I thought the last year was a very strong one for films, with studios and independent filmmakers both producing quality movies. Below, my 10 favorites:
10) Captain Philips
Paul Greengrass uses his handheld camera-stye and verite
cinematography to gripping effect in this thriller about the capture of an
American cargo ship at the hands of Somali pirates. So much of the film is
focused on just depicting the propulsive true-life narrative at its center that
any kind of subtext or implications about the episode are glossed over, but
what remains – a terrifying tale of suspense with some incredible performances
– is still very much worth watching.
The first two installments of the Before series were
charming romances that either told tales of young love (Before Sunrise) or second chances (Before Sunset). Before Midnight, on the other hand, is about the
tough stuff –the compromises, frustrations, and challenges that are required
for any relationship to endure. The film works because the characters of Celine
(Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) are so developed, so seemingly real, that
their arguments and conversations feel vitally important even while appearing
intensely particular. I left the theater a little disappointed that very few of
the conflicts that arose ended up resolved, but in many ways that’s just a
testament to how real and convincing their arguments are. Here’s hoping we see
these two at least one more time.
Alexander Payne’s films tend to straddle the line between comic
satire and emotional poignancy with varying degrees of success. Fortunately, he
finds the right balance in Nebraska,
a bittersweet road movie about an ornery old man (Bruce Dern, in an excellent
performance) determined to collect his apocryphal lottery winnings. Sentimental
without being maudlin and comedic without resorting to cheap laughs, Nebraska succeeds by finding subtle
grace and humanity in the flawed characters at its center.
JC Chandor’s nearly wordless All Is Lost is jarringly different from Chandor’s first film, the
very talky (and very good) Margin Call.
But Chandor demonstrates his versatility with this survival story of an amateur
sailor lost in the Pacific Ocean. Robert Redford, who is alone on the screen
for the entirety of the film’s 107 minutes, gives a commanding capstone
performance to his accomplished career.
David O. Russell’s latest is not quite as coherent and
moving as last year’s stellar Silver
Linings Playbook, but it is wildly entertaining thanks to great
performances from an excellent cast (Christian Bale and Amy Adams are the
standouts) and Russell’s loose, chaotic directorial style. Very roughly based
on the ABSCAM scandals that brought down several politicians in the early 80s, American Hustle demonstrates once again
Russell’s ability to turn troubled characters into sympathetic movie subjects desperate
for reinvention.
I’ll be honest – I’m not quite sure if the love story at the
heart of Spike Jonze’s futuristic film is meant to be completely genuine,
mostly satirical, or, as I saw it, somewhere in the middle. At its heart, Her is fascinating meditation on our
relationship to technology and its continuously advancing role as a substitute
for connection and an enabler of isolation. But more impressively, the film is
also an intimate dissection of the push and pull of relationships and what it
means to evolve, emotionally and intellectually. It’s a story that has
universal applications, whether you’re in love with Siri or someone more
corporeal.
Noah Baumbach’s film about a directionless 20-something
living in Brooklyn sounds like a Girls retread,
but its outlook is far more warm and sympathetic than Lena Dunham’s. Greta
Gerwig, as the title character, gives a pitch perfect performance as an
adventurous, often flighty millennial, who more than anything else just wants
to share her experiences with her estranged best friend (Mickey Sumner).
Alfonso Cuaron will deservingly win this year’s best
director Oscar for putting together this stunning marvel. A harrowing survival
story told in outer space, Gravity is
a thrilling showcase of cinematic advancements and a real breakthrough in what
one can experience in a movie theater. While the emotional beats in the story are
rather clichéd, the script is really secondary to the film’s true achievement –
no movie this year better demonstrated the majesty of experiencing a cinematic
event on the big screen.
The Coen Brothers’ melancholy portrayal of a struggling folk
musician in 1960’s New York features their patented quirky characters and odd
humor, but the whole endeavor is infused with a surprising (for the Coens,
anyway) amount of empathy and appreciation for the artists and time period they
are depicting. Brimming with beautiful music and showcasing a fabulous
performance by Oscar Isaac in the title role, Inside Llewyn Davis is a story of artistic struggle that manages to
triumph even if never lets its protagonist do the same.
The best film of the year is the most powerful film about
slavery ever made and, accordingly, an absolutely harrowing cinematic
experience. I’ve heard others complain that 12
Years a Slave is less a profound act of storytelling than a travelogue of
horrible acts, and I’ll admit that the film is not looking to provide any
deeper historical context about the outcomes of slavery. But what the film does
with its clinical approach is lay bare the utter lack of humanity and shocking
complacency that were inherent in the peculiar institution, thereby
demonstrating how so many of the current problems that plague our country, from
poverty to crime to racial injustice, find their source in America’s sordid
history. 12 Years a Slave is not an
easy film to watch, but it must be seen as a reminder that even familiar
history requires constant re-examination.
