It's
well written, well acted, and darkly hilarious. David O. Russell just
keeps getting better and better, and American Hustle proves
it. He started out great, and continues putting out solid movies.
While I'm not sure if this will still be on anyone's mind in a year,
I think it was definitely one of the highlights of this year.
9) Elysium
Matt
Damon has badass tattoos and nothing to lose? Boom, done, I'm in.
This movie is another sci-fi romp from Neill Blomkamp (District
9). it has similar themes to his
first movie (haves vs have-nots; alienation), but I felt like Elysium
was more streamlined and accessible. It did have its problems (Jodie
Foster's weird Battlefield Earth accent;
the final fight scene with too many dutch angles), but it was a great
commentary dressed up as a summer blockbuster.
8) Upstream Color
From
the man that brought us Primer
comes an even more confusing movie. Primer was
hard to follow, but at least you were able to buckle down and follow
the story from point A to B to C. Upstream Color, on
the other hand, takes hours of silence and undivided focus to dissect
it, coming to a mere theory on what the fucking thing was about. But
it's fun! When a movie occupies my mind for days, all in an attempt
to unlock the secrets (because I know Shane Carruth could tell me
exactly what it's about), I will put that on my top ten.
7) 12 Years a Slave
This
was the most important movie of the year. It takes a horrifying
moment in American history and hangs it on the wall for all of us to
take a look. While this movie is visually stunning and beautiful, Steve McQueen
did not make 12 Years a Slave for
entertainment. He wanted us all to know how terrible slavery was (and it was so so so much worse that what we could ever see on a
screen), and take some of that education with us going forward in
life. Movies can be an active way to build empathy, and this movie is
a good example.
6) Before Midnight
It's taken nearly twenty years, but
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy have completed their
“Before” trilogy. I rewatched Before Sunrise and
Before Sunset before I
went to Before Midnight,
and on the surface you could say these two movies are dated. Rather
than this being a negative, I look at it as the movies fully
encapsulating the time they were made. They are little nuggets that
represent the period they were made. This makes me so curious and
excited to come back to Before Midnight
in twenty years. On top of that, these movies are built on
philosophical conversations. Each movie embodies this aspect, but
they are coming from the differing perspectives of age. In the first
movie they were in their twenties, then thirties in the second, and
now forties in the final chapter. We're able to now weigh each
discussion against another, seeing how much people will change
throughout the course of their lives. I can confidently say that this
is the perfect trilogy.
5) Drinking Buddies
When I first
finished Joe Swanberg's movie I didn't foresee myself including it on
my list. But it stuck with me for a couple of days. The movie is
built on infidelity from the perspective of physical cheating (as
small as a kiss) to the emotional cheating. The movie and its
situations are all so downplayed and matter-of-fact that it made the
whole thing ring so true. I loved the relationships and the reactions
the characters had with one another because they had such an
authenticity to them. In a cinematic atmosphere where every movie
feels like it needs to make everything so BIG, it is refreshing to
get a small movie that will make me reexamine my perspective on life.
4) About Time
Richard
Curtis is the master of the romantic comedy. I would like to say
though, About Time
isn't just a boy meets girl story. I think the deeper (and more
interesting) story is a father-son relationship. My love for this
movie might have something to do with the fact that I just recently
had a son, thus making me look into the relationship I have with my
own father. In the end, this movie had me on the verge of tears
numerous times. Was this an effect of my life, or the movie? I don't
know, but it was enough for me to add this touching, sweet, and often
funny movie to my top ten.
3) The World's End
Edgar
Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost bring their Cornetto trilogy to an
end. In the same fashion as Shaun of the Dead
and Hot Fuzz they've
created a comedy that gets funnier with each viewing. This time its a
homage to science fiction with a body snatcher based plot. They have
a star team with the help from Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, and
Eddie Marsan alongside Pegg and Frost. Enjoy this booze-filled comedy
with a heart.
2) Her
I get excited every time Spike Jonze makes a movie, but this was the first time he took sole writing credit. I was curious, and a little skeptical, but I can now confidently say this is Jonze's finest work. The way he is able to weave everyday talk with philosophical musings, all within the premise of a man falling in love with his OS is enviable. Joaquin Phoenix deserves the Oscar above the other amazing performances this year. I came close to crying so many times I lost count. In the end my heart hurt so good. So, so good.
1) The Place Beyond the Pines
Derek Cianfrance
has create a depressing masterpiece. This movie stuck with me
for days, whether I was ruminating on character relations, or just
thinking of an interaction, it was stuck in my brain. I liked that he
didn't intersect the three stories, but rather each section as a
short film. Ryan Gosling struggles with what it means to be a father
for forty minutes, and then we see Bradley Cooper wrestle with the
same conflicts and interests. At the end of the movie we're left to
find the parallels and connections ourselves, instead of the movie
doing it for us. They've put all the ingredients into a slow cooker
and let it seep outward into our minds. The more you think about this
flick the more you'll love and appreciate what they've done with it.
You can read my full review here.
What's your top ten?
