Top Ten Films of 2012

So, it is that time of year again, and while at first, upon contemplating on 2012 in terms of film, I thought this year was rather weak as last year was so strong, on further inspection there have been some truly original and memorable films released. Credit must be given to The Dark Knight Rises for being a superb blockbuster and Prometheus for being a brave summer blockbuster, but unfortunately neither made my Top Ten. Nor did the latest Bond, Skyfall, or The Avengers Assemble. A Royal Affair was a splendid period political drama and The Raid was a blast of ultra-action but these gems didn't make it either. Let's see which films did.

10. Sightseers

Dark humour, violence, the English countryside, a touch of Leigh and a cracking ending, what more could you want from a film? Solid British filmmaking.

9. Moonrise Kingdom

Gorgeously shot in true Anderson style, this is a delightful and stylish film that will charm again and again. 

8. Holy Motors 

Award for the most unusual and bizarre film of the year would definitely go to this strange yet fascinating offering. Each vignette cleverly offers another layer to the indeterminable chaos.

7. Beasts of the Southern Wild

Featuring the performance of the year, this film is fresh and original with plenty of surprises along the way.

 6. Sister

A standout film at this year's Berlinale, Sister depicts another side to a luxury ski resort and its inhabitants. 

5. Alps 

Unique is certainly one way to describe Alps, equally rewarding as it is baffling. 

4. Amour

Devastatingly beautiful, Amour deserves its place in the top five due to its authentic portrayal of love and loss and the outstanding performances from the two leads.

 

 3. Berberian Sound Studio 

Completely original and harking back to a bygone age in filmmaking, this is the only film you will see that dedicates screen time to vegetables and has good reason to! A film all about sound that utilises visual techniques to perfection.

2. The Master  

Featuring two of the finest actors working in Hollywood today, it is a pleasure to see Mr Phoenix back on form in this comprehensive character study.  Fascinating people dominate this period piece, in an era that is equally fascinating. 

1. Tabu 

Nostalgic, beautiful, melancholic. There are many adjectives that can be employed to describe this stunning film, but none really capture the real essence of this captivating work of art, a must see!

 

Prometheus (2012)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/

Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated ‘prequel’ to his 1979 masterpiece Alien is equally mesmerising as it is disappointing.  Immediately Prometheus establishes itself as worlds apart from the claustrophobic womb like environment that Alien offers us. The film opens with sweeping landscape shots of a world not unlike Earth, the bright daylight contrasting with the dark and atmospheric lighting of Alien. The world is beautiful and the being we are introduced to resembles a human but isn’t one. After this intriguing beginning we are transported to Scotland where we meet our main protagonist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), a scientist who studies ancient cave paintings and believes the drawings have an important message about the origins of the human race. After discovering links between a series of images all over the world, Shaw and her partner Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), are employed to go and investigate the meanings behind these images. With a team of other scientists the two travel on the Weyland Industries funded spaceship Prometheus across the universe to a place that may hold all the answers.

As a stand-alone film Prometheus is impressive and distinct but of course it is impossible not to draw comparisons to Alien. The prequel is far more of a science fiction film than a horror film set in space like its predecessor, although there are still horror elements. Prometheus is brave in the respect that for a summer blockbuster it has remained a 15 certificate and rightly so, rather than striving for the all-encompassing 12A certificate that so many films do.

As with all the Alien films there are a diverse group of characters that the story centres around. Shaw is a suitable lead, she is no Ripley but her fighting spirit is reminiscent of the heroine, and Rapace does a great job of portraying a character desperate to know the truth, although she is not the most charismatic. She is however not the best character within the film, that would by far be David the morally ambiguous android played astoundingly by Michael Fassbender. Fassbender’s David echoes David Bowie but with the menace of Ian Holm’s later model Ash, his calm feminine voice, reminiscent of Hal, perfected to sound slightly robotic and all the more eerie. Idris Elba is well cast as the captain of Prometheus and Rafe Spall and Sean Harris have good smaller roles. As with most of the Alien films smaller characters are still developed enough to add depth. Charlize Theron plays icy boss Vickers to perfection, her cynical and robotic nature ruined by an annoyingly sentimental plot ‘twist’.

The plot is at times a little confusing and certain elements feel like they were absent-mindedly thrown in for convenience, such as Shaw’s inability to have a child but overall Prometheus is very enjoyable. It never drags, which considering its runtime of 124 minutes is surprising. The whole Peter Weyland (unnecessarily played by Guy Pearce) plot strand does feel completely redundant and Prometheus could have benefitted from a bit of tightening up. Also the script at times really stands out and not in a good way, but it is still a very good film.

Visually Prometheus is stunning; credit must be given to cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and production designer Arthur Max. The film cultivates its own unique world but with particular elements that are correctly designed in the familiar black bio-mechanic style. The technology within the film and the look of Prometheus does seem light years ahead of what Ripley and her crew have later on, which perhaps makes certain aspects unbelievable and the chronology of the films less flowing. But issues like this can be argued away with explanations such as the fact Prometheus is a well-funded scientific research ship whereas Nostromo was merely a commercial towing vessel. The costume design by Janty Yates is also worth mentioning, the sharp futuristic platinum grey suits and navy piped with orange space suits reminiscent of a high end fashion show and these stylish ensembles will no doubt be imitated by the high street in one form or another in the near future.  

If you are expecting a tense, claustrophobic thrill ride Prometheus will disappoint. There are a couple of relatively tense scenes but this is much more about discovery than an edge of your seat experience. The film successfully explains how the aliens evolved into the familiar form we have come to expect and it does it in an intelligent way, never force feeding information but instead allowing the audience to piece it all together. We are never given all the answers which some might find frustrating but a satisfying amount is given with a suitably open ending.

Even without comparisons to the brilliant Alien, Prometheus is flawed but despite these flaws it is hugely entertaining. It is the most unusual blockbuster you will see this summer and is resilient enough to be viewed as a stand-alone film although the links to be made between Prometheus and Alien just make it all the more enjoyable. The vast themes Prometheus attempts to explore are perhaps too ambitious and fans of the Alien franchise who are expecting another Alien film will no doubt be disappointed. Prometheus has such high expectations from fans that it is no surprise people feel let down. Despite all the frustrations Prometheus remains a thoroughly enjoyable original sci-fi film.  

Dreams of a Life (2011)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1819513/

In 2006 the skeleton of Joyce Vincent was found in her Wood Green flat, it had been there decomposing for three years. Shockingly the television was still on along with lights and heating, her electricity still connected after bills not being paid for a substantial time. The only reason the remains of Joyce were discovered was due to the housing trust repossessing the bedsit because no rent payments had been received. The door was broken down and the remains of Joyce were found on the living room floor with a pile of freshly wrapped Christmas presents next to her. How Joyce had lay there undiscovered for three years and who this mysterious 38 year old was is the basis of this documentary drama. No one reported her missing and no one seemed to miss her and neighbours did not think anything of the smell emanating from the flat. What kind of society do we live in where a person can pass away in their home and nobody notices for three years?
Perhaps the most shocking thing about this story is the fact that Joyce was beautiful and well-liked with a talent for singing and friends who cared about her. Filmmaker Carol Morley plays detective and manages to uncover some truths about Joyce by interviewing journalists, close friends, work colleagues and ex-boyfriends of Joyce’s in order to develop a detailed character profile. There is no involvement from Joyce’s family, she had four sisters, and it is never discovered what exactly happened between Joyce and her family to result in them not reporting her missing. As well as the talking heads Morley uses dramatization to illustrate Joyce’s life and help build up the profile. Morley utilises newspaper columns reporting the story and the camera shows the columns in close up. Real maps of London are also used to clarify the locations and show Vincent’s various homes all across London. We see real photographs of Joyce and the filmmaker’s mind-map of what she discovers during her investigation.
All these techniques help to paint a picture of the real Joyce but no certain conclusions are made and accounts appear contradictory. The more Morley uncovers the more of mystery Joyce becomes. This is a fascinating and extremely poignant story. Joyce’s friends speak of the different paths she could have taken and this certainly adds to the tragedy. Martin, an ex-boyfriend and apparently Joyce’s closest friend, tells of how she was probably the love of his life and others disclose about what a beautiful and vivacious lady she was. But there were obviously other things going on in Joyce’s life that she didn’t want people to know about and these things are never truly confirmed. The documentary makes suggestions and tries to give answers but none can really be given. However, it doesn’t really matter, what is important is that Joyce’s story is told and, as one person observes, perhaps it will make you think about your neighbour you haven’t seen for a bit or friends you haven’t seen for a while and make you get in touch with them.
Morley’s film obviously raises questions about society today but its main focus is on Joyce and the moving story is dealt with carefully, never glorifying or making a spectacle out of it. We see as the talking heads try to justify themselves not noticing her disappearance but it seems Joyce didn’t want to be found. From all points of view, that of Joyce’s (played brilliantly by Zawe Ashton), her friends and Morley’s this is a sad but important story that needs to be told, certainly a modern horror story. While aesthetically it could have been much more pleasing, Dreams of a Life still uses some interesting techniques and has the right balance of documentary and drama. The story on its own is shocking and Morley successfully captures this and the many layers of Joyce’s life without being gratuitous.
Morley does a great job of uncovering a part of who Joyce was, the inconclusive ending may not be to everyone’s liking but it is the truth. Much as this is an extremely moving story it is also an intriguing one and I was captivated by it. The mystery of Joyce will certainly remain with you for a long time after seeing this gripping documentary.

Wild Bill (2011)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1795702/

British actor Dexter Fletcher makes his debut as director with the typically British Wild Bill. The film focuses on Bill Hayward (Charlie Creed-Miles) who has been in prison for eight years due to his ‘wild’ ways. Bill has been released from prison and seems to want to put his previous life behind him as he tries to reconnect with his two sons, 11 year old Jimmy (Sammy Williams) and 15 year old Dean (Will Poulter). Dean has been taking care of them in the absence of his father and his mother, who it turns out has ran off to Spain with a lover, and so upon the arrival of his father he is adamant he wants nothing to do with the man who deserted them. Bill seems quite happy to oblige until social services intervene and ensure Bill commits to staying and looking after the boys. Dean agrees Bill can stay until social services are satisfied and so the father and sons try to exist in the same house. At the same time Bill’s past life is coming back to haunt him and Jimmy begins to get mixed up in all sorts of things.
With a setting of grimy East London, gangsters and drugs Wild Bill is not very original and feels quite clichéd. However the film features a plethora of British acting talent including promising younger actors Will Poulter (Lee Carter in Son Of Rambow 2007) and Sammy Williams (Probs in Attack the Block 2011) and it is the performances that really save this film. The redemptive story felt predictable and quite cheesy but the strong acting really draws the viewer in. There are some great cameos including Andy Serkis as the gangster boss but it often feels like a who’s who of British actors. That said the film does offer a slightly different perspective on an old story and is executed in an interesting way.
The soundtrack is perfectly picked with popular reggae/ska tracks dominating the film. The violence depicted towards the end of the film is not half as explicit as it could have been and it was refreshing to see the film focus on the humanity of the characters rather than the crime and violent world they are caught up in. There is enough going on throughout the film to keep you entertained and absorbed and the ending is satisfying and avoids being too predictable. There are some charming and funny moments and plenty of interesting characters to enjoy. Stylistically the film is not very distinct but there are some interesting tracking shots and this is certainly an assured debut from Fletcher.
Overall Wild Bill is not overly memorable or powerful but it is a solid film with some outstanding performances and a great soundtrack.

Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film (2010)

 

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1666305/

Don’t let the title and the category of this film fool you, this is not an experimental film. It is in fact a very traditional documentary about experimental film. I was actually rather surprised at how traditionally filmmaker Pip Chodorov chose to make this documentary and it works extremely well. He allows the film and their filmmakers to speak for themselves. The documentary can serve as an introduction to experimental film for those who know little or nothing about it but it is also thoroughly enjoyable for those who already have knowledge of the genre. Featuring archival footage of celebrated filmmakers such as Hans Richter talking about their work, the film is full of treats.
Our narrator is Pip Chodorov, a New York filmmaker who in 1994 founded Re:Voir video as a means to promote experimental films on home video. His father Stephan Chodorov is also a filmmaker and writer of documentaries and also stars in Pip’s film. Between the two of them they are pretty well connected and large parts of the film are interviews with great experimental filmmakers such as the late great Robert Breer and Jonas Mekas. Pip’s is an honest narration. He begins the film with some examples of his own home movies and experimental film to give himself context as the narrator and then he quickly moves on to forming a brief history, beginning with Richter’s mesmerising Rhythmus 21 (1923).
The documentary enjoyably spends time mapping the origins of experimental film by focussing on abstract avant-gardism of the 1920s with mentions to Viking Eggeling and a strong focus on Richter with another clip of one of his films Ghosts Before Breakfast (1927), which was banned by the Nazis for being too political and playful, if objects could get out of control so could humans. It is wonderful to see these short abstract films on the big screen and it is even more wonderful to see and hear the filmmakers talking about them.
Pip then moves on to the immigrant communities living in New York in the 50s and 60s and the significance of a Lithuanian film critic at The Village Voice called Jonas Mekas. Mekas went on to co-establish the Film-Makers’ Cooperative in 1962. The film spends time looking at other filmmakers from this period such as Breer, Michael Snow and Ken Jacobs and their films and discusses the mixed reactions to experimental films. At the same time the Letterists were pushing the boundaries of film with found scraps of film and scratching directly onto the actual film stock. This period of do it yourself filmmaking is truly inspiring and fascinating to hear about, especially from the people who were creating and challenging boundaries at that time.
The film looks at the work of Stan Vanderbeek, who coined the term ‘underground film’ in 1973, Len Lye, who worked at the Post Office for the GPO film unit and created brilliant adverts, and Stan Brakhage whose gorgeous painted films are timeless. There is brief footage of Andy Warhol but disappointingly none of his films are shown. Chodorov does do a great job of including many of the “poets of cinema” and in 80 minutes he manages to cover a lot. This is just an overview and perhaps doesn’t go into as much detail as some would like but I found it informative and engaging and just the right length.
Chodorov himself states that we have “only scratched the surface” and this is true but the film is satisfying and thoroughly enjoyable. Hopefully this documentary will open people’s eyes to experimental film and perhaps help people to appreciate it a little more. The periods that Chodorov covers are significant for film and art for many reasons and while this documentary doesn’t try to explain the meanings and reasons for this, it does enable us to understand and have an insight into the passion and creativity of these visionaries.
I highly recommend this documentary to anybody with an interest in film, particularly those of the belief that film is an art-form. Pip Chodorov has created an engaging and informative film that will hopefully encourage more people to seek out experimental film.