So sure, it's March, but we (me?) here at HoB felt it necessary to compile our (our? we? am I Gollum?) own best-of list. Better late than never, etc, and so on. Am I an expert? Not so much.. but I am opinionated and rather passionate about the whole affair.. which I would argue makes me better suited for such endeavors than 90%+ of the Academy. So without further ado, here are my top 12 films of 2012:
Honorable mentions: The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, Cabin in the Woods, Lawless, The Amazing Spider-Man, Cloud Atlas
12. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
I'm an equal-opportunity fan over here. Big, effects-driven blockbusters with $200M budgets? Hell yes. Tiny indie flicks with 7 named characters that were made for under a million $? ABSOLUTELY. By way of confession here, Aubrey Plaza might be my #1 celebrity crush of the moment and I love Jake Johnson. Despite that disclaimer, this is a charming, incredibly fun, sweet little movie. It's quirky as hell, but the talent and charisma of the people involved and limited scope make this a personal journey about love, friendship, companionship and acceptance. Who couldn't use a little of that?
11. THE AVENGERS
In Joss we trust. Honestly, I feel that if you DIDN'T like Avengers, I don't trust you. Unless you just don't like superheroes/superhero movies in general, in which case, stop being such a dour sourpuss, but honestly, this is the first superhero/comic book movie that felt like a comic event. This is what it feels like to be 14 and so damn excited about getting the next issue to see what it happens when ______ teams up with ________ or fights ________. It's fun without being childish. Smart without being nonsensical. You'll laugh, enjoy well-drawn and rounded characters, some great action sets, and the first flick that TRULY replicates the feel of a comic book event. What more could you want from a summer blockbuster?
10. LOOPER
Time travel is one of those things that's become almost cliche in its convoluted nonsense. For every time it's used well (2009's Star Trek, Terminator 2) there are numerous examples of it being used nonsensically at best. It's become the sort of sci-fi trope that's been relegated to mockery and B-movie-dom, but director/writer Rian Johnson (one to watch, to say the least) has rescued it as a salvageable conceit from the scrap heap for sure. In this flick that's part noir gangster crime flick, part redemption story and part revenge saga Johnson takes a new and fascinating look at time travel and its potential implications. His bleak look at a future America in shambles is at once fascinating and unsettling as well. Smart, heartfelt, well-acted and ultimately powerful, this was one of the biggest surprises of the year. Watch it.
9. MOONRISE KINGDOM
Quirky hipster auteur may well be on his way towards being a less prolific Woody Allen for his generation. With a distinctive voice and aesthetic, Anderson may well be one of the most consistent filmmakers working today. Moonrise Kingdom, featuring two complete unknowns as adolescent lovebirds on the run, is absolutely vintage Anderson, and possibly as accessible and sweet as anything he's ever done. The line between sweet and twee is a fine one, but despite the subject matter, Anderson never crosses it. This is one of the most accessible flicks of the year. Need something to watch with your parents? Get it.
8. SKYFALL
In many years that weren't as deep or star-studded as 2012 this would have been a top 3 flick. This is simply just about as good as an action movie can hope to be. When you're talking about the Bond film series with its 20+ entries and everyone's proclaiming this as the best one without much argument, it's clear we're talking about a great flick. Memorable villain, high stakes, beautiful, epic shots and a storyline that hits close to home for our legendary protagonist.. this is James Bond at his best. Mendes + Bond = amazing.
7. LINCOLN
Few, if any, films in recent memory come packing the pedigree that this one does. Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones and a cast shock full of A-listers bring one of America's greatest historical figures and one of America's most turbulent and historical times to life exquisitely. While ultimately this flick fell short of true GREATNESS, it does provide a great historical perspective and a tremendous and memorable lead performance. DDL really gives us an incredibly human and charming look at someone it's very easy to look at in an inhuman way. Plus, it looks simply incredible.. like Colonial Williamsburg on steroids. This is one that will be shown in high school and college classrooms for decades.
6. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
David O. Russell is a filmmaker who's proving to be incredibly versatile and skilled both as a director and a writer. He follows up The Fighter with a charming romantic comedy at its core that turns out to be about family and athletics and life and pain and mental illness in modern blue collar America. It's amazing that when you throw in well-developed characters, strong acting and a quality script, the romantic comedy can be a formula for a good to great flick. Bradley Cooper finally reveals why I've liked him all these years, Jennifer Lawrence is worth every bit of the hype, Robert DeNiro emerges from the lameass bear cave he's been hiding in for the last 15 years and even Chris Tucker (?) is memorable. It's sweet, sad, funny, and endearing, with a happy ending to boot.. America, enjoy. David O. Russel, make more movies!
5. LIFE OF PI
I wouldn't call myself "spiritual" in any sense of the word, much less religious (I think sentimental might be a better term) but this flick, despite its ostensibly spiritual bend, truly touched me. Gorgeous cinematography, great characterization, strong plotting and compelling acting all combine to make one of the most powerful and emotionally stirring films I've seen in years. If you would have told me I'd have been profoundly touched by an hour of a boy and a vicious tiger sharing a lifeboat 2 months ago I'd have given you my best stink face. Touche, Ang Lee, touche.
4. THE MASTER
Paul Thomas Anderson just might be the most insanely talented auteur working in film today, apologies to Tarantino, David O. Russell, Wes Anderson and others. When your resume starts with "Boogie Nights" and continues through to "There Will Be Blood", you're so crazy talented it makes my brain hurt. After a long wait (5 years!), we finally get "The Master", which features the also insane Joachin Phoenix as a troubled WW2 vet and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a charismatic and temperamental manipulative guru and would-be religious leader along the lines of L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology fame. Is it about scientology? Ye...maybe? Does it matter? Not really. What we get is an intensely personal and disquieting look at religion and new-era spirituality through the lens of a deeply troubled postwar society. It's like Mad Men with crazy people and a subtler, more nihilistic commentary.
3. ARGO
Fresh off of a best picture win, Ben Affleck may well be the hottest director in Hollywood. After breaking into directing in a big way with back to back hard-boiled Boston-centric crime dramas, Affleck set his sights a little higher, adapting the almost-too-crazy-to-be-true story of how 6 embassy staffers were smuggled out of Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis by the CIA and the Canadian ambassador using the ruse of a fictitious science fiction film. This is popcorn filmmaking at its finest, a meticulously presented thriller that's interested most of all in telling the story in front of it. Spielberg has been trying to make films like this for years and falling short because his inherent sentimentality won't let him. Argo has its shortcomings, a general lack of characterization and a less-than-compelling lead performance chief among them, but what it ultimately is is an incredibly watchable and enthralling bit of Americana.
2. DJANGO UNCHAINED
The faux "controversy" surrounding this one was some of the most nonsensical drivel I've come across in years. It was as if the conservative blowhards crying foul at Tarantino's tongue-in-cheek and over the top revenge fantasy were utterly unaware of Inglorious Basterds, which followed the exact same format. Very confusing. This is Tarantino's most complete film since Pulp Fiction, and features well-drawn characters, some terrific performances, (as should be expected) spectacular dialogue and vacillates from the hilarious to the troubling in rapid succession. Vintage Tarantino, in that this one is at once an homage to an established genre(s) and yet also a terrific film in its own right. Tarantino remains one of the most original and exciting filmmakers in Hollywood, even as he moves from young rebel to established middle-aged statesman. Oscar-related note: Waltz should have been nominated for lead actor, he had by far the most dialogue in an extremely wordy movie, and DiCaprio should have won best supporting actor.
1. ZERO DARK THIRTY
I'm undecided whether the "Is Django racist?" flap or "does Zero Dark Thirty condone torture?" flap was more ridiculous and indicative of why our society is losing the ability to rationally discuss anything, but the ZDT "controversy" was complete and utter shit. Depicting something THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED no more requires condemnation than it requires explicit approval. The world isn't an op-ed, guys. Art can exist apart from your politics. I really and truly think that this was not merely the best, but also the most memorable flick of the year. I am of the opinion that, along with "The Social Network", this will be one of the two films that's most remembered as representative of the last decade. (Ironic, then, that both would be overlooked by the Academy for much safer and more sentimental fare) In much the same way that Social Network was a tremendous and definitive look at a transformative and revolutionary institution and movement (social media) that would come to define an era, Zero Dark Thirty is a comprehensive, bruising and definitive look at a geopolitical moment in time that will similarly define the present era. (The hunt for Bin Laden and wider war on terror) That alone would make it important, but the fact that it's impeccably done, tremendously acted, features a driving, fascinating narrative that seamlessly weaves across a decade and manages to be compelling DESPITE an ending that literally everyone is aware of makes it a tremendous piece of filmmaking. Guys, fuck the academy. This was the best movie in years.
Better... 10 weeks late than never, right? I'm presently working on a 2013 movie preview... and it doesn't matter if that's not out until next week, because let's be honest, Jack the Giant Slayer and Oz the Great and Powerful aren't good enough to warrant excitement, guys. #SamRaimiruinedSpiderMan
Showing posts with label Lincoln. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lincoln. Show all posts
Monday, March 11, 2013
Friday, October 26, 2012
2012: The Year in Film: "Lincoln" Review
Based on the book "Team of Rivals" by Doris Goodwin (which I have sitting on my shelf, but haven't read, sorry not sorry) that focuses on Lincoln's unique cabinet (he pulled together political rivals and opponents to lead the country through the Civil War), this flick features on the last few months of Lincoln's life and in particular the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery for all time. In that way, the title is somewhat misleading. This is NOT a biopic on Lincoln the man, the myth, the legend, but rather a snap shot of a very specific, challenging and defining period in his presidency.
We open in January 1965. The Civil War is winding down as the Confederacy finds itself with its back against the wall. Lincoln has won re-election and enjoys a broad popularity after the long, turbulent grind of the last few years. Desperate to both finish the war and push through with his political goals, Lincoln faces the tough task of balancing the diverse characters in Washington and elsewhere, especially the legal abolition of slavery in the entirety of the United States. We all know how this one turns out for old Abe and for the nation as a whole.
The Good: there may not be a better director today at visually representing period than Steven Spielberg. Between this and "Amistad", Spielberg has an obsessive master's eye for visually representing and recreating the gritty, earthy tones of the 19th Century. This flick looks like a visual museum and I'm sure it will assume a role in history classrooms nationwide for decades. The lead performance is simply astounding. Not that we expected anything different from Daniel Day Lewis, but his Lincoln is warm, incredibly charming and often funny, but often wears the weight of the world on his shoulders. This is a man who's been dealt an incredibly burdensome hand by the world, and rather than shirk from his lot rises to the occasion the way few ever have. Lincoln's reserve, determination, wisdom and brilliance are borne out on Lewis' weary face and body language. Sally Field (who I was admittedly worried about) is strong as Mary Todd. Tommy Lee Jones is great as Thaddeus Stevens and will likely win Best Supporting. James Spader tries his damndest to steal this one and absolutely owns every scene he's in. When this film is focusing on Lincoln interacting with people or political intrigue both inside and outside of the Capitol Building and the White House it's great. A top-notch political filler chock to the brim with historical nuance.
The Bad: I can't shake the feeling that Daniel Day Lewis is wasted in a role and a movie like this. While no doubt he's given us a tender and complex depiction of Lincoln that will be remembered for years, Lincoln just simply doesn't offer the fiery bombast of a Daniel Plainview or Bill Cutting that really brings out the madman in DDL. Maybe that's more a personal complaint than anything else, it's just that our finest living actor acts so rarely, it's disappointing when he doesn't give us something legendary. The film tries to do too much re: Lincoln. It tries to give us biographical details like a biopic, but the view and timeline is so short that it's not able to successfully do this. The biographical scenes, including many scenes with Mary Todd and Robert Todd feel forced and shoehorned in. In addition, this flick offers little nuance of the opposition to the 13th Amendment. Those standing in opposition are depicted as cowards or worse. There are scenes when the film is simply too broad. Scenes like soldiers reciting the Gettysburg Address or soaring music with emotionally manipulative shots seem out of place in a film this honest. Plus, the ending feels unnecessary and out of place. An odd coda to what had to that point been a highly effective historical/political thriller.
In conclusion, the film tries to do too much and falls short of its broad ambitions. HOWEVER, it is extremely watchable, much funnier than you'd expect, and features a great historical story. In addition, the star studded cast, top to bottom, is simply great. Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, John Hawkes and David Straithern particularly more than hold their own with the esteemed Daniel Day Lewis. This film is very, very good, and will be remembered as such, but unfortunately it falls short of true greatness. If you have any interest in American history, great acting or politics at all, see this movie.
8/10.
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