Perusing the dozens of Best Film Top Ten lists, I’m struck with the same sentiment as in years past:
Some cockamamy choices indeed! Far be it from me to stand in judgement of anyone who seriously included Only God Forgives or The Counselor, as more than one prominent critic has. They must simply be the smartest critics in the room, grasping a hidden angle that no one else got–more power to them! On a similar vein, I can appreciate the out-of-the-box nature of To The Wonder and Leviathan, and even Upstream Color enough to bend over backwards offering respect to particular visions of filmmaking that, while essentially unsatisfying, at least bend the rules to an extent they extend for consideration a new thesis of filmmaking.
In compiling a Best of the Year list, however, vision is only one of several criteria. Artistry that lends itself to watchability as much as to experimentation must, in this humble observer’s view be given at least equal if not extra weight.
Thus my of course subjective list, where my main criteria is how hard a film hit me–whether dramatically or comedically, or both, and, as the ice cream on the cake how unique its concept was, with craftsmanship always important.
Best Dozen (ranked): Before Midnight, American Hustle, Gravity, Blue Is The Warmest Color, 12 Years A Slave, Blue Jasmine, Short Term 12, Stories We Tell, The Spectacular Now, This Is The End, The Wolf of Wall Street & Mother of George
Next Dozen: The Way Way Back, Mud, Deceptive Practices: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay, August: Osage County, Prisoners, Side Effects, Disconnect, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, Frances Ha, The Great Beauty, Sightseers
Honorable Mentions: Enough Said, Frozen, Captain Phillips, A Hijacking, 20 Feet From Stardom, Kings of Summer, All is Lost, Computer Chess
Best Films of 2014 (so far): Young and Beautiful, Stranger On The Lake, Like Father Like Son
Best Lead Actor:
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Toni Servillo, The Great Beauty
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Miles Teller, The Spectacular Now
Best Lead Actress:
Kate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue Is The Warmest Color
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Brie Larson, Short Term 12
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Franco, Spring Breakers
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Sam Rockwell, The Way Way Back
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Best Supporting Actress:
Lea Seydoux, Blue Is The Warmest Color
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
June Squibb, Nebraska
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Favorite Scenes of 2013
Tom Hanks on the examination table at the conclusion of Captain Phillips. Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams finally meeting in the lady’s room in American Hustle. Toni Servillo picking apart his haughty socialite adversary with subtle yet devastating style in The Great Beauty. Leonardo DiCaprio hosting aboard his yacht the FBI agent who’s investigating him in The Wolf of Wall Street. A distracted, frazzled Cate Blanchett talking the ear off of her seatmate aboard the plane at the outset of Blue Jasmine. In Blue Is The Warmest Color, the cafe scene between Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, leaving Exarchopoulos possibly wiser, infinitely sadder.