LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 5: Films

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 3: Directors

Part 4: Leading Performances

The Avengers

So many of us fans of Joss Whedon, who have known he was a great writer and filmmaker for years, were vindicated in 2012 with (both The Cabin in the Woods and) The Avengers. Whedon’s film that wraps up phase one of Marvel Studio’s adventures is probably the most entertaining cinematic experience of the year. It sees Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow all team together to save Earth from an alien invasion that Loki has brought on. Whedon brings a wonderful combination of humor, drama, and character to the film – it is exciting, action packed, hilarious, and full of great character moments. It is the epitome of fun blockbuster filmmaking (and what we Whedon fans completely expected it to be).

Cloud Atlas

Leave it to the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer to make the most insanely ambitious film of the year with Cloud Atlas. It features six stories across the history of man. Each story deals with human relationships and traits – love, friendship, freedom, and bravery – and each is connected in some way. The epic scale and scope of the film is staggering, and it is amazing that it even came off at all, let alone as brilliantly as it did. The troupe of actors are all asked to play multiple characters, many of which are against type (and even race and gender). What is the most impressive about the film is how well it is woven together, as it never drags or feels like it is not building towards something. In today’s cinema landscape in which blockbusters are seemingly solely remakes, rehashings, and sequels (which are mostly broad, boring generic films), Cloud Atlas is an essential epic, as it dares to be original, challenging, and adventurous.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises was the film I was most looking forward to seeing in 2012, and it did not disappoint as it is my favorite film of the year. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy ends with grand conclusion. Taking place eight years after The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne must return as Batman to face is most physically daunting foe in Bane, who is looking to complete Ra’s al Ghul’s work and destroy Gotham City. Nolan’s narrative features the great action set pieces and genre staples to go with his deft directing to make it a superb adventure film, and satisfying finale, but it is the rich characters (and brilliant performances led by Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, and Anne Hathaway) and emotional moments that make it something more, something special. Nolan’s trilogy is the benchmark that all comic-book films will be measured against (and it is a very high bar).

Django Unchained

Wildly violent, almost to a cartoonish level of excess, and sharply written, Django Unchained is a highly entertaining western/revenge drama. Like all Quentin Tarantino films, it is full of B-movie references, artistic filmmaking, great performances (from Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio), and spirited dialog. Django is a slave who is freed by a German bounty hunter (Dr. King Schultz) who needs his help tracking down his latest bounty. They become friends, and Schultz wants to help Django rescue his wife from a plantation in Mississippi owned by the brutal and dastardly Calvin Candie – a suicide mission. Tarantino uses his narrative to portray the South in a very unflattering manner, directly challenging the myth purported by films like Gone with the Wind – and to this endeavor, the film is quite striking and effective (without losing an ounce of entertainment).

Killing Them Softly

Much like last year’s Drive, Killing Them Softly is a different take on the crime drama genre. On its surface, the narrative is that of a typical crime drama (and works on that level too) – some low level thugs knock-off a protected game, so the mob sends in a professional to kill them and retrieve the money – but Andrew Dominik uses the format for so much more. The film plays as a comment on the financial crisis that America faced in 2008 and the need of a bailout to seeming save the country from disaster. From the constant stream of financial and political news talking-heads in the background to the filming location being the dilapidated post-Katrina New Orleans and the characters being veiled stand-ins for those involved in bringing the financial markets down, Killing Them Softly seems to be a fairly exacting shot at capitalism – one that also has stunning aesthetics and brilliant performances (particularly from Brad Pitt) at is core.

Life of Pi

As someone that generally thinks 3D is a waste of everyone’s money because it mostly just detracts from the cinema experience, Life of Pi and its use of 3D blew me away. Ang Lee uses the format not to exploit (less than knowledgeable) filmgoers for their money, but rather to heighten the beauty and the grand experience of the film’s journey. I forgot I was even watching a 3D film – that is how well it is integrated. It is a wondrous experience. The story tells the adventure of Pi, a young man who travels from India to Canada with his family along with their zoo animals, only to be the sole human survivor of a horrific storm that takes the ship. Pi finds himself adrift in a life boat with only a zebra, hyena, and Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Life of Pi is the kind of filmmaking that all epics should strive to be – it is maybe the most beautiful and fulfilling cinematic experience of the year.

The Master

The Master seems to perfectly capture the mood of the time it takes place in – the sense of loss, isolation, and disconnection of those returning from WWII mixed with the façade of force-fed family values by government and advertising (that would shape America in the early 1950s). Freddie Quell (wonderfully played by Joaquin Phoenix) is lost in society returning from the war, but he finds a place with the eccentric Lancaster Dodd (played by the equally great Philip Seymour Hoffman), a charismatic cult leader. Quell is drawn by the intrigue and grand con of Dodd and his Cause and Dodd seems to be fascinated in the wildness of Quell. Paul Thomas Anderson’s narrative is not so much a streamline story, but an experimental emotional study of Quell and his internal struggle. Anderson uses all his filmmaking tools to make the film a visceral experience, and one that is utterly compelling and fantastic (my personal love of grand genre films aside – aka my love of The Dark Knight Rises – The Master is probably the best film of 2012).

Moonrise Kingdom

Quirky, charming, genuine, and a complete joy to watch – Moonrise Kingdom is auteur Wes Anderson’s seventh feature film. It follows two kids Suzy and Sam who run away together to camp out and explore their budding romance. Anderson’s narrative (as his films often do) feels like it takes place in an alternate reality, in which kids are full of budding potential and adults are somewhat melancholia at having never reached theirs. Aesthetically, it feels and looks just like one familiar with Anderson’s work would expect, as Anderson has a flair for aficionado directorial moments (long takes, lots of camera moves, and stylistic blocking – basically every element of every frame is specifically designed to look the way it does down to the smallest detail by Anderson). What is different, however, about Moonrise Kingdom as opposed to Anderson’s last few features is that it wins over its audience in total by the end, even those not enamored with Anderson’s unique style with its warmth and likable characters.

Skyfall

James Bond is a character all filmgoers know and most love. With Skyfall, director Sam Mendes welcomes the nostalgia and classic franchise elements that make James Bond great while also bringing a more modern take to the series (keeping with the trend of the Daniel Craig films). In his latest adventure, Bond finds himself facing off against maybe his most equally matched villain (well, since GoldenEye) – another MI6 agent formally shepherded by M named Silva (who is fantastically played by Javier Bardem). He knows just where to strike to hurt M and cripple MI6. Bond must takes refuge in his past to protect M. This is one of Bond’s more personal films, which benefits it greatly as the character work is strong. Mendes also does a wonderful job of making a Bond film that feels fresh, but completely embraces and brings back many of the elements of classic Bond films (it is the best of the Craig era so far).

Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty is Kathryn Bigelow’s Heart of Darkness (so to speak). The film details a CIA agent’s (Maya, played by Jessica Chastain) journey into the darkness to find and ultimately kill Osama bin Laden. It is an emotionally arduous yet rewarding experience as Bigelow expertly uses suspense and tension to pull the audience in with intense moments – and it is an interesting story. As a character drama, it works very well – Chastain is brilliant as Maya, a woman who has given everything of herself to finding bin Laden. Bigelow tells the story without a political slant, rather it is more about the sacrifices that men and women have made to try and keep America safe (or simply to do their jobs and what they think is right).

Honorable Mentions (11-25):

Anna Karenina, Argo, The Cabin in the Woods, Chronicle, The Five-Year Engagement, Flight, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Little White Lies, Looper, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Rust and Bone, Safety Not Guaranteed, Silver Linings Playbook, Ted, and This Is 40

LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 4: Leading Performances

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 3: Directors

Part 5: Films

Christian Bale – The Dark Knight Rises

Reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman for the third time, Christian Bale is again astonishing in The Dark Knight Rises (in what is easily an overlooked performance given the genre and how seamlessly and natural Bale plays the character). While in the past two films Wayne is a pillar of strength in the community, here Bale plays him as a broken man, both figuratively and literally. Even when he returns to being Batman, his heart is not really in it anymore, and Bale lets the audience see his crushed will and injured spirit while still putting on the guise of confidence and strength. This only makes his true return all the more dramatically powerful. Bale is known for his brilliant performances (films like American Psycho, Rescue Dawn, and The Fighter), and while this might not be as flashy it is equally as layered and just as strong.

Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

Jessica Chastain had a breakout year in 2011 and has followed it up with another strong year. Playing Maya the CIA agent in the field that devotes herself totally for over a decade to finding and killing Osama bin Laden, she is brilliant in Zero Dark Thirty (and will likely win an Oscar for her work). She has the tough role of being strong even in the most emotionally crippling situations, but also must be vulnerable enough to let the audience in – and she finds the perfect balance. Chastain also captures the toll that the stress and drive takes on Maya. She has a very bright career ahead of her, as she is already among the best actress working right now.

Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook

Who knew Bradley Cooper was capable of such a good performances? Well, David O. Russell apparently. Cooper gives the best performance of his career to date in Silver Linings Playbook as Pat (which should open doors for better leading man work for him in the future and not just crappy romantic comedies). Cooper plays Pat with a mix of compassion and hostile energy. The performance seems to constantly teeter on the edge of completely exploding with nervous rage, which absolutely pulls the audience in. But, the audience also likes Pat and is behind him because they see that Pat is capable of love and really does want to get his life together. It is very strong work by Cooper (in a year with at least fifteen or so male leading performances could have made this list).  

Marion Cotillard – Rust and Bone

Aside from the practical challenge of playing a character that loses both her legs below the knee, Marion Cotillard also has to play the deep depression felt by her character Stephanie in Rust and Bone. What makes the performance so compelling is Stephanie’s emotional journey back. Cotillard is phenomenal, as she perfectly captures the strength and drive of Stephanie. The audience is heartbroken and inspired all in the same dramatic arc. Cotillard is also very good in Little White Lies and The Dark Knight Rises this year.

Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis is not so much playing a character in a film as much as he seems to be channeling Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. It seems silly to say that, as I have no idea what Lincoln was actually like or how he sounded when he talked, but Day-Lewis just seems so completely lost in the character that it does not even occur to me that he is not actually Lincoln. That is what he does, he just becomes his characters, and is maybe the greatest actor working right now.

Keira Knightley – Anna Karenina

Keira Knightley just seems to excel in costume period dramas, especially when working with Joe Wright. Anna Karenina is their third collaboration together. Knightley is able to bring the extreme highs and lows of Anna’s tragic relationship with Count Vronsky to life by completely giving herself over to the role. Anna thinks she is above high society and can live outside their rules, only to pay the price and lose everything. Knightley pulls the audience in with her naïve charm and strength, and breaks their heart with her fall, filled with crazed fits of jealousy and anguish. Though she gets a lot of criticism (especially among English journalists, who often try to tear down their own), she has really emerged as one of the top actresses of her generation with continued great work.

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Jennifer Lawrence had a great 2012. She starred in a huge blockbuster in The Hunger Games cementing her as one of Hollywood’s biggest young female stars (probably with Emma Stone, Kristen Stewart, and Emma Watson) and she was nominated for her second Oscar in Silver Linings Playbook. She is brilliant in the film, bringing a ton of energy and strength to the role of Tiffany, a young widow also dealing with mental issues. She is electric, making ever scene better and stealing the film (which also features great work from Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro). It is my favorite female leading performance of the year.

Leslie Mann – This Is 40

This Is 40 takes both a realistic and comically exaggerated look at modern relationships. At its center is a fantastic performance by Leslie Mann, who plays Debbie – a mom and wife who just wants her life to be perfect and tries to control everything around her to make it so, but this leaves her feeling frustrated, disappointed, and ultimately unhappy as things fall short of her expectations. Mann, however, is great in the film because she also can see her own flaws and wants to change, it is just difficult, which brings a very relatable aspect to her performance – the relationship troubles in the film between Debbie and Pete are almost too real for a comedy (and that is thanks to the good work by Mann and Paul Rudd).

Joaquin Phoenix – The Master

Freddie Quell, Joaquin Phoenix’s character in The Master, is an absolute scoundrel. His destructive nature ruins and destroys any possible good that might come his way, yet his struggle to find a place in post-WWII America is utterly compelling because Phoenix brings so much to the character. He is an unpredictable train wreck and the audience cannot take their eyes off him, wanting to see what he will do next, but there is also an inner depression that allows the audience to feel for him as well. It is my favorite male leading performance of the year.

Denzel Washington – Flight

The character of Whip Whitaker in Flight is one of the more difficult roles of 2012 because the character is an unlikable protagonist. Denzel Washington is able to get the audience behind Whip by bringing his usual swagger and confidence to the character. He also plays Whip to have a deep sadness behind the confidence, which allows the audience to sympathize and care about him even after his self-destructive behavior. Washington is so good in the film that the audience roots for him to come out on top, when he clearly has a problem and needs help. It is very good work and among Washington’s best.

LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 3: Directors

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 4: Leading Performances

Part 5: Films

Paul Thomas Anderson – The Master

As far as American auteur filmmakers go, Paul Thomas Anderson might just be the greatest in contemporary cinema right now. With The Master, he has made another film that creates a purely visceral experience. It is not easily pinned down, as it is not just about its story or characters but more so about the tumultuous times of post WWII America (soldiers finding it hard to return to life, clashing with the myth of clean and wholesome living propagated by corporate ad agencies – this is also very well done in William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives). Anderson is a master filmmaker, garnering stunning performances (all three of the film’s main actors have made this year’s acting film awards lists) and creating a layered visual story that shines with aesthetic brilliance.

Wes Anderson – Moonrise Kingdom

For all his quirkiness as a filmmaker, there is maybe no other director who takes as much care with the details of every single frame of their movie as Wes Anderson. His films are instantly recognizable, and Moonrise Kingdom is no different. Anderson does not shy away from showing his hand in the making of this film, from the camera moves (that sometimes feel like an expansion on Yasujiro Ozu’s style) to the specific blocking of characters in a frame (and everything this else he does) the audience can feel Anderson behind the camera orchestrating it all. However, even given his indulgent style, Moonrise Kingdom’s characters are so rich and their drama so grounded in pathos that even with all the stylistic elements the audience cannot help but be lost in the world of film completely engrossed in the story, characters, and drama.

Ang Lee – Life of Pi

3D exists in today’s cinema seemingly solely for commercial gains. Studios often insist upon it to pump up their bottom lines, much to the begrudging of directors as it usually adds nothing positive to the film going experience (usually detracting from it). All that said, Ang Lee takes 3D and uses it wonderfully and beautifully in Life of Pi, making probably the second film to use the medium to its advantage since the fad gained momentum (following the other film to use 3D well – Avatar). Lee also rises to the challenge of making a film with essentially only one human character for large portions of its narrative. Called an un-filmable story, Lee has made something exquisite and incredibly moving and cinematic with Life of Pi.

Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises was maybe the most anticipated film of 2012, with unattainably high expectations – and yet writer-director Christopher Nolan delivered a brilliantly grand finale to his Dark Knight Trilogy (meeting and exceeding those expectations). The film perfectly blends the spectacle aspects of summer blockbusters with the exceptional character drama of prestige cinema. Nolan has taken blockbuster filmmaking to a different level, and his films are the standard by which all other blockbusters are judged. He has transcended the trappings of event filmmaking, which prizes the extravaganza above all else, by making his films (as big, dynamic, and entertaining as they are) about his characters and story first. Nolan is the best director working within the studio system right now.

Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino’s venture into genre filmmaking has yielded brilliant and extremely fun and entertaining work. With Django Unchained, he continues his Revenge Trilogy this time targeting slavery. Tarantino’s ability to effectively use his camera as well as shot composition and mise en scene set him apart from most directors working in Hollywood today, but more so in Django Unchained it is his dialogue and the performances that he garners from his actors (particularly Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio) that makes it a special film. 

LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 2: Supporting Performances

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 3: Directors

Part 4: Leading Performances

Part 5: Films

Amy Adams – The Master

Playing Peggy, Amy Adams at first seems to be a quiet doting wife to Lancaster Dodd, kind and gentle, but as the film progresses it becomes clear that she is really the one with the control and power behind The Cause. Adams’s work in The Master is therefore sort of misleading. She does not seem to have much dramatic work, and yet is a commanding presence in many of the scenes (most of which she is just sitting and watching – it is only near the end of the film where is vocally asserts her true authority). And thus, her performance is a key component to the film. It is one of the year’s more difficult subtle performances (and best).

Javier Bardem – Skyfall

Villains seem to make up a lot of 2012’s best supporting work, and Javier Bardem’s Silva in Skyfall is maybe the best of the lot. James Bond villains have always been amplified and sort of comically evil (and we love them for that reason). Bardem captures the essence of the typical Bond villain but also does something new. Silva actually makes Bond uncomfortable (as well as the audience to some extent), because he is much more than Bond’s equal. He is a real threat to Bond, more so than any villain in the franchise’s history. The performance is completely magnetic – the scene in which Bond and Silva first meet is among the year’s best.

Alison Brie – The Five-Year Engagement

Alison Brie is hysterical in The Five-Year Engagement playing the sister (Suzie) of one of the film’s leads (Violet). Along with Chris Pratt (who is also killer in support), she delivers much of the film’s funniest moments (as the leads are given most of the drama). Brie is particularly fantastic giving a speech at her sister’s engagement part, on the verge of tears, and giving her sister a pep talk later in the film in an Elmo voice (maybe the film’s best scene). Comedy is always overlooked, but Brie just radiates too brightly to be ignored.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Django Unchained

Django Unchained is full of great and fun performances. Jamie Foxx is at his best in the lead as Django and Christoph Waltz (who very easily could have made this list, and would have in most years) is top-notch in support. But, it is Leonardo DiCaprio who shines the brightest. He is thoroughly insane as Calvin Candie, a cruel plantation owner. While Waltz is funny and engaging, DiCaprio is forcibly dynamic as he seemingly by sheer will takes over every scene commanding the attention of the audience (and the other characters). He is the focus of all his scenes. Villains often have the latitude to go big with their performances, and DiCaprio goes huge. He is an absolute blast to watch.

Tom Hardy – The Dark Knight Rises

Tom Hardy had the impossible task of following Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. The role is also particularly challenging as Hardy’s face is almost altogether obstructed by a mask. Yet, he is brilliant. Using his body language and the way he moves, along with his menacing eyes, Hardy constructs Batman’s most brutal foe. Bane also very much lives in the gypsy voice that Hardy gives him – his line delivery (though, it does take some getting used to – but it does become easily understandable eventually) is playful and authoritative, an odd combination but it completely works. Every scene that Hardy is in is a pleasure to watch. He certainly lives up to Ledger’s Joker.

Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

After seeing The Dark Knight Rises, Anne Hathaway seemed destined to make this list for her fantastic work as Selina Kyle (essentially giving the definitive performance as the character). However, her work in Les Miserables as Fantine is even better. She is heartbreaking, leaving every viewer emotionally touched. Her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream is magnificent, perfectly capturing the dismal low that Fantine finds herself in, having lost everything. The viewer forgets that they are watching an actress and a performance. It is probably the best performance of the year (at least in support).

Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s work in The Master is among his best. As Lancaster Dodd, the man at the head of The Cause, he has a wonderful duality to his performance. He is completely infatuated with himself and utterly oozing with confidence, and yet he also seems completely lost and alone, shackled in solitude by the farce he has created around himself. Whenever Hoffman is on screen, he demands the attention of the audience, as the center of it all – and the audience completely obliges him as they cannot look away. His work is just too compelling. The scenes between Hoffman and lead Joaquin Phoenix are especially electric.

Ezra Miller – The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Following up on his brilliant work in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Ezra Miller turns in another phenomenal performance in The Perks of Being a Wallflower as Patrick. Miller has so much energy and intensity in the film that he pulls the audience’s attention towards him in every scene (which is the mark of truly great work – the viewer cannot look away). Patrick burns almost too brightly, that when he gets low there almost seems to be a lull or void, and Miller is able to capture these darker emotions of sadness and loneness incredibly well. While 2012 was full of great supporting work by male actors, Miller might just turn in the year’s best performance in the category (a performance that has been shamefully overlooked).

Kelly Reilly – Flight

Flight has a number of wonderful supporting performances in it – namely from John Goodman, James Badge Dale, and Kelly Reilly – however, it is Reilly that serves as the film’s heart playing Nicole, a vital role given Whip’s fall (the film’s lead character). Her work in the film needed to be strong, as she allows the audience to get behind Whip, even despite himself and his vices, because she believes in him and is behind him. Reilly is also a ray of hope in Whip’s life as she too is an addict, but a recovering one who is determined to start her life anew. As good as Denzel Washington is in Flight, the film would just not be the same emotionally without Reilly’s excellent supporting work.

Emma Watson – The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Emma Watson grew up before the eyes of cinemagoers playing Hermione Granger for over a decade in the Harry Potter franchise. Starting as a newcomer to acting, she got better with each film devolving into one of Hollywood’s great young stars (her work in the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 is especially strong). In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Watson has the difficult role of playing both the ‘dream girl’ and a well-drawn realistic character as Sam, and she pulls it off beautifully. She wins the audience and Charlie over with her charms, but is not without flaws and struggles – once again presenting young women with a female character they can relate to and care about (when Hollywood seldom offers good female characters).

LeapBackBlog 2012 Film Awards – Part 1: Technical Achievements

Film in 2012 may not have been quite as strong overall as 2011, but right at the top there were a lot of good and very entertaining films. 2012 also featured many wonderful performances, particularly among men (many great performances that would have made my lists in past years were sadly left off). The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 3: Directors

Part 4: Leading Performances

Part 5: Films

Hugh Bateup & Uli Hanisch – Production Design – Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas is insanely ambitious. Most production designers have a difficult enough task creating one narrative world – Hugh Bateup (working with the Wachowskis) and Uli Hanisch (working with Tom Tykwer) each created three (to make up the film’s six different stories). The worlds range from the mid nineteenth century South Pacific to modern day London to far into the future in Seoul to the post-apocalyptic (almost like the rebirth of society) tribesman on the Hawaiian Islands. And yet, even with such a grand undertaking of scale and scope, plus two different crews filming different stories, the film still has a unified feel and look, and a lot of that goes to the absolutely amazing work of Bateup and Hanisch.

Roger Deakins – Cinematography – Skyfall

2012 saw a lot of very good cinematography work, but Roger Deakins’s photography in Skyfall is simply the best of the year. Working with director Sam Mendes (their third collaboration), Deakins delivers aesthetically stunning work – from the gloomy fog covered moors to the crisp sheen of red lights against the night in Macau, or the almost sci-fi feel of Bond’s fight with an assassin in Shanghai. Visually, the film is never content to just be a straight forward action film, or just another entry in the Bond franchise. It completely blew me away.

Alexandre Desplat – Score – Moonrise Kingdom

I often joke about composer Alexandre Desplat being the hardest working man in Hollywood – well, in 2012 he scored eight films, including Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, Rust and Bone, and Moonrise Kingdom. Working with director Wes Anderson, Desplat has created a fun, playful, and charming score for Sam and Suzy’s adventure (in their second collaboration). Like the best pieces of film music, it matches the tone for the film and sets the mood for the audience. Desplat is one of the great composers working in cinema today (or at the very least the most prolific). His work is always brilliant.

Greig Fraser – Cinematography – Killing Them Softly

Director of photography Greig Fraser had three films hit theatres in 2012 – Snow White and the Huntsman, Zero Dark Thirty, and Killing Them Softly. Now while Zero Dark Thirty will likely get more accolades and coverage, it is Killing Them Softy that is far more aesthetically interesting and artistically ambitious. Working with director Andrew Dominik, Fraser’s photography gives the film a sort of a post-apocalyptic feel, with lots of stormy skies, broken down landscapes, and  exaggeration of violence (along with morally corrupt characters populating the narrative). Dominik and Fraser use extreme slow motion to drag out the violence or drug use, making it feel more impactful and poetic (reminding me of the moving stills in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia). It is brilliant and absorbing work.

Jonny Greenwood – Score – The Master

After their fantastic collaboration on There Will Be Blood (creating 2007’s best score along with Dario Marianelli’s score for Atonement), composer Jonny Greenwood and director Paul Thomas Anderson worked together again on The Master. Greenwood’s score both fits the period in places and provides an uneasy and wondrous experience for the viewer, emotionally and psychologically matching the character of Freddie Quell perfectly. The music is unlike anything else in cinematic scores right now, pushing the boundaries artistically.

Sarah Greenwood – Production Design – Anna Karenina

Joe Wright threw everyone involved in the production of Anna Karenina a curveball when for budgetary reasons he decided to shoot most of the film inside a theatre. Production designer Sarah Greenwood rose to the challenge creating the year’s best design work (in her fifth feature collaboration with Wright). Every set is perfectly fitted to match the tone and style of the scene and characters, be it the high society parties (which are marvelously decorated) or the slum back ally-like stage rafters. Visually, the film is unparalleled, and that is thanks to cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, director Joe Wright, and especially production designer Sarah Greenwood.

Claudio Miranda – Cinematography – Life of Pi

Life of Pi is an absolutely beautiful film to watch. The visuals capture the imagination and dazzle with a stunning array of colors and pristine composition. More so than any other of this year’s top films, Life of Pi is very much an emotional and visual experience, and Claudio Miranda’s work is magnificent, to say the least. In my opinion, he is one of the ten best directors of photography working in Hollywood today (along with Wally Pfister and Roger Deakins, both making this Awards list as well). It is impossible to watch this film and not be completely enamored with the photography and use of color.

Wally Pfister – Cinematography – The Dark Knight Rises

The most impressive aspect of Wally Pfister’s cinematography in The Dark Knight Rises is that everything lighting-wise the viewer sees in the final film is done in camera – which means that Pfister and director Christopher Nolan did not color correct in post-production (a very common practice these days, even among the best D.P.s). Pfister’s work with IMAX cameras is also very impressive, as the film has a massive sense of scale – it truly is a phenomenal experience to see in IMAX. Pfister is directing his first film in 2014 with Transcendence, but hopefully his collaboration with Nolan will continue as well – they are one of the best teams working today (if not the best period).

Ed Verreaux – Production Design – Looper

Working with director Rian Johnson, Ed Verreaux creates a wonderful look for Looper. The film mixes genres, feeling like a sci-fi film, a crime drama, and a western in different parts. Verreaux’s production design gives the film a taste of each of these genres. The city is a mix of futuristic technology and sort of a collapsed society feel (most of the vehicles are junk-cars from today adapted to run on a new fuel source). The design work is also very artistically interesting, with aesthetically pleasing patterns and lights. Verreaux’s work may be overlooked given the great action, psychic abilities, and a time-travel plot, but it really grounds everything in a world that feels real and thus is a crucial part of what makes the overall film brilliant.

Hans Zimmer – Score – The Dark Knight Rises

Hans Zimmer’s collaborations with Christopher Nolan have yielded fantastic scores (notably for Inception), including the first two films in The Dark Knight Trilogy. With The Dark Knight Rises, Zimmer gives the film such a brutal and hard hitting accompaniment perfectly matching the film’s main villain Bane. For Selina Kyle his score is sleek, slinky, and refined, but with a touch of immediacy – again matching the character wonderfully. The music grips the audience from the start and matches the tone throughout. Like the film itself, the score is big and masterful.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) – Review

Review: Zero Dark Thirty is a taxing and intense dramatic thriller, ripe with strong performances and sure directing. The film is about the CIA’s operation to find and kill Osama bin Laden, which took over a decade. The story focuses on the efforts of the CIA officer that fronted the team in the field in Pakistan (named Maya in the film).

Zero Dark Thirty presents a difficult narrative challenge, and director Kathryn Bigelow does a magnificent job. The challenge is that the story takes place over a period a bit longer than a decade with multiple characters coming in and out. Plus, the whole third act (practically) does not feature the film’s protagonist, and finally the audience goes into the film already knowing the ending. Bigelow makes a series of good choices with her screenwriter Mark Boal to combat these potential issues.

First, instead of making it completely about the mission Bigelow devises much of the film as a character study centered on Maya – a woman who has devoted her whole life to catching one man. She has no friends, no personal life, and is even not well liked within the CIA for her relentless drive. The film feels so emotionally draining because the audience is completely invested in her, and feels the strain of her tireless work.

Second, Bigelow structures the third act to be utterly gripping as it features the two SEAL team assault on bin Laden’s compound. Not having the protagonist feature heavily in the third act of a narrative film is a huge risk. Most films would flounder or feel incomplete, but the SEAL team assault is done with a perfect mastery of tension that the entire audience is fully enthralled. Bigelow also gives Maya enough moments to still feel like a meaningful part while also giving her narrative a sense of closure.

When making a film with an ending that the audience already knows going in, the film needs to be more about the characters and the journey than the ending. Bigelow does this brilliantly, but again still gives the audience a captivating ending. The narrative has a sense of momentum as the information builds and the audience can feel the ups and downs of Maya’s (et al.) search. Maya’s emotional journey resonates with the audience making the stakes feel heightened, which is great achievement when the audience knows what will eventually happen.

Politically the film has raised some issues as well – namely the use of torture. Torture played a somewhat vital role in extracting information that lead to bin Laden being found – along with a lot of surveillance, ground work, and critical thinking among good CIA field officers. The film would seem to suggest that torture is a necessary evil to combat terrorism. It even goes as far to say that the information started to dry up after President Obama mandated that torture was not to be used by U.S. armed forces and government agencies. Do the ends justify the means, or does evil only beget evil – violence begets more violence? However, the film also shows the cost of torture, both on those that carry it out and on those that it is done too. Nothing is glorified.

Much like Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies, Zero Dark Thirty also seems to take shots at the incompetency and bureaucracy of those in positions of control and power within the CIA. The Pakistan station chief Joseph Bradley does not come out of the film looking too good. Zero Dark Thirty also points out just how much data is gathered and processed and just how difficult it is to analyze it – not to mention the resources it takes to fund all these continuous operations. It is an interesting look behind the curtain, so to speak.

The film is very good alone as an informative look at how the CIA found bin Laden and how the SEAL team infiltrated his compound and killed him. However, this would only serve the film for one or two viewings. What makes this film more than just a dramatization of the real events (to some percentage of accuracy) is its ability to drive deeper into the characters, the people who sacrificed parts of themselves and even their lives to find and kill bin Laden, or more importantly to try and keep America safe. It is this human aspect of the film that resonates with the audience and pulls them in (and makes this more than just a History Channel special).

Bigelow does not treat her characters like heroes. They are real people – flaws and all. The audience can see and feel the toll that the life and work takes on these characters, living in constant danger, working long thankless hours, and being asked to treat other humans as less than human. The film is exhausting, yes, but because Bigelow has done such a fine job with her characters and their relationship to and with the audience. The viewer feels exhausted at the end because they emotionally went on the journey with the characters (particularly Maya, who is exhausted by the end as well).

The film however does feature graphic seasons of violence and torture, and thus many not appeal to all viewers. However, Bigelow does not go overboard. The violence is actually fairly minimal given the graphic nature of the material. It is more emotionally and psychologically unsettling.

Zero Dark Thirty is ambitious in its scope both expertly telling its story and developing strong characters. It is an arduous journey, but one well worth taking.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Kathryn Bigelow has certainly asserted herself as the filmmaking authority of modern American war films with The Hurt Locker and now Zero Dark Thirty (though, I would argue that Generation Kill is a step above – but it is a miniseries). These films not only effectively tell their stories, but they also care about their characters. Her films are more so about her characters than events or action, which is why they work so well dramatically. She also is so adept with tension throughout these films that she never lets the audience’s attention wander (which is also why the experience of these films is so taxing). After The Hurt Locker, Bigelow and Boal seemed like the perfect team to take on Zero Dark Thirty, and I am not sure another filmmaker would have done a better job with the material.

Alexandre Desplat’s score very much sets the mood for the film as it pulses with tension and thriller aspects, ever driving the suspense. It is fantastic work, as always. Greig Fraser’s cinematography is gritty, which fits Bigelow’s realistic style for the film. Yet, he still is able to keep his actors well lit (maintaining the magic of Hollywood filmmaking), but not in a glamorous, glossy, or flashy manner. Jeremy Hindle’s production design also has a very realistic quality to it. Everything looks and feels authentic, which is crucial for a film like this.

The film is mostly filled with small performances as the narrative encompasses tons of characters for short amounts of screen time. Chris Pratt and Joel Edgerton are both very good, giving a relatable human face to the SEAL team that takes the lead in the third act. Mark Strong gets to come in and give a strong thunderous monologue that is great. But really, the stars of the film are Jason Clarke and especially the lead Jessica Chastain as Maya. Clarke is tough as nails as CIA interrogator Dan but he eventually is worn down by the stresses of his job, which gives a human quality to these CIA characters the audience is asked to take stock in despite their morally questionable practices (i.e. torture). Chastain is fantastic in the film. She is strong and smart as a whip, and not shy about letting everyone know that she is the smartest person in the room. It is her drive, despite the personal cost, that resonates so effectively with the audience.

Summary & score: Zero Dark Thirty is entirely fascinating, both from a story standpoint and more so its characters. 9/10