Great films of 2013

2013: By no means is it 1939, in fact, this was one of the worst years of movie-going in my recent memory. Dear Hollywood, the superhero genre is for lazy filmmakers and viewers alike. Stop saturating the market with reboots and sequels of boring Marvel and DC storylines. We want originality.

That being said, 2013 has had a few great movies.

Let's take a look.

6. The Great Gatsby, Directed by Baz Luhrmann. This movie looked terrible and got horrible reviews. 49% on rottentomatoes, which almost made me skip it. However, one fine Saturday as the stresses of life compounded (job search, dating life) I went to the theater to forget my problems. And that I did. Baz Luhrmann's style is always so over-the-top during the first 30 minutes (see Moulin Rouge), and I was prepared for that. But once the first quarter of the film was through, The Great Gatsby became a great movie. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is great, as well as Joel Edgerton's as Tom Buchanan. The scene in the Plaza Hotel is scenery-chewing great acting by everyone involved. This is one of those stories you don't appreciate when you read it in high school, but when you're an adult, your experiences with life and love in America make you a little more perceptive to The Great Gatsby's dark themes of rejection and the emptiness of the American dream.

5. Gravity, Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. One of the most buzzed about movies of the year, Gravity was called the "greatest space movie ever done" by James Cameron, who has a right to say that, given his track record with Alien (1979) and Avatar (2009). Gravity is an edge-of-your-seat, perfectly-timed space opera that will go down as the definitive space film of this generation, much like 2001 (although I'm not a fan of 2001). Gravity is one of those films that works better on the big screen. While implausible, it really gives you a sense of what it is like to walk in space. I'm guessing it will be nominated for multiple Oscars next year, including Best Picture and Best Visual Effects, possibly Best Actress for Sandra Bullock.

4. Prisoners, Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Dark, disturbing almost to the point of unwatchable what-would-you-do? film about the horrors of losing your child. I'm not a parent, but I plan on being one, and this film, led by the great Hugh Jackman, is terrifying. The cinematography by Roger Deakins (No Country for Old Men) creates suspense that I haven't felt in a film since No Country for Old Men. Two young girls are kidnapped as their families celebrate Thanksgiving together. Both families have very different ways of coping, each family member creating a sort of personal "prison" for themselves to which to escape, and the film asks the audience to think about what they would do in that situation. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a disturbed cop who helps in the search for the girls. In the end, it perhaps feels like a really, really good season finale episode of Law and Order: SVU, but it works, and I can see Jackman and Gyllenhaal both being nominated for their incredible acting in this film.

3. The Place Beyond the Pines, Directed by Derek Cianfrance. A brooding Ryan Gosling, who drives stunt motorcycles, loves the down-on-her-luck Eva Mendes, who just can't seem to make good choices when it comes to guys. Halfway through the film, we meet an over-zealous cop played by Bradley Cooper, who takes the movie over in the second act. The third act features the on-screen sons of Gosling and Cooper, and this "sins of the father" film takes a look at the consequences of the choices we make in life. It's a little like The Godfather trilogy squeezed into one film, though definitely not as compelling, as the third act really needs better actors to play the sons. Cianfrance shows us how our choices affect those we love and sometimes shape their destiny.

2. Blue Jasmine, Directed by Woody Allen. Cate Blanchett plays a raging alcoholic whose husband is in prison after participating in a Ponzi scheme. She's forced to leave her pampered lifestyle and move in with her sister, whose marriage and finances were ruined in part by said scheme. Some say it's loosely based on A Streetcar Named Desire, but I can't say because I haven't seen that film in years and I don't remember the plot. The downfall of Blanchett's character is fascinating, hilarious and very sad to watch. I am fairly certain she will win the Oscar for Best Actress this year--and she should.

1. Captain Phillips, Directed by Paul Greengrass. Taut and realistic, Captain Phillips is Tom Hanks' best role since Cast Away and will get him at least a nomination for Best Actor. While there is controversy about the veracity of the film, it makes us feel what all the characters are feeling, and even makes subtle references to the current political and economic climate in America. It's an action movie with brains, and the last 10 minutes are devastating as we see Tom Hanks succumb to PTSD in a scene that will win him the Oscar, I think. I didn't expect this to be my favorite film of the year, but it is (so far).

The year isn't over, but I doubt we'll see much else in the way of great movies. I am excited for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug because I am a huge Lord of the Rings nerd. However, I haven't read the books, so maybe I'm not really that big of a nerd. I'll get around to it.