It is that time of year again where I look back on the year that was and offer up my list of my favorite movies from 2013. This is coming a bit later than usual because it took a little longer to run down and see as much as I could and there are still a few stragglers that I missed but it is what it is. 2013 started off a bit rocky and I thought it would be hard pressed to match last year’s films but it turned out to be a pretty great year for movies and this is one of the more difficult lists I have had to put together. Part of that is due to the fact that I saw around 135 movies last year and it is difficult to sift through them and pick 10 that are favorites. It should be noted that they are just that: my favorites. This is not a list of the 10 objectively best films and the criteria I used here was which films spoke to me the most personally and which ones I connected with most. If a film you love isn’t on here it does not mean it sucks or I hate it or you but rather that it did not affect me the way the other films on the list did. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments and as always please include your picks as well. I love best of lists and it is fun to see other people’s. Here we go.

10. Gravity: A visual tour de force with amazing effects and camera work coupled with an intense and driving story, Gravity is an amazing piece of film making that shows that you can have an exciting event movie that offers true quality. Sandra Bullock is largely on her own throughout as she tries to save herself from the disaster in which she finds herself and somehow manage to get back to Earth and she handles it very well drawing the audience into her plight and sucking them in with her determination. There are some scientific inaccuracies here but that really doesn’t matter that much because the film is much more about the experience and how horrifying it would be to be trapped in space by yourself and have to figure out how to get back to the planet. It is like a high end roller coaster that delivers on its promise with an intense and satisfying journey.

9. 12 Years a Slave: A film that is as beautiful as it is emotionally punishing, 12 Years a Slave is brilliant in its matter of fact depiction of the horrors of slavery with violence and atrocity in the background of otherwise beautiful and ordinary shots. The acting is superb and the drama plays out in a long and agonizing way that effectively presents the torment of what the characters are going through and the desperation involved in the situation in which they find themselves. With a huge cast of great talent, the film is almost the opposite of preachy in terms of how it depicts the struggles on screen. It shows you what is going on and through its characters demonstrates how normal all of it was through a nonchalance that isn’t just reflected in the characters but how they are shot. This makes it feel even more horrible than it already is and leaves you with an experience that is less about entertainment and more about a moving and affecting story. It is not a movie I think I will ever want to watch again because of how intense and disturbing it is but it is a movie that should absolutely be seen at least once.

8. Her: As a long time Spike Jonze fan, I was delighted by the deep quirkiness of Her. Telling a story about a man falling in love with and having a relationship with his operating system could have very easily spiraled out of control into the broadest of comedy but the earnestness offered up here grounds the film and its use of universal themes of selfishness and acceptance makes it a relateable film that manages what the best science fiction does which is provide metaphor for life through fantastic means. It is pretty light on the sci-fi but it does its job well and gives us a picture that is touching and moving while being funny and relateable at the same time. It is also really nice to see Joaquin Phoenix in this role and he does a great job.

7. Short Term 12: A film that takes the viewer inside the world of youth behavioral health group homes and the lives of the people who work there and live there, Short Term 12 is absolutely fantastic. This is a personal film to me because I work in behavioral health and have worked in a group home exactly like this in the past. The film is enormously accurate both in terms of the work that is done, the clients and the staff. There is a fair amount of sadness and depressing material here but there is also a lot of warmth and humor all of which is inherent in this sort of situation. It was a little weird to see this accurate a take on something I used to do and a field I am in but it is ultimately good for people to see it for what it is and understand what clients and staff go through on a day to day basis. It is difficult work and a difficult situation and the film does a great job of presenting that in a way fair to both sides of the equation.

6. American Hustle: David O Russell is one of the most reliable directors going and American Hustle keeps his streak intact with a twisty turny riff on a Scorsese movie that is full of great performances, comedy and an engaging story that keeps the audience on their toes. I have a real soft spot for con artist films and this one was excellent as it slid through plots and double crosses with ease. The cast was amazing, the pace was solid and not even two loud mouthed movie goers who wouldn’t shut the fuck up in my theater could ruin the experience.

5. The Wolf of Wall Street: Speaking of Scorsese, Wolf of Wall Street is an huge movie with a ton of bluster, personality and excess. Leonardo DiCaprio turns in a great fully committed performance with Jonah Hill possibly doing even better in a crazy true story that pulls of a cinematic rope a dope with the audience by drawing them in to the excess of this world of financial corruption and debauchery only to hit them hard in the gut as the walls on DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort start to crumble. At three hours long, the film packs in an almost numbing amount of sex, nudity and drug use  but it is fortified by drama and eventual consequence. I have seen some people criticize it for not having more consequence but I feel like the relative lack of cost to reward makes the whole thing more horrifying that it is based on a true story.

4. The World’s End: An enormously funny movie that has a decent helping of heart and metaphor added in for good measure, the World’s End is a fitting cap to the Cornetto Trilogy and is just about perfect as far as I am concerned. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, when writing together, hit my comedy sweet spot just perfectly and this film does exactly that. The tone is perfect with excellent pacing and exciting fight choreography all of which add to make for the perfect package. Nick Frost is especially excellent stepping up from the silly friend character to sensible lead. The special effects are great, the story is tight and the performances are awesome. I couldn’t ask for a better way for this spiritual trilogy to end.

3. Inside Llewyn Davis: A powerful and moving film that had me thinking about it for weeks after seeing it, Inside Llewyn Davis is a sad and occasionally funny film about a musician struggling to find a place for himself after his partner’s suicide. With great music and performances, Inside Llewyn Davis is more of a character study than a narrative story but it is a great example of why the Coen Brothers are such wonderful filmmakers. As someone who has in the past felt overshadowed by creative partnerships I found a lot to relate to here as Llewyn struggles to define himself with his talent alone and to reconcile who he is with himself. Llewyn is not a nice guy most of the film and there are not many real lessons learned but the film is effective and moving and is always engaging.

2. Philomena: Another great mixture of drama and comedy, Philomena tells the story of a mother looking for her son who was adopted when he was four and it is equal parts funny, touching, heartbreaking and powerful. As an adopted kid this movie spoke volumes to me and moved me to an enormous degree. The film handles the material at hand, which gets pretty heavy at times, very evenly and very fairly to both sides of the issue presented and I appreciated that as well. This is based on a true story and it is a story that I am glad they chose to tell because there are lot of people out there who can benefit from the material. All of the technical aspects of the film are perfect and the performances are all spot on. I can not say enough about how great this film is and I highly recommend it.

1. Much Ado About Nothing: A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s play with the original language, Joss Whedon filmed his version of Much Ado About Nothing at his house in a couple of weeks after he filmed the Avengers. This is my second favorite of Shakespeare’s works and Whedon shows that not only is he great at writing dialogue but he is also a master at the pacing and delivery of it. With a brilliant cast of actors from his stable, the film feels vital and current even with the original language intact. It can be a little tough if you aren’t used to Shakespeare but the performances convey the meaning even if the words are confusing to you. That the dialogue is delivered as if the characters are just thinking of it to say gives it a naturalistic quality that is often lacking in more flamboyant and theatrical treatments of Shakespeare makes it that much better. Of all he movies I saw this year, this is the only one that made me smile the entire way through. I thouroughly enjoyed myself the entire time and it is a delightful film from beginning to end. Whether you are a Whedon fan or not, this is a film that should not be missed. Sadly, released in a summer full of explosions and bluster, I feel that many did. You should check it out now. It is amazing.

So there is my list. Honorable mentions include: Saving Mr Banks, Captain Philips, This is the End, Kings of Summer, Prisoners, Dead Man Down, Dallas Buyers Club, Side Effects, Black Fish, Byzantium and the Way Way Back. There are a ton of other great movies this year to check out as well. It turned out to be a pretty huge year for movies. As always, share your thoughts below and share your lists. Just don’t be dicks.