These are the ten best films I saw in 2013.
10. The Hunt
Thomas Vinterberg’s best film since Festen features Mads
Mikkelsen as Lucas, a kindergarten teacher accused of molesting one the
children – his best friend’s daughter. Mikkelsen, so chilling in Hannibal,
displays admirable versatility. Since we know Lucas is innocent of the crime
right from the start, Vinterberg derives much tension from how – if at all –
Lucas convinces others of his innocence, and from the paranoia he experiences
from colleagues, friends and townspeople.
9. Beyond the Hills
Two young Romanian women reunite after years apart; one has
relocated to France, while the other has become a nun. It is clear that their
relationship had a sexual nature, and the desire of these women – one desires
the other, while the other desires God – makes for captivating viewing.
Director Christian Mungiu’s film is slow but rewarding, and some of his shots are
pure cinematic poetry: the film has one of the best closing shots I saw in
a film all year.
8. Django Unchained
Tarantino’s slavery vengeance fantasy is very nearly the equal of
his previous film Inglorious Basterds. Yes, I know, Django is maybe too
indulgent, but I’m happy to be a guest in a world as intricate and dynamic as
Tarantino’s. As for the performances, Samuel L . Jackson is a scene stealer.
7. Lincoln
Spielberg’s biopic is a magisterial, beautifully written
piece of historical fiction. Of course Daniel Day-Lewis got most of the
attention for his award winning performance as one of America’s greatest
presidents, but the real stars are screenwriter Tony Kushner (who previously collaborated
with Spielberg on Munich), cinematographer Janusz Kaminski who weaves wonders
with light and shadow, and Spielberg himself, here redeeming himself for his over-cooked
Amistad with a far more restrained epic.
6. Lore
Lore is a harrowing family drama set against the backdrop of
the demise of Nazi Germany. The film opens shortly before Hitler’s death, with
a Nazi-sympathetic German family suddenly having to flee their home. It is up
to the eldest child, Lore (Saskia Rosendahl), to deliver herself and her younger siblings
(including a baby brother) safely to their grandmother. Director Cate Shortland’s
film is breath-taking character piece.
5. Rust & Bone
Jacques
Audiard follows up his acclaimed work The Prophet with the sensitive
survivalist romantic drama Rust and Bone. This is a film for those who avoid
mainstream approaches to romance because romance seems to be far from the
characters’ minds. Starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Marion Cotillard.
4. Holy Motors
Writer-director Leon Carax loves cinema, loves it, and this
film is both an elegy for the cinema as well as a demonstration of its
innovation. At the center is actor Denis Levant, who is, simply, a force of
nature. I’m going to skip a plot synopsis and rather mention that this is the
first time Kylie Minogue’s given me goosebumps.
3. The Act of Killing
Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary is nothing short of
astonishing: the film follows two men responsible for mass killings during the
military take-over in Indonesia in the 1960s, and Oppenheimer (the military
men, Anwar and Kotto, often mention ‘Joshua’ as if he’s a friend) allows/guides
them to recreate some of their crimes using amateur actors and props. The
result is a film that is disturbing and mesmerising. That the film exists is
itself a miracle.
2. Gravity
Gravity is the most spectacular film I’ve seen in a long
time, and the single best argument for why 3D has cinematic value. Even without
the additional dimension, the film is still a technological marvel, and a feat
of economic storytelling. If American studio films have a future, Gravity is
it; it’s what happens when big Hollywood stars (Sandra Bullock, George Clooney)
end up in the hands of a visionary filmmaker, Alfonso Cuaron.
1. Amour
The best film of the year is Michael Haneke’s sensitive drama
Amour. Haneke, known for his disturbing material (the Funny Games films, The
Piano Teacher) and politically charged narratives (Hidden), here delivers a
deeply personal film that is every bit as meticulously crafted and intelligent
as his other work. In addition, I found Amour to also be an acutely emotional
film, given Haneke’s delicate depiction of old age, illness and debilitation.
