The Confirmation that Space is Scary as Hell Award: Gravity
The Best Portrayal of a Demon Penis Award: This Is The End
The White People are Jerks Award: 12 Years a Slave
The Childhood Destroyer Award: Spring Breakers
The Best Use of a Cat Scrotum Joke Award: Inside Llewyn Davis
The Requiem for a Dream Most Drugs of the Year Award: The Wolf of Wall Street
The John Stamos Best Hair of the Year Award: Bradley Cooper in American Hustle
In All Seriousness:
20. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Anchorman 2 continues the story of the legendary Ron Burgundy. Although the first one is better, the second one is a worthy sequel that still delivers a lot of laughs. It definitely helps that the number 1 news team in America consists of one of the best comedy teams you'll find in any recent comedy.
19. American Hustle
American Hustle lacks a bit in it's story, but the acting is for the most part unrivaled this year. David O. Russell always gets great performances from his cast, and his regular cast members Bale, Cooper, Adams, and Lawrence all are terrific here(and also all were nominated for an Oscar this year). I'd also like to mention that the interactions between Bradley Cooper and Louis CK in this film are some of the funniest moments in film of the year.
18. Blackfish
Other great documentaries from this year; Stories We Tell and The Art of Killing both changed the way documentaries can and will be made in the future. Blackfish, however, had the biggest impact on me of the documentaries I watched last year. Everything that has happened and is happening with the Killer Whales at Sea World deserves to be brought to the public's attention. This important documentary will surely get the word out if people keep talking about it.
17. Frozen
The great thing about animated films is that they appeal to all age groups. I know both adults and little kids who enjoy this film a lot, and also college students such as myself. Frozen has music that's enjoyable and performed beautifully. As well as some really spectacular animation and storytelling that continues proving that animated films can be really great critically and commercially.
16. Spring Breakers
This exaggerated look at Spring Break life with little hints of a crime film is one of the most interesting films this year. The cinematography and editing is some of the best, and sadly very underrated. Certainly not for everyone, but if you appreciate the technical aspects of film it's worth at least one viewing.
15. Drinking Buddies
This largely improvised relationship dramedy has some of the most realistic portrayals of relationships I've seen. The chemistry between Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson (two actors I really love) is fantastic. The always great Anna Kendrick also is strong as Johnson's character's girlfriend. Easy to watch, and filled with believable moments.
14. Rush
Rush was a pleasant surprise. I didn't have much interest in this until I heard really great things about it. Daniel Bruhl really is great as Nikki Lauda, and Chris Hemsworth is solid as his rival in this F1 racing drama. The cinematography is really great and could have gotten some awards recognition if more people saw this film. The biggest snub for this film though is clearly Daniel Bruhl's lack of an Oscar nomination.
13. Captain Phillips
Captain Phillips was intense. It grips you from the second it seems like there is trouble, and holds on to you literally until the end. Tom Hanks has been getting a lot of praise for playing Captain Phillips, and particularly the last scene he is in. It's some of the best work he's done in a while.
12. The Way Way Back
A film that will make you want summer even more than you already do. The Way Way Back has a lot of laugh, and that's mainly because of the great acting and delivery of Sam Rockwell. His character is one of my favorites from this year. Also the main character Duncan's nickname, Pop N Lock, is one of the best nicknames ever given to a movie character.
11. Before Midnight
I think it's better if you have seen the previous two Before films (Before Sunrise and Before Sunset), so that you get attached to the characters. But even if you just watch this film on it's own, it still works really well as a portrait of the struggles of marriage. Richard Linklater gives a really well-written, well-acted, strong conclusion to the story of Jesse and Celine.
10. Prisoners
I was a little skeptical of this film, because I thought they gave away the whole thing in the trailer for it. While they did kind of reveal more than they should have, they didn't even touch the surface of the twists and turns that are within this film. One of the best thrillers of the year, I was thinking about it for days after I watched it.
9. The Hunt
This film from Denmark is on Netflix, and should be seen by a lot of people. Don't let the subtitles scare you, Mads Mikkelson (the bad guy from Casino Royale) gives a heart-breaking performance as a kindergarten teacher who is falsely accused of sexual assault. The story is a little depressing, but it's executed incredibly.
8. Gravity
Out of all of the films I've seen this year, I was more glad to see this in theaters than any other film. It's really a technical masterpiece, and one of the best looking films from last year. Director Alfonso Cuaron put a lot of hard work into this, and it paid off. A film I will definitely be owning on Blu-ray at some point in the future.
7. Blue is the Warmest Color
A film that is 3 hours long, has to be REALLY good if it's going to keep my interest and make me want to watch it again, because 3 hours is a lot of time to invest in a movie. This coming-of-age film has one of the best performances of the year from Adele Exarchopoulos. A lot of this film was improvised, which I think is the reason why it feels so real.
6. Frances Ha
I feel like Frances Ha is gonna be either a love or hate kind of film for most people. It's a character driven film, so if you don't like the character of Frances than you aren't going to like this film. I really enjoy Greta Gerwig and her portrayal of the awkward, funny, spontaneous Frances. I like seeing all of the situations she gets into, and her growth throughout the film, which is the reason why I love this film so much.
5. 12 Years a Slave
As of right now, in my opinion, Steve McQueen has a perfect filmography so far with this film, Shame, and Hunger. Another film that was great to see in theaters because of it's beautiful shots. A cast of great actors give high quality performances. But the real star here is Steve McQueen and his great directing. His decision to linger on certain shots so you can fully appreciate each and every one of them is astounding. Of the three films I think have a shot at winning Best Picture (this, Gravity, and American Hustle), I'm really hoping this film can pull off a victory.
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
Goodfellas on quaaludes is a description I've heard about this film. This drug/sex/alcohol fueled film starring Leonardo DiCaprio is as over-the-top as you can get while still maintaining an R rating. And that's what I love about it. Dark humor throughout the whole thing, and worth sitting in a theater seat for 3 hours. Martin Scorsese's best film since The Departed.
3. Short Term 12
Another film I'm hoping more people will go and see. Brie Larson might be recognizable to some people from films like The Spectacular Now and 21 Jump Street. Expect to start recognizing her in a ton of films in the near future, because after this year she should definitely become more of a household name. This film has a few of the most touching moments of the year. It's great when a film can make you incredibly sad, and then quickly turn that around and make you smile.
2. Inside Llewyn Davis
As a huge fan of the Coen Brothers, it's really high praise when I say that this was one of my favorite films by them. The gloomy colors, and images in the film match the tone perfectly. Oscar Isaac is not only a talented singer, but also gives a really great performance as Llewyn Davis. Really funny, sometimes in the saddest way.
1. Her
My favorite film of 2013, Her. This film just worked on so many levels for me. The script could be hilarious, or it could make you want to cry. It has so many great messages, that I'll refrain from going into detail about again (You can see the more detailed thoughts here. Or take a look at my friend Reed's review here.) Joaquin Phoenix gave what I thought was the best performance of 2013. He plays Theodore with such believability that he seems like a person rather than a movie character. In a time where this future world could potentially be coming very soon, the importance of this film is heightened. It let's the audience take a look at their dependance on technology, on their loneliness, and most importantly on their relationships. In a year filled with great movies, Her is the movie that I will remember the year by.
~Ryan Moncrief
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