10. HIMIZU
While an
always interesting director, Sion Sono has a habit of being a bit hit or miss
in regards to his features. A great
illustration of this was in 2011 when I saw both “Cold Fish” and “Guilty Of
Romance” at MIFF that year, with “Cold Fish” being every bit as good as “Guilty
Of Romance” was bad. I’m very happy to
report that Sono bounced back big time with his next feature “Himizu”, arguably
the best of his career. The film is most
known for its adaptation, which was originally going to just be a straight
adaptation of the manga it is based on, however after the March 11 Fukushima
earthquake and tsunami occurred, Sono felt that he couldn’t ignore the
situation and subsequently re-wrote the script to incorporate elements of the
aftermath from that tragedy. The films
of Sion Sono are known for their darkness and he never appears to have a
positive outlook in regards to humanity, so I was pleasantly surprised to see
such a positive message incorporated into “Himizu”. It is his most optimistic film to date, and
the message to never give up is an important one especially for the tragedy
struck Japanese. Do not get me wrong
though, “Himizu” is still full of the trademark darkness, violence and
weirdness of a Sono film, it is just that the film’s ultimate message is a
positive one. The film is about a young
fourteen year old boy who through a series of events loses everything that is
important to him, to the point that he loses himself too. The future doesn’t look bright for the young
man until a group of his friend’s band together to get him back on his
feet. Man, if that isn’t the most
simplistic description of “Himizu” I have ever read, but really all you need to
know is that it is a great film, full of intensity and that Sono weirdness, that
ultimately becomes Sono’s most mature film to date. Click here to read my original review.
9. MANIAC
I have
never been a massive fan of William Lustig’s original 1980’s version of
“Maniac”, so the idea of a remake of it, didn’t inspire much enthusiasm in
me. Once I heard who was directing the
remake whatever enthusiasm I did have for the project evaporated entirely,
because the only film I had seen from director Franck Khalfoun was the terrible
and paint-by-numbers “horror” film “P2”, which was a disaster. However once Elijah Wood was cast as the
titular maniac, I will admit that the against-type casting piqued my interest
again. The film showed up at MIFF and I
decided to see it, but I was not prepared for just how much I would adore this
film. My favourite thing about the
original “Maniac” is that down and dirty atmosphere that seems impossible to
duplicate in today’s cinema. Well,
Khalfoun got this type of atmosphere spot on here. This new version has such a dirty old school
feel to it and the weirdness and depravity that is present throughout the
entirety of the feature is such a positive.
It makes “Maniac” stand out from the horror pack of today, which is full
of overly glossy and “pretty” yet hollow films.
It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with “Maniac” as the opening
murder is one of the best in recent years, and the electronic score that played
over the top of the scene made me realize that everyone involved in the making of
“Maniac” knew exactly what they were making and what made the story tick. While I have still only had the one viewing
of this film, my opinion of a stylistic decision in “Maniac” has softened
slightly. The entire film is shown
through the eyes of Elijah Wood’s character, which I initially thought was a
big mistake mainly because it involves Elijah passing mirrors constantly just
so we get a glimpse of the actor. It
seems unnatural, as does Wood’s “off camera” performance, but when I think back
on “Maniac” these days, I don’t think it was as bad as I initially
thought. What is unmistakable is the
quality of filmmaking in regards to using the “point of view” style. It is extremely well done and camera moves
are beautifully choreographed. For a
horror film, I feel I have to mention the gore scenes, and again these are so
well done. The majority of them are done
practically and are as bloody as anything you are likely to see. I loved this film so much and look forward to
watching it again when it is officially released in cinemas. Oh and one more thing, man, how creepy are
mannequins with blood dripping down their faces? Click here to read my original review.
8. KILLER JOE
Here is
another film that I just adored at MIFF this year. It is also the best film director William
Friedkin has made since his seminal “The Exorcist” which is another reason
worth celebrating. “Killer Joe” is a
hilarious black comedy / thriller hybrid about a detestable family who hire a
killer in an attempt to secure the life insurance money of the family member
they are paying to have killed. To say
things do not go as planned is an understatement, as people double-cross each
other and it all comes to head at one of the funniest and most brutal family
dinners you are ever likely to see. The
film has a sensational central performance from Matthew McConaughey as the
titular killer, who in my opinion gives his best performance to date. He is someone you know you do not want to
mess with, but he does so in such a quietly menacing manner, to the point that
he is almost charming while he is threatening you. The other performance that needs to be
singled out is that of Gina Gershon who is so brave here. The most infamous scene of “Killer Joe”
revolves around her character and if Gershon had not committed 100% to this
scene, it would have failed terribly.
While I have singled these two out, the whole cast of “Killer Joe” is
excellent. This is a brutal, brutal film
(the violence contained within, although brief is incredibly intense) but it is
also a hilarious film. You will be
shocked (and maybe disgusted) at some of the things you will laugh at while
watching “Killer Joe” but it really is just so funny. The ending particularly is hilarious and
McConaughey’s performance during this moment is spot on. Click here to read my original review.
7. FACING
MIRRORS
This was
my favourite film of MIFF this year but as you can see it has dropped to my
seventh favourite of the entire year.
This has less to do with the quality of the film, and rather the fact
that I have not been able to watch the film again since the film festival. As a result, its details are fading from my
memory. What I loved about this Iranian
film was the sensitivity shown about a topic that you would assume would not be
well received in its home country. The
film is basically about the unexpected friendship between two women. One, a taxi driver forced to drive while her
husband is incarcerated in an attempt to pay all her bills, while the other is
a young female to male transsexual woman who is attempting to flee Iran so she
can have the necessary operation. When
the taxi driver finds out the truth about her passenger, she is disgusted and
outraged and in an attempt to flee from her as quickly as possible, she turns
into the path of an oncoming bus. She is
hospitalized due to the accident, but is touched to find that the passenger
that she so easily dismissed had been sitting by her bedside, waiting for her
to awaken. From here, a beautiful
friendship develops as both girls learn more about the other’s situations, as
the two realize they are more alike than what they initially figured. As I said, this is a beautiful humanistic
film full of stunningly honest performances that never once delivers a false
note. The film is complex in its themes
but simple in its emotions and writer / director Negar Azabayjani understands
that her story is the strongest aspect of the film and as such does not impose
any sort of style that could take away from its emotional impact. Although not quite as good as “A Separation”
(my #1 film of 2011), I hope that it gets the same kind of release that that
film got and that just as many people see it.
It is fantastic cinema and a film I really hope I get to see again
soon. Click here to read my original review.
6. ARGO
Gone are
the days where Ben Affleck is the butt of everyone’s jokes in Hollywood. Instead, he has amazingly reinvented himself
into one of the best directors that is currently going around and “Argo”, his
third film as director, is his best film yet.
It is the true story about how six American officials were smuggled out
of Iran after escaping from a situation that saw the American Embassy raided
and hostages taken. The incredible way
these six were smuggled out of the country was under the guise that they were
filmmakers on a Canadian production, location scouting in Iran. It is an amazing story that Affleck has told beautifully
and suspensefully. The highlight of the
film is its complex and incredibly well written script that for once sees
characters talking about things as if they were human. I also really enjoyed the in-jokes about Hollywood
and the filmmakers working there. “Argo”
is full of well rounded and realized characters and all have been expertly
acted by some great actors the likes of John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Bryan
Cranston. Something that Affleck knows
really well is his own strengths as an actor and he is magnificent here. The period production design of the 1970’s is
spot on also, to the point that Affleck was able to integrate real news footage
of the era into his film and it doesn’t look out of place. While I understand that this is not their
story, my only problem I have with “Argo” is that I would have liked to have
known more about the people they were trying to save. The white knuckle finale of the film has some
of the best suspense generated in a Hollywood mainstream film for ages and
while Affleck loses some of the “reality” towards the end to create this
suspense, it ultimately works for the better of the film. Click here to read my original review.
5. THE RAID
Best
action film for at least a decade! That
pretty much sums up how I feel about “The Raid”. This Indonesian production directed by Welsh
director Gareth Evans is so adrenaline pumping amazing, that you will be
stunned by what you are witnessing. The
plot (which as I have mentioned above is very similar to “Dredd 3D”) is as
simple as they come as it is about a S.W.A.T team that gets lured and then
trapped in a thirty storey apartment block that is owned by a local
ganglord. With hundreds of criminals
living under the roofs of these apartments, the chances of these cops coming
out alive are very slim, but there is one rookie cop who refuses to give in and
just die and takes the fight to the criminals, giving every bit as good as he
gets. What is so exciting about “The
Raid” is that it has the kind of energy that was so prevalent in those classic
late 80’s / early 90’s Hong Kong action films, back when Jackie Chan and John
Woo were both in their prime. The film
just moves at an awesome pace and once the action kicks in, it does not let
up. The very intricately choreographed
(and perfectly lensed) fight scenes are truly stunning and incredibly
brutal. With the stakes so high, and
death around every corner, every martial arts move is there to either defend or
kill. There are no superfluous moves
here and for once whenever a knife makes an appearance in a fight, it is used
to very bloody effect. Gareth Evans is a
huge fan of those old Hong Kong martial arts films and it is obvious too. He even shot the fights like they did back
then, taking weeks at a time for just one fight. His choice of angles when shooting the fights
are also perfect as he knows how to give each move its greatest impact, but he
just knows how to stage a fight. Good
news for fans of “The Raid” is that the film is the first part of a planned
trilogy with part two, titled “Berandal” (or “The Raid: Retaliation” for the English
markets), shooting right now as I write this.
I cannot recommend “The Raid” enough.
Click here to read my original review.
4. EXCISION
It has
been a long time since a film has disturbed me as much as “Excision” did on my
first viewing. With the large amount of
horror films that I watch, I am pretty much desensitized to violence and gore,
so it takes something special to create an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of
my stomach which is something “Excision” was successful at doing. I was so disturbed by the film, in fact, that
I wasn’t even sure that I liked the film after that initial viewing. However, the film never left me and I
constantly thought about it, which is the sign of at least an effective film. Anyway, I have since watched the film another
two times and it is safe to say that I adore the film. It is such a bold and brave film in the topic
it attacks, but it is also a very sad film.
It is about a high school student named Pauline who is seriously
disturbed and who has aspirations of becoming a surgeon. Her sister suffers from cystic fibrosis and
although appears well, will soon need a lung transplant. Pauline and her mother have a very
antagonistic relationship, and the two do not get along. They are always at each other’s throat,
antagonizing one another, although all Pauline wants is her mother to notice
her and to love her. In an attempt to
secure this love, Pauline goes to the absolute extreme. “Excision” is home to a pair of very
impressive performances from AnnaLynne McCord (who plays Pauline) and Traci
Lords (who plays Phyllis, Pauline’s mother).
I was not aware of McCord’s gorgeous looks before this film as I am not
a fan of her television show “90210”, but she has certainly made quite the
transformation here in becoming the ugly and sickly looking Pauline, full of
odd quirks and ticks. Lords on the other
hand plays Phyllis perfectly as a domineering, uptight and repressed mother who
also has some amazing emotional beats to portray too. One of the most disturbing parts of
“Excision” has to do with Pauline’s fascination with blood (all kinds of
blood), which reveal themselves in her very beautiful but gory dreams. The imagery in these dreams are all kinds of
disturbing, so buyer beware. I was blown
away by Richard Bates Jr’s “Excision”, and I cannot wait to see what he does
next. Click here to read my original review.
This is
another film that came out so early in the year that I had forgotten it was a
2012 release. In case you are not aware
of this, I am a huge fan of silent cinema.
There is something just so beautiful about a story being told in mostly
images. In my eyes, it was a tragedy
that the “talkies” hit as early as they did because storytelling had reached
the most beautiful artistic peak in silent films just as they were to become
extinct. Since then a few people have
tried to create an homage to the lost art but they always seem to get it
wrong. They always break it down to its
lowest common denominator with silly slapstick action that is over-cranked and
acting that is over the top in its melodramatics. While it is true that some silent films were
like this, there was a wealth that was anything but. When “The Artist” started making headlines, I
was worried that this was going to head down the same path, but to my surprise
the film turned out to be a beautiful and fitting homage to silent films and
their untimely demise. What I was most
surprised about was the amount of drama that unfolds in the film where it
actually goes to quite a dark place with our main character even contemplating
suicide. The film is about George
Valentin, a big silent movie star who doesn’t heed the warning about the coming
of sound film and as such quickly becomes a has-been and in the process loses
everything he worked so hard for.
Meanwhile a young girl, Peppy Miller, who happened to become famous upon
a chance meeting with the silent star, sees her fortunes reversed as she
becomes the biggest star of the “talkie” era.
Feeling bad for the past star and knowing she wouldn’t have what she has
if not for him, Peppy tries to get work for George but being the star he once
was, his ego will not allow it and as such his downfall continues. This is a story that you hear regularly about
of that time; silent stars who couldn’t handle it when talkies took over and
they lost their popularity, so the film has a poignant quality to it also. The film is perfectly acted by both Jean
Dujardin and Berenice Bejo who play George and Peppy respectively, and there is
also a fine performance from Uggie as George’s woofer. Director Michel Hazanavicius has got the look
and feel of the time just right and he has also come up with some unique uses
of sound in this silent film (you will know the scene when you see it). My only problem with the film is the strange
use of a huge chunk of the “Vertigo” score towards the end. While I love the piece of music, it just does
not seem to fit the action on screen.
Other than that I love “The Artist” and hope that it ushers in a new age
of silent features but hopefully ones that do not need the background of silent
films as part of their plot, rather they be independent of it.
2. LOOPER
Rian
Johnson’s “Looper” was the most entertaining and intelligent mainstream film I
had seen in a long time. Even though the
film has been released for some time now, I am still reticent to reveal all of
its secrets. I will say that if you are
going into “Looper” thinking you are getting some kind of film about time
travel with a thriller aspect thrown in, well you are right, but there is a
whole other thing going on in the film that isn’t even hinted at in the
trailers, and this is what makes the film so special. The film has a moral question throughout very
similar to the age old question about if you knew what atrocities Hitler was
capable of doing back when he was a child, would you be able to kill him there
and then even though he was innocent of any crime at that moment. “Looper” has much more heart and emotion than
I was ever expecting, but then I was expecting your usual sci-fi thriller,
wasn’t I? Something that I really liked
that Rian Johnson did was at two times in the film he has characters state about
not letting yourself get confused with the whole time travel thing. He understands that this part of it is
convoluted and by wasting your time worrying about it, you will miss what the
film is truly about. The basic premise
of “Looper” is that it is set in 2044 and fifty years from then, not only has
time travel been invented but also outlawed.
The only people using it are criminals who when they want to get rid of
someone they send them back to 2044 where a specialized assassin known as a
“looper” is waiting ready to dispose of them.
The only rule a looper has is never to let their target escape even if
it is their future self. This is
ultimately what happens to Joe (played by a facially altered Joseph
Gordon-Levitt) when his older version comes from the future in an attempt to
alter something that happened to someone he loved in the future. After the older Joe (played by Bruce Willis)
escapes, the young Joe must hunt him down before he is killed himself by his
employer for failing in his duties. That
is all I am going to say about the film except I will also mention that Emily
Blunt turns up about halfway through the film and she is, as usual, great in
her role (which will remain secret here).
Everything about “Looper” just seemed to work, the film was complete and
as such, I was mesmerized by it for its entirety of its running time. I think it will be a rare sci-fi film I will
regularly re-watch in the future. Click here to read my original review.
1. SHAME
No other
film devastated me as much in 2012 as Steve McQueen’s “Shame”; a film about sex
addiction and depression. This is such
an emotional ride that is downright painful by its end as we watch Brandon, a
successful businessman slowly self destruct via his obsession with sex after
the unexpected arrival of his sister Sissy.
As sad and painful a film “Shame” is, it is as equally beautiful from a
technical standpoint. Every part of the
making of this film seems to be perfection from Sean Bobbit’s gorgeous
cinematography (some of the long take shots he performs are mind blowing), to
Harry Escott’s haunting score; it all combines to create this exquisite piece
of cinema. The two lead performances
from Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are some of the best in years and
the fact that Fassbender wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar for his performance
illustrates just how much of a joke they have become. What I truly love about “Shame” is the story
happening between the lines. It is my
opinion that both Brandon and Sissy are victims of abuse from their childhood
and this is the reason for their problems.
It isn’t until Sissy shows up on his doorstep that Brandon’s repressed
memories resurface and he begins his descent down into hell until he hits rock
bottom, while Sissy obviously is trying to get her brother to talk about it
(maybe she needs to talk about it) but when he refuses, she finds herself
slipping further and further into a depressive state until she feels she has to
do the inevitable. I should explain this
is never explicitly referenced throughout the film but in my eyes it is implied
in a number of places. Even the fact
that Brandon doesn’t find the act of sex a pleasurable one (rather the
opposite), is a hint or sign. Although
we know his character regularly gets what he wants from these sexual
encounters, do we ever see him enjoy one?
In terms of classic scenes, Carey Mulligan sings a rendition of “New
York, New York” in a club that once you see it, trust me, you will never forget
it. Also the two scenes set on trains
that bookend the film are so amazing in the fact that the same situation is set
up, but we get to see Brandon’s reactions to both at different points in his
life, seeing how his character has grown or if not grown, changed. It goes without saying that “Shame” is a
spectacular film, it is a painful and sad experience, but it is done with such
honesty that this is why it was my favourite film of 2012. It is a truly amazing and magical
experience. Click here to read my original review.
Well there you have it, that was my very extensive round-up of the year that was 2012. Hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it, but before I finish, lets have a brief look at the upcoming year and my most anticipated films of 2013.
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