Film Review: Top Five Films of 2013

2013 has been yet another triumphant year for film; so much so that when making this list it was a real struggle to narrow down just five top flicks. So here, in no particular order, are my top five films of 2013.

5. The Way, Way Back (Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, 2013) 

A comic coming-of-age drama in which shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on a summer vacation with his mother (Toni Collette) her overbearing boyfriend (Steve Carell) and her boyfriend's daughter. Having had a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park where he has an unforgettable summer of romance and friendship. The Way, Way Back is, by far, one of my favourite films of all time, let-alone the year. The narrative presents a heart-warming and witty tale with some brilliant performances from an all-star cast and directed brilliantly by one of my favourite comic actors/writers/directors, Jim Rash. I give it a Sophie star rating of 4.5 out of 5 **Watch the trailer here **

4. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, 2013) 

A medical engineer, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) work together to survive following a debris storm and oxygen is running dangerously low. A heart-pounding story which all-in-all is a tale of rebirth as Stone decides if her life is worth fighting for at all. Whilst this wasn't my personal film of the year, the stunning cinematography and performance by Bullock are captivating and powerful. Space-fans, it is easy to forget that what you're watching is a creation of CGI and I will admit that it is well worth viewing in 3D. 4 out of 5 stars.

3. The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance, 2012)  

Motorcycle stunt rider, Luke (Ryan Gosling), resorts to robbing banks as a way to provide for his ex-lover and their love child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop (Bradley Cooper) navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective. Now, without getting on the Ryan Gosling bandwagon, I am totally on the Gosling bandwagon. Gosling gives yet another fantastic, and overall totally believable performance along side Cooper who makes a further transition in to serious acting following Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012). Under the same direction as Blue Valentine (Cianfrance, 2010), which also stars Gosling, it is hardly surprising that the film is beautifully shot and stunning through out. And a tattooed Gosling on a motorbike is not bad either. 4 out of 5 on the Sophie star rating scale.

2. LATE ENTRY Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Adam McKay, 2013) 

As stated before, this list is in no particular order and while the the majority of this list is compiled of what you would consider artistic film pieces, I felt it only fair to throw in a comedy. With the 70's behind him, San Diego's legendary Anchorman, Ron Burgundy, is back  with his old news team to take the world's first 24-hour news channel by storm, with some trials and tribulations along the way. It's been nearly 10 years since Will Ferrell first graced our screens as Burgundy and having gathered such a cult following, a sequel could not be entered in to lightly. With some old jokes to refresh your memory, side splitting scenes and some outstanding cameos from the likes of Harrison Ford and Sacha Bohan Cohen, Anchorman 2 certainly lives up to the its predecessor. A Sophie star rating of 3.5 out of 5.

1. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve, 2013)  

You may remember I review this one a little while ago but without a doubt it had a to have a top spot in my film list of the year. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) takes matters into his own hands when his daughter and her friend go missing. As the police, in particular troubled Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), pursue multiple leads, the pressure mounts to race against time and find the girls. With Oscar season approaching, I really hope to see some nominations for this crime thriller which kept me on the edge of my seat fully for the entire 153 mins. Jackman gives an outstanding performance as a Christian and family man who battles with his demons as he undergoes every parent's worst nightmare. Sophie star rating of 4.5 out of 5. **Watch The Trailer Here**

With so many releases and original screenplays this year, it was really hard to narrow it down to just five. Films that didn't quite top the list but are up there are Evil Dead (Fede Alvarez, 2013), Stoker (Park Chan-Wook, 2013), Trance (Danny Boyle, 2013), Only God Forgives (Nicholas Winding Refn, 2013) and The Iceman (Ariel Vroman, 2012). Also, if Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012) didn't technically fall under 2012 it would definitely on be there. With Oscar season and a new year looming, I can not wait to see how these do and am pumped for next year's cinema releases.

Can't wait! Happy viewing!