My Top Ten Movies Of The First Half of 2013

Can you believe we’re more than half way through 2013?  At the box office, it’s been the best of times and the worst of times. A LOT of really good movies have come out and a LOT of them have made a LOT of money. There have also been several high budget films that took a dump at the box office, losing tens of millions of dollars—many of them had plenty of money to spend on publicity and promotion, but when word of mouth spreads, the best that money can buy is maybe a decent opening weekend. After that…death.

Keeping in mind that I have not seen all of the 2013 releases to date, this list is subject to major changes. I’ll get a chance to catch up on many more movies when screeners are sent out for awards season—not to mention all the winter holiday releases that usually amount to the best films in any given year.

Okay—here we go. Feel free to add your own or to punch my choices in the neck. It’s all about the dialogue.

TRANCE:

Danny Boyle’s trippy mind-puzzle gets even better upon a second viewing (most of the films on this list I have seen twice). It’s flashy and fun and you can feel the sheer joy that Boyle and cast have pulsing out of their pores.  Rosario Dawson is….well, you know. My original review is here: Trance Review

THE WAY, WAY BACK:

Just a gem. It takes some serious themes head on, but never gets bogged down. In fact, it’s mostly light and funny and full of characters that, love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can recognize as real people. My original review is here: Way, Way Back Review

STOKER:

The first English language film from Korean director Chan-wook Park has so much tension in the air you could cut it with, well, let’s no got there right now. Classy, yet borderline campy, atmospheric yet not afraid to punctuate things with graphic violence, Stoker’s tight script and even tighter cast is a blast. My original review is here: Stoker Review

MUD:

Like “The Way, Way Back” and, to some extent “The Kings of Summer,” “MUD” is a great coming-of-age story involving boys who learn rather profound lessons, given their youth.  Matthew McConuaghey  gives a good performance as an apparent drifter with a broken heart, but it’s the two young actors, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland who give this film its authenticity. It’s a nice movie and has a cool ending.

SIDE EFFECTS:

Supposedly the last film for director Steven Soderbergh (I’ll believe it when I don’t see it) this film noir meets “noble stand against the pharmaceuticals” is really just a frothy and fun trip down Camp lane. It’s Hitchcock-Lite with one too many plot-twists, but seen with your silly-filter on, you’ll love it.

WORLD WAR Z:

I call it the classiest Zombie flick you’ll ever see. It dares to break all the Zombie rules, and turns into a cool travelogue, as Brad Pitt chases round the world for the virus, or whatever the hell it is, that’s turning humans into the fastest moving Z’s you’ve ever seen. Here’s my review: World War Z Review

Fruitvale Station:

See my review here: Fruitvale Station

Warm Bodies:

This won’t make my top ten for the whole year—but I sure was charmed and surprised by it. My original review is here: Warm Bodies Review

A Place Beyond The Pines:

As much as I’m getting Gosling-Glum-Face fatigue, the structure of this lengthy saga is fresh and takes you in unexpected directions. When you see as many films as I do, “Unexpected” is worth millions of little happy critic lights.

The Stories We Tell

At least one documentary ends up in my year end lists, simply because they are often the best made films—as in, better than Hollywood. Actress Sarah Polley reveals intimate details of her childhood in an effort to find the “truth” about her mother and father. Not surprisingly, it turns out that there are several different versions of the “truth,” and even Polley’s method of storytelling, we learn, is a bit deceitful, though in an entertaining way.

The movies I least liked or disappointed me the most are: Man Of Steel, Spring Breakers, Hangover III, After Earth and A Good Day To Die Hard.