Dave's 2013 Movie Awards

My 2013 movie-watching has finally concluded. I've seen just about all there is to see and I'm ready to wrap up my cinematic year with my personal picks in the 6 major categories as I do every year (2012). 2013 brought an extensive collection of strong films, ones that ranged from dark and visceral dramas, to edge-of-your-seat action thrillers, to satirical comedies. I've seen it all, and enjoyed myself along the way. Hopefully you have too. But without waiting any longer, here are my "best of" selections for 2013.

Best Supporting Actress

Honorable Mention: Amy Adams (Her), Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis) and Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave)

#5. Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

#4. Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

#3. Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

#2. Julia Roberts - August: Osage County

And the winner is ...

#1. June Squibb - Nebraska

Alexander Payne's dysfunctional family dramedy, Nebraska, definitely has its fair share of laughs. The best ones were constantly being set up by precise timing from supporting matriarch June Squibb. Squibb was nothing short of hysterical and completely unforgettable in her role.

Best Supporting Actor

Honorable Mention: Sam Rockwell (The Way Way Back), Bill Nighy (About Time) and Matthew McConaughey (Mud)

#5. Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street

#4. Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

#3. Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

#2. Daniel Bruhl - Rush

And the winner is ...

#1. Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

When your film is depicting one of the most heinous and cruel time periods in American history, you need a diabolical performance to make it authentic. For the Oscar frontrunner, 12 Years a Slave, Michael Fassbender gave "that" performance. It's the type of showing that jumps off the screen and rots in the pit of your stomach. Making you feel uneasy and repulsed all at the same time, Fassbender gives one of the most convincing portrayals of the year.

Best Actress

Honorable Mention: Brit Marling (The East), Sandra Bullock (Gravity) and Amy Adams (American Hustle)

#5. Judi Dench - Philomena

#4. Meryl Streep - August: Osage County

#3. Emma Thompson - Saving Mr. Banks

#2. Brie Larson - Short Term 12

And the winner is ...

#1. Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen always has a way of extracting top-flight female performances and he does it once again in this year's Blue Jasmine. Blanchett plays a delusional socialite on the verge of a nervous breakdown after her world comes crumbling down. Blanchett has always been a fine actress, but this is one of her most notable performances and certainly the best leading actress role of the year.

Best Actor

Honorable Mention: Oscar Issac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips)

 #5. Christian Bale - American Hustle

#4. Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave

#3. Bruce Dern - Nebraska

#2. Robert Redford - All Is Lost

And the winner is ...

#1. Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

What a year it's been for McConaughey. He's fully reinvented himself as one of the fine dramatic actors in Hollywood and his future looks bright in 2014 with a leading role in Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated and more presumably Oscar-friendly film, Interstellar. But with Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey goes all-out committing to his role by shedding massive amounts of body weight and, even more impressively, delivering the most notable performance of 2013. 

Best Director

Honorable Mention: J.C. Chandor (All Is Lost), Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Danny Boyle (Trance)

#5. Ron Howard - Rush

#4. Peter Berg - Lone Survivor

#3. Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave

#2. David O. Russell - American Hustle

And the winner is ...

#1. Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity

One of the most visually stunning and technologically groundbreaking films of all time, Gravity, comes from the masterful director, Alfonso Cuaron. I was blown away by all of the feats the filmmaker was able to accomplish in this intense sci-fi drama. It's obvious that Cuaron continues to push himself to new heights while most of the other directors in Hollywood are forced to watch as the proverbial bar continues to rise.

Best Picture

Honorable Mention: The Wolf of Wall Street, Trance, Short Term 12, Dallas Buyers Club and Gravity

#5. 12 Years a Slave

#4. About Time

#3. Rush

#2. American Hustle

And the winner is ...

#1. Lone Survivor

As the old adage rings true, I really did "save the best for last". My final movie of 2013 also happened to be the most compelling, forthright and memorable film of the year. Peter Berg's Lone Survivor has been slightly criticized by people desperate to point out its over-dramatized and highly-debated fact surrounding just how many Taliban soldiers these Navy Seals were up against. That's just hogwash and nitpicking. Lone Survivor's accuracy is about 95% indisputable and, that being the case, it makes for one of the most amazing true stories I've ever seen brought to life on the big-screen. A kudos to its 4 main actors (Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch and Emile Hirsch) and the entire team surrounding my top film of 2013, Lone Survivor.