Today is 1 July 2013. We are halfway through the year in film. In another six months, I’ll be handing out the Sketchys for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.
But why wait until then? There are some great films that will undoubtedly be forgotten by year’s end and not make anyone’s list, myself included.
These are the nominations and awards I would hand out today if the film year ended 1 July. I’m limiting the nominations to things that I assume would hold up at the end of the year, so I will not go to five or 10 nominees just to have five or 10 nominees.
Today we’re going to look at the Best Films of 2013 So Far. This is the start of the Halfies. They’re just like the Sketchys, only much shorter.
10: Much Ado About Nothing, Release Date: 7 June 2013
Joss Whedon strikes gold in a hilarious and deeply emotional adaptation of Shakespeare’s famed comedy. The slapstick humor fueled by non-stop liquor sets the text off perfectly. The only thing greater than the comedy is the execution of the tragic downswing at the wedding before the requisite happily ever after.
Original Review, 7/10
9: This Is the End, Release Date: 12 June 2013
No, I did not anticipate a comedy where young Hollywood actors play heightened versions of themselves during the Apocalypse to be any good. It is. It’s very good. It’s funny, it’s sharp, it’s incredibly stylish, and the structure of the story is sound. The moral is never preachy and is used to great comedic effect as the characters begin to learn lessons when all hell literally breaks loose in the third act.
Original Review, 7/10
8: Mud, Release Date: 26 April 2013
Mud is not the most adventurous film on the list. It has great cinematography. The acting is superb. It’s one of the more inventive slice of life/coming of age stories to come out in a long time. It’s just a little too slow and safe to punch its way further up the list.
Original Review, 8/10
7: The East, Release Date: 31 May 2013
Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij are a perfect artistic partnership. Their shared vision comes across for a second time with a brilliantly directed piece of suspense/thriller cinema about an anarchist collective called The East. Aside from an overplayed and ineffective romantic subplot, the film is tight as a drum and haunting in the best way possible.
Original Review, 8/10
6: Trance, Release Date: 5 April 2013
This quiet little psychological thriller about an art heist that went so smoothly the thief forgot where the hidden painting is stashed is stunning. From the supersaturated underground crime circle to the neo-Realist dream landscapes and galleries, it’s a gorgeous film. The acting is top-notch and the twist in the screenplay is unpredictable but not so random it detracts from the integrity of the piece.
Original Review, 8/10