2013: IF I HAD AN OSCAR BALLOT

Picture

All is Lost
The Counselor
Lone Survivor
Captain Phillips
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street
Gravity
Her
Prisoners
Man of Steel

Director

JC Chandor, All is Lost
Ridley Scott, The Counselor
Peter Berg, Lone Survivor
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Alexander Payne, Nebraska

 

Actor

Robert Redford, All is Lost
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Hugh Jackman, Prisoners
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

 

 Actress

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Judy Dench, Philomena

 

Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Jake Gyllenhaal, Prisoners

 

Supporting Actress

Cameron Diaz, The Counselor
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Lupita N’yongo, 12 Years a Slave
June Squibb, Nebraska
Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street

 

Original Screenplay

Her

All is Lost
The Counselor
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska

Adapted Screenplay

Before Midnight
The Wolf of Wall Street
Lone Survivor
Captain Phillips
Philomena

Cinematography

Gravity
All is Lost
The Counselor
Lone Survivor
Man of Steel

Editing

Captain Phillips

All is Lost
The Counselor
Lone Survivor
Her

Score

Man of Steel

Rush
12 Years a Slave
All is Lost
Gravity

 

Production Design

Her
12 Years a Slave
Elysium
The Great Gatsby
Man of Steel

Costumes

The Great Gatsby

12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
The Wolf of Wall Street
Man of Steel

Visual Effects

Gravity
The Wolf of Wall Street
Man of Steel
Elysium
Star Trek: Into Darkness

2013 #1: ALL IS LOST

Coming off the fancy-pants dialogue-show that was Margin Call, it’s something of a bizarre notion that J.C. Chandor’s second feature film would be the almost entirely wordless survival-at-sea drama All is Lost. Communicating exclusively through powerful, visual storytelling on a large scale within a limited budget seemed something of a Herculean-task, a task that Chandor was more than up to tackling. Featuring a historic, eloquent performance from Robert Redford as the aptly named Our Man, the film takes on a Hemmingway-esque vibe of existentialism and self-reflection during times of great personal stress, drawing the viewer intimately into the drama and the archetypal character of Our Man, so that by the end of the film, the viewer has become one with Redford in spirit. So few movies would have the narrative courage to not cut-away to grieving or hysterical loved ones, unimportant secondary characters or a frantic search party, but that’s exactly what Chandor does here; he’s only interested in the plight of Our Man and how he reacts to every situation, so as a result, the connection we feel to him is inordinate and special. Purposefully slow moving but enormously engrossing as a result of the patience of the storytelling and the fullness of Redford’s wordless, magnetic performance, this is more than just a “one-man show.” Some predictable plot elements are rewarded with unexpected results and variations on themes that we’ve see before but never in this fashion. The sensations of dread and solitude have rarely been conveyed this well on screen; this is a sort of personal/emotional horror movie, complete with ominous sound work, a subtle, eerie musical score, and point-of-view cinematography that limits perspective and vantage point. The muscular camerawork by Frank DeMarco recalls vintage-era William Friedkin and Michael Mann, balancing the harsh realities of nature with the dangerous creations of the industrialized world. And then there’s the breathtaking finale, which, quite literally, left me an emotional disaster inside the theater, requiring some time spent in the lobby to collect myself. Maybe it was just that particular day and that particular screening, but I was devastated by the final moments of this unconditional masterpiece and the decisions that Chandor made as a filmmaker. A second viewing a week later re-confirmed my feelings: this is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and far and away the best film from 2013.

2013 #2: THE COUNSELOR

Few films are as razor-sharp perfect from a narrative standpoint as Ridley Scott’s icy masterpiece The Counselor. Made with uncompromising formal exactitude, this elliptically structured neo-noir finds Scott working outside of his epic-sized wheelhouse and the results are brutal, nihilistic brilliance. Recalling crime genre staples like Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, The American, and No Country for Old Men yet forging a sinister personality all its own, Cormac McCarthy’s elegantly vicious screenplay provides sharp, stylized dialogue and a unique avoidance of anything conventional or comforting, eschewing easily identifiable plot points and banal “set-up” conversations. Scott has never had a screenplay like the one McCarthy has given him, and it’s interesting to note that when Scott goes “small,” like he did in the criminally underrated Matchstick Men, he’s just as adept at the character stuff as he is at the action stuff. The film is a treasure trove of great and unique performances from the starriest of casts, including a career best Cameron Diaz in ultra-bitch mode to an amazingly stylized Javier Bardem, who adds another extremely memorable yet completely different addition to his gallery of villains. Brad Pitt scores some nasty laughs as a too-cool middle-man and Michael Fassbender does an intriguing, increasingly frenzied take on the classic noir dupe. The Counselor is the sort of film where the less you know about it the better it will play, and despite the lack of clear-cut and sympathetic characters, the way Scott and his ace creative team lull you into their sexy, dangerous world of murder and double-cross will have your head scrambling as to where this lethal story will end up. A hint: nowhere pretty or nice.

2013 #3: LONE SURVIVOR

Writer/director Peter Berg officially joins the big leagues with Lone Survivor, a harrowing, gut-wrenching modern combat movie that deserves to sit alongside other anti-war classics such as Platoon, Hamburger Hill, Born on the Fourth of July, and Black Hawk Down. Crafted with stunning technical proficiency, Lone Survivor aims to put you in the middle of a bloody, unrelenting gun battle, never letting up for a breath of air. And what a battle sequence it is. The fluid yet ragged cinematography from Tobias Schliessler is stunning to behold and the crispness of the editing by Colby Parker Jr. smartly establishes concise geography and clear spatial coherence during the protracted battle sequence. Berg, the filmmaker, is as single-minded, determined, and focused in his approach to the story as the soldiers-on-a-mission were that he depicts in their attempt at doing their job and coming out of a terrible situation alive. No matter what or how many creative liberties the filmmakers have taken with the true-story aspects of the incident (a botched mission where four Navy SEALS go up against numerous Taliban soldiers in the unforgiving mountains of Afghanistan), the emotional core of the film is honest and at times overwhelmingly powerful, just like great cinema should always be. It’s no spoiler to reveal that only one SEAL makes it out of the fight alive, and it’s mind-blowing to think that these guys were able to endure what they probably endured during those hellish hours. Berg smartly opens the film with real-world SEAL training footage; by watching just two minutes of these clips it’s easy to see how these guys could become total warriors, able to drop their enemies with precise head-shots, never succumbing to fatigue or lack of food, always ready to fight and kill. Berg wisely celebrates the warrior spirit in all of the men, while never glamourizing the horrific toll that war brings to multiple societies. And most importantly, he never turns the film into a political message or soap-box statement – this is truly “War is Hell Cinema” with a focus on the blood and guts of the situation. Persuasively acted by the grizzled quartet of Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, and Emile Hirsch, this is an unforgettable reminder of what’s been going on for the last 10 years during the war on terror.

2013 #4: CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

To say that I’m a fan of the visceral filmmaking aesthetic of director Paul Greengrass would be an understatement. From the stunningly realized recreations of real-world tragedies like Bloody Sunday and United 93 to his fantastic studio-based work on the Bourne franchise and the supremely underrated Iraq war thriller Green Zone, he employs a certain degree of cinematic ...verisimilitude that I find thrilling and immediate to experience. His latest, possibly greatest achievement, Captain Phillips, finds him working with a career-best Tom Hanks on the true story of a freight ship captain who is taken hostage by Somali pirates on the open seas. Newcomer Barkhad Abdi is terrific as Hanks’s main nemesis, projecting both desperation and anger in an extremely vivid, unpredictable performance. Ace cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (The Hurt Locker, United 93) keeps the camera swerving and ducking and in tandem with the staccato editing patterns of Chris Rouse, the film maintains a break-neck momentum for two tight, unrelentingly tense hours. And then comes the final five minutes, with Hanks pulling out all the stops, shattering the screen in an emotional tour de force of acting – it’s not only his character’s catharsis but that of the audience, too. One of the best “ripped-from-the-headlines” thrillers of all-time, this is as crisp and clean as action filmmaking gets.

2013 #5: NEBRASKA

Simple. Sly. Subtle. Sensational. I’ve run out of words that begin with the letter “S” that describe Alexander Payne’s latest dramedy Nebraska. I’ve loved every movie that Payne has put his name on – everything always feels just right, as if there were no other options for him (it’s a very similar feeling I get while watching work from the Coen brothers). Bruce Dern breaks... your heart slowly and deceptively in the lead role of a lifetime, June Squibb steals every single scene that she appears in, and Will Forte hits notes of surprising emotional depth that I didn’t know were in him as a performer. This is the sort of movie that might hit home too hard for some people; as always, Payne wraps his dark story with an abundance of dry humor, this time courtesy of debut screenwriter Bob Nelson, whose sardonic touch fits perfectly with the shivery, black and white cinematography of frequent Payne collaborator Phedon Papamichael. Bleak yet filled with lots of heart, achingly sad yet strangely upbeat, honest when it needs to be, and frequently laugh-out-loud-funny, this is yet another small gem from one of America’s best and most consistent filmmakers.

2013 #6: THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

The epic, excessive life of notorious Wall Street huckster Jordan Belfort gets epic, excessive cinematic treatment by one of the most epic, excessive of directors, Martin Scorsese.  See a pattern there?  Leonardo DiCaprio is completely and utterly on fire from frame-one, giving it his all in every sense of the phrase.  It’s also, most crucially and surprisingly, the funniest and loosest he’s ever been on screen, revealing new, comedic sides to his personality.  On the complete opposite side of things, the enormously gifted comedic actor Jonah Hill again severely impresses in a dramatic role (his first being his pitch-perfect work in Moneyball), while also landing some of the heartiest laughs in this blackest of comedies.  Littered with tons familiar faces, spot-on character work, and the alarming presence of alluring Australian newcomer Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street races through its three-hour running time like an out of control freight train being driven by a lunatic mad-man. No movie since Terry Gilliam’s hedonistic masterpiece of drug-fuelled shenanigans Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has embraced on-screen drug-use for both dark humor and for appalling dramatic effect the way The Wolf of Wall Street does; it’s bracing and exciting and wildly unexpected coming from the director whose last movie was the warm-hearted children’s fable Hugo.  But that’s why Scorsese continues to be the most important, vital voice in modern cinema – he’s always up to a challenge, always pushing the limits, always going for the filmic jugular. Along with the gifted screenwriter Terrence Winter, they’ve painted a sprawling, troubling portrait of a morally decaying society – the American dream run amok, perverted and corrupted by ultra-success and zero consequences.  And the last shot of the film – possibly the best single shot of the year – casually and brilliantly indicts everyone, not just the despicable characters in the film and the zombie-eyed audience members that Belfort is preaching too at his seminar, but anyone in the audience who has missed the point of this outrageous and masterful piece of storytelling.  

2013 #7: GRAVITY

Welcome to the world of the Auteur Blockbuster. I love this world. Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron reminds everyone why “going to the movies” should still be considered an event and something special. Cameron was probably weeping in his Cheerios. Literally taking 99.9% of viewers the closest they’ll ever get to outer space, this technically mind-boggling achievement is a high point... in big-budget studio entertainment – a thrill-ride with a brain, done in an experimental-for-the-masses structure, with an intensely focused lead performance of considerable heft and guts (Sandra Bullock, very effective). Virtuoso cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki somehow outdoes himself yet again; if there’s any cinematic justice he’ll finally win an Oscar for his work on this film, which is nothing short of insane. One of the first movies to truly warrant the 3-D upcharge and to use the format in expressive, enveloping ways, it’s the simple beauty of the story and the quality of the performances will make any 2-D viewing just as gripping. This is a thrill-ride of the first order, one that first and foremost wants to take you on an adventure, but also isn’t afraid to ask some questions about humanity along the way.

2013 #8: HER

Boldly original, strikingly conceived, and flawlessly executed, writer/director Spike Jonze has crafted an elegant romantic drama for our current technology obsessed times.  This is a deeply layered, incredibly soulful film, one that explores the fundamental idea of love and what it means to humans on both an emotional and psychological level, while also discussing what it might mean to a piece of artificial intelligence.  Joaquin Phoenix is wonderful in a lead performance that couldn’t be any more different from his ghoulish, serpentine work in last year’s The Master, and using only her amazingly intoxicating voice, Scarlett Johansson does tremendous work as the eternal and unseen object of desire.  Repeated viewings will likely reap multiple, previously undiscovered rewards.

2013 #9: PRISONERS

Morally probing, moodily stylish, and intensely acted by all, Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s harrowing, violent kidnapping thriller Prisoners is one of the finest American crime movies in years, easily on par with modern classics such as Mystic River and Seven. Hugh Jackman goes deep with an emotionally complex, career-topping performance (in any other year he gets a Best Actor nom for this gut-wrenching piece of work) and Jake Gyllenhaal yet again demonstrates how perfect he can be when given the right material. Aaron Guzikowski’s twisty, twisted, and ultimately brilliant screenplay never sacrifices coherence or succumbs to cheap exploitation while piling on the plot threads, while Villeneuve obsesses over all of the small directorial touches in an almost Fincher-esque manner. The incomparable cinematographer Roger Deakins clearly had a ball playing within the parameters of the mystery noir genre, cloaking the film in rain, shadows, darkness, and harsh streaks of light. A breakneck final 20 minutes leads into a lump-in-your-throat finale; this is an absolutely top-shelf mystery that only comes around every so often.

2013 #10: MAN OF STEEL

Man of Steel is supreme, genre-busting entertainment, a blockbuster with a brain and a heart as well as outstanding special effects, that’s both epic in scope yet intimate in the fine details.  Featuring mind-boggling action scenes that have seemingly been ripped from a youngster’s vividly playful and destructive imagination, Man of Steel also pauses for the contemplative and serene (at times it’s as if Malick is ghost-directing), and benefits immensely from an exceptional cast of veteran actors, while Henry Cavill carves out a modern, powerful, and extremely appealing take on the duality of Clark Kent/Superman.  Visually dynamic in ways that few superhero movies have ever been, rich in tradition yet never slavishly faithful to what’s come before, and exciting to ponder in the larger scope of the D.C. comic book movie universe, Snyder, Nolan, and Goyer have considerably upped the ante when it comes to this sort of filmmaking.  The bottom line is this – they all made the Superman movie I’ve been waiting my entire life to see on the big screen. 

2013 #11: TO THE WONDER

At once both exceedingly private and surprisingly open in intimate, emotionally vulnerable ways, this is writer/director Terrence Malick's most autobiographical film to date, even more experimental in narrative form than The Tree of Life, and a totally stunning visual marvel to behold in every scene (the cinematographer is the peerless Emmanuel Lubezki). It's a piece of art that isn't meant to be taken literally in any overall sense, but rather, a film that best resembles half-remembered thoughts, dreams, and moments from a person's life. Olga Kurylenko's face is remarkable to observe and often painful to experience, and as the film progresses, it slowly dawns on you that, yet again, Malick is revolutionizing the way stories are told.

2013 #12: DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto give the best performances of their careers in this incredibly moving true story that shines a light on a turbulent and horrific time in American history. Jean-Marc Vallee's clear eyed and sensitive direction worked in perfect tandem with Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack's warts-and-all screenplay, with McConaughey boldly embracing all aspects of his character's flaws and traits. Here's a film that really is about someone who changed as a human being, for the better, and did something to change the lives of those around him.

2013 #13: RUSH

When Ron Howard goes R-rated, typically, the results are first rate, and that's what you get with his exciting Formula One race car drama Rush. Chris Hemsworth is all sexy swagger but it's Daniel Bruhl who steals the film with a searing performance of a man driven to success at all costs. Anthony Dod Mantle's phenomenal, gritty cinematography and a totally immersive sound design ratchet up the true-story tension and life-or-death stakes. You don't need to be a racing fan to be knocked flat by this turbo-charged motion picture.

2013 #14: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

Inside Llewyn Davis
Emotionally chilly, darkly humorous, and formally precise. In other words -- it's a Coen brothers movie! Oscar Isaac is a revelation as the titular character, yet he and everyone else around him are upstaged by Ulysses the orange cat! The muted, snowy cinematography sets the perfect tone, and as usual, the pessimistic world view of the Coens brings about both laughs and questions. As with all of their work, repeated viewings will likely reap major benefits.

 

2013 #15: AMERICAN HUSTLE

American Hustle
Four utterly fantastic performances propel this sort-of-true 70's set drama while David O. Russell continues his hot streak as a director of familiar yet somehow unpredictable studio entertainments. The writing is funny and clever, the style is abundant, the hair and make-up are all aces. It may not add up to anything profound by the end but moment to moment it surges and pulses with energy and clear zest for filmmaking.

2013 #16: PAIN & GAIN

Pain & Gain
This is Michael Bay's best film. In fact, it's his only "film," as he's made a career out of making "movies." And that's fine. He's at the top of the class when it comes to "blowing shit up and making it look pretty." But, with Pain & Gain, Bay proved that he actually DOES have a knack for a realistic story, interesting characters, accurate pacing, and smart dialogue. All ...three lead performances (Wahlberg, The Rock, Anthony Mackie) are fantastically gross, and while the movie revels in nastiness and a foul-idealized version of the American dream, Bay finds a way to make it all palatable. Late in the game Ed Harris arrives and steals the show. As always, Bay's super saturated visual sheen soothes and excites. 

2013 #17: THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
I've been a fan of all of Ben Stiller's directorial efforts (Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, Zoolander, Tropic Thunder) and this was no exception. The ridiculously lush and painterly cinematography from Stuart Dryburgh went a long way in emphasizing the surreal aspects of Stiller's creative, almost Zen-like directorial style, and Steve Conrad's gentle screenplay straddled interesting tones all throughout but never sacrificed the overall message of the piece: never sell yourself short and always look ahead at what's to come. And as Mitty himself, Stiller has rarely been more engaging.

2013 #18: BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Before Midnight
A perfect and logical conclusion to a wonderful trilogy of impossibly romantic films centering on heart-break and ultimate friendship, the creative team of Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and Richard Linklater (who has fast become one of my favorite filmmakers) score big with Before Midnight. Some of the best dialogue of the year, especially during that marvelous outdoor dinner sequence. The joke is -- as complete as this series feels -- I'd love to see them do another movie in 5-10 years!

2013 #19: SIGHTSEERS

Sightseers
Dark comedies rarely get darker or meaner than Ben Wheatley's misanthropic road-trip satire Sightseers. Sort of like the British version of Bobcat Goldthwait's brilliant yet underrated gem God Bless America, it's a film that revels in its nastiness, and one that has a distinct (if deranged) point of view concerning society and its various malfunctions. Alice Lowe and Steve Oram are both terrifically vile and frequently hilarious. A movie only for those who enjoy the bitter, sour taste of cruel.

2013 #20: THE HUNT

The Hunt
Another laser-focused and super-intense Mads Mikkelsen performance powers this chilling Danish drama about a man falsely accused of molesting children at a kindergarten. Director Thomas Vinterberg paints an all too believable and horrifying portrait of a situation spiraling out of control, and nails the landing with an unsettling finish. This is a movie that sticks to your gut and is one you'll not soon forget.

MY WIFE PICKS 'EM: 21 FAVORITES FROM 2013

Her
Nebraska
All is Lost
Captain Phillips
Before Midnight
The Hunt
The Wolf of Wall Street
Prisoners
The Great Gatsby
Gravity
Blue Jasmine
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
What Maisie Knew
The End of Love
To the Wonder
Dallas Buyer’s Club
Rush
Inside Llewyn Davis
Side Effects
Disconnect
Drinking Buddies

(note: Lone Survivor, Upstream Color, The Spectacular Now, Fruitvale Station and a few others might have made the list but went unseen...for now...)

2013: MY FAVORITE 20 FILMS

All is Lost
The Counselor
Lone Survivor
Captain Phillips
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street
Gravity
Her
Prisoners
Man of Steel
To the Wonder
Dallas Buyer’s Club
Rush
Inside Llewyn Davis
American Hustle
Pain & Gain
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Before Midnight
Sightseers
The Hunt


Runners Up:

Blue Jasmine, 12 Years A Slave, The Place Beyond the Pines, Upstream Color, The Great Gatsby, The End of Love, Elysium, Spring Breakers, Out of the Furnace, Don Jon, Trance, Oblivion, Side Effects, What Maisie Knew, This is the End, At Any Price, Drinking Buddies, Frances Ha, Touchy Feely, The Conjuring, The Way, Way Back, Passion, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The East, Mud, Disconnect, On the Road, The Bling Ring, 2 Guns, Pacific Rim, Iron Man III, Star Trek Into Darkness, 42, Prince Avalanche, Stoker, Warm Bodies, World War Z, The Hangover III, Oz: The Great and Powerful, It’s a Disaster, Mama