That said, the Oscar nominations will be announced tomorrow morning, and I like to beat the Academy to the punch by offering up what I think were the ten best films of this past year. I always preface this by saying I’ve seen most, but not all, of the big ones. (I haven’t seen Rush or Her or Frances Ha yet.) Here they are, in order:
1) Mud. In the best year of Matthew McConaughey’s career, this is the best role he’s ever played. Proof: he still does the obligatory shirtless bit, and yet it’s by far my favorite movie of this year.
2) Fruitvale Station. It starts off with actual cell-phone footage of the real guy who was killed by a transit cop in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, and builds the tension from there.
3) Short Term 12. My friend Jenn didn’t know a thing about this film, but heard amazing things about it. (Including winning Sundance.) I avoided knowing all trailers and reviews and saw it and was blown away. I’ll do you the same, spoil-free favor.
4) The Way, Way Back. Best comedy of the year. Sam Rockwell deserves a nomination for doing Bill Murray in Meatballs even better than Bill Murray in Meatballs.
5) Philomena. Tragic. Based on a true story. Makes you hate religion more you thought possible. Co-written and starring Steve Coogan, one of my favorite comic actors, only this time he’s doing drama and he’s just as talented.
6) The Spectacular Now. If John Hughes were still alive and wanted to make a comedy with real poignancy, this is the film he’d make.
7) Saving Mr. Banks. Much more heartbreaking than I anticipated. Super well cast. Meryl Streep was asked to play the lead, but was already working on another film, so Emma Thompson took the opportunity and ran with it.
8) Gravity. Clooney is by far my favorite actor, but I worried about seeing a film starring only two people. Worry unwarranted – this is a tense action-adventure shot with groundbreaking technology.
9) The Wolf of Wall Street. Roger Ebert once said, “No good film is too long; no bad film is short enough.” This clocks in at two hours and 59 minutes, and I wish it were longer.
10) Blue Jasmine. My little brother didn’t like it because it rang too true for him it. That’s the best kind of review you can get.
Also absolutely worth seeing:
10 b) Captain Phillips
10 c) In a World
10 d) 20 Feet From Stardom
