Top 10 Movies of 2013

10. Pacific Rim - For a big budget, effects driven, blow everything up kind of movie, this was the most fun and original.

9.  Frances Ha - A showcase for Greta Gerwig, in the best performance by an actress this year.

8.  Captain Phillips - A tough, real-world thriller, with Tom Hanks in his best role in over a decade.

7.  Nebraska - A true American original.  CLICK HERE for the full review.

6.  Dallas Buyers Club - Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey shine in a touching, true story.  CLICK HERE for the full review.
 
5.  All Is Lost - J. C. Chandor directs Robert Redford in the best performance by an actor this year.  CLICK HERE for the full review.

4.  Mud - One of the best original stories of 2013, and a master class in screenwriting.  Yet another great performance by Matthew McConaughey.

3.  Inside Llewyn Davis - Still captivated by this touching, funny gem from the Coen Brothers.  Oscar Isaac is headed for stardom.  CLICK HERE for the full review.

2.  Gravity - The most stunning visuals that technology has to offer combine with a timeless human story.  Catch it on the big screen if you still can.
 
1.  To The Wonder - A Terrence Malick work of art, something to be discovered, appreciated, and re-interpreted for many years to come.  CLICK HERE for the full review.

To The Wonder

Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" - A Story of America

At first glance Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" might be described as a Mid-Western, but in reality it's an American.  And the best movie about Americans all year.  Real, working class, non-superhero citizens are the backbone of this excellent movie which captures the complexities and details of life in the post-recession landscape.  "Nebraska" is a movie that makes you think:  about our aging parents, about lost dreams, and about the new generation with substantially bleaker prospects than the old one.  It takes place in the literal center of the country, but the story is universally American.

"Nebraska" is about Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), who travels with his forty-something son David (Will Forte) to his home state of Nebraska to claim a million dollar sweepstakes prize that may or may not exist.  Along the way, they reconnect with old friends and family who reveal hidden truths about Woody's life.  David learns that his father is much more complicated than the aloof alcoholic he - and the audience - takes him for.  Over the course of one weekend, Woody and David's bickering gives way to a deeper understanding about family heritage and communal history that enlighten and invigorate both men.

Further complicating matters are the long-lost relatives who now believe Woody is a millionaire.  Having lost contact with Woody's family for over a decade, they make no qualms about now asking for a share of the riches.  The most stupefying and villainous are Woody's nephews Bart and Cole.  They love to drink beer and talk cars, and don't appear to have any sort of job.  They mock David for his Subaru wagon and for taking 2 days to drive 750 miles, yet spend their weekends doing roadside "community service" after a sexual assault charge.  Their aggressive attempts to snatch a share of their Uncle's jackpot are both sad and hilarious. 

Will Forte and Bruce Dern

Photographed in black-and-white across Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska, the movie is full of authentic images depicting small-town and rural life in the 21st Century.  The terrific script by Bob Nelson is filled with spot-on sayings and down-home characters that make this story both funny and poignant.  This rich portrait is anchored by Bruce Dern's phenomenal performance.  The 77 year old actor has worked with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarantino, and brings all his experience to create a touching, layered father that is an archetypal Old Man of the United States.  Mr. Dern uses his eyes, his walk, his gestures, and even his grunts to convey his entire memory, filled with regret, disappointment, and the disbelief that time and tide wait for no man. 

At its heart, "Nebraska" is a father-and-son story.  David harbors resentment toward Woody for caring too little and drinking too much.  Woody feels David has not amounted to anything, relegated to "selling record players" at a local store.  Yet David knows that he's not all that different form his dad, and with no wife or house to call his own, David faces an even bleaker future.  The road trip to Nebraska is what they both need; David needs to connect with his father, and Woody needs to get away from his meaningless existence and feel alive once again.

The entire movie will hit close to home for anyone with family outside the big cities.  Every argument or insult has been said by real families for a hundred years.  The houses and taverns have a comfortable lived-in feel that might be your aunt's or a former business partner's.  What makes this movie brilliant is that no matter how crazy things get, or how bizarre people act, we as an audience recognize ourselves.  Every character is richly drawn with cracks and faults that could be any of our relatives.  Like the landscape where Woody Grant was born and raised, "Nebraska" is our home too.

Greek-American director Alexander Payne has now made six movies and every single one is great.  I recommend them all, and be sure to read my review of his first movie "Citizen Ruth."   

Alexander Payne: His First Movie Reconsidered

The Greek-American writer-director Alexander Payne has made some of the best American movies of the last 15 years.  His influences range from such comedic greats as Billy Wilder and James L. Brooks, to the serious new American dramas of the 1970s.  In anticipation of "Nebraska" - his 6th feature film (view the trailer) - I decided to revisit his first movie.

Released in 1996, "Citizen Ruth" opened all the doors.  It's a movie about abortion - a fictionalized story that presents both sides.  It's very funny, yet serious when appropriate.  It's masterfully written by Mr. Payne and co-collaborator Jim Taylor.  They walk the tightrope of this divisive, emotional issue without forgetting to tell an entertaining story.  It's hard to imagine this movie getting made today.

Laura Dern plays Ruth, a drug-addicted homeless woman, cast adrift in middle-America.  A mother of 4 kids she no longer sees or parents, Ruth spends her time in jail or outside of dumpsters inhaling paint fumes.  When a fundamental Right to Life family takes a newly pregnant Ruth into their home, things get complicated.  The family's motives aren't entirely clear to Ruth; do they want to save the baby, or use Ruth to draw attention to their cause?  Ruth knows she can't bring another baby into her broken world so she joins a pro-choice group of feminists.  Only their motives are equally shady.  They too want to use Ruth as a weapon in their ideological war.  

Did I mention it's funny?  Payne & Taylor have an umatched skill bringing humor to the most painful situations.  Consider Paul Giamatti in "Sideways," or Matthew Broderick in "Election."  Mixed-up characters are their specialty.  Their writing skills thrive by understanding uniquely American issues, with a slant to poor people in poor places.  We can laugh with them because we are them. 

Ultimately the power comes from Mr. Payne's directing talent, especially with actors.  Laura Dern gives a hilarious and sad performance using her whole body as she tries to gain control of it.  It's a brilliant accomplishment, recalling Johnny Depp at his most physically funny.  Ruth becomes an unlikely American hero - a role she didn't want and can't comprehend.

Alexander Payne has a lot to say and many clever ways to show it.  He even critiques the media, while questioning fundamental institutions.  "Citizen Ruth" is an ambitious and bold debut film.  By tackling such a complex issue, he showed he could handle any material.  By elevating it to a poignant and satirical level, Mr. Payne proved he was the real deal.  This is something all young writers and directors should consider; can they be as deep and entertaining in their own work?