My top 10 films of 2013

2013 brought us many excellent films. Some of these, particularly foreign films, have not become available to me yet and could not be included.

1. 12 Years a Slave. This powerful film tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York who was abducted and sold into slavery in 1841. Its unflinching depiction of slavery is difficult but necessary to watch. It shows the horror and evil of this long-standing American practice.

2. Gravity. Viewers experience this extraordinary film as they watch. It follows two surviving astronauts from a damaged Space Shuttle as they try to make it back to Earth. The film combines wrenching suspense while exploring themes of meaning. Every aspect—writing, acting, cinematography—make this an outstanding film.

3. Her. This captivating film, set in the near future, is about a lonely writer who develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need. It raises profound philosophical questions about relationships and technology, about reality, love and death. The unique premise of a man falling in love with his operating system works wonderfully.

4. American Hustle. This fast-paced film is the story of a con man, Irving Rosenfeld, who with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of New Jersey powerbrokers and mafia. Based on a scandal from the 1970s, this film’s script is intelligent, funny and surprising, and the cast is superb.

5. All Is Lost. This is a gripping account of a sailor whose 39-foot yacht takes on water after a collision with a shipping container at sea. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his resourcefulness, he must face his mortality. Robert Redford gives a remarkable performance and helps viewers imagine their mortality.

6. Before Midnight. This is the third in a trilogy of films about a couple who meet on a train bound for Vienna in Before Sunrise (1995) and reunite in Paris in Before Sunset (2004). Here they are in Greece with their twin daughters. All three films consist mostly of dialogue yet engage us with their characters and the issues they address. Here they touch on the nature of marriage, the differences between men’s and women’s perspectives, parenting and work. Many couples will recognize their own struggles in this brilliant film.

7. Mud. This coming-of-age film is about two Arkansas teenagers who become friends with Mud, a fugitive trying to reunite with the woman he loves. It takes us into the lives of people who make their living off the river and shows the lessons of learning about love. This poignant film avoids clichés about Southern culture and shows a tender but realistic portrait of a father and a son.

8. Nebraska. This film tells of an aging, alcoholic father who travels from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a $1 million Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize. On the way, they stop at the father’s hometown, where stories from his past emerge. This black-and-white film uses dry humor and some nonactors to present an authentic view of the characters and an aptly measured resolution.

9. Stories We Tell. In this remarkable documentary, Canadian writer/director Sarah Polley is both filmmaker and detective as she investigates the secrets kept by a family of storytellers. Her mother died when she was 11, and she later learns that she is the child of an extramarital affair. The film explores the elusive nature of truth and memory as she searches for the identity of her biological father.

10. Philomena. This film follows a world-weary political journalist who picks up the story of a woman’s search for her son, who was taken away from her decades earlier after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent. This excellent film raises justice issues about Catholic institutions but also explores faith questions in an evenhanded manner.