It's about time we switched over from music to one of Intersections' other strong-suits: film. This year's theaters were filled with provoking graphics, narratives, and performances. See what our staff thought of the year 2013 in movies, and let us know what you think in the comments!
12 Years A Slave
This film offers one of heaviest and most authentic depictions of Southern slavery ever created. The sincere, beautiful cinematography and acting as well as the earth-shattering story make for one of the best films of all time.- Lisa Femia, Amy Garland, Jarron McAllister
Before Midnight
Director Richard Linklater and actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy present an un-idealistic, poignant, and yet optimistic take on love.Before Midnightcontinues in the spirit of its predecessors with its whip-smart dialogue and authentic performances. As the last of a trilogy, the film delivers closure that satisfies our romantic sensibilities without straying from the realism of the series as a whole.- Whitney Sha
Captain Phillips
This re-telling of the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama by Somalian pirates is the most realistic, intense thriller I've seen in a while. Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi both deliver incredible performances as the ship's captain and the leader of the pirates, respectively.- Max Gollin
Frozen
In a year when even the blockbusters were gritty and pessimistic, this animated musical was probably the most fun I had in a theater. Plus, this movie featured dynamic female characters and more convincing plot twists than most others films I saw this year (I'm looking at you Stra Trek).- Lizzy Bradley
Fruitvale Station
12 Years a Slavemight be the most prominent movie with intense racial themes, butFruitvale Station, a more modern examination of racial discrimination, should definitely be on everyone's list of best films this year.- Jeff Liu
The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza)
This film is profound in its content and beautifully nostalgic in its style. I originally watched it just for the scenes of Italy and listening to Italian, but I was incredibly impressed with the story as well.- Lara Norgaard
The Hunger Games: CatchingFire
Although somewhat overhyped, this film raises the stakes for Jennifer Lawrence as she delivers a far more impressive performance, wrought with both humor and emotion. Her acting skills are raw and so is the meat from the people she annihilates. This is not a ripoff offBattle RoyaleorEnder's Game; rather, it offers something deeper and meaningful that draws the audience in.- Edgar Yu
Star Trek Into Darkness
It was hard to find a better popcorn film this year, and JJ Abrams smooth direction gave the film an old-fashioned Indiana Jones adventure pace that was wildly entertaining. Gives me some faith that Abrams' futureStar Warsfilms won't just be mindless cash grabs but have some inspired storytelling as well.- Harrison Blackman
The To-Do List
It may not be high-brow, or even critically acclaimed, but I couldn't help but adore it. Aubrey Plaza was beyond incredible as an inexperienced, woefully uninformed high school graduate who only wanted to get laid. Sharply funny, it not only turned the classic teen sex comedy on its head with a very female-centric narrative, but managed to impart a few serious messages about something every college student thinks a good deal about: getting some.- Nina Wade
The Way, Way Back
The sweet summer nostalgia of the not-so-simple lives of 14 year olds in The Way, Way Back was beautifully done. A surprisingly funny, charming, graceful film. - Rachel Klebanov, Cailin Hong
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