Top 10 Films of 2013

GAME OVER. Here is my list of top 10 films of 2013 along with 20 honorable mentions just like the previous year. I watched a loooot of films in 2013 and making a list like this proved to be a hectic yet entertaining task. Not really a task because I love the cinema. Anyway, below are my top 10 films with a little description and their respective IMDb links in the titles followed by the honorable mentions.

1. Her

2. Gravity

3. The Act of Killing

4. 12 Years a Slave

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

6. Before Midnight

7. Inside Llewyn Davis

8. Blue Is the Warmest Color

9. Short Term 12

10. Rush

Honorable Mentions [in no particular order]:

• The Wind Rises


• The Great Beauty


• The Spectacular Now


• Nebraska


• Wadjda


• The Hunt


• Prisoners


• Captain Phillips


• Stories We Tell


• Pacific Rim


• Fruitvale Station


• Frances Ha


• Frozen


• Man of Steel


• A Band Called Death


• The Conjuring


• Mud


• Much Ado About Nothing


• Dallas Buyers Club


• The World's End

5th Annual Dorian Awards

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) announced the 5th Dorian awards on January 21st, 2014 with giving away the Film of the Year award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen. 

Here is the complete list of winners:

FILM

Film of the Year: 12 Years a Slave

Film Performance of the Year - Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Film Performance of the Year - Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

LGBT Film of the Year: Blue Is the Warmest Color

Foreign Language Film of the Year: Blue Is the Warmest Color

Documentary of the Year: Bridegroom

Campy Flick of the Year: I'm So Excited!

Unsung Film of the Year (tie): Short Term 12 and Kill Your Darlings

Visually Striking Film of the Year: Gravity

TELEVISION

TV Drama of the Year (tie): Behind the Candelabra and Orange Is the New Black

TV Comedy of the Year: Girls

TV Performance of the Year - Actor: Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra

TV Performance of the Year - Actress: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven

TV Musical Performance of the Year: Shirley Bassey, “Goldfinger,” 82nd Academy Awards

LGBT TV Show of the Year: Orange Is the New Black

Campy TV Show of the Year: American Horror Story: Coven

Unsung TV Show of the Year: Getting On

The “We're Wilde About You” Rising Star Award: Laverne Cox

Wilde Wit of the Year: Rachel Maddow

Wilde Artist of the Year: James Franco

Timeless Award (to an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit): Lily Tomlin

8th Annual Excellent Dynamic Activism Awards

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) announced its 8th Excellent Dynamic Activism (EDA) awards with giving away the Best Film award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen who also won the Best Director award.

Last year, only 6 EDA winners won the Oscars, i.e. Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Documentary and Best Cinematography award.

AWFJ EDA ‘BEST OF’ AWARDS

Best Film: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director (Female or Male): Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave

Best Screenplay, Original: Her – Spike Jonze

Best Screenplay, Adapted: John Ridley - 12 Years a Slave

Best Documentary: Stories We Tell – Sarah Polley

Best Animated Film: The Wind Rises - Hayao Miyazaki

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Lupita Nyong’o - 12 Years a Slave

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

Best Ensemble Cast: American Hustle

Best Editing: Gravity - Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger

Best Cinematography: Gravity - Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Film Music Or Score: Inside Llewyn Davis – T-Bone Burnett

Best Non-English-Language Film: The Hunt – Thomas Vinterberg – Denmark

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

Best Woman Director: Nicole Holofcener - Enough Said

Best Woman Screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener - Enough Said

Kick Ass Award For Best Female Action Star: Sandra Bullock – Gravity

Best Animated Female: Anna (Kristen Bell) in Frozen

Best Breakthrough Performance: Lupita Nyong’o - 12 Years A Slave

Actress Defying Age and Ageism: Sandra Bullock – Gravity

AWFJ EDA Female Icon Award (presented to an actress for the portrayal of the most positive female role model, or for a role in which she takes personal and/or career risks to plumb the female psyche and therefore gives us courage to plumb our own, and/or for putting forth the image of a woman who is heroic, accomplished, persistent, demands her rights and/or the rights of others.): Angelina Jolie for continued commitments to humanitarian causes, and for promoting awareness about breast cancer.

This Year’s Outstanding Achievement By A Woman In The Film Industry (presented only when warranted to a female who has had a banner-making, record-breaking, industry-changing achievement during any given year.): Haaifa Al-Mansour for challenging the limitations placed on women within her culture by making the film Wadjda.

EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award: The Counselor – Ridley Scott

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent: Cameron Diaz for The Counselor

Movie You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn’t Award: The Counselor

Unforgettable Moment Award: 12 Years A Slave – Solomon Northrup hanging

Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction Award: Her - Scarlett Johansson and Joaquin Phoenix for their digital lovemaking.

Sequel or Remake That Shouldn’t Have Been Made Award (Tie): Carrie and Oz, Great and Powerful

Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Leading Man and The Love Interest Award: Last Vegas – Michael Douglas and Bre Blair

18th Annual Florida Film Critics Circle Awards

The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) announced their awards on December 18th, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen who also won the Best Director award.

Last year, only 5 FFCC winners won the Oscar, i.e. Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Visual Effects. Let's see how it goes this year.

Here is the complete list of winners along with runners-up:

Best Picture:

• 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: American Hustle

Best Director:

• Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

Best Actor:

• Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: Joaquin Phoenix – Her

Best Actress:

• Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine


• Runner-up: Judi Dench – Philomena

Best Supporting Actor:

• Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club


• Runner-up: Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Best Supporting Actress:

• Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Best Adapted Screenplay:

• John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Original Screenplay:

• Spike Jonze – Her


• Runner-up: David O. Russell & Eric Singer – American Hustle

Best Cinematography:

• Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity


• Runner-up: Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Visual Effects:

• Gravity


• Runner-up: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Best Art Direction/Production Design:

• The Great Gatsby


• Runner-up: American Hustle

Best Foreign Language Film:

• Blue is the Warmest Color


• Runner-up: The Hunt

Best Animated Film

• Frozen


• Runner-up: The Wind Rises

Best Documentary:

• The Act of Killing


• Runner-up: Blackfish

Pauline Kael Breakout Award:

• Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station

9th Annual Austin Film Critics Association Awards

The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) announced their awards on December 17h, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to Her, written, directed and co-produced by Spike Jonze whereas the Best Director award went to Alfonso Cuarón for his wonderful direction in space drama Gravity.

Last year, 4 AFCA winners won the Oscars, i.e. Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence, Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, Best Suppporting Actress for Anne Hathaway and Best Adapted Screenplay for Chris Terrio. Let's see how it goes this year.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film: Her (Spike Jonze)

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress: Brie Larson, Short Term 12

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, Her

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

Best Score: Arcade Fire, Her

Best Foreign Language Film: Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche)

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer)

Best Animated Film: Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee)

Best First Film: Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler)

Breakthrough Artist: Brie Larson, Short Term 12

Best Austin Film: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater)

Special Honorary Award: Scarlett Johansson, for her outstanding voice performance in Her

AFCA 2013 Top Ten Films:

1. Her


2. 12 Years a Slave


3. Gravity


4. The Wolf of Wall Street


5. Inside Llewyn Davis


6. Short Term 12


7. Mud


8. Before Midnight


9. Dallas Buyers Club


10. Captain Phillips

10th Annual St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards

The St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association announced their 10th annual awards on December 16th, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen who also won the Best Director award. 12 years a Slave was the biggest winner winning 7 awards in total and it's not surprising at all. Other winners are completely reasonable as well and most of them would probably winning the Oscar as well.

Last year, only 5 St. Louis winners won the Oscars, i.e. Best Film for Argo, Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, Best Documentary for Searching for Sugar Man and Best Visual Effects for Life of Pi. Let's see if the same happens this year or not.

Here is the complete list of winners along with runners-up and nominations.

Best Film:

• Winner: 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: American Hustle


• Gravity


• Her


• Nebraska

Best Director:

• Runner-up: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)


• Spike Jonze (Her)


• Winner: Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)


• Alexander Payne (Nebraska)


• David O. Russell (American Hustle)

Best Actor:

• Christian Bale (American Hustle)


• Bruce Dern (Nebraska)


• Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)


• Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station)


• Runner-up: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress:

• Amy Adams (American Hustle)


• Winner: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)


• Sandra Bullock (Gravity)


• Judi Dench (Philomena)


• Runner-up: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)


• Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)

Best Supporting Actor:

• Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)


• Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)


• Harrison Ford (42)


• Runner-up: Will Forte (Nebraska)


• Winner: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Scarlett Johansson (Her)


• Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)


• Winner: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)


• Lea Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Colour)


• Runner-up: June Squibb (Nebraska)

Best Original Screenplay:

• Runner-up: American Hustle


• Enough Said


• Winner: Her


• Nebraska


• Saving Mr. Banks

Best Adapted Screenplay:

• Winner: 12 Years a Slave


• Before Midnight


• Captain Phillips


• Runner-up: Philomena


• Short Term 12


• The Spectacular Now

Best Cinematography:

• Winner (tie): 12 Years a Slave


• The Grandmaster


• The Great Gatsby


• Winner (tie): Gravity


• Inside Llewyn Davis


• Nebraska

Best Visual Special Effects:

• Winner: Gravity


• Runner-up: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


• Iron Man 3


• Pacific Rim


• Star Trek Into Darkness


• Thor: The Dark World

Best Musical Score:

• 12 Years a Slave


• Runner-up: Gravity


• Winner: Her


• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


• Runner-up: Nebraska


• Saving Mr. Banks

Best Soundtrack:

• American Hustle


• Despicable Me 2


• Runner-up: Frozen


• The Great Gatsby


• Winner: Inside Llewyn Davis


• Muscle Shoals

Best Art Direction:

• 12 Years A Slave


• The Grandmaster


• Winner: The Great Gatsby


• Runner-up: Her


• Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Documentary:

• 20 Feet from Stardom


• Runner-up: The Act of Killing


• Winner: Blackfish


• Muscle Shoals


• Runner-up: Stories We Tell

Best Non-English Language Film:

• Winner: Blue Is the Warmest Colour


• A Hijacking


• The Hunt


• No


• Runner-up: Wadjda

Best Comedy:

• Winner (tie): Enough Said


• The Heat


• Nebraska


• The Way Way Back


• Winner (tie): The World’s End

Best Animated Feature:

• The Croods


• Despicable Me 2


• Winner: Frozen


• Monsters University


• Runner-up: The Wind Rises

Best Art-House or Festival Film (for artistic excellence in independent, international or smaller-budget films that played at film festivals, film series or had a limited-release run in St. Louis, playing one to three cinemas):

• Ain't Them Bodies Saints


• Before Midnight


• Runner-up: Blue Is the Warmest Colour


• Runner-up: Frances Ha


• In a World…


• Winner: Short Term 12

Best Scene (a favorite movie scene or sequence):

• Winner: 12 Years a Slave – The hanging scene


• Captain Phillips – The scene near the end of the film where Tom Hanks is being checked out by military medical personnel and he breaks down.


• Runner-up: Gravity – he opening tracking shot.


• Her – Off-screen OS sex scene


• The Place Beyond the Pines – The opening scene where Ryan Gosling is walking through the carnival.

26th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) announced their 26th annual awards at a ceremony held on December 16, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen who also won the Best Director award. 12 Years a Slave was the biggest winner of the night winning 5 awards including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. The rest of the winners were completely reasonable and there are no surprises whatsoever.

Last year, only 2 CFCA winners won the Oscars, i.e. Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis and Best Foreign Language Film for Amour. Let's see what happens this year as they declared 12 Years a Slave their favorite and it's the strongest contender of this season.

Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE: 12 Years A Slave

BEST DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen--12 Years A Slave

BEST ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor--12 Years A Slave

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett--Blue Jasmine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto--Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o--12 Years A Slave

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Spike Jonze--Her

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: John Ridley--12 Years A Slave

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: The Act of Killing

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Her--Arcade Fire

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity--Emmanuel Lubezki

BEST EDITING: Gravity--Alfonso Cuaron & Mark Sanger

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN: Gravity--Mark Scruton/Andy Nicolson

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Adele Exarchopoulos--Blue is the Warmest Color

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER: Destin Cretton--Short Term 12

47th Annual Kansas City Film Critics Circle Loutzenhiser Awards

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) announced the winners of 47th annual Loutzenhiser Awards on December 15th, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen who also won the Best Director award and shared it with Alfonso Cuarón who won the Best Director award for Gravity. Both of them are deserving winners and I couldn't be more happy with this choice by Kansas Circle. Additionally, 12 Years a Slave was their favorite as it was the biggest winner taking home all the acting awards except Best Actress and also winning the screenplay award for John Ridley.

Last year, 6 KCFCC winners won the Oscars and most of them were acting wins (you can view the previous year's winners here: 46th Annual Kansas City Film Critics Circle Loutzenhiser Awards). Let's see what will happen this year!

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film: 12 Years a Slave

Robert Altman Award for Best Director – Tie: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity & Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Best Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, Her

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

Best Animated Film – Tie: Despicable Me 2 & Frozen

Best Foreign Film: Blue Is the Warmest Color (France)

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing

Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: Her

12th Annual San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFC) announced their awards on December 13th, 2013 with giving away the Best Picture award to 12 Years a Slave, directed and co-produced by Steve McQueen whereas Best Director award went to Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity. The most disappointing thing about SFFCS awards this season is James Franco winning the Best Supporting Actor award. I have no idea why is he receiving the award for that joke of a performance. Also, when there's Jared Leto as a nominee.

Last year, only 3 SFFC winners won the Oscars, i.e. Best Foreign Film for Amour, Best Film Editing for William Goldenberg and Best Cinematography for Claudio Miranda. That only means SFFCS are not that reliable when it comes to Oscar wins. Let's see how it goes this time.

Best Picture:

• AMERICAN HUSTLE


• GRAVITY


• NEBRASKA


• WINNER – 12 YEARS A SLAVE


• THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Director:

• WINNER – Alfonso Cuaron, GRAVITY


• Spike Jonze, HER


• Steve McQueen, 12 YEARS A SLAVE


• David O. Russell, AMERICAN HUSTLE


• Martin Scorsese, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Actor:

• Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA


• Leonardo DiCaprio, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET


• WINNER – Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE


• Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB


• Robert Redford, ALL IS LOST

Best Actress:

• WINNER – Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE


• Sandra Bullock, GRAVITY


• Judi Dench, PHILOMENA


• Adele Exarchopoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR


• Brie Larson, SHORT TERM 12


• Meryl Streep, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

Best Supporting Actor:

• Barkhad Abdi, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS


• Michael Fassbender, 12 YEARS A SLAVE


• Harrison Ford, 42


• Will Forte, NEBRASKA


• WINNER – James Franco, SPRING BREAKERS


• Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Best Supporting Actress:

• WINNER – Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE


• Lupita Nyong'o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE


• Lea Seydoux, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR


• Octavia Spencer, FRUITVALE STATION


• June Squibb, NEBRASKA

Best Screenplay, Original:

• WINNER – AMERICAN HUSTLE, Eric Singer and David O. Russell


• GRAVITY, Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron


• HER, Spike Jonze


• INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Joel and Ethan Coen


• NEBRASKA, Bob Nelson

Best Screenplay, Adapted:

• BEFORE MIDNIGHT, Richard Linklater; Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke


• PHILOMENA, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope


• THE SPECTACULAR NOW, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber


• WINNER – 12 YEARS A SLAVE, John Ridley


• THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Terence Winter

Best Cinematography:

• WINNER – GRAVITY, Emmanuel Lubezki


• HER, Hoyte Van Hoytema


• INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Bruno Delbonnel


• NEBRASKA, Phedon Papamichael


• 12 YEARS A SLAVE, Sean Bobbitt

Best Production Design:

• AMERICAN HUSTLE, Judy Becker


• WINNER – GRAVITY, Andy Nicholson


• HER, K. K. Barrett


• INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Jess Gonchor


• 12 YEARS A SLAVE, Adam Stockhausen

Best Editing:

• ALL IS LOST, Pete Beaudreau


• AMERICAN HUSTLE, Alan Baumgarten; Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers


• CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Christopher Rouse


• WINNER – GRAVITY, Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger


• 12 YEARS A SLAVE, Joe Walker


• THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Thelma Schoonmaker

Best Animated Feature:

• THE CROODS


• DESPICABLE ME


• WINNER – FROZEN


• MONSTERS UNIVERSITY


• THE WIND RISES

Best Foreign Language Picture:

• WINNER – BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR


• A HIJACKING


• THE HUNT


• THE PAST


• WADJDA

Best Documentary:

• WINNER – THE ACT OF KILLING


• THE ARMSTRONG LIE


• BLACKFISH


• STORIES WE TELL


• TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM

Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community: Ryan Coogler for putting a human face to murder victim Oscar Grant in FRUITVALE STATION and to former Roxie Theater executive director Christopher Statton for putting the Roxie onto more solid ground by transforming it into a nonprofit enterprise.

Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema:
COMPUTER CHESS, Andrew Bujalski's comedy merges documentary techniques and old video technologies to make light of the ’80s race to build a winning computer-chess program.