My Top 10 Movies of 2013 - Preliminary List

As promised, I wouldn't end the year without a list of my top 10 movies of this year. Before I begin I have 2 things I want to disclaim. One, there are a lot of movies that won't make this list because I haven't actually had chance to see them. I will be seeing these 2013 releases in early 2014 and hopefully some of them can make my final list come Oscar build-up season. Two, my list will be different to yours. Please respect my choices as I would for yours. Thank you, let's begin...


10) Elysium - Neil Blomkamp's Elysium slots in at number 10 on my list as this Summer movie was not only exciting, but brimming with his passion. Amalgamating enjoyable sci-fi aspects with relevant social commentary, Elysium was a fun and thought-provoking time in the movie theatre.


9) Captain Phillips - Tom Hank's amazing performance in which he disappears into the role of the man Richard Phillips coupled with Paul Greengrass's confident direction that created a claustrophobic and isolated atmosphere of tension in a thriller which impressed me a fair bit.


8) Saving Mr Banks - Tom Hanks creeps on to my list again but really this movie is all about Emma Thompson, who puts in an award worthy performance as P.L Travers. Saving Mr Banks has stuck with me since the day I saw it and I really liked it because it mixed some very happy feel-good moments with realistic emotional tones, creating a varied emotional viewing experience.


7) Prisoners - This movie about child abduction gave me a chilling feeling inside of me, which is credit to Roger Deakin's perfect cinematography and performances by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal that were hypnotisingly brilliant. This compelling movie is being overlooked by various "award giving" associations.


6) Star Trek Into Darkness - JJ Abram's sequel to the 2009 Star Trek movie gave Star Trek fanatics what they wanted. Not a "Trekkie" myself, I really enjoyed this summer blockbuster due to the dynamic relationship between Kirk and Spok and Benedict Cumberbatch's mesmerising and authorative performances as the villain.


5) Man of Steel - A dividing movie among the fans, I loved this movie. Not only was it nice to see Superman use his whole palette of abilities, but it was also gratifying to see him throw down with a villain destroying everything in their path. Plus, Hans Zimmer's score is the best of the year.


4) The Place Beyond the Pines - A movie split into 3 parts, The Place Beyond the Pines is a drama with it's own unique handle on story telling, some epic cinematography that brings the pine forest to life plus some compelling performances from a very talented cast. This drama sucked me into it's world and I was thoroughly invested in the story and characters throughout.


3) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - This is what I wanted to see from a Hobbit movie. The second part of this trilogy saw it's excitement never stop throughout. I was constantly entertained through all the dangerous scenarios our characters found themselves in, plus while watching I felt exactly the same as I did when watching Lord of the Rings for the first time. Now that ain't nothing.


2) Gravity - Combining the best visual effects I have ever seen with cinematography that made me feel out their in space with the characters, Gravity was a non-stop 90 minute nail-biter in which I ended up clenching my fists hoping Sandra Bullock would make her way out of this impossible scenario more times than I can recall. It's cool to hate on Gravity, but it's visually breath-taking and heart-poundingly thrilling for it's entirety. 


1) Rush - Thanks Ron Howard! Not only did you surpass all of my expectations, you created a movie in which F1's tradition was respected by creating an atmosphere of risk and danger. I could go on for days about my love for this movie. For now, let's just say I had the highest expectations for Rush compared to any other movie I saw this year and still left the theatre with the most satisfaction. I love Rush, it's going to take something special to beat it in the final Top 10 list.


So there you are. Granted this list could change with a lot of movies on my list still to see. The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis, Her and Dallas Buyers Club are the main ones to look out for in the coming moths and hopefully some of them can make the final list when I make it. I'm looking forward to that list; there'll be honourable mentions, pictures and all!

Thanks for reading as usual. Happy New Year to all of you reading this and here's to another year of great movies in 2014!

Thanks again,
Matt