Now You See Me (2013)

Now You See Me (2013)

[7] Four magicians team up with a wealthy benefactor to basically rob from the rich and give to the poor in enormous productions that garner them more and more celebrity. Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher play the magicians,…
12 Years a Slave (2013)

12 Years a Slave (2013)

[8] Director Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) brings to life the true-life story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into Southern slavery. Northup endures two different owners and many harrowing experiences before attempting to…
Willow Creek (2013)

Willow Creek (2013)

[5] Bobcat Goldthwait takes us to Bigfoot country in this found-footage film about a Sasquatch enthusiast who drags his girlfriend into the woods to help him shoot a documentary at the site where the famed Roger Patterson footage of the creature was…
Enemy (2013)

Enemy (2013)

[6] Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this ambiguous mystery about a man who becomes obsessed with tracking down his perfect doppelganger. Upon meeting, the two men (both played by Gyllenhaal) are confused, jealous, and fearful of each other. Things come to a head…
The Way, Way Back (2013)

The Way, Way Back (2013)

[6] Liam James stars as a shy fourteen-year-old forced to suffer summer vacation with his freshly-divorced mother (Toni Collette) and her nasty boyfriend (Steve Carell). While he waits for his mother to grow a pair and throw the bum out, the boy…
The Kings of Summer (2013)

The Kings of Summer (2013)

[7] Three teenaged boys run away from home and build a house in the woods where they live off the land, experiment with facial hair, and let a pretty young girl come between them. The boys are played with plenty of charisma…
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)

[6] Taking a cue from the staged reality antics of Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno), Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville, and director Jeff Tremaine team up for a slightly more scripted endeavor than their usual daredevil showcases. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa features Knoxville…
Free Fall (2013)

Free Fall (2013)

[7] A police cadet (Hanno Koffler) nervously begins an affair with a fellow officer-in-training (Max Riemelt), throwing his marriage into disarray and inviting scorn from both his family and the police force. Gay dramas tend to be didactic and end in tragedy,…
American Hustle (2013)

American Hustle (2013)

[8]

Two con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) get roped by an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) into a scheme to bring down an earnest mayor (Jeremy Renner) and as many congressmen as possible. But when the mafia (headed by Robert DeNiro) get embroiled in the ruse, allegiances get dicey. American Hustle is from one of my favorite writer/directors, David O. Russell (Three Kings, Silver Linings Playbook), who has yet to wrong to the movie-going public. He’s great with ensembles and he’s smart enough to give good ones a wide berth. The men all do fine jobs here, including comedian Louis C.K. in a memorable supporting role as Cooper’s reluctant boss. But it’s the women who really shine. Four-time Oscar nominee Adams is especially good when she tells boyfriend Bale the great lengths to which she will go to make Cooper think she loves him. She’ll keep you guessing as to whose side she’s really on.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

[6] While this is definitely a better movie than the first one, my attempt to enjoy it is still hampered by constant annoyance. First, the bad:  This shit is still way too long. Dragging this story out into three movies is looking…