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It's not like this movie blew me away exactly. I hardly walked out of the theater thinking that was one of the best movies of the year. But it's really goddamn clever. And it's fun. And it's gross. Pretty much everything I want out of a horror movie. Also: the best scene featuring piano wire this year. I don't want to spoil the surprise - just go watch it already.
9. Prince Avalanche
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A psuedo-existential surrealist docu-buddy drama (or something like that). And good lord, it is good to have David Gordon Green back. After increasingly diminishing returns on his foray into mainstream Hollywood comedies (including this disaster), Green gets back to his indie filmmaking roots. Shot over the course of just 16 days and released in secret, Prince Avalanche transcends genre trappings and stands as a solid entry in Green's oeuvre.
8. Enough Said
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I always think I'm going to hate Nicole Holofcener's films, but then I don't, because she's a damn good filmmaker. Holofcener manages to keep her characters relatable throughout the film. Sweet and heatfelt, Enough Said provides a fresh take on the romantic comedy, featuring main characters that aren't just airbrushed 20 year-olds.
7. Frances Ha
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If Scorcese never judges his characters, Noah Baumbach has learned a trick or two from the prolific director. The Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding are caustic takes on the American family featuring practically zero likeable characters. Thankfully, Baumbach seems to have evolved as a filmmaker. Frances Halladay is a mess, but the movie bumbles along with her, allowing the character to grow without it ever feeling saccharin. It all feels like a NYU graduate student film project, but in the best possible way.
6. Before Midnight
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Linklater and Co. really knock it out of the park with this one, getting into the thorny details of a decades-long relationship in a beautiful and honest fashion. Delpy and Hawke are fantastic as always, and Linklater provides an immensely satisfying conclusion to his trilogy. Au revoir, Celine and Jesse. We'll always have Paris. And Vienna. And now: Greece.
5. Inside Llewyn Davis
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People who were disappointed with this movie probably haven't seen many Coen Brothers' movies. Their nihilistic worldview has hit its share of nadirs (Exhibit: A), but Inside Llewyn Davis strikes a lovely balance between existential angst, dark comedy and real human emotion. Side note: further proof the Academy is fucked - none of the music for this film received a nomination. Enjoy watching some sad pop star perform this on the Kodak theater stage instead.
4. Her
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I wanted to rate Her higher, but couldn't. Alexander Payne, Martin Scorcese and Steve McQueen edge Spike Jonze's brilliant film by millimeters. I was initially put off by the trailers (Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with Siri?!), but I wasn't giving Jonze nearly enough credit. Her says so much about life, love and existence. Phoneix is fantastic; Johanson enthralls without ever appearing onscreen, and Amy Adams probably deserved a nomination for her beautifully understated performance as Phoenix's platonic female friend. Fun fact: you can order your high-waisted future pants here.
3. Nebraska
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Nebraska will get plenty of awards-season attention without winning any awards. Truthfully, I'm surprised it's gotten any attention from the powers that be. It's strange, stilted, and small, without the pedigree that most Oscar nominated films have. I suppose everyone on the coasts like to laugh at Midwesterners (and hey, who doesn't?), which explains why the comedic elements of the film work so well. But looking past old ladies pissing on graves, there is real gravitas to this film. Alexander Payne eloquently riffs on the quiet moments of dignity that we seek amidst a vast, uncaring, and generally shitty universe. Payne gets a pass on some of the cheap shots aimed at Midwesterners, because, simply put, he's one of us. It's like being Greek, but with less hummus.
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
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Hands down, the most entertaining film of the year. Martin Scorcese remakes Goodfellas, but for the next generation. The Wolf of Wall Street says everything that needs to be said about capitalism without ever being preachy. The performances, direction, editing - all flawless. The work of a filmmaker who is clearly at the top of his game. Would certainly be my top film of the year, if not for...
1. 12 Years a Slave
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How on earth do you make a decent film about slavery in 2013, much less what is quite possibly the best film about slavery ever made? Perhaps it helps that a director with a bit of distance from the subject matter took the helm. Steve McQueen, a Brit, understands the horror inherent in the American slave trade, but doesn't pander. The genius of the film is its unwillingness to bat an eye at the everyday grotesqueness that occurred in the South without becoming histrionic. Long, unflinching shots of these atrocities will stick in your craw and refuse to leave. Simply put, 12 Years a Slave is a modern classic - a film that will be talked about for years to come.
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