10 Best Movies of 2013 (A Double Take)

What a year! 2013 was such a spectacular year for film that I decided to forget about the worst movies of the year and focus solely on the best. When I look back on 1994, for example, I immediately think of  "The Lion King", "Pulp Fiction", "Hoop Dreams", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Dumb & Dumber", and "Forrest Gump" (what a year that was, right?). Therefore, I have invited my brother, Andrés, to post his list of the 10 Best Movies of 2013 as well.

My Top 5 for 2013 are all Instant Classics in my book, and the next 5 could've been in my Top 5 any other year. Where my brother and I disagree the most is on Sci-Fi. I have "Gravity" and "Her" in my Top 5 and as Instant Classics, he doesn't have them in his Top 10. He has "Star Trek into Darkness" at #9, I have it closer to #19. He believes "Gravity" had too little story(which is a fair point), I believe "...Into Darkness"(what does that even mean?) had too crazy a story, plus it was a step back from the excellent "Star Trek" of 2009. A key factor here was definitely our experiences with these films in theaters. I was able to see "Gravity" in 3D, he was not. He was able to see "...Into Darkness" in IMAX 3D, I was not. This tells you about the power of experiencing a film in theaters, which is still, by far, the best way to see a movie. At least we agreed that Sci-Fi deserved a spot on the Top 10. Now, what about "Her", my brother?

We definitely agreed on one other thing: "Fruitvale Station" and "Short Term 12" deserve to be in, or close to, the Top 5. These are two remarkable independent films, with equally remarkable lead performances that deserved much more recognition from the Academy than they received. Actually, any recognition would've been nice since they received 0 nominations between them. Speaking of the Academy, 7 of the 10 films on my list, and 6 of the 10 films on my brother's list are nominees at this Sunday's Academy Awards. If you haven't seen one or more of these excellent films, now's the time.

And now, a word from my brother, Andrés:

No matter what movies are on our respective Top 10 lists, there’s one thing big brother and I will always agree on… This was an AMAZING year for movies!

It’s a great reason why doing a top 10 list this year is so much fun. Just because you get to see the movies you leave out and wonder: How? Or you have your top 5 and you're thinking: How is movie #8 NOT on your top 5!? And how about the big decision of who gets your vote as the best movie of the year?

That last question is the one that’s going to eat away at me long after the Oscars are over. In this great year in cinema there are a number of films worthy of Best Picture. Especially when you look at the list of recent winners like “The Hurt Locker” (2009), “The King’s Speech” (2010), and “The Artist” (2011). I hope you reach the same conclusion as I do when I think of those movies and that’s… Ehhh?

When I look at my top 10 list from this year I can see any film outside my top 5 being better than any of those films. I think it speaks to how great and deep a year we just had in cinema. And though I 

don’t have a film like “Gravity” in my top 10 list, I feel like I should at least acknowledge it. It’s a beautifully made movie that should earn director Alfonso Cuarón the Best Director Oscar, but it’s lacking in the story department too much for me to include it in my top 10.

And now, without further ado, we present our 10 Best Movies of 2013. Enjoy!

10) MP: (Tie) This is the End / The World's End

The 2 best comedies of the year. I didn't want to leave either one off the list, and since they're both about the end of the world I decided to rank them together. It's my list, so I'll allow it. They both feature a group of friends who are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds of survival, and start to get picked off one by one.

Simon Pegg gives a great performance as "Gary King" in "The World's End", a guy who even his best friends seem to hate. The closest comparable in "This is the End" is "Danny McBride", played by Danny McBride, who gets on the group's bad side from the moment he decides to eat all of their
remaining food, and only gets worse from there.
Both writer-director teams have worked together for years, and they just keep getting better with age
and experience. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are first-time directors on "This is the End", but
they've previously given us such hits as "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express". Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg continue their successful partnership that has given us previous hits "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz". Let's hope these productive writer-director teams keep on entertaining us in the future as well as they've done up until now.

10) Andrés: Frozen

Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for Disney classics or my brother finally sold me on this film’s greatness, but I decided to include it in my Top 10 because it deserves mentioning. If there’s one thing that I look at in movies I like it's whether or not I’ll remember that movie years from now. “Frozen” is the kind of movie that stands out in that regard.

 This film takes you back to the great Disney days of old when watching their movies was a magical experience for all ages. I remember going to see “Frozen” with my brothers and my nephew and it was tough to see who enjoyed it more. That’s the brilliance of Disney right there.

 You also can’t talk about “Frozen” without mentioning the wonderful music. “Let it Go” (#canyousayWOW!),  “For the First Time in Forever”, and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” are Instant Classics that we’ll be singing along with our kids and grandkids for generations to come. I found myself singing along like I did when watching “The Lion King”, “The Little Mermaid”, or “Aladdin”. Man, how I missed that! “Tangled”, “Wreck-it Ralph”, and now “Frozen”, Welcome back Disney.

9) MP: Dallas Buyers Club

The most inspiring film of the year tells the story of Ron Woodroof(Matthew McConaughey in a career defining performance). After being diagnosed with HIV and given a 30 day death sentence, Mr. Woodroof does everything possible to acquire the drugs necessary to survive, eventually starting the Dallas Buyers Club with help from an unlikely partner, "Rayon". 

Jared Leto gives an unforgettable performance as "Rayon" that will win him an Oscar this sunday. Once he appears onscreen, you never want him to leave. I actually thought we got too little of "Rayon" by the end, or maybe I just thought that his character deserved a better goodbye. Anyway, Rayon's love and support for Ron leave a lasting impact on him that fuel his fight against the government and the pharmaceutical companies for dignity, education, and human rights.

Losing 50 pounds for his role, Mr. McConaughey undergoes the physical transformation of the year. His performance is a revelation, and he is currently the front-runner in a very tight race for Best Actor at next week's Academy Awards. If you want to be able to say you saw these two Award Winning Performances, "Dallas Buyers Club" is currently available on Blu-Ray and DVD, so check it out.

9) Andrés: Star Trek Into Darkness

JJ Abrams, you rock! We may have our differences in opinion on this film but I absolutely loved it. While the first one was an absolute classic in my eyes, this one is still really good. Let’s not make the common mistake we do with sequels which is compare the second movie to the first and expect the same results. It’s fun, exciting, and it includes the same compelling characters we love, and some new ones as well (I loved Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan). I also had the pleasure of seeing it in IMAX 3-D which was a definite bonus. 

I for one cannot wait to see what JJ Abrams does with the new Star Wars trilogy. He was the perfect pick to take us back to a galaxy far, far away.

8) MP: The Wolf of Wall Street

The most polarizing film of the year. The movie is, without a doubt, over the top. But guess what, it's all based on a true story. Leonardo DiCaprio gives his best performance to date(which is saying something) as "Jordan Belfort", the man whose book the movie is based on. Jonah Hill joins DiCaprio as "Donnie Azoff", quite literally Jordan's partner in crime. These two get together and create some of the most outrageous moments ever put on film. From exposing themselves at a beach party, to a conversation about marrying your cousin that left my jaw on the floor, to wanting to get high while their yacht is sinking, to actually overdosing on Quaaludes in a scene you have to see to believe. I mean, Mia Wallace's OD in "Pulp Fiction" doesn't even come close to this!

Martin Scorsese was the only director who could've told this story. The movie goes on for far too long, but maybe that was Scorsese's intent. Maybe, the only way to make sure the audience would be disgusted with these characters was to force-feed them with bad behavior for 3 hours. I felt a bit like "Alex DeLarge" in "A Clockwork Orange". In my case I was never sick, but just in case, I can say "I was cured, all right!"

8) Andres: Don Jon

If I’m a sucker for Disney movies, I’m just as much a sucker for Joseph Gordon Levitt (ok, that came out kind of weird). “500 Days of Summer” is one of my all time favorites, and when I found out Levitt was going to be Starring/Writing/Directing in “Don Jon” I was already sold. 

Like something out of Snooki and Mike the Situation’s closet comes our main character Jon Martello. A man so fixated on himself (“my body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls, my porn”, as he famously says) that he’s just begging for a life lesson. 

Levitt uses his co-stars Scarlett Johansson (who gives a great performance in a part that was made for her) and Julianne Moore to show us Jon’s transformation. In “Barbara Sugarman” (Johansson) we have what Jon has been programmed to want all his life, but with “Esther” (Moore) is where Jon ultimately learns his greatest lesson in love. The film also features a great supporting cast, Jon’s family (Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson), which allow us to see why he is the way he is.

7) MP: Fruitvale Station

The real-life story of the murder of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day 2009. The movie begins and ends with the most heartbreaking moment of the year. First, we're presented with the real-life footage of the murder. I knew this was coming, but not right at the start. It makes everything we see afterwards of Oscar's last day just crushing.

Writer-director Ryan Coogler lets us sample Oscar's daily routine, and Michael B. Jordan lets us in with a brilliant performance. Oscar was just a young man trying to be a good father and provide for his family, something that I can definitely identify with.

The film shows us that Oscar wasn't perfect, like all of us, but it also shows us a side of him that was welcoming to others who didn't automatically write him off, like Katie at the supermarket, or a woman who needed to use the bathroom, or even a dog that gets run over and has no one else to help it. The film's impact on me was so powerful that after the final scene I could only think one thing: "I am never leaving my son again." I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to watch this film again, but I know that I will remember it forever.

7) Andrés: The Spectacular Now

If there’s a character that I can pick out from all the movies I saw this year that would be my favorite, that might be “Sutter Keely” (Miles Teller) from “The Spectacular Now”. An alcoholic, high-school senior with daddy issues who’s all about living in the “NOW”. After his girlfriend dumps him because of his alcoholism, he meets “Aimee Finecky” (Shailene Woodley), a girl you immediately feel sorry for because you know she’s too innocent to step into Sutter’s world without getting hurt. 

But their relationship actually blossoms into a beautiful love story. Aimee helps Sutter along the way to overcome some of his demons, such as the drinking and going to see his father who had abandoned him. 

Another film with a great supporting cast thanks to great work by Kyle Chandler and Brie Larson (more on her later). “The Spectacular Now”, just like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” last year, takes you back to those teen movies of the 80s where you felt connected with the story and journey these kids are going through. 

6) MP: Frozen

Disney Animation Studios is back! Not since "The Lion King" had they captured the perfect mix of story, visuals, and music as they do here. The story of "Elsa" and "Anna" does for sisterhood what "The Lion King" did for father/son relationships. The original songs by husband and wife team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are unforgettable. Among the new classics are Olaf's "In Summer", the heartbreaking "Do You Want to Build a Snowman"(one of the biggest Oscar snubs of the year for me), and the showstopper "Let it Go" - the "Magic of the Movies" moment of the year.

This is the closest Disney has come to matching the Ashman/Menken renaissance of the late '80s / early '90s. They are definitely on a roll right now with "Tangled", "Wreck-it Ralph", and now "Frozen". Writer-director Jennifer Lee(the first woman to direct in Disney history) also co-wrote "Wreck-it Ralph" so there's something special there. With Executive Producer John Lasseter(of Pixar fame) at the helm, there's no doubt in my mind they can keep this team together and continue to make magic as only Disney knows how.

6) Andrés: This is the End

Perhaps my greatest pet peeve when it comes to the Academy is the fact that it simply does not recognize the comedy genre when it comes to the big awards. I think back to movies like “Caddyshack”, “Vacation”, “Dumb and Dumber”, “There’s Something About Mary”, “The 40-Year Old Virgin”, “Talladega Nights” etc… These are all movies among my favorites of all time (and I bet others feel the same way), and yet not a single nomination among them! The academy has to do something about this, but anyways, we can still enjoy movies like this year’s best comedy “This is the End”.

This movie is laugh-out-loud funny from the very beginning and I, for one, loved the idea by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg of using the real actors’ “alter egos”, if you will, as part of the story. Tell me you didn’t laugh-out-loud with Michael Cera’s brief cameo, Danny McBride’s evil ways, or Jonah Hill getting impregnated by the devil (“so something, umm, not so chill happened last night” LOL!). But looking back, I think what I’ll remember most of all is that awesome ending in heaven with one final laugh-out-loud moment when Jay’s greatest wish comes true as the Backstreet Boys come and sing us away.

5) MP: Her

Spike Jonze's 4th feature, the first in which he directs his own script, is basically a love story about a man and his computer. But it's actually about more than just love. It's also about the future of human interaction. In a not-so distant future Los Angeles, we get to experience the relationship between "Theodore Twombly"(Joaquin Phoenix) and his new Operating System, "Samantha"(the voice of Scarlett Johansson). We get to see Theodore and Samantha at the beach, on a double date in the park, and, in one of the most memorable scenes of the year, we experience what making love could feel like between them.

Mr. Phoenix gives a truly astounding performance, opposite a computer for most of the movie. Also, the visuals in this film are breathtaking. I'm hopeful that cities in the near future look this beautiful.

In my opinion, Jonze got snubbed for a Best Director nomination by the Academy. At least his visionary screenplay got nominated, and it looks like the favorite to take home the prize. Jonze actually received 3 nominations, for writing and producing the film, and for writing the original song "The Moon Song" with Karen O, so I guess he can't complain much. This is one film I recommend you go see in theaters before this sunday's Academy Awards, if you haven't seen it already, of course.

5) Andrés: Fruitvale Station 

Oscar Grant was just a young man trying to get his life together, just hoping for a second chance. Sadly he never got that chance as he was shot and killed during New Years 2009 at the Fruitvale train station, by a police officer no less. 

What makes this movie so great, and yet so maddening to watch, is the fact that this is something that happened in real life just a few years ago. So this is a reality that we are living in the world today! Not something that happened 40-50 years ago. 

“Fruitvale Station” is a powerful film that leaves you speechless in the end even though you knew what was coming (I remember feeling the same way after watching “Argo” last year). Props to Michael B. Jordan who does a great job as Oscar, a man just trying to get his life in order and do right by his daughter but sadly was never given that chance and passed away way too young. 

His final words “You shot me, I have a daughter” were just heartbreaking.

4) MP: Short Term 12

Writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton's first full length feature film, expanding his 22-minute short from 2008, tells the story of "Grace", a twenty-something woman who basically runs a facility for at-risk teens with nowhere else to go. As "Grace", Brie Larson gives one of the best performances of the year. It's a magnificent take on a woman in her early 20's who is emotionally tormented on the inside, but mature beyond her years on the outside. "Grace" becomes a mother figure, a big sister, and a best friend to all of the kids under her care. She also has to deal with some very serious personal issues, which come back to haunt her when she identifies with the newest member of the facility, all while trying to maintain a relationship with her co-worker Mason(John Gallagher). 

Overall, the film is an excellent depiction of the struggles teenagers and young adults face and how one person can always make a difference in their lives when they make an effort to connect.

4) Andrés: Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey, as “Ron Woodroof”, gives the performance of a lifetime as a homophobic man who’s given 30 days to live after being diagnosed with AIDS. But through his disease he comes out a changed and better man thanks to the help he is able to provide for other AIDS patients by creating the Dallas Buyers Club.

McConaughey’s transformation into Ron Woodoof is just amazing and the Best Actor Oscar nomination was well deserved. But McConaughey’s performance comes up short in comparison to the brilliance that was Jared Leto’s portrayal of “Rayon”, Ron’s transgender partner in the Dallas Buyer Club. Leto makes you fall in love with “Rayon” and gives the movie its great heart. He’s an absolute lock to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.  

3) MP: Gravity

If you could've only seen one movie from 2013 in theaters, this was it. This film is why movie theaters exist in the first place! Alfonso Cuarón outdoes himself with this film, and cements his place among the greatest living directors, if, for some reason, he wasn't there already. I was fortunate enough to experience this film in theaters, in 3D, and I can honestly say that it is one moviegoing experience I will never forget! You feel like you're on an amusement park thrill ride. Once it's over, and at just over 90 minutes it goes by pretty fast, you can't wait to get back on.

For those who haven't seen it, it will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD tomorrow. While I can't guarantee you'll have the same experience I had in the theater, this film is still a must watch for all the wonders and terrors it holds. Plus, it's currently the co-favorite to win Best Picture at this sunday's Academy Awards, so there's that reason.

3) Andrés: Short Term 12

I absolutely loved “Short Term 12”. Any other year this is a Best Picture winner if you ask me. In this story of a foster care facility for teenagers, we’re introduced to “Grace” (Brie Larson) who’s in charge of the group and battles her own demons while trying to help these kids cope with theirs. 

When we meet the newest member of the group, “Jayden” (Kaitlyn Dever), Grace immediately identifies with her and her own troubled past comes to light, but she’ll always put the wellbeing of the kids she cares for first. That’s what makes her so great, and Brie Larson absolutely nails the performance in a star-making turn for her. 

The film teaches us a valuable lesson in not judging people without understanding what they might be going through. As “Marcus” (Keith Stanfield) raps to us in what was perhaps the most powerful scene I saw all year: “Put a label on my head so you know what it’s like, to live a life not knowing what a normal life’s like. Look into my eyes so you know what it’s like! Look into my eyes so you know what it’s like! Look into my eyes so you know what it’s like, to live a life not knowing what a normal life’s like.”

2) MP: Before Midnight

The conclusion(?) to Jesse and Celine's story is the best representation of a 9-year relationship I have ever seen. I would know, since my own relationship is about to turn 10 this summer. Those marathon fights where you feel totally exhausted at the end... Yeah, I've been there. The conversations about your careers and the future of your family... been there too. I've also been known to eat my son's food when he falls asleep from time to time, same as Jesse. 

I identify so much with these characters, maybe because they fell in love in Vienna, same as my wife and I, or because they got together in 2004, same as my wife and I, but maybe it's because Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy have done such a fabulous job of taking their own personal experiences, blending them together, and creating one of the greatest love stories of all time. You heard me!

2) Andrés: The Wolf of Wall Street

The true story of the life of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an absolute HOME RUN and the fact that it’s not #1 on my list will cause me to lose sleep the night of the Oscars. I don’t know how Martin Scorsese does it but he’s the only man who can continue to do 3-hour movies that will entertain you from the 1^st minute to the very end. 

Yes it is a bit over the top, but that’s exactly what Belfort’s life was like according to his book, which the screenplay is based on. Belfort and his partner Donnie Azoff’s (Jonah Hill) drunken and drug induced behavior is downright CRAZY! And I loved every minute of it.

Why are we not talking more about this movie!?  It’s Scorsese’s best work since “Goodfellas”, and I feel as if it’s falling through the cracks in a crowded year for movies. But make no mistake about it, we will be talking about this film years from now as an ALL-TIME great!

1) MP: 12 Years a Slave

We know what we're in for from the title, but director Steve McQueen manages to jolt us in a way we could've never imagined. He jumps right in with an opening scene of what Solomon experiences during one random night as a slave. From that moment, he jumps to the past, when Solomon is a free man with his family in the north. This initial contrast gives the film a sense of impending doom, as the audience is now fully aware of Solomon's upcoming fate. Or are they? You see, this opening scene is just the tip of the iceberg of what Solomon experiences during his "12 Years a Slave".

An excellent cast, led by Chiwetel Ejiofor(the best performance of the year in my book) as Solomon Northup, takes John Ridley's excellent screenplay, adapted from Northup's book, to extraordinary levels. Any other year, Steve McQueen would runaway with the Best Director Oscar, but Cuarón decided to release his movie about space on the same year. McQueen's visual style is perfect to tell this story. Some scenes are so intense you feel you have to look away. But then again, McQueen makes us all confront the atrocities of slavery, in its most visceral depiction to date, making it our moral obligation to watch every second and reflect as a society just how exactly we've gotten to where we are today.

"12 Years a Slave" is currently the favorite to win Best Picture at this sunday's Academy Awards. It's still in theaters, so if you haven't seen it you still have a chance. It's quite simply, a Masterpiece.

1) Andrés: 12 years a slave

If I feel we’re going to be talking about my #2 film for years as an all-time great then my #1 movie is, dare I say it, one of the best of all time! 

Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” is an historic film about the true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his struggle being held captive as a slave for 12 years. McQueen takes us on a journey through the realities of slavery in the 19^th century that still has me picking up my jaw off the floor. 

This film is downright brutal to watch, and that’s what makes it so great. If you want to make a great movie about slavery and make it seem real, it has to be brutal because slavery was brutal. McQueen understood this and relays it on point to the audience without crossing any lines. What an incredibly tight rope to work through and what an excellent final product was delivered.

The cast was excellent as well, with Ejiofor being in contention for Best Actor and Lupita Nyong’o being the favorite to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Michael Fassbender might as well have delivered the best performance of all in the film (but sadly he’s in the same category as Jared Leto for his award). 

Simply put, I’ll copy my brother’s words and say that “12 Years a Slave” is a MASTERPIECE!