Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • January 22, 2014 Reviewer picks ‘The Ten Best Films of 2013’ by Dennis Seuling Now that 2013 has ended, it’s time to assess the high- lights of a busy year of movie releases. The outstanding films range from a low-budget coming-of-age drama to a huge picture featuring stars both in front of and behind the camera. Here, in reverse order, are this critic’s picks for the best films of 2013. “The Way, Way Back.” The directorial debut of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, this is the story of withdrawn, alien- ated 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James), who accompanies his recently divorced mother, Pam (Toni Collette), and her boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), to Trent’s beach house. Trent and Duncan don’t get along, so the boy sets out to explore and discovers a water park and one of its employ- ees, Owen (Sam Rockwell), who treats his job and life with all the seriousness of an adolescent. Owen is funny, forth- right and, in many ways, irresponsible. But he also has heart and connects with Duncan’s inner pain. Rockwell’s per- formance enlivens the movie, lightening what could have been a terribly sad story. Intelligent, character-driven, and modest, this movie delivers a solid story with uniformly fine performances and thoughtful direction. “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Like its subject matter, this film goes to excesses. It is extravagant in its length and its graphic illustration of moral irresponsibility and corruption. However, it’s also captivating in its attention to detail. Director Martin Scorsese takes the time to delve into the character of Jordan Belfort, played superbly by Leonardo DiCaprio. Watching “The Wolf of Wall Street” is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Viewers see the progression from ambition to success to greater success to shortcuts to making more money to crime. Methodical in its depiction of abuses and greed at the expense of both middle class and rich investors, the film is a highly enter- taining cautionary tale of vice unchecked. “Saving Mister Banks.” When the Disney Company makes a movie about Walt Disney’s efforts to secure the rights to the Mary Poppins books from author P.L. Travers, inevitably there will be some airbrushing of the facts. What makes the movie one of the year’s best is that it does capture the cantankerous Travers (Emma Thompson) butting horns with mogul Disney (Tom Hanks), though Hanks’ Disney seems wishy-washy in the face of Travers’ demands, many of which appear unreasonable. This is Thompson’s film all the way, and she carries the burden beautifully, turning in a faceted performance of a woman protective of her creation Chiwetel Ejiofer stars as Solomon Northup, a free black man forced into slavery in ‘Twelve Years a Slave.’ and a formidable adversary against Disney’s sugary distor- tions. “Philomena.” Judi Dench seldom if ever disappoints and her choices of roles in movies have ranged from M in the last three James Bond movies to Queen Elizabeth I in “Shakespeare in Love.” Here, she plays a woman who, as a young unmarried pregnant girl, was basically a slave at a convent. After her son was born, she was permitted to see him for only an hour a day and had no recourse when the nuns adopted him out to a wealthy couple. Now, decades later and still heartbroken, she is determined to find out what happened to him. With the help of journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), who has been covering her story for a magazine article, Philomena sets out on a quest that will take her back to the convent and eventually to the United States. Dench turns in a powerful yet underplayed performance as a strong-willed woman who retains her Catholic faith despite the nuns’ abuse. “Dallas Buyers Club.” Based on actual events, this is the story of rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McCo- naughey) who, after an on-the-job accident, wakes up in the hospital and learns he is HIV positive and has only a month to live. This is the start of the AIDS epidemic and little is known about the disease. Ron discovers that there are med- icines available, but they have not been approved by the FDA and are not available in the United States. Determined to get what it takes to stay alive, Ron travels overseas and brings the drugs home. McConaughey has made himself frighteningly thin to be believable as a man infected with the AIDS virus. Jared Leto makes an impression as the transgender Rayon, who becomes a partner of sorts with Ron because she can find other HIV-infected individuals who are eager to obtain the drugs no one else can provide. Leto etches a moving characterization, avoiding cliché or caricature. The era and its sense of helplessness and despair are ably captured by director Jean-Marc Vallee. “American Hustle.” Based on the Abscam scandal of the 1970s, but considerably embellished for dramatic effect, this movie gathers an assortment of Damon Runyon types trying to scam one another in one way or another. The script is one of the year’s best, and the terrific cast includes Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner. Director David O. Russell has elicited outstanding performances and com- bined drama and comedy in a balanced concoction. Acad- emy Award-winner Lawrence steals the movie as the ditzy (continued on page 22)