My Favorite 'Worst Films Of 2013' List (So Far)

Rex Reed delivers a fairly respectable list of worst films of 2013.

1 To The Wonder
2 The Great Gatsby
3 The Fifth Estate
4 Identity Thief
5 The Lone Ranger
6 Her
7 Spring Breakers
8 Inside Llewyn Davis
9 Oldboy
10 Charlie Countryman

I can understand how he could include all these movies. There's no head-scratchers like 'Gravity' or '12 Years A Slave'. It's a solid group.

However, I'm not completely enchanted by Mr. Reed's choices. Here are my top 10 qualms with his selections:

1 I've been entranced by every second of 'Inside Llewyn Davis' I've seen, though everyone (including the Coens) are saying not much happens in the movie, which may be Reed's gripe. Nonetheless, does 'lacks plot' earn you a spot on the worst of list? I think not.

2 I'm not sure why you'd include 'Identity Thief' on a worst of list. Aren't movies like that immune to such groupings? That is, when you make a wacky comedy don't you expect that it won't make any year-end compilation list (with the possible exception of 'Best Wacky Comedy')? So, no, Rex, this one doesn't belong.

3 'Her' seems to have great potential but, clearly, if you don't buy the 'I'm in love with my computer's operating system' premise it's going to be a long haul. If you do, however, the movie is sure to charm, and a lot of people have bought the premise (hook, line, and sinker) and have been charmed to tears by 'Her', so, no, again, bad choice for inclusion on this particular list.

4 How the hell did 'The Lone Ranger' not top the list? 'To the Wonder' is less a film, more 'bad', than 'The Lone Ranger'? Really? Sure, Malick's latest has people split into groups -- one that's okay with it, one that thinks it's visual poetry that will make the viewer's life better, one that thinks it's like someone poking fun at Malick, (and one that didn't bother to see it) -- but doesn't 'Wonder' at least get credit for having a level of craft? Doesn't all that dreamy camera work automatically exclude any such movie from a 'worst of' list? Isn't 'The Lone Ranger' hard to digest story-wise, hard to sit through acting-wise, on top of being hard to watch picture-wise? Really, if you're going to have both movies on the list TLR should be above TTW.

And, what about Ranger? Wasn't that movie carefully crafted to look bad? Weren't mountains of money spent on CGI to insure TLR came off abrasive? Wasn't the story combed through by the best screenwriting minds to make sure there were no substantive (or even sensible) plot points which would yield a sense of intellectual traction? No, TLR did what its creators set out to accomplish: be the best example of meaningless mind-numbing silliness a (whole lot of) money could buy. As such, 'The Lone Ranger' is a fine example of Hollywood studio 'filmmaking' and has no place on a worst of list.

5 I'm pretty sure 'Spring Breakers' is an excellent movie. Pretty sure.

6 I'm also pretty sure 'Oldboy' is a must-see for cinephiles and a very solid movie. Pretty sure.

7 Okay, 'Charlie Countryman' doesn't win the 'Smoothest Narrative of 2013' award, but Shia Labeouf is very good in this. It's possibly his best performance yet. That alone makes the movie poorly placed on a worst of list.

8 Didn't 'The Great Gatsby' win 'Best Baroque (and/or) Rococo Movie of 2013'? I think it did. As such, it can't also be one of the worst movies of 2013.

9 'The Fifth Estate' wasn't that bad...if you're into semi-engaging newsy storylines that are kind of dramatic and have a modicum of tension served on a fluffy bed of ambivalent suspense. And, let's face it, there weren't that many movies this year that delivered those things, so...'The Fifth Estate' just doesn't belong on this list. Sorry, Rex.

10 How did 'R.I.P.D.' not make it?

So, yeah, aside from those minor nits, I'm happy with Reed's selections and believe his list reflects movie criticism and consideration at a level that's rarely seen. I think he has the best worst of list of 2013. Let's put it this way: if this list was a 'best of' instead of a 'worst of' it would really be a bad thing.

(Actually, looking at the list, it could just as easily be a 'Best Films of 2013' and you'd never know it).