After a lot of deliberating and discussing, we compiled this list of the Best 50 Movies that came out between 2010 and 2014. These are films we love, cherish, and suspect we will remember years and years from now. A lot has changed with film in the last 5 years, but the quality of the creative output only seems to keep getting better. Here’s to an amazing first half of the decade, and let’s hope the next five years lead to even bigger and better things.

Every day this week we will release ten films from our list, here is #40 through #31.

Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far
(#40 – #31)

Spring Breakers

Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers is a diabolically delicious assault of bleached-out colors, alcohol, and synthesized sounds. All of which makes for a ferociously dazzling watch. From its mesmerizing opening depicting hundreds of young adults participating in grossly outrageous spring break shenanigans,—while sounds of robotic vomiting (courtesy of dub-master Skrillex) discharge on the audio track—up until the final scene, a gun fight eruption (lit up with bright neon tints) at a South Floridian Oceanside manor, the film grabs hold tightly. So seldom are films released that are this audacious. The film follows four young college girls who will stop at nothing (and I mean nothing) to have the greatest spring break ever. The film is essentially a terrifying, unrelenting montage; we see the girls go from parties to robberies to gunfights and back again. James Franco owns every inch of the film while he’s on screen as cornrow-flowin’, gold teeth-showin’ drug lord/rapper Alien. He is on fire here in a career best performance that should’ve gotten him an Oscar nomination. While stars Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and Rachel Greene are all excellent, the real star here is Harmony Korine, who has found a way to sell his weird, subverted look at humanity to the masses. Spring Breakers is an instant classic. [Blake]

All is Lost

A spellbinding exercise in visual storytelling, J.C. Chandor’s All is Lost is a tale of survival at sea and a fascinating study in male ego. Robert Redford stars as the nearly-wordless film’s unnamed subject, a man alone on a boat in the middle of the ocean whose will to survive is immovable. Despite the elements threatening to rip his precious vessel to shreds, he fights tooth and nail to keep the boat (and his spirits) afloat. While his dogged refusal to perish at first looks a lot like bravery, as it becomes clear his efforts are futile, heroism turns into stubbornness. At what point does giving up become a virtuous act? Redford has enough experience to keep his performance reality-based, maintaining a deadpan expression in moments where lesser actors would look to the heavens with a face that screams, “Why me!?” He’s simply behaving, letting his body do the talking rather than relying on high drama and facial flourishes. The film’s presentation is as stunning and engrossing as Gravity’s, a similar film that came out in 2013 as well. (I prefer All is Lost’s grit and realism to Gravity’s sometimes maudlin tendencies.) If you haven’t seen this one, find it and make sure you watch it on a big screen with a muscly sound system. [Bernard]

The Wolf of Wall Street

Even in his 70’s, Martin Scorsese proves he’s intrinsically capable of capturing the enticing aspects of capitalism within the context of a searing indictment of greedy stock brokers. The Wolf of Wall Street may feel like an ode to opulence and apathy for those Wall Street bankers who allegedly cheered for the film’s characters in their most despicable moments, but for those in the audience with an understanding for the real world implications of Wolf, Jordan Belfort & Co. look like the band that played while the Titanic sank. Worse, they feel like the band’s onlookers. Among the most telling anecdotes from the film is one in which Belfort reminisces in voiceover about a ménage à trois he and Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) shared with the future wife of their co-worker. Belfort recounts with glee the lurid aspects of their tryst only to end the anecdote by mentioning that his co-worker later slit his wrists in a bathtub, before Belfort sighs and moves on to his next deplorable indulgence. That juxtaposition allows Scorsese’s film to serve as a criticism without coming across as preaching. The Wolf of Wall Street creates an engaging experience without neglecting substance. [Zach]

Melancholia

Leave it to Lars Von Trier to make one of the best films ever made about depression. The titular planet at the center of Melancholia, which winds up annihilating Earth by smashing into it, isn’t exactly the most subtle allegory, but Von Trier makes it work. He understands how depression can be such a large, destructive, all-encompassing force, and by equating it with the end of existence he finds the perfect way to evoke the true power of despondency. With jaw-dropping visuals and sound (it’s hard to get tired of hearing Wagner), as well as two astounding performances from Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lars Von Trier wound up making one of his best works with Melancholia. [CJ]

Midnight in Paris

Not reading anything about Woody Allen’s fantastical and joyous comedy Midnight in Paris was the best choice I could have made. Admittedly, I didn’t do this on purpose; it was more by happenstance than anything. I say I didn’t know anything about the film, but actually knew that it stared Owen Wilson and it took place in Paris. If you’ve never been to Paris (like myself) the opening 5 minutes is a basically a montage of everything you’ve always dreamed about experiencing in the sprawling French capital. The food. The music. The people. The museums. If you have been to Paris, it’ll have you pining to go back. The film’s plot centers on Wilson (never better) as he peruses Paris and discovers a magical world that awakens at night, one that makes his wildest dreams come true. Allen’s film is a nostalgic fever dream aimed at those who wish to have lived and experienced an era unbeknownst to them. The Wilson character fantasizes about the wild nights in which Picasso, Hemingway and Fitzgerald drank alcohol and told old, grand stories about love lost. Allen has essentially made a film a year since the late ’60s; this is easily in his top five. Romantics and old souls will revel in Allen’s glorious world. [Blake]

Shame

Before Steve McQueen earned a Best Picture Oscar for 12 Years A Slave (which also made our list) and became a household name, he made a grueling, yet exquisite film about sex-addiction called Shame. Despite all the acclamation for Michael Fassbender’s flattering full-frontal scenes, the film itself offers little else to cheer for. McQueen presents a depressing look into the life of Brandon (Fassbender), a man who’s constantly in search of his next orgasm, though he never finds any kind of meaningful pleasure in them. He’s completely lost his ability to connect with people on an emotional level. The only emotions he experiences are dissatisfaction and shame (hence the title). As you’d probably expect, watching a man slip deeper and deeper into sexual addiction is emotionally exhausting, but Shame remains a profoundly powerful experience thanks to McQueen’s fearless filmmaking and brilliant vision. Shame is not an easy watch, but the discomfort is absolutely worth it. [Dustin]

The Place Beyond the Pines

A perfect example of the idea that a story isn’t nearly as important as how it’s told, The Place Beyond the Pines strives in its every moment to defy categorisation. Its three acts are entirely unlike one another in genre, and yet are harmoniously strung together in their aesthetic and thematic content. What begins as an honest insight into the lives of the working class ends as an introspective on the notion of how our lives eventually come to affect those of our children, in ways we don’t expect. What truly stands out about this film, however, is how bold every choice is, from the opening shot to a 15 year jump in the plot. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, who also co-wrote the script, the film allows its characters to develop as authentic people by providing foundations upon which the actors can build highly convincing emotions. Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes are all unforgettable in their own ways, and yet the film handles melodrama with the lightest touch, keeping emphasis firmly on the humanity behind its events. [Pavi]

Gravity

Gravity does two things extraordinarily well. In fact, it does one of those things so well it’s worth overlooking the film’s flaws. The out-of-this-world photography, aided by a partnership of special effects and star Sandra Bullock’s physicality, is the reason the film belongs on this list and will be remembered for a long, long time. There isn’t a film that looks like Gravity, and there honestly may never be another. Looks aside, the film’s ability to create intense emotional stakes is also remarkable. If our connection with astronaut Ryan Stone (Bullock) throughout her crazy journey was missing, it wouldn’t matter how amazing everything looked. But we do connect, thanks to Bullock, who gives a remarkable (I’d even argue underrated) performance, as well as the success of its excellent (though much-derided) script. Screenwriters Alfonso and Jonás Cuarón trade in big sci-fi mythology for a streamlined, simple approach, and it works. Not all of the dialogue plays well, but there is a beating heart at the center of Gravity that makes it more than just a pretty face. Additionally, the film’s achievements in 3D filmmaking are groundbreaking. Gravity wonderfully melds forward-thinking technological concepts in filmmaking with an old-fashioned, emotionally charged story—an uncommon balance pulled off extremely well. [Aaron]

13 Assassins

13 Assassins, despite being a remake of a different film, could easily be summed up as Seven Samurai for the 21st century, a leaner, meaner take on Akira Kurosawa’s classic. The film’s first hour briskly sets up the situation: a samurai gathers 12 other assassins to take out the Shogun’s tyrannical half-brother. Once all the pieces get put into place, 13 Assassins spends its second hour unleashing one of the great action sequences of this century, an epic battle between an army of hundreds and the small group of samurai. Takashi Miike, one of the most prolific and versatile directors working today, directs 13 Assassins with a level of classicism and efficiency that’s a complete breath of fresh air compared to today’s action films. 13 Assassins is near-flawless genre filmmaking of the highest order. [CJ]

Stories We Tell

There is a common misconception that documentaries must be concerned with the truth, and with facts. Stories We Tell is a documentary film that seems to be uncovering truth at its surface, but in reality is examining something much more human. Director Sarah Polley’s goal may at first seem to be uncovering the truth about her mother, but as the film progresses, we can see that it is specifically her family’s memories of her mother that she is actually interested in. This ties together the essence of family itself, highlighting the way in which her family continues to remain supportive of each other and place their relationships above all else. Taking an unusual but effective approach to her discoveries, Polley focuses not on creating an accurate narrative of her mother’s life, but on displaying the complexities inherently involved in storytelling. It is through this portrayal that a film about her family becomes much more universal, allowing us to partake in the shared memories even if only through our own nostalgia. After all, the past is only as significant as the story it tells. [Pavi]

See the rest of our Best Movies Of The Decade lists!

View Other Lists of this Feature:
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#50 – #41)
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#30 – #21)
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#20 – #11)
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#10 – #1)

Now that you have gotten a chance to read Way Too Indie’s Best Films of 2013, a cumulative list from our staff, check out the individual Top 10 Lists from the eight staff members that created the list. The differences between the cumulative site list and these individual ones are actually quite different. First of all, even though mathematically Gravity was our overall #1 film for 2013, it only appears in the #1 spot in one of the eight lists below. Also, because a film had to get at least two mentions to quality for our cumulative list, you’ll find quite a few different titles down below: Leviathan, Paradise: Love, Blackfish, A Hijacking, The Past, and many more.

Staff Top 10 Lists For 2013

Dustin’s Top 10

Jansen’s Top 10

Ananda’s Top 10

Bernard’s Top 10

Amy’s Top 10

Pavi’s Top 10

Blake’s Top 10

CJ’s Top 10

Apparently 2013 was a good year to have the number twelve in your movie title (12 Years a Slave and Short Term 12) as well as an abstract meaning of the word color (Blue Is the Warmest Color and Upstream Color). And speaking of color, a couple highly praised films (Frances Ha and Nebraska) were shot only in black-and-white. While some films void of color such as Escape From Tomorrow and Computer Chess did not make our list, a film set in the black void of space did (Gravity). It was especially a good year for Matthew McConaughey and Brie Larson as each of them are in multiple films on our list.

Eight members of our staff voted on their favorite films of the year by submitting their own ranked list—those individual lists were mathematically converted into the list you see below. Before you dive into the results it is important to note that we were unable to see three potential list-changers before our voting deadline (Her, American Hustle, and The Wolf of Wall Street).

Way Too Indie’s Best Films of 2013

#25  Wadjda

Veiling undercurrents of politics and gender inequality with the simple tale of a smart girl who wants a bike is nothing short of genius – particularly when the story is done with so much gumption. Wadjda, both the first film to be shot in Saudi Arabia as well as the first to be directed by a Saudi woman, may not be infallible, but it is a sharp commentary that pierces to the heart of things just as well as its eponymous protagonist pierces our own hearts with her quirky, rebellious ways. It’s hard not to be inspired by her, and she’s bound to be a fantastic role model for young children everywhere, reminding us in small yet tenderly humorous ways how ridiculous prescribed gender identities can be. As WTI’s very own Bernard Boo points out in his review of the film, the male characters in this film are secondary, which is such a fantastic way for first-time director Haifaa Al-Mansour to give her female characters a prominent voice. Wadjda is not just a commendable debut; it’s an inspiring and charismatic journey. [Pavi]
Wadjda Review | Watch Trailer

#24  All is Lost

Emerging director JC Chandor’s debut, Margin Call, was a wordy chamber piece featuring an all-star cast, but for his second effort, All is Lost, he takes a refreshingly approach, shrinking his cast to a sole lead (the legendary Robert Redford) and giving him a mere three lines of dialog. Redford and Chandor’s tale of a lone man at sea is a textbook on visual and auditory harmony, with the sights and sounds of the swirling elements pounding Redford’s boat transporting us to another place entirely (an astonishing cinematic feat only matched this year by Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity). We’re given virtually zero background about Redford’s character, but by the end of the film, we learn volumes about his mental, physical, and spiritual resilience. Is his fight for survival an exhibition of courage, or is it all for naught? [Bernard]
All is Lost Review | Watch Trailer

#23  About Time

I was so full of optimism and adoration for Richard Curtis when I left the cinema after seeing About Time. He was able to once again capture the hearts of all wishful thinkers and hopeless romantics, including myself. A really lovely tale staring two great leads that you fall in love with almost immediately, however, as Ananda states in her review, anyone more concerned with space-time continuums or time travel paradoxes should just bypass this film, as it really is just another Richard Curtis movie and thus all sense of reality should be left at the door.

But it is another great British classic to go alongside Bridget Jones, Love Actually and Notting Hill – you know those select few films that you’re never sure it’s okay to admit loving, but everyone really wants to. Well I’m singing it loud and proud, I thoroughly enjoyed About Time as much as any film I have seen this year and I can’t wait for its purchase release so that I can re-watch it over and over again. [Amy]
About Time Review | Watch Trailer

#22  Drinking Buddies

Considering Drinking Buddies had roughly ten times the amount of budget that director Joe Swanberg had for previous films, many thought this to be his crossover into the Hollywood system. And in some ways it is true. But considering the budget was only half a million dollars (well under most films you see nowadays), it really puts in perspective where Swanberg came from. For the first time in his career Swanberg is able to afford household names (Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and Ron Livingston) to star in his film. Drinking Buddies explores the dangers of getting too romantically involved with your close friends by utilizing familiar and relatable situations. Through the use of improvised dialog the film comes across as natural feeling as a film can be. The best moments of Drinking Buddies are when emotional tension is displayed without dialog because the characters are so well established that we know exactly what they are thinking. [Dustin]
Drinking Buddies Review | Watch Trailer

#21  The World’s End

The final film in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy and by far the best. The World’s End is a highly entertaining science fiction/comedy hybrid that constantly fires on all cylinders. Simon Pegg leads a fantastic cast with the likes of Rosamund Pike, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan and Pierce Brosnan. Pegg, who has never been better, is Gary; an alcoholic who still holds on to memories of him and his mates trying to finish off the world’s toughest pub crawl. They try again 20 years later only this time find themselves in the midst of a colossal fight with intergalactic androids. The film is typical Wright, but as The World’s End barrels along to its conclusion, it starts to unravel a lot of layers that were not present at the beginning. What starts out as a high flying comedy soon turns into unexpected drama about alcoholism. Wright and his compatriots blaze a wonderful yarn about a group of men trying to reconnect with their youth and at the same time Wright constructs a meaningful film about poor souls who fall prey to the bottomless pits of despair. The World’s End is high class entertainment. [Blake]
Watch Trailer

#20  A Hijacking

Known to most people as that other film about Somalian pirates that came out this year (both of which were covered here), A Hijacking is one of many terrific dramas to make its way out of Denmark in the last several years. A corporate executive (Søren Malling), who starts the film giddy about successfully negotiating a sale, faces a tougher battle when one of his company’s ships is taken over by pirates. Malling’s character and a chef on the overtaken ship (Pilou Asbæk) are the film’s main focus, and as both men are trapped (one psychologically with guilt and a bruised ego, the other physically) we see them slowly crack under the pressure. Director Tobias Lindholm knows how to pile on the tension too: Negotiation scenes are filmed from Malling’s end, making them unbearably tense when things go awry, and the film’s biggest shocks come from its casual way of letting the audience see the passing of time. Captain Phillips may get all the fame this year, but A Hijacking gets the glory. [CJ]
Watch Trailer

#19  Mud

Mud was one of my Sundance London spotlight films; I had never seen McConaughey in such a sincere role. A story based upon one man’s pursuit to survive after being crushed by the undefeatable higher powers of the world. Mud (Matthew McConaughey) banishes himself to a deserted island surrounded on all sides by the Mississippi Rivers so that he will not be imprisoned for the crime he has been accused of committing in defence of the woman he loves. Two adventurous boys stumble upon Mud and once captured by the thrill of their secret mission to help him, do everything in their power to fight for what they believe to be right, freeing a man of the burdens that he carries and to find the woman he loves. [Amy]
Mud Review | Watch Trailer

#18  Stoker

Arriving the same year American Spike Lee would remake his seminal Oldboy, Park Chan Wook’s highly anticipated first English-language feature proved a kind of poetic statement of call-and-response to the tendency for North American cinema to re-make excellent films not just more linguistically palatable, but better while they’re at it.

Stoker stood in the face of this logic, bringing Park’s every lurid aesthetic chop together with richly stylized performances to deliver one of the year’s most disturbing, incessantly watchable, so-bad-it’s-brilliant American pictures. Matthew Goode is like a porcelain mask bound to crack and cut, his Uncle Charlie sharing a fascinating, not-so-deftly suggestive relationship with Mia Wasikowska’s elliptical India that’s at Stoker‘s brittle core. But it’s the boldness of violence – both physical and psychological – and consistency of vision that elevates the picture: at this rate, Park could direct the phone book and it’d be among the most considerately art-designed films of the year. [Jansen]
Stoker Review | Watch Trailer

#17  Side Effects

Who knew that Steven Soderbergh’s supposedly final theatrical feature would turn out to be his one of his most entertaining? Beginning with a stressed out wife (Rooney Mara) unable to handle her white-collar criminal husband (Channing Tatum) returning home after serving his sentence, she starts seeing a therapist (Jude Law) who prescribes her a new drug that apparently cures Mara of all her troubles. That is, until she winds up murdering her husband without any recollection of performing the act. The film’s first half is an unsettling look at the way prescription meds can alter one’s body, but it’s Soderbergh’s (and Scott Z. Burns’ terrific screenplay’s) distinct shift in the second half that elevates the film to something more than basic genre fare. Some people may be upset at the film’s blatant manipulation, but it makes a chilling impact. Just how much do we know about what we put in our bodies, and what it can make us capable of? Side Effects‘ second half makes us question everything we’ve seen beforehand, all while indulging in elements from 70s paranoia and 80s/90s psychosexual thrillers. The fact that Soderbergh can weave all these things together seamlessly speaks to his talents, and we can only hope that he’ll reconsider his early retirement from filmmaking. [CJ]
Side Effects Review | Watch Trailer

#16  Fruitvale Station

Following slain 22-year-old Bay Area resident Oscar Grant’s last day on earth, docu-drama Fruitvale Station is a resounding debut feature from young director Ryan Coogler, who’s as prone to take Hollywood by storm as his star, Michael B. Jordan. Coogler’s script pushes forward forcefully and cuts deeply, and along with Jordan’s breakout performance as Grant it helps to remind us of the humanity at stake in headline-grabbing travesties of this nature. [Bernard]
Fruitvale Station Review | Watch Trailer

#15  Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey’s towering turn as HIV-positive Texas tough-guy and alternative drug entrepreneur Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club has earned the once oft-shirtless Hollywood hunk much deserved universal praise. But standing right alongside him, towering perhaps even taller, is Jared Leto, whose eerily lived-in portrayal of gregarious transsexual Rayon is one of the most entertaining and charming actor transformations of the year. The script is solid, as are the supporting players, directing (by Jean-Marc Vallée), and visuals, but the dual career-defining performances by the male leads propel Dallas Buyers Club up to the #15 slot on our list. [Bernard]
Dallas Buyers Club Review | Watch Trailer

#14  Spring Breakers

I went back and forth many times on whether or not to place Harmony Korine’s visual and aural sensation of a film as the #1 on my personal list before eventually settling for the #2 slot. Korine’s Spring Breakers perfectly captures and presents the ethos of American youth. I realize most kids are not gun toting, sex zealots like the heroines presented here, the mentality of “I’m gonna get mine at any cost,” reverberates incessantly throughout the film. Spring Breakers is a visual wonderland. Korine uses every trick in the book to fully illustrate the colorful scenery of the Floridian debauchery-soaked landscape. His brilliant visuals are backed by a maniacal score by dubstep master Skrillex and electro wizard Cliff Martinez. Even though the film may be tough to watch at times, there’s no denying the magnetic power Korine holds over you. Spring Breakers is dazzling. [Blake]
Spring Breakers Review | Watch Trailer

#13  The Great Beauty

Immediately after watching Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty I had a sudden urge to go visit a city that I have not considered before. This is due to the dazzling imagery of the landscapes, architecture, and culture of a modern-day Rome that is contained within this appropriately titled film. Every frame in the film feels like it could be made into a painting, then showcased in an art museum, and be admired by the very same people that are portrayed in the film. The film is ultimately about a man who has trouble finding true beauty in his elegant lifestyle even though beauty is all around him. Sorrentino certainly finds this great beauty while making a statement about the current Italian culture. [Dustin]
The Great Beauty Review | Watch Trailer

#12  The Place Beyond The Pines

Because The Place Beyond The Pines came out so early in the year (March) it is easy for the film slip under the radar for end of the year lists. Fortunately, Derek Cianfrance’s film has stuck with me the entire year due to the amazing cinematography (one of the best opening sequences of the year) that pairs perfectly with the unsettling score of the film. This is a classic three act story that is best experienced going into it without knowing much about it—which the trailer brilliantly abides by not giving away too much details. The acting performances from Ryan Gosling and Brady Cooper are simply stunning. If I had to vote for 2013’s Most Forgotten About Film, The Place Beyond The Pines would be at the top. [Dustin]
The Place Beyond The Pines Review | Watch Trailer

#11  The Spectacular Now

As much about coming of age as it is about love in its many forms, The Spectacular Now is a sweet yet poignant tale that tips its hat to the American high school drama whilst thoroughly surpassing it in the best way. Our expectations of the genre are as humbled as popular high-school kid Sutter is when he meets Aimee, the quiet nerdy girl he’s never noticed before. Sutter has a “live in the now” philosophy, but Aimee’s arrival in his life switches everything up, forcing them both to confront their deepest issues. Director James Ponsoldt gives us all of the teen awkwardness and curiosity with none (or at least very little) of the melodrama, and Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are spectacular leads; though the film is primarily about Sutter, Woodley steals the show with her quiet love and concern that manifest themselves so plainly in her every expression. This film feels familiar and yet so much more complicated than anything we know, all at the same time. [Pavi]
The Spectacular Now Review | Watch Trailer

#10  Upstream Color

How to recommend a film that will undoubtedly leave you scratching your head and utterly perplexed? Perhaps by saying, never have you enjoyed being confused in so lovely a fashion. Upstream Color, the second of Shane Carruth’s bewildering directorial feats, is about two people who find each other after going through traumatic experiences where their minds were manipulated and now they are missing memories and much of their bank accounts. It’s a film full of beautiful scenery and strange happenings. It’s about many things: falling in love, finding and creating identity, solving a mystery, exacting revenge, and all sorts of other weird things one could only start to fathom upon repeat viewings. However you interpret it, there’s no denying Upstream Color is truly intriguing to watch. [Ananda]
Upstream Color Review | Watch Trailer

#9  The Hunt

Mads Mikkelsen is at his best as a teacher who is wrongly accused of molesting a young girl at his school. The Hunt is undoubtedly hard to watch at times as family and close friends turn their back on him, all while Thomas Vinterberg’s direction ratchets up the intensity with each passing minute. Everything about the film is top notch and the supporting actors are great; but the film is owned by Mikkelsen (Best Actor Winner at Cannes) who is onscreen for nearly every second. Sure, its melodrama, but Vinterberg and company are more than up for the challenge; and they succeed with flying colors. [Blake]
The Hunt Review | Watch Trailer

#8  The Act of Killing

No other film this year touches Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing when it comes to the amount of jaw-dropping, shake your head in disbelief moments. Whether it’s former generals happily describing how they strangled innocent people with razor wire, government officials openly extorting business owners, a talk show audience applauding war crimes, or the sight of one of these generals dry heaving as he comes to understand what he did, The Act of Killing has no shortage of completely surreal and unbelievable moments. And I haven’t even described the re-enactments of the Indonesian military coup that the film uses as its starting point, all of which accentuate the stomach-churning feeling that goes on throughout Oppenheimer’s film. But what really makes The Act of Killing such a landmark documentary is the way Oppenheimer turns the footage around on viewers. Does Indonesia’s explicit endorsement of these actions somehow make them better or worse than the way Americans (or more generally people in the first world) implicitly endorse similarly oppressive and reprehensible behaviour? What makes The Act of Killing such a sickening film to watch is the realization that, as bone-chilling and incomprehensible this world is, it isn’t too far off from ours. [CJ]
The Act of Killing Review | Watch Trailer

#7  Nebraska

I grew up spending several weeks a year in my grandparent’s Midwestern town of 300 people. A town where the local bar was the only hangout and where many a conversation among neighbors revolved around the cars they drove and the farming equipment they operated. Alexander Payne (a fellow Midwesterner and Nebraska native) might as well have been writing about that town, tapping into the subtle humor found in the mundane of Midwestern life portrayed in Nebraska. I could go on and on about Bruce Dern’s performance as an old man duped into believing a marketing scheme is actually promising him a million dollars if he travels back to his native Nebraska to claim it, but the truth is his son, played with affable sincerity by Will Forte, provides a vantage point that is easy to relate to. A son coming to understand, or at least accept, the motivations that fuel his father forward and make up the man he has become in old age. Shot in beautiful black and white, which only adds to the lost-in-time feel of a small town, the film is quiet and hilarious, not to mention deeply touching. [Ananda]
Nebraska Review | Watch Trailer

#6  Short Term 12

A film that centers around a foster care facility, Short Term 12 could have been a clichéd attempt at manipulating our emotions with contrived characters and scenes. Instead, thanks to heartfelt direction from Destin Cretton as well as spectacular performances from the cast, it is exactly the opposite – a touching, genuine film that quietly leaves its mark in our hearts. Brie Larson gives the performance of her career, and possibly of the year, as Grace, a young woman who supervises at the facility, and is much loved by the children there. When a new arrival means she begins to confront her own past, and the traumas that lie within it, we’re drawn even further into her world, sympathizing with her emotions as though they touch us in our very flesh. The supporting cast are no less captivating, coming together to create a beautifully crafted film that confronts us with the reality of many lives. [Pavi]
Short Term 12 Review | Watch Trailer

#5  Blue Is the Warmest Color

Controversy has surrounded Blue Is The Warmest Color ever since the film premiered Cannes and won the grand Palm d’Or prize. Early on the debate was if the powerful ten minute lesbian sex scene was too graphic, too long, or just simply too taboo. However as time passed the lead actresses admitted to feeling mistreated during the filmmaking process (especially in the sex scenes) which sparked a whole new round of controversy. But with all this attention on the film, perhaps it proves that sometimes bad press is good press.

Putting aside all of the buzz surrounding the film, what you need to know is that Blue Is the Warmest Color is first and foremost about self-discovery and the intimate passion of love. The acting performances from the two female leads (Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux) are so effective that their love for each other is never in question. However, the film does not sugar cost the reality of love when it displays the tragedy of heartbreak. Blue Is the Warmest Color worth seeking out regardless of your stance on the film’s subject matter. This is masterful filmmaking and among the best cinema has to offer this year. [Dustin]
Blue Is the Warmest Color Review | Watch Trailer

#4  12 Years a Slave

One advantage to press screenings, sometimes, is there’s not yet much hype or disdain for a film. I had no idea going in the effect 12 Years a Slave would have on me. I knew director Steve McQueen was known for his effectiveness with serious subject matter, but am ashamed to admit I had never actually gotten around to watching one of his films. And now I worry that all the hype will actually deter some people from seeing the film, because when does one ever get in the mood to watch a film I personally described as “sobering and immensely difficult to watch”? But this film is in the Top 5 for good reason. Amazing performances and gripping imagery aside, 12 Years a Slave is storytelling at its most powerful. And partly what makes it so powerful is because it’s a true story. Every American should be made to watch this film, because each of us have exactly what this character/man of history, Solomon Northup, had, lost, and then regained: freedom. And McQueen’s cinematic reminder of just how invaluable a thing like that is, will always be timely. [Ananda]
12 Years a Slave Review | Watch Trailer

#3  Before Midnight

The third in Richard Linklater’s unprecedented touristic walk-n-talk romance series, Before Midnight checks in on Celine and Jesse 9 years after Before Sunset and 18 years after Before Sunrise. The couple’s once fresh, vigorous attraction to one another has begun to sour a bit as mounting mid-life stresses strip their romance bare, but Delpy and Hawke’s unparalleled chemistry is as crackling as ever. The progressively contentious (and riveting) interactions between the now-jaded lovers bring a raw intensity not found in the film’s predecessors, and as the stinging reality begins to emerge that the yappy soul mates may have reached the end of lovers’ lane, a profound feeling of desperation rocks their world, and ours. This is the first time we’re seeing these precious-to-many characters get their hands dirty, and not only is this the best film in the series, it’s damn near close to perfection. [Bernard]
Before Midnight Review | Watch Trailer

#2  Frances Ha

What can I say about Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha? The film is totally original and rare gem unlike anything I have ever seen before. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt so connected to a character as I did with Frances (wonderfully played by Greta Gerwig); she is the embodiment of every emotion and defeat we go through. Yet, instead of actually being defeated she rises and she fights—never letting the wavering flame of hope burn out, and that is what I found humbling, encouraging, and powerful. The script found in Frances Ha was flawless and brilliant; it was stylistic in every sense of the word. Frances Ha has my sincerest recommendation and is completely worthy of its high rank on our list. I challenge you to watch the film and not fall in love with Frances. [Amy]
Frances Ha Review | Watch Trailer

#1  Gravity

Our film of the year is a fitting champion in form, tone, and technique within such a banner year for the art precisely because it worked counter to so many worrying trends pervading in the industry as of late. A muscular 90 minute story in a sea of 2 1/2 hour-plus 3D action epics released every year, perhaps the highest praise we can offer Gravity is that it can (and often does) work without words. Is storytelling through visuals not cinema at its most romantic? Does that not emphatically harken back to movies at their most alluring and pure?

Gravity is a feat of virtuoso visuals and its excellent use of 3D technology goes without saying; it’s been said everywhere. But what most impressed me is Alfonso Cuaron’s unsentimental, almost ruthlessly direct narrative: you-are-there at tis most cathartically palpable, and relentlessly potent. This is space. and these are the turmoils of space. and here are two characters that can help you relate: even if you didn’t buy into the higher allegorical ambitions of Gravity, that much of the story, at least, touches everybody. And that is a thrilling thing for cinema. [Jansen]
Gravity Review | Watch Trailer

Our Best Films of 2013 Infographic

For this monthly staff feature we came to the conclusion that because not everyone on the staff has been to the same festivals, thus having the opportunities to see the same films, that each writer from the staff would list their own individual Top 5 Films of 2013 (So Far). You can tell just by looking at our lists that there is a wide range of quality films that have been released at the halfway mark of 2013. While we wait to see what upcoming gems 2013 will bring us, here are the best films of the year so far.

Blake’s Top 5

2013, what a year you’ve been so far for us film going folk. You’ve made me cry (A Haunted House, Aftershock), you’ve made me laugh (Warm Bodies in a good way, A Good Day to Die Hard in a bad way) and you’ve had me cheering from the rafters (Gareth Evan’s Safe Haven, Fast and Furious 6). You were better than the first half of 2012 so keep up the good work. Picking my favorite 5 films of the year so far has proven to be a malicious act. I’ve seen some great films. There are easily more than five and since I can only have that amount, I shall list what barely misses here. These are my, as Roger Ebert would call them, Special Jury winners: Graceland, The Silence, The Act of Killing, The Place Beyond the Pines, and Side Effects.

#1  Spring Breakers

#2  Reality

#3  The Hunt

#4  Upstream Color

#5  The Lords of Salem

Bernard’s Top 5

My top two films of the year so far are interchangeable, as they’re both brilliant, but in different ways. Before Midnight is nearly flawless—I was floored by every facet of it. Sarah Polley’s documentary/family-drama/soap-opera/whodunit, Stories We Tell, is a Frankenstein’s monster of personal filmmaking goodness that exists outside any genre. These two films are absolute beasts, and there are miles between them and the rest of the movies I saw this year. That said, it would be amazing if a film in the last half of 2013 can top them somehow. Fingers crossed!

#1  Before Midnight

#2  Stories We Tell

#3  Simon Killer

#4  You’re Next

#5  Like Someone In Love

Amy’s Top 5

I had the opportunity to see so many great films at this year’s Sundance London Film Festival, but only a few have so far have had confirmed releases, In a World will be heading to the UK this September. It was a tremendous comedy written, directed and performed by Lake Bell – I would recommend anyone to go see it when it hits cinemas! I also had the chance to see Mud at the festival and loved every minute of it. Stoker, (directed by Chan-wook Park, Oldboy) was a phenomenal film – its stunning visuals and intense storyline had me utterly gripped throughout, sincerely recommend for those who like Park’s style. Warm Bodies was a great film that turned our expectations of a zombie film upside down, making the dead come alive and love again. I really did not think I would take to Sightseers as much as I did, most of the film I was thinking – “what the hell is going on” – but the last few scenes had me in stitches. Looking forward to seeing: This is the End, The East, and Before Midnight.

#1  In a World

#2  Mud

#3  Stoker

#4  Warm Bodies

#5  Sightseers

CJ’s Top 5

I’ve never seen a year where my two favourite films (at this time) are documentaries, let alone ones that push the capabilities of documentary filmmaking and cinema itself into new directions. I had an internal debate about my placement of both films on this list. Do I give the #1 spot to the film with the most societal and moral impact, or the film with the most cinematic impact? In the end I couldn’t choose, so I let them both share the top spot. The other three are all terrific, and Bernard has explained enough why Before Midnight is great, but these first two shook me to the core. Other films that barely made the cut: Spring Breakers, Side Effects, The Place Beyond The Pines, Valentine Road.

#1 (tie)  Leviathan and The Act of Killing

#3  Before Midnight

#4  Beyond The Hills

#5  Hors Satan

Ananda’s Top 5

Perhaps it’s the celebration of the end of a long recession, but of 2013’s film offerings thus far, the ones that have seemed strongest to me are all of a lighter fare. Granted I haven’t seen A Hijacking, Mud, or The Stories We Tell (which would probably make this list because I have a huge girl-crush on Sarah Polley). I can wait for the fall to indulge in the heavier stuff, including all those festival films not yet released (Blue is the Warmest Color, holler). But sometimes lighter is better. From the bottom, This is the End is the best buddies-in-a-crises film I’ve seen since Shaun of the Dead and had my abs hurting for days. A three-quel on my list? I’m just as shocked, but when Hollywood’s wittiest writer, Shane Black, unites with the world’s wittiest superhero, Iron Man (played by the man Black was born to write for, Robert Downey Jr.) it’s a match made in Marvel heaven. Upstream Color isn’t easier to follow than Shane Carruth’s first film Primer, but was much easier to accept and had a lovely hum to it. It’s no secret I’m a sucker for films of the dark and twisty variety, and Stoker manages to be elegant with its seductive spookiness. Frances Ha, at the top of my list, stroke some realistic chords with this urban-dwelling 20-something, and Greta Gerwig shines as she makes what could be an aimless hipster, a relatable heroine. All in all, 2013 has me feeling rather positive thus far. Honorable Mentions: Side Effects (The twists and pacing of Ocean’s 11 with the gravitas of Contagion) and since we’re keeping it light with my list Warm Bodies successfully paired young love and zombies to my great delight.

#1  Frances Ha

#2  Stoker

#3  Upstream Color

#4  Iron Man 3

#5  This is the End

Dustin’s Top 5

It is not all that surprising that three of the top five films I have seen so far in 2013 had played at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. But only one of those (Nebraska) is allowed to be on this list as the other two (Like Father, Like Son and The Great Beauty) do not meet our prerequisite of having a hard 2013 U.S. release date yet. But because 2013 has been a solid year for films so far, it was not difficult to find two other films to take their place. And it will only get better during the fall festival circuit and awards season. Though I saw Ulrich Seidl’s hard-to-watch yet stimulating Paradise: Love last year, it is still the top film for me with a 2013 release date. A few films that just missed the cut for me were: To The Wonder, 28 Hotel Rooms, and The Act of Killing. I should also include a few films that I have not seen yet: Mud, Fruitvale Station, Before Midnight, and Post Tenebras Lux.

#1  Paradise: Love

#2  The Place Beyond the Pines

#3  Upstream Color

#4  Frances Ha

#5  Nebraska

It would be easy to mistake The Place Beyond the Pines as a sequel to Drive as this film also stars Ryan Gosling as a stuntman turned getaway driver who is a soft-spoken badass that beats people with hardware tools. But I am here to tell you that The Place Beyond the Pines is not what you think it is; in more ways than one. Derek Cianfrance makes some interesting storyline decisions that I would consider spoilers if they were revealed, therefore, I will offer nothing more in this review than what the trailer does.

The Place Beyond the Pines contains of one of the best opening scenes that I have witnessed in some time. We see Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) without his shirt which exposes his fully tattooed body as he flips his butterfly knife back and forth. Still continuing in the same shot, he grabs his jacket, steps out of his trailer and walks through the buzzing sounds and bright flashing lights of carnival rides. The camera follows behind the bleach blond haired man while he lights up a cigarette and walks to the opposite end of the carnival up to a large tent. People are congregated outside and are eager to take his photo as he walks by. Just as he enters the tent an announcer introduces the motorcycle stuntman over the loudspeaker. When he reaches his bike we finally see his face for the first time, it also features a tattoo. Luke fastens his helmet before he and two others ride their bikes into a large metal ball cage and proceed to ride their bikes at top speeds past each other. All of the above had to be choreographed and perfectly timed as it happens in one continuous shot, lasting nearly a full three minutes.

Working as part of the traveling carnival brings Luke to Schenectady, New York where he runs into an old flame, Romina (Eva Mendes). It has been a year since they last saw each other and a lot has happened since. Romina is now dating another guy but the bigger news, as Luke soon discovers, is that she now has a three-month-old boy, and it is his. When Luke realizes that he cannot be a part of his son’s life, he at least feels obligated to provide for his son. The only problem is that his motorcycle stunts earn him more fans than it does income.

While blazing through a wooded trail on his dirt bike, Luke winds up meeting a mechanic named Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) who offers him a job fixing engines and a place to stay. Their friendship grows quickly but Luke’s bank account is not growing at that same rate. Robin feels bad that he does not have the amount of work Luke wishes in order to provide for his son. So he throws out a wild suggestion that even the thrill-seeking biker has to laugh at, which is to rob a bank. But Robin is not kidding around. He explains that he has done it four times in the past with success and knows he can do it again with Luke’s driving skills. The two will have to be clever to outwit the New York Police Department, especially the ambitious cop named Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper).

The Place Beyond the Pines feels like three separate films, each containing their own set of main characters, yet all remain connected at the same time. The first act is absolutely heart-pounding. It is focused entirely on Luke’s character and results in several armed bank robberies followed by high-speed pursuits. But then the film pumps its brakes and shifts its focus on the opposite side of the law for the second act. Avery ends up discovering that his own police department is corrupt and must decide whether to expose them or not. I will not even go into what the third act is about, just because it is better to experience it yourself firsthand.

One thing that I found particularly interesting is that everything in The Place Beyond the Pines has justification. The man who is robbing these banks is not doing it for self-gain, he is doing it to care for his infant son. Even the corrupt police department hints some of the shady acts are done for the greater good; such as when they plan to use some of the drug evidence from one case to catch drug criminals on another.

As a whole, the acting performances were all stunning. What may come as a shock to a lot of people is that the most impressive performance was not from Gosling, but rather from Cooper. Granted, Gosling gave a solid performance himself, but Cooper stood out as a smart cop who is stuck having to make difficult moral decisions. Mendelsohn did not have a particularly huge role yet he still managed to be a memorable character as a goofy and over-friendly mechanic. Eva Mendes and Ray Liotta are also good as they both tend to be.

For a film that is nearly two and half hours long, The Place Beyond the Pines seems to fly by. It lures you in with a heart-pounding beginning, keeps you guessing during the middle, and has you on the edge of your seat at the end. The film is a crime epic about how a single split second decision can have life lasting consequences. With the fantastic cinematography by Sean Bobbitt and a score that perfectly sets the unsettling tone of the film, The Place Beyond the Pines stands out as one of the better films of the year so far.

The upcoming film from the director of Blue Valentine, which also stars Ryan Gosling, looks as if he has another emotionally powerful story on his hands. The Place Beyond the Pines explores the bond between fathers and sons as a traveling motorcycle stunt man (Ryan Gosling) attempts to reconnect with his former lover (Eva Mendes) who gave birth to their child unbeknownst to him. At the same time, an opportunity that he cannot pass up arises that has him running from the law.

Way Too Indie is giveaway: a T-Shirt, the Official Soundtrack of The Place Beyond the Pines, and a Poster to two (2) winners.

How do you enter the giveaway?

Simply email me (dustin AT waytooindie.com) your favorite Ryan Gosling film.

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Details on The Place Beyond the Pines:

Release Date: March 29, 2013
Nationwide Release: April 12, 2013
Genre: Drama
Directed by: Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine)
Written by: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn, Ray Liotta
#BeyondthePines

Watch the trailer of The Place Beyond the Pines:

Details of Official Soundtrack for The Place Beyond the Pines:

Mike Patton, American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known as the lead singer of the alternative metal/experimental rock band Faith No More delivers a sweeping and brooding score. Like a red thread, his music guides the audience through this multi-generational story often linking characters and locations.

In addition to Mike’s score, the album features an eclectic selection of music by the likes of Vladimir Ivanoff (Miserere Mei), Arvo Park (Fratres), Bon Iver (The Wolves), and Ennio Morricone (Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri), among others.

Track Listing
1. Schenectady
2. Family Trees
3. Bromance
4. Forest of Conscience
5. Beyond the Pines
6. Evergreen
7. Misremembering
8. Sonday
9. Coniferae
10. Eclipse of the Son
11. The Snow Angel
12. Handsome Luke
13. Please Stay – The Cryin’ Shames
14. Miserere Mei – Vladimir Ivanoff
15. Fratres for Strings and Percussion – Arvo Part
16. Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri – Ennio Morricone
17. The Wolves (Act I and II) – Bon Iver

Movie poster for The Place Beyond the Pines:

After premiering (and receiving a relatively warm reception) at TIFF in September, we really haven’t heard much about Derek Cianfrance’s new film, The Place Beyond the Pines. Some wondered what would come of the film. A couple months back the studio releasing the film, Focus Features, announced that it would see theaters near the end of March.

I personally saw this as a meaning that the film wasn’t as strong as some once thought. Well now we have a full length trailer and boy does it look to be an emotional experience. The film stars Ryan Gosling as a motorcycle stunt man who starts committing robbery’s to support his family. On the other side of the coin is a cop played by Bradley Cooper whose looks to take him down.

Cianfrance was last seen with the emotionally wrought drama Blue Valentine (also starring Gosling). By the end of that film, it felt like my heart had been ripped out and stepped on. This looks to have the same emotional impact. The film also stars Rose Byrne, Eva Mendes, Bruce Greenwood and Ray Liotta. Check out the trailer below.

Watch the official trailer for The Place Beyond the Pines: