2014 Movies: Top 10

This is unforgivably late, but this year I found it very hard to nail down a top 10. So I gave up and went with top nine. Deal with it.

Boyhood

Clearly, I have a thing for Richard Linklater (see my obsession with his Before series, including last year's No. 1 pick). His style of free-flowing dialogue, unobtrusive camerawork and long takes consistently makes me swoon. With Boyhood, he has given us all that we love him for, along with an experience that chronicles what it's really like to grow up. Life doesn't have some grand dramatic structure — it's a collection of moments. The gimmick is Linklater checks in with his characters over a 12 year period, showing moments both big (Mason's last day with his mom) and small (Mason and his friends looking at a lingerie catalog). But Boyhood is really more than just its moments. It's not until the end when what you've watched washes over you in a wave of nostalgia — for Mason's childhood, for his parents' journey, for your own life, for your own parents, for your kids or for the kids you hope to have one day. We've seen enough conventional coming-of-age stories that this one feels incredibly fresh. Time is something we all must reckon with, and with this movie, Linklater demands us to do so in glorious heartstring-pulling fashion. 

The LEGO Movie
I wrote earlier this year about the blessing and curse of expectations and The LEGO Movie is a great example of how expectations are tricky business. There is no way ANYONE thought a movie that was ostensibly green-lit to sell more LEGOs could be this funny, fun, thoughtful and actually beautiful. I haven't experienced pure joy with in a move theater since Fantastic Mr. Fox. The jokes and pop culture references come fast and furious and make me so happy I think I'll just go put it on right now.

Birdman
Kinetic from the first shot through all 119 minutes, Birdman makes me excited for the future of film. As Riggan Thomson, Michael Keaton brings a palpable desperation — to be great and to regain the fame he lost —that makes you both root for and pity him. Beyond the meta level greatness of its premise, the movie is wonderfully funny and bruising as a satire and critique of the curse of celebrity and how it clashes with actors’ desire to do “meaningful” work. 

Selma
What makes Selma truly great isn’t the grand oratory (which isn’t even verbatim MLK, Jr.) or its relevancy with current events or even just the fact that it’s based on landmark battle of the civil rights movement: It’s a story about a man. It shows how that man shouldered the immense responsibility of a whole movement, how it affected his wife and family, and ultimately wrestles with if it was worth it. Despite any cries of inaccuracy, if you don’t well up when MLK, Jr. finally stands up to start the march, you are officially dead inside.

Whiplash
What is Whiplash trying to teach us about how artists become great? If we buy into J.K. Simmons' character's philosophy, verbal and physical abuse would be rewarded. But I don't think the film is actually celebrating his approach. Miles Teller, as jazz drummer Andrew, however, is buying it. Their abusive duet culminates in one of my favorite scenes of the year when Andrew, almost defeated by Fletcher again, turns the tables on his old teacher and shows him what he’s made of. I left the theater exhausted, but ultimately, absolutely elated by what I had just witnessed.

Gone Girl
Based on Gillian Flynn's best-selling book, I was wary that the book could be made into a movie period, let alone one that works this well. I have some nitpicks — I think the movie lets Nick off way easier than he is in the books — but it's changes like that are understandable and didn't color my enjoyment of the movie. Rosamund Pike is phenomenal as the truly repugnant Amy. The way she switches it on and off at the end of the movie makes you want to shiver and then applaud. Ben Affleck uses his natural smarm to play a guy who we're not sure if we should be rooting for. And with David Fincher at the helm, the movie gives us a darkly funny, twisty ride that asks loaded questions about how much we can ever really know about the people we "love."

Guardians of the Galaxy
Here's another movie where pure fun is validated on this list. What should have been the movie to unravel Marvel's infinite grasp on our wallets, ended up being the most fun I've ever had watching a comic book movie. The film focuses on creating a world of characters that don't adhere to franchise-building norms. It turned Chris Pratt in an official American treasure, which giving thrice Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper the chance to actually have some fun. Plus, it has a killer soundtrack that is fueled by story. I could do without Lee Pace as the super-boring villain, but the rest of the film moves by so fast and funny, I was willing to forgive the universe building the movie was clearly selling. And don't forget, dancing baby Groot!

Under the Skin
An incredibly appropriate title, once Under Skin nestles in your head, you can't ever forget it. Scarlett Johansson plays an unearthly beauty who lures unsuspecting Scottish rogues to their doom. As our femme fatale starts to realize some important truths about humanity, she starts to unravel and show her vulnerability. Quiet, beautifully shot and just wonderfully weird, it's hard to spell out exactly what's going on here, but the feelings — about beauty's power, it inspires are the real deal. 

Obvious Child
When culture think pieces mourn the death of the rom-com, Obvious Child should be the smart comedy-lover's retort. Jenny Slate's Donna is a Brooklyn comedian/bookstore clerk who, while recovering from a break-up, has a one-night stand with a normcore nice guy (Jake Lacy) and winds up pregnant. Her decision to have an abortion (and whether to tell the father) is treated with tears, laughs and, most importantly, honesty. It takes an incredibly hot-button subject and treats it with heart and humor and that makes it a worthy title to bring back the rom-com from its near death experience. 

Considered for spot # 10: Nightcrawler, The Fault in Our Stars, Life Itself

2014 Television: Best Episodes

I watch a lot of TV and yet I still feel like I'm doing really bad at TV. There are so many shows I want to watch but haven't yet: The Americans, Transparent, The Knick, etc. But alas, here are my favorite episodes of each TV show I'm actually caught up on. Spoilers, cause duh.

Top Five
Mad Men: "The Strategy"

As "The Suitcase" (season 4's boxing match between Don and Peggy) is probably my favorite episode of television ever, it's obvious why I love "The Strategy." I'm a sucker for great Don and Peggy moments. Their dance to Frank Sinatra's "My Way" could have easily been a series closer, but I'm so glad it wasn't. There was still the wonderful "family" meal at Burger Chef starring Don, Peggy and Pete. Surrounded by actual families, this little "work" family got the chance to have a meal together where for at least a moment, everyone is supporting each other. Obviously, it's a little on the nose that the strategy in question, which Peggy has been struggling with all season, ends up being about family coming together. But has on the nose ever been so beautiful as those three sitting in the brightly lit Burger Chef? It looks like a candy-coated Edward Hopper painting. The splitting of season 7 feels more offensive for Mad Men than when it was done for Breaking Bad. I think it's because the show feels like so much more of a slow burn than BB's breakneck binge pace. It felt really cruel to make us stop when not much had ultimately happened, but plenty still did. Is there anything Peggy could have longed to hear more than when Don tells Peggy, "I worry about a lot of things, but I don't worry about you?" Considering where they started the cruelly short season, Peggy and Don finally found their way back to understanding each other, and they did it, (yes, as cheesy as it sounds) their way.

Silicon Valley: “Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency”
And we move from the high-brow brilliance of Mad Men to the low-brow genius of an epic dick joke. Not only the climax (sorry) of a truly great first season, this episode is a masterful example of what makes this show work. The cast's chemistry is undeniable as they work through the strokes (I know) of if Elrich could actually jerk off everyone in a presentation hall. Luckily, this incredible sequence pays off story-wise when it inspires Richard to somehow trim the fat on his app and achieve a record-breaking Weissman score and win the competition. Our lovable losers get a win to finish the season, while setting up all the ways this win will cause more problems in season two. I can't wait.

Game of Thrones: "The Lion & the Rose"
Game of Thrones really knows how to throw a wedding. Thing is, it usually waits until the end of the season to really punch us in the mouth, but not this time. The events of Joffrey and Margery's wedding set up the rest of the season, and non-book readers were no doubt caught off guard when the guy who was set up to be our big bad was so casually dispatched. The build-up is a lesson in creating tension, but that could be just because I knew what was coming. Did non-book readers have any idea something terrible/awesome was going to happen? I'm sure it didn't matter because the satisfaction of seeing this image, makes this episode one for the ages.

True Detective: "The Secret Fate of All Life"
This is the episode after the one with "the shot." That has gotten plenty of warranted praise, but I chose this one because of what it reveals about the aims of the series as a whole. It's in this episode where we realize this story isn't really about the case, per se. It's where we realize we're dealing with unreliable narrators and raises the question of why? It's also the episode with the T-shirt-worthy "Time is a Flat Circle" speech. Simply said, this is the episode where everything changes, and True detective declared that it was about so much more than a murder case.

Masters of Sex: "Fight"
I didn't think there was room in my TV-loving heart for two episodes that use the background of a boxing match as a way into a dance between two characters (see above mention of Mad Men's "The Suitcase"), but then here came Masters of Sex's take on what apparently is a convention. What made this episode so compelling was that the battle going on with our characters stems from their insistence that their connection is purely "based on the work." This is the first time where we really see evidence that that just isn't the case. Between sex sessions, Bill and Virginia's true selves are revealed whether through direct discussions or role play. They talk about their childhoods, past loves and the pros and cons of refusing to fight or throwing well-timed punches. They each do both during the course of this bottle episode, but at the end, both have more wounds than we originally thought. 

Honorable Mention
You're the Worst: "Sunday Funday"

This show was such a fun find. I watched the entire first season while traveling in Spain and loved every bit of it. The story of terrible people Gretchen and Jimmy who realize they might just be perfect for each other seems pretty standard. But their quick banter and cast of colorful sidekicks quickly made this a favorite of mine. This episode wins extra kudos for an appearance by a Silicon Valley crush, Thomas Middleditch, and the actual emotion it delivers when Gretchen and Jimmy finally come clean with what the want from each other. Plus, I love how Jimmy' outrage that Gretchen can't choose between Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel is jut a a cover up for his outrage about what he views as her choosing between staying with him and going off with Ty. Don't we all have those, "YOU MUST CHOOSE" arguments all the time? I loved how this one actually ended up meaning something.

Veep: "Crate"
Um, because this is everything: 

The Best of the Rest (in alphabetical order)
The Affair: "Pilot"
Boardwalk Empire: "Eldorado"
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: "The Jimmy Jab Games"
The Comeback: "Valerie Gets What she Really Wants"
Community: "App Development & Condiments"
Downton Abbey: "Christmas Special"
Fargo: "Buridan's Ass"
Girls: "Flo"
Homeland: "There's Something Else Going On"
House of Cards: "Chapter 14"
The Leftovers: "The Prodigal Son Returns"
Louie: "Pamela Part 3"
The Mindy Project: "I Slipped"
New Girl: "Thanksgiving IV"
Orange is the New Black: "A Whole Other Hole"
Parks & Recreation: "Moving Up"
Sherlock: "The Sign of Three"

2014 Movie Rundown

After finally having to cut myself off, here is the rundown of all the 2014 releases I saw this year. The ones I saw in the theater are marked with (T). Made it to 60 movies total, same as last year. Gotta step it up for 2015. 

Perfect
Boyhood (T)
The LEGO Movie (T)

Greatness
Birdman (T)
The Fault in Our Stars (T)
Gone Girl (T)
Guardians of the Galaxy (T)
Life Itself (T)
Nightcrawler (T)
Obvious Child
Selma (T)
The Theory of Everything(T)
Under the Skin (T)
Whiplash (T)

X Men: Days of Future Past (T)

Very Good
American Sniper (T)
Big Hero 6 (T)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (T)
Edge of Tomorrow (T)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (T)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I (T)
The Imitation Game (T)

Inherent Vice (T)
Locke

A Most Violent Year (T)
Neighbors (T)
The One I Love
Only Lovers Left Alive (T)
The Skeleton Twins (T)
Snowpiercer (T)

22 Jump Street (T)

Loved It with Major Caveats
Interstellar (T)

Solid
Tracks
Unbroken (T)
What If (T)

Wild (T)

Silly But Fun

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (T)

Godzilla (T)

Horrible Bosses 2 (T)

Into the Woods (T)
Lucy

Moments of Greatness but Should Have Been Better
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (T)
Foxcatcher (T)
Frank
Muppets Most Wanted (T)
St. Vincent (T)

Meh
Begin Again
Big Eyes (T)
Chef (T)
Divergent (T)
Magic in the Moonlight (T)
Mr. Turner (T)

Not Good
The Amazing Spiderman 2 (T)
Bad Words (T)
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (T)
Noah (T)
The Other Woman

Top Five (T)

Terrible
Dumb Dumber To (T)
Maleficent (T)

Just too Upsetting
Still Alice (T)

2014 Movies: Trailers

As I'd estimate that 75% of my Facebook posts are movie trailers, I felt it was appropriate that I start my 2014 year-in-review by sharing my favorites from the past year. 






Best Trailer
Birdman

First, I remember being so excited to see Michael Keaton I could barely contain myself. Then I actually realized what was happening in this trailer and by the time the camera pushes down that hallway and we see those little birds fly over director Alejandro González Iñárritu's name, I was completely sold. The trailer does an amazing job of giving us a taste of the awesome visual style of the film, while setting up the story, giving us hints of its great performances and offering a taste of its magical realism so you are somewhat prepared for it. Plus, the music cues are just great -- the film's drum score moving into "Misunderstood" and then into the film's more sweeping, classical score. Gives me the giddys and I've already seen the film twice.

Best Use of Music
Guardians of the Galaxy

Now everything about this is great. I love how it moves from it's Indiana Jones homage to right away showing that the film will have a sense of humor about itself. But obviously what really sold this was the inclusion and amplification of Blue Swede. It's a great song to play over a montage and equally great for the titles to appear over. By the time the film came out and we realized how integral to the plot this song (and the rest of the film's music) was to the plot, the trailer was even more awesome in retrospect. 

Best Series of Trailers
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
As someone who had read the book, the brilliance of marketing this film with these propaganda teasers before an official trailer can not be understated. The whole movie is all about selling itself, so these two Capitol propagandas set the tone really well before we get to the more conventional (but still great) trailer and make this campaign something you really remembered. 

#1



#2




And Finally #3

 

Nerd Alert
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Now, yes, we've been down this road before. I remember all too well how awesome the trailer for The Phantom Menace looked. I probably watched it a hundred times (in a very tiny window), but I must say this trailer just made me feel relieved. I loved how it focused on new characters so we weren't distracted by how the original trio has aged. I loved how it announced it was a Star wars trailer with a simple shot of desert and a unfamiliar man in a very familiar uniform. And if the sound of those horns playing over a swooping Millennium Falcon doesn't make your heart swell with excitement, you may be too far gone. But you guys, I think we're in really good (JJ) hands. 





Best Unexcepted Disneyness
The Avengers: Age of Ultron

When I was little, all I wanted was to meet Pinocchio at Disney World. Once I did, I burst into tears because he was terrifying. Disney finally realized this and allowed the creepster edition of "I've Got No Strings" to score this trailer and my nightmares have come to life, only this time they are voiced by James Spader. I picked the extended version of this trailer because it at least includes a little humor (what actually made The Avengers a great film) in the first part before continuing to torment us with that shiver-inducing song. Also, WHY THE BALLET DANCERS JOSS?


Most Intense (tie)
Whiplash
American Sniper

Quick cuts matched with either drums or heartbeats and I just can't even with either of these. They play especially well in dark theaters when you can hear the audience exhale when they are both over and you're back in silence. So, so good.






So. Many. Tears
The Fault in Our Stars

I cried while watching this trailer. I teared up at the ads on TV. I am a sucker. But the moment I knew it was truly great was when I was in my kitchen and I heard it playing on the TV. Then I walked into the living room to see my male roommate tearing up while watching it. Okay? Okay. Oh, god, it's happening again. 



Indie Spotlight
The One I Love

This actually tells you a lot more than you realize. This movie was so weird and fun and the trailer sets that up perfectly. 


OMG Award
Jurassic World

Slowed down original score?! Chris Pratt?! "The Park is Open" tagline?! ALL BRILLIANT!

 

For Discussion: 22 Jump Street and the Blessing or Curse of Expectations

Every time I told someone I saw 22 Jump Street last weekend, I felt judged. When I would instantly praise the virtues of 2012's 21 Jump Street as evidence that its sequel was something worth getting excited about, I was still met with skepticism. Then I remembered something, my experience, and judging by the internet, most critics' experience of 21 Jump Street benefited from low expectations. Movies, especially comedies, succeed or fail based on audience expectations. Even Rotten Tomatoes in its aggregate summary noted that the movie "offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite." "Surprising" is the key word here.

Why are we surprised? Simply, it's because we see a trailer and instantly judge what kind of experience we assume we'd have watching said advertised movie. How that movie meets or fails those expectations directly affects our enjoyment. 21 Jump Street is an objectively well-made movie. The writing is clever, the actors are committed and the direction is confident. However, going in the audience was conditioned to expect the worst based on the fact that the movie is a reboot of an old TV show. We'd lived through Dukes of Hazzard and Charlie's Angels, after all. Even someone who'd never seen the TV show could still learn from past experience that these movies are usually terrible. But I somehow found myself giving it a chance and I'm so glad I did. Now the sequel is here and it again surpassed my expectations. We've been conditioned to expect sequels to be inferior movies. This one embraces that expectation and then has so much fun proving it wrong.

The tricky part comes now. I've talked these movies up so much that people who have watched them based on my glowing recommendation inevitably find themselves underwhelmed. What can we do?! How can we watch a movie without any expectations in order to have a more pure movie-going experience? I'm open to suggestions.

What about you guys? What's a movie that has defied your expectations lately, either for the good or bad? My other recent case of defied expectations was Godzilla. That movie's trailer sold me a lie (Cranston's importance) and I couldn't recover from it for the rest of the movie. 

2014 Oscar Picks

I was on FIRE this year and was able to see most of the Best Picture movies more than once. Will it help in my predictions? We shall see. WE. SHALL. SEE.

Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Let's start with the WHY nominees. Philomena, you are a very sweet and affecting little movie. But I'm afraid no one will remember you after ... wait no one can remember that you are even nominated period. Sorry, Dame Judi. Everyone else, you are all worthy and welcome in this category. Her is the movie I swoon just thinking about (see here), but I have equally strong feelings on The Wolf of Wall Street, Gravity and 12 Years a Slave. Conventional wisdom has this category as a tight race between Gravity and 12 Years a Slave, and for good reason. Both are incredibly powerful films and crowning achievements in cinema, but I give the edge to 12 Years a Slave. The academy loves its Best Picture winners to honor "important" films, but more than that, while Gravity has visuals that will be rightfully remembered, 12 Years a Slave has a story that everyone should be REQUIRED to watch for many years to come. That makes is sound like homework, but I don't mean it to. It should be required not only because of it's subject matter, but also because it is a completely engrossing and beautiful piece of movie making.

My vote: Her
Will in: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Man, what a category! I wouldn't be mad if any of these guys took home the prize. How did a 71-year-old create the insanity that is The Wolf of Wall Street? Well, he was Martin Scorsese, that's how. Alexander Payne captures the Midwest in devastating detail in Nebraska. David O. Russell has proved himself to be a ringmaster of absolutely mental performances in American Hustle. But this is where I think Gravity will and should succeed. Yes, without Steve McQueen 12 Years a Slave would be a very different, and probably a less impactful film. However, without Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity simply wouldn't exist. He literally invented technology that could give him the film he wanted. But the best part is, the film feels effortless when really it took an herculean amount of work to make, and that is something definitely worth honoring.

My vote: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Will in: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best Actor
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Some media I've read is still saying this category is up for grabs. Granted, I'd be incredibly happy to see Leo collect his first well-deserved Oscar or even watch Chiwetel thank the real-life Solomon Northup at that podium, but those writing that either of those scenarios are still a possibility are underestimating the power of the McConaissance. And unlike the annoying "It's time" story line assigned to Sandra Bullock for that travesty The Blind Side, McConaughey actually really deserves his Oscar for his heartbreaking performance as AIDS-afflicted Ron Woodruff. Yes, there are shades of his classic Wooderson accent, but otherwise, he's almost completely unrecognizable. Considering the majority of his career was spent playing the same womanizing beefcake, it's really is McConaughey's time.

My vote: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Will in: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actress
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

This category is tougher than it looks at first glance. Cate Blanchett is widely considered a lock for her staggering portrayal of an unraveling former socialite in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine. And while I won't be mad if she collects the award, I'm more impressed by the craft of two other nominees: Sandra Bullock and Amy Adams. Being able to hold an audience's attention almost completely on your own for 90 minutes is a feat worth celebrating, and Sandra Bullock just killed it. I'd say the same of Joaquin Phoenix had he been nominated for Her. The movie only works because we care if she lives or dies. That's at the root of why it takes your breath away, and I'm not sure how well it would have worked with it's original casting of Angelina Jolie or Natalie Portman. I wish Bullock hadn't already won for an incredibly subpar movie. Then, there is Amy Adams. How has she not won an Oscar yet? The five-time nominee really deserves it this time. As the center of much of American Hustle's drama, Adams plays two characters beautifully, easily slipping in and out of each one with ease. Her scenes with Bradley Cooper, first in a bathroom stall, and later in her apartment are a masterclass in manipulation and heartbreak. So while Blanchett will probably win for her flashier turn, my heart belongs to the best hustler in a movie filled with them.

My vote: Amy Adams, American Hustle
Will in: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

I would make an impassioned defense of Michael Fassbender here because he is absolutely magnificent in 12 Years a Slave, even better on a rewatch, but this category rightly belongs to Jared Leto. I was even surprised how much more I enjoyed Bradley Cooper on my second viewing of American Hustle and Jonah Hill and Barkhad Abdi are both wonderful surprises, but Leto's performance was simply transformative. And not just in the physical sense, which is obvious and less interesting to me. But in the sense that I completely forgot about any other role I'd ever seen him in. More so than McConaughey, Leto is the heart of Dallas Buyers Club. When I watched Rayon make herself the epitome of uncomfortable by putting on a suit, I couldn't help but be astounded by the brilliant sadness and steeliness of Leto's performance. It's something incredibly special and it deserves the Oscar it will surely receive on Sunday.

Should win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Will in: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

The nomination is gift enough for Sally Hawkins and even more than that Julia Roberts name here is a simple star placation, much like her costar Meryl's place in Best Actress. Then there is June Squibb, who is hilarious and wonderful in Nebraska. However, I know I am not alone in being over the trope of older women playing crass and getting praise. You can almost hear the squeak of "Oh look how cute that mean old lady is." I don't want to take away from her performance, because it is so fun and strong, but eh, I'm just over roles like that. In the other corner is Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle, which is clearly just the latest stop of her charm offensive. I join the world in loving Lawrence on and off screen. She's probably the funniest part of American Hustle and she moves easily from the comedy to the drama, just like she did for her Oscar-winning role last year in Silver Lining's Playbook. However, I couldn't help shake the feeling that she was playing dress-up most of the time. I actually think she is put to better use in Catching Fire for a JLaw 2013 performance worth lauding. That leaves Lupita Nyomg'o, who was my favorite part of 12 Years a Slave even before she showed herself to be a fashion powerhouse and just an utterly charming young person in interviews. Her Patsey is a mountain of beautiful played sadness and desperation in a film filled with it. Her dynamic with both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender is stunning, with special mention for the scene when she (SPOILER) begs Ejiofor's Solomon to kill her. She is so resolved in her decision that we almost hope he actually does it for her. She is simply brilliant and I hope the Academy can see through its crush on Lawrence to reward her for it.

Should win: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Will in: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

Other Category Predictions

Best Original Screenplay: Her

Best Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave

Animated Feature: Frozen
Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty
Production Design: The Great Gatsby
Makeup: Dallas Buyers Club
Sound Editing: Gravity
Sound Mixing: Gravity
Visual Effects: Gravity
Cinematography: Gravity
Documentary Feature: 20 Feet from Stardom
Documentary Short Subject: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
Film Editing: Gravity
Short Film, Animated: Get a Horse!
Short Film, Life Action: Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Actually saw these and this one was by far my favorite)
Costume Design: The Great Gatsby
Original Score: Gravity (But I wish Her)
Original Song: "Let It Go" from Frozen

2013 Movies: Top 10

Ranking movies is always tricky because you are inevitably looking for something different from each film. The common denominator I've tried to stick to when ranking these picks — obviously beyond if I felt the movie was worthy — is the film's re-watchability. That factor helps me determine rank better than arguing other points that aren't as easily measured. This normally works great, but this year there were exceptions, which I address below. With that, I present my favorite films from 2013 (here is your SPOILER warning):

1. Before Midnight
Before Sunset has a PERFECT ending. When Before Midnight was announced I was both thrilled and terrified. What if they messed it up? I should have had more faith. Director Richard Linklater and his cohorts Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have created something truly remarkable. We've watched these two fall in love, find each other and now it's time to get down and dirty with what that love actually means. We meet up with Jesse and Celine nine years after Jesse missed his flight in Before Sunset. The partners (they never got married) are vacationing in Greece with their twin daughters. A date night intended as a gift starts them on their usual walk-and-talk and turns into something we haven't seen before from these two — a fight and a doozy of one. Was it hard to watch two characters I've rooted for over 18 years throw vitriol at each other? God, yes. But it was so wonderfully written, both funny and heartbreaking, real and raw that it made me fall for them all over again. While the fight in the hotel room has gotten most of the attention, it's the final scene that really is the key to the film. Both actors so fully inhabit their characters at this point that it almost seems moot to praise them but watch them both closely in that scene. It starts with charming Jesse trying to warm up an icy Celine. And you watch him grow more and more frustrated with her stubbornness, so much so that he is ready to give up. Then there's a moment during a loaded silence where you see her choose. She chooses him again, after everything. And isn’t that what long-term relationships are all about? Choosing each other over and over again? It's so beautifully done that it's honestly hard to even write about. Some say this film is too hard to watch, but on repeat viewings I've chosen to marvel. Jesse and Celine are fighting because they have something worth fighting for, and I can't think of anything more romantic than that.

2. Her
Clearly I'm a sucker for a love story, but I wasn’t expecting Her to be so much more than that. It’s a love story that can actually surprise and provoke questions about the fundamentals of what's at the root of two people's connection. And based on sheer ambition the film deserves all the praise it can muster. Spike Jonze has created a film so lovely, so heart-breaking and yet so weird that it's tough to imagine any other director who could master all the parts of a story like this. Everything from the delicate music to the fashion (I’m on board with the high-waisted pants gentlemen) to the Instagram filter-like haze emboldens his vision of the future as a place that is familiar and yet still slightly out of  our grasp. The film leaves you full of questions and lets you decide the answers for yourself. Phoenix's lovelorn Theodore's journey to connect with his Scarlett Johansson-voiced OS works on so many levels that it's almost exhausting to think about it, but I don't think anyone who has seen it will be able to stop.

3. 12 Years a Slave
This is where ranking based on re-watchability gets tricky. I've never seen a movie like 12 Years a Slave and I'm not sure how soon I'm ready to see it again. I want to see many parts of it again. There is a scene that still haunts me where the incredible Chiwetel Ejiofor has a moment of silence for what he's just witnessed, and for just a second he looks right in the camera. There's just so much greatness like that amid all the stuff that's just so hard to watch. And it should be hard, shouldn't it? But just because it's difficult to sit through doesn't make it any less beautiful. Steve McQueen, whose movie Shame I found similarly difficult to watch for completely different reasons, has created the movie about slavery that we didn't know we were missing. Finally, we see slavery from the point of view of not only unspeakably evil white characters who aren't just stock villains, but also fully developed African-American characters that show slavery in several different stages. From Alfre Woodward's slave mistress turned wife to Lupita Nyong'o's devastating "chosen one," the film feels well-rounded with characters we haven't seen before. I'm confident in saying I have never felt so emotionally drained after seeing a film. Its greatness lies in the fact that as time has passed and I remember all its brilliance, I'm willing to put myself through it again.

4. Gravity
Gravity is the closest I think I'll get to what people must have felt like when they saw the original Star Wars in 1977 — dumbstruck with awe at the images and sounds on the screen. But to say that Gravity is just a special effects showcase would be unfair. Sandra Bullock deserves all the accolades she's received for completely holding the screen, usually all on her own, in a movie that knew that it didn't have to be three hours to be mesmerizing. There's also been plenty said about how the dialogue is clunky and no one cares about Bullock's character's back story, and at first I was inclined to agree. But I think the movie wouldn't have been as affecting without it. Yes, the fetal position emergence from the space suit made my eyes roll, but that didn't mean it wasn't a beautiful image. The tears floating toward me in 3D were a gimmick, but that didn't mean I didn't feel for Bullock's character as she cried them. The dichotomy of the film's message of "Don't Let Go" in the physical space against how Bullock's character must let go of her past is an interesting one that I don't think can (or should) be so easily dismissed in the face of such stunning visuals.

5. This is the End
The concept could have gone horribly wrong. The idea of a bunch of actor's playing versions of themselves could have quickly felt self-indulgent and relied too much on inside jokes. However, the brilliance of This is the End is that we're in on the joke. We've watched these actors in enough movies (and know enough about their public persona off screen) to be able to revel in all the pointed jabs and jokes they make at each other's expense. The plot is relatively thin — actors are stranded at James Franco's house after Judgment Day starts during his Hollywood party — but it gives the actors more room to create sequences that are worth watching as their own short films. From the Pineapple Express 2: Blood Red trailer to Jonah Hill's serious actor turned demon to the final glorious heavenly dance party, This is the End just keeps building to its ridiculous and awesome conclusion. Sure, it probably could have lost 20 minutes near the end, as most films of this ilk could, but that hasn't stopped me from rewatching it more times than any other film on this list.

6. The Wolf of Wall Street
The fact that this brash, brazen, madcap black comedy was made by 71-year-old Martin Scorsese is just one of the things to marvel at as you are sucked into the world of swindler Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). Set in the decadent days of martini-and-cocaine-lunches, the film tells the story of how Belfort sold his lifestyle of drugs, sex and money to thousands of people, getting rich in the process. I don't know if DiCaprio has ever been this fun to watch. He's playing with a (who would have guessed it) equal in Jonah Hill as his bucktooth partner in crime. Does the film promote or indict the behavior on screen? Absolutely not, and anyone who says it is reveling in it must have forgotten the terrible scene where Belfort punches his wife and tries to flee with his daughter after doing enough coke to kill a normal man. How can anyone watching that scene think the film thinks this guy is great? Yes, we laugh at all the ridiculous things he and his cohorts get up to, but we still cringe every time they turn to drugs and whores over and over. The movie probably didn’t need to be three hours, but I believe that the what some have called monotony of watching Belfort and his cohorts keep making the same reckless decisions over and over again is kind of the point. These guys never learned to change, never thought about their victims or felt remorse even after stints in prison. Even at the end, Belfort is still selling, and unfortunately, America is still buying.

7. Inside Llewyn Davis
Since seeing the trailer I was obsessed with the soundtrack, so when the movie turned out to be just as lovely and considered as the music I rejoiced in a Cohen-induced euphoria. Llewyn Davis is a jerk. There's no reason we should care what happens to him, and yet Oscar Issac soulful eyes and completely enchanting voice make it too difficult to resist him. Though many complained the film had no plot, what feels like a casual check-in on a week in this man's life tells his story of failure and artistic disappointment much better than a traditional biopic might have done. Also, I plan to watch Adam Driver sing his part in "Please Mr. Kennedy" on repeat whenever I'm in need of a pick-me-up.

8. Drinking Buddies
It's clear from some of the other choices on this list that I have no problem with films where nothing much happens. Just two characters talking is more than enough for me. So even though this small and lovely story about friends who work at a Chicago brewery may seem odd to include on a list with such IMPORTANT productions as The Wolf of Wall Street or 12 Years a Slave, I loved it just the same. Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson as a pair of best friends have both never been better, and as the two friends move through their relationships with their respective significant others, Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick, questions about their feelings for each other inevitably crop up. The naturalistic dialogue and camera work really makes you feel like you are encroaching on something intimate and real. So though the movie may feel small or even inconsequential to some, I found it to be one of the most rooted-in-real-life film experiences of my movie-going year.

9. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I didn't LOVE the first Hunger Games as much as I wanted to. As a huge fan of the books, something just wasn't right the first time around. With Catching Fire, all is forgiven. Based on my favorite book of the trilogy, Catching Fire finds heroine Katniss Everdeen thrown back into the arena, but this time with a much more experienced group of killers. But the fun of this movie isn't just what is happening in the arena as much as what's happening outside it. Katniss has become a symbol of hope for the oppressed people of Panem and the scenes showing the growing unrest are some of the film's most powerful. All the shaky-cam annoyance from the first film is gone and the two-hour-plus run time sails buy without notice. Jennifer Lawrence may be getting more praise for American Hustle, but I think her Katniss is much more in her wheelhouse, and is actually the better performance. The last shot where every nuance of her face goes from devastation to sadness to resolve is nothing short of incredible.

10. Captain Phillips
The last scene. The. Last. Scene. It was at the moment where the movie turned from a Zero Dark Thirty on the sea to something infinitely more interesting. Has Tom Hanks ever been better than when all the tension of the past two hours is finally released? I think not. It's just so refreshing to see an actor actually react to all that has happened to his character over the course of a movie, especially after watching countless movies where the hero never even acknowledges all the trauma he's witnessed. Then there's the entire first part of the movie, which despite a real clunker of an opening scene between Phillips and his wife, is a nail-biting thriller with a hopefully star-making performance by Somali-born Barkhad Abdi. Director Paul Greengrass presents the pirates as fully-formed characters with motivations and desires all clearly communicated. While the journey is full of classic Hollywood storytelling, by the time Phillips is taken into that medical exam room, we're ready to authentically crumple right along with him.

2013 Movies: Trailers

Best trailer: Her



Best music change: American Hustle



Most insane: The Wolf of Wall Street (with an assist by Kanye)



Best cut to movie title: Inside Llewyn Davis



Greatest restraint (It only teases the first half of the movie): The Hunger Games: Catching Fire



Best line read: Captain Phillips (Three way tie between "They're not here to fish." "Look at me. Look at me. I'm the captain now." and "Maybe in America. Maybe in America."


Unexpectedly and awesomely dark considering the movie: Iron Man 3


Sentimental favorite: Before Midnight


Sexiest without doing much: Much Ado About Nothing


Creepiest: Stoker


Excited for 2014: X Men: Days of Future Past

Worst Trailer: The Big Wedding