2014 Oscar Predictions

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It's that time of year again! In one week, the Academy will be handing out their prestigious awards for excellence in moviemaking. As usual, they don't always agree with the movie going public. So I'm going to discuss a bit about this year's nominees, the predicted winners, who my favorites are to win each award, and who I think should have been on the ballot.

Best Picture

Predicted Winner: 12 Years a Slave

Gravity may pull through with a surprising win, but 12 Years a Slave has held its front-runner position for months and will most likely be in the envelope on Oscar night. Nebraska, Her and Philomena are the only ones I can say have no real chance. Nebraska and Dallas Buyers Club are the most disappointing entries on this Best Picture list.

AJ's Rankings

1. Gravity
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Philomena
5. Captain Phillips
6. American Hustle
7. Her
8. Dallas Buyers Club
9. Nebraska

Should have been nominated: Mud, August: Osage County, Don Jon, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Way Way Back, Blue Jasmine

Best Director

Predicted Winner: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Cuaron has been sweeping the Director's awards, as it's apparently excusable to snub Gravity for Best Picture if you give it Best Director. I'm happy both 12 Years and Gravity have been recognized, but I feel like the awards aren't being split the right way. Gravity is the reason why we go to the movies, but McQueen's tender direction of the epic slave story should get him the Oscar. Having said that, Gravity deserves to win Best Picture.

AJ's Rankings

1. Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
2. Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
3. Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
4. David O. Russell, American Hustle
5. Alexander Payne, Nebraska

Should have been nominated: Jeff Nichols, Mud, John Wells, August: Osage County, Spike Jonze, Her

Best Actor
 
Predicted Winner: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

McConaughey gave it his all, and his performance was definitely deserving of a nomination. But Chiwetel Ejiofor's performance as the enslaved Solomon deserves the gold. Part of my reasoning for thinking that might be because I didn't love Dallas Buyers Club, and my opinion for this category might've been different had it been better.

AJ's Rankings

1. Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
2. Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
3. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Bruce Dern, Nebraska
5. Christian Bale, American Hustle

Should have been nominated: Tye Sheridan, Mud, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon, Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewen Davis, Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips, Hugh Jackman, Prisoners, Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best Actress
 
Predicted Winner: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

For the second year in a row, the Best Actress category is packed with talent. If I remember correctly, the last time there was an Oscar category with 4 winners against 1 loser was when Adrien Brody won for The Pianist. If history repeats itself, maybe Amy Adams will pull out a surprising win. If not her, maybe Judi Dench can get some recognition for her memorably sweet performance as Philomena Lee. Blanchett is brilliant as Jasmine, but so much so that she deserves to win every acting award this year? Not in my eyes. But in all honesty, all of these ladies are very deserving of this Oscar.

AJ's Rankings:

1. Judi Dench, Philomena
2. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
3. Amy Adams, American Hustle
4. Sandra Bullock, Gravity
5. Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best Supporting Actor

Predicted Winner: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Leto absolutely deserves this Oscar; all of his competitors wither in comparison.

AJ's Rankings

1. Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
2. Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
3. Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
5. Bradley Cooper, American Hustle

Should have been nominated: Matthew McConaughey, Mud, George Clooney, Gravity, Sam Rockwell, The Way Way Back, Chris Cooper, August: Osage County, Leonardo DiCaprio, The Great Gatsby

Best Supporting Actress

Predicted Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

I know what you're thinking. How can Jennifer beat Lupita?! While I marginally think Lupita should win this year, Jennifer Lawrence won the BAFTA and the Golden Globe. Usually when that happens, that person goes on to win the Oscar. So my prediction is for JLaw, though Lupita may very well emerge victorious. Count everyone else in the category out. Also, why is Sally Hawkins here?

AJ's Rankings

1. Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
2. Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
3. Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
4. June Squibb, Nebraska
5. Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

Should have been nominated: Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Chloe Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass 2, Julianne Moore, Carrie, Carey Mulligan, Inside Llewen Davis or The Great Gatsby, Allison Janney, The Way Way Back, Amy Adams, Her, Sarah Paulson, 12 Years a Slave, Jena Malone, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Best Original Screenplay

Predicted Winner: Spike Jonze, Her

Jonze's unique comedy-drama has won critics over and has likely done the same for the Academy. Russell's American Hustle might edge him out but, while possible, I doubt it.

AJ's Rankings

1. Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine
2. Spike Jonze, Her
3. David O. Russell & Eric Warren Singer, American Hustle
4. Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack, Dallas Buyers Club
5. Bob Nelson, Nebraska

Should have been nominated: Jeff Nichols, Mud, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon,, The Way Way Back, Aaron Guzikowshi, Prisoners, Richard Curtis, About Time

Best Adapted Screenplay

Predicted Winner: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

As great as 12 Years a Slave was, one of the reasons it came in 3rd on my Top 10 list instead of 1st or 2nd is because its screenplay was seriously flawed in some aspects (layout of time, too short, etc.). This winner isn't set in stone, and it wouldn't shock me if Philomena or Wolf won.

AJ's Rankings:

1. Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope, Philomena
2. Terence Winter, The Wolf of Wall Street
3. John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
4. Billy Ray, Captain Phillips
Also nominated: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawk, Before Midnight

Should have been nominated: Tracy Letts, August: Osage County, Simon Beaufoy & Michael deBruyn, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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Best Animated Feature

Predicted Winner: Frozen
AJ's Pick: Frozen
Should have been nominated: Epic, Monsters University

Best Original Score

Predicted Winner: Gravity
AJ's Pick: Gravity
Should have been nominated: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Mud, Epic, Man of Steel

Best Original Song

Predicted Winner: Let It Go, Frozen
AJ's Pick: Let It Go, Frozen
Should have been nominated: For the First Time in Forever, Frozen, Atlas, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Young and Beautiful, The Great Gatsby

Best Sound Editing

Predicted Winner: Gravity
AJ's Pick: Gravity
Should have been nominated: Star Trek Into Darkness, Pacific Rim, Rush

Best Sound Mixing

Predicted Winner: Gravity
AJ's Pick: Gravity
Should have been nominated: 12 Years a Slave, Rush

Best Production Design

Predicted Winner: The Great Gatsby
AJ's Pick: 12 Years a Slave
Should have been nominated: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Best Cinematography

Predicted Winner: Gravity
AJ's Pick: Gravity
Should have been nominated: Mud, 12 Years a Slave

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Predicted Winner: Dallas Buyers Club
AJ's Pick: Bad Grandpa
Should have been nominated: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Evil Dead

Best Costume Design

Predicted Winner: American Hustle
AJ's Pick: 12 Years a Slave
Should have been nominated: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Ender's Game, Man of Steel

Best Film Editing

Predicted Winner: Gravity
AJ's Pick: Captain Phillips

 

Should have been nominated: Mud, August: Osage County, The Wolf of Wall Street, Lone Survivor

Best Visual Effects

Predicted Winner: Gravity
AJ's Pick: Gravity
Should have been nominated: Ender's Game, Pacific Rim

Tallied Predictions:

Gravity: 7
Dallas Buyers Club: 3
American Hustle: 2
Frozen: 2
12 Years a Slave: 2
Her: 1
Blue Jasmine: 1
The Great Gatsby: 1

Number of (extra) nominations these movies should have gotten:

Mud: 8
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: 8
August: Osage County: 5
The Way Way Back: 4
Don Jon: 3
Her: 3
The Great Gatsby: 3
12 Years a Slave: 3
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smuag: 3

August: Osage County; Labor Day; Lone Survivor

Alright, I'll be honest with you guys. I saw these movies over a month ago and don't remember enough to give full length review on August: Osage County, Labor Day, and Lone Survivor. So here are a few mini reviews in the interest of burning off the obligation that has been over my head for the past 6 weeks or so.


August: Osage County

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I'm a firm believer that sometimes all a great film needs is a great cast and a great screenplay. Luckily, August: Osage County has both.

In the wake of a loved one's death, the estranged Weston family reunites in their Oklahoma home, where the family matriarch Violet (Meryl Streep) still resides. In almost no time at all, their days quickly shift from getting reacquainted to unraveling all the dirty little secrets they have, ranging from drug addiction to scandalous relationships.

The dialogue here is among the best I've ever seen in a film. Whether it be the family dinner scene where Chris Cooper rambles away a two-minute excuse for a blessing or the lunch scene Julia Roberts verbally force feeds her mother, when the Westons were together, I didn't let a word escape my ears.

It was even better coming from its cast, full of Emmy and Oscar winners and nominees. Meryl Streep was fully deserving of her 18th nomination from the Academy. As for Julia Roberts, not only did she hold her own in the start-studded cast - she stole scenes from Meryl Streep, and that's not an easy thing to do. Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, and Abigail Breslin also impress - and there are no complaints on my part.

I'm a little sad that this didn't hit theaters sooner, because it would have knocked The Wolf of Wall Street right off of my Top 10. The portrayal of this unconventional family is impeccable - Director John Wells and Writer Tracy Letts have made a masterpiece.

Rating: 5/5


Labor Day

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  In 2013, so many movies led with an impressive start, but ultimately provided a bit of a let down in their latter halves (Inside Llewen Davis, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club). In Labor Day, the start proved to be slightly shaky. With poorly written dialogue and so many potential directions it never went in, Labor Day wasn't very promising. Fortunately, it got better as it went along, and I know for me, I'd rather a movie gradually gain my interest than suggest to me a good movie was coming, only to let me down.

In 1987, Henry Wheeler (Gattlin Griffith, Changeling) is about to start another school year. He lives with his mother Adele (Kate Winslet) and only sees his father every Sunday when he goes out to eat with his stepmom and stepbrother. On Labor Day weekend, the mother and son go out shopping for school supplies, only to be coerced into bringing fugitive Frank (Josh Brolin) back to their home.

Frank doesn't hurt his inadvertent hosts. Instead, he cooks with them, plays baseball, and fixes up their home. We find out Frank may not be that bad of a guy after all, and eventually he and Adele being to fall in love, but the romance becomes complicated when police and local residents become suspicious when looking for Frank.

As I mentioned earlier, Labor Day lays out a few paths the movie never followed to the end. Frank's past, Henry's budding sexual interests, and even Frank and Adele's love story are subjects that the filmmakers tease us with, but never go anywhere past the surface with. And although the first part of the film leaves you wondering where they're going with this, it leads to a tense climax, and ends with a happily memorable epilogue as a result of getting better every minute. Thus, the final impression Labor Day leaves is positive, even though the first part of the movie doesn't really match the mood.

Rating: 3.5/5


Lone Survivor

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  What's a war movie when everything goes right? Non-existent.

Now, to be fair, Lone Survivor is based on a true story, but as expected, everything goes wrong. The good guys? Navy SEALs on a mission to apprehend a Taliban leader. While trekking through the Afghani mountains, the troops run into two young and one elderly Taliban members. They know that if they execute them on their way to complete their mission, they would be reprimanded and the SEALs would be slandered by every news outlet in the world. So they decide to let the men go, hoping they can return to their camp by the time the Taliban finds them. Shocker: they don't.

Cue the mind-blowing action scene, where the SEALs fight back against a surrounding army of Taliban hiding in the trees. The film and sound editing was superb, making my eyes pop and my body cringe with every gun shot and body drop. The tension was relentless, which made me very angry when the film wasn't nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing.

The lone surviving SEAL finds himself in an Afghani village, where I must say he spent a little too much time. I'd have preferred this part of the film to be shorter, but I appreciate its purpose in the story, especially since, and I reiterate, it's a true story.

The action would have been even better had we gotten to know each of the key SEALs as individuals. The movie lacked characterization, which would have made the death scenes more hard-hitting and emotionally impacting.

Still, the acting is commendable and Berg's direction is gripping. All in all, it's one of the better action films of 2013, although I wouldn't rank it as highly in comparison to some of the other entries in the canon of war films

Rating: 4/5

Her

HitFix

What do you hey when you combine romance, sci-fi and comedy? Her. Spike Jonze's film is essentially a two hour social commentary on our addiction to technology, specifically our smartphones. In Her, a middle-aged divorcee named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) downloads a new Operating System, whose voice is sensually provided by Scarlett Johansson. After reading a book on naming in less than a second, the operating system tells Theodore it's decided on Samantha.

Samantha's artificial intelligence causes her to want to learn about society, communication, and Theodore at an alarmingly exponential rate. The two become inseparable, which worries his neighbor Amy (Amy Adams) and frustrates his ex-wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) - both of whom are portrayed by talented actresses that bring our focus to them but unfortunately don't appear on screen as much as I would have liked.

Her had enormous potential, and although I enjoyed the film, it could have been better, and by extension more unique. Yes, Mr. Jonze, I get the message of your movie. Technology can't replace human relationships, we see our smartphones as unique while other users "bond" with their mobile devices in the same way, and when we lose our technology, we're left to realize how valuable our human relationships are. That pretty much sums Her up.

While I was intrigued by the developing relationship of Samantha and Theodore, their spats, their sexual encounters and their long sleepless nights together, Jonze could have gotten the valuable underlying messages of the movie across better if he had treated the movie as an experiment, spending equal time comparing the experimental relationships with the placebo relationships.

Consider Theodore's relationship with Samantha as experimental. How can we fully understand Theodore, his past, and why he is so drawn to this technological companion if we can't compare him to the placebo - his natural human relationships. Aside from a few flashbacks, Catherine doesn't share much on-screen time with her ex, so how can we know what he was like before? Also, Theodore spends far too little time with Amy, and Amy Adams' performance will leave you begging for more.

Instead of comparing these relationships, Her is mostly composed of Joaquin Phoenix sitting in an empty room and pausing for where Scarlett Johansson would later dub her dialogue. With a better balance of exposing us to these three different relationships (obviously giving slightly more focus to Samantha), I feel like the movie's messages would came across more clearly and would have made Her worthwhile.

Phoenix conveys Twombly's anti-social vulnerability admirably, while Adams makes the best of her limited screen exposure, and Johansson is truly convincing in her vocal role. They alone are enough to carry the film, and the script helps them out in a lot of places. It could have helped them out much more had Jonze written a more memorable story instead of delivering repetitive scenes to thread out his idea until he was out of string.

Rating: 3.5/5

2014 Oscar Nominations - Snubs and Surprises

As expected, this morning's announcement of the 2014 Oscar nominations raised a few eyebrows in Hollywood. Ranging from the foreseeable snubs for certain movies like Mud and Don Jon to the shocking absences like Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips, several deserving names didn't make the cut for the 2014 Academy Awards ballot in exchange of a few unexpected nods.

EW

SNUB - Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips

Seriously, Academy?! My love for Captain Phillips wasn't enormous, but I fully agree the biggest and most unexpected snub this year was for Tom Hanks. In the slowest parts of Captain Phillips, it was Hanks who kept me wanting to watch, and his acting in the final moments of the film should've been worthy of a nomination alone, not to mention his distressing character shift throughout the whole film.

SURPRISE - Christian Bale for American Hustle

Didn't see that coming. His last performance in a David O. Russell flick got him an Oscar win, but many thought he didn't stand a chance at a nomination this year due to how tightly packed the Best Actor race was.

SNUB - Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Don Jon

Don Jon didn't pick up much steam for awards season, but in my eyes, Gordon-Levitt gave the best performance of his career, and his screenplay was near-perfect. I had hoped he would've been recognized in one of those categories, but no luck.

SURPRISE - Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street

I was happy when Leo won a Globe the other night because I was almost certain the Academy would overlook him yet again. Thankfully, they didn't. Jonah Hill was another surprise and somehow edged in over predicted nominees like James Gandolfini.

E Online

SNUB - Carey Mulligan

She was the best part of both The Great Gatsby and Inside Llewen Davis, but I guess the Academy didn't agree with me.

SURPRISE - Blue Jasmine for Best Screenplay

So it didn't get its worthy nomination for Best Picture, but thankfully Woody Allen's script shows the Academy at least acknowledged his work.

SNUB - The Way Way Back

In an ideal world, we'd see nominations for its screenplay and for the impressive performances Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell. Very ideally, we'd see one for Best Picture, too.

SURPRISE/SNUB - Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine (and the whole mess of the Supporting Actress category)

In the movie, she was just, kind of, there. What the Academy saw in her over Allison Janney, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Paulson in 12 Years a Slave, Oprah in The Butler, and even Chloë Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass 2 or Julianne Moore in Carrie is a bit puzzling.

SNUB - Mud

This isn't the first time you've heard this from me, and it's not the last. I'll keep it short this time. While most hope of Tye Sheridan being recognized for his powerhouse lead performance and for the film itself getting a Best Picture nomination was gone, I was crossing my fingers for a Best Screenplay nomination, a Supporting Actor nod for McConaughey, Best Music, or maybe even Cinematography. Nope. Nothing. Not one nomination for the best film of the year.

The Verge

SNUB - Pacific Rim

There's no way it would have won over Gravity, but Pacific Rim's visuals were definitely worthy of a nomination.

SURPRISE - Dallas Buyers Club

Everyone saw the nominations for McConaughey and Leto coming, but its nominations for Best Original Screenplay, and more importantly, Best Picture, were surprising to say the least, and if you ask me, extremely undeserved.

SNUB - Epic

I've only seen Frozen and Despicable Me 2 on this list and how the latter somehow made it in over Epic is a disappointment.

A Few Words About The 2014 Golden Globes...

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The Golden Globes will be airing in just over a week, and since I'll be abroad starting tomorrow, I figured I'd take this time to share my thoughts on the nominations, who I'd like to see win, and what the night could mean for Oscar expectations.

For Best Picture, I was hoping for a surprise nomination for Mud in the Drama category, but I'm still happy to see Gravity and 12 Years a Slave in the running, and I'm also happy that Philomena snuck into the mix. I haven't seen Rush, but I'm a little disappointed Captain Philips made the cut over some other noteworthy films like Blue Jasmine or even Catching Fire. In the comedy field, I have yet to see Her, but I am livid that Nebraska and Inside Llewen Davis got nominated over Don Jon, The Way Way Back, and even This is The End and About Time. As much as I disagreed with the HFPA when they awarded Best Comedy to The Hangover, at least they gave it to a comedy that year. At the end of the night, I'd expect to see 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle win, though my votes would go to Gravity and The Wolf of Wall Street to take home the awards.

For Best Actor, again I was hoping for a nomination for Tye Sheridan in Mud, though realistically I knew it wouldn't happen. For Drama, I predict Chiwetel Ejiofor will win for 12 Years a Slave, though Matthew McConaughey might've swayed the voters over with his physical and emotional dedication to his role in Dallas Buyers Club. Either would be fine for me. In comedy, Bruce Dern is expected to win, but to be fair, he didn't make me laugh. Isn't that who this award should go to, someone who made me laugh? I'm still bitter about Joseph Gordon-Levitt being snubbed for Don Jon, and I conceivably could've even seen Liam James on the list for The Way Way Back, but I think the most deserving comedic actor in this category would be Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, though I wouldn't object to Oscar Isaac for Inside Llewen Davis.

Like last year, Best Actress is anybody's guess. The odds slightly favor Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, though I'd prefer it went to Judi Dench in Philomena (I see Blue Jasmine as more of a comedy anyways). I'm fine with either, or even Sandra Bullock. The HFPA loves Kate Winselt (they gave her 2 Globes in one night), so you never know. For comedy, I really enjoyed Amy Adams in American Hustle, and I'd love to see her finally be recognized at the Globes. Maybe the votes between Julia Louis-Deryfus and Meryl Streep will split and Amy Adams will win her first major acting award.

For supporting performances, Jennifer Lawrence and Lupita Nyong'o are battling it out for Best Supporting Actress. Newcomer Nyong'o gave a more powerful performance, but moviegoers more enjoyed Lawrence. As a result, it's anybody's game, though I'd expect Nyong'o to win. For Best Supporting Actor, Jared Leto will almost definitely be recognized for his transgendered turn in Dallas Buyers Club, though Michael Fassbender might be a surprising win. And I'll interject one final time for Mud and say McConaughey at least deserved a nomination.

Best Director will probably be awarded to Alfonso Cuarón, and it would be deserved for his fast paced and gripping work in Gravity. The award may go to Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave or even David O. Russell for American Hustle, as both of their films tied for the most nominations. Paul Greengrass doesn't have that much of a chance for Captain Phillips, and Alexander Payne doesn't even belong there this year. Best Screenplay is another toss-up, and the award could honestly end up in anybody's hand. If I had to guess, I'd play it safe and go with 12 Years a Slave.

Before I go, a few notes on TV. If Breaking Bad doesn't win for Best Drama and Best Actor, something is very, very wrong with the Hollywood Foreign Press. I'm crossing my fingers that The Big Bang Theory finally gets the love it deserves. I'm also hoping Tatiana Maslany surprises with a win for Orphan Black. Although Homeland wasn't it's best this season, there was no need to snub Claire Danes for her work in the show. Also, where's the love for Game of Thrones?

A frontrunner for Best Picture isn't here yet, so pay close attention to see who gets the awards next Sunday. The Academy usually follows suit in a majority of the categories.

AJ's Top 10 of 2013

Another Hollywood year is now complete. Granted, some movies that have been "technically" released in 2013 haven't seen a wide release, and so I won't be considering them for my Best of the Year list. These include, but are not limited to; August: Osage County, Her, Labor Day and Lone Survivor. Having gotten that out of the way, I saw 46 theatrically released films this year, and here are my 10 favorite.

10. The Wolf of Wall Street

CinemaBlend

It runs close to 3 hours, but Terrence Winter's screenplay and Leonardo Dicaprio's performance keep your eyes glued and your attention span directed to the screen, where the crime movie of the year is delivered in the most hilarious way.

9. Epic

Wikipedia

The scope of events in Epic is enormous, but the film never loses its focus, its heart, or its fun, and as a result, Epic is the best animated film of the year (yes, to everyone asking yourself right now, I did see Frozen).

8. Blue Jasmine

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Cate Blanchett lights up the screen in her portrayal of Jasmine. We can't help but enjoy every minute of the movie that forces us to look at our materialistic and individualistic behaviors and the way they affect us.

7. The Way Way Back

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Even though the characters don't always stand out as well as they do in Juno or Up in the Air, The Way Way Back is a fun summer indie that features great performances from Liam James, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb and Sam Rockwell.

6. Kick-Ass 2

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Most of the times I disagreed with mainstream critics this year is when I gave bad reviews to critically acclaimed films. Here, I gave a good review for a film that wasn't as well received. But I don't care, because I can say with absolute certainty that Kick-Ass 2 is a good movie. Hilarious, action-packed, and with a great screenplay, Kick-Ass 2 is one heck of a good time.

5. Don Jon

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It's not perfect, but Don Jon is still the best comedy of the year and offers amazing potential for the future career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hollywood Reporter

Story-wise, acting-wise, and in respect to its technical construction, it's a huge improvement on its predecessor. It's not always as exciting, but to be fair, most of the excitement takes place outside of the arena in this sequel.

3. 12 Years a Slave

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I wanted more honesty, more brutality, and a more distinct time layout. Without it, I still saw an awe-invoking tale of survival and humanity.

2. Gravity

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It might be safe to say that sci-fi and special effects have reached a new cinematic landmark. Also, add Sandra Bullock to the list of great lead female sci-fi performances, alongside Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, Noomi Rapace in Prometheus, and Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

1. Mud

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Tye Sheridan is a revelation as Ellis, and Matthew McConaughey proves that 2013 is his year for movies. Mud isn't just the best movie of the year, it's a showcase of mesmerizing acting, writing, directing, music, and cinematography, and is a simple yet powerful reminder that originality in filmmaking is still possible. Movies like Mud are the gems that true movie lovers seek to appreciate.

The Wolf of Wall Street

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I'll try to make this review shorter than the nearly 3-hour long Wolf of Wall Street. But, like the movie, regardless of length, I hope it will be worth your time. The movie is based on the true story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort. After the 1987 stock market crash, fresh-out-of-college Jordan (Leonardo DiCaprio) takes a job selling penny stocks. His prior experience on Wall Street earns him enormous profits. When he concludes that enough is never enough, he opens up his own firm with his neighbor Donnie (Jonah Hill).

The movie illustrates the idea that some roller coasters in life are ones you can't get off of so easily. Once Jordan's firm, which he names Stratton Oakmont, earns billions in revenue, the company expands, and Jordan's behaviors become rather racy. He begins using drugs and sleeping with prostitutes several times a day and divorces his good-natured wife to marry a model.

As expected, following years of being on top, The Man comes to bring Jordan down. In The Wolf of Wall Street, "The Man" is FBI Agent Patrick Denham. Jordan starts moving money around internationally, and when prompted to leave the company with what he's already made, he tells his employees that nothing will ever take him away from Stratton Oakmont. That is, except for corruption and ignorance.

DiCaprio delivers his usual effortless on-screen brilliance in this film, especially in the scenes that require most of him. Whether he's throwing himself down a flight of stairs and crawling into his car under the influence of aged drugs, telling colleagues to sell him a pen, giving the best motivational speeches I've ever seen on film, or punching his wife in the stomach, he, like Terence Winter's screenplay, is totally immersive. The movie is very long, and so naturally it slows down at points. However, thanks to DiCaprio, it never gets boring.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't cut some scenes from the movie. As time went by, I pinpointed a few scenes and made mental notes of which ones Scorsese could've cut without hearing much ruckus from the audience. One negative attribute was that with some of these unnecessary scenes, the extraordinary comedic setup was partially let down during its second half. I also wanted to see more from both of Jordan's wives and from his first boss (Matthew McConaughey), who gave Jordan tips on how hookers, coke, and whacking off are what keep all great stockbrokers sane. I have a feeling the character had a lot more to offer, and seeing him for only two scenes was a disappointment. Aside from DiCaprio and McConaughey, the rest of the cast excelled as well. Jonah Hill, Jon Bernthal, Jean Dujardin, and Kyle Chandler all surprised me with noteworthy performances unlike any other they had given in their careers.

The Wolf of Wall Street sells one of the year's best ensemble casts, screenplays and comedies. In short, it's one of the best of 2013, and although it could've been better, I'm happy with what Scorsese gave us.

Rating: 4.5/5