Sian reflects on 2012 to find her top ten films. Of this task she wails: “this was incredibly difficult – not due to a surplus of good films to choose from, but because there were so few strong films for me this year.” Less moaning please Sian and more writing! See her list below…
This was an incredibly difficult task. Not due to a surplus of good films to choose from, but because there were so few strong films for me this year.
Truth be told, however, I did fall into a black hole a twice in 2012 and missed out on a few good ‘uns… Still, I managed to consume an impressive number of flicks and from that stack, here is my pick! (You will notice that two of the biggest films of the year did not make my list – yes I saw them but let’s just say that 2012 held some serious disappointments for me… *cough Batman cough*)
10. The Sapphires – loosely based on a true story, this Aussie film told of an Aboriginal singing troupe that toured Vietnam. Admittedly, this film was good but not great, however it makes it into my top ten as I was proud to see an Australian film that didn’t try to be quirky; this film was well considered for an international audience, and great fun.
9. The Hobbit – It may be waaaay lazier film-making by Peter Jackson in comparison to his meticulous approach to Lord of the Rings, but Martin Freeman’s perfect portrayal of a younger Bilbo (honestly; he has everything from his gestures, facial expressions, posture and phrasing spot on!) and the engrossing riddle scene in Gollum’s cave meant An Unexpected Journey just scraped into my top ten for this year. Let’s hope The Hobbit parts two and three are a little more impressive however!
8. Ted – Foul and funny, this story about the antics of a grown up man and his politically incorrect talking teddy won my heart (and made me like Mark Wahlberg who previously turned me right off any film he was in)
7. The Artist – Any film that is silent and in black and white that holds my full attention deserves kudos!
6. The Grey – Liam Neeson gets his manliness on once more in this tragedy following survivors of a plane crash in Alaska who are targeted by some seriously nasty wolves that don’t want to share their snowy turf. This action-packed romp chucked in all the story arcs: man vs nature, man vs man and man vs self…can’t get any better than that! The flick boldly stayed true to genre of tragedy: while the masses cried foul, I left mighty impressed.
5. Hugo – visually stunning, with an immense depth of story to match, this Martin Scorsese film held it’s place in my top ten all year. Nostalgic and unashamedly sentimental, it was a joy to watch
4. The Raid – the first flick I watched as part of the AccessReel team back in January 2012. WOW what an introduction! Amazing action flick from Indonesia; it’s like Matrix gone crazy!
3. Beast of the Southern Wild – an epic indie offering about a young girl living in a fast-flooding squatters’ community. An emotional journey led by the most talented and sassy five-year old on the planet (who is as cute as a button to boot!)
2. Les Miserables – Maybe it’s because I love the stage musical, but this film really floated my boat! Awesome cast and epic visuals that could finally appreciate the scope of the sensational score that no stage rendition ever could. I’m sold!
1. Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson’s latest offering. A bizarre flick about a boy scout who runs away to marry his girlfriend. The dead-pan humour from the all-star cast and the eerie story book visuals made this an easy choice for my number one!
Looking forward to an eventful lineup for 2013!
