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| Best Film 2012: THE MASTER |
I’m a year behind
on my top ten because I was tired of redacting my list a few months into every new
year. Since I don’t get a chance to see many of these great films during their
theatrical run I have to wait months for them to be released on disc. Sometimes
I can see a film (like Haneke’s AMOUR) before its US release thanks to having a
region free Blu-ray player but this is rare. Usually it is 4-6 months after
release that I watch a film and that pushes it past my end of the year deadline
so my Top Ten is always incomplete. So I decided my list would be a year behind
which is beneficial to everyone since by this time the films are easily accessible
through streaming or disc.
So much for the
preamble! This year’s list is the first time a director has won the prestigious
KOROVA AWARD for the second time. Paul Thomas Anderson takes home the coveted
award for his none-too-subtle critique of the cult of Scientology. Cristian
Mungiu once again makes the cut (see 4
MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS) with a brutal and non-judgmental portrayal of an
Orthodox convent in his native Romania where a young woman dies during an exorcism.
No, this isn't a “period” drama as this archaic practice still takes place in
the 21st century. Mungiu’s BEYOND
THE HILLS is based upon a true story. Kathryn Bigelow and Michael Haneke
are two of my favorite directors and are both represented in 2012 with daring
and controversial films concerning morally “justified” murders. From first time
directors such as Leos Carax and Nuri Ceylan to make my list to favorites like David
Cronenberg and Wes Anderson, I believe every film here is worth at least a
small amount of your time to check out.
Viddy well!
- THE MASTER (Paul Thomas Anderson, USA)
- BEYOND THE HILLS (Cristian Mungiu, Romania)
- ZERO DARK THIRTY (Kathryn Bigelow, USA)
- AMOUR (Michael Haneke, France)
- HOLY MOTORS (Leos Carax, France)
- LOVELY MOLLY (Eduardo Sanchez, USA)
- ALPS (Yorgos Lanthimos, Greece)
- MOONRISE KINGDOM (Wes Anderson, USA)
- ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey)
- COSMOPOLIS (David Cronenberg, Canada)
