And so we come to the final week of the Best of 2011 series wherein we cover Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, and Foreign Language Film. At the moment, I have seen 145 films that went into consideration for this year's Froggy Awards. Unfortunately, there are still ten films on my 2011 viewing list that I have yet to see. Even less fortunate, most of them would have factored into today's awards.
Still unseen as of this date: Brighton Rock
A Cat in Paris (which is Animated)
Flowers of War (Foreign Language)
Gun Hill Road
Margaret
Monsieur Lazhar (Foreign Language)
Oranges and Sunshine
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Documentary)
Undefeated (Documentary)
Volcano (Foreign Language)
Having cited those possibly worthy omissions, I feel pretty confident that I've seen almost all of this year's best films. If you have missed any of the previous posts in this series, you can check them out now: Prelude, The Techs, The Performances Part One, The Performances Part 2, Writers and Directors, Best (and Worst) Picture, and Best Picture (concluded). If you've seen a ton of movies this year, I'm sure I'll incite fervent agreement or disdain. If not, these posts provide an excellent opportunity to discover some of this year's lesser known gems (only three of my top ten were Best Picture nominees at the Oscars this year). As always, film titles that appear as links will take you directly to my review of said film. So, let's wrap 2011 up (it's only mid-August of 2012, after all)...
Best Animated Film
I would love to have more than five films on this list. Unfortunately, this was a REALLY weak year for animation. Most of the other animated films (that I bothered watching, sorry Cars 2) were mediocre at best. I wish I had seen A Cat In Paris, but alas, it still has no DVD release date that I'm aware of, and I don't think it even played an Atlanta venue in theatrical release, so I'll have to give myself a break on that one.
5. Chico and Rita - This was a really fun little romp through vintage Cuba's Golden Age of Jazz. It is also the only film on this list that is definitely made for adults. There is sex, nudity, swearing, and violence, although none of it is TOO explicit. The music is wonderful, the story is heartfelt, and the characters are vibrant. The animation is hand drawn 2D and it too, is beautiful.
4. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr.Morris Lessmore - Yes, I had to dip into the shorts just to get five. This particular short, however, won an Oscar back in February, and quite deservedly so. It is an enchanting little children's fable, beautifully rendered in hand drawn (or painted?) impressionist 2D. It's a magical little film, appropriate for even the youngest children.
3. The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn - This (his first animated) film is Steven Spielberg's redemption for Part Four of the Indiana Jones saga. It is everything Crystal Skull should have been and is one film that should be lots of fun for the WHOLE family (except maybe 13-year-olds, they are really cynical). It was excluded from the Animated Feature nominees this year, probably because of the animated branch's aversion to regarding Motion Capture as true animation. The animation IS both beautiful and a little creepy, but Belle and Sirkus's characterizations sort of ease this feeling pretty quickly.
2. Arthur Christmas - This little holiday treat didn't get enough credit during the Awards Season this year. It was lots of fun, perfectly kid appropriate without being condescending. In a year populated mostly with sequels to franchises showing diminishing returns in quality, it told a clever, highly original story involving some iconic character ideas. It had fantastic stop motion animation. It had a FANTASTIC voice over cast including James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Joan Cusack, Jane Horrocks (someone PLEASE give her a follow up role on the scale of Little Voice, PLEASE), and Andy Serkis. And then there's Byrony the wrapping elf (Ashley Jensen), one of the best written and performed animated characters of the year.
1. Rango - Yeah, I know I'm really going with the grain here, but rightfully so. Great script. Great lead voice over performance by Johnny Depp. Striking animation. Funny. Surprising. Cute without being cutesy. My favorite narrators since the evil mice in Babe. Another FANTASTIC collection of voice talent: Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Oliphant, and Ray Winstone. Gore Verbinski ably directing. In a weak Pixar year, what's NOT to like?
Tin Toadstool: Rio
In a year of truly insipid, childish animated films, this stood out to me as worst in show but, like I said, I never saw Cars 2.
Best Documentary Feature
2010 was the YEAR of the documentary and the Academy gave us the most impressive list of nominees maybe ever. 2011 seemed a bit lackluster in this genre by comparison, and the Academy just REALLY got it wrong. I haven't seen Purgatory or Undefeated yet, but of the three nominees that I have seen, only one can hold a candle to any of the previous slate. But I'm bitching, there WERE some real quality documentaries this year that I thoroughly enjoyed watching.
10. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
While not Morgan Spurlock's most penetrating (or self mutilating) investigation of all time, this film is still an interesting experiment from a film maker who is always pushing himself to experiment. It left me wondering how much its use of sponsorship in a film meant to investigate marketing in America muddied its results, but maybe that sort of reinforces the point. Spurlock is witty and engaging as ever.
9. Hell and Back Again
This was sort of like the reality show version of The Hurt Locker, but much better than that sounds now that I reread it. Still...young, attractive, injured GI, anxious to return to the field of battle because he doesn't know anything else. Despite the fact that he has a family back here. The film stays pretty objective, and its subject comes off as both admirable in his courage and perhaps a bit hasty in his decisions, especially considering his injuries.
8. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Easily my favorite of the two Herzog documentaries I saw this year (the other being Into the Abyss), it seemed to suit his narration much better. This movie lagged a bit in some of the interviews with the scientists, who mostly do not seem too groomed for public speaking, but the actual exploration of the caves will take your breath away. It's like literally travelling thousands of years into the past.
7. Senna
I had two really great surprises on this documentary list, films that I did not expect to love, but did despite myself. Senna was the first. I have no great interest in Formula 1 racing, but the character of Senna the man was captivating. What really got me, though, was the footage of his races from inside the car. These sequences were filled with more real tension than I got out of any suspense thriller I saw this year. They really grabbed hold of you and took you along for the ride.
6. Sons of Perdition
This documentary followed the lives of several escapees from a polygamist cult and illustrated a lot of the less savory elements of human nature in the process. The film really made you root for its subjects but was not afraid to cast them in the most realistic light possible. As a result, it left you with more hope and disappointment, in equal measure, than almost anything else I watched in 2011.
5. Nostalgia For The Light
This film was about astronomy, families searching for the remains of their loved ones, the nation of Chile, and the nature of the universe. It sounds like a big jumbled stew of a film, and it is...brilliantly. I have never seen a documentary deal so much in abstraction (well, OK, maybe Exit Through the Gift Shop), but somehow it all makes a cohesive whole by the time it is done. A unique and interesting viewing experience.
4. Buck
My other great unexpected joy of this year's documentary crop was Buck. Whereas Senna scooped you up and dragged you along for the ride, Buck lulled you into a state of trust, and then you willingly followed. Watching this master trainer at work is mesmerizing, almost hypnotic, and his love for the animals is palpable and endearing. It's hard not to love Buck.
3. We Were Here
This was an absolutely heart wrenching film that perfectly captured a unique time in US history, or at least U.S. history in the last fifty years. A significant subset of the population experienced a true plague, and the U.S. government did...nothing...for much longer than seems possible in retrospect. We Were Here is the story of the people who lived in the most ravaged city, San Francisco. Parts of this film made my chest literally ache to watch it.
2. Project Nim
Just as heart wrenching, in its way, was this film. But it was also joyous and wondrous in parts. This of course, made it all the more difficult to watch things go wrong. I don't know if I've ever seen a movie really demonstrated the range of emotions among intelligent animals, not with real footage. This one did. It also made me think long and hard about the meaning of the word "humanity", and the nature of communication, and why it is so vital to everything in my life. It is a crime this film did not get a nomination.
1. Pina
I have already expounded the virtues of this film in many other categories. It sort of transcends the documentary category, like Exit Through the Gift Shop, but in its own unique way. If you appreciate interpretive dance at all, please do yourself a favor and watch it. Oh, and it makes brilliant use of 3D.
Foreign Language Film
I feel pretty well prepared to do this category. I do wish I'd seen Academy Award nominee Monsieur Lazhar, but, you can't have everything...storage alone would be a nightmare. I almost posted a top twenty, but after I made the list, I felt much more enthusiastic with just the top fifteen. These films were all really good to absolutely great, so unless subtitles killed your family and you can't even look at them, you might want to check these films out.
15. City of Life and Death
This primarily Mandarin language film from Chinese writer/director Chuan Lu, is almost Altmanesque with its myriad and diverse cast of characters moving in and out and around each other's lives during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanjing. It is not a subtle film, nor is it one that looks away from brutality. It is one of the strongest war themed films of the year.
14. 13 Assassins
I am not a huge fan of balls out martial arts features in general, but this Japanese language film from director Takashi Miike was something special. Despite a bit of less than inspired humor (and some that was actually kind of cute) it kept me entertained throughout, achieved a bit of characterization here and there and had the most amazing, hour long, brilliantly choreographed, 100 man fight sequence that I have ever witnessed for its finale.. Seriously,almost the whole second half of the film!
13. Chico and Rita
The only animated film on this list was a great (for adults) love story told through music and across continents. It is a great, old fashioned story of doomed lovers, and yet it is a wholly original movie which might just make you fall in love with a Cuba of days long gone.
12. La Havre
Ok, I haven't published my review of this one yet, and I don't want to use my best lines, but it is a very innocent story, if not a simple one. Pushes the edges of the fine line between charm and cheese very skillfully, in much the same way that The Artist did. Review forthcoming.
11. 3
German director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run and the upcoming English Language feature Cloud Atlas) is good with tension, and the tension kept what could have been too contrived of a romance on point. Strong ensemble cast, and it IS kinda hot it places. Not the first story of a three-way romance, but one of the better ones.
10. Miss Bala
I really enjoyed this, my first exposure to the work of Mexican film maker Gerardo Naranjo. Definitely one of my favorite action flicks of the year. The acting was mostly excellent, the camera work was striking and interesting,and the plot moved along at a great pace. Totally believable and frightening for being so.
9. Footnote
Oh..my review of this one is still pending, but it's witty, very well written and performed. Very wry Hebrew language dramedy nominated by the Academy.
8. Poetry
South Korean actress Jeong-hie Yun is brilliant in this character study of a woman who finds out that she is going to lose her mind, and her desperate search to both use it in ways she never has while she's still got it, and to settle her responsibilities before it is gone. Takes one through quite an emotional spectrum.
7. Nostalgia For The Light
Almost like an anthology of short documentaries that share a vague geography except that somehow it all comes together...sort of. My first exposure to the work of Chilean documentary film maker Patricio Guzman, but I must say that he takes a very creative approach to non fiction storytelling, and has a very interesting voice.
6. Certified Copy
Acclaimed international director Abbas Kiasrostami's mostly French language, slightly surreal drama starring the great Juliette Binoche and William Shimell is a simple movie, mostly told in conversation between two people, but it not without surprises. It is no surprise that Ms. Binoche is fantastic and Mr. Shimell is quite impressive himself and the two keep the film moving....and moving.
5. Bullhead
As impressive a debut as this is for writer/director Michael R. Roskam, what really blew me away about this film was the star making performance by Matthias Schoenaerts. I think all men, if they are really honest with themselves, have felt insecure about their masculinity at some point in their lives. Jacky, Bullhead's central character, has built his whole identity around fighting that feeling.
4. The Housemaid
So soapy, and campy, and over the top, but wonderfully so. This Korean melodrama from director Sang Soo-Im has a flawless ensemble cast, mostly female, who aren't afraid to just GO FOR IT, and I think they got it. Also, a movie with many intricate flourishes, particularly the recurring background use of flame images. This one took me by surprise.
3. The Skin I Live In
Internationally beloved Spanish director Pedro Almodovar is at his best when telling stories that seem to exist somewhere just to the left of reality. This little psycho-horror-drama is his zaniest film in some time, and has a top notch cast, including Antonio Banderas, who Almodovar originally discovered. Speaking of Mr. Banderas, it is one of his best roles ever.
2. A Separation
I have already written a lot about this film in this series, and its all true. Writer/director Asghar Farhadi is well poised to become the next breakout internationally recognized auteur. On my absolute top tier of movies this year.
1. Pina
Although much of Pina is told in a wordless and universal dialect, those who shared in the choreographer's work speak of her in German, French, English, Spanish, Croatian, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Korean. Almost like the artists of the WHOLE world had gathered to pay her tribute. Very touching. Very moving film.
And that...was 2011. Thank you to everyone who has come along for this series. You have helped to make it my most popular ever. Please continue to read The Movie Frog. Besides regular reviews, I WILL finally be launching the Classic Cinema Series next weekend, and will be updating my predictions for this coming awards season in September, and I will continue to come up with other ideas to keep this swamp hopping.
Until next we meet,
Froggy.
Awards Buzz, Oscar Predictions, Classic Cinema, and Movie Reviews
Showing posts with label Best Of. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best Of. Show all posts
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Best of 2011 - Best Picture (concluded)
So sorry that I was unable to cover these all in one fell swoop, but I wanted to give you a taste before the weekend was over. What can I say? Anyway, here are my top 30 films of the year. Be prepared, there are only four of this year's Best Picture nominees in there, although they are all pretty high on the list. Only one, however, is in the top five. The top nineteen films here I gave five out of five stars to. The top fourteen took no thought to award five stars to. Enjoy...I certainly did.
30. Higher Ground
Vera Farmiga is brilliant both behind and in front of the camera, in this exploration of emerging feminism in the late twentieth century and spirituality in a timeless sense. Might well have been hailed as the directorial debut of the year, if not for...
29. Margin Call
Writer/director J.C. Chandor assembled a cast list that reads like this debut was an Altman flick. He also told perhaps the most compelling and insightful story yet of the recent economic crash.
28. Nostalgia For The Light
This Chilean documentary is unlike any movie I've ever seen. It's various subjects are so disconnected, but come to seem completely connected...to everything. An absolutely excellent film.
27. Crazy, Stupid, Love
This was a great romcom with a fantastic cast (Carrell, Moore, Gosling, and Stone for starters) and a really smart script that didn't necessarily go where you expected it to.
26. Red State
This was Kevin Smith's best movie since Dogma. An absurdist indictment of dogmatism, homophobia, and all the vices of human nature that thrive...in a red state. Michael Parks and John Goodman are amazing.
25. Certified Copy
Kiarostami's excellent French language film (although a good bit is in English as well) starring an exquisite Juliet Binoche is one of the best films I have seen in some time that exists mostly as conversation between two characters. Surprises and twists abound in a film that turns out to be about things you never expected.
24. Buck
I never thought I would fall so in love with a documentary about a famous horse trainer, but I did. If you have ever had to learn to really COMMUNICATE with an animal before, with respect, then you will too. Buck himself is just a really impressive man.
23. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
I kind of wish that there had been more time between the original cinematic version of the Millennium trilogy and the English language version, so it could have seemed more "new" again to those of us who saw the Swedish film. Still, Fincher is as meticulously amazing as always and Rooney Mara gives a career launching performance as Lisbeth.
22. Hanna
I absolutely thought Joe Wright made one of the best action films I have seen in some time here, and Ronan is an absolute knockout in the title role. Blanchette is the perfect foil for her.
21. Bullhead
One of my favorite male lead performances of the year. Rewards repeat viewings. Brutally thoughtful? Thoughtfully brutal?
20. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I thought this concept was too tired to be relaunched in a worthwhile way, but boy was I wrong. If the lead human characters had been half as compelling as the apes this might have made my top ten,
19. We Were Here
Maybe this documentary of the real AIDS plague in 1980's San Francisco was a little more personal to me because I've lost several friends to the disease, but this film was incredibly emotionally intense.
18. The Housemaid
Yes, this Korean film was a campy melodrama, but it was a superb campy melodrama with a fantastic ensemble cast.
17. The Skin I Live In
Of course, very few can do brilliantly campy as well as Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, and this was his zaniest effort in a while. The director's reunion with Antonio Banderas, the director's own discovery, is everything I hoped it would be, and Banderas's best performance in quite some time.
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
A quiet, thinking man's thriller featuring an outstanding ensemble cast led capably by Gary Oldman, with a very well constructed story. Mysteries in mysteries.
15. Rango
Even though his performance was only in voice over, this film did more to remind me of everything I love about Depp than any film in quite some time. The rest of the film was quite clever and funny too, especially the owl narrators.
14. Project Nim
This film and Buck could almost be companion pieces. But while Buck shows everything that can go right when humans learn to communicate with animals, this film shows everything that can go wrong when we try to teach them to communicate with us. I said that Buck would touch anyone who loved animals. This documentary will both touch and horrify anyone with any humanity whatsoever.
13. A Separation
This film both tells an engaging story that helps you connect fully with all the main characters as people and gives you an insightful look into Iranian culture from an insider's prospective. Engages both your heart and mind. The cast is phenomenal.
12. The Descendants
If there was one family trying to pull out of a tailspin that was more compelling than the one in A Separation, it was the one in The Descendants. This movie is so evenly balanced between heartbreak and humor. Clooney shows greater depth than ever before, and the rest of the cast shines as well. The footage of Hawaii is also breathtaking.
11. Tyrannosaur
It took me completely by surprise. One of the best, simplest examinations of the most primitive instincts of mankind. Near perfect lead performances.
10. Hugo
I'm sure this film, in all it's gorgeously creative 3-D splendor, is a real treat for kids. However, when you take the whole tribute to Malle and add it into the mix, it becomes a textually complex delicacy for film geeks who never quite grew up.
9. Pina
This documentary was such a gorgeous work of art on so many levels. The dances, choreographed by Pina, were magnificent. The interviews with the artists that she touched were like little tribute poems, each complete within themselves, and each a part of a greater whole. The film itself, which takes these elements and mixes them into a 3-D stew, is like nothing I've ever seen before.
8. Weekend
Weekend is not the film that you show your homophobic friends to try and make them okay with gay people. It is brutally unflinching, but touching, and above all, real. Writer/director/star Tom Cullen has concocted a simple little love story that feels more like the things I have been through in my life than any such movie I have ever seen. Both Cullen and Chris New create characters that I feel like I know. The film never preaches in any way, but so vividly paints the picture of a million little things in life that are just a little different for homosexuals. If you are gay, and you want your open minded, well meaning straight friends who just don't get it sometimes to understand your life a little better, show them Weekend. That is the movie that Weekend is.
7. Take Shelter
There were many films this year that ended abruptly in a way that was cheap and gimmicky and detracted from the film's overall quality. It was what kept films like Martha Marcy Mae Marlene and Meek's Cutoff from making this year's best list. Take Shelter ends perfectly, and the storyline progresses almost perfectly throughout. This is my first exposure to director Jeff Nichols, but I am now quite anxious to see the rest of his films. The most amazing thing about this movie, however, is the lead performance by Michael Shannon. His depiction of a man unsure if he is having prophetic visions or losing his mind is my favorite lead male performance of the year, and he had some very stiff competition in that arena. Jessica Chastain also delivers commendable supporting work.
6. The Artist
Okay, so it won Best Picture at the Oscars this year and if you are the sort of person who reads "Best of" lists you've probably seen it already. And if you did, you don't need me to tell you what was great about it. It's not a subtle movie. Dujardin and Bejo are electric presences on the screen. Uggy the dog is the cutest thing caught on film in a long time. It's easily accessible without being shallow. It makes you laugh and cry and cheer and want to dance. It is perfectly rewatchable and re-rewatchable. It is quite possibly the greatest expression of joy caught on film in some time.
5. Melancholia
Does everyone know about what happened with Melancholia at Cannes last year? How director Lars von Trier made comments that indicated some sort of admiration for the Nazis. Maybe it was meant to be ironic. Who knows? Lars von Trier is freaking crazy. You only have to watch his films to know that. However, the same thing could be said of Edgar Allen Poe and his writings. Sometimes crazy and brilliant go hand in hand and Melancholia could be the man's masterpiece but his snafu at Cannes blocked its awards hopes for the rest of the year. It also torpedoed the awards hopes of Kirsten Dunst, who gives a career best performance, my favorite female lead of the year. I had to rewatch the first fifteen minutes like a dozen times over before I could move on to the rest of the film. It was so beautiful, and...melancholy. Maybe my favorite cinematic representation of the Apocalypse ever.
4. We Need To Talk About Kevin
If A Separation and The Descendants are brilliant portrayals of families in tailspin, We Need To Talk About Kevin is director Lynne Ramsey's master portrait of a family after the fatal crash. Tilda Swinton is an amazingly talented actress and this may be her best role ever, but she is almost overshadowed by Ezra Miller who gives my favorite male supporting turn of the year. She is the epitome of a woman whose opportunities for happiness have all been shattered. He is perhaps the most twisted young man ever caught on film. The look of the entire production is so vivid and unique, almost like a dream, but far too lush. Every time things look up, just a bit, reality slaps our heroine in the face. Sometimes literally. This film is very hard to watch at times, but is ultimately highly rewarding.
3. Drive
Art house indie artistic sensibilities meet B-movie action flick for some of the most stylized and brutal violence ever put to screen. Director Nicholas Winding Refn definitely has a unique vision for the cinema. Star Ryan Gosling says more with fewer words than in any other performance this year. Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks (cast ingeniously against type), Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Oscar Isaac round out a stellar supporting cast. Almost everything about this film is perfectly executed, right down to the costuming department's choice of scorpion jacket.
2. Shame
Watching this film is one of the most painful cinematic experiences imaginable in this beautifully aching way. Fassbender and Mulligan as Brandon and Sissy are two of the most irredeemably flawed but completely sympathetic characters ever put on the screen. Brandon is a sex addict, and spends all his days either searching for satisfaction or hiding the efforts of his search from the rest of the world. Sissy, a horridly depressed young woman has holes in her own soul that she doesn't seem to be able to fill. They are all each other has in this world, and are totally unable to be there for one another. And it's truly a shame. Beautifully written, photographed, directed (by Steve McQueen, who also wrote it) and acted. Breathtaking, touching, and horrifying.
1. The Tree of Life
It's so difficult to talk about this movie without sounding like some appallingly smug new age self help guru, but I'll do my best. The Tree of Life is not for everybody. It is very long, it unfolds unapologetically at its own pace, and follows very little linear plot line. If you think that you have the patience and attention span for it, though, it is really, truly a masterpiece. I've never seen a story that is told like this in a way that is brazenly archetypal yet completely slice of life. It is the story of a mundane, Everyman kind of 1950's nuclear family and it is a story that encompasses the birth of the universe and the shores of eternity. Terrence Malick is one of the most unique storytellers working in any medium. The cast is spectacular, even though they are given very little dialogue or action. Much of the story is told simply in symbolic images. Whatever else time judges this film to be, it will always be remembered as the film that introduced Jessica Chastain to the world, and she is astounding.
And that, is that. Except, of course, that we still have one more chapter to this book. Join me next weekend for the genre awards. I'll see you then...
Froggy
30. Higher Ground
Vera Farmiga is brilliant both behind and in front of the camera, in this exploration of emerging feminism in the late twentieth century and spirituality in a timeless sense. Might well have been hailed as the directorial debut of the year, if not for...
29. Margin Call
Writer/director J.C. Chandor assembled a cast list that reads like this debut was an Altman flick. He also told perhaps the most compelling and insightful story yet of the recent economic crash.
28. Nostalgia For The Light
This Chilean documentary is unlike any movie I've ever seen. It's various subjects are so disconnected, but come to seem completely connected...to everything. An absolutely excellent film.
27. Crazy, Stupid, Love
This was a great romcom with a fantastic cast (Carrell, Moore, Gosling, and Stone for starters) and a really smart script that didn't necessarily go where you expected it to.
26. Red State
This was Kevin Smith's best movie since Dogma. An absurdist indictment of dogmatism, homophobia, and all the vices of human nature that thrive...in a red state. Michael Parks and John Goodman are amazing.
25. Certified Copy
Kiarostami's excellent French language film (although a good bit is in English as well) starring an exquisite Juliet Binoche is one of the best films I have seen in some time that exists mostly as conversation between two characters. Surprises and twists abound in a film that turns out to be about things you never expected.
24. Buck
I never thought I would fall so in love with a documentary about a famous horse trainer, but I did. If you have ever had to learn to really COMMUNICATE with an animal before, with respect, then you will too. Buck himself is just a really impressive man.
23. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
I kind of wish that there had been more time between the original cinematic version of the Millennium trilogy and the English language version, so it could have seemed more "new" again to those of us who saw the Swedish film. Still, Fincher is as meticulously amazing as always and Rooney Mara gives a career launching performance as Lisbeth.
22. Hanna
I absolutely thought Joe Wright made one of the best action films I have seen in some time here, and Ronan is an absolute knockout in the title role. Blanchette is the perfect foil for her.
21. Bullhead
One of my favorite male lead performances of the year. Rewards repeat viewings. Brutally thoughtful? Thoughtfully brutal?
20. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I thought this concept was too tired to be relaunched in a worthwhile way, but boy was I wrong. If the lead human characters had been half as compelling as the apes this might have made my top ten,
19. We Were Here
Maybe this documentary of the real AIDS plague in 1980's San Francisco was a little more personal to me because I've lost several friends to the disease, but this film was incredibly emotionally intense.
18. The Housemaid
Yes, this Korean film was a campy melodrama, but it was a superb campy melodrama with a fantastic ensemble cast.
17. The Skin I Live In
Of course, very few can do brilliantly campy as well as Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, and this was his zaniest effort in a while. The director's reunion with Antonio Banderas, the director's own discovery, is everything I hoped it would be, and Banderas's best performance in quite some time.
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
A quiet, thinking man's thriller featuring an outstanding ensemble cast led capably by Gary Oldman, with a very well constructed story. Mysteries in mysteries.
15. Rango
Even though his performance was only in voice over, this film did more to remind me of everything I love about Depp than any film in quite some time. The rest of the film was quite clever and funny too, especially the owl narrators.
14. Project Nim
This film and Buck could almost be companion pieces. But while Buck shows everything that can go right when humans learn to communicate with animals, this film shows everything that can go wrong when we try to teach them to communicate with us. I said that Buck would touch anyone who loved animals. This documentary will both touch and horrify anyone with any humanity whatsoever.
13. A Separation
This film both tells an engaging story that helps you connect fully with all the main characters as people and gives you an insightful look into Iranian culture from an insider's prospective. Engages both your heart and mind. The cast is phenomenal.
12. The Descendants
If there was one family trying to pull out of a tailspin that was more compelling than the one in A Separation, it was the one in The Descendants. This movie is so evenly balanced between heartbreak and humor. Clooney shows greater depth than ever before, and the rest of the cast shines as well. The footage of Hawaii is also breathtaking.
11. Tyrannosaur
It took me completely by surprise. One of the best, simplest examinations of the most primitive instincts of mankind. Near perfect lead performances.
10. Hugo
I'm sure this film, in all it's gorgeously creative 3-D splendor, is a real treat for kids. However, when you take the whole tribute to Malle and add it into the mix, it becomes a textually complex delicacy for film geeks who never quite grew up.
9. Pina
This documentary was such a gorgeous work of art on so many levels. The dances, choreographed by Pina, were magnificent. The interviews with the artists that she touched were like little tribute poems, each complete within themselves, and each a part of a greater whole. The film itself, which takes these elements and mixes them into a 3-D stew, is like nothing I've ever seen before.
8. Weekend
Weekend is not the film that you show your homophobic friends to try and make them okay with gay people. It is brutally unflinching, but touching, and above all, real. Writer/director/star Tom Cullen has concocted a simple little love story that feels more like the things I have been through in my life than any such movie I have ever seen. Both Cullen and Chris New create characters that I feel like I know. The film never preaches in any way, but so vividly paints the picture of a million little things in life that are just a little different for homosexuals. If you are gay, and you want your open minded, well meaning straight friends who just don't get it sometimes to understand your life a little better, show them Weekend. That is the movie that Weekend is.
7. Take Shelter
There were many films this year that ended abruptly in a way that was cheap and gimmicky and detracted from the film's overall quality. It was what kept films like Martha Marcy Mae Marlene and Meek's Cutoff from making this year's best list. Take Shelter ends perfectly, and the storyline progresses almost perfectly throughout. This is my first exposure to director Jeff Nichols, but I am now quite anxious to see the rest of his films. The most amazing thing about this movie, however, is the lead performance by Michael Shannon. His depiction of a man unsure if he is having prophetic visions or losing his mind is my favorite lead male performance of the year, and he had some very stiff competition in that arena. Jessica Chastain also delivers commendable supporting work.
6. The Artist
Okay, so it won Best Picture at the Oscars this year and if you are the sort of person who reads "Best of" lists you've probably seen it already. And if you did, you don't need me to tell you what was great about it. It's not a subtle movie. Dujardin and Bejo are electric presences on the screen. Uggy the dog is the cutest thing caught on film in a long time. It's easily accessible without being shallow. It makes you laugh and cry and cheer and want to dance. It is perfectly rewatchable and re-rewatchable. It is quite possibly the greatest expression of joy caught on film in some time.
5. Melancholia
Does everyone know about what happened with Melancholia at Cannes last year? How director Lars von Trier made comments that indicated some sort of admiration for the Nazis. Maybe it was meant to be ironic. Who knows? Lars von Trier is freaking crazy. You only have to watch his films to know that. However, the same thing could be said of Edgar Allen Poe and his writings. Sometimes crazy and brilliant go hand in hand and Melancholia could be the man's masterpiece but his snafu at Cannes blocked its awards hopes for the rest of the year. It also torpedoed the awards hopes of Kirsten Dunst, who gives a career best performance, my favorite female lead of the year. I had to rewatch the first fifteen minutes like a dozen times over before I could move on to the rest of the film. It was so beautiful, and...melancholy. Maybe my favorite cinematic representation of the Apocalypse ever.
4. We Need To Talk About Kevin
If A Separation and The Descendants are brilliant portrayals of families in tailspin, We Need To Talk About Kevin is director Lynne Ramsey's master portrait of a family after the fatal crash. Tilda Swinton is an amazingly talented actress and this may be her best role ever, but she is almost overshadowed by Ezra Miller who gives my favorite male supporting turn of the year. She is the epitome of a woman whose opportunities for happiness have all been shattered. He is perhaps the most twisted young man ever caught on film. The look of the entire production is so vivid and unique, almost like a dream, but far too lush. Every time things look up, just a bit, reality slaps our heroine in the face. Sometimes literally. This film is very hard to watch at times, but is ultimately highly rewarding.
3. Drive
Art house indie artistic sensibilities meet B-movie action flick for some of the most stylized and brutal violence ever put to screen. Director Nicholas Winding Refn definitely has a unique vision for the cinema. Star Ryan Gosling says more with fewer words than in any other performance this year. Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks (cast ingeniously against type), Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Oscar Isaac round out a stellar supporting cast. Almost everything about this film is perfectly executed, right down to the costuming department's choice of scorpion jacket.
2. Shame
Watching this film is one of the most painful cinematic experiences imaginable in this beautifully aching way. Fassbender and Mulligan as Brandon and Sissy are two of the most irredeemably flawed but completely sympathetic characters ever put on the screen. Brandon is a sex addict, and spends all his days either searching for satisfaction or hiding the efforts of his search from the rest of the world. Sissy, a horridly depressed young woman has holes in her own soul that she doesn't seem to be able to fill. They are all each other has in this world, and are totally unable to be there for one another. And it's truly a shame. Beautifully written, photographed, directed (by Steve McQueen, who also wrote it) and acted. Breathtaking, touching, and horrifying.
1. The Tree of Life
It's so difficult to talk about this movie without sounding like some appallingly smug new age self help guru, but I'll do my best. The Tree of Life is not for everybody. It is very long, it unfolds unapologetically at its own pace, and follows very little linear plot line. If you think that you have the patience and attention span for it, though, it is really, truly a masterpiece. I've never seen a story that is told like this in a way that is brazenly archetypal yet completely slice of life. It is the story of a mundane, Everyman kind of 1950's nuclear family and it is a story that encompasses the birth of the universe and the shores of eternity. Terrence Malick is one of the most unique storytellers working in any medium. The cast is spectacular, even though they are given very little dialogue or action. Much of the story is told simply in symbolic images. Whatever else time judges this film to be, it will always be remembered as the film that introduced Jessica Chastain to the world, and she is astounding.
And that, is that. Except, of course, that we still have one more chapter to this book. Join me next weekend for the genre awards. I'll see you then...
Froggy
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Best of 2011 - Best (and Worst) Picture
And this is it. We have finally come down to the top (and bottom) prizes in the Froggy Awards. Of course, we will still have the Post-Script edition next weekend covering the genres: Animated Feature, Foreign Language Film, and Documentary Feature as well as a few other bits and pieces. If you've missed any of the other posts in the series: Techs, Performances Part 1, Performances Part 2, or Writers and Directors you can check them out by clicking on the appropriate links. As always, any film titles that appear as a link will take you to my review of that movie.
In my hurry to get the writers and directors post up last Saturday, I again left off a couple of Tin Toadstool Awards. For worst original screenplay and for Worst Director we will go with Madonna for W./E.
The Tin Toadstool For Worst Picture
I feel like my Best Picture list to follow is a much more qualified opinion as I have tried to see as many of the year's best movies as possible. Many of the year's worst films I have avoided on purpose as I can't watch everything. However, these are the twenty worst movies that some friend (or the AMPAS) forced me to watch this year.
20. I Am Number Four
Some fairly juvenile performances and dialogue kept this fairly good concept from quite being a good movie.
19. The Beaver
This wasn't a horrible movie, and I almost feel bad including it on this list but with the talent involved, it could have been a LOT better.
18. Rio
Again, not terrible, but fairly insipid. Rio had very little in it that would appeal to anyone over the age of 10, but maybe that was the point.
17. Immortals
This film has about as much to do with Greek mythology as early Disney has to do with Grimm's fairy tales but it functions okay as somewhat twisted soft gay porn.
16. Green Lantern
I grew up reading D.C. comics and Green Lantern was one of the characters whose adventures I always followed, so nobody wanted this thing to be good more than I did. If wishes were fishes we'd all have a feast. This was a famine.
15. Dream House
Plot holes and a poorly realized script kept this flick, which actually had a much more potentially impressive cast than most horror movies, from really realizing any of said potential.
14. Transformers; Dark of the Moon
The visual effects were impressive but would have overshadowed the story and performances had there been enough substance in them to overshadow.
13. The Eagle
Let's just say that Channing Tatum is having a much better year in 2012. Utterly forgettable.
12. Texas Killing Fields
Jessica Chastain is the only reason that I watched this film at all. It was the worst of her six appearances last year by a light year (maybe two).
11. Killer Elite
Every predictable choice you could have made in this film was made. It also bears the curse of having perhaps the greatest under utilization of talent of the year in its use of Robert DeNiro.
10. The Strange Case of Angelica
I really don't understand Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira's movies, but he is a national treasure of his homeland and I don't want to insult the Portuguese people, but....
9. Insidious
Oh, let's see. What did I find unoriginal about Insidious? Was it the kid drawing pictures of the bad man that no one took seriously? Was it the much less interesting version of Tangina from Poltergeist? Maybe it was her assistants who were basically the Frog Brothers from Lost Boys dressed as Mormons. Let's go with: D. All of the above.
8. There Be Dragons
Perhaps director Roland Joffe should have just been content with The Killing Fields and quit while he was way ahead.
7. The Hangover Part 2
I quickly lose interest in comedy sequels that fall into the trap of using all the same gags over and over again in slightly different ways. After a hangover, one always promises oneself that they will never do it again. We always live to regret not keeping that promise. Loved the original.
6. Red Riding Hood
I love Amanda Seyfried; I just wish she would get some projects in film that allow her to shine half as much as much as she did on the HBO series Big Love. I'm still waiting.
5. Sleeping Beauty
More like a sleeping aid.
4. To Die Like A Man
Can you imagine how lame Rodger Waters (Hairspray, Pink Flamingos, Pecker) films would be if they didn't know how to laugh at themselves. After watching this movie, I have a pretty vivid idea.
3. 13
This was the least suspenseful suspense flick I've seen in some time. Imagine Russian Roulette as an hour and a half long spectator sport played by an unevenly capable group of actors and you have some idea. I kept wanting the main guys to lose so the film would end (plus that would have been an unexpected twist, something the film could have greatly benefited from).
2. Season of the Witch
Leaving Las Vegas was great, but range does not seem to be one of Nicolas Cage's most valuable assets as an actor and when he's in a big period role like this it always comes across like Costner as Robin Hood. Mr. Cage, please read more of scripts than the synopses before agreeing to projects. Please! Some of these lemons could not get made without your name attached!
1. W./E.
Oh, Madge....Edited like a slow onset of DT's and faaaar too much on every level. I said all of the other clever mean things I could think of in my original review.
The Froggies For Best Picture of the Year
Yes, I'm doing fifty. I actually had this many films this year that I wholeheartedly recommend seeing. I'll be as brief as possible.
50. Young Adult
This film is a really harsh, dark, and bitter pill even for this Movie Frog, but it is still much more clever and witty than most comedies I saw this year. Theron is just as good as you expect her to be by now.
49. Captain America: The First Avenger
In a year replete with super hero movies, this was easily the best of the bunch. It was fun, and touching, and Chris Evans actually did a more than respectable job of bringing humanity to a character that had never inspired that much interest in even this old comic geek.
48. The Help
The fantastic ensemble cast here elevates this film into something really special.
47. Another Earth
This was one of the most creative concepts for a science fiction movie that I've seen in quite a while.
46. Bridesmaids
Another fantastic female ensemble, complemented here by an excellent screenplay.
45. 50/50
This dramedy is darkly comic and touchingly poignant. Gordon-Levitt gives an impressive star turn.
44. In The Land of Blood and Honey
Angelina Jolie proves her potential as a director in this largely captivating, at times shocking historical drama.
43. Footnote
I have just very recently watched this Israeli Best Foreign Film nominee and my opinion may shift a little one way or the other with a little more time to reflect on it, but I can say that it is original, funny, and very well acted.
42. Moneyball
This film was very well acted and much more interesting than I ever expected a film about finance, statistics, and baseball (sort of in that order) to ever be. Jonah Hill showed new depth and range.
41. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Werner Herzog's documentary about perhaps the oldest surviving human art is mostly fascinating and at times truly mesmerizing.
40. The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Visually both stunning and unsettling, this motion capture animated film from The Spielberg reminded us that he was indeed the man that made Raiders of the Lost Ark.
39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
A little difficult for the uninitiated to follow, this was still a spectacular finish to a deservedly beloved franchise.
38. Poetry
A very unique little drama, with a heartbreaking central performance.
37. Senna
Biographical documentary about the famous Formula One driver plays at times like a great suspense flick with a captivating central player.
36. Pariah
The rare sort of gritty coming of age tale that is both realistic and hopeful.
35. Midnight in Paris
The best Woody Allen film in some time, this film was as thoughtful, witty, and clever as we all know Mr. Allen to be capable of being.
34. Arthur Christmas
Yes, it was really cute and family Christmasy, but in this totally original, funny, and entertaining way. I totally bought in.
33. Sons of Perdition
Completely engaging documentary about children trying to flee a culture that seems utterly alien to how most of us were raised.
32. Miss Bala
One of the best action thrillers of the year with a pair of great performances.
31. A Better Life
Poignant immigration drama that netted Demian Bechir much deserved awards attention.
I hate to do this, but time is fleeting...to be continued tomorrow...
In my hurry to get the writers and directors post up last Saturday, I again left off a couple of Tin Toadstool Awards. For worst original screenplay and for Worst Director we will go with Madonna for W./E.
The Tin Toadstool For Worst Picture
I feel like my Best Picture list to follow is a much more qualified opinion as I have tried to see as many of the year's best movies as possible. Many of the year's worst films I have avoided on purpose as I can't watch everything. However, these are the twenty worst movies that some friend (or the AMPAS) forced me to watch this year.
20. I Am Number Four
Some fairly juvenile performances and dialogue kept this fairly good concept from quite being a good movie.
19. The Beaver
This wasn't a horrible movie, and I almost feel bad including it on this list but with the talent involved, it could have been a LOT better.
18. Rio
Again, not terrible, but fairly insipid. Rio had very little in it that would appeal to anyone over the age of 10, but maybe that was the point.
17. Immortals
This film has about as much to do with Greek mythology as early Disney has to do with Grimm's fairy tales but it functions okay as somewhat twisted soft gay porn.
16. Green Lantern
I grew up reading D.C. comics and Green Lantern was one of the characters whose adventures I always followed, so nobody wanted this thing to be good more than I did. If wishes were fishes we'd all have a feast. This was a famine.
15. Dream House
Plot holes and a poorly realized script kept this flick, which actually had a much more potentially impressive cast than most horror movies, from really realizing any of said potential.
14. Transformers; Dark of the Moon
The visual effects were impressive but would have overshadowed the story and performances had there been enough substance in them to overshadow.
13. The Eagle
Let's just say that Channing Tatum is having a much better year in 2012. Utterly forgettable.
12. Texas Killing Fields
Jessica Chastain is the only reason that I watched this film at all. It was the worst of her six appearances last year by a light year (maybe two).
11. Killer Elite
Every predictable choice you could have made in this film was made. It also bears the curse of having perhaps the greatest under utilization of talent of the year in its use of Robert DeNiro.
10. The Strange Case of Angelica
I really don't understand Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira's movies, but he is a national treasure of his homeland and I don't want to insult the Portuguese people, but....
9. Insidious
Oh, let's see. What did I find unoriginal about Insidious? Was it the kid drawing pictures of the bad man that no one took seriously? Was it the much less interesting version of Tangina from Poltergeist? Maybe it was her assistants who were basically the Frog Brothers from Lost Boys dressed as Mormons. Let's go with: D. All of the above.
8. There Be Dragons
Perhaps director Roland Joffe should have just been content with The Killing Fields and quit while he was way ahead.
7. The Hangover Part 2
I quickly lose interest in comedy sequels that fall into the trap of using all the same gags over and over again in slightly different ways. After a hangover, one always promises oneself that they will never do it again. We always live to regret not keeping that promise. Loved the original.
6. Red Riding Hood
I love Amanda Seyfried; I just wish she would get some projects in film that allow her to shine half as much as much as she did on the HBO series Big Love. I'm still waiting.
5. Sleeping Beauty
More like a sleeping aid.
4. To Die Like A Man
Can you imagine how lame Rodger Waters (Hairspray, Pink Flamingos, Pecker) films would be if they didn't know how to laugh at themselves. After watching this movie, I have a pretty vivid idea.
3. 13
This was the least suspenseful suspense flick I've seen in some time. Imagine Russian Roulette as an hour and a half long spectator sport played by an unevenly capable group of actors and you have some idea. I kept wanting the main guys to lose so the film would end (plus that would have been an unexpected twist, something the film could have greatly benefited from).
2. Season of the Witch
Leaving Las Vegas was great, but range does not seem to be one of Nicolas Cage's most valuable assets as an actor and when he's in a big period role like this it always comes across like Costner as Robin Hood. Mr. Cage, please read more of scripts than the synopses before agreeing to projects. Please! Some of these lemons could not get made without your name attached!
1. W./E.
Oh, Madge....Edited like a slow onset of DT's and faaaar too much on every level. I said all of the other clever mean things I could think of in my original review.
The Froggies For Best Picture of the Year
Yes, I'm doing fifty. I actually had this many films this year that I wholeheartedly recommend seeing. I'll be as brief as possible.
50. Young Adult
This film is a really harsh, dark, and bitter pill even for this Movie Frog, but it is still much more clever and witty than most comedies I saw this year. Theron is just as good as you expect her to be by now.
49. Captain America: The First Avenger
In a year replete with super hero movies, this was easily the best of the bunch. It was fun, and touching, and Chris Evans actually did a more than respectable job of bringing humanity to a character that had never inspired that much interest in even this old comic geek.
48. The Help
The fantastic ensemble cast here elevates this film into something really special.
47. Another Earth
This was one of the most creative concepts for a science fiction movie that I've seen in quite a while.
46. Bridesmaids
Another fantastic female ensemble, complemented here by an excellent screenplay.
45. 50/50
This dramedy is darkly comic and touchingly poignant. Gordon-Levitt gives an impressive star turn.
44. In The Land of Blood and Honey
Angelina Jolie proves her potential as a director in this largely captivating, at times shocking historical drama.
43. Footnote
I have just very recently watched this Israeli Best Foreign Film nominee and my opinion may shift a little one way or the other with a little more time to reflect on it, but I can say that it is original, funny, and very well acted.
42. Moneyball
This film was very well acted and much more interesting than I ever expected a film about finance, statistics, and baseball (sort of in that order) to ever be. Jonah Hill showed new depth and range.
41. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Werner Herzog's documentary about perhaps the oldest surviving human art is mostly fascinating and at times truly mesmerizing.
40. The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Visually both stunning and unsettling, this motion capture animated film from The Spielberg reminded us that he was indeed the man that made Raiders of the Lost Ark.
39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
A little difficult for the uninitiated to follow, this was still a spectacular finish to a deservedly beloved franchise.
38. Poetry
A very unique little drama, with a heartbreaking central performance.
37. Senna
Biographical documentary about the famous Formula One driver plays at times like a great suspense flick with a captivating central player.
36. Pariah
The rare sort of gritty coming of age tale that is both realistic and hopeful.
35. Midnight in Paris
The best Woody Allen film in some time, this film was as thoughtful, witty, and clever as we all know Mr. Allen to be capable of being.
34. Arthur Christmas
Yes, it was really cute and family Christmasy, but in this totally original, funny, and entertaining way. I totally bought in.
33. Sons of Perdition
Completely engaging documentary about children trying to flee a culture that seems utterly alien to how most of us were raised.
32. Miss Bala
One of the best action thrillers of the year with a pair of great performances.
31. A Better Life
Poignant immigration drama that netted Demian Bechir much deserved awards attention.
I hate to do this, but time is fleeting...to be continued tomorrow...
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Best of 2011 - Writers and Directors
So, I apologize that I have not been producing more posts lately, but these Best of 2011 series take a lot of time to write. With that in mind, I am stretching them out just a bit. This week I will only be covering writers and directors, with the Best and Worst Picture categories covered next week, and the genres the week after that. I know, I know, but anticipation is half the fun. If you missed any of the previous posts in the series, you can follow these links to The Techs, The Performances Part One, and The Performances Part 2. As before, any film titles that appear as links will take you to my review for that film if you click on them. Oh, and I forgot to include the Tin Toadstool Award last week for Worst Ensemble Performance. I hereby bestow it upon...The Immortals. And without further ado...
Best First Time Director
I feel it necessary to include this as a separate category because so many of the competitors in the Best Director race took decades to hone their crafts to become the caliber of director that they are today. But if we look towards the future, we must look at the most promising members of a new generation of directors. Besides, its always fun to be able to say, "Oh, I've been following their work ever since....". Every once in a while, someone debuts with a Reservoir Dogs. I believe that there is at least one such under appreciated masterpiece sitting atop the list this year, but all of these films are impressive freshman efforts worth watching.
Honorable Mention: Sarah Smith
Arthur Christmas
It is difficult to judge the director of an animated feature against live action directors because there are many dissimilarities in the job descriptions, but I couldn't let the opportunity go by to commend Ms. Smith enthusiastically.
10. Sean Durkin
Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
Although I took issue with some of the choices that Mr. Durkin made in his screenplay, the job he did as director was actually quite impressive. I hated the ending of the film, but the journey getting there was very well done.
9. Ralphe Fiennes
Corialanus
Mr. Fiennes didn't seem to realize that it even WAS his first directorial effort as he made every choice that could possibly make his production more challenging. The craziest part is that he mostly made it all work.
8. James Marsh
Another Earth
A very thoughtful sci-fi flick with a very limited budget. Mr. Marsh managed to pull it off with intelligence, believability (not easy with this film), and heart.
7. Angelina Jolie
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Like Fiennes and Farmiga, Angelina carries the added pressure of already being famous so a certain set of expectations exists about she will create. I am pleased to say that my expectations were thoroughly exceeded. I'm excited to see what her next (off screen) project will be.
6. Joe Cornish
Attack the Block
The action adventure version of everything that was challenging about Another film on this list. Tons of fun without ever condescending to the audience in the slightest. Oh...and it was made on a shoestring.
5. Dee Rees
Pariah
This was a very difficult and uncomfortable story, but Ms. Rees somehow kept it entertaining and engaging enough that you could not choose to look away, even in the worst parts.
4. J.C. Chandor
Margin Call
It is quite an accomplishment to make something that is more than the sum of its parts when those parts include Quinto, Spacey, Tucci, and Irons for starters.
3. Vera Farmiga
Higher Ground
Ms. Farmiga is a phenomenal actress, but this may have been the year that she found her highest calling. Not to mention how good she is at directing herself.
2. Michael R. Roskum
Bullhead
Any director who, in his first swing at bat, can pull a lead performance like Michael Shoenaerts' Jackie out of an actor, is someone to watch out for.
1. Peter Mullan
Tyrannosaur
For now, I will simply say that I would NEVER have guessed that this was a directorial debut in a million years.
Tin Toadstool: Julia Leigh
Sleeping Beauty
If you lose yourself in the pacing of this film you fall into the sleep of a hundred years.
Best Adapted Screenplay
20. Carlos Saboga
Mysteries of Lisbon
There were so many stories within stories in this source material, yet Mr. Saboga managed to craft a script in which they all functioned both as individual tales and as a part of the whole.
19, Yasmine Reza and Roman Polanski
Carnage
The stage play God of Carnage did not translate quite as smoothly to the screen as many had hoped, but it still had some great moments.
18. Tate Taylor
The Help
Very mixed bag of brilliance and overindulgence in sentimentality, but worthy of mention.
17. Steve Kloves
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
It may have still been a little confusing to those who had not read the books, but you have no idea how much the story had to be compressed even into TWO films worth of footage.
16, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon
The Ides of March
A little less than cohesive, but it had some great dialogue.
15. John Logan
Corialanus
It is always nice to see a Shakespeare adaptation that finds clever choices and new ways of looking at a story centuries old.
14. Sang-soo Im
The Housemaid
It was too much at times, but in all the right ways. High melodrama.
13. Moira Buffini
Jane Eyre
Ms. Buffini made this frequently remade story feel a good deal fresher than usual.
12. Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Cornish
The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn
It's sort of funny that in a year of soooo many comic book adaptations, this funny and exciting yet obscure subject managed to trump all those famous super-heroes.
11. Dee Rees
Pariah
I already praised Ms. Rees in the first time director category, but her work is even more impressive when you realize that she also wrote this complex story, adapted from her own previous short film.
10. Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
Moneyball
I know, it's sacrilege to have a Sorkin/Zaillian joint this low on the list, but while there was a lot of clever dialogue here, the film was still a little dry to me. However, considering the source and subject matter, it is impressive that the film was as interesting as it was.
9. Carolyn S. Briggs, Tim Metcalfe
Higher Ground
Spirituality and the search thereof is not the easiest subject matter to address in a movie in a way that will be both accessible and entertaining. Job well done.
8. Pedro and Agustin Almodovar
The Skin I Live In
This was truly a unique and crazy story, but the Almodovars specialize in tales of that nature and it really shows through in their work here.
7. Steve Zaillian
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
It's difficult to judge this film so recently after the Swedish version came out, but Mr. Zaillian made some interesting choices to help make this adaptation unique unto itself.
6. John Logan
Hugo
Mr. Logan took a beloved children's book and adapted it into one of the most enjoyable film experiences of the year for viewers of any age.
5. Bridget O'Conner, Peter Straughan
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
A very complex story, already popularized on British television, that these talented writers made their own in subtle and skillful ways.
4. Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
No writers this year were tasked with more tired and overworked source material than this team. Yet the way in which they were able to produce a wholly re imagined take on things while still paying homage to the whole franchise is just this side of brilliant.
3. Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Descendants
Working just as well on both dramatic and comedic levels, this script may have had the best dialogue of any on this list.
2. Lynne Ramsey, Rory Kinnear
We Need To Talk About Kevin
The entire surreal atmosphere of this film was aided so skillfully by the time lapsing way in which the script reveals its story.
1. Hossein Amini
Drive
This film functions so well as an action/adventure flick, but the real genius of the screenplay is the depth of emotional undercurrent that it carries throughout.
Tin Toadstool: Gela Babluani, Greg Pruss
13
Maybe this film worked better in Babluani's native language but this version of the story was beyond weak and barely watchable.
Best Original Screenplay
The competition here was a little tougher than in Adapted this year. This list contains some great work, although you will probably note that none of the Oscar nominees made my top five.
20. Brit Marling, Mike Cahill
Another Earth
There were some basic tenets of this script that stretched believability somewhat, but the fact that the rest of the story can make the viewer ignore this fact is impressive.
19. Will Reiser
50/50
This was not the most tightly scripted dramedy of the year by any stretch, but it was an excellent first effort on Mr. Reiser's part.
18. Mike Mills
Beginners
This well written film featured an amazingly well written character in Hal Fields which elevated the production overall.
17. Michael R. Roskam
Bullhead
Another script whose greatest strength was one central character, this film tackled some tough subjects in a thoughtful, concise, and wholly original way.
16. Thomas McCarthy, Joe Tiboni
Win Win
Clever would be an excellent word to describe this screenplay. Lots of excellent dialogue.
15. Abbas Kiarostami
Certified Copy
This was a complex and subtly told story with surprises and twists in every conversation.
14. John Logan, Gore Verbinski, James Ward Byrkit
Rango
Highly creative and funny animated films were NOT easy to come by this year. It is no wonder that this one won the Animated Feature Academy Award.
13. Dan Fogelman
Crazy, Stupid, Love
In this film Mr. Fogelman crafted one of the best written rom-coms in quite some time.
12. Kevin Smith
Red State
Kevin Smith is never going to write like Shakespeare, but no one else is ever going to write like Kevin Smith and this is some of his best work.
11. Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
I know it won the Oscar and I don't even have it in my top ten. However, while it IS some of Woody's best work in years, it is not Manhattan, and some of the writers in the next ten may have created THEIR personal masterpieces this year. Still, very enjoyable.
10. JC Chandor
Margin Call
If this first effort is any indication of what we may expect from Mr. Chandor in the future, then he is definitely one to watch.
9. Terrence Malick
The Tree of Life
This film ranks much higher on most of the lists that I put it on, but I feel that its brilliance lies more in how the pieces were put together than on the way those pieces were originally written.
8. Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Bridesmaids
Perhaps the best written dialogue of any comedy this year.
7. Jeff Nichols
Take Shelter
Although this film was largely the Michael Shannon show, writer/director Jeff Nichols did give him some great material to work with.
6. Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Notice that I carefully said that Bridesmaids had the best written DIALOGUE of any comedy this year.
5. Asghar Farhadi
A Separation
This film fired on all cylinders, acting, directing, and writing. Wholly original.
4. Lars von Trier
Melancholia
Mr. von Trier is quite simply one of the most unique and interesting voices in film today and this film is probably his best work yet.
3. Paddy Considine
Tyrannosaur
This is a simple story, elegantly told, with penetrating characterizations and a few real surprises. What else can I say?
2. Andrew Haigh
Weekend
Besides being packed with insightful and believable dialogue, this script positively brims with the passion that Mr. Haigh obviously fed into it. Amazing work.
1. Steve McQueen, Abi Morgan
Shame
Everything about the telling of this story made something inside me ache in this exquisite and terrible manner. The best screenplay of the year, indeed.
Best Director
Most of these films have already been cited multiple times in this series and will factor heavily into next week's Best Picture finale. I want to have something left to say at that point, so I'm keeping it brief for now.
20. Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
19. Joe Wright
Hanna
18. Sang-soo Im
The Housemaid
17. David Fincher
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
16. Pedro Almodovar
The Skin I Live In
15. James Marsh
Project Nim
14. Tomas Alfredson
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
13. Alexander Payne
The Descendants
12. Wim Wenders
Pina
11. Mike Nichols
Take Shelter
10. Martin Scorsese
Hugo
9. Andrew Haigh
Weekend
8. Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
7. Peter Mullan
Tyrannosaur
6. Asghar Farhadi
A Separation
5. Lynne Ramsey
We Need To Talk About Kevin
4. Lars von Trier
Melancholia
3. Nicholas Winding Refn
Drive
2. Steve McQueen
Shame
1. Terence Malick
The Tree of Life
And that's it for this week, just under the wire. Next week is the climax of this series so be sure to look for that next Saturday. I promise the Classic Cinema series and reviews will get up and going again very soon. As always, thanks for reading.
Froggy
Best First Time Director
I feel it necessary to include this as a separate category because so many of the competitors in the Best Director race took decades to hone their crafts to become the caliber of director that they are today. But if we look towards the future, we must look at the most promising members of a new generation of directors. Besides, its always fun to be able to say, "Oh, I've been following their work ever since....". Every once in a while, someone debuts with a Reservoir Dogs. I believe that there is at least one such under appreciated masterpiece sitting atop the list this year, but all of these films are impressive freshman efforts worth watching.
Honorable Mention: Sarah Smith
Arthur Christmas
It is difficult to judge the director of an animated feature against live action directors because there are many dissimilarities in the job descriptions, but I couldn't let the opportunity go by to commend Ms. Smith enthusiastically.
10. Sean Durkin
Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
Although I took issue with some of the choices that Mr. Durkin made in his screenplay, the job he did as director was actually quite impressive. I hated the ending of the film, but the journey getting there was very well done.
9. Ralphe Fiennes
Corialanus
Mr. Fiennes didn't seem to realize that it even WAS his first directorial effort as he made every choice that could possibly make his production more challenging. The craziest part is that he mostly made it all work.
8. James Marsh
Another Earth
A very thoughtful sci-fi flick with a very limited budget. Mr. Marsh managed to pull it off with intelligence, believability (not easy with this film), and heart.
7. Angelina Jolie
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Like Fiennes and Farmiga, Angelina carries the added pressure of already being famous so a certain set of expectations exists about she will create. I am pleased to say that my expectations were thoroughly exceeded. I'm excited to see what her next (off screen) project will be.
6. Joe Cornish
Attack the Block
The action adventure version of everything that was challenging about Another film on this list. Tons of fun without ever condescending to the audience in the slightest. Oh...and it was made on a shoestring.
5. Dee Rees
Pariah
This was a very difficult and uncomfortable story, but Ms. Rees somehow kept it entertaining and engaging enough that you could not choose to look away, even in the worst parts.
4. J.C. Chandor
Margin Call
It is quite an accomplishment to make something that is more than the sum of its parts when those parts include Quinto, Spacey, Tucci, and Irons for starters.
3. Vera Farmiga
Higher Ground
Ms. Farmiga is a phenomenal actress, but this may have been the year that she found her highest calling. Not to mention how good she is at directing herself.
2. Michael R. Roskum
Bullhead
Any director who, in his first swing at bat, can pull a lead performance like Michael Shoenaerts' Jackie out of an actor, is someone to watch out for.
1. Peter Mullan
Tyrannosaur
For now, I will simply say that I would NEVER have guessed that this was a directorial debut in a million years.
Tin Toadstool: Julia Leigh
Sleeping Beauty
If you lose yourself in the pacing of this film you fall into the sleep of a hundred years.
Best Adapted Screenplay
20. Carlos Saboga
Mysteries of Lisbon
There were so many stories within stories in this source material, yet Mr. Saboga managed to craft a script in which they all functioned both as individual tales and as a part of the whole.
19, Yasmine Reza and Roman Polanski
Carnage
The stage play God of Carnage did not translate quite as smoothly to the screen as many had hoped, but it still had some great moments.
18. Tate Taylor
The Help
Very mixed bag of brilliance and overindulgence in sentimentality, but worthy of mention.
17. Steve Kloves
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
It may have still been a little confusing to those who had not read the books, but you have no idea how much the story had to be compressed even into TWO films worth of footage.
16, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon
The Ides of March
A little less than cohesive, but it had some great dialogue.
15. John Logan
Corialanus
It is always nice to see a Shakespeare adaptation that finds clever choices and new ways of looking at a story centuries old.
14. Sang-soo Im
The Housemaid
It was too much at times, but in all the right ways. High melodrama.
13. Moira Buffini
Jane Eyre
Ms. Buffini made this frequently remade story feel a good deal fresher than usual.
12. Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Cornish
The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn
It's sort of funny that in a year of soooo many comic book adaptations, this funny and exciting yet obscure subject managed to trump all those famous super-heroes.
11. Dee Rees
Pariah
I already praised Ms. Rees in the first time director category, but her work is even more impressive when you realize that she also wrote this complex story, adapted from her own previous short film.
10. Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
Moneyball
I know, it's sacrilege to have a Sorkin/Zaillian joint this low on the list, but while there was a lot of clever dialogue here, the film was still a little dry to me. However, considering the source and subject matter, it is impressive that the film was as interesting as it was.
9. Carolyn S. Briggs, Tim Metcalfe
Higher Ground
Spirituality and the search thereof is not the easiest subject matter to address in a movie in a way that will be both accessible and entertaining. Job well done.
8. Pedro and Agustin Almodovar
The Skin I Live In
This was truly a unique and crazy story, but the Almodovars specialize in tales of that nature and it really shows through in their work here.
7. Steve Zaillian
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
It's difficult to judge this film so recently after the Swedish version came out, but Mr. Zaillian made some interesting choices to help make this adaptation unique unto itself.
6. John Logan
Hugo
Mr. Logan took a beloved children's book and adapted it into one of the most enjoyable film experiences of the year for viewers of any age.
5. Bridget O'Conner, Peter Straughan
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
A very complex story, already popularized on British television, that these talented writers made their own in subtle and skillful ways.
4. Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
No writers this year were tasked with more tired and overworked source material than this team. Yet the way in which they were able to produce a wholly re imagined take on things while still paying homage to the whole franchise is just this side of brilliant.
3. Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Descendants
Working just as well on both dramatic and comedic levels, this script may have had the best dialogue of any on this list.
2. Lynne Ramsey, Rory Kinnear
We Need To Talk About Kevin
The entire surreal atmosphere of this film was aided so skillfully by the time lapsing way in which the script reveals its story.
1. Hossein Amini
Drive
This film functions so well as an action/adventure flick, but the real genius of the screenplay is the depth of emotional undercurrent that it carries throughout.
Tin Toadstool: Gela Babluani, Greg Pruss
13
Maybe this film worked better in Babluani's native language but this version of the story was beyond weak and barely watchable.
Best Original Screenplay
The competition here was a little tougher than in Adapted this year. This list contains some great work, although you will probably note that none of the Oscar nominees made my top five.
20. Brit Marling, Mike Cahill
Another Earth
There were some basic tenets of this script that stretched believability somewhat, but the fact that the rest of the story can make the viewer ignore this fact is impressive.
19. Will Reiser
50/50
This was not the most tightly scripted dramedy of the year by any stretch, but it was an excellent first effort on Mr. Reiser's part.
18. Mike Mills
Beginners
This well written film featured an amazingly well written character in Hal Fields which elevated the production overall.
17. Michael R. Roskam
Bullhead
Another script whose greatest strength was one central character, this film tackled some tough subjects in a thoughtful, concise, and wholly original way.
16. Thomas McCarthy, Joe Tiboni
Win Win
Clever would be an excellent word to describe this screenplay. Lots of excellent dialogue.
15. Abbas Kiarostami
Certified Copy
This was a complex and subtly told story with surprises and twists in every conversation.
14. John Logan, Gore Verbinski, James Ward Byrkit
Rango
Highly creative and funny animated films were NOT easy to come by this year. It is no wonder that this one won the Animated Feature Academy Award.
13. Dan Fogelman
Crazy, Stupid, Love
In this film Mr. Fogelman crafted one of the best written rom-coms in quite some time.
12. Kevin Smith
Red State
Kevin Smith is never going to write like Shakespeare, but no one else is ever going to write like Kevin Smith and this is some of his best work.
11. Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
I know it won the Oscar and I don't even have it in my top ten. However, while it IS some of Woody's best work in years, it is not Manhattan, and some of the writers in the next ten may have created THEIR personal masterpieces this year. Still, very enjoyable.
10. JC Chandor
Margin Call
If this first effort is any indication of what we may expect from Mr. Chandor in the future, then he is definitely one to watch.
9. Terrence Malick
The Tree of Life
This film ranks much higher on most of the lists that I put it on, but I feel that its brilliance lies more in how the pieces were put together than on the way those pieces were originally written.
8. Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Bridesmaids
Perhaps the best written dialogue of any comedy this year.
7. Jeff Nichols
Take Shelter
Although this film was largely the Michael Shannon show, writer/director Jeff Nichols did give him some great material to work with.
6. Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Notice that I carefully said that Bridesmaids had the best written DIALOGUE of any comedy this year.
5. Asghar Farhadi
A Separation
This film fired on all cylinders, acting, directing, and writing. Wholly original.
4. Lars von Trier
Melancholia
Mr. von Trier is quite simply one of the most unique and interesting voices in film today and this film is probably his best work yet.
3. Paddy Considine
Tyrannosaur
This is a simple story, elegantly told, with penetrating characterizations and a few real surprises. What else can I say?
2. Andrew Haigh
Weekend
Besides being packed with insightful and believable dialogue, this script positively brims with the passion that Mr. Haigh obviously fed into it. Amazing work.
1. Steve McQueen, Abi Morgan
Shame
Everything about the telling of this story made something inside me ache in this exquisite and terrible manner. The best screenplay of the year, indeed.
Best Director
Most of these films have already been cited multiple times in this series and will factor heavily into next week's Best Picture finale. I want to have something left to say at that point, so I'm keeping it brief for now.
20. Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
19. Joe Wright
Hanna
18. Sang-soo Im
The Housemaid
17. David Fincher
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
16. Pedro Almodovar
The Skin I Live In
15. James Marsh
Project Nim
14. Tomas Alfredson
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
13. Alexander Payne
The Descendants
12. Wim Wenders
Pina
11. Mike Nichols
Take Shelter
10. Martin Scorsese
Hugo
9. Andrew Haigh
Weekend
8. Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
7. Peter Mullan
Tyrannosaur
6. Asghar Farhadi
A Separation
5. Lynne Ramsey
We Need To Talk About Kevin
4. Lars von Trier
Melancholia
3. Nicholas Winding Refn
Drive
2. Steve McQueen
Shame
1. Terence Malick
The Tree of Life
And that's it for this week, just under the wire. Next week is the climax of this series so be sure to look for that next Saturday. I promise the Classic Cinema series and reviews will get up and going again very soon. As always, thanks for reading.
Froggy
Monday, July 23, 2012
Best of 2011 - The Performances Part 2
And now we finish up the last four categories in this week's Best of 2011 posts. As always, film titles that are also links will take you to my review of said film.
Best Supporting Actress
15. Carey Mulligan
Drive
I have a good friend who says that Carey Mulligan always looks sad. She certainly captured damaged, fragile, and desperate as the damsel in distress to Gosling's (white? black?) knight.
14. Amy Ryan
Win Win
One of the most convincing portrayals of a woman caught up in her maternal instincts against her better judgement that I have ever seen. And funny at times.
13. Elle Fanning
Super 8
Ms. Fanning is an adorable yet capable young actress and there are moments in this film where she becomes so much more.
12. Bryce Dallas Howard
The Help
It took me a few hours after leaving the theater to stop hating her character enough to realize what a phenomenal job Ms. Howard had done.
11. Yeo-jeong Yoon
The Housemaid
Korean character actress Yoon is fantastic as the older domestic who foolishly starts a most disastrous chain of events and spends the rest of the film trying to atone.
10. Cate Blanchett
Hanna
I love the way Cate Blanchett commits to every role that she plays with everything she has. I'd never seen her play a slightly psychopathic villain before, but this type of role was no different.
9. Berenice Bejo
The Artist
It is refreshing to see perky played in a way that is more endearing than cloying. She is a light in this film.
8. Jessica Chastain
The Help
She would steal every scene she appears in here if she weren't in so many with co-star Spencer.
7. Vanessa Redgrave
Corialanus
Her skill with the Shakespearean script is readily apparent and her characterization of this classic role is so...formidable.
6. Janet McTeer
Albert Nobbs
She is just as believable as a man or as a woman living as a man. These two perceptions of her vie for prominence from scene to scene to scene.
5. Melissa McCarthy
Bridesmaids
You have to make a very good bawdy comedy to get me laughing out loud but, dammit, she got me like a dozen times. But then there's this very poignant scene with co-star Wiig late in the movie that really seals the deal for me. Surprisingly well rounded performance.
4. Sareh Bayet
A Separation
This young Iranian actress was the standout for me amid one of the strongest ensemble films of the year in any language.
3. Octavia Spencer
The Help
One of the funniest performances by any performer in 2011, Spencer also imbued Minnie with so much humanity and dignity. No one can begrudge her the Oscar win, but...
2. Jessica Chastain
The Tree of Life
No acting nomination has ever been given to anyone appearing in any film directed by Terence Malick, but she did so much with so little dialogue or screen time. She was nurturing, beautiful young motherhood in archetype, but every look of worry, love, or sorrow was that of a living breathing woman. Her voice made me feel safe, like you imagine a baby feeling safe in a womb.... I hate trying to talk about The Tree of Life.
1. Carey Mulligan
Shame
I have this friend who says that Carey Mulligan always looks sad. Maybe she does, but in this film she plays the personification of sorrow, utterly horrible and beautiful to behold. So much has been made by myself and many before me of her rendition of "New York, New York" and it is brilliant, but every moment of her performance as Sissy is. I am rapidly reaching the conclusion that she is one of the most talented actresses of her generation.
Tin Toadstool: Barbara Hershey
Insidious
Oh, I feel guilty about giving this award to such a talented actress (but that's sort of the point). Someone as talented as Ms. Hershey should have been able to rise above the quality of the script and give a performance that was a little less cloying and stereotypical. I'm going to go rewatch Black Swan now and pretend that this never happened.
Best Actress
20. Zana Marjanovic
In the Land of Blood and Honey
This largely unknown Bosnian actress's powerhouse performance was the centerpiece of Ms. Jolie's directorial debut. Heartbreaking.
19. Emma Stone
The Help
She may have been overshadowed a bit by some of her more experienced co-stars, but just holding your own leading this ensemble is still quite an accomplishment.
18. Mia Wasikowska
Jane Eyre
This costume drama may have gotten lost in the shuffle by the time awards season rolled around, but this talented young actress still deserves credit for taking a role that so many have played before and making it decidedly her own.
17. Khomotso Manyaka
Life, Above All
Whatever my problems with the way this movie ended, this young South African actress certainly made getting there a much more compelling journey than it otherwise would have been.
16. Elizabeth Olsen
Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
There are so many layers to this young actress's performance. A calm veneer with so much underneath.
15. Michelle Williams
My Week With Marilyn
I know, this is nowhere near the top five, but while Ms. Williams always does a superb job, and this is no exception, I believe that her popularity with the Academy had a lot to do with her eventual nomination, Still, very nice work.
14. Vera Farmiga
Higher Ground
It is never easy to direct yourself, especially in your directorial debut, yet Ms. Farmiga does an exceptional job of doing just that as this woman in a life long search for spiritual enlightenment.
13. Jeong-hie Yun
Poetry
As Mija, Ms. Yun faces so many challenges and problems with such courage and heart, how could I not honor this multi-faceted and subtle performance?
12. Adepero Oduye
Pariah
As a young black lesbian woman having to come to grips with all aspects of how the world sees her and what that means to how she sees herself, Ms. Oduye had a lot to work with and more than makes the most of it. Outstanding.
11. Charlize Theron
Young Adult
The always impressive Ms. Theron might have place higher on this list if her character Mavis weren't so thoroughly unlikeable, but there IS still plenty to like about her portrayel.
10. Glenn Close
Albert Nobbs
The material she had to work with was a little dry, but the always ingenious Glenn Close still makes the most of it, even if she is overshadowed a little by co-star McTeer.
9. Leila Hatami
A Separation
If you saw one non-English language film from 2011, it should have been A Separation. Star Hatami is a huge part of the reason why.
8. Saoirse Ronan
Hanna
Whether refugee, ghost, assassin, or sweet little girl, I always buy into whatever this young actress does. Best action hero performance of the year.
7. Rooney Mara
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Followed by the best action anti-hero performance of the year. What else can I say? I wouldn't mess with her.
6. Viola Davis
The Help
I know, I know, but if we're being honest her Oscar campaign was based more upon how rarely they get the opportunity to honor her, than upon this being the best role she's ever played. Still, excellent work, as always.
5. Juliette Binoche
Certified Copy
This French actress can portray more in silent close up than most actresses can in a whole monologue...and she does.
4. Olivia Colman
Tyrannosaur
From quiet strength to utter desperation, this performance runs the emotional gamut without ever skipping a single beat. Absolutely extraordinary.
3. Meryl Streep
The Iron Lady
She WAS Margaret Thatcher, and there's not a lot more to say.
2. Tilda Swinton
We Need To Talk About Kevin
There is absolutely no justification for Ms. Swinton's exclusion from the Academy Awards this year. She is ALWAYS excellent, and this may be the best work she has ever done. Her character goes through things we cannot even imagine, but her performance allows us to.
1. Kirsten Dunst
Melancholia
Director Von Trier's misplaced comments at Cannes may have kept this film out of awards consideration, and that is very sad, as it was one of the year's best. The greatest tragedy, though, is that Ms. Dunst's brilliant work went unrecognized. Well, not here. As a woman struggling with both her own internal issues and the end of the world, she shines with tarnished light.
Tin Toadstool: Sara Paxton
The Innkeepers
I was rooting for the ghost fifteen minutes into her performance...the second time. The first time I tried to watch it she put me to sleep in ten.
Best Actor
20. Brendan Gleeson
The Guard
This Irish buddy cop movie left little to recommend BEYOND Mr. Gleeson's performance, but he is worth recommending.
19. Peyman Moadi
A Separation
This Iranian actor was overshadowed a bit by his female co-stars, but this excellent film would still never have triumphed as it did without his excellent work.
18. Brad Pitt
Moneyball
Yes, Brad was very good and believable in this role, but in all honesty it didn't give him a huge range of emotions to work with and was not particularly challenging. Still, very good.
17. George Pistereanu
If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle
As debut performances go, it doesn't get much better than what this young Romanian actor does in this otherwise decent prison drama.
16. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
50/50
Some day Mr. Gordon-Levitt will reap awards glory and his dromedic (yes, it's a word NOW) portrayal of a young man fighting cancer is an excellent stepping stone in that direction.
15. Hunter McKraken
The Tree of Life
As the symbol of both innocent childhood and growing up, this young actor's debut was quite astonishing. More about simple little slices of life than big dramatic moments, but utterly believable.
14. Ralph Fiennes
Corialanus
As I've stated before, directing oneself in a directing debut is both courageous and difficult even when the script is not in Middle English verse. Mr. Fiennes makes it look easy.
13. Antonio Banderes
The Skin I Live In
This wacky, out there little horror/drama would never have worked without Banderes's compelling, slightly over the top central performance. If you have never seen the man perform in his native language, you have no idea what he is really capable of.
12. Damien Bechir
A Better Life
Only one of the Academy's nominees this year actually made my top five, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate how good they were. Mr. Bechir's performance in this film was highly touching and EXTREMELY well done.
11. Gary Oldman
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Very subtle work here, which actually makes it even more impressive how interesting he manages to make the character of Smiley.
10. Michael Parks
Red State
Equal parts hilarious, charismatic, and scary. An absolutely brilliant performance in one of the year's most underrated films.
9. Peter Mullan
Tyrannosaur
Upstaged by co-star Colman? Maybe a little, but almost the entire film hinges on these two roles, and the film is amazing. So is Mullan.
8. Tom Cullen
Weekend
Cullen is so natural and believable in this role. He really takes you inside his head with him in a way that creeps up on you stealthily.
7. Jean Dujardin
The Artist
I'm always impressed when an actor can convey just as much in their moments of silence as they do when speaking. Here, those moments were the whole performance and the silence was mostly golden, indeed.
6. Woody Harrelson
Rampart
Who would have ever thought when he was on Cheers that Woody would grow up to be one of our most versatile and capable film stars. He is always outstanding, and this conflicted, dirty cop may be his best role yet.
5. Ryan Gosling
Drive
Remember what I said about Jean Dujardin's ability to convey so much in silence. Well, Gosling conveys more in silence than everyone else in this film while they are speaking. When he does speak, it carries even more weight for its scarcity. It is also worth noting how difficult it is to create a character who is equal parts sympathetic and scary.
4. George Clooney
The Descendants
It is no exaggeration to say that this is probably Clooney's finest performance yet. Funny, poignant, conflicted, angry, sad...a whole spectrum of demands on his abilities. He meets every one. Out of the nominated actors at this year's Oscars, I feel that his performance was probably the most deserving.
3. Matthias Schoenaerts
Bullhead
This Belgian actor gives perhaps the most intensive study ever of the true meaning of masculinity and how society's perceptions of such affect the men within it. Haunting.
2. Michael Fassbender
Shame
If Carey Mulligan was sadness personified in Shame, then what was co-star Fassbender? Desperation? Helplessness? Futility? Shame? How about perfection?
1. Michael Shannon
Take Shelter
Have you ever really worried that you were losing your mind, because I have, and its the kind of feeling that is almost impossible to express to someone unless they've been through it. Somehow, Shannon does it. He really does.
Tin Toadstool: Brian White
The Heart Specialist
Muggiest, most predictable performance by anyone of any gender, maybe of the decade.
Best Acting Ensemble
A truly great acting ensemble is not just about a lot of good individual performances. It is about how the actors work together to make a cohesive whole that truly is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Which is very different from Best Picture. I'm not giving any commentary on these. If you've seen the films, read over the list of actors and I think you will understand why each of these made the list. If you haven't seen them, shame on you, go do so. All fifteen of these are well worth your time.
15. Ides of March
Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marissa Tomei
14. Red State
Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Michael Angaro, Nicholas Braun, Ronnie Connell, Kyle Gallner
13. Midnight in Paris
Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody
12. The Housemaid
Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Yeo-jeong Yoon, Woo Seo, Ji-Young Park, Seo-Hyeon Ahn
11. The Artist
Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Helena Bonham Carter, Kelly MacDonald, Ciaran Hinds, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Miriam Margolyes, Gemma Jones, David Thewliss, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Gary Oldman
9. The Skin I Live In
Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes, Roberto Alamo
8. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marissa Tomei, Kevin Bacon
7. A Separation
Peyman Moedi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayet, Sarina Farhadi
6. Margin Call
Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci
5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Ciaran Hinds, Kathy Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch
4. Drive
Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Al Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman
3. Bridesmaids
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolf, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd
2. The Descendants
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer
1. The Help
Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sissy Spacek, Allison Janney, Cicely Tyson
And that completes the Froggies for performances for 2011. Join me back here next Saturday as we continue the Best of 2011 series with writing, directing, and Best Picture Awards.
Froggy
Best Supporting Actress
15. Carey Mulligan
Drive
I have a good friend who says that Carey Mulligan always looks sad. She certainly captured damaged, fragile, and desperate as the damsel in distress to Gosling's (white? black?) knight.
14. Amy Ryan
Win Win
One of the most convincing portrayals of a woman caught up in her maternal instincts against her better judgement that I have ever seen. And funny at times.
13. Elle Fanning
Super 8
Ms. Fanning is an adorable yet capable young actress and there are moments in this film where she becomes so much more.
12. Bryce Dallas Howard
The Help
It took me a few hours after leaving the theater to stop hating her character enough to realize what a phenomenal job Ms. Howard had done.
11. Yeo-jeong Yoon
The Housemaid
Korean character actress Yoon is fantastic as the older domestic who foolishly starts a most disastrous chain of events and spends the rest of the film trying to atone.
10. Cate Blanchett
Hanna
I love the way Cate Blanchett commits to every role that she plays with everything she has. I'd never seen her play a slightly psychopathic villain before, but this type of role was no different.
9. Berenice Bejo
The Artist
It is refreshing to see perky played in a way that is more endearing than cloying. She is a light in this film.
8. Jessica Chastain
The Help
She would steal every scene she appears in here if she weren't in so many with co-star Spencer.
7. Vanessa Redgrave
Corialanus
Her skill with the Shakespearean script is readily apparent and her characterization of this classic role is so...formidable.
6. Janet McTeer
Albert Nobbs
She is just as believable as a man or as a woman living as a man. These two perceptions of her vie for prominence from scene to scene to scene.
5. Melissa McCarthy
Bridesmaids
You have to make a very good bawdy comedy to get me laughing out loud but, dammit, she got me like a dozen times. But then there's this very poignant scene with co-star Wiig late in the movie that really seals the deal for me. Surprisingly well rounded performance.
4. Sareh Bayet
A Separation
This young Iranian actress was the standout for me amid one of the strongest ensemble films of the year in any language.
3. Octavia Spencer
The Help
One of the funniest performances by any performer in 2011, Spencer also imbued Minnie with so much humanity and dignity. No one can begrudge her the Oscar win, but...
2. Jessica Chastain
The Tree of Life
No acting nomination has ever been given to anyone appearing in any film directed by Terence Malick, but she did so much with so little dialogue or screen time. She was nurturing, beautiful young motherhood in archetype, but every look of worry, love, or sorrow was that of a living breathing woman. Her voice made me feel safe, like you imagine a baby feeling safe in a womb.... I hate trying to talk about The Tree of Life.
1. Carey Mulligan
Shame
I have this friend who says that Carey Mulligan always looks sad. Maybe she does, but in this film she plays the personification of sorrow, utterly horrible and beautiful to behold. So much has been made by myself and many before me of her rendition of "New York, New York" and it is brilliant, but every moment of her performance as Sissy is. I am rapidly reaching the conclusion that she is one of the most talented actresses of her generation.
Tin Toadstool: Barbara Hershey
Insidious
Oh, I feel guilty about giving this award to such a talented actress (but that's sort of the point). Someone as talented as Ms. Hershey should have been able to rise above the quality of the script and give a performance that was a little less cloying and stereotypical. I'm going to go rewatch Black Swan now and pretend that this never happened.
Best Actress
20. Zana Marjanovic
In the Land of Blood and Honey
This largely unknown Bosnian actress's powerhouse performance was the centerpiece of Ms. Jolie's directorial debut. Heartbreaking.
19. Emma Stone
The Help
She may have been overshadowed a bit by some of her more experienced co-stars, but just holding your own leading this ensemble is still quite an accomplishment.
18. Mia Wasikowska
Jane Eyre
This costume drama may have gotten lost in the shuffle by the time awards season rolled around, but this talented young actress still deserves credit for taking a role that so many have played before and making it decidedly her own.
17. Khomotso Manyaka
Life, Above All
Whatever my problems with the way this movie ended, this young South African actress certainly made getting there a much more compelling journey than it otherwise would have been.
16. Elizabeth Olsen
Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
There are so many layers to this young actress's performance. A calm veneer with so much underneath.
15. Michelle Williams
My Week With Marilyn
I know, this is nowhere near the top five, but while Ms. Williams always does a superb job, and this is no exception, I believe that her popularity with the Academy had a lot to do with her eventual nomination, Still, very nice work.
14. Vera Farmiga
Higher Ground
It is never easy to direct yourself, especially in your directorial debut, yet Ms. Farmiga does an exceptional job of doing just that as this woman in a life long search for spiritual enlightenment.
13. Jeong-hie Yun
Poetry
As Mija, Ms. Yun faces so many challenges and problems with such courage and heart, how could I not honor this multi-faceted and subtle performance?
12. Adepero Oduye
Pariah
As a young black lesbian woman having to come to grips with all aspects of how the world sees her and what that means to how she sees herself, Ms. Oduye had a lot to work with and more than makes the most of it. Outstanding.
11. Charlize Theron
Young Adult
The always impressive Ms. Theron might have place higher on this list if her character Mavis weren't so thoroughly unlikeable, but there IS still plenty to like about her portrayel.
10. Glenn Close
Albert Nobbs
The material she had to work with was a little dry, but the always ingenious Glenn Close still makes the most of it, even if she is overshadowed a little by co-star McTeer.
9. Leila Hatami
A Separation
If you saw one non-English language film from 2011, it should have been A Separation. Star Hatami is a huge part of the reason why.
8. Saoirse Ronan
Hanna
Whether refugee, ghost, assassin, or sweet little girl, I always buy into whatever this young actress does. Best action hero performance of the year.
7. Rooney Mara
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Followed by the best action anti-hero performance of the year. What else can I say? I wouldn't mess with her.
6. Viola Davis
The Help
I know, I know, but if we're being honest her Oscar campaign was based more upon how rarely they get the opportunity to honor her, than upon this being the best role she's ever played. Still, excellent work, as always.
5. Juliette Binoche
Certified Copy
This French actress can portray more in silent close up than most actresses can in a whole monologue...and she does.
4. Olivia Colman
Tyrannosaur
From quiet strength to utter desperation, this performance runs the emotional gamut without ever skipping a single beat. Absolutely extraordinary.
3. Meryl Streep
The Iron Lady
She WAS Margaret Thatcher, and there's not a lot more to say.
2. Tilda Swinton
We Need To Talk About Kevin
There is absolutely no justification for Ms. Swinton's exclusion from the Academy Awards this year. She is ALWAYS excellent, and this may be the best work she has ever done. Her character goes through things we cannot even imagine, but her performance allows us to.
1. Kirsten Dunst
Melancholia
Director Von Trier's misplaced comments at Cannes may have kept this film out of awards consideration, and that is very sad, as it was one of the year's best. The greatest tragedy, though, is that Ms. Dunst's brilliant work went unrecognized. Well, not here. As a woman struggling with both her own internal issues and the end of the world, she shines with tarnished light.
Tin Toadstool: Sara Paxton
The Innkeepers
I was rooting for the ghost fifteen minutes into her performance...the second time. The first time I tried to watch it she put me to sleep in ten.
Best Actor
20. Brendan Gleeson
The Guard
This Irish buddy cop movie left little to recommend BEYOND Mr. Gleeson's performance, but he is worth recommending.
19. Peyman Moadi
A Separation
This Iranian actor was overshadowed a bit by his female co-stars, but this excellent film would still never have triumphed as it did without his excellent work.
18. Brad Pitt
Moneyball
Yes, Brad was very good and believable in this role, but in all honesty it didn't give him a huge range of emotions to work with and was not particularly challenging. Still, very good.
17. George Pistereanu
If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle
As debut performances go, it doesn't get much better than what this young Romanian actor does in this otherwise decent prison drama.
16. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
50/50
Some day Mr. Gordon-Levitt will reap awards glory and his dromedic (yes, it's a word NOW) portrayal of a young man fighting cancer is an excellent stepping stone in that direction.
15. Hunter McKraken
The Tree of Life
As the symbol of both innocent childhood and growing up, this young actor's debut was quite astonishing. More about simple little slices of life than big dramatic moments, but utterly believable.
14. Ralph Fiennes
Corialanus
As I've stated before, directing oneself in a directing debut is both courageous and difficult even when the script is not in Middle English verse. Mr. Fiennes makes it look easy.
13. Antonio Banderes
The Skin I Live In
This wacky, out there little horror/drama would never have worked without Banderes's compelling, slightly over the top central performance. If you have never seen the man perform in his native language, you have no idea what he is really capable of.
12. Damien Bechir
A Better Life
Only one of the Academy's nominees this year actually made my top five, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate how good they were. Mr. Bechir's performance in this film was highly touching and EXTREMELY well done.
11. Gary Oldman
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Very subtle work here, which actually makes it even more impressive how interesting he manages to make the character of Smiley.
10. Michael Parks
Red State
Equal parts hilarious, charismatic, and scary. An absolutely brilliant performance in one of the year's most underrated films.
9. Peter Mullan
Tyrannosaur
Upstaged by co-star Colman? Maybe a little, but almost the entire film hinges on these two roles, and the film is amazing. So is Mullan.
8. Tom Cullen
Weekend
Cullen is so natural and believable in this role. He really takes you inside his head with him in a way that creeps up on you stealthily.
7. Jean Dujardin
The Artist
I'm always impressed when an actor can convey just as much in their moments of silence as they do when speaking. Here, those moments were the whole performance and the silence was mostly golden, indeed.
6. Woody Harrelson
Rampart
Who would have ever thought when he was on Cheers that Woody would grow up to be one of our most versatile and capable film stars. He is always outstanding, and this conflicted, dirty cop may be his best role yet.
5. Ryan Gosling
Drive
Remember what I said about Jean Dujardin's ability to convey so much in silence. Well, Gosling conveys more in silence than everyone else in this film while they are speaking. When he does speak, it carries even more weight for its scarcity. It is also worth noting how difficult it is to create a character who is equal parts sympathetic and scary.
4. George Clooney
The Descendants
It is no exaggeration to say that this is probably Clooney's finest performance yet. Funny, poignant, conflicted, angry, sad...a whole spectrum of demands on his abilities. He meets every one. Out of the nominated actors at this year's Oscars, I feel that his performance was probably the most deserving.
3. Matthias Schoenaerts
Bullhead
This Belgian actor gives perhaps the most intensive study ever of the true meaning of masculinity and how society's perceptions of such affect the men within it. Haunting.
2. Michael Fassbender
Shame
If Carey Mulligan was sadness personified in Shame, then what was co-star Fassbender? Desperation? Helplessness? Futility? Shame? How about perfection?
1. Michael Shannon
Take Shelter
Have you ever really worried that you were losing your mind, because I have, and its the kind of feeling that is almost impossible to express to someone unless they've been through it. Somehow, Shannon does it. He really does.
Tin Toadstool: Brian White
The Heart Specialist
Muggiest, most predictable performance by anyone of any gender, maybe of the decade.
Best Acting Ensemble
A truly great acting ensemble is not just about a lot of good individual performances. It is about how the actors work together to make a cohesive whole that truly is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Which is very different from Best Picture. I'm not giving any commentary on these. If you've seen the films, read over the list of actors and I think you will understand why each of these made the list. If you haven't seen them, shame on you, go do so. All fifteen of these are well worth your time.
15. Ides of March
Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marissa Tomei
14. Red State
Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Michael Angaro, Nicholas Braun, Ronnie Connell, Kyle Gallner
13. Midnight in Paris
Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody
12. The Housemaid
Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee, Yeo-jeong Yoon, Woo Seo, Ji-Young Park, Seo-Hyeon Ahn
11. The Artist
Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Helena Bonham Carter, Kelly MacDonald, Ciaran Hinds, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Miriam Margolyes, Gemma Jones, David Thewliss, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Gary Oldman
9. The Skin I Live In
Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes, Roberto Alamo
8. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marissa Tomei, Kevin Bacon
7. A Separation
Peyman Moedi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayet, Sarina Farhadi
6. Margin Call
Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci
5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Ciaran Hinds, Kathy Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch
4. Drive
Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Al Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman
3. Bridesmaids
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolf, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd
2. The Descendants
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer
1. The Help
Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sissy Spacek, Allison Janney, Cicely Tyson
And that completes the Froggies for performances for 2011. Join me back here next Saturday as we continue the Best of 2011 series with writing, directing, and Best Picture Awards.
Froggy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)