Top 5 Movies of 2013

With the end of 2013 long gone, now is a good time to grade the top 5 films of last year. This is different to any Oscar list for Best Movie because I'm not paid to vote for a certain movie, but mainly because it only includes films realised in the UK in 2013 which excludes most Oscar films as they don't make it to the UK till 2013 (think Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street, Her for example this year). Last years winner was the French film Untouchable which just beat Margin Call.

The link for the top 5 movies at the half way point is here.

Honourable mention to Gravity and Side Effects as they both came close but just missed out ahead of the list above. If you'd asked me halfway through Gravity I'd have said it was #1 but unfortunately it did tail off quite badly. So on to the list:

5. Only God Forgives
The ultra-violent yet highly stylish thriller which reunited Drive compatriots Nicholas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling polarized critics like no other film in 2013. It was a more subtle and less straight forward affair where Gosling has his thunder stolen by Lt. Chang played by Vithaya Pansringarm whose the ruthless cop who spends his spare time singing karaoke about his pain and lost love. The violence may be too much for some but its a beautifully shot film that has a lot more going on beneath the surface than you may realise.

4. Zero Dark Thirty
A well nominated film at the Oscars last year that is included due to its January release date in the UK. Jessica Chastain as Maya is pushed to the limits of her sanity in tracking down the worlds most wanted Osama bin Laden. Kathryn Bigalow strips away any American patriotism in favour of showing the dark side of how the Americans used torture tactics at Guantanamo Bay to help find their suspect. The film itself was overshadowed by the debate over the use of torture and its effectiveness unfortunately but its a supremely dark thriller.

3. Fruitvale Station
Technically not formally released in the UK yet, the story of the final day in the life of Oscar Grant III after he was unlawfully killed by a police officer after riding the BART transportation system in San Francisco is harrowing and upsetting. Michael B. Jordan is excellent in the lead role giving a troubled yet determined performance whilst Octavia Spencer is the mother constantly worried about the choices in life her son has made.

2. Before Midnight
The third and possibly final piece in the series by Richard Linklater that spans nearly two decades is an excellent piece on a love that has lost its spark as the couple have been ground down by life, children and previous relationships. Once again the film relies almost exclusively on its script to entertain you with only one scene that isn't just Jesse and Celine talking to each other. But its authenticity whilst being entertaining and compelling that makes it such a great film.

1.  The Place Beyond the Pines
A film released just after the film world had calmed itself after the Oscars but still without doubt the film that sticks in my mind is being the most impressive and enjoyable. Derek Cianfrance pulls no punches with his plot twists and adds to his already impressive repertoire with this downbeat look at small town America in this crime drama. A stellar cast featuring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper as its stars more than do justice to the screenplay.