FILM: Top 10 films for 2012

Haven't quite got to as many films this year as I would've liked which will need to be rectified for 2013, but have seen enough to pick out 10 worth highlighting. The breadth of film is a little narrow too (mostly multiplex jobs) but at the same time there haven't been many independent efforts that have hit the headlines and caught my attention. Michael Haneke's Amour is the only one that comes to mind, which I hope to catch in the New Year. I have also omitted The Artist from this list as excellent as it was because I felt it really belonged in the 2011 bucket (even though I caught it in January 2012).

Anyway, without further ado, my 10 - 6 as follows.

10 Dredd 3D

This film can be summed up in one word. 'Mean'. Karl Urban does Kiwis proud with the chin performance of the year (his only facial feature on show), smoking Stallone's previous rendition of the character out of the park. A simple setup but executed with just enough cunning to prevent it being completely mindless. A great boy's night out that'll have you quoting one-liners a long time after.

9 Life of Pi

In the clunky hands of most others, this film fails, but Ang Lee with that delicate touch of his, gives this film real sensitivity. A visual delight is always guaranteed with Lee who soaks this film in colour and imagination. Superb CGI makes the animals on show bewildering in their authenticity. The ship sinking sequence is one of the best set at sea!

8. Skyfall

Javier Bardem, the voice of Adele, Temple Tube Station (which I use!) and you're already streaks ahead of the woefully forgettable Quantum of Solace. A desperately needed return to form, Skyfall delivers in nearly all the areas that matter most. Danny Craig is a bit old-dog, but shows he still has plenty of bite and life left in him yet.

7. Looper

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis make an unlikely, but dynamic pairing in the Sci-fi hit of the year. What's cool about Time travel is that if you use it on yourself, it gives you the power (or curse) of hindsight, and it's this idea that the film confronts with clever intrigue. You'll find yourself in loops, arguing the concept of Time travel with your friends after, but the headache is well worth the trouble.

6. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Without the same tug as The Fellowship, The Hobbit is still a fantasy adventure film of great accomplishment. Sure, there seem to be some artistic similarities between this film and the first of the former series, but with the exact same creative personnel onboard, as well as story & characters etc, this shouldn't have been as "unexpected" as some have found it to be. The 48fps is interesting and I sit somewhat on the fence given what I've seen, but Jackson is a filmmaker pioneer so I'll wait with anticipation to see where he takes it. What I am certain of is that the next two films will be fantastic!

And now the Top 5!

5. Argo

Ben Affleck has always been a bit hit or miss as an actor for me, but there is no disregard in his filmmaking thus far with three solid directorial efforts under his belt. Argo has been praised as his best effort so far, as a dramatisation of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. How one judges the film depends on what one knows by way of historical context, and how much one is willing to forgo in the process of presenting the story for the cinema. In my case I didn't really know anything about the crisis, and take most of what happens in these historical dramas with more than a pinch of salt. My ignorance and acceptance of this type of film meant that I found it thoroughly entertaining. It had a lot of things going on that I liked. It was a film, about making a film in a sort of satirical 'Wag the Dog' type of way, wrapped in an overall shell of a hostage thriller. Both parts for me, worked well. The Alan Arkin and John Goodman Hollywood stuff is funny, and the Iranian hostage drama is thrilling in a way that is effective, even when you are fully aware of the outcome. What all this shows is that Affleck understands how storytelling for cinema works. As far as Actor/Directors go, he is well on the way to becoming the Clint Eastwood of the next generation.

4. The Imposter

Being a big documentary fan, I've typically found places for them in my top 10 lists in recent times. This year's no different as The Imposter follows an 'only in America' type mystery yarn about a family that takes in a child they believe to be their long lost son. Not all is as it seems however as the film twists and turns in ways that would betray the very best fiction. The construction here is layered with calculated precision as the filmmaker dictates our suspicions at will. The immediacy of the subjects involved is reminiscent of the brilliant 'Capturing the Friedmans', and the reenactments are filmed beautifully. The perfect example of bringing documentary to the big screen.

3. The Raid

I wouldn't say I'm a huge Martial Arts enthusiast, but there was something about The Raid, that was just a little bit special. If you've seen it, you're probably yelling out "Mad-dog!" as loud as you can. I hear you, I hear you, and you are right. Indonesian badass of the year by a long stretch. But be not distracted. There was some technique outside the action at work here and this deserves credit. Like all good Martial Arts films, this one employs its cinematic tools as a device to compliment the action, and combined with an extremely skilled and dedicated cast you really do wear all the hits dished out in the film. Gleefully involving, it's the quest for perfection in the craft involved that comes through here. Cuts right to the bone, and then some.

2. The Master

It's hard to think of a more challenging filmmaker than PT Anderson. In 'Magnolia' it rained frogs. In 'There Will Be Blood', it was greed, hate, murder, milkshakes and bowling. With The Master, one doesn't even know where to begin. There's an experiential element to his films, that few others attain. To get through one, you almost have to go through the same torment, struggle, alienation and decline as his characters do. It is a real battle. Sometimes you win with them. Sometimes you do not. The Master follows this method, as you see a man become completely absorbed within a spiritual cult, under the manipulation of the 'Master' played by maestro Hoffman. It is Joaquin however, who is all in on this one. Not a fake moment to be found in his completely committed performance. Seldom is screen time shared with Hoffman met with such equal strength, but here he delivers exactly as needed. The film itself goes to some savagely strange places and the bizarre nature of it isn't for all, but was for me.

And the Number 1 film is...

1. Headhunters

My top film of the year isn't one that will be recognised amongst the populous. I hadn't heard of it myself before I was invited last minute to see it. I didn't even realise it was a foreign film (Norwegian) until the credits started rolling. In no way whatsoever did I anticipate the ride that was in store. It started off in orthodox fashion, setting up a thief who steals off his clientele of top executives (of whom he headhunts in profession). Orthodox that is until he prey's upon a particular candidate who happens to be ex-special forces, and takes the con rather personally. What then ensues is a man-hunt like no other, as the perpetrator is chased by his rather annoyed victim in scene after scene of increasing preposterous calamity. The image above (exploding milk carton in one hand, gun in the other) gives you a glimpse of some of that magic.

My god is it fun. I couldn't sit still. The film tops set-piece after set-piece to create one big riot of a watch. Just when you think you know which direction it is heading, you're turning the corner into another altogether. What's even funnier is when you start to think about the mind of the individual responsible for creating this crime thriller (Jo Nesbo). To have the thoughts of that man for a day, I suspect would be enough to keep you grinning a lifetime.

I don't want to go on about it because the less you know about it before seeing it, the better it will be (why I've not linked a trailer). Please, whatever you do, make it your mission to see this film. You will not be disappointed, and treasure the moments it has for years to come.

I stand very proud to make Headhunters my top film for 2012.