Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based film critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Drive topped the list in 2011 with Argo taking the honours in 2012. To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows: |
| 3 points – the top film on each list. | |
| 2 points – the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list. | |
| 1 point – the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list. |
If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the most number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval). The results have now been tabulated and... Gravity is the clear cut choice as the year's best film. It featured in the top 10 list of every Brisbane critic who was surveyed (that's a first). The film has pulled in more than $20m at the Australian box-office (including 3 weeks in the #1 spot) highlighting its strong appeal with the broader public. Taking the runner up prize was another popular film - Django Unchained. It made its way onto 10 of the 13 lists. It was followed by the best of the foreign language contingent, The Hunt. Only a small number of Australian films were released during 2013 but one managed to sneak into 10th spot on the list - Mystery Road. More than 50% of the Brisbane critics thought it was the best of the local product. Asked for their favourite performance of the year, there were two popular choices - Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine and Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips. Both actors are on track to earn Academy Award nominations later this month. On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2013 according to Brisbane critics… |
| Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 Of 2013 | ||
| 1. | Gravity | |
| 2. | Django Unchained | |
| 3. | The Hunt | |
| 4. | Zero Dark Thirty | |
| 5. | Blue Jasmine | |
| 5. | Captain Phillips | |
| 5. | Frances Ha | |
| 8. | Mud | |
| 9. | Life Of Pi | |
| 10. | Mystery Road | |
You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here. A big thanks to all the critics who were able to contribute. Hopefully we'll do it again next year! You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2013) below. |
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Matthew Toomey | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Life Of Pi |
| 2. | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 3. | Blue Jasmine |
| 4. | Gravity |
| 5. | The Hunt |
| 6. | Philomena |
| 7. | First Position |
| 8. | Stories We Tell |
| 9. | The Heat |
| 10. | Django Unchained |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Nebraska |
| 2. | Saving Mr Banks |
| 3. | All Is Lost |
| 4. | The Past |
| 5. | Don Jon |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Rocket | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Frozen | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Stories We Tell | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Grown Ups 2 | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Pacific Rim | |
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Tim Milfull | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | The Rocket |
| 2. | Rust & Bone |
| 3. | The Hunt |
| 4. | Fruitvale Station |
| 5. | Django Unchained |
| 6. | Amour |
| 7. | Gravity |
| 8. | Mystery Road |
| 9. | Drug War |
| 10. | 100 Bloody Acres |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | The Grandmaster |
| 2. | Borgman |
| 3. | Matterhorn |
| 4. | Blue Ruin |
| 5. | The Eternal Return Of Antonios Paraskevas |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| The Rocket | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Monsters University | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Stories We Tell | |
| Best Performance: | |
| James McAvoy (Filth) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| This Is The End | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Pain & Gain | |
 |
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Sarah Ward | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Frances Ha |
| 2. | Gravity |
| 3. | Stranger By The Lake |
| 4. | Pacific Rim |
| 5. | Only God Forgives |
| 6. | Enough Said |
| 7. | Mud |
| 8. | Spring Breakers |
| 9. | Drinking Buddies |
| 10. | Django Unchained |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Inside Llewyn Davis |
| 2. | Nebraska |
| 3. | Tom At The Farm |
| 4. | All Is Lost |
| 5. | The Paradise Trilogy |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Frozen | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Stories We Tell | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Grown Ups 2 | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Pain & Gain | |
 |
|
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Baz McAlister| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Django Unchained |
| 2. | Stoker |
| 3. | The World's End |
| 4. | Gravity |
| 5. | Captain Phillips |
| 6. | The Place Beyond The Pines |
| 7. | You're Next |
| 8. | Evil Dead |
| 9. | Elysium |
| 10. | White House Down |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| 100 Bloody Acres | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Frozen | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| After Earth | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| White House Down | |
 |
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Garry Williams| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Gravity |
| 2. | American Hustle |
| 3. | Lincoln |
| 4. | Django Unchained |
| 5. | Before Midnight |
| 6. | Mud |
| 7. | Prisoners |
| 8. | No |
| 9. | Flight |
| 10. | Rush |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Antarctica: A Year On Ice |
| 2. | The Pervert's Guide To Ideology |
| 3. | The Spirit Of '45 |
| 4. | I Am Devine |
| 5. | The Dance Of Reality |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| The Croods | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Stories We Tell | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| The Lone Ranger | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Snitch | |
 |
|
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Laurence Barber| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Laurence Anyways |
| 2. | Upstream Colour |
| 3. | No |
| 4. | The Hunt |
| 5. | Before Midnight |
| 6. | The Bling Ring |
| 7. | Mystery Road |
| 8. | Cloud Atlas |
| 9. | Gravity |
| 10. | The Heat |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | For Those In Peril |
| 2. | The Selfish Giant |
| 3. | Wadjda |
| 4. | Tom At The Farm |
| 5. | Gloria |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Paranorman | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Impostor | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Paulina Garcia (Gloria) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Movie 43 | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| White House Down | |
 |
|
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David Edwards| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Blue Jasmine |
| 2. | Frances Ha |
| 3. | Django Unchained |
| 4. | Stoker |
| 5. | World War Z |
| 6. | The Heat |
| 7. | Mud |
| 8. | Hitchcock |
| 9. | Elysium |
| 10. | Gravity |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | August: Osage County |
| 2. | Prince Avalanche |
| 3. | Dallas Buyers Club |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Paranorman | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Frances Ha | |
 |
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Michael Dalton| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Captain Phillips |
| 2. | Blue Jasmine |
| 3. | The Best Offer |
| 4. | Gravity |
| 5. | Blancanieves |
| 6. | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 7. | Tabu |
| 8. | Mystery Road |
| 9. | Enough Said |
| 10. | The Conjuring |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | The Past |
| 2. | Stranger By The Lake |
| 3. | Blue Ruin |
| 4. | Berberian Sound Studio |
| 5. | The Bay |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Chico & Rita | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| First Position | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| I'm So Excited! | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Riddick | |
 |
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Peter Gray| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Django Unchained |
| 2. | Captain Phillips |
| 3. | Prisoners |
| 4. | Gravity |
| 5. | Next |
| 6. | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 7. | Star Trek Into Darkness |
| 8. | The Hunt |
| 9. | Mud |
| 10. | Rush |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Nebraska |
| 2. | Don Jon |
| 3. | Oldboy |
| 4. | Saving Mr Banks |
| 5. | Blue Is The Warmest Colour |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Frozen | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| The Armstrong Lie | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Movie 43 | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| The Call | |
 |
|
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Gary McDonald | Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Rush |
| 2. | Life Of Pi |
| 3. | Django Unchained |
| 4. | The Hunt |
| 5. | Gravity |
| 6. | Blue Jasmine |
| 7. | Captain Phillips |
| 8. | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 9. | Barbara |
| 10. | The Best Offer |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | 12 Years A Slave |
| 2. | Saving Mr Banks |
| 3. | The Book Thief |
| 4. | The Nun |
| 5. | August: Osage County |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| The Croods | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| 20 Feet From Stardom | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| The Loneliest Planet & Frances Ha | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Mr Pip & Meet The Millers | |
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|
|
Jason Reed| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Mud |
| 2. | Gravity |
| 3. | The Hunt |
| 4. | The Place Beyond The Pines |
| 5. | Django Unchained |
| 6. | Prisoners |
| 7. | Sightseers |
| 8. | Upstream Colour |
| 9. | Frances Ha |
| 10. | Silver Linings Playbook |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Blue Is The Warmest Colour |
| 2. | Don Jon |
| 3. | Blue Ruin |
| 4. | White Reindeer |
| 5. | Tom At The Farm |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Monsters University | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Stories We Tell | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Movie 43 | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| Frances Ha | |
 |
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Jesse Thompson| Top 10 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Tabu |
| 2. | Frances Ha |
| 3. | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 4. | No |
| 5. | Mystery Road |
| 6. | Gravity |
| 7. | Before Midnight |
| 8. | The Hunt |
| 9. | The Counselor |
| 10. | Cloud Atlas |
| Top Unreleased Films: | |
| 1. | Laurence Anyways |
| 2. | Only Lovers Left Alive |
| 3. | The Selfish Giant |
| 4. | The Act Of Killing |
| 5. | Stranger By The Lake |
| Best Australian Film: | |
| Mystery Road | |
| Best Animated Film: | |
| Monsters University | |
| Best Documentary: | |
| Stories We Tell | |
| Best Performance: | |
| Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) | |
| Worst Film: | |
| Jobs | |
| Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
| White House Down | |
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Des Partridge | Top 9 Released Films: | |
| 1. | Omar |
| 2. | Gravity |
| 3. | Life Of Pi |
| 4. | Zero Dark Thirty |
| 5. | Lincoln |
| 6. | Django Unchained |
| 7. | Barbara |
| 8. | The Great Beauty |
| 9. | Rust & Bone |
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