2013, for about the first two-thirds of the year, felt like a barren wasteland for cinema. Summer blockbusters did nothing to excite me. Comedies were not funny. It was only the occasional indie or festival screening that had me realizing why I loved movies. Then, the last third of the year came around, and it was stockpiled with gems. These films came from all over, major studios, independent studios, foreign films, etc. The last third has skyrocketed 2013 into a great year for cinema, at least in this man’s opinion. Here, I am going to count down my favorite films of the year. These are not the objective “best” of the year but my favorites. These are the films I admired, enjoyed, and emotionally reacted to. Because there were many great films this year, it was difficult to narrow it down to just ten. Here are some films that just missed the cut.
Joe Swanberg’s Drinking Buddies was a big surprise. It is one of the best films dealing with a friendship I have seen in some time. Filled with a fabulous cast, led by the magnificent Olivia Wilde, this is a dramedy I want more people to see. A couple of documentaries came close, notably Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell and HBO’s Six By Sondheim. Both explore art and stories in very interesting ways. Before Midnight, the third film in Richard Linklater’s trilogy, is probably the best in the series, but it just misses the cut. Jim Rash and Nat Faxon’s coming of age comedy The Way, Way Back was a real joy and a great summer film, both in tone and content. The World’s End, the third film in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy took me to places I did not expect. All Is Lost sported a terrific performance by Robert Redford in an intense survival tale. Dallas Buyers Club was a film I thought would be Oscar bait, but it turned out to be something much more engaging and enjoyable than I could have imagined, with two terrific performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Then, the film that was most difficult to keep out, finding the number eleven slot was Gravity. The film is a masterclass in how a big budget, action blockbuster can be done artistically and emotionally on point. If I made this list on another day, Gravity might have made it. With that being said, let’s get this list started.
