2012. It's been a year filled with Batman, Bond and Hobbits and with the year finally drawing to a close, I've compiled my list of the Top 10 Films of 2012. As for grading criteria, I used films that I saw and were released in the UK in 2012. There are a couple of exceptions on this list of films released elsewhere last year, but only made it to British shores this year. I will also be compiling a list of all the other films I saw this year at the cinema and an all-round review of this year/looking forward to the next.
So, without further ado, I present my Top 10 Films of 2012.
10. Brave (Dirs. Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell, USA) (Cert: PG)
Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly
Princess Merida (Macdonald) is the daughter to the fierce King Fergus (Connolly) (whose leg was bitten off by a bear) and the traditional Queen Elinor (Thompson). Eventually Merida comes of age to be wed, but she feels she isn’t ready yet, bringing her into conflict with her mother. In an attempt to control her own fate, Merida receives a spell from a witch (Julie Walters) which has unforeseen and unfortunate consequences.
For Brave, Pixar take on an interesting setting, the backdrop of the Scotland of old. Although the setting is a radical departure for Pixar, for co-producers Disney, Brave is a clear display of one of their hallmarks; the princess who doesn’t want the life of a “normal” princess, a plot device seen in The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992) and Mulan (1998). Tried as the formula may be, the story does go somewhere fresh with it and its characters are all likable in their own ways. All the major players are British actors (and even the very English Emma Thompson provides a very convincing Scottish accent). Picking pieces from various different stories on the way (there are some very noticeable parallels with King Lear and Ivanhoe), the film doesn’t quite live up to all the grandiose majesty it could’ve done and also could’ve been an interesting opportunity to go for a more mature tale, which they essentially pass up. Still, it keeps alive Pixar’s stellar reputation.
9. The Hunger Games (Dir. Gary Ross, USA) (Cert: 12a)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson
Sometime in the future, the depletion of our planet’s resources, forces humanity to sacrifice the lives of its citizens. This is accomplished through The Hunger Games, an annual tournament featuring two people between the ages of 12 and 18 from across 12 districts to go head to head until there is one survivor. Katniss (Lawrence) volunteers to represent her district substituting for her younger sister (Willow Shields) and is joined by another boy (Hutcherson) from the district as they strive for survival.
Conceptually, The Hunger Games is nothing new. Based off of a novel, it uses a pretence of a government-sanctioned TV show where people are forced to fight each other for survival can be seen in such films as The Running Man (1986) and Batoru Raiworu (Battle Royale) (2000) (which Hunger Games could almost pass as an Americanised remake of) but it’s still, in spite of it’s used storyline a very interesting picture that alternates between special-effects shockfest and gritty survival drama. The latter is best demonstrated with star Jennifer Lawrence, who shot to fame in the rural thriller Winter’s Bone (2010) and whose character is a successful melding of both vulnerability and perseverance. The film can get a little too flashy for its own good, and its designs can be a little grating on the eye, but with the help of a great cast featuring Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland, The Hunger Games is more engaging and intelligent than most recent sci-fi blockbuster fare from Hollywood.
8. The Descendants (2011, Dir. Alexander Payne, USA) (Cert: 15)
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Wooley, Amara Miller
Matt King (Clooney) lives in Hawaii. The descendent of wealthy landowners, he and his family have, over time, been forced to make money by selling off their ancestors land. When Matt’s wife (Patricia Hastie) is put into a coma in a jet-ski accident, Matt discovers that she will probably not wake up. Faced with this, Matt also discovers that his wife was having an affair.
Alexander Payne is one of America’s greatest modern comedy film-makers. It’s hard to nail down exactly what makes his work so great, but an element has to be its rather bittersweet and intelligent look at life. Say for in example, About Schmidt (2002) or Sideways (2003) which both touch on ideas of aging. The Descendants deals more with grief and this is one of the less strictly comedic of Payne’s work. However, this allows the underlying drama to flourish with fine performances from all of the cast (especially Shailene Wooley and Amara Miller as Matt King’s daughters). Soft and tender but very well-written, this movie works very well.
7. The Master (2012, Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, USA) (Cert: 15)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
After returning home from active duty in World War II, Freddie Quell (Phoenix) is a mentally unstable man. Drunkenly stepping on a ship going out to sea, he befriends the ship’s commander, Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) who usually goes by the name, The Master. Dodd attempts to help guide Quell, who in return brews for Dodd and his followers a special secret cocktail. Over the course of Quell’s “treatment” he is exposed to the dark underbelly of madness and indoctrination.
After wowing critics with the oil-slicked period drama There Will Be Blood (2007), director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson plays a similar hand with The Master. This time, Anderson tackles the lifestyles and culture of a post WWII America, with many people looking for a sort of guru, fulfilled by Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film is a brilliantly evocative portrayal of the 1950’s with an immersive use of period details that makes the film fit seamlessly into that time. This is right down to the film’s tone where Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman seem almost like James Cagney and Orson Welles. At the same time, the film goes in some daring and, at times, shocking areas that push the envelope thematically. Heavy stuff that, like There Will Be Blood, is not for everyone, but you still have to admire its audacity.
6. Carnage (2011, Dir. Roman Polanski, France/Germany/Poland/Spain) (Cert: 15)
Starring: Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz
When their young boy Ethan (Eliot Berger) is injured by another boy (Elvis Polanski), Penelope (Foster) and Michael (Reilly) Longstreet meet the other boy’s parents Nancy (Kate Winslet) and Alan Cowan (Waltz). However, what starts as a civil meeting between two suburban married couples meets with clashes in personalities and beliefs and is pushed towards boiling point.
Produced in Europe but set in New York City, Carnage is a melding of Hollywood comedy with a European sensibility. Adapted from the French play Le Dieu Du Carnage (God Of Carnage) the film has clear theatrical elements. The film plays out in real time within and around an apartment and features little more cast than the central four actors (Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet) and they are all given a chance to play with characters with distinctively rich personalities working off each other with great chemistry. Jodie Foster deserves particular praise as Penelope goes from PC and culturally-aware coolness to an emotional wreck. Interesting to note the clashes in casting between America (American actors Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly as one couple) and Europe (Austrian actor Christoph Waltz and English actress Kate Winslet as the other) which could be a sub-textual reading about foreign cultural perceptions though both couples are played with American accents (Winslet’s almost flawless though the otherwise brilliant Waltz is notably Germanic sounding). Not too sophisticated and not too crude, Carnage is a hilarious comedic mixture.
5. Life Of Pi (Dir. Ang Lee, USA/China) (Cert: 12a)
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall
A Canadian journalist (Spall) tracks down an Indian-born man living in Canada, by the name of Pistine Molitor “Pi” Martel (Gautam Belur, Khan, Sharma, Ayush Tandon) who, in boyhood, travelled with his family and their zoo from India to Canada. Along the way, their ship is sunk in a storm, leaving Pi, an orang-utan, a zebra, a hyena and a Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker, to fend for themselves.
Yann Martel’s 2001 novel of the same name has being given the big-screen treatment courtesy of Taiwanese-American director, Ang Lee. Lee’s highly-visual and spiritualistic style melds well here with a film that is more about concepts and imagery than the story, daring for a big-budget production. The film’s strength lies in its opening where we see teeming wildlife in florid colour (enhanced by the 3D, and it’s not often I’m that complimentary on the format) and the story of Pi’s background is the most fascinating thing. When we kick into the proper plot, it’s an inspiring tale of survival and co-operation, which whilst lacking a little of the expected emotional punch is still strong stuff.
4. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (Dir. Stephen Chbosky, USA) (Cert: 12a)
Starring: Logan Lehrman, Ezra Miller, Emma Watson
Chris (Lerman) is dreading his start in high school due to his awkward disposition and emotional problems. Although the English teacher (Paul Rudd) supports Chris’ writing skill, Chris finds it difficult to make friends until he meets non-conformists Patrick (Miller) and his step-sister Sam (Watson) where he finally feels he belongs.
Writer Stephen Chbosky directs this coming-of-age film about non-conformity and the power of friendship. This film certainly isn’t really treading any fresh territory but it hits it with a good dose of sentiment and heart. The three main characters are all well-defined and well-acted (the English Emma Watson can do a scarily convincing American accent) and the film also boasts a strong supporting cast (including the likes of Paul Rudd, Melanie Lynskey, Joan Cusack and oddly enough horror special-effects legend Tom Savini in a surprisingly good fit). The film can be a little melodramatic and also lurch into self-important pretentious posturing that blocks the integrity of the central message but ninety per-cent of this film really, really works.
3. Argo (Dir. Ben Affleck, USA) (Cert: 15)
Starring: Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston
During the Iranian revolution at the end of 1970’s, Iranian citizens stormed the US embassy ordering the return of the deposed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (himself, archived footage) for trial and probable execution in Iran. A group of American visa officials escape and take refuge in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) takes the initiative of getting them out of Iran by having them pose as a Canadian film crew, scouting Iran for shooting locations in an upcoming science-fiction film, Argo.
Based on a true story, that had been classified information until the Clinton administration, Argo is a film that uses a fascinating concept (so much so, it actually doesn’t seem like a true story) but has its real strength lie in its execution. The editing of William Goldenberg, sound design of Erik Aadahl and the musical score of Alexandre Desplat (as well as period music from rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Van Halen) add to the great atmosphere and tension that the film provides. It would’ve been tempting (and still entertaining) to have made an Ocean’s Eleven (2001) styled heist-film out of this, but the darker edge brings more weight. The film Argo itself isn’t really used to its fullest extent as a theme in the film (even the designs seem like someone just ripped off Flash Gordon (1980), which may have been intentional) and the ending falls a little too haphazardly, but this is a stand-out film from a director you might not expect delivering films of this calibre.
2. Looper (Dir. Rian Johnson, USA) (Cert: 15)
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt
By the year 2074, time travel has become possible. However, it is also highly illegal. Criminals use time machines to send enemies back in time where “Loopers” wait for them to come out in the past, where they are promptly executed. After a time, the Loopers’ older selves are sent back and are executed themselves. Joe (Levitt) is one such Looper, but when he is confronted by his older self (Willis), will he pull the trigger?
The leading cast choices for Looper are interesting ones. Bruce Willis has previously starred in a film about time travel, Twelve Monkeys (1995). There’s also some similarities between the character of Joe and Willis’ Butch Coolidge from Pulp Fiction (1994) (Note to movie gangsters: don’t employ Bruce Willis. He’s just gonna make you mad) whilst the film also lends comparisons to Joseph-Gordon Levitt’s previous work in Inception (2009) with Levitt now being given a slightly altered physical appearance, making him resemble Willis more. That aside, it’s clear the actor’s done his homework; copying Willis’ voice and his mannerisms (one part of the film shows Levitt grunting in pain, in a style reminiscent of Willis in Die Hard (1988)). Other performances are strong. Jeff Daniels makes a good soft-spoken antagonist and young Pierce Gagnon is remarkable for such an age. The visuals mostly impress, save for the overdone use of lens-flares and a central premise which is really rather shaky logically (people are recruited from the past, with their bosses using time travel, to a time where time travel has not been invented and these future “Loopers” believe them right away?) but for the most part, this is a great sci-fi thriller.
1. The Dark Knight Rises (Dir. Christopher Nolan, USA/UK) (Cert: 12a)
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway
Four years after Batman (Bale) is accused of killing beloved Gotham politician Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) (as detailed in The Dark Knight (2008)), his true identity of Bruce Wayne comes out of his reclusive state to once again become the caped crusader to fight the feared Bane (Hardy) who plans on throwing Gotham into chaos.
The third film in Christopher Nolan’s rebooted series of Bob Gale’s iconic comic book character Batman (and quite possibly Nolan’s last Batman film) is one of the most anticipated films in years (following on the heels of the popular Batman Begins in 2005 and the phenomenally successful and acclaimed sequel, The Dark Knight). The end result is a very satisfying conclusion that sees Nolan draw on his strengths for epic scale (not to mention bringing Michael Caine, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, from Nolan’s other blockbuster, Inception (2009)) and adds further depth for the Bruce Wayne character (although the almost mockable Batman “growl” is more present than ever). The film ultimately belongs to a near-unrecognisable Hardy however, whose mask just manages to prevent him from chewing up the scenery. The twist-tastic ending is a little forced, but overall it’s a suitably high-quality end to the trilogy.
So there you have my Top 10 films this year. Any comments/opinions? Please feel free to post them and I'll do my darndest to address them.
