The week in brief (31 December 2012 - 6 January 2013)

This week's list of movies watched:

The Sure Thing (1985): 8/10
The Dark Knight Rises (2012): 8/10
Mad Max (1979): 5/10
Margaret (2011): 9/10

Another fairly slow week - and again, not too much for me to report on, really. Owing to a delay in my LOVEFiLM delivery, I spent the week catching up on a few old favourites. I've previously reviewed The Sure Thing and The Dark Knight Rises (here and here), and I can only report that both movies were just as good second time around.

While I have seen Margaret before (I really liked it), it was a little different this time, as I saw an alternative cut to the version I caught in the cinemas this time last year. Quite frequently, when I see an extended cut of a movie on DVD - it's usually a Hollywood comedy, with something like "Unrated Extreme Edition! Too Hot for Cinemas!" on the box - and I can generally see why all the 'extended scenes' were removed from the film in the first place. On this occasion, however, given that Kenneth Lonergan, the director of Margaret, had an extended battle with the studio over the content of the picture, it was genuinely interesting to see a longer version of the film which is apparently closer to his original vision. In terms of differences between the cuts, I'd say that the longer cut may be a slight improvement on the cinematic version. Certain scenes have been added in to the picture which make previously inexplicable plot points make more sense, and the movie flows a little better as a whole. Above all, some of Lonergan's themes in the film - that of New York as a whole being shaken to its core by the 9/11 attacks, and that Lisa Cohen's story is just one of many stories taking place in the city at any given time - seem clearer in the longer cut. Though this is a rather lengthy picture (now coming in at just under three hours), it's well worth the investment of your time.

Only one other film to report on this week - and one which had the dubious honour of introducing Australian wildman Mel Gibson to the moviegoing public - the original Mad Max. Although it's one of those movies which seems to have been on late night TV about twice a week since 1987, for one reason or another, I'd never got around to seeing it until now. Set in the near future, the story involves a renegade lawman's pursuit of an unpleasant gang of bikers who have been menacing his family. Even though it's regarded as a classic of its genre, I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed with this one. The film was made on a shoestring budget, and that's something which is apparent in various aspects of the production - from the generally dubious quality of the acting to the bargain basement "apocalyptic future" look of the film. Even more worryingly, Max doesn't really get 'mad' (and take his revenge) until the very end of the movie - that's a long time to sit through some pretty poor screenwriting and uninteresting characters. That's not to say that the film is entirely without merit - the first ten minutes and last ten minutes are pretty exciting, with some high octane car chases and some highly commendable stunts. Apparently the second film in the trilogy is a big step up, so I'll probably seek it out at some point, but my expectations for it won't be particularly high.

Kirk's Quote of the Week

Miller's Crossing (1990)

"Johnny Caspar: It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust? For a good return, you gotta go bettin' on chance - and then you're back with anarchy, right back in the jungle."

My End of Year List: Best of 2012

It's the end of another year, and I thought I'd continue the tradition I started last year with a run down of my favourite new films from the past twelve months. The criteria for inclusion in the list are simple: to qualify, a film must be a new release which I saw in the cinema from 1 January to 31 December 2012. Old films which have been re-released into the cinema, films which I saw on DVD and films which I haven't seen yet (even if they were released in the UK in 2012) are not eligible for my list.

As a general comment, I'd say that this year's crop of movies have been quite an improvement on that of 2011. As well as a few truly outstanding pictures, there were a high number of movies which I'd rate as 'very good' (i.e. 8 out of 10 or above). All in all, it was tough work selecting just 10 for my list - movies which narrowly missed the cut included Avengers Assemble, Young Adult, Moonrise Kingdom, Chronicle, Shadow Dancer, Killing Them Softly, Room 237, End of Watch and The Artist.

Here's my picks for the best of 2012 (in reverse order):

10. Lawless

John Hillcoat's follow up to the similarly uncompromising Australian western The Proposition is a dark, violent, but brilliant look into the lives of bootleggers in 1930s Virginia. Guy Pearce is on fine form as the oily, sadistic villain, Charlie Rakes.

9. Snowtown 

Undoubtedly the most disturbing movie I've seen all year, but absolutely compelling all the same - a story about the power that a charismatic psychopath can wield over vulnerable individuals. The fact that the movie is based on a true life story (the Snowtown murders in South Australia) makes it even more chilling.

8. Headhunters

In comparison with the previous two films on my list, Norwegian thriller Headhunters is a veritable barrel of laughs. It was the most unexpectedly entertaining movie of the year, and certainly the only one in which a character has to hide out in a latrine to escape a relentless pursuer. Based on a novel by Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo, it has a plot which keeps you guessing right until the very end and a brilliant lead performance by Aksel Hennie.

7. The Dark Knight Rises

Though perhaps not quite as impressive as the previous film in the Dark Knight trilogy, Christopher Nolan's Batman swansong is still a tremendously exciting spectacle. Nolan has created a living, breathing Gotham City that seems as authentic as any real life American city - and has populated it with some highly memorable characters.  Both Tom Hardy (as Bane) and Anne Hathaway (as Catwoman) were excellent in their respective roles.

6.  Martha Marcy May Marlene

A haunting, beautiful film that stayed with me long after the final credits had rolled, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a brilliant debut from director Sean Durkin. Telling the story from the perspective of a young woman who has recently escaped from a dangerous cult, the viewer is kept on edge throughout - you're never quite sure whether what you're seeing is real, or just a paranoid delusion.  Both Durkin and lead actress Elizabeth Olsen will be well worth looking out for over the next few years.

5. Looper

For my money, this was the best science fiction film of the year, a highly imaginative take on time travel and psychic powers with a stunning ending. Joseph Gordon Levitt is wonderful (as usual) as a morally conflicted assassin, and all in all, it's a spectacular return to form for director Rian Johnson (after the disappointment of his previous movie, The Brothers Bloom).

4. The Raid: Redemption

I'm not normally a huge fan of kung fu pictures, but this effort, from Welshman Gareth Evans, has made me an instant convert. Set in the claustrophobic confines of a crime ridden tower block, the plot is simple: the last good cop in Jakarta has to fight his way through hoardes of bad guys to take out a crime lord situated in the penthouse suite. This straightforward premise is executed flawlessly: the action is spectacularly exciting and brilliantly choreographed.

3. Margaret

The winner of my "halfway through 2012" list, this film was famously left in limbo for a number of years until it was finally released in this country in January. The version which appeared in cinemas was a cut which neither director Kenneth Lonergan nor the studio was completely satisfied with - but I reckon it's a near masterpiece all the same. As I said right back at the start of the year, the movie has some of the best acting and sharpest dialogue I've seen for quite some time. It's a worthy follow up to Lonergan's previous effort, You Can Count On Me, a film which I'd count as one of my all time favourites.

2. Argo

Ben Affleck continues his streak of success as a director with this sensational thriller, set during the 1980 Iranian hostage crisis. It's a picture which combines touches of humour (the scenes in Hollywood where the plot to create a fake sci-fi flick is hatched) with some incredibly gripping and tense set pieces (particularly the final face off at the airport in Tehran). Argo has been tipped for success at next year's Oscars, and in my opinion, it would be a very worthy winner in a number of categories.

1. Sightseers

Top of the pile this year is the wonderful Sightseers, in which Alice Lowe and Steve Oram play a pair of caravan enthusiasts whose holiday to the North of England takes an unexpectedly murderous turn... It's a movie which is funny, strange, and features one of the best soundtracks of the year - combining bloodcurdling violence with a perfectly observed recreation of life in Britain at the beginning of the 21st century. I reckon Ben Wheatley (whose film Kill List was my third favourite film of 2011) is one of the most talented directors working right now. I'm eagerly anticipating his next movie, A Field In England, which will see him team up with The League of Gentlemen's Reece Sheersmith.

Best Films of 2012 (so far...)

I'm going to be away for most of the next week or so, so I'm not sure whether I'll get the chance to do one of my regular weekly updates on Sunday (and to be honest, I'm not going to have much time to watch movies in that time anyway). So, to keep things ticking along, I thought I'd do a post with my top ten pictures of the year to date. In order to qualify for this list, a film simply needs to be a new release which I've seen in the cinema during 2012.

Looking back through my reviews since January, it's been a good, but not great year so far. I still haven't had reason to dish out a perfect 10 to any new releases (much like the trophy in Pointless, a score of 10/10 from Kirk's Movie Blog is a coveted prize), though there are a number of near misses towards the top of my list.

A few movies were on the verge of making my top 10, but just missed the cut. These include David Fincher's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Avengers Assemble, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! and Prometheus.

Anyway, here's the list, together with links to my original review of the movie in question:

1. Margaret
2. The Raid
3. Headhunters
4. The Muppets
5. Martha Marcy May Marlene
6. Young Adult
7. Snowtown
8. Moonrise Kingdom
9. The Artist
10. Chronicle

So, Margaret's top of the pile for the time being - but will it remain there at the end of December? There's going to be some tough competition from the likes of The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, The Master, The Great Gatsby and Killing Them Softly. I guess you'll just have to watch this space to find out.

That was the week that was (9 - 15 January)

This week, I did something I haven't done for a while - I attended a double bill at the cinema. Of course, I've had plenty of days over the past year where I've watched two films back to back at home, but there's something different and a bit special about sitting in the dark at the movies at the same seat for four hours or so. I occasionally see adverts for 'film marathons' (last year, there was a event held in Brighton, showing John Carpenter films all night, which sounded amazing); I'll have to keep my eyes peeled and see if anything similar is coming to Bristol in the near future.

Step Brothers (2008)

I'm generally a big fan of Judd Apatow produced comedies, though I have to admit that his films diverge wildly in quality. I'd put films like Superbad, The Forty Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up owards the top end of the scale, with others like Talladega Nights, Funny People and Pineapple Express on the lower end. Looking at the above movies, the pattern seems to be that where Apatow is directing the film himself, it's likely to be good - otherwise, you're on much shakier ground. I'm a little less convinced about the merits of Will Ferrell - I think the guy can be very funny (particularly in Anchorman) but all too often (as is the case with this movie) he turns in a lazy variation on his favourite 'manchild' character, with a few inspired gags buried in an avalanche of bits that just don't work, and which go on for far too long. This is kind of a shame, as the premise of the film - two lazy, middle aged stay-at-home kids (Ferrell and John C. Reilly) who are forced to grow up when their parents get married - certainly could have been made into something much stronger. The movie has one or two really funny moments, but for every good joke, there are about five that just don't work. Even then, I wouldn't have minded too much, but I just felt that almost every character in the film was unpleasant. I guess we're supposed to root for Ferrell and Reilly's characters, but they're both too odious to care about. I'm afraid to say that Step Brothers feels more like a generic, weak Will Ferrell movie than something which Judd Apatow has had much of a hand in.

Rating: 5/10

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Sometimes when you come back to a film you loved as a child, it's just as good as you remember it, and you can enjoy the film as more than just nostalgia. (A couple of examples of this would be E.T. and Big, which I can pretty much watch again and again). Other times, when you revisit an old favourite, you find yourself wondering what you found to be so magical about that movie in the first place. For me, Flight of the Navigator fits squarely into that second category. The premise is still pretty interesting; our hero, David Freeman (aged 12), goes out into the woods to fetch his brother, falls down a ravine and blacks out. When he comes to his senses, he is astonished to discover that eight years have passed, and while his parents and younger brother have grown older, he hasn't aged a day. (This is kind of the opposite of the phenomenon that Wooderson observes in Dazed and Confused). He's subjected to tests by NASA, who discover that he appears to have been implanted with information from a recently discovered UFO. David isn't too keen on being treated like a human guinea pig, however, and takes to the skies in the alien vessel, with the authorities in hot pursuit... I wouldn't say that I hated this movie this time around - as I've mentioned, the plot is intriguing and the picture's short running time meant I never had the chance to get bored with the proceedings. Unfortunately, there are certain aspects of the film (which I probably loved as a kid) which I now find really grating; particularly the voice of the computer controlling the space ship, which is supposed to be 'wacky' and 'fun', but is just really irritating. All the same, I'm going to be fairly generous with the mark I give this film - I probably would have given it a '10' when I first saw it, and I reckon it would still be entertaining for a younger audience today.

Rating: 6/10

Snowtown (2010)

This recent Aussie crime drama (and the first part of my Thursday night double bill) can be filed alongside Lilya 4 Ever, We Need To Talk About Kevin and The White Ribbon as 'films which I  really liked which are too traumatising to watch again'. (There's a great list of similar movies on the AV Club website, here: http://www.avclub.com/articles/not-again-24-great-films-too-painful-to-watch-twic,2048//). The setting is Adelaide in the '90s, in that city's deprived northern suburbs, where Jamie Vlassakis (Lucas Pittaway) is growing up with his mother and three brothers. Into this poverty stricken environment comes John Bunting (Daniel Henshall), who with his easy smile and breezy self confidence at first appears that he will be a positive influence on Jamie's life. However, his cheery, laddish exterior is a mask for the evil within, and as a father figure, he inducts Jamie into his circle of murderers. They start by targetting suspected paedophiles in their community, before moving on to attack anybody who is vulnerable and wouldn't be missed.  As a dramatisation of the events surrounding a notorious serial killer, I kind of expected Snowtown to be graphically gruesome, but in terms of on screen atrocities, with one notable exception, the film is quite restrained. That's not to say it pulls any punches in relation to spelling out just how horrifying the actions of Bunting and company were - it's just that for the most part, the brutal extent of the killings is left to the viewer's imagination. Nevertheless, by the end of the film, you feel rather like Lucas Pittaway's central character - numb and speechless from the horror you have witnessed.

Rating: 8/10

Margaret (2011)

Kenneth Lonergan's brilliant debut picture, You Can Count On Me, is one of my favourite films, so I was intrigued to see how this follow up would fare in comparison. To be honest, I wasn't overly optimistic going in, as I had heard that this film had been the subject of a protracted legal battle over the content of the final cut, and that the version of the film on release was shorter than Lonergan had originally intended. Anyway, after seeing the film, I can say that it exceeded my expectations to a large degree. This was the second part of my Thursday night double bill, and after subjecting myself to the horrors of Snowtown, I suppose it came as a sweet relief to spend some time with characters who weren't likely to find themselves at the wrong end of John Bunting's big bag o' torture implements. It's a little hard to summarise what Margaret is all about, other than to say that it is a drama set in New York shortly after September the 11th, with are a wide variety of subplots and interesting supporting characters. However, the central plot focusses on the consequences of a tragic bus accident, in which a pedestrian (played by Alison Janney) is run over and killed. 17 year old Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin), who was distracting the driver at the time, feels guilty over her role in the tragedy, and decides to encourage the victim's family to sue the bus company. Paquin delivers a fantastic lead performance, and is unafraid to show the negative side of her fully realised character - somebody who is intelligent and articulate, but who can be narcisstic, self righteous and cruel. Although at times the editing of the film is a little confusing, with some scenes ending rather abruptly, the film more than makes up for it in other areas. There are a number of scenes which are quite brilliant - I particularly enjoyed the awkward dinners between Lisa's actress mother (J. Smith-Cameron and her rich suitor (Jean Reno), the scene where Lisa loses her virginity to the impossibly laid back Paul (Kieran Culkin) and the often hilarous interactions at Lisa's Upper West Side school, with Matthew Broderick and Matt Damon appearing as teachers. (Broderick's role is rather similar to the one he memorably played in Alexander Payne's Election). Although Margaret may not be perfect, it's got some of the best acting and sharpest dialogue I've seen in a film for quite some time. I'm just looking forward to the time when Lonergan is able to deliver his own, definitive cut of the film.

Rating: 9/10

Hot Rod (2007)

In which Andy Samberg and his Lonely Island pals (Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer) take their Youtube-approved schtick into the exciting world of daredevilling (or daredevilmanship - I'm not quite sure what the correct term is here). Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a guy in his 20s with aspirations to be the new Evel Knievel, and whose other quest in life is a strong desire to beat his disapproving stepfather (Ian McShane) in a fight. When he discovers that his stepfather has a serious heart condition, and that as a result, it will no longer be possible to defeat him in combat, Kimble decides to raise money for the heart surgery by jumping over 15 school buses.  Unfortunately, 'Hot Rod' is possibly the worst stuntman in the world, unable to jump over even a small swimming pool. In a way, this movie seems a little like Step Brothers - the protagonists are all guys in their late 20s and early 30s, who still act as if they are kids. In contrast to Step Brothers, though, there's a certain sweetness and naivety about these characters which makes you root for them. Of course, the most important question here is whether the movie is funny or not - and I'd say that most of the time, it is. (As a rule of thumb, any scene involving Will Arnett is comedy gold). Samberg and Taccone are helped out by a strong ensemble cast of comic actors who have cut their teeth on American comedy shows like Saturday Night Live, Arrested Development and Eastbound and Down, such as Bill Hader and Danny McBride.  All in all, it's no masterpiece, but if you like mopeds, partying and damp fireworks, you're in for a treat.

Rating: 7/10

From Russia With Love (1963)

Although I've seen all of the recent Bond movies (which have ranged from very good - Goldeneye and Casino Royale, to downright atrocious - Die Another Day), I wouldn't describe myself as a huge Bond fan. When it comes to the older films, I'm sure I've seen most of them at some point or other on ITV on rainy afternoons, but they all seem to blend into one another. I therefore wasn't completely sure whether or not I'd actually seen the film before. Anyway, having now watched this one, I'm pretty sure it isn't a Bond movie I've seen before. This is only the second instalment in the Bond series, and sees the British and Russian governments played off against one another by supervillain Blofeld and his organisation, SPECTRE. When From Russia With Love was made, way back in the '60s, James Bond was a fairly regular secret agent (and part time lothario) - he didn't have the superpowers in bullet dodging, martial arts and product placement which he gains in more recent instalments. This is probably stating the obvious, Sean Connery makes for an excellent Bond - he's tough, with a kind of rumpled cool.  Although the action sequences look a little tame in comparison with more recent entries in the series, the movie is well plotted, features a memorable Bond girl in Daniela Bianchi, and makes good use of footage shot on location in Istanbul.

Rating: 7/10

The Artist (2011)

This movie seems to be the frontrunner for Best Picture Oscar this year, and has already snagged a few Golden Globes (as well as an overwhelming number of rapturous reviews from leading critics), so I decided to check it out and see what the fuss was all about. Of course, the film's big gimmick is that as well as being set in 1920s Los Angeles, and concerning the life and times of a silent film star, the movie itself is largely silent, with dialogue provided by means of title cards. Despite this, the plot is fairly straightforward, and easy enough to follow without any need for speech, even for an ignoramus such as myself. Jean Dujardin plays 'The Artist' in question, an actor called George Valentin, who begins the film on top of the world, living the life of a Hollywood success story - with a a luxuriously appointed mansion, chauffeur driven car and thousands of screaming fans. Sadly for George, his era is about to come to an end, with the advent of the 'talkies'. While his star is on the wane, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo)'s career in in the ascendancy. When George loses everything but his dog, only Peppy can reinstate him to a position of prominence in Tinseltown... I'm going to have to come out and admit my complete ignorance when it comes to silent movies - I've never seen one in full before - so I guess quite a few of the nods and winks which The Artist gives to classics of that era went completely over my head. Despite that, I did really enjoy the film. I didn't find it to be quite as brilliant as certain critics have made out, but despite a few rather dull stretches in the movie, it was funny, touching and beautifully shot. The two lead actors both give terrific, highly expressive performances, which are all the more impressive for the fact that barely a word is uttered by either for the duration of the film. Judging by the Golden Globes, the other major contender for Oscar success is The Descendants (starring George Clooney). I believe that movie is out over here towards the end of this month, so I'll have to compare it with The Artist and see which of the two I prefer. I'm sure the Oscar judging panel will be waiting with baited breath for my opinion on the matter.

Rating: 8/10