I had a difficult time picking ten films that I felt were the absolute best in 2012, which was probably because the top pick was so damn good, and the rest of the top five really knocked it out of the park. Anyway, my picks for the best films of 2012:
David O. Russell’s Silver Lining’s Playbook
Ben Affleck’s Argo
Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty
Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell
Hong Sangsoo’s In Another Country
Pang Ho Cheung’s Love in the Buff
James Wan’s Sinister
Judd Apatow’s This is 40
Ridley Scott’s Prometheus
Rian Johnson’s Looper
11 January, 2014
28 December, 2013
Best of 2011
Getting ready for my Best of '13 list, I'm going back and listing my picks for 2011 and 2012. Here's 2011:
Lee Yoon-ki's Come Rain, Come Shine
Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive
Manoel de Oliviera's The Strange Case of Angelica
Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly
Johnnie To's Life Without Principle
Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives
Mike Mills's Beginners
Peter Chan's Wu Xia
Ryoo Seung-won's The Unjust
Richard Ayoade's Submarine
Lee Yoon-ki's Come Rain, Come Shine
Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive
Manoel de Oliviera's The Strange Case of Angelica
Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly
Johnnie To's Life Without Principle
Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives
Mike Mills's Beginners
Peter Chan's Wu Xia
Ryoo Seung-won's The Unjust
Richard Ayoade's Submarine
13 December, 2013
24 June, 2013
Wonderful, Glorious
Before Midnight
Directed by Richard Linklater, starring Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy.
Many moons ago, the above trio joined together to make Before Sunrise, a film about Jesse and Celine. The former, a young American (Hawke) on holiday in Europe, the latter a young Frenchwoman (Delpy) that he would be forever linked to. Before Sunrise tells the tale of their first meeting, which was followed up nearly a decade later with the sequel Before Sunset, and chronicled their reunion. In the second sequel, Before Midnight, we learn of the duo's life together as grownups.
Much like the first two films in the series, Before Midnight focuses primarily on Jesse and Celine. However, this time around, auxiliary characters are given screen time which serves to update the audience on the lives of the main characters without voice over or heavy handed exposition. Once that is accomplished, it is Jesse and Celine, once again. Though the film is made up of characters doing things that are far from exciting or extraordinary, the dialogue between Jesse and Celine is exciting and feels familiar both for the characters and real life.
For the uninitiated, Before Midnight is a nice little film. For those who have seen the prior films, its one of those magical experiences where a fan thinks, "I'd like to know what happened to the characters," and were treated to a film that shows it.
Next time: An film that explains why man is a giddy thing...
Directed by Richard Linklater, starring Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy.
Many moons ago, the above trio joined together to make Before Sunrise, a film about Jesse and Celine. The former, a young American (Hawke) on holiday in Europe, the latter a young Frenchwoman (Delpy) that he would be forever linked to. Before Sunrise tells the tale of their first meeting, which was followed up nearly a decade later with the sequel Before Sunset, and chronicled their reunion. In the second sequel, Before Midnight, we learn of the duo's life together as grownups.
Much like the first two films in the series, Before Midnight focuses primarily on Jesse and Celine. However, this time around, auxiliary characters are given screen time which serves to update the audience on the lives of the main characters without voice over or heavy handed exposition. Once that is accomplished, it is Jesse and Celine, once again. Though the film is made up of characters doing things that are far from exciting or extraordinary, the dialogue between Jesse and Celine is exciting and feels familiar both for the characters and real life.
For the uninitiated, Before Midnight is a nice little film. For those who have seen the prior films, its one of those magical experiences where a fan thinks, "I'd like to know what happened to the characters," and were treated to a film that shows it.
Next time: An film that explains why man is a giddy thing...
The Turnaround
Salutations!
I've been thinking of returning to my old ways of watching films and blogging about them for some time now. Taking a little over a year off has been wonderful, and I'm falling in love with the cinema again. I'd like to share that feeling.
Expect posts about Before Midnight, Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, and many more films, soon.
I've been thinking of returning to my old ways of watching films and blogging about them for some time now. Taking a little over a year off has been wonderful, and I'm falling in love with the cinema again. I'd like to share that feeling.
Expect posts about Before Midnight, Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, and many more films, soon.
10 March, 2012
Goodbye
Our time is at an end.
Over the past couple of years this blog has gone through stagnant periods, and reinvention, in an effort to keep my opinion on film easily accessible. While it used to be quite fun, my days of all night film viewings and full length reviews are done. For now, at least.
Frankly, my interest in film has declined in recent years, and forcing myself to watch films more often isn't going to change that. I'm still going to hold a monthly film club and update Facebook and Twitter on my film viewing. I'll also continue to see and rave about Hong Sangsoo films, so much so that it will almost seem like nothing has changed. However, I am looking forward to the possibility of going a week or two without watching a movie, and being okay with it.
Thank you for reading.
06 March, 2012
Wu Xia
Wu Xia
Directed by Peter Chan Ho-sun, starring Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tang Wei. Average, everyday father/husband Liu Jinxi (Yen) begins his day like any other, he eats breakfast with his wife (Tang) and two sons before heading to work at the mill. However, this early 20th Century day turns out to be anything but ordinary, when Jinxi happens upon a robbery. After a struggle, the robbers are dead, Jinxi becomes a local hero and catches the interest of a police investigator (Kaneshiro).
The investigator studies the crime scene and eye-witness accounts and determines the robbers could only have been stopped by a fugitive murderer with great skill in martial arts. Jinxi's life is soon turned upside down when the investigator's brand of morals exposes Jinxi's true identity and brings certain death to anyone that stands in the way of his former life. It is then that the two men come to a crossroads; Liu Jinxi must decide who he is, and the investigator must decide what is more important, law, or humanity.
This latest film from Peter Chan Ho-sun is a nice update/homage to the days of old when the Wu Xia Genre of films was Hong Kong's chief export. Hong Kong Cinema fans should delight in the addition of Jimmy Wang, best known as The One-Armed Swordsman, to Wu Xia's already stellar cast. The principal actors, Yen, Takeshi and Tang, all perform exceptionally well, Yen in particular. Known more for his physical attributes (having served as action director as well), Yen's subdued performance is impressive.
Beyond a blockbuster director, an all-star cast and an exciting martial arts genre update, Wu Xia is an intricate and engaging drama. Going from police procedural, to martial arts actioner to thoughtful drama, Wu Xia is complex, but well balanced and paced. To call it one of the top five films from 2011 is am easy thing to do. I highly recommend it.
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