It's that time when everyone has to write their best of the year lists. I'm no different. Though I waited a year to write my best of 2011 list, I've decided that I can confidently write my best of 2012 list today! That is in no small part due to all the films I've been reviewing for Filmoria and Static Mass Emporium. So a massive thanks to those sites because I'm actually ending the year having seen quite a lot of 2012 releases.
In fact by my count I've seen 68 films released in 2012 in the UK. That's out of a total of 193 films I watched for the first time this year. I'm sure with all the films I re-watched this year, that would comfortably take me over the 200 mark for films I have watched in 2012. Respectable but I hope to do better in 2013!
And now on to the list:
Films I didn’t get to see that may well
have made an appearance: The Master, The Raid, Rust and Bone, Headhunters,
Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Hobbit
Honourable mentions (if only this were a top 25): Avengers Assemble, The
Grey, The Descendants, Safety Not Guaranteed, Coriolanus
- Looper
My own silly expectations are to blame for this being outside the top 10. I suspect if I watch Looper again, I'll enjoy it a lot more. Great, intelligent science fiction but not as
good as the time travel films I grew up with despite a fantastic
performance from
JGL.
- Prometheus
Another victim of my ludicrous expectations, though I think a lot of other people felt let down by this too. Still a great film though and one I'm looking forward to re-watching. It certainly had the most exciting
marketing of the year.
- The Hunger Games
I got the trilogy of books for Christmas last year and while the first film didn't live up to the promise of the first book, it was still a hell of good film for young adults (and the rest of us!) Infinitely better than Twilight, it's a shame that the second and third books didn't live up to the original either. I'm hoping the film sequels will improve on the books.
This is why I loved the first book so much.
- Chronicle
It’s a superhero spin on the tired ‘found footage’ formula.
Climaxing
with a creatively shot smack down that flies, explodes and rips through
a city on a meager budget, Chronicle is a very impressive directorial
debut.
- Margin Call
I
reviewed this for Filmoria when it was released on DVD and loved it. I also got to
interview actress Susan Blackwell who appears at the start of the film. Compelling, sad and refreshingly free from boo-hiss villainy in favour of surprising humanity.
- 21 Jump Street
Laughed my ass off while watching this. Literally nearly fell of my chair clutching my stomach it was hurting so much during the drug taking scene. One of the best surprises of the year. Funny, silly, dumb AND occasionally smart!
- Carnage
One of my favourite casts of the year all stuck in a room for the entire length of the film. It has middle class couples at war over brawling boys and despite being
stagey is absolutely hilarious especially once the alcohol starts to flow.
- My Brother the Devil
Another one I
reviewed for Filmoria, It is filled with gripping performances and it has a script that raises a wealth of important and
relevant issues that combine to make this a must-see British drama from
an outstanding new voice.
- Sightseers
This one I
reviewed at Static Mass Emporium, Alice Lowe delivers a brilliant performance and her character Tina steals the film from all around her.
Sightseers
is an excellent serial killer comedy that has lots of laughs, vicious
violence and heaps of heart, and all with a killer soundtrack.
My review also won a competition and appeared here at the Picturehouse Cinema blog.
- Lawless
I loved the period setting, all the performances from a fantastic cast and thoroughly enjoyed the prohibition and early gangster story. Guy Pearce makes a superb villain and Tom Hardy shined in his bad-ass in a cardigan role. Better than the Hillcoat/Cave collaboration The Proposition.
And
here is the top 10 0f 2012! What do you think so far?
