Dear Readers,

We critics love to lament the difficulty and futility of reducing film criticism to a series of lists. Readers, on the other hand, go crazy over these year-end cheat sheets. So while the editorial staff of Dear Cast and Crew couldn't settle on any definitive best-of list to cap off the year (other than our illustrious Silver Stamps), the concession prize is that I offer you my own person short list for the year's best films.

Now here's the final caveat - a year-end bout of pneumonia prohbited me from seeing a handful of December releases that have earned much praise over the holidays. I've listed those titles below. But suffice to say, 2013 was an amazing year for cinema and I'm extremely happy with my recommendations as they stand.

The Overall Top 13 of 2013

1. The Act of Killing
2. Gravity
3. Spring Breakers
4. The Kings of Summer
5. Captain Phillips
6. Before Midnight
7. Blue is the Warmest Colour
8. Frozen
9. 12 Years a Slave
10. Upstream Colour
11. Prisoners
12. Wadjda
13. A Hijacking

The 10 Favourite Canadian Flicks of 2013

1. Still Mine
2. The Manor
3. Sarah Prefers to Run
4. Louis Cyr
5. The Lesser Blessed
6. The Art of the Steal
7. Gabrielle
8. Empire of Dirt
9. My Awkward Sexual Adventure
10. The Grand Seduction

Special mentions: The incredible Stories We Tell was actually a 2012 release in Canada (but 2013 for U.S.), so I'm not including it. Same with Blackbird, though it's also fantastic.

The Surprisingly Good

Pain & Gain
The Great Gatsby
Enders Game

The Unapologetically Awesome

Olympus Has Fallen
Fast & Furious 6
Pacific Rim

Extra Special Indies

Fruitvale Station
Short Term 12
The Spectacular Now
Frances Ha
Computer Chess

Avoid at All Costs

Machete Kills
Man of Steel
A Good Day to Die Hard
Aftershock
After Earth
Getaway

Finally, my Notably Unseen of 2013 are Inside Llewyn Davis, Her, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Past, The Great Beauty and Nebraska. There are undoubtedly others. If there's something you think I missed, let me know!