Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - ★★★★

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Writers: Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Denis O'Hare, Steve Zahn, Michael O'Neill, Griffin Dunne

Dallas Buyers Club is an absolutely terrific film. I'm just in awe of Matthew McConaughey right now. He has surprised the hell out of me, delivering his career best performance as a man dying of AIDS. Jared Leto gave a phenomenal come-back performance as a transexual who is also dying from the disease. Jean-Marc Vallée doesn't handle the subject delicately. The transformation of the character's is truly upsetting, and the lack of help for those suffering through the disease almost defies belief. While the film delves into important issues of corruption and prejudice, what makes it so damn great is the fully realised performances by Leto and McConaughey. They both became their characters, body and soul. They are the reason this is a great film.

Mud (2013) - ★★★★½

Director: Jeff Nichols
Writer: Jeff Nichols
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reece Witherspoon, Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Jon Don Baker, Paul Sparks, Bonnie Sturdivant

Mud is easily one of the best films of 2013. The performances, the cinematography, the music, and the story all really captivated me. I was enthralled with the performances by McConaughey, Witherspoon, and of course, the two young boys played by Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. It has a real authenticity to it, just a natural charm that beautifully presents a not-so-beautiful world. I love the way it displays pretty common surroundings, but tells the story in such an enthralling way that it becomes a truly entrancing world. I'm finding it really difficult to articulate exactly what I love about this film. All I can say is that it's so good, I'm at a loss for words.

The Paperboy (2012) - ★★★½

Director: Lee Daniels
Writers: Peter Dexter (Novel and Screenplay), Lee Daniels (Screenplay)
Stars: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Macy Gray, David Oyelowo

It's gritty, it's nasty, but most of all it's entertaining. The Paperboy pushes every single actor involved to perform roles you'd never imagine them to play. Though it didn't always keep my attention, the performances alone were enough to make this a very interesting movie. That's also the problem; a movie can't be that good when the performances are by far the best component.