So here we are at the end of the year and after seeing so many great films in 2012 I thought a Top 25 wouldn't suffice so instead I present my Top 50 in all its glory and without further ado here's the first instalment.
21 Jump Street
Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
When I went to see 21 Jump Street I really wasn't expecting that much as it seemed to be just an average buddy comedy with one star in Channing Tatum whose acting talents hadn't exactly wowed me in the past. Imagine my surprise when this turned out to be a very funny comedy but also one that was quite charming as it looked at the friendship formed between the characters played by Tatum and Jonah Hill and how is altered once they went undercover at a high school. Obviously there was the usual mindless filthy gags but there was a real attention played to both the characters and the plot while Tatum surprised me and I think he's found his calling as the well-meaning dumb one in comedy duos.
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel
Director: Alex Stapleton
There were several good films about film-makers this year but Corman's World stood head and shoulders above the rest due to the level of talking heads involved and the influence that Corman had and still has over contemporary directors. As us cinephiles now many directors, including Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard, honed their crafts working on Corman's low-budget masterpieces while several actors including Jack Nicholson also received their big break. Alex Stapleton's film also digs deeper into the life of the man to reveal someone who wanted to make more issue-led movies but realised there was no money in that and also follows him as he picks up his well-deserved life time achievement Oscar.
End of Watch
Director: David Ayer
David Ayer has made a career out of writing and directing gritty cop films always to a varying degree of success which is evidenced by the fact he wrote both Training Day and S.W.A.T. End of Watch though might just be his masterpiece as it takes us through the streets of LA and is mostly shot on hand-held camera as we are led to believe that Jake Gyllenhaal's Brian Taylor is filming his day-to-day life for a film studies project. What Ayer does so successfully is combine the usual action and foul language of his usual films with two characters that feel real as both Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena bring life to the officers they play. By the final scenes I had found myself completely caught up in the story and was completely shocked by the ending which proves just how much of a connection Ayer makes the audience have with his characters.
Goodbye First Love
Director: Mia Hansen-Love
Following up the tragic Father of My Children, Mia Hansen-Love's newest film Goodbye First Love looks at the perils of falling deeply in love when you're still young. Eighteen Year Old Lola Creton was a revelation as Camille who falls head over heels in love with the older Sullivan only for him to abandon her and head off on a holiday with his friends. The film follows the relationship between the pair over the next ten years as they enter different relationships but are always drawn back to their first loves at the end of the day. Apart from the performances, the most memorable film about Goodbye First Love is definitely the cinematography from Stephane Fontane who provides stunning tracking shots of the French countryside, when the couple are younger, as well as the city-scapes which represents the couple when they are older. While there wasn't much in terms of narrative structure this was a gorgeous film that any of us who've ever been in love can identify with in some way.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Director: Peter Jackson
It may be overlong and didn't need to be part of a trilogy but the fact still remains that Peter Jackson's latest foray into Middle Earth is as visually stunning as ever. The performances from Martin Freeman and Aidan Turner perfectly captured the essence of their characters and the scenes featuring Andy Serkis as Gollum reminded us why we loved the original Lord of the Rings films so much in the first place. There was also more of a playful sense here which made this more of a family film than the Lord of the Rings epics which made it all the more enjoyable. While there could've been a bit more editing involved there's no denying that this is one of the most beautifully shot films of the year and that's why it makes the list.
Holy Motors
Director: Leos Carax
I think a failure to connect emotionally with Leos Carax's surreal film stopped it from appearing higher on the list but a film as strikingly original as this still deserves to be recognised among this year's best. Following Dennis Lavant's businessman Mr Oscar on a ride around the city we see him transform his identity several times to play everything from caring family man to a flower-guzzling beast. The oddest sequence of all is a love song scene featuring Kylie Minogue of all people which adds to the oddness of the overall film. It was this odd plot structure and intriguing ending that really stayed with me and stood Holy Motors out as one of the most interesting films of the year if not one of the best
Killer Joe
Director: William Friedkin
At times not an easy watch, Friedkin's Killer Joe is still an incredibly blackly comic look at a Hillbilly family in need of money and the hitman who they hire to get it. Tracy Letts' screenplay was brilliant building up the tension and simple plot perfectly over a number of scenes building up to the fabulously disgusting fried chicken scene in the final act. Matthew McConaughey, who'll feature again on this list later on, was perfect as the Man with No Name type central character while Juno Temple gave the film some heart as the delightfully simple Dottie. While I don't feel that the film had a consistent structure what I did like was each character felt well-drawn and that the performances felt genuine something I can't say about all of the films I have seen this year.
The Queen of Versailles
Director: Lauren Greenfield
It's fair to say that this has been an excellent year for documentaries, three feature in this segment alone, and this one about a billionaire and his trophy wife was a case in point. Initially a film about timeshare magnate David Siegel building America's biggest house for his wife Jackie the film later developed into a look at the economic crisis after Siegel's business went under and he refused to claim bankruptcy while he had to put up the beloved Versailles for sale. This was a really interesting film, and one the Siegels tried to ban, which I don't think enough people saw which is a shame as it was a fascinating insight into the division between rich and poor how the current financial climate can impact on anyone.
Ted
Director: Seth MacFarlane
A consistently funny debut film from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane who voices the titular Teddy Bear who comes to life after a wish from his young owner. Roping in mates Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg to play the main human characters MacFarlane's comedy is surprisingly sweet in places even though a subplot involving Giovanni Ribisi's kidnapper doesn't really go anywhere. It's rare these days to get a comedy as funny as Ted and anything that can feature both Mark Wahlberg singing the theme from Octopussy and Flash Gordon getting into a fight with a Chinese landlord is okay with me.
You've Been Trumped
Director: Anthony Baxter
Sometimes documentary films really get to you and Anthony Baxter's feature about Donald Trump's quest to build an elite golf course in Glasgow did just that. Baxter befriends the locals whose houses need to be demolished in order to make way for the golf course and learns of the dubious methods that Trump's cronies employ in order to get him out of the house. Baxter himself becomes part of the film after discovering just how far up Trump's allies go while the locals themselves start to film the devastation that Trump's plans are bringing. Baxter's film is essentially about the little man standing up to the big guy but more than that it's an exploration of how much power money can actually buy someone.
I'll be back soon with the next ten on the list which will feature more documentaries plus a number of superhero movies.
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