So, after an absence of many months, my New Year's resolutions see me at start of January attempting to re-launch this blog. Hopefully, unlike many New Year's resolutions, I will manage to keep it going this time.
What better way to start the New Year than by looking back on the old one and, as per tradition, listing my favourite movies of the past 12 months. For one reason or another I didn't end up seeing (quite) as many movies as in previous years, but of those I did see these were my top ten.
But before that, a few
Honourable Mentions for films that didn't quite make the list:
50/50 was funnier than any film about cancer should be;
Rabbit Hole was a brilliantly acted study of the impact of grief on a family;
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 finished off a franchise in triumphant style, whilst
X-Men First Class was a promising re-launch of one.
Whilst we're at it. a few
Dishonourable Mentions for films that should be avoided at all cost. Most predictable, but
Little Fockers, Your Highness, The Hangover Part 2 and
The Dilemma would struggle to find a single redeeming feature between them.
But back to the
Top Ten:
10. Submarine was quirky, funny and very individual, all the more striking for being a debut for most of those involved.
9. The Guard is probably not one for the easily offended, but was outrageously funny and gave Brendan Gleeson the kind of material that he really deserves.
8. Never Let Me Go was kind of lost amongst all the awards nominees, but was intelligent and thought-provoking not quite science-fiction and featured great performances by some of Britain's best young actors.
7. Senna was the best documentary of the year. Whether or not you are a fan of Formula 1 or not, it was a fascinating portrait of the collision of talent, faith and fate.
6. Hugo Scorcese makes a film for children, except that it's not really, more a tribute to the pioneers of cinema. What it is is visually stunning and genuinely heart-warming.
5. Troll Hunter breathing new life into the found footage sub-genre, with some stunning special effects mixed with good characters and some nice performances. Watch it before they ruin it in the American re-make.
4. Black Swan. Again, possibly not to everyone's tastes, but a gripping psychological film and a deserved Oscar win for Natalie Portman.
3. True Grit Better than the John Wayne original, beautifully shot, full of wonderful characters and entertaining performances by Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon alongside a stunning debut Hailee Steinfeld. Top notch.
2. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Le Carre's thriller was always going to suffer slightly from being condensed into a film rather than a series, but Tomas Alfedson does an amazing job of creating an atmospheric, gripping and intelligent tale of espionage. A strong cast is headed up by Gary Oldman who triumphs in the unenviable task of filling one of Alec Guinness' most famous roles.
1. The King's Speech making it a 1-2 for Britain and for Colin Firth, who is outstanding here. What could have been a rather worthy period drama is instead a stunning, lively and funny film centring on the unlikely relationship between Firth and Rush. Almost worthy of all the acclaim it received.
As always, feel free to comment, disagree or offer your own thoughts.
Coming soon: looking forward to the year ahead politically (with an international flavour).
No comments:
Post a Comment