I often feel like there is a disconnect between the 'best' films of the year and 'favorite' films of the year. There are always very fine movies that get a lot of attention and are extremely well crafted etc and deserve to be praised. However, as it is often said about beauty, it is all about the beholder's eyes. So for this beholder, there is one thing about a 'favorite' movie that stands out about all others and that is the advocacy thing. As in, I loved this movie so much that I feel it is important to be an advocate for it, tell people about it, get people to see it etc. So with some of my favorites this year, that is absolutely the case, starting with the tie at the number one spot.
I also think it is important to note that there are a heap of films I've yet to have the chance to see. This frustrates me. But, you go with what you've got. Some films still on the to-do list include: The Hunter, The Grey, Compliance, Lincoln, Argo, The Master, Zero Dark Thirty, Holy Motors, Looper, Beauty is Embarrassing, Hitchcock, Cloud Atlas, Hobbit, Flight, How to Survive a Plague, The Last Will & Testament of Rosalind Leigh, The Conspiracy (Aaron Poole), Dread, The Dead, Resolution, Livid, Sinister and I'm sure, a pile more.
Lastly, I wanted to list out a bunch of films I liked but didn't make the final list: Thin Ice, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Loved Ones, Bernie, Silent House, Ted, Extraterrestrial, God Bless America, Tall Man, Chronicle, Take Shelter, Juan of the Dead, Rec 3, Some Guy Who Kills People, The Aggression Scale and many many many more.
So here it goes...
20. The Sound of My Voice -
I've been really struggling with this spot, as there were a few movies I quite liked that I could have included. However, I got to thinking about the glue factor when it comes to movies. As in, how much did it stick on you? For me, I've yet to be able to shake The Sound Of My Voice since I saw it and I figure that may say a lot for the film as a whole. This is the second feature length film from Brit Marling (Another Earth) which, again, deals with its subject matter in an obtuse and grey area kind of way. The story surrounds two fledgling investigative journalists who set about trying to expose a growing religious cult in Los Angeles that surrounds a mysterious woman (Marling) who claims to be from the future. Their attempts to expose her as a fraud and the slow building of multiple potential outcomes and answers really doesn't amount to anything clear as you head toward the conclusion but, at least for me, it was the strength of the story, not the weakness. If it gave you the clear second act clue that nailed it all down 100%, the real impact of the ending and the ramifications of it wouldn't be truly felt. Marling should keep going in this vein because the work is strong and engaging and really really interesting.
19. Rabies (Kalevet - Israel)
Rabies is one of the first, if not the first Israeli slasher/horror film out in the world. From what I can ascertain, the government plays a key role in the development and licensing of movies there and I guess they aren't high on horror movies. It is unfortunate because Rabies is a taught, well done slasher movie that takes the 'breakdown' substructure and does it much better than the lion's share of American ones I've seen over the past few years. 'Breakdown' refers to the type of scary movie where a person or persons get stranded someplace en route to somewhere else and have to contend with all manner of badness that might be after them. This film intertwines the plights of people already in a wooded area, four people traveling through and past the area and people who won't show up until later. Now I think there was a translation issue with the name, because as near as I can tell, it more refers to going nuts or mad and not straight rabies as a disease. Regardless, it is a remarkably tense film that never really lets on as to what it will do next, what the real threat is and who might make it. Ultimately, it is not an unseen monster in the woods but the very visible monsters of desperation and human nature that do the most harm.
This is a charming and funny autobiographical account of a comedian's slow rise to success amidst a struggling relationship, a screwy family, adult demands and a growing sleep issue that seems to put him in greater danger the more stress he builds up during the day. Mike Birbiglia is an absolute wonder of a comedian, part Bill Cosby, part Mitch Hedburg but really original and sincere and I think it is this grounded, human quality that really sells his story. You feel for him and care about the outcome as it slowly comes to a head. The film itself is finely crafted and well paced overall and tells the story of this sleepwalking man in an accessible and sweet way. Bravo to producer Ira Glass and Birbiglia himself for creating this film and getting it out into the world.
17. Killer Joe -
When you have a catalog as varied as William Friedkin's is (Bug, The French Connection, The Exorcist, To Live and Die In LA, Jade) you never really know what to expect. I admire his style of storytelling - kind of a combination of muted calm and balls out nuttyness. So it is with this in mind that I very cautiously recommend Killer Joe. Not because it isn't good (it is really great), but because it is an absolutely lurid, sleazy tale of crime and meanness and stupidity that shocks you in every way you can think of, and a couple more after that. The story surrounds a father and son in a bad spot and owing money to a drug dealer/crime guy. They decide to hire a killer to dispatch the boys' mother to collect her life insurance policy to pay off the debt. The hired killer (a brilliant, terrible Matthew McConaughey) quickly gets his hooks into the family and the result of one bad decision after another is an even worse outcome seems completely out of left field and totally expected at the same time. Thomas Hayden Church, Emile Hirsch, Gina Girshon and Juno Temple all do wonderfully in this grand but very hard-to-recommend-to-anyone-you-don't-want-to-offend-after -the-fact film.
16. Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes - Spain)
Oh good gracious lord this movie is creepy. I mean, like really unsettling, skin crawlingly unpleasant. And that is a very good thing. Sleep Tight, directed by Jaume Balaguero' is the story of an apartment manager, Cesar, who makes it his life's mission to make the lives of his tenants uncomfortable. This comes in the form of invading their homes in their sleep or when they are away and doing all manner of inappropriate things. This invasion gives him power and control and he seems to relish is the unseen overlord role. He fixates on a particular female tenant and his grip on reality and handle on controlling himself becomes slowly unraveled as he becomes more and more unglued. The tension is super high and the feel of being helpless in a situation you assumed safe is something we all can relate to in some form or other. Thrilling and yech-y, Sleep Tight is best seen in its original Spanish before someone decides to screw it up and remake it in English.
15. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel -
While many things on my list are chock full of special effects, murderers, monsters and all else, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has none of those. Save for an alien attack. Well no, no alien attack either. What it is about this film that makes it so special is not the lack of big effects and all that jazz, but the inclusion of very honest and real portraits of people in the latter parts of their lives and the closing of many books long since abandoned. The hotel serves as an oasis of dignity for these people, or at least it seems like in the brochure. The reality is less than ideal and the shortcomings of the hotel, the manager and of each of the guests is unraveled in a sweet and gentle way - never forcing the viewer to feel one way or the other about any part of it. This is the real success of it, that lack of manipulation of not only the viewer but the characters in the story, that give it its true beauty and heart.
14. Seven Phychopaths -
In his previous work, In Bruges, Martin McDonagh took a smattering of strange crooks and killers and put them in a blender of weirdness and produced a profoundly odd crime story about, well, I don't 100% know what it was about, but I do know I loved it. With Seven Psychopaths, McDonagh takes a struggling writer (Farrell) and puts him in a quagmire of strange and dangerous men, dog thieves, potentially serial killing best friends, Tom Waits and a bunny rabbit and many other oddities that results in a profoundly screwy meandering around the moral edges of writer's block and grander themes about retribution and loyalty. It is a bit violent at parts (well, a lot violent) and a little draggy in others but on the whole is a uniquely funny and screwy tale most enjoyed by those of us with a darker sense of humor.
13. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry -
The third documentary on my list this year is the story of controversial Chinese artist Ai: Weiwei that runs the gambit between his designing the arena for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to later being detained by the government and near constantly screwed with because of his attitudes and his work directed at their brutal and corrupt practices. It is an interesting profile of a vastly complicated person, crafted in a caring but impartial way. This is important because I think if the film only took his side and whitewashed his often brash and rude approaches, it wouldn't have felt as authentic. Instead, you get an honest portrait of a creative master and all the more human imperfections that make him who he is and his work that much more important.
12. The Revenant -
One of the greater crimes in the movie world is the huge amount of good work that takes for freaking ever to get a chance at an audience. Whether this is a funding issue or a distribution problem, whatever, it sucks that the world is chock full of original content that has to fight so hard to be seen. Such is the case with The Revenant, a film that sat dormant for a good chunk of time (three years or more, save for a few festival showings here and there) before getting a chance at an actual theatrical release that I got to go to this year. It tells the story of a soldier killed in an ambush who finds himself back alive and awake in his coffin back home. He makes his way back to his house and to his very startled best friend who start to work out what the hell is happening or happened to him. His need for blood (not a damned vampire, more the true definition of a revenant) becomes too much and, with the help of his goofy and all together nutty friend, they set about getting food and/or stopping bad guys. This quickly unravels and becomes a cat and mouse game with both his condition and those around him and becomes a much larger musing on that nature of death and rebirth in the face of human cruelty and desires. With its micro budget, don't expect big flashy effects, but do watch for the eye of a director who really knows what the hell he is doing. Scenes like the feeding sequence in the back of the car (you'll know what I mean when you see it) and the convenience store shooting are just so perfectly crafted, you forget you're watching a first feature from an unknown quantity. NOT NOT for the faint of heart, but, is a wholly original and marvelous film I feel lucky to have discovered and greatly enjoyed.
11. This is 40 -
Much like Ti West, Judd Apatow is the man. Much like Tarantino, Apatow becomes very enveloped in his work and could do by a bit of tightening up (as Alan Tudyk said in this film's predecessor, Knocked Up). That said, This is 40 is masterful in its unraveling of the family dynamic, of growing older, of love and distrust intertwined and of the motivations of life as it relates to those you love. He handles this with such charm and fun that when the hammer lowers in raw scenes of real human emotion at different points, it never feels forced or fake. The dynamic between Paul Rudd and the wonderful Leslie Mann is remarkable and the overall ensemble is great. Funny, sad and lovely, This is 40 is more of what is right about comedy than most anything else I can think of coming out this year. Kudos to Apatow and crew for a glowing success of a film.
9. Tie - Paranorman/Frankenweenie -
Somehow or other, there ended up being three, count em, three horror-themed children's movies this year in Paranorman, Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania. I kind of went into them expecting to love the first two and abjectly hate the third one. While that didn't happen (it was okay), I did absolutely fall in love with Paranorman and Frankenweenie but for very different reasons:
Paranorman -
This film, produced by Laika Studios (same people behind Coraline) is a stop motion marvel that tells the story of Norman, an outcast little boy who can see the dead. Or more accurately, their spirits floating around town. His town, by the way, celebrates their witch killing history in the form of a lot of tourist centric stuff and yearly festivals and plays at the elementary school. Anyway, the story unfolds as he becomes confronted with the challenge of dealing with his 'gift' as it relates to dealing with zombies coming out of the ground and a vengeful spirit tied to the town's sorted past. He also has to contend with his ditsy but well meaning sister, confused parents, a goofball of a sidekick whole really wants a friend and many other oddball characters. This story isn't earth shattering in the grand scheme of things, but there was something about the sadness of Norman through a chunk of the film that I found so honest and charming and real that I was really taken aback. This is nothing screamed from the rooftops but is instead executed in small, throwaway bits of dialogue and scenes that really tug at the heart in a sincere and not manipulative way. Like Frankenweenie, Paranorman treats children who are different as not being people who have to be fixed to be happy, not as missing the bigger picture that everyone else gets, but as valuable people just as they are. Norman's hopeful melancholy is who he is and, in a truly lovely way, the film rewards that.
Frankenweenie -
If the price of Tim Burton creating wonderful, small films like Franknenweenie is doing overwrought money machines like Alice in Wonderland, then that is okay by me. His creative touch is most fully realized when he produces stop motion work like Nightmare Before Christmas or Corpse Bride or when he has the strength of a beautiful story like Edward Scissorhands. Frankenweenie is a 'remake' of his 80's short film of the same name about a boy who loses his best friend (his dog) and through (mad) science is able to bring him back to life. The boy, Victor, is a sensitive and charming boy who has to deal headlong with the concept of mortality. As you would expect from a child, he denies this initially. He uses his smarts to breathe life back into Sparky in a way that doesn't seem creepy (I know) but instead heartfelt and sweet. Very soon, this scientific achievement is discovered and treated badly by his schoolmates which creates a series of terrible re-animations that threaten the town. Victor must orchestrate a way to defeat this army of creatures and get things back to normal. In this, the film operates as a standard action fare type of deal with a lot of humor and fun sequences that reference the full spectrum of creature features dating back to the 50s and more modern stuff like ParaNorman did so well. The resolution of this, however, is very emotional and real as Victor must again face the issue of mortality as it relates to his beloved dog. To me, this was a very brave thing to tackle in a children's movie and is done with a good bit of grace and softness. On the whole, Frankenweenie deals with death and loss in equal parts funny and sad moments and teaches a valuable lesson about growing up in the face of very adult issues. I wish more people had seen this in the theatres, but, I guess in the longview of things, it'll live on for many years as a hidden gem to be discovered and cherished, not unlike The Iron Giant.
8. The Innkeepers -
Director Ti West falls into a category of people I would refer to as 'the man.' Used in a sentence, 'You know, director Ti West is the man.' His thoroughly unhinging work in House Of The Devil a few years ago pretty much cemented that and now with The Innkeepers, they've cut the ribbon for the dedication ceremony. The man, it is.
The Innkeepers tells the story of two employees of the Yankee Peddler Hotel, a beautiful but dying stately old place in the northeast that is on its last legs and last weekend before closing and their goal of proving it is haunted to try to keep it going (or make some quick cash). The employees (played by Pat Healy and Sara Paxton) trade shifts day/night and trade off with basic video equipment to try to record some evidence of haunting. A collection of a couple odd guests and the profoundly lovely-and-at-the-same-time creepy hotel set the stage for the scary events to follow as the weekend unfolds. This tension builds slowly (as with House of the Devil) and once you've hit a fevered pitch toward the end of the film you don't really realize how you got there, just that the hairs on the back of your neck are doing the wave and you've dug your fingernails an unhealthy depth into your legs. This is the master skill of Ti West's directorial style, he sneaks up on you not with cheap jumps (except for one, done more for the laugh of it) and all that crap, but with true, unnerving atmosphere building that treats the story and the viewer with respect. Very much look forward to his next thing and the next thing after that.
7. Moonrise Kingdom -
Wes Anderson is a director who has one of more fully defined styles of anyone working in film today. Good or bad, his touch is very visible in everything he does and can be seen even back to his early early work, starting with Bottle Rocket. Most of the time, this is enjoyable and has a charm all its own. Other times, it becomes a crutch of style over substance (see, Burton, Tim in most of his recent live action films) and becomes a lot like work to get through. But by and large, Anderson manages this well and produces consistently charming and lovely work, most recently with The Fantastic Mr. Fox and now with Moonrise Kingdom.
Moonrise Kingdom tells a pretty basic story about growing up, discovering the opposite sex and owning the peculiarities of what it is to be an individual. This is illustrated in the lives of oddball adults Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Ed Norton and Jason Schwartzman and in a herd of children in and around their lives and the summer camp at the center of the film. The other thing at the center of the film is that of innocence and love as a virtuous goal above all others. Not knowing what to do with it is another matter, but the journey of it is the beauty of this film and to talk more about the odd turns of the plot would be a disservice to the film as a whole. Go spend some time with this collection of goofballs, it's good for the heart.
6. The Avengers -
Alright Joss Whedon, I'd really appreciate it if you cranked out some crap. Maybe not abject crap, just something below average when it comes to overall quality. Because at this rate, you've kept this Charlie in a perpetual state of fanboydom and I don't like it. From Buffy to Dr. Horrible to Firefly to Cabin to The Avengers, well, you just need to quit it. Sheesh.
The Avengers is just so damned good when it comes to superhero movies that it's hard to think how comic book ones will be moving forward. The standard is set for smart writing, funny moments, actual investment and emotion, real consequences and amazing effects that don't overtake the humanity of the thing. I think this is the real core of what makes The Avengers so great, the human part of it. Without strong writing and good acting, it becomes a long video game cut scene - neat to look at but not much more. The Avengers, instead, was a satisfying and all together fun as hell standard setting superhero extravaganza that likely won't soon be matched. All the main actors (Downey Jr, Ruffalo, Sam Jackson etc etc etc) are perfect, not a dud among them. And schwarma in a supporting role...just perfect.
5. Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel -
Technically, this had screenings at a few festivals in 2011 but the first realistic chance I had to see it was this year, so, this year it is. I don't know if I can 100% accurately describe the joy and giddiness I felt watching this documentary - it was as if the 10 year old me, the 19 year old me, the 25 year old me and the 34 year old me all got to hang out together and talk about our shared love of crazy monster movies from the different perspectives of age. The documentary lays out the career path of Roger Corman from his humble background to the bevy of very famous people (including Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper etc etc ) that got their start with him, to the wide array of sometimes crazy - sometimes wonderful projects he did, to his guerrilla style of film making to who he is as a person. It never lingers too much on one thing and, instead, gives each area of subject matter the right weight and attention.
This is important when it comes to the possible universal appeal of a documentary about a very specific field of subject matter. If you don't bring the microscope out a bit, those who aren't fans or appreciators may lose interest in it on the whole. Documentaries like Not Quite Hollywood (about Australian exploitation cinema) or Eames (about Charles and Rey Eames - designers of furniture and art) really hit like a laser on the subject at hand and while they are both quite great, I don't think a casual observer would get as much out of them as the filmmakers might hope. With Corman's World, this is not an issue and even the most passive of interested parties can learn a ton about who the man is and what he has done in his own career and in the world of fimmaking as a whole. This, I think, is why this film is so special and deserves to be seen by just about anyone with interest in film, creative process or can just appreciate an American legend with a bit of a rebel's streak.
4. Django Unchained -
Brian Collins (reviewer, writer and all together pile of talent) recently noted on Twitter that he hopes to be dead before QT (Quentin Tarantino) makes a bad movie. I tend to agree - it seems like the man, when handling the reins directly, is just so damned skilled it is hard to see him taking a nosedive when it comes to directing a feature. Now some of the 'Tarantino presents..." type stuff is a little touch and go, but when you have him in the director's chair, you have yourself a master at work.
Having said all that, masters tend to really wrap themselves in their work and often could use a voice or two in their ear that helps refine what they are doing. While I absolutely loved Django Unchained, I could see where cutting some fat here and there would really have honed it in more. But that is okay - the fat parts are good too. So I guess the takeaway here is that, refined or not, honed or not, Tarantino still makes a hell of a movie.
The story is pretty simple, a German bounty hunter (played by a spirited Christoph Waltz - reminded me of Alec Guinness in Kind Hearts & Coronets) tracks down a slave (Django - played brilliantly by Jaime Foxx) to aid him in finding the Brittle brothers, wanted for murder, robbery etc. DJango is the only person who could identify them by sight and with his help, the bounty hunter can collect the sizeable reward. In doing this, DJango gets his freedom and through this, ends up telling the German his story about losing his wife Broomhilda (played by Kerry Washington) and his quest to save her. They team up as bounty hunters through the winter, all the while inching ever closer to getting Django's wife back. This leads them to Candieland, a plantation run by an evil idiot played incredibly well by Leo DeCaprio and an even more evil Sam Jackson as the house manager. Things escalate from there and become very bloody, very often. This movie, for all its brilliance, is NOT for the faint of heart. The brutality of the violence, the vividness of the cruelty of slavery and bloodsport and the dark side effects of killing for money all splash across the screen with disgusting clarity. Appearances by the original Django from the 60s films (Franco Nero) and Tom Savini (!!!) are great among many other pop-ups, music is grand, all together an unforgettable film - fits perfectly in the rest of QT's catalog.
As a final note, screw Spike Lee. Million dollar directing talent, ten cent head.
3. Cabin in the Woods -
Since walking out of Django Unchained yesterday afternoon, I've been vacillating between it and Cabin in the Woods as being more of a favorite behind American Scream and Absentia. I think I've settled on Cabin ahead of Django but by a very thin margin. This is to not take anything away from Cabin in the Woods at all - it is a freaking awesome film. I recognize that it isn't going to be in many people's strike zone, but that's okay. If you're a genre' film nut like me, this was just the absolute best way to spend a couple hours in a theatre. Now, if I were Rex Reed, I'd start abjectly making shit up about what happens in the film, or, if I was some bitter schmuck who likes to ruin things for other people I'd lay out the whole of the plot. However, even though its out on DVD and the plot is more widely known, I still can't bring myself to reveal the bulk of what makes this movie so damned good. The framework is the standard grouping of young types headed out for a vacation in the woods and what generally happens to said groupings in horror movies, but, it is far far beyond that. It is so smartly written and clever without being smartass or snarky, it is fun and thrilling and does the fourth wall dance in such a clever way that it is near impossible to find something to compare it to. Sufficed to say, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard hit the ball out of the park and have deconstructed the horror genre' in a way that is unique and caring and all together badass. Love this film.
1 Tie - The American Scream / Absentia
When trying to figure out my favorite movie this year, it came down to the battle between the heart and the head. My heart says "The American Scream" and my head says "Absentia" - so rather than create a full scale civil war in my own body, I thought I should put them both #1.
Absentia -
I said earlier this year that this film is frustrating because it absolutely deserves a larger audience. I remain frustrated about this. After seeing quite a few overblown films this year, stuff saturated with lousy effects and/or no damned script, I come back to a film like Absentia as what the gold standard should be for independent filmmaking, especially of the scary kind. The story is of two sisters, a pregnant Tricia (Courtney Palm) and wayward soul Callie (Katie Parker) reuniting over a traumatic event. Tricia's husband Daniel (played remarkably well by Morgan Peter Brown) has been missing for seven years. Callie arrives to help Tricia through the process of declaring her husband dead by absentia and is confronted by the dumb mistakes of her past and their effect on her relationship with her sister as well as her sister being pregnant by the detective that worked her husband's missing person case. Haunting and terrifying visions of Tricia's missing husband start happening as they grow closer to packing the house up and signing all the paperwork. While these are happening, strange goings on surrounding a nearby tunnel startle and confuse Callie and suggest that something more sinister might be going on. Things continue to amp up and a series of scary events and nerve wrangling things twist and turn to bring what happened to Daniel and what is happening to all of them now to a head.
I wrote before that: ...none of this works without the fully realized relationships the characters have and the care we as the audience have for them. The suspense of the final act is greater because of the investment the viewer has and as everything falls into place and it all comes together, the tragedy of it is felt more honestly and fully. I cannot say enough how much the craft of this film and the work put into the ground level of it makes the whole of the rest of it that much better...none of the emotional and tragic turns the story takes would mean a whole lot without it. Mike Flanagan, Morgan Peter Brown and company have made what I consider to be a unique and wholly remarkable film that I absolutely consider to be an excellent example of how to bring elements of drama and horror together to craft a near perfect story of loss and change in the face of unseen dangers.
The American Scream -
Somehow or other, I ended up with three of my favorite films being documentaries this year. Sadly, I doubt any of them will make it to Oscar night and that stinks. The American Scream was produced by the same folks who did Best Worst Movie about the making of a film which is widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever (Troll 2). That film really got to the heart of what it is to be a fan, to have fans and to exist in a secondary world on the fringes. If you've not seen it, go fix that soon. For The American Scream, the focus is not on actors or filmmakers, but instead on three families in a small Massachusetts town that hold Halloween and haunted houses in very high esteem. So much so that prepping and planning stretches year round and manifests itself in both positive and negative and sad ways. One family (a father and son) are beholden to their lack of technical skills and limited capacities and are faced with near constant setbacks from their physical and interpersonal limitations. Another family is headed by a strong, working class man who has been confronted with the realities of age and illness and puts a lot of emphasis on Halloween preparation as a way to connect and build memories for he and his family if he suddenly goes. The last family is headed by a formerly religiously oppressed man who has really done a full 180 from his upbringing and fully embraces Halloween, the imagery and the drive to constantly improve every aspect of it every year much to the strain of his family and friends. He struggles with a thankless tech job and the demands of supporting a family with this intense passion for 'home haunting' and wanting to 'go pro' regardless of being somewhat tone deaf to the needs of his kids and wife. In all these stories, there is a greater feeling of what it means to support those you love through everything. This film doesn't smack you over the head with this, but it is the undercurrent. Like any great documentary, it becomes less about the subject matter and more about a larger theme and with The American Scream, the ideals of caring, support, family and passion for life are illustrated in a gentle, charming and all together wonderful way.
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