My Top 10 Best Movies of 2013 - List by Matt Harrison

After finally seeing enough films, I can now make my list of my Top 10 best movies of 2013. Before I begin, I have a couple disclaimers. One, this is my list and my opinion will be different to yours meaning, so please respect my opinion as I would respect yours. Two, I didn't see every movie to come out this year but I did see all of the ones I was desperate to see. Three, this list will also be different to my preliminary list I made on New Year's Eve as I have seen more movies and my opinion on a couple of movies may have changed.

One last thing, the honourable mentions. These are movies I thought were great but I can't put them on my Top 10 list because I enjoyed other movies more. They are:


12 Years a Slave

Captain Phillips

Elysium

Frozen

Mud

Saving Mr Banks


I know right? 12 Years a Slave didn't make the list? That just shows you how much I love these 10 great movies below. Without further ado, let's begin the list:



#10 Prisoners

Despite having an unsettling subject matter, Prisoners is masterfully shot by the genius Roger Deakins and acted beautifully by Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano in particular. Prisoners will keep you guessing throughout and is one that really gets under you skin when you've finished watching it, much like David Fincher's Se7en.




#9 The Place Beyond the Pines

I gave this great movie an A+ but it has moved down the list in the last couple of weeks. Despite not enjoying the movie as much as others on the list, I found myself in awe of it's beauty and completely captivated by the characters on screen. The acting is fantastic, the script emotionally engaging and what I loved so much about it was it's unique handle on storytelling, which allowed this clear three-part drama to unfold.




#8 Star Trek Into Darkness

JJ Abrams yet again provides us with a stunning and entertaining Star Trek movie, only this time it really is meant for Star Trek fans. Despite not knowing a thing about Star Trek lore, I enjoyed this movie so much. I thought the relationship between Kirk and Spok was as dynamic as ever without it ever re-hashing the first film and Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain was incredibly captivating and menacing, as expected.




#7 Man of Steel

Some people love it and some people hate it. I love it. I know it has many flaws and I can understand them, but I walked out of Man of Steel with what I wanted, a gateway to a DC Cinematic Universe, which they are now expanding. Hans Zimmer's score was the best of the year, Cavill was a perfect Superman and watching Superman use his powers causing utter chaos and destruction was entertaining as hell, and fine by me.




#6 Her

I don't like romance movies but I love Her. Spike Jonze's love story is brought to realisation through an award-worthy screenplay and characters that the actor's realise to their full potential. Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerising as ever, Scarlett Johansson's voice work brought her character (a computer) to life as it's own being, and I found myself really wanting this relationship to work. Heavily emotionally invested within the story and in awe about the care and detail put into the world building, Her really got under my skin.




#5 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

This is more like it. This was one of the most fun movie experiences of the year because this movie did exactly what the Lord of the Rings did, it made you feel as if you were going on the quest. The Desolation of Smaug was non-stop excitement and thrills throughout. Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen were perfect as Bilbo and Gandalf respectively, plus the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) is the best dragon ever put on screen. Jaw-droppingly beautiful and menacing as hell, he was a great asset to the story and the movie as a whole. I have to wait a whole year for the last movie, which is way too long.




#4 American Hustle

David O'Russell's latest effort has received critical acclaim from award-giving associations so nowadays it is the cool thing to say that it's overrated. I disagree. The writing is fantastic, the music is kick-ass, and the characters are so layered and so interesting that I could literally sit down and watch them interact with each other all day long. The performances are all amazing, plus it's a movie with such a clever plot that it demands repeat viewings. I can't wait to watch it a second time.




#3 Gravity

As a 90 minute thriller, Gravity is perfection. Sat there with my heart-pounding and my fists clenched, all I wanted was for Sandra Bullock to bloody grab on to something! Gravity is the best visual experience I've ever had with a movie. The visual effects are the best I've ever seen and the sound editing was used effectively. The cinematography was also the best of the year as it gave the emptiness and isolation of space it's own character, contributing more to the thrills. Alfonso Cuaron deserves a Best Director award at the Oscar's as this "Director's film" had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Like Avatar, people think it's the cool thing to hate on it but I honestly loved the thing to pieces.





#2 The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese is back and this time the 71 year old is producing a super-charged movie like the Wolf of Wall Street. Directed with flair and energy, this movie is also the funniest of the entire year. I spent a lot of the 3 hour run time laughing my ass off or being seriously entertained by everything that was happening on screen. Di Caprio finally got an Oscar nod for this performance in which he is on fire, Jonah Hill also scored a much-deserved nomination as well. As said before, this movie is 3 hours long and not one single second of it was dull. I love the debauchery and hilarity of this movie, but it's only number 2.




#1 Rush

I walked out of Rush with a beaming smile on my face. I was so thankful that such a great movie had been made about the sport I love, and handled with such accuracy and care. The amount of detail that went into re-creating one of the best rivalries in F1 history was staggering. The music, the editing, the cinematography, the phenomenally-handled race sequences added to this atmosphere of high-octane drama and danger. However, Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl's Oscar-snubbed performance as Niki Lauda were stand-out. The rivalry was handled with amazing perspective and maturity and I was constantly switching back and forth between the 2 without ever having to chose which one to route for. Despite knowing the outcome of the story (being a massive F1 nerd) I still found myself on the edge of my seat clenching my fists at what was going happening on screen. It's honestly one of my favourite movies of all time, I love Rush. It's my favourite movie of 2013.







Thank you to anyone who viewed this list and I can't wait to start reviewing 2014 releases in the future. 2013 was an amazing year for movies, so comment below your top 10/favourite movie of the year and share your opinions with the world.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Inside Llewyn Davis Movie Review

I was surprised that the Coen Brother's latest effort was snubbed for a Best Picture nomination, having heard nothing but positivity from film critics. Here's my take on it...

Inside Llewyn Davis is directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and stars Oscar Isaac in the title role. Following one week in the life of struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis, the movie has a lot to say about pursuing your dreams and finding belief in yourself in order to succeed. Although I found it to be more impressive than enjoyable, Inside Llewyn Davis is still a movie for all film fans to see.

As with every movie directed by the Coen's, the actors on screen all look laid back and comfortable with what they are doing. Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and the legend that is John Goodman all do well with their allocated screen time, John Goodman producing exceptional acting despite being on screen for only 10 minutes or so.

However it is Oscar Isaac who is fantastic at centre stage as the man Llewyn Davis. Perfectly cast in the role, Isaac does brilliantly at portraying a man who is always down on his luck. Also, he adds the right mixture of likeability and genuine personality to a man who isn't exactly a Saint himself.

Another thing that impressed me was just how well the story of this man was told. The movie had a surprisingly large grasp on the story it wanted to tell on the surface as well as loads of other small details/metaphors which could spark debate amongst critics and avid film goers alike. Also with all of the misfortune Llewyn Davis is experiencing it would be easy to make the bad luck he receives far-fetched and unbelievable. Fortunately, it's realistic and believable.

Never really hugely emotionally attached to Llewyn Davis, I was more interested to see where this man's journey would take him. Granted it isn't exactly a feel-good movie with a lot of depressing stuff happening, but it is intriguing to watch the character of Llewyn Davis experience these things and develop his ideas about show-business and what he wants to do in life.

The story is at it's strongest when it is just him sat there in front of a microphone plucking away at his guitar, singing his heart out. This is where the Coen Brother's directing really shines. Also, despite missing Roger Deakins, the cinematography is fantastic. There's one category at least the Academy didn't overlook. The blurred visual style of the movie offered a welcome variation to the film and while initially it did bother me, I slowly warmed to it.

At times though the movie seems to overload itself with metaphors to the point where there really isn't a point in them being there, rather it is just the Coen's having fun by creating things that could be interpreted too deeply by film lovers. Infamous for having dividing ending's, Inside Llewyn Davis further proves this point. To me, the ending didn't seem right. It felt unfulfilled and inconclusive in my opinion.

Ultimately it is a movie that movie fans should see, and is very good movie at it's surface. I was impressed with what I saw:


Rating - B+


1 sentence summary - More impressive than it is enjoyable, this movie has some excellent story-telling minus a few confusing metaphors!


We're done. The Oscar nominations are out, I've seen all the movies that I need to and I can finally release my final Top 10 Movies of 2013 list. That is coming very soon.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Her Movie Review

How do I get by in January? Simple, I just watch great movies from December. Here's my review for Spike Jonze's love story Her...

Her is directed by Spike Jonze and stars Joaquin Phoenix, and is not your ordinary love story. The film follows the main character Theodore, a love-letter writer yet a man struggling with his own love-life, just coming out of an 8 year relationship with his ex-wife. He purchases an operating system and names her Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, and the 2 form a relationship together.

Her is a unique, cute and an excellent movie and I loved it. So often nowadays love stories are either miserably predictable or create romantic comedies; my most hated movie genre. However, the story with Her is completely different and I think it is my favourite romance film.

A story about a man who falls in love with an operating system can seem far-fetched when described in the way I just did, but I found myself 100% emotionally invested in it to the point where I shed a few tears towards the end. The reason why you can invest yourself within these characters is due to the excellent world creation. Based in Los Angeles in the near future, I found myself beholding the world in which the film took place and I completely bought the location. I could see myself living in a world like that, thus I could also see a relationship like that happening between a human and an OS.

The direction from Spike Jonze is spot on this time and is very still and character centred. The movie's colour palette is fantastic as well. There is a huge range with the colours that are used and had they been flashy, the location wouldn't have sold. The colours used are not too flashy and make the location look beautiful yet real at the same time.

Joaquin Phoenix inhabits his character Theodore so well and proves once again just why he is one of the best actors we have working today. He is completely nomination worthy throughout the movie and I really did like his character, even if he was in practically every frame of the film. There were times where he would joke with Samantha leading to a genuine reaction of laughter from me, whereas other times he'll be delivering a beautiful monologue about how he is emotionally unfulfilled in life and that he struggles to open up to his partner when in a relationship leading to a genuine reaction of tears.

Amy Adams is very good with her time on screen as are other actors and actresses like Olivia Wilde, Chris Pratt and Rooney Mara, who play characters who are related to the overall progression of the story. Scarlett Johansson, is perfect choice for Samantha. If I ever dated an OS with a female voice, ScarJo would be the way to go! Using only her voice, she utilises the excellently written dialogue to flesh out her character to the point where you stop seeing her as a computer but as a being with emotions and desires.

I thought that Her handled perspective really well plus had some provocative social commentary in their about where our society is going in terms of technology. However, the film's most impressive feat is the fact that I was so invested within this relationship to the point where I could react emotionally to it. Bare in mind it's set in the future and is between a man and a computer. Yeah I know. Trust me and see for yourself...

A few minor complaints I have is that I would have liked to have seen more from some of the other supporting cast members and I think that the film's finale could have been wrapped up slower than it was.

Nevertheless, Her is excellent. It's bold, cute and unique and really got under my skin. It's fantastic. It's one I definitely recommend you see:


Rating - A


1 sentence summary - As romance movies go this is as good as they get; unique, funny and heart-warming with a relationship I was fully invested in!


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Lone Survivor Movie Review

The reviews are coming thick and fast at the moment, but that doesn't bother me one bit because so far they've all been good. But is Lone Survivor one of those movies?...

Lone Survivor is directed by Peter Berg and stars Mark Wahlberg in the lead role as well as a bunch of other actors. They play a group of Navy SEALS, and the film follows the events of a true operation that took place in 2005. 4 Navy SEALS are tasked with taking out an Afghan terrorist and are dropped of on a mountain side. However, when a decision has to be made the consequences of that decision take their toll and produce some heavily dramatic effects.

Peter Berg you can tell is very passionate about the armed forces and the stories of the men involved and the struggles that they go through. His passion emulates through every frame of the movie making Lone Survivor a success, as opposed to last year's Battleship! The movie decides to honour Navy SEALS for their courage and bravery but also chooses to realistically present the brutality of modern warfare as well as the intensity of the situation.

The directing is solid and Berg brings to life some excellently produced action sequences which blew my mind. They were haunting, intense as well as frighteningly realistic, creating real intensity throughout the second and third acts of the film. In fact, I think its an achievement that I did feel tension in a movie where the title is a spoiler!

I thought before going into this one that knowing the outcome would detract from the experience. Its fair to say that the effect was much the opposite. It created a sense of dramatic irony and as a result, genuine tension. You know that these Navy SEALS are going to die, but you do wonder when and how.

Also Lone Survivor scores plus points with me due to the way it showed that not all Afghan's are part of the Taliban. There are people out there, good people who aren't working with the Taliban and this perspective made me respect the movie even more. Today it is easy to look at Afghanistan and say that all Afghan's are terrorists but truth be told that is just plain bullshit!

I do have a few issues with the film though. Smaller issues I had included the repetition of the same song as background music, which did wear out after the first 45 minutes or so. Also, I think the effect of slow motion, while it was trying to add a dramatic effect, was probably overused in the sense that it did tend to overdramatize things slightly.

But my respect for the actual people who endured/still endure events like these is astronomical! The actors all do respectful jobs with their performances. The 4 SEALS in particular are amazing, with Mark Wahlberg shining in the lead role. Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch and Emile Hirsch complete the task force and do well in the movie.

The stunt work and make up is top notch as well. However, my biggest complaint I have with this movie which stops it bordering into greatness is the character development. 20 minutes in and already the mission had started. If they had spent longer and fleshing out these people in a way in which I knew more about them and their names off by heart, the tension in the battle sequences would have been so much greater and taken Lone Survivor on to a whole new level of awesome. Nevertheless, I thought it was an entertaining and respectful treatment to men of war:



Rating - B+


1 sentence summary - Characters are probably underdeveloped, but all the arts of film making come together to honour those men who endured the harsh and brutal depicted events!



2 movies left to go before the list comes out! I must see both Inside Llewyn Davis and Her before then to make the fairest one I can though...

Thanks for reading,
Matt

The Wolf of Wall Street Movie Review

You know it really is times like these when I feel glad that my first top 10 movies of 2013 list was only preliminary, otherwise this beauty would have missed out...

The Wolf of Wall Street is directed by Martin Scorsese and sees the legendary director team up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the fifth time. Based on the book of the same name, The Wolf of Wall Street is the story of Jordan Belfort, an American Stockbroker with ambitions to earn millions of dollars on Wall Street. The movie follows his rise and fall from stardom, and is one that I was seriously looking forward to.

The reviews that I have seen of this movie have generally been very positive indeed. I was anxious to see Scorsese's next project for myself so I could draw my own opinion from it. And I have to say that this, like American Hustle, is one of the very best movies of the entire year. I have completely fallen in love with this movie!

Yet again, Martin Scorsese proves that he can produce movies that are just as good as his best pieces of work. The Wolf of Wall Street sees the trend continue, and is directed with energy and flair. There literally is never a dull moment. Sat there for just under 3 hours, I was never bored for one second and the time flew by. I have set through movies like Carrie this year that were practically half the length of The Wolf of Wall Street yet felt like twice as long!

The movie is more of an experience, and one that I think I shall experience more of when it releases on blu-ray. With a 3 hour runtime, a lot of stuff does happen. Only after I watched it did I realise just how much really happened in a plot that is fascinating, unpredictable and full of things to enjoy.

Every scene felt as if the camera motions were crafted with care and precision. The style of filming is full of motion, the camera glides seamlessly at all times and really brings to life the atmosphere of the scene all the time. The editing and song choices also scream everything that this movie is; vibrant, energetic and ultimately, fun.

Yet again Leonardo DiCaprio is on fire completely disappearing into the role of his character Jordan Belfort, an ambitious stockbroker who is both self centred and greedy, plus is addicted to all sorts of substances including the worst drug of all; money. Despite him being a total dick, you are with him all the way and DiCaprio puts in yet another excellent performance. Probably a performance that the Academy will overlook, again!

Jonah Hill is hilarious every time he is on screen and the rest of the supporting cast all do fantastic jobs. Matthew McConaughey is in the movie for the first 15 minutes and is never seen afterwards. For the screen time he received, he did great. Also great in the movie is Margot Robbie. Or as I like to call her, the most attractive female on the planet! All jokes aside, she does do well with her performance.

However the one quality which shines above the rest which makes The Wolf of Wall Street so good, is just how goddam funny it is. It is without doubt the funniest movie I have seen since I started writing these reviews. There were some scenes in which I was trying to catch my breath minutes after they had finished due to the strength of the twisted and sadistic comedy the movie threw at me.

It was so entertaining to watch these people perform these despicable acts of debauchery and I literally couldn't get enough of it! I could have watched those characters do things like that all day and not get bored. If the movie had not had been as hilarious as it was I don't think I would have routed for the characters (DiCaprio's in particular) as much as I did, mainly because they are just horrible people. The rise and fall of Jordan Belfort and the stuff in between are full of disturbing yet hilarious acts debauchery, the amount of memorable moments in this movie would be hard to count with 2 hands.

If I were to complain about one thing it would be this: this isn't for everybody. Some people are going to be offended by some of the scenes in this movie so please be warned. Also, this isn't a family movie. I mean, this really IS NOT a family movie!

That being said, some of the scenes in this movie will be ones I remember for a long time. It's well acted, well directed, the characters share really good dialogue between them and it is one of the funniest films I've seen in the last couple of years. Seriously, watching the things that Belfort and some of the other characters did were so evil and so disrespectful yet I couldn't care less because I was laughing my ass off!

The Wolf of Wall Street serves up 3 hours of laughs and entertainment that never ceases throughout. I said something similar in my American Hustle review. Why do I keep referencing American Hustle? Because they have the same rating:


Rating - A+


1 sentence summary - A 3 hour riot of laughter and enjoyment, a controversial yet downright entertaining effort from Scorsese!


Yes, this one is going to be on the final top 10 list as well. There's still a couple of films I need to say but we're nearly there and I can't wait!

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Dallas Buyers Club Movie Review

I think I speak for everyone when I say that Matthew Mcconaughey has completely turned his career around. He was exceptional in Mud, could he possibly be better in Dallas Buyers Club?

Dallas Buyers Club is a drama directed by Jean Marc Vallee and stars Matthew McConaughey as the lead. The film follows a man named Ron Woodroof, an old-fashioned Texas man living a very unhealthy lifestyle. When he contracts the HIV virus as a result of his dirty ways, he decides to open a "Dallas Buyers Club", an institution which people play for memberships so that they can help themselves to vitamins and minerals, alternative treatments. The plot then goes on to explain the workings of the health and medical system, as well as a personal story and the development of Ron Woodroof.

I did have high hopes for this one and while it didn't disappoint me at all, it wasn't the great movie I wanted it to be. However, there is enough greatness in there to make Dallas Buyers Club a good film.

The acting is just unbelievably good in this movie. Matthew McConaughey yet again puts in a committed performance as this guy Ron, who at first you don't quite see "eye-to-eye" with, but as the story progresses you begin to warm to the likeable guy he is. This performance from him is so good that he could well go and win the Best Actor category come Oscar night. He has stiff competition, but a performance as compelling and believable as this will put him as one of the favourites.

Also, McConaughey's physical appearance completely sells and makes him more believable as this guy. Watching him you could completely tell that he has some sort of illness or something. Dallas Buyers Club, as mentioned before, does do exceptionally well at developing the main character of Ron Woodroof to the point where you watch the final scene of the movie and say to yourself, "That is a changed man".

The dialogue between the main characters is good as well. Jared Leto's convincing portrayal of transvestite Rayon was also a stand out for the film; this man seriously deserves some Oscar consideration and could also be a frontrunner for an Academy Award. Jennifer Garner is also terrific in the movie.

The acting and script is absolutely fantastic and the story, including the development of Ron Woodroof as a person, is very interesting to watch. But the film isn't perfect.

At times, the plot suffers issues with pacing through both ends of the spectrum. At times it can seem to drag on, at others it seems that the movie is trying to accelerate the plot too quickly.

There are a few tonal inconsistencies as well. Sometimes there will be transition between a light-hearted comical scene into a quite a dark one. This does happen a few times and it did bother me a fair bit. At times, Dallas Buyers Club wasn't really 100% sure about what it is trying to be in terms of its tone and at times it does wonder away from the tone it set out at the start.

I also feel as if the directing, while good, could have been better. The style of directing was very hand-held which didn't really work for me. If the directing had been more steady, it would have been better per my opinion.

The performances, let me reiterate, are outstanding and Dallas Buyers Club is a good movie. Expect a few nominations come Oscar night:


Rating - B


1 sentence summary - Flawed in a couple of ways, but the acting is out of this world!


I enjoyed it, but for me as a whole the movie was never great for me.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

American Hustle Movie Review

2014 has arrived and my first movie review of the year is a 2013 release, a movie that I was hoping could make my final top 10 list of the year. But, has American Hustle done enough to make that list?

 

Yes it has. This is one of my favourite movies of the entire year. The events of American Hustle are difficult to explain in a plot synopsis, but it is loosely based on a true story. American Hustle kicks in to gear from scene 1 with an on-screen sentence that pokes fun at Hollywood for making movies about true events. Immediately, I was liking what I was seeing and from then on it didn't disappoint.

The plot revolves around a group of con men who work together to con innocent people via a money lending scheme. However, when they are caught by an ambitious FBI agent, they are conned into working with him, and his goal is to catch the mayor of New Jersey accepting bribes to revitalize gambling in Atlantic City. Obviously, numerous other things happen in the plot, various twists happen resulting in a lively and energetic movie that never ceases to entertain throughout it's 138 minute runtime.

The success of this movie and the main reason why it is so riveting is the script. Every single line is written with great care and the result is dialogue between characters which is nothing less than enthralling to listen to. This is the sort of movie where in order to understand the ins and outs of the plot, you need to listen carefully to every bit of dialogue that escapes these character's mouths. Trust me when I say that this is an incredibly easy thing to do because each character is so interesting. Interesting and funny. This movie could be hysterical at times which left me howling with laughter.

The 5 main characters are people you can really invest in because they are so well fleshed out as well as remarkably interesting. You understand every single characters motivations and they are acted so well by one of the best ensemble casts of the year.

Combining his stars from The Fighter (2010) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012), David O'Russell could begin to make this movie great through their talent shown in their performances. Christian Bale, the master of changing his body and commitment to a role, is unrecognisable and astonishing as Irving Rosenfeld, an experienced con artist. Amy Adams produces the best work of her career portraying Sydney Prosser, Bale's business partner and love interest. Jeremy Renner puts in a good performance as the crooked yet good-willed mayor Carmine Polito as well.

One of the biggest complaints about American Hustle from critics is that this is more of a parade for these various actors and is just a showcase for their talent. I couldn't disagree more. American Hustle is directed and edited confidently by David O'Russell who is simply utilising the incredible talent he has in front of him.

Other actors who disappear into their roles include Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. The talented Cooper brilliantly sells his character, an ambitious yet emotionally unstable agent and Jennifer Lawrence is hilarious as Irving's insane wife, I didn't find her over-the-top one bit.

This movie's soundtrack choices are both relevant and inspired, plus work well with the makeup and costume design in order to re create a believable and realistic environment which oozes style and screams the 1970s.

Written, acted and directed expertly, American Hustle was a movie that never had a dull moment. From the get go it was fascinating and entertaining to behold. I can't wait to see it again to see how all of the pieces of the plot fit together. I left American Hustle in a trance, it did such a good job at producing entertainment that allowed me to be sucked into this environment, I could seriously sit and watch those characters interact all day:


Rating - A+


1 sentence summary - Confidently directed and cleverly written, this movie is non stop entertainment with fascinating characters!


I seriously have no problems with it it's fantastic. I want to go and see it again and I can't wait to put this one on my final top 10 movies list of the year. It'll definitely be there.

Thanks for reading,
Matt