Top 5 Films of 2013

So with albums down, I now move onto films.  I’m only going to do a top 5, mainly because I haven’t been reviewing throughout the whole year.  The list only includes post award season films.  With the thought being that you can find a million sources online to tell you why you should go see Lincoln etc.  I also don’t think many of them would make the list anyway. 

Number 5 – Stoker

Stoker was a creepy little psychological thriller from the mind of South Korean Park Chan-Wook and starred Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska.  It’s a disturbing film that tells the story of India Stoker (Wasikowska) and essentially her coming of age (although it’s hardly your standard coming of age) following the death of her father and the introduction of her uncle (Goode) into her life.  Kidman puts in a fantastic performance as her mother and Wasikowska herself is on creepy understated form.  This is probably the strangest film on the list and it gets its position because out of nearly everything I’ve seen this year, this stylish little number has stuck in my head the longest.

Number 4 – Rush

Now I have no interest in Formula 1.  I’ve always seen it as a bunch of cars driving round a track, something I could go and see outside my front window.  However, Rush nearly convinced me to care.  Directed by Ron Howard it tells the story of the 1976 F1 season and in particular, the rivalry between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl).  Both of the leads put on fantastic performances, with Bruhl stealing the show, but Hemsworth doing admirably in the first proof that he is so much more than a 6 pack.  Meanwhile Ron Howard manages to bring the races to life with some excellent direction, with the sound in particular deserving of a mention.  It makes you feel like you are on the track with these men and it’s an exhilarating experience from a fantastic film

Number 3 – Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

The first comedy on this list and probably the film that made me laugh the most.  Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci take their comedy creation to the big screen and much like everything else that has featured the Partridge stamp it’s a laugh a minute triumph.  Telling the story of Alan (Coogan) finding himself caught up in a siege situation is obviously not the most realistic tale, but somehow it manages to keep the feeling of being wonderfully small town Britain.  With the fact it’s set in Norwich playing a major part in that.  In a year that has in many ways been bereft of truly great comedy films, Alpha Papa stood out as being at the top of the game.

Number 2 – Mud

Matthew McConaughey’s film revival must be up there as one of the greatest of all time.  Going from a collection of average at best, but more often horrible, romantic comedies to the likes of Killer Joe and Lincoln Lawyer  is a remarkable turn around from a man who was once more famous for leaning against co-stars on the sides of buses.  This years Mud (which was originally shown at Cannes in 2012 but didn’t come out here until 2013) continues that trend and may well be the best of the lot so far.  This coming of age film set in the American south tells the story of two boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) who come across the mysterious Mud (McConaughey) living on an island near their home.  The two young boys play their parts superbly while McConaughey is brilliant as the pseudo intellectual Mud who spouts riddle and anecdote without ever really telling you anything about himself.  On the surface it’s a film that could quickly become very annoying, but the strength of the acting and a strong script make sure it never does and instead we have one of the best coming of age films of the year.

Number 1 – The Way Way Back

Is it obvious I have a soft spot for coming of age style movies?  Maybe.  Anyway, I can’t imagine that there will be many end of year lists topped by this movie, however having gone to the cinema a lot this year no film gave me as much joy as this one did.  Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debut, it stares Liam James as Duncan, a shy teenage boy lacking in confidence and struggling under the eye  of his mothers boyfriend Trent, excellently portrayed by Steve Carell as a complete and total cunt.  Despite this, his mum, played by Toni Collete, has chosen for them to spend the summer in his beach house, during which time Duncan finds himself a job at a local water park, under the eye of the enigmatic Owen (Sam Rockwell).  I can’t sit here and claim that this is the most technically brilliant film, but it was without a doubt the most enjoyable.  Rockwell is brilliant as the lovable rogue Owen and if you don’t want to pummel Steve Carrell that I would say you should question your morals.  The script is simple and in many ways predictable but in that it probably gains a lot of its strength.  This is a movie that isn’t going out there to explain the universe but instead just remembering those amazing summers you have as a kid where everything just goes right.  That’s why this is my movie of the year.