Something You Said’s best films of 2013
This year, some abso-bloody-lutely awesome movies have hit our ears and eyes. Here are Somethingyousaid.com’s top 20 films of 2013, as voted for by our team of contributors (oh, and before you get pedantic, the release dates of films vary between countries, so something that was released where you are in 2012 will have come out this year where some of our contributors are based). Anyhoo, here’s our top picks:
SOMETHINGYOUSAID.COM’S FILM OF THE YEAR 2013 IS: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
A late 2012 release in the US/UK but an early 2013 release in Australia, this tale of two people striking up a friendship while wrestling their demons was funny, touching, utterly believable and life-affirming. Bradley Cooper put in a career-best performance while Jennifer Lawrence continued to cement herself as one of the finest actors of her generation (you’ll see lots more of her later in the list as well). This is wonderful stuff and absolutely worthy of repeated viewing. Bobby Townsend
2. GRAVITY
The silences in this film are deafening, and beautiful at the same time. Bullock and Clooney get the chance to hang out with God, and although it’s extremely dangerous, it’s very attractive. Hugh Cornwell
3. RUST AND BONE
This is not your normal romantic drama. It was refreshing to see this kind of tension; the feelings of jealousy and forgiveness were real and relatable in a story that had so much tragedy coming from potentially real-life situations. The performances by both Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts are powerful and convincing, with all of the pain that they suffer. It is truly a fantastic film. Carol Bowditch
4. ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA
Like many other Partridge aficionados, I must admit to worrying slightly about Alan’s big-screen outing. Thankfully, within 10 minutes of the film I knew it was going to be alright, Alpha Papa carried on the Partridge legacy with major laughs and a new depth to Alan’s character. Gary Page
5. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Another incredible performance from Tom Hanks as an everyday person thrown into an extraordinary situation. Equally stunning is the display of Barkhad Abdi, in this unbearably tense true story. Fun fact, the first time that Hanks and Abdi ever met each other was when you see Abdi’s character seize the ship in the movie, which was a stroke of genius by director Paul Greengrass. Bobby Townsend
6. BLUE JASMINE
My favourite actress, Cate Blanchett, has a knack for playing mentally unstable characters, which was first made clear to me when I saw her stellar performance as Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire a few years ago. When I watched this film, all I could think was “oh how the mighty have fallen”, as it follows the antagonist, Jasmine, and her desperate attempts to put her life back together after shit hit the fan with her partner. My hat goes off to Woody Allen for his excellent directing. Tammy Potakh
7. SPRING BREAKERS
Me (and John Waters) thought Spring Breakers was brilliant. It’s a slice of what the world would be like if Tumblr feeds were prophecies and selfie stars were our dictators… or maybe it’s just a pornographic cocaine nightmare. Love it or love to decry it, you’ll still have a strong opinion. That’s how we know it’s a good film. A snapshot of the millennials, it’ll stand the test of time. Be judged. Oliver Heath
8. DJANGO UNCHAINED
Scary…. funny… gory… evil… Everything in one movie! The acting was incredible. Madeline Kragh
9. THE WAY WAY BACK
Sam Rockwell steals every scene in this heart-warming coming-of-age comedy which also stars Steve Carell and Toni Collette. Charming, funny and sweet, this is a must-see and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Bobby Townsend
10. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Engaging from the first minute to the last, this is a teen action franchise with a brain and a conscience which, while touching on some heavy social issues, does so in a way that remains utterly thrilling throughout. Katniss Everdeen is a fantastic, strong, female role-model. Bobby Townsend
11. FRANCES HA
A delightful comedy with an absolutely enchanting performance from Greta Gerwig. I could easily have hated its focus on spoilt New York hipsters but it trips along with such charm that it is impossible not to be whisked along for the ride. Neil Martin
12. THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
There is so much going on in the content-dense two-and-a half hours of screen time, but it is gripping, with interesting development of families and their lives, all captured with clever shots in a gritty, dark tinge to mirror the circumstances of the characters. The three leading characters rarely meet but Gosling, Cooper and newcomer DeHaan are excellent playing their separate roles. Carol Bowditch
13. WHAT MAISIE KNEW
A small heartbreak of a film. Onata Aprile plays the daughter of careless and carefree rock star mom, Julianne Moore. Wonderful performances showing just how complex and intricate relationships can truly be. Golden Lady
14. STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS
I love everything sci-fi, especially relating to Star Trek. It’s an action filled flick with geeky gadgets, spaceships, freaky eyebrows, weirdo alien lingo, cheesy one-liners and Chris Pine’s piercing blue eyes. Not to mention the special effects were pretty darn cool. My inner nerd was definitely satisfied. Liana Gow-Killingbeck
15. STOKER
Stunning to look at and wonderfully macabre. A brilliant piece of psychological melodrama that finally proves you can make the move to Hollywood without losing what makes you so special in the first place. Chan-wook Park produces his best film since Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (for me far superior to the cartoonish Old Boy) with a beautiful and morally complex piece of classic American gothic. Neil Martin
16. BEFORE MIDNIGHT
I have been in love with the ‘Before’ movies since I first saw Before Sunrise two years ago. Before Midnight was a powerful way to wrap up a two-decade-long love story. Sophie Metcalfe
I was very late to the Richard Linklater ‘Before’ film series… like some twenty years, watching Before Sunrise and Before Sunset only a few months before this year’s Before Midnight came out. And thank God I was late. I couldn’t have dealt with waiting the ten years (or thereabouts) between these simple and elegant films to find out what happens. I recommend you enjoy watching them in succession if you’ve not yet seen them. Colin Delaney
17. PHILOMENA
Without spoilers, it’s difficult to delve too far into this story of love and loss, given it plays as a mystery but we’re left with a moving sense of ecstatic agony, amplified by the fact it’s a true story. Definitely go see it. Colin Delaney
18. AMERICAN HUSTLE
The opening toupee grooming scene is one of the best things I’ve ever seen on screen. The whole cast was flawless, but the performances by Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence really stole the show. It’s astonishing that in the middle of a slick film about con-artists and stings I’m left feeling a bit shellshocked from how accurate the depiction of an emotionally manipulative relationship is. Oliver Heath
19. SIDE EFFECTS
Yet another in the seemingly endless line of excellently directed Soderbergh thrillers. He has a brilliant knack of taking what would be trash in the hands of other directors and making slick, beautifully constructed cinema. He even manages to pull off the feat of a Jude Law performance that doesn’t make me want to hunt him down and punch him to death. Yes the film gets more and more implausible as it progresses but, when it’s this well made, who cares? Neil Martin
20. ONLY GOD FORGIVES
Nicolas Winding Refn’s oedipal tragedy bravely left room for pleasure in the violence it depicted. It left me feeling haunted, stalked by frailty, fallibility and uncomfortably aware of the deceit in the heroic unreality we swallow with our popcorn at the cinema. Bitter medicine indeed. Oliver Heath
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ALSO… HIGHLY COMMENDED
Here are the films that didn’t quite score enough votes to make our Top 20 but that our team reckon you have to check out:
THE BATTERY
Just brilliant. A fantastic take on the zombie movie that centres on two survivors’ relationship in a post apocalyptic landscape. Low budget indie filmmaking at its absolute best with two excellent central performances. Really interesting to see a zombie film taking place in a rural landscape rather than the usual urban cityscape. Whilst it is a zombie film it would be difficult to label it as a horror film as such as the film concerns itself pretty much solely with the relationship between Mikey and Ben, so don’t watch expecting gore and scares but if you want a well made, funny and touching drama about friendship with just a touch of zombie madness then this is a rare treat. Neil Martin
MOOD INDIGO
Directed by Michel Gondry and starring everyone’s favourite French actors Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris, Mood Indigo is a spectacular visual feast. Based on Boris Vian’s novel, it tells of a young woman’s plight with a very specific terminal illness, a waterlily growing on her lung. Breathtaking tableaux are created using very “low-fi” effects, and as a self-confessed Ophelia imagery obsessive, I found her prescription of fresh flowers clutched to the chest daily, particularly stunning. We also watch Colin’s very cool yet quirky apartment (he has a cocktail mixing piano for example, the taste is adjusted according to the music played, more melancholy chords make the drink taste more sentimental) unravel and slip into decrepitude as it becomes clear that Chole may not recover. I want to live in a Michel Gondry universe. Isidore Tillers
PUSSY RIOT – A PUNK PRAYER
The story of feminist badasses Pussy Riot is powerful and inspirational. Tenley Nordstrom
ABOUT TIME
Only Richard Curtis can make you nostalgic for a life you never had, growing up in the Cornish countryside before moving to a picture-perfect version of London. I loved About Time, as evidenced by the fact I was then ludicrously homesick for about a week after I saw it. Sonia Clarke
LES MISERABLES
I saw it three times at the cinema and then bought it on DVD. For reals. Bobby Townsend
THE CONJURING
I like horror movies, that’s all I pretty much watched this year, but the standout was The Conjuring. Most horror films these days are a tad boring and super predictable but The Conjuring had an interesting storyline and some pretty jump-worthy moments. If horror is your thing The Conjuring won’t disappoint. Sara Potter
AND A BUNCH OF STUFF FROM KAYA
EPIC: The new revised ‘Fern Gully’ which was like me reliving my entire childhood again. KINGS OF SUMMER: What everyone thinks of doing at some point in their youth….or even later on. WORLD WAR Z: Can’t go wrong with Brad PItt getting gnarly with zombies. GATSBY: favourite book therefore had to make the list. NOW YOU SEE ME: Woody Harrelson and magic = genius. JURASSIC PARK: 3D re-release so it totally counts. THE INTERNSHIP: hahahah Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson working at Google. IRON MAN 3: Marvel wins me over every time. ANCHORMAN 2: Well I haven’t even seen it yet but it HAD to be on the list otherwise I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Kaya Strehler
For a bunch more great films that you might have missed this year, check this.
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