The 15 Best Films of 2013

A mastery of modern cinema, "Blue is the Warmest Color" is a controversial, vivid look into the emergence into adulthood, and the maturing of a young adult. Driven by magnificent performances by both Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Léa Seydoux, the film proves to be the best film of the year, and one of the best films of the decade.

The "Before Trilogy" is one of the best series that cinema has ever offered. In both "Before Sunrise," and "Before Sunset," audiences get a glimpse of the idea of absolute, and unconditional love, but in "Before Midnight," rather, the director, Richard Linklater, dwells into the complications of long term commitments, and as a result, the film feels real. Thanks to a masterful screenplay, one of the best surely, "Before Midnight" triumphs over it's predecessors, and earns the title of being one of the best films of the year, though it will undoubtedly be overlooked for major awards.

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto are the main story for this film. Thanks to the two strong central performances, "Dallas Buyers Club" is able to propel itself off the ground, and into an unknown region of filmmaking. The biopic like film is almost flawless in every way, all the while keeping audiences engaged in an interesting character, and story altogether.

Being one of the best soundtracks on the year, "Inside Llewyn Davis" also proves to be one of the best films of year, featuring, ultimately, one central character.The film presents itself in a nightmarish way, such as David Lynch did with Blue Velvet. The film itself is beautifully shot, being the major competition this year for Alfonso Cuaron's groundbreaking cinematography in "Gravity." Funny, depressing, and hard to get out of your head, The Coen Brother's newest film is a keeper.

Greta Gerwig is great as Frances, an awkward, socially inept individual who finds herself through the building of new relationships, and travel; wherein she develops a sense of self-revelation. The dialogue is witty, along with beautiful Black and White look especially selected by Noah Baumbach. Altogether, the film is held together by a surprise performance by Gerwig, and a hilarious screenplay.

"12 Years A Slave" is perhaps the film gaining the most Oscar buzz, for all the major categories. I can assure that these nominations, and awards are not for nothing. The film depicts slavery like never before; encapsulating all the brutality that was present during this time frame. Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Lupita Nyong'o all give magnificent performances, combining for what may as well be the greatest ensemble cast of the year.

James Gandolfini has a gear change for his final film, showing a better side behind the gangster/mobster everyone knows from The Sopranos. Ultimately what makes the film so great is it's sense of realism; and it's ability to realize the realities of complications in a relationship, much like "Before Midnight." The characters are surprisingly well developed in this rather short runtime, and the screenplay is funny, charming, and altogether a sweet romantic comedy.

This real life story of Philomena Lee is at times deeply saddening, all the while keeping it's sense of humour above the water, and with the audience. Steve Coogan writes a gleefully funny screenplay, and Judi Dench acts it to perfection. Her interpretation of the ever-so-optimistic Philomena provides one of the most likeable characters in film history, and because of that reason, the film is really able to get you on an emotional level.

When I first saw "Gravity," I immediately dubbed it as the best film of the year. After careful investigation though, and more critical viewings of the film, I can still vouch for it's superiority as a space movie, but in a year with such good films, it wasn't exactly the highest on my list. Sandra Bullock gives an Oscar worthy performance, and really, is the main object of the film. Along with this, director Alfonso Cuaron moulds together some of the most beautiful cinematography that's ever been seen, as he's working with one of the most skilled cinematographers, Emmanuel Lubezki (Terrence Malick's long time partner).

With a chillingly amazing portrayal of Oscar Grant by Michael B. Jordan, "Fruitvale Station" proves to be one of the most powerful films of the year, in it's treatment of the subject matter. It serves to create a wider percentage of knowledge on the subject, almost discrediting the legitimacy of the police force, and the idea of racial discrimination. Going in, I initially thought the train station scene would be the predominant base of the movie, but rather, it takes up about an eighth of the film's total runtime. Rather, Ryan Coogler spends time developing the character of Oscar Grant to the point at which we feel empathy for him. If the description seems murky, and you want a comparison to a film, the closest relationship would be to Tony Kaye's "American History X," in both the strength of the message, along with the importance of characterization in both films.

Woody Allen, after a lacklustre attempt at "To Rome With Love," finds his footing once again in his film, "Blue Jasmine." Though it may not measure up to his classic films, or even 2010's "Midnight In Paris" (One of my personal favourite Allen films). Cate Blanchett gives such a beautiful performance, along with the classic witty Woody Allen dialogue.

If this film wasn't released when it was, I believe it would've gained some Oscar attention. I mean, Ryan Gosling has been nominated for only one Oscar, and didn't win. This is a guy that's been in Drive, Blue Valentine, and Lars and the Real Girl, just to name a few films he was great in. The film is like a saga, which is divided into three distinct parts. Derek Cianfrance is a master of cinema, hitting home runs both on this film, and one of my personal favourites, Blue Valentine. He understands how to set mood, and atmosphere, and how to effectively characterize certain personalities in the film. Overall, technically, the film is almost flawless, if not for the mediocre last third of the film.

As always, Rachel McAdams doesn't fail to charm, and being alongside Dohmnall Gleeson, she looks perfect. The on screen chemistry between the actors/actresses is driven to perfection. The vibrant colours, and vivid landscapes makes the film beautiful to look at. Is it style over substance, though? I would side with no, simply because it features such strong performances, and is from a director who really understands the format of the modern romantic comedy, and doesn't present just another cliche film.

Mud 14.Mud 2013 Yet another Matthew McConaughey film on my list. This one is a bit lower down, but yet, it still feels like a magnificent achievement in cinema. The surprise factor of it, though, comes with the magnitude of the child actor's performances, and the sheer realism of their acting. Along with this, what seems to be a simplistic plot turns into a complex character piece, which analyzes the real life decisions people must make, for better or for worse. The film is great in that it creates a hero out of a criminal, who still falls squeamishly in love with a girl who doesn't love him back.

Disney's newest animated film, "Frozen" brings nostalgic memories back up to the surface. It's characters, from the princesses/queen to Olaf, the hilarious snowman resemble classic Disney characters. It triumphs both Disney successes of recents years, "Wreck It Ralph" and "Tangled," both of which are quality films. Frozen offers a gleeful soundtrack, and beautiful animation.