Gravity

Visually spectacular rollercoaster captures audience while cutting them loose in space.  Adherence to physics drifts away with less famous actors and Apollo Ed’s voice leaving only Bullocks’ (and the FX team’s) brilliant performance.  Condescending dream shrapnel drags audience commitment down, but otherwise delivers a thrilling albeit not quite airtight story.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Leo plays Gekko Gone Wild in the Goodfellas of the gadget age.  Epic over-long catalog of various debaucheries available to anyone good at greed.  Nails comedic beats with help from shirt clad McConaughey and Hill’s blinding teeth.  Pushes limits for runtime, T&A,and Fs while promoting the redemptive qualities of cocaine.

Her

Reborn Phoenix proves he can still play an empathetic everyman.  Jonze delivers another soft sci-fi with cinematic brilliance and deep philosophical conjecture.  Adams, Wilde and Rooney are brilliantly quirky/real, but the added sound of Scarlett gives the movie color, leaving Joaquin and us wondering what Her would be without her.

12 Years a Slave

McQueen incorporates themes and realities of Hunger and Shame into masterful epic that chains his cinematic genius to a more conventionally narrative true story.  Ejiofor’s nuanced lead is perfectly served by empowered innocence of newcomer Nyong’o and impressively humanized inhumanity of Fassbender and Paulson, while producer Pitt plays weakest link.

Dallas Buyers Club

Philadelphia Buyers Club proves big movies can be made on small budgets and tight schedules, by cutting big stars down to size.  The McConaughssaince grows as he shrinks to death alongside the equally emaciated return of ever-dead Leto.  Powerful true story, beautiful character arcs, and the ghost of Garner’s past.