The Best Films of 2013 (So Far)

As the academic year comes to a close, we ask ourselves: has this year been underwhelming in the world of cinema? The question is not rhetorical and the answer is a resounding ‘no’. The countdown for the best films of the year … so far starts now:

5. Stoker

Upon the death of India’s (Mia Wasikowska) father, her uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) comes to live with her and her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). Director Chan-wook Park, known for the critically acclaimed Oldboy, makes his English language debut with Stoker, a visually-arresting and wholly original film. While the film’s story tends to veer into the absurd, Park stabilizes the film with an extraordinary sense of atmosphere, preventing Stoker from becoming nonsensical and instead making it an intense psycho-sexual thriller.
(Released on DVD/BD 1 July)

4. Side Effects

Side Effects is one of the years best kept secrets – the less you know before going in, the more you will enjoy it. Featuring a plethora of believable and shocking plot-twists, Steven Soderbergh’s Hitchcockian thriller is anchored by electrifying performances and a pitch-perfect score from Thomas Newman. Side Effects is a taut, highly intelligent and original thriller that is not to be missed.
(Released on DVD/BD 29 July)

3. The Great Gatsby

Baz Luhrmann is no stranger to polarization – his previous films Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia have fiercely divided audiences. His latest, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved novel, The Great Gatsby, is no exception. Luhrmann’s film, however, is nothing short of fascinating. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers the year’s best performance as Jay Gatsby and other excellent performances from Joel Edgerton, Carey Mulligan and Tobey McGuire combined with Luhrmann’s remarkable visual flair create a fresh, innovative and thrilling atmosphere. Though some elements of Luhrmann’s relentless style are distracting – the words appearing on screen, in particular, feel incredibly juvenile, Luhrmann holds back enough to let the performances take hold, creating a exciting and effortlessly watchable adaptation of the classic story.
(In cinemas)

2. The Place Beyond The Pines

Spanning over 15 years and nearly two and a half hours long, Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines grapples with issues of morality, fatherhood, and family resulting in a hugely ambitious and sprawling epic. The film captivates from the opening shot, and both Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper are great in their roles as a stunt-driver-turned-bank-robber and police officer respectively. The film is gritty, bleak and at times difficult to watch, but nonetheless it is a powerful and mesmerizing experience, especially on the big screen.
(Released on DVD/BD 5 August)

1. Stories We Tell

Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell is nothing short of a masterpiece. The documentary is deeply personal as it explores her families’ heavily guarded secrets. However, it effortlessly brings the audience into its world, allowing for one of the most intimate experiences in cinema. As is a common theme with the cream of the crop of 2013, the less you know about any details of the film, the better your experience will be. Therefore, there is little else to say than the fact that Stories We Tell is not only the best film of the year (so far), but one of the finest films in years.
(In selected cinemas 28 June)

Other great films released in 2013: Star Trek Into Darkness, Mud, Populaire, Reality, Iron Man 3

(Header Image Source, Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5)