Top 10 Films of 2012

Well folks, it's that time of year again. All in all I found it a difficult year for film in general. I can't tell you how many times I went in thoroughly excited and came out thoroughly disappointed (see: "Django Unchained", "Silver Linings Playbook", "Seven Psychopaths" and mostly "The Dark Knight Rises" - which I found offensively bad). However it wasn't all disappointment. Here's my list of 2012. Thoughts and comments are welcome.

10) The Hunger Games - Yes, you read that right. I had absolutely no desire to see this film upon it's release, largely because the trailer made it look like Twilight shite. However, when I finally happened upon this film over xmas, I found it a thoroughly satisfying experience, and a pretty dark one at that. Which is more than I can say for several big movies that came out last year. Also, Jennifer Lawrence would get it. Large.





9) Beasts Of The Southern Wild - This film was made on a shoestring budget and features a fairytale-like story about a bunch of people living beyond the bounds of normal society in deepest post-Katrina Louisiana. Apparently the two leads (a man and his daughter) aren't even actors, which makes their performances all the more remarkable. A truly original film.

8) Beats, Rhymes & Life - An absolutely fascinating documentary about A Tribe Called Quest - pioneering hip-hop act from the 80s/90s and one of my favorite bands of all time. Beautifully illustrates just how difficult it is to maintain boyhood friendship when money and fame get involved. Also features the best soundtrack of the year. Obviously.

7) The Hobbit - Now, as mentioned prior on this here blog, it's hard for me to be unbiased about anything remotely involved with Lord of the Rings. However, after watching this film twice (both in HFR 3D and Regular plain ol' 2D, I can safely say that I think this film is great and another massive achievement for Mr. Peter Jackson. I wasn't bored once. Why it's gotten so much bad press mystifies me, but hey, what do I know. I also thought Martin Freeman did a fine job as Bilbo.

6) The Sessions - A lovely little film based on the true story of Mark O'Brien, a man largely immobilised by polio and spending most of his waking hours in an iron lung. However, at aged 38, Mark decides that he'd like to lose his virginity before he passes to the afterlife. So he hires a sex-surrogate and there begins one of the better stories I've seen all year. John Hawkes gives the performance of his life, as does Helen Hunt. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me want to do better work...all good things, people. All good things.

5) Life Of Pi - This is one of the rare occasions, in the age of information in which we live, where I managed to completely avoid anything to do with this film before I went in. As a result I was completely blown away. A great story, yes, but the visuals were by far the best thing I have seen on a big screen up to this point. Absolutely jaw-dropping. The reason this isn't further up the list is purely for the fact that I'm not sure how good it would be without the spectacular use of 3-D. TBC.

4) Argo - Ben Affleck's third film as a director is a belter. There's a good 45 minute stretch where my arsehole was well and truly puckered. I also thought Affleck did a pretty masterful job directing. The story is one-part CIA thriller, one-part kooky comedy and could have gone so horribly, horribly wrong. However the subject matter is balanced just right and fully deserves all the accolades it is getting.

3) End Of Watch - Another f**king film about the ins and outs of the LAPD? Please God, no! Or at least that's what I initially thought. However, this film was amazing. Shot as a sort of fly-on-the wall mockumentary type affair, we follow Michael Pená and Jake Gyllenhaal around LA's mean streets and, more interestingly, the inner workings of their personal lives. Both of their performances were utterly brilliant, as was the directing - again, handling the old "Reality Style" very well indeed. It irritates me greatly that this film gets no respect for Awards season, as it is vastly better than most everything nominated. Bravo to everyone involved. Bravo.

2) Amour - Now, this was a tough one. This film deals with a little French octogenarian couple in the twilight years of their life. The wife becomes ill and the story goes from there. It was one of the more harrowing experiences I've ever had watching a film (and I paid 15 quid to watch "Batman & Robin"). It is largely bleak, mostly heartbreaking and completely unflinching in it's portrayal of her decay and his suffering as a result. However, what makes this film a work of genius is simply it's title - "Love". What it means to really love someone. What lengths you'd go to for that love. Basically a look at the ugly side of the notion. A place few dare to tread. Genius.

1) The Master - I will admit, I have seen this film 4 times. However, if ever there was a film that merited re-watching, it is Paul Thomas Anderson's sixth effort. Largely because I was completely baffled by it the first time around. The story is of Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a rather troubled young man coming home from WWII. After getting into various scrapes and with his life seemingly destined for disaster he happens upon a quasi-religious  group called The Cause, led by one Lancaster Dodd, played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman. From there, one of the most twisted and bizarre relationship stories begins. There are plenty of technical things to enjoy - the performances which are unanimously magnificent, the cinematography - shot on glorious technicolour 65mm film, and the soundtrack - another deeply unsettling effort from Jonny Greenwood. However what I love most about this film is the simple fact that the story isn't spoonfed to you. This film requires you to think, begs for debate afterwards, leaves everything open for interpretation and bows to no-one. In this day and age, where everything has to be wrapped up in a bow and delivered on a silver platter in order to sell some tickets, this film stands absolutely head and shoulders above the rest. Proving, once again, that no Hollywood director is even close to the work that Paul Thomas Anderson is doing. No-one.

Peace and Love,

JB.