Posted 8:46 pm Friday, December 28, 2012
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Critic hails 2012 as a banner year for cinema
What an incredible year for movies. It's been quite an ordeal keeping this list at just 10 choices, as this list could have easily been twice as long.
It didn't always feel this way, though. The first third of the year had some standout material, but the summer was more or less a bust despite a couple great blockbusters. The final third of the year, though, provided some amazing content. There were more than a couple of overlooked gems and several films that will go down as all-time greats. Here's a look at my favorites of this banner year of cinema.
It didn't always feel this way, though. The first third of the year had some standout material, but the summer was more or less a bust despite a couple great blockbusters. The final third of the year, though, provided some amazing content. There were more than a couple of overlooked gems and several films that will go down as all-time greats. Here's a look at my favorites of this banner year of cinema.
10. “The Raid: Redemption”
What I said then: I can all but guarantee that you've never seen fights quite like these. Even if you're a fan of Bangkok Action Cinema, there's a specific energy and brutality to these that Evans elicits that feels unlike most anything else I've seen. Part of it is due to the sheer physicality that (Iko) Uwais displays, but also due to the commitment on part of the stunt team that bears the brunt of his blows. The choreography is insane. And I meant that in every sense of the word. You would have to be crazy to take some of the hits these guys do, but thankfully they've lost their minds for our own entertainment.
What I think now: The truest testament to how great a movie “The Raid” is lies in the fact that no matter how many times I revisit it (and I've seen it a good four or five times now), it loses none of its punch and energy. By far the best pure action film of the year.
What I think now: The truest testament to how great a movie “The Raid” is lies in the fact that no matter how many times I revisit it (and I've seen it a good four or five times now), it loses none of its punch and energy. By far the best pure action film of the year.
9. “Looper”
What I said then: I often hesitate to declare movies to be worth placing next to confirmed classics of the genre, but I have a distinct feeling that “Looper” is a film that will age exceptionally well and that we will one day speak of it in the same breath as the true greats such as “Back to the Future.” At the very least, it's as good (and, really, better in some ways) than (Bruce) Willis' other time travel film, “12 Monkeys,” which is no small amount of praise, to be sure.
What I think now: “Looper” earns a place on here, at the very least, because it's the newest film by one of cinema's most exciting and promising up-and-coming filmmakers. Rian Johnson displays a confidence and vision that shames directors who have been at it for decades longer than he and “Looper” is a film that deserves to be examined, dissected and discussed. It's not perfect, but it swings for the fences and has style and ambition to spare, plus we get a brilliant performance by one of our best young actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and an equally engaging performance by one of cinema's icons (Willis).
What I think now: “Looper” earns a place on here, at the very least, because it's the newest film by one of cinema's most exciting and promising up-and-coming filmmakers. Rian Johnson displays a confidence and vision that shames directors who have been at it for decades longer than he and “Looper” is a film that deserves to be examined, dissected and discussed. It's not perfect, but it swings for the fences and has style and ambition to spare, plus we get a brilliant performance by one of our best young actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and an equally engaging performance by one of cinema's icons (Willis).
8. “Argo”
What I said then: In a cinematic climate that seems increasingly content on producing films that are aimed at the broadest audience possible, it feels like a gift that we have someone as talented as (Ben) Affleck coming up through the ranks and perpetuating a style of filmmaking that is both intelligent and entertaining.
Affleck is now three for three as a director, delivering what is one of the best films of the year. I can't wait to see what he accomplishes next.
What I think now: With time for it to settle and take root, “Argo” has established itself as a true testament to the flourishing directorial skill of Ben Affleck. In my review I called Affleck the successor to directors such as Alan J. Pakula and Sidney Lumet. I feel even more confident in such a declaration now.
Affleck is now three for three as a director, delivering what is one of the best films of the year. I can't wait to see what he accomplishes next.
What I think now: With time for it to settle and take root, “Argo” has established itself as a true testament to the flourishing directorial skill of Ben Affleck. In my review I called Affleck the successor to directors such as Alan J. Pakula and Sidney Lumet. I feel even more confident in such a declaration now.
7. “The Cabin in the Woods”
What I said then: I know I've spoken a lot in generalities here, but a part of me simply can't talk openly about this until everyone's had a chance to go see this thing. But know simply that I cannot wait to go see this again. And again. And again.
I love this movie. I love it to pieces. I loved every second of it. I usually don't make this sort of proclamation this early, but this is easily going to make it into my top 10 for the year. This is a fantastic movie, the rare film that comes along and knocks you flat by just how much fun it is while also showing you things you've never seen in a movie.
What I think now: I had no clue that 2012 would be as packed as it is with great films, but that “Cabin” still made the cut (and it has been torturous trying to whittle this list down) should speak volumes as to how much I still love this movie. I spoke in my intro about movies destined to become classics. This is one of them.
I love this movie. I love it to pieces. I loved every second of it. I usually don't make this sort of proclamation this early, but this is easily going to make it into my top 10 for the year. This is a fantastic movie, the rare film that comes along and knocks you flat by just how much fun it is while also showing you things you've never seen in a movie.
What I think now: I had no clue that 2012 would be as packed as it is with great films, but that “Cabin” still made the cut (and it has been torturous trying to whittle this list down) should speak volumes as to how much I still love this movie. I spoke in my intro about movies destined to become classics. This is one of them.
6. “Cloud Atlas”
What I said then: “Cloud Atlas” is the rare piece of cinema that pushes boundaries, that shows what cinema is truly capable of when in the hands of artists unafraid to take risks and create on a wide canvas. I'm not sure I could call it a perfect film, but it reaches out for greatness in a way that so few films seem able to these days.
What I think now: “Cloud Atlas” is a work of art in the truest sense. It is amazing, wondrously expressing the vision and emotion of its filmmakers onto the screen in a breathtaking, heartbreaking, emotionally-charged way.
This film provides further proof that 2012 was the year that filmmakers reveled in the joy of cinema.
What I think now: “Cloud Atlas” is a work of art in the truest sense. It is amazing, wondrously expressing the vision and emotion of its filmmakers onto the screen in a breathtaking, heartbreaking, emotionally-charged way.
This film provides further proof that 2012 was the year that filmmakers reveled in the joy of cinema.
5. “The Grey”
What I said then: Then there's Liam Neeson. I love the fact that Neeson is 60 and yet he still manages to outshine actors half his age as an action star. I also love that he's only just in the last few years emerged as an action star. There's a forcefulness and weight to his presence that quite simply is lacking from so many of our other action heroes. And while Neeson's Ottoway is certainly a proactive man of action here, it's the more quiet moments that end up being the most affecting.
What I think now: This is a film that has only gotten better with each subsequent viewing. Director Joe Carnahan has crafted an elemental, primal film that provides an engrossing and emotionally affecting experience, the anchor of which is a career-best performance by Liam Neeson. This has my favorite ending of the year and my favorite performance by anyone not named Daniel Day-Lewis or Denis Lavant.
What I think now: This is a film that has only gotten better with each subsequent viewing. Director Joe Carnahan has crafted an elemental, primal film that provides an engrossing and emotionally affecting experience, the anchor of which is a career-best performance by Liam Neeson. This has my favorite ending of the year and my favorite performance by anyone not named Daniel Day-Lewis or Denis Lavant.
4. “Django Unchained”
You can read my full review elsewhere in this issue, but suffice to say, I absolutely loved this movie. It is coincidence, but no less fitting, that “Django” and “Lincoln” are so close together on this list. Both deal with slavery in wildly different ways, yet both are the perfect result of their respective director's artistic vision and capabilities and both feature said directors operating at full throttle. It just so happens that the director of “Django” has crafted a bloody, brutal and yet wildly entertaining film that is pure cinema from start to finish. As satisfying a movie for people who truly love the art of cinema as can be found this year.
3. “Lincoln”
What I said then: Of course, (Spielberg) is able to do that in large part because of Daniel Day-Lewis' captivating and definitive performance as Lincoln. The man has made his career over immersing himself in his roles. There are few cinematic chameleons as skilled as Lewis at disappearing into their roles, a feat he previously exercised to the fullest in “There Will Be Blood.” I'm not sure I'm ready to say his turn as Abraham Lincoln surpasses his work as Daniel Plainview, but it is, at minimum, equal, which is no small amount of praise. Lewis inhabits this role so fully that although we have no recorded footage to compare it to, it's likely the closest we'll come to seeing an accurate representation of the man.
What I think now: There are so many laudable aspects to “Lincoln” (its script, its cinematography, its supporting cast), but the fact remains that Day-Lewis' performance is the very heart and soul of Steven Spielberg's masterwork biopic. This is a performance that will be studied and analyzed for decades and it elevates what would have already been a very good movie into a great one.
What I think now: There are so many laudable aspects to “Lincoln” (its script, its cinematography, its supporting cast), but the fact remains that Day-Lewis' performance is the very heart and soul of Steven Spielberg's masterwork biopic. This is a performance that will be studied and analyzed for decades and it elevates what would have already been a very good movie into a great one.
2. “Holy Motors”
You are not prepared for “Holy Motors.” You can read about it, you can watch the trailer, you can listen to others talk about it, but none of that will sufficiently explain what it is like to behold this film for the first time.
“Holy Motors” is, at its core, both a celebration and deconstruction of cinema. Denis Lavant (in one of the most arresting, dedicated and flat-out incredible performances of the year, heck, of the decade) plays Oscar. His job, it seems, is to drive to various appointments in a stretch limousine. At each stop he (thanks to an assortment of costumes and an astounding application of (often wild) prosthetics and makeup) takes on a new persona, be it a widowed father, an actor in a motion-capture suit, a mob hitman, a dying father and even a deranged, sewer-dwelling monster.
It is a bizarre film, but one that revels in the language of film, one that comments on and examines the roles we all play in life and society and the way that film reflects who we are. It is both a lament on the (supposed) dying art of physical, personal filmmaking while also a celebration of everything the medium can be, should be and is in the right hands. This is a bizarre and (at times) outlandish film, one that will confuse, confound and alienate more than it will likely enrapture. But it also feels oddly personal for its writer/director, Leos Carax.
I have never seen a film like “Holy Motors,” and I likely never will again.
“Holy Motors” is, at its core, both a celebration and deconstruction of cinema. Denis Lavant (in one of the most arresting, dedicated and flat-out incredible performances of the year, heck, of the decade) plays Oscar. His job, it seems, is to drive to various appointments in a stretch limousine. At each stop he (thanks to an assortment of costumes and an astounding application of (often wild) prosthetics and makeup) takes on a new persona, be it a widowed father, an actor in a motion-capture suit, a mob hitman, a dying father and even a deranged, sewer-dwelling monster.
It is a bizarre film, but one that revels in the language of film, one that comments on and examines the roles we all play in life and society and the way that film reflects who we are. It is both a lament on the (supposed) dying art of physical, personal filmmaking while also a celebration of everything the medium can be, should be and is in the right hands. This is a bizarre and (at times) outlandish film, one that will confuse, confound and alienate more than it will likely enrapture. But it also feels oddly personal for its writer/director, Leos Carax.
I have never seen a film like “Holy Motors,” and I likely never will again.
1. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Poetic, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, life-affirming. None of these descriptions feel capable of aptly describing just how I felt upon leaving the theater after watching “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” It sounds hyperbolic, yes, but this film by first-time director Benh Zeitlin is simply unlike anything else I sat down to this year.
A more unique sense of place you will not find. A little one, 6-year-old Quevenzahne Wallis, provides a performance of such strength and spirit that you'll hardly believe this is her first time on-screen. This is the year's most complete film, one that builds a wholly believable world that borders on the fantastic and yet feels grounded and real.
I cried, I cheered, I was enraptured by this incredible piece of art that is an absolute treasure to behold.
Honorable Mentions: Most of these films could have made it onto this list, and in even a slightly lesser year would have. “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Skyfall,” “The Avengers,” “21 Jump Street,” “Chronicle,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Dredd,” “The Expendables 2.”
A more unique sense of place you will not find. A little one, 6-year-old Quevenzahne Wallis, provides a performance of such strength and spirit that you'll hardly believe this is her first time on-screen. This is the year's most complete film, one that builds a wholly believable world that borders on the fantastic and yet feels grounded and real.
I cried, I cheered, I was enraptured by this incredible piece of art that is an absolute treasure to behold.
Honorable Mentions: Most of these films could have made it onto this list, and in even a slightly lesser year would have. “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Skyfall,” “The Avengers,” “21 Jump Street,” “Chronicle,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Dredd,” “The Expendables 2.”
