Our countdown of 2013's greatest movies reaches its conclusion...The original plan for the remainder of On-Screen's 'Best of 2013' Awards feature articles was for them to be incorporated into a few more Advent Adventure posts between Christmas and New Year, but with the festive day itself done and dusted, focusing on a prolonged Advent season doesn't seem quite right.
With that in mind, then, we'll stick to the general article title format, and get going with the final ten films in our 'Top 20 Best Films of 2013' shortlist. Here's our Top 10 Best Films of the year, compiled into one definitive feature piece:
10. MONSTERS' UNIVERSITY- Although Monsters' Inc. wasn't the most remarkable Disney Pixar outing of recent times, its prequel outing Monsters' University was a stunning spiritual successor. I'm sure that the vast majority of the series' fans would agree that if we simply spent more time in the company of Billy Crystal's Mike and John Goodman's Sully- the pair's vocal chemistry here is nothing short of spellbinding- that would be enough to power an entire animated franchise for years to come!
9. WRECK-IT RALPH- Evidently not content to allow their Pixar branch to take all of the animated glory for 2013, Walt Disney Animation Studios opened the year with an absolute belter. Wreck-It Ralph rekindles the lost nostalgia-ridden days of classic video gaming, satisfying the memories of those players old enough to have experienced Pong and Pac-Man in their heyday while still sating the innocent fantastical passions of their traditional target audience. If this hidden gem passed you by in February, then why not catch it on Sky Movies HD, where it's currently running on a daily basis free of charge?
8. THE GREAT GATSBY- Never go into a film adaptation of a literary text expecting a pitch-perfect reproduction of the original. The Great Gatsby teaches the viewer this vital lesson in good measure, its transforming the traditional eclectic jazz hits of 1920s and 1930s USA into the modern stylised beats of hip-hop by director Baz Luhrmman an inspired feat which only achieves its desired empathetic impact once past readers relinquish Fitzgerald's classic transcript and view the picture in at least a form of isolation. Once that process has transpired, then the appreciation gained for Leonardo DiCaprio's haunting rendition of James Gatz, Carey Mulligan's frantic, aptly-inconsistent Daisy and most of all Luhrmann's vivid visual mastery and accomplished soundtrack direction is all the more profound, cementing this twenty-first century big-screen adaptation as amongst the strongest of its kind.
7. RUSH- Even if Ron Howard's splendid Formula 1 biopic is destined for accolades from the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards, Rush remains a wholly accessible, brilliant piece of cinema which scarcely alienates the mainstream viewer in favour of earning awards. Too many of the supposedly great Oscar nominees these days are prominent bait, clearly created with the intention of recieving critical acclaim rather than bringing across a cohesive, ambitious narrative, yet in spite of the familiarity of the true story it depicts, this Chris Hemsworth-starring flick never ceases to strive for a benchmark of quality in terms of innovation and pure entertainment which its soon-to-be competitors lack to a large extent. Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde and Natalie Dormer each justifiably dominate the action, yet again, the final word must go to Howard, whose direction fuels Rush to transcend the screen-placed boundaries between the viewer and his characters more richly than any sports film has before it...
6. DJANGO UNCHAINED- This effortlessly captivating Western ode-turned-parody from Quinten Tarantino has that rare cinematic quality of instant replay value- no two viewings will ever be quite the same, a previously neglected detail of intricacy only emerging upon the next screening, with secrets galore still awaiting discovery long beyond the second watch. Django Unchained is not only one of Tarantino's finest works thanks to the director's stylistic assurance and manipulation, though; Leonardo DiCaprio's thrilling, oft-terrifying portrayal of Calvin Candy sends the motion picture into legendary territory, and Christoph Waltz's hilariously subjected Dr. Schultz doesn't exactly run far behind!
5. IRON MAN 3- Following the masterful work of Joss Whedon on Avengers Assemble must have appeared a near-impossible proposition for Marvel Studios, yet in the end, only one element really needed to slot into place- the hiring of Shane Black as the director of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's next chapter. Iron Man 3 is immediatedly a more engaging endeavour than its franchise predecessor in its layered narrative, but Black's helming is what ultimately elevates it above Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger and even this year's Thor: The Dark World with ease. It's telling that even a somewhat disappointing final antagonist reveal can't diminish the film's overall effect, with Ben Kingsley's secondary villain character being one of the most memorable inclusions in the MCU's mythology so far.
4. FROZEN- Well, readers can feel free to raise their hands if they saw this one coming, because this reviewer can confirm that they did not for a moment prior to December. The third animated contribution from Walt Disney Pictures on our list, Frozen reigns dominant on the basis of the reprisal of an element of Disney classics which has too long been absent from the genre- musical narrative. Each viewer will depart the auditorium with their own personal favourite tunes, but regardless of their response to the melodies, they are guaranteed to strike a profound relationship with the simplistic yet subversive character constructs, the likes of which have not attained the same depth and empathetic potential since Up or Toy Story 3. Twelve months ago, this was a studio which would hardly have registered as holding much potential for future hits, but as 2013 ends, Disney have reestablished themselves as an industry competitor to watch, and we now lie in avid anticipation of their next production...
3. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE- Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire was always the superior entry in her Hunger Games trilogy of novels, and as such, that Lionsgate's blockbuster adaptation of the text could have already have earned the title of the superior instalment in the film franchise comes as no surprise. From Jennifer Lawrence's performance to the now superbly paced narrative, virtually no element of The Hunger Games has been left in an unrefined state. With a two-part version of Mockingjay on the horizon for Christmas 2014 and 2015, the franchise has never risen higher than it stands today, and the knowledge that Catching Fire's director Francis Lawrence will return to helm the latter two instalments only sweetens the deal, offering hope that Lionsgate can pull a Twilight and transform the finale's underwhelming resolution into a meaningful and dramatic denouement.
2. GRAVITY- If Howard's Rush commences a directorial process of transcending the boundariesA and limits of cinema as an entertainment medium, then Alfonso Cuaron expands his predecessor's reach tenfold with Gravity. Never has 3D technology been put to greater effect than it is here, nor has the immersion that a viewer has openly felt within the universe (here literally) of a motion picture's narrative been so prominent. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney each provide award-worthy, career-defining performances, and these portrayals act as the essential icing of the cake which Avatar was found wanting for atop its dazzling visuals in 2009. In light of Cuaron's masterpiece, James Cameron must come to realise that aesthetic finesse in film is a mere supplement to a bold, gripping narrative and excelled character portrayals- to use a rather apt cliche, it's high time that he saw the gravity of the present situation!
1. LES MISERABLES- Eleven months on from their commencement, this reviewer can still hear the people sing. Tom Hooper had little to prove after his fantastic work with The King's Speech, and yet in many ways, his take on Les Miserables is so much more fulfilling. Of course, Hooper's incredible expertise in helming the big-screen rendition of Victor Hugo's classic novel and Alain Boubil's West End spectacular is just a singular component of the film's grandeur, its greatness, for without the correct thespians on hand to voice Jean Valjean, Javier and the remainder of the iconic character ensemble, the situation would fall to pieces. Enter Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham-Carter, all of whom factor immensely into the masterpiece which launched in the New Year here in the UK. Evidently, if Les Miserables and Frozen (and 2012's remarkable Rock of Ages) are anything to go by, then the musical genre is making a comeback, and so long as the ambition and dramatic power present in both the latter and particularly the former reside, then thanks to Hooper, the film industry has a irresistible opportunity to enter into a new renaissance. Master of the House, indeed.
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