Just in time for Oscar: Ranked list of 2013’s top 30 films
March 2, 2014
Since I don’t get out to see films that much (although last night I did get to the $3 theater to see Hunger Games: Catching Fire which I loved and we saw the Lego movie opening weekend which we also loved), I’m always grateful that Ron Wells does AND that he takes the time to write about them so I can share his reviews here.See if you agree with Ron’s ranked list of the Top 30 films of 2013–plus his worst films and why. Let us know in the comments–which film did you think was best and worst and why?
2013 Films by Ron Wells
What an amazing year for movies! So many entertaining films about everything imaginable. To be honest, this year is the hardest year I’ve ever had in putting the films in some kind of order. American Hustle is #6 today, but I could change it to #15 tomorrow. Which is to say, there’s a lot of very good films here.
For me though, nothing matched 12 Years a Slave. Brutally honest and hard to watch (as reported by the LA Times here), but necessary for people in this country to see.
Best Films of 2013
2. Her (Oscar best picture nom)
3. Fruitvale Station (read Ron’s review)
4. Philomena (Oscar best picture nom)
5. Dallas Buyers Club (Oscar best picture nom)
6. American Hustle (Oscar best picture nom)
7. Saving Mr. Banks
8. The Act of Killing (Best Documentary nom)
9. Twenty Feet From Stardom (Best Documentary nom) (read Ron’s review)
10. Inside Llewyn Davis
(For comparison’s sake, here are the Academy’s choices in alphabetical order with links to trailers:
“12 Years a Slave”
“American Hustle”
“Gravity”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“Captain Phillips”)
“12 Years a Slave”
“American Hustle”
“Gravity”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“Captain Phillips”)
Continuing with Ron’s list:
11. Short Term 12
12. Muscle Shoals (Documentary)
13. Gravity (Oscar best picture nom)
14. All Is Lost
15. Captain Phillips (Oscar best picture nom)
16. Nebraska (Oscar best picture nom)
17. Before Midnight
18. Hunger Games: Catching Fire
19. Frozen (Animation)
20. The Sapphires
21. Frances Ha
22. Blue Jasmine
23. 42
24. Mud
25. Wolf of Wall Street (Oscar best picture nom)
26. Blue Is the Warmest Color (Foreign/subtitled/3 Hrs. 7min.)
27. Enough Said
28. Sound City (Documentary)
29. Side Effects
30. The Stories We Tell (Documentary)
Worst film of the year: The Lone Ranger.
Extremely violent, loud, and definitely a Disney movie not for children. Or anyone else for that matter.
Extremely violent, loud, and definitely a Disney movie not for children. Or anyone else for that matter.
Disappointed: Iron Man 3.
I love Robert Downey, Jr., but they’ve decided not to give him any clever dialogue and have things just blow up every few minutes instead. I also was not impressed with The Great Beauty; too “artsy.” At times beautiful to look at, but that was about it.
I love Robert Downey, Jr., but they’ve decided not to give him any clever dialogue and have things just blow up every few minutes instead. I also was not impressed with The Great Beauty; too “artsy.” At times beautiful to look at, but that was about it.
To the Wonder:
only for Terrence Malick fanatics. I am one.
only for Terrence Malick fanatics. I am one.
The Great Gatsby:
at least it got some kids to read the book.
at least it got some kids to read the book.
The Wolf of Wall Street:
This man—a real life person—manipulated and stole from not only rich people, but poor people also, in order to fund his corrupt, hedonistic lifestyle. The movie seems to posit that many, many people want to be like him. I hope not. Well made film, but what’s the point?
This man—a real life person—manipulated and stole from not only rich people, but poor people also, in order to fund his corrupt, hedonistic lifestyle. The movie seems to posit that many, many people want to be like him. I hope not. Well made film, but what’s the point?
Frozen:
I really liked the animation and the story, but I wasn’t excited about all the songs which seemed to come at the beginning. Later, I found out this is one of the best-selling albums of the year, and kids especially love the songs. Once again I realized how much I don’t know about so many things…..
I really liked the animation and the story, but I wasn’t excited about all the songs which seemed to come at the beginning. Later, I found out this is one of the best-selling albums of the year, and kids especially love the songs. Once again I realized how much I don’t know about so many things…..
The Act of Killing:
A powerful documentary into the nature of evil and the terrible things human beings do to each other.
A powerful documentary into the nature of evil and the terrible things human beings do to each other.
Inside Llewyn Davis:
The character is not very likable, but he is talented. The movie shows that sometimes an artist just has to be in the right place at the right time in order to succeed, and in the meantime, he has to struggle just to survive. Not the Coens best film, but I liked it more than I thought I would.
The character is not very likable, but he is talented. The movie shows that sometimes an artist just has to be in the right place at the right time in order to succeed, and in the meantime, he has to struggle just to survive. Not the Coens best film, but I liked it more than I thought I would.
Blue Jasmine, Mud, The Sapphires and 42:
All are well worth renting. Good films.
All are well worth renting. Good films.
—Ron—
So now, what were your favorite films?
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