many of the great movies, “Prisoners” carves itself into your memory and refuses to be forgotten for days.
5. The Spectacular Now
Never has any film felt so real. About halfway through “The Spectacular Now”, a coming-of-age story about two teens that experience young love, I forgot that I was watching characters. I forgot that the situations and conflicts they encountered in life were staged. And though this may be hard to believe, there were times during the film where I totally forgot that actors were performing. Ever wondered what falling in love could be like in your own life? Without the fairy-tale cliches of everyday romantic comedies? If so, here’s a lovely film that will give you the strength to see the sunny days in the most hopeless of times and make you fall in love with life itself.
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6. The World’s End
Without a doubt the funniest film of the year, and dare I say, the most stomach-churning hilarious of the last decade? Whenever I watch comedies these days, I usually chuckle a few times but never have I had the fits of hysterical laughter that I experienced while watching “The World’s End”. Of course, if you’re already familiar with the ‘The Cornetto Trilogy’, much of it owes a fortune to the chemistry between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, however, in this film they’re not the only ones aiming to tickle the bones. Each of the 5 performers at the center of this comedy, have such natural chemistry that it appears as if they’ve known each other for years! In most comedies you’re asked to pretend that the actors have great comedic chemistry, but here you believe.
7. Gravity
An timeless gem of a film that offers an experience unlike any that has ever surfaced the boundaries of Cinema. In all honesty, I don’t know how this film was made. Seriously…how often you come across an actor that is able to carry an entire film on their shoulders? How does a director manage to make a film set in space that is perfectly paced? Even if you have seen these feats pulled off by movies in the past, it’s unlikely that they’ll leave you as stunned as Alfonso Cauron’s “Gravity”. As an actress, Sandra Bullock over the last few years has never really impressed me, yet here she delivers the performance of a lifetime that will certainly be celebrated in the years to come.
8. Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks makes a golden comeback as an actor, and if I were to be completely honest, he hasn’t been this good in decades. The sign of a great actor often comes across when you forget that they’re acting. It’s definitely the case with Hanks, whose expressions spell out every single emotion he feels in the film, even in scenes where he has little to no dialogue. When I first saw the trailer for “Captain Phillips”, it came across as a throwaway action movie but I love how much it surprised me. It’s thought-provoking entertainment that sparks discussion about issues that the world faces today.
9. The Way, Way Back
I love it when I relate to characters in movies, and if that was the ultimate goal of “The Way, Way Back”, it absolutely knocks the ball out of the park. A heartwarming tale of a lost teenager that struggles to stand up for himself in life, it is the only film this year that managed to make me angry, happy and sad, sometimes all at the same time! Connection is something powerful that not many films these days offer, yet in the case of this one, it made me discover the social introvert I’ve always been in life.
10. Pacific Rim
The most fun I’ve had at the movies in recent years, the only blockbuster of 2013 that reminded me of my childhood days where I played with action figures. I must admit that when I first saw its trailer, I expected a disaster that would only give me headache but what a wonderful surprise “Pacific Rim” turned out to be. It’s got spectacular action sequences that send your heart racing and a magical balance between action and drama. You get the feeling that you’re watching a movie made by someone who loves movies.
Honorable Mentions ( or movies that almost made the list)
American Hustle: Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence…how can a movie with such a star-studded cast be anything less than amazing? Each of these performers, particularly Cooper whose becoming one of my favorite actors, have a blast with larger-than-life characters in what may be the most fun Awards Contender of the year.
The Butler: Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey shine in this emotionally resonant drama about a butler that served 8 of America’s presidents in the White House. Like I previously mentioned, I rarely ever cry at the movies yet this is one of the few movies that truly stole my heart this year.
Her: In an age where movies recycle old ideas, whether it’s in the form of unnecessary remakes or superfluous superhero sequels, Spike Jonze’s “Her” is like a breath of fresh air. Here’s a timeless gem of a film that grows on you with repeated viewings, persuades you to think about the connection between humans and technology today and the infinite possibilities of love.
This is the End: A film so hilarious, original and unlike anything I’ve seen this year, that it would be a crime to dismiss it as your everyday buddy-comedy. It offers a unique and often insightful look at the lives of celebrities, a relentless energy in dialogue and a comedic-pairing of actors that each get their moment to shine. Could you possibly ask for more from any comedy?
Warm Bodies: I hate vampire movies due to how dumb they’re made to look in the tiresome “Twilight” series, but I was rather taken aback by how much I fell in love with Warm Bodies. The dialogue is clever and witty, the concept surprisingly inventive and Nicholas Hoult as the zombie himself is a joyous talent to behold.
The Film Buff 
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