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.