Daniel Krone's Film Blog: Daniel Krone's 10 Films of 2013

I only do my favorite film lists based on the films I've seen within the year either in theaters or otherwise that were released within the year. One of my films on this list actually came out last year but was released on a platform I could see it on this year, cause I wasn't running around to festivals a year ago to make sure I saw it. But that's how I organize my list.

I have not seen "Her"

, "American Hustle", "Blue is the Warmest Color"

(and no I'm not interested in this film because it's about lesbians or has a lesbian sex scene in it. But because I heard it is a truly great film about a relationship.), or "All is Lost"

(I'm kinda sick of survivalist films however I love Redford.) all films I may find myself loving as well as others which have slipped under my radar. I think from what I've heard, "Her" is the only film with potential to knock films off this list.

1#. (I doubt this one is going to budge in my list.)

12 YEARS A SLAVE

Every critic that dismisses this film because it's 'Oscar Bait' might as well dismiss every WW2 and Holocaust film as well or for that matter any film done well about a deep subject of any kind as 'Oscar Bait'. Mental illness - nope oscar bait, holocaust - nope oscar bait, serial killer - nope oscar bait.

Is this 'Oscar Bait' who knows and who cares. Is it a good movie. No "12 Years a Slave" is not a good movie. "12 Years a Slave" is a great movie.

This movie packs powerful performances in such a raw realistic way, not hokey, not put on but razor sharpened to the most emotional point it's deeply shocking. It feels real and furthermore feels honest about this subject yet still has a poetic resonance I haven't found in any other film this year.

I saw this film twice in theaters. The second screening at the end of the movie the audience was in tears. That has not happened in my entire theatrical movie viewing experience. The movie is so good to my experience you forget you are watching a movie. You're watching an emotional experience.

2#. Prisoners

I love crime dramas and this is a powerhouse with a slight hint from the horror genre another genre I love. This one is nearly pitch perfect scriptwise with electric performances from Jackman and Gyllenhaal. I kinda don't want to say too much, it's kinda a mystery. ;)

3#. The Wolf of Wall Street

It's fun and funny. Yep lots of nudity and bad behavior and this one doesn't speak quite as much about the human condition as others but while some would write it off as a party flick and maybe even compare it to wilder films from this year like Spring Breakers . . . there is a rich heart peppered and layered in this desert film that I think speaks even greater about the human condition than the film is given credit. And the truth is all the people protesting that this film condones this kind of behavior...most people WISH they were Jordan Belford for a day. And that I think is the charm, it's like a rap music video or cribs, with lots of big laughs and a little bit of heart. It's an adrenaline shot right to your basis human desires. It speaks about wealth and power in an amazingly cathartic way. Oh, Thelma the editor, is a genius, yes she keeps with her style but it works brilliantly with a few tricks here and there, including one clever one in the opening titles. Leo is electric and Jonah is HiLaRious!

4#. Gravity

As much as I have my ideas about how dull this film will be on a small screen. (a buddy of mine saw it
on a screening for awards season having missed it in theaters and said it was very slow and boring)

. . .

But on a big screen it's absolutely breathtaking. It instilled me with that sense of awe of the mysteries of the universe. And Bullock is amazing. Clooney offers just the right amount of heart and it's easily one of the most visually stunning films of the year.

5#. Dallas Buyers Club

I had the privilege of seeing this story at a Q&A with the two writers at the Los Angeles Film School. And it was worth it. For a film about dying from aids it has moments in it that are damn funny but the thing that steals the show is Matthew Mcconaughey and Jared Leto. For a film about aids, homosexuality, and the FDA drug laws causing some bureaucratic medical rules ruining lives to help create new drugs never gets preachy to me and through McConaughey's charismatic performance the film is never bogged down with this kind of feeling. It speaks about bigotry and fighting the good fight, it's a beautifully amazing film and I hope many people see it and don't write it off as 'the gay film' because it is really not. By the sheer nature of the story some people will write the film off, they shouldn't, it never comes across to me at least as sentimental or tacked on, ever.

6#. The World's End

Fast paced, quicks jokes, drinking movie . . . (come to think of it there are a lot of party movies on this list) it's wild hilarious and speaks pretty much nothing about the human condition but man is it a hell of a fun movie!!! 3 Thumbs up. (I stole a thumb)

7#. The House I Live In

This is the one that was released last year. It just wasn't available for me to see it til this year and it's too important and too much of a great film not for me to add to this list.

The American drug war and to an extension the world drug war is a sham. It is failing our world, our economy and to a greater extension our people. I have seen the wonders of drugs and I have seen the horrors of drugs (mostly second hand) and I'll say it's a broken system.

8#. We Steal Secrets

The feature film about this subject with Benedict Cumberbach was considered a failure both financially and critically. The documentary on this subject is brilliantly taught. And by one of my favorite documentary filmmakers alive today Alex Gibney. I had the pleasure of seeing it at a Q&A with Mr. Gibney at the IDA.

9#. The Conjuring (I'm not judging this film on the validity of the claims but only on it's quality as a movie.)

Just a rock solid horror film through and through. That even though there are a billion possession/haunting movies out there it legitimately manages to feel fresh. Every edit is exactly where it needs to be for maximum scare, ever sound, nuance, every frame, every shot, movement, every performance, and it gets tighter and tighter and tighter til it crescendos to a mad peak with sickeningly violent violins and beautifully taught violence. Not too much, but just enough. James Wan the director of the first Saw film, Insidious (which also loved and the sequel was fun as well, 100% worth a check out if you liked the first one) I believe has directed his very best film to date. And as a fan of horror it's hard for me to be surprised by the genre and this one did and still does get to me. It's the kind of film my roommates and I had to pause to take smoke breaks because it was just getting a little too creepy. Classic.

10#. Spring Breakers

In the same way that perhaps "Wolf of Wall Street" was but also in the same way "Enter the Void" and other Noe films are 'Spring Breakers' (a Harmony Korine film) is the cinema equivalent of a sucker punch.

Runners up:

Captain Philips -