In the lead-up to the unveiling of our definitive Top 50 Films of 2013 list, we’ve asked some friends of Paste to tell us their favorites of the year. Tune in for a different list each day. Today’s contributor is Anne Hubbell, who produced Gayby (pictured) and Lipstick & Dynamite, among others, and is a founding partner of Tangerine Entertainment.
I thought this was a great year for movies. Granted, I didn’t see everything. But all of these films made me excited about the art of filmmaking and hopeful for the industry. Sadly, only three movies in my top ten of 2013 were directed by women. (Even sadder, is that my 30% is more than 3 times the average of female-helmed projects represented at the US box office each year!)
Here is the Hub top ten for 2013 in alpha order…
12 Years a Slave
Don’t let the devastating subject matter overshadow this fantastic piece of filmmaking. It is extraordinarily acted and beautifully shot by Sean Bobbit. Steve McQueen managed to make an accessible Hollywood movie and not lose his unflinching art world style.
Concussion
It is hard to believe this is Stacie Passon’s first feature. She directs an incredible performance by Robin Weigert. What I love about this movie is its exploration of class, identity and what it is like to be in a long term, suburban relationship. The fact that the protagonist is a lesbian is secondary, and yet opens the movie up into a world most audiences haven’t seen before.
Gloria
This movie made me so happy. It’s a slice of life about the kind of person that society so commonly and easily dismisses. Insightfully directed by Sebastian Lellio, with a super winning performance by Paulina Garcia. Here’s to more screen time for beautiful, average middle aged women!
Her
How did Spike Jonze do it? Her is high concept and yet so natural, nuanced, layered and uncanny in it’s understanding and treatment of relationships, not to mention how we see technology. Genius casting and use of Joaquin Phoenix, who gives his best performance yet while mainly acting alone. This movie was really a surprise to me and probably my fave of the year.
**Extra points to Jonze for checking all the Above The Line boxes in 2013 – writer, director, producer, actor, and being a top ten triple threat (he produced Bad Grandpa and acts in Wolf of Wall Street). What a year!
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