[Ep. 14] The Top 10 Best Films of 2013

If there's a film YOU, the reader, like and it's not on this list, don't get worked up about it. If it's not here, then it means that either I didn't see it, or I didn't like it as much.

Okay! Now that THAT'S out of the way, it's time to count down...

If you wanted to pick a film to get you off that high of the summer, you know after watching your Pacific Rims and your Lone Rangers- though apparently, nobody saw that- and you wanted a film that just screams "DRAMA!" I think THIS is a good place to start.

Rating: 80%

Prisoners is a VERY haunting experience. I had a good feeling that this film would be pretty intense, but I wan't expecting THIS! No horror film has captured a realistic element as scary as this- losing your child. That's a very, very adult fear, and this is very much an adult movie- not in the sense of sex or violence- though there IS some blood, and it ain't pretty.

Hugh Jackman plays a father, who after his daughter goes missing, he goes to great lengths to try to rescue her. And I do mean GREAT. Hugh Jackman is SCARY in this film, but it's a good kind of scary because- while you may not approve of what he does, you UNDERSTAND why he's doing what he's doing; as a father, you want nothing but the best for your children, and it makes YOU ask the question that: would you go through the same lengths Hugh Jackman goes through to rescue your child?

Without revealing anything, this film goes into very, very uncomfortable territory, where Hugh Jackman is literally trying to beat the answers out of the prime suspect of his and Terrance Howard's daughter's kidnapping. Safe to say, this is a very DARK film; what put this on my list are the performances, which are incredible: Hugh Jackman plays a great tough survivalist and loving father; Paul Dano reeks of awkwardness and it's GREAT for his character, as the prime suspect of kidnapping, but the performance that really sold this film to me, was Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the lead officer in charge of the investigation. The great thing about Gyllenhaal's character, is that he's the comic relief of the film. Now, I don't mean that he's a clown, but he's really a smartass; which is justified since, according to the film, not once has he failed a single mission, which makes him both cocky and confident that he will sort out the mystery and succeed.

Jake Gyllenhaal injects lightheartedness to the film when it REALLY needs the mood to lighten up from all the tension going on around it, but you still trust that Gyllenhaal will be able to complete the mission, because he's as dedicated to it as Hackman is to finding his daughter.

This film WILL keep you on the edge of your seat.

If I had any issues with this film, they would be:

1. The film is WAAAAAAAAAY too long- it's 2 Hours and 33 Minutes! I wouldn't normally complain about this, except for the fact that there are LOT of red herrings, and while the film DOES manage to not waste any of its time on any pointless scenes, it just feels a bit flabby, like a good 10 or 15 minutes could be shaven off, because by the time you get to the climax, you REALLY feel the length of the film.

2. Terrance Howard... is a little hard to take seriously. I'm not saying he's bad, but there's just something about his voice that sounds a bit... whiny. His wife (Viola Davis), on the other hand, has a lot more weight on her words, and it's easier to take her seriously.

3. The reveal. The reason why this film isn't any higher, is because of the climax- once you figure out the mystery and find out the truth,  the reveal feels a little TOO Hollywood-ish; it's almost like the reveal feels TOO much like a movie- almost like something out of James Bond, for crying out loud. And if you've seen the film, you KNOW what I'm talking about.

Overall, the story and direction feel a little misguided, but the actors are what REALLY pull through and this films delivers such a heavy emotional impact, that you WILL think about what would you do if you were in Hugh Jackman's place, especially if you're a father, yourself.

Wow... that was grim. So... let's say a drama like that isn't your cup of tea. Would you like something a little more colorful? Well, let me present to you...

Phew... I'm actually kinda relieved this held up here. I was debating about giving this spot to either this or Despicable Me 2, though ultimately Monsters University ended up being the winner simply because it's the superior film. Sorry, Illumination, but you've gotta do better than Despicable Me 2. Don't get me wrong, Despicable Me 2 is a baldy-headed barrel of fun, but Monsters University had placed a lot more chips in the name of luck, and it won a greater turnout with better characters, more touching moments, and an absolutely INCREDIBLE twist.

After the utterly ABYSMAL Cars 2, and the disappointment that was Brave, I was getting ready to throw in the towel that Pixar had lost its touch, however they turned around with a really fun, really funny, really exciting new film- easily their best since Toy Story 3.

In this film, Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) goes to the titular Monsters University so that he can learn to become a "Scarer". However, conflict arrives in the form of James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman), who ALSO wants to become a Scarer, though only by riding on his family's coattails rather than actually studying. Sulley has the natural talent, while Mike knows all the technicals behind scaring, though neither one has what the other needs; personalities clash when they fail their semester exam and must live together in the Oozma Kappa house of the campus and need to learn to get along so they can successfully compete in the Scaring Games and get a second chance of being a Scarer.

What I love about this film is that it gives you what the original Monsters Inc. was lacking- CHARACTER. Sulley and Mike were best friends and co-workers, and they needed to find a way to deal with a little girl. Okay, sure, they have motivation, but we really know NOTHING about them. This film really managed to rectify this issue by filling in all the gaps that the original failed to do so. Not only that, but we get introduced to a cast of various colorful and interesting monsters- including the entire OK house, the antagonists, Roar Omega Roar, Dean Abigail Hardscrabble, who you'd THINK would be the antagonist of the film, but no, she's just cold, but... she's also just doing her job; and of all the monsters, she has the coolest design out of all of them. The humor works a LOT better here than it did in Monsters Inc., mainly because it doesn't feel like a bunch of comedians trying to do stand-up.

As you can imagine, I'm not the biggest fan of Monsters Inc., but considering I've seen the film practically a MILLION times, the older I got, the flaws became more and more obvious. That's not to say that I don't like it, but I don't think it's the classic everybody makes it out to be, especially when compared to films like Toys Story, Up or even, The Incredibles. But, in the context of this film, it really does bring Monsters Inc. some new life into it now that Monsters University exists, though I personally find this to be the superior film.

A lot of people complained about the fact that this film feels rather... unnecessary, and to be fair, you'd... probably be right. This brings me to one of my problems with the film- and that's just a problem with prequels in general, and that is that, with a prequel, you KNOW exactly where the characters are going to end up; so there really isn't much dramatic tension by the time you realize that no matter what happens, they're gonna be fine, even though the film DOES manage to get a couple of good dramatic moments.

Sadly, not all of the characters are used for great effect, with some getting thrown by the wayside; the WORST example of this being Randall Boggs (voiced by Steve Buscemi) who starts out being Mike's  roommate, then about halfway through, after he gets accepted into ROR, he becomes the bully he is in Monsters Inc.... and that's it. He just transforms. And then he gets humiliated and vows revenge... for HOW many years? It only serves to make Randall even more pathetic in Monsters Inc., granted, that may be intentional, but... Randall's a character who COULD have done something more interesting. On that same note, the ROR campus are just a notch above being stereotype bullies, with they're saving grace being that they're actually pretty funny, though not necessarily more interesting.

Now, the story sounds like it's going in the way you THINK it's headed, but just hold that thought for a second, because when you THINK the film is about to end, something happens near the third act of the film that just INJECTS the film with some new life to it- what they do in the third act is something so incredibly clever that it made me remember: "THIS is why I love Pixar". Funny- I made a similar argument with Brave as the third act being the most interesting part of the film, but it works better here, because the main characters are a lot more likable, the humor is stronger, and the final twist is just SO creative- it brought me nothing but sheer joy.

Overall, this is STILL not the strongest Pixar film, but one I really, really enjoyed, and I hope it gets the reception the original did, if not, better.

Okay, let's get the obvious one out of the way.

Gravity
Rating: 85%

Yeah, yeah, it's a great film, James Cameron loved it, and if you're on of those wretched hipsters, you will hate it for being "too mainstream"- blah, blah, blah. Okay, so it's clear I don't really have to sing Gravity's praises, because EVERYBODY else has done it- the direction is great, the cinematography is jawdropping, the score is incredible, the special effects are amazing, the acting is A+ quality, and they tried to get the physics as accurately as possible- I've got pretty much NOTHING else to say, since it's all true!

The story is incredibly interesting and unique- there's so much debris in space that there is a possibility that it could knock something, or someone in orbit, and Sandra Bullock happened to be unlucky enough to get caught in that "honor". Both her and George Clooney lose contact with Earth, and must now find a way to return to... gravity.

What makes this film really, really work is the feeling of isolation; this film captures it magnificently mainly due to the lack of sound, though that doesn't meant it's NOT without sound, but they keep it muted to create the illusion that we ARE in the vaccuum of space. Another thing they captured perfectly is the lack of friction, and this is why the physics work, because once something is in space, there's absolutely NOTHING that can slow it down. On Earth, we have the air around us, but in space, everything is perpetually in motion, so once something starts moving, it will not stop, thus creating a constant threat to both Clooney and Bullock, besides the fact that they're stranded in space. To make matters worse, both astronauts are fairly low in resources- fuel, food, oxygen- all the elements are against them, and THAT'S when it hit me- this isn't a sci-fi thriller, it's a survival film. It's an unusual survival film because... we've never had anybody survive out in space- and no, the ISS doesn't count.

Alfonso Cuaron really shined as through as his direction in the story, the GORGEOUS cinematography, which is both beautiful and TERRIFYING- it really captures a great feeling of agoraphobia, because there is NOTHING and it's scary. It's also equally disorienting- once characters get flung around, YOU get dizzy watching, and it works WONDERS.

Now, this film is not without its flaws, and the biggest flaw of the film is... the dialogue. Not that it's bad dialogue, but it's kinda unnecessary- it just feels odd that Sandra Bullock has to talk to herself, whereas her being mostly silent would have delivered a stronger emotional impact because all information of what she's going to do would be delivered visually, and THAT leaves a much stronger impact. I understand that it's necessary, but I would have liked it better without it, though it's thankfully not a detriment to her character, it's just that, let's be honest, Sandra Bullock is playing Sandra Bullock, though she has mad scientist skillz.

Another thing that took me by surprise is that, I've complained that many of the films I've seen recently- even Prisoners- is that they are WAY too long. This film is too SHORT- it's only 1 Hour and 31 Minutes, which really left me wondering: "did I miss a reel?" Oh, well. I guess I can't complain about that at all, since the length doesn't damage the film. And like I said, Bullock and Clooney are great, though Cuaron is the real star, as he NAILS the technicals that make this film one of the greats of 2013.

I'm sure some of use are STILL enjoying the holiday afterglow- some of us playing with our new toys, your Wii Us, some new films, maybe you're the poor sap that got socks for Christmas. I spent my Christmas Eve on Disney World enjoying something a little bit cooler- seeing them add their newest addition to the Disney animated cannon to their glorious theme park; I'm of course talking about-

Frozen
Rating: 87%

Ah, yes. This has been a pretty GOOD year for Disney, if I do say so myself. Frozen clocks in at Number 7 and as the highest-ranking animated feature on my list, Frozen goes back to the classic Disney Princess formula, though with a twist.

In this film a fearless young Princess Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell, NOT Christian Bell) journeys in an epic adventure to find her sister, and queen of the kingdom of Arendalle, Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) after she unleashes a MASSIVE snowstorm and traps the kingdom in an eternal winter. On the way she encounters a mountain man who sells ice, named Kristoff (voiced by Johnathan Groff) and his reindeer, Sven, who agrees to help take her up the mountain in exchange for her giving him the gear he was looking for.

The one thing that's most notable about this film is that it brought back the classic Disney formula of the Broadway-style musical numbers. Combine that with the fact that this film ALSO brings a new Disney Princess in the mix, you'd THINK it would fall back on the same coattails of Disney's second golden era. However, what this film has going for it is that it shifts the focus from its male characters to the female leads, and the female characters are REALLY strong, they are strong female protagonists, both relatable and sympathetic, but they're also brave in their own waves for what they do. Anna is, in a way, a deconstruction of what usually happens to a Disney princess, and that's ALL I'm going to say about it, but once you see the film, you'll know what I'm talking about.

The male characters are very interesting themselves, and they're more or less, supporting characters-one of the best things about them are they're designs, the guys don't look like your typical, handsome, cookie-cutter Disney prince, they're very much unique, they're also unique in terms of character, as well. The character that took me most by surprise is Olaf (voice by Josh Gad), who I thought was going to be unbelievably gratingly annoying... and he turned out to be one of, if not THE most charismatic character in the film; he's definitely the funniest- he's a snowman who dreams about summer. It sounds like a character that could go nowhere, but what makes him different than most other Disney sidekicks is that he's not a wise-ass, Olaf is just very naive and clueless, though not stupid, and pretty much anything having to do with him is laugh-out-loud funny. And yet, he also manages to be really endearing, even though he's blissfully unaware that his fantasy is suicidal, you can't help but love him.

Like always, I have to bring up a complain, and I DO have one- I'm not TOO crazy about the first half of the film as I am about the second half, mainly because it felt TOO much like a typical Disney film, and the musical numbers were not that good, though, thankfully, they're short. The musical number that DID grab my attention was, Let It Go, which I don't even have talk about how awesome it is. And it's a unique song, too, as it's not her singing about how great life is going to be. It's pretty much Elsa saying: "Fuck it." And it's GREAT!

Also, there's a part of the film that both critics and fans are... very split on- I'm not going to say what it is, in case you haven't seen the film, but for those of you who HAVE seen it, you probably know what I'm talking about, and you're in the camp of whether you like it or you don't. Me personally, I didn't see it coming, but I just went along with it because it works for the film, even though I think this film could have STILL worked out without that element, though for the sake of the conflict, it works. I... I need to see it again to confirm that.

Though I WILL admit that the characters I didn't like were the trolls, who have their most out-of-place song in the whole film, and for some... odd reason, they're the only characters that do NOT sound like they could be Sweedish. It's something Disney has been pretty notorious with- *cough*TheLionKing*cough*thehyenas*cough*.

People claim that this is the best Disney film since Beauty and the Beast and while I disagree with that statement, I think this is a very, very, VERY strong film. And I think girls will get the most enjoyment out of it, mainly because of the main strong female leads; Disney fans alike will ALSO love the hell out of this, just like I did, and I CAN'T wait to see more from Disney!

Captain Phillips
Rating: 89%

AKA, the movie that proved that pirates CAN be taken seriously.

Again, I don't think I really have to sing the praises for this film. This is ALSO a really intense action film, that also acts like a documentary. It's essentially a combination of both, but it uses the strongest elements from both genres, and what you get is an incredibly well-made action film with great drama in it.

What starts out as yet another day at work for Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), quickly turns into a nightmare as Somalian pirates invade Phillips' ship, and must now give into their demands if they want to sail away with their lives.

The actors are incredible- not just Tom Hanks, who is Tom Hanks, and he's great, but the Somalian pirates are ALSO incredible- they're not just faceless goons, the Somalians have great character to them as well, and the bonds between each of them work. The funniest thing about them is that, the Somalians... are practically idiots in a mission sent by their warlord; though they're not thinking through they're plan, and there's only a few them, they have machine guns and they are VERY demanding.

The tension is... intense, as not only does Hanks have to deal with the pirates, but he also has to worry about the Navy SEALS who instead of trying to help them- which they can't- they have to make sure the ship doesn't hit Somalia no matter what. So, Hanks has to do everything he has in his power to save himself AND the people on the boat.

I can't really think of much else to say, except that the halfway point might throw some people off because this movie is pretty much two halves, instead of three acts, and some people MIGHT find it a bit long, but I didn't mind it. And that ending... oh, God THAT ending. I do love this film, though the sad thing is, as much as I really love this film, and it does NOTHING wrong, it's not something that really made it groundbreaking, but it did everything right, and that I'm MORE than welcome in my books.

As we get into the Top 5 and I reminisce about the truly GREAT films about this year- oh, man, the great films are just incredible- that's why I say this fall, and early winter season has been really, really great, because we get truly remarkable films. And while I get the feeling some people might disagree with me on this particular choice, it's my list- and it's a film that really did move me.

Saving Mr. Banks
Rating: 90%

This has been a really great year for  both national treasure Tom Hanks and Disney, and this here is no exception. What makes this film especially interesting is that it's a Disney film... about the making OF a Disney film. But not just ANY Disney film; the childhood classic, Mary Poppins.

In this film, author P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson) is incredibly reluctant to the idea of handing over the rights of Mary Poppins to Disney. Why? Because Mary Poppings is based on her life experiences, and she has NO interest in seeing her work getting... Disneyfied; and she refuses to hand over the rights unless Disney agrees to do everything according to her. Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) has been trying to get this movie off the ground for 20 years, but he is not going to stop until he gets his way.

There is so much to love about this film that I don't even know where to start. First, the actors are INCREDIBLE- Emma Thompson is AMAZING as P. L. Travers. She is- how can I put this kindly... a bit ofa ...cunt. She is VERY rude, cold, and wants absolutely nothing to do with this project because she doesn't want to see her character be ruined, but the great thing about it is that we get to see what's going on in her head, and we understand WHY she's the way she is. Tom Hanks as Disney is also unbelievably FANTASTIC- in fact, his performance as the charming businessman is... exactly like how Disney portrayed himself as. You don't see Tom Hanks on screen- you see the Walt Disney we know and love, but what makes it even better is that he's NOT all smiles and chuckles, as we get to see stuff that Disney would NEVER have let out on film- Walt Disney smokes, drinks and even swears, though they all happen briefly. Not only that, but you can also see him getting VERY frustrated with Travers, but ultimately tries to compromise with her, though in the end, he IS going to get the film made the way he wants it to be- and we ALL know the final results.

B. J. Noavk and Jason Schwartzman as the Robert and Richard Sherman are also great. I love how... Novak is the one guy who does NOT put up with Traver's shit about how she's chaining the film to HER harsh purist image. Oh! While we're on that topic, I can bring up one of the things I really loved about the film- the comedy. The comedy is genius; it feels almost like an old Hollywood comedy where everybody is acting and reacting broadly, but it works for the setting and tone for the film.

Okay, okay, what are the complaints? Well, I've got two- and they're two BIG complaints.

One, the flashbacks. Admittedly, the flashbacks are done really, really well- Colin Farrell as R. G. Travers is a drunk, but he's funny and likable, and you can see why young P. L. Travers loves and admires her dad... and that makes it all the more sad when he goes out in a very bad way. Though, like I said, there's nothing wrong with the flashabacks... they seem like a completely different movie, in every sense of the word. The tone is also different from the main film- while the Plot A is very funny and lighthearted, Plot B- the flashbacks- are really whimsical, TOO whimsical. And when Colin Farrell passes away, the flashbacks become a real downer. Again, it's no that they're done poorly, but they're just tonally different. There's also TOO many of them.

My second problem, and the most obvious problem is that the film takes... a few liberties with history. Let's just say... some of the things that happen are a little... inaccurate, ESPECIALY the premiere at the end of the movie. I know some people- Disney historians especially- are going to complain that the film took a lot of liberties in its story; and while I normally love it when the film is as accurate as it can be, I think it works here because this feels almost like a Disney fable, in and of itself. Wow, a Disney film about a Disney fable about the creation of a Disney film... wow..

"Yo, we put a Disney in your Disney, so you can Disney while you Disney."

Oh, well. Leave it up to the history books to sort out the flaws? Me? I found this film incredibly sweet and charismatic- again, it's... just so Disney, you can't help BUT love it.

Man, this year has been chock full of great dramas and very sentimental films. But what if you want something funny? Well... we've had a couple of good comedic films, like I said, Saving Mr. Banks is pr- oh! You mean PURE comedies? Ooh... this was NOT a good year for comedies. Don't get me wrong, we got a couple good comedies: This is the End was pretty funny, The To Do List was alright... that's about it. Not much else. We're the Millers was mediocre, Identity Thief was a piece of shit... and I'm not even going to get into the "parodies". 

... however... one comedy stood head and shoulders atop the others. And if you know me, you can probably guess what it is, though odds are, you've seen it already, and you probably agree with me as well- while This is the End was pretty funny, it's nothing when compared to-

The World's End
Rating: 92%

Awwwwwwwww, yeeeeeah... good ol' Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright, never fail to impress.

For the final film of their "Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy" we've got The World's End. This film is about Gary King (Simon Pegg) a, for all intends and purposes, loser who is trying to get his old high school gang back together to complete the ultimate pub crawl, the infamous "Golden Mile", across 12 different pubs, ultimately reaching the titular World's End. His four other friends have all moved onto more successful and restrained lives, while Simon Pegg has... basically never grown up. It all seems like a not-so-jolly reunion until something happens to their old town of Newtown Haven; and I'm NOT going to say what it is- even though you probably already know because the trailers are fucking retarded for spoiling the big twist!

Ugg... oh! I forgot! Positives!

If you've seen Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, I think it goes without saying that this film is just fucking hilarious as the two former. I don't have to say about how many great hilarious moments there are, as a matter of fact, I'm not telling you any, because I want YOU to see them for yourself, and laugh your ass off.

I WILL talk about the other elements in the film. First of all, I was kind of surprised that Simon Pegg was the loser of the film, for a change, and Nick Frost... was not only the competent one of the duo, but he's a total badass! Hey, this is the final film these guys are gonna work in together, so might as well now, than never...

... oh, of course it's NOT the final film these three are gonna work in together! Like the two previous entries in this "trilogy", the writing is top-notch- the humor is HILARIOUS, which goes without saying since the dialogue in all three films is really, really great- Edgar Wright's dialogue in general is fantastic. But the other element that makes all of these movies shine is, believe it or not, NOT the apocalypse, but the characters. The reason why Wright's films work, and why they are as funny as they as they are is because the characters are so grounded and relatable. Even Gary King- or I should say, ESPECIALLY Gary King. Now, I know at one point or another, we've ALL had that friend who's a complete and utter fuck-up, but what makes Gary great is that, he's kind of a tragic hero. I'm not going to go in-depths of why, since this is not an in-depth review, but rather me listing why I love this film, and... what else do I need to say?

Well... actually I do have a complaint, and it's the reason why this film is kept from being in my Top 3, is because the way this movie ends... I, uh... I normally like it when if a movie wants to do something crazy... that they go all out with it. But, the way this movie ends... it's just TOO silly, EVEN for this type of film; and while I don't normally let the aftermath of a film bring a movie down for me, it hurt this film just enough to keep out of my Top 3.

... so... I guess you can say it got knocked down a Pegg?

...

...

...

Time for my Top 3 films of the year... and for Number 3, this is a film that... I was shocked to realize I loved as much  as I did... but holy crap... I am SO happy I got a chance to see it, and now... I'm a fan.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Rating: 95%

This message goes out to all of you Hobbit fans and Peter Jackson apologists everywhere- did you want a sequel to film with a love triangle in it and ACTUALLY get it right, while STILL balancing out great action, drama, and special effects? Then The Hunger Games: Catching Fire if the film for you! 

(DISCLAIMER: I didn't hate The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, I just found it incredibly tedious and... pointless.)

Anyway, this film really took me by surprise as one of the greats from late in the year, as I was NOT expecting to be as moved as I was, but wow... this film really rocked my core.

Following the events of the 74^th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are still feeling uneasy about the aftermaths of the events of the previous film. To make matters worse, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has noticed that Katniss has become a beacon of hope among the public, namely District 12, Katniss' home. So Snow comes up with a plan to not only try to get rid of Katniss, but to destroy her image. And... it is BRUTAL, the fact that it's such an invasion in Katniss' life.

Now, while I DID like the first Hunger Games movie- *cough*loveditenoughtobe#10inmy2012BestMovieslist*cough*- I found the drama a tad generic, the villains were just there, the action was shot TOO close, and the resolution just seemed a little too... not really happy, but definitely a sweeter ending. Well... this movie brings the consequences of the movie to the forefront- Snow forces Katniss to keep this "love" between her and Peeta going, even though it was only a fabrication to keep themselves alive and win.

The journey from the end of the first film to the end of THIS film really shows you that things have gone from bad to worse to Oh My God... All of the problems I had with the first film. ELIMINATED. The action, the drama, the tension- oh, God, it's just soooo good! Snow wasn't that interesting in the first film. HERE? You're going to hate his GUTS as he's doing everything in his power to crush Katniss, her image and her spirit. And he does some things that really make your jaw drop in disbelief.

This film is essentially tearing out your main protagonist's heart and seeing how many different ways you can crush it to the point where it's sickening. I never though I'd say this... but I can't wait for the next two films!

Now, I gotta say this about this NEXT film... I think it's not only the best film of the year... but I think it may be the best of the DECADE. It's one of the best films I have EVER seen, and it's such a gut-wrenching experience that... it just... it's just hard to describe it as nothing short of "a masterpiece"... so if I feel that strongly about this next film... then why is it Number 2 and not Number 1?

Well, while I personally think this film is just... perfect... it's not a film I'm going to watch again and again, very soon, because it's just not a film that I can picture anybody being emotionally ready for, kind of like Schindler's List- you will NEVER be ready to watch such a heart-breaking experience again and again. I DO want my Number 1 to be something special that speaks to me; I don't mean that by saying that this film ISN'T special at all, because it's a film that I feel 10, 20, 30 years from now people will be talking about as the masterpiece of the decade and one of the best of ALL TIME, as it rightfully deserves. So while THIS film will have a higher rating, I won't watch this film again... any time soon. Not because it's bad- oh, HELL no! But because it's just... I know I said films like Prisoners and Catching Fire will rock you to your core... but they will not leave you with the impression that THIS film did- and ANYBODY who says otherwise, is a complete lunatic.

Like I said, while this film has a higher rating, it's something that... you REALLY gotta be in the right mindset to watch. But... here it is.

12 Years a Slave
Rating: 100%

Based on the 1853 memoir of the same name, Solomon Northup is a New York-born free Negro who was KIDNAPPED in Washington D.C. and sold into slavery. And he worked on plantations in Louisiana twelve years before he was released. Within those twelve years he witnessed all the... horrible... just... horrible ordeals that slaves were put through... and to say it's hard to watch, it's... a gross understatement...

Rating: 98%