A few male strippers gather in a gym to workout and practice some new moves. A seasoned stripper teaches the new kid a few moves. They are looking at a mirror. Are they checking each others' moves or lost in a reverie of their own reflections? What else is happening in this shot? There's a mumbo jumbo motivational speech meant to rally up the young one. But it's all about that mirror and what they see and how they are completely lost in it. The beauty of the bodies on display, the unsparring committment to the vanity of believing their own hype, that's what they to beleive to survive. This world in a brief few minutes.
Why : Because Matthew McConaughey looks fantastic and acts the hell out of the scene. Years of his sometimes charming, sometimes puzzling public persona has lead to this moment. He emerges a great character actor and a star for the ages.
For being as matter of fact about his character as the movie is.
For fastidiously driving the plot forward while giving us his character's struggle, ambition and determination,
For the most un-showy performance of the year.
Samuel L Jackson in Django Unchained
For boldly taking on the most un-PC movie character in recent movie history.
For a lively full throttle performance that kept viewers guessing.
For being best in show.
Jude Law in Anna Karenina
For giving us a haunting portrait of weary resignation and dogged duty that cannot abide.
For embracing Karenin's passionless ordinariness while making him sympathetic.
Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike
For being the warmest mot lived in performance in a movie full of them.
For finally melding his public persona into a memorable "star" performance.
Ezra Miller in Perks of Being a Wallflower
For taking on the stock eccentric sidekick role and making it so much more
For an open honest portrait of first love with all its hope, confusion and despair.
In addition to these performances, I thought Tommy Lee Jones was terrific in Lincoln and Phillip Seymour Hoffman subtle and affecting in The Master.
What are your favorite supporting actors of the year? Did you enjoy any of these performances?
The most beguiling devastating film of the year. In presenting an unsentimental but moving portrait of the inevitability of life's end, Michael Haneke gave us a most necessary experience. There are so many humanly recognizable moments that had jolts go through my heart and body. This is art in the best sense moving, recognizable and a reflection of life. A masterpiece.
MAGIC MIKE
This was the most fun time at the movies in 2012. Not just for the man eye candy, but for the charming Tatum Channing, the on point choreography, Matthew McConaughey revealing his body and soul and surprising acting chops of Olivia Munn. On the other hand the movie didn't shy away from presenting the ugly underbelly of a stripper's life. In a summer full of stock super heroes Magic Mike gave us fully realized characters, and what a gift that was.
Rust And Bone
A brutal and uncompromising story that rises above the conventional trappings of "two lost souls finding each other'' up until the melodramatic happy ending. Nonetheless Cotillard and Schoenaerts set the screen ablaze with intensity and passion. Cotillard proving that La Vie En Rose was no fluke and Schoenaerts becoming a major star and an actor to watch and idolize.
Absolutely the most gorgeous movie of the year. It's a feast for the eyes with sets and gowns that are vivid and sumptuous. The much talked about theatrical setup works giving the story artifice that resonates and makes it wholly original. Keira Knightley, in the title role, is always best when unlikeable but here shines also when awash with desire and longing. Karenin is surprisingly sympathetic in this version and Jude Law imbues him with calm dignity and weary duty alleviating the performance to best in show.
ZERO DARK THIRTY
Controversy aside Kathryn Bigelow has given us a taut thriller that is firmly of our time. In the story of Ussama Bin Laden's hunt we get the most brilliant behind the scenes expose since All the President's Men. The movie presents the story as is, with no judgement, no rah rah triumphs and no emotional manipulation. Just thrilling filmmaking.
THE SESSIONS
A deeply moving simple story. While on the surface it's about a man's quest to lose his virginity, it is really about the need we all have to connect with other people. The movie becomes alive because of two marvellous performances. John Hawkes with wry wit and humor and Helen Hunt, smart, naked, honest give us the ultimate mating dance.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Was there a more original work than Beasts in 2012? I think not. Creating an other worldly world that is firmly rooted in both fact and fable simultaneously and characters like you've never seen before, Benh Zeitlin announced himself a major cinematic promise. He also discovered two promising acting talents in Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry.
PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
Ah teenage years. The 90s. A pixie dream girl. A rebel. A awkward introvert who you know will turn into an accomplished artist. Sounds like a collection of movie cliches. However with Stephen Chbosky adapting his own novel and Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller's beautiful performances this was a lovely rumination of growing up and making life long friends.
END OF WATCH
What could have been another routine cop movie is instead a visceral portrait of male bonding. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena are the couple of the year.
Other movies I enjoyed but didn't quite crack my top ten include The Impossible, Lincoln, Bachelorette, A Royal Affair, Pitch Perfect , On the Road, Life of Pi and Looper. It was a good year for movies. What movies did you like in 2012? Tell all in the comments.
What makes a movie scene memorable? A recognized reflection; an image that moves you; a witty and smart line of dialogue. Sometimes you get all in one scene. Sometimes a scene encapsulates the movie or it can stand out separately and still be memorable.Sometimes it can be a performance or a piece of music that sticks in the mind. Here are few of my most memorable scenes from 2012 movies in no particular order.
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
Setup: A mother, two daughters and a grandson sit down to have dinner. The mother tries to start a conversation. The daughters would rather not reveal anything honest. Years of resentment, avoidance, unhappiness, disappointment come crashing down.
Why: In one very economic scene the dynamics and history of this family are revealed. You understand tons about these characters. The scene reflects eloquently any family that sometimes is unable to connect.
HOLY MOTORS
Setup : It doesn't matter. There's a man, there's an accordion. Several other men with accordions appear. It becomes a parade.
Why : It's a jolting haunting beautiful scene in a movie full of very eccentric scenes. Even if you don't care much for the movie, this one sticks with you. Fanfuckingtastic!
RUST AND BONE
Setup : A woman recovering from losing her legs in a horrific accident tries to remember and heal. Katy Perry starts blaring.
Why : Because of the emotional punch Marion Cotillard throws at you. You feel it in your gut.
MAGIC MIKE
Setup : A few male strippers gather in a gym to workout. A seasoned stripper teaches the new kid a few moves.
Why : Because Matthew McConaughey looks fantastic and acts the hell out of the scene. Years of his sometimes charming, sometimes puzzling public persona has lead to this moment. He emerges a great character actor and a star for the ages.
ANNA KARENINA
Setup : A few members of the Russian aristocracy gather at the races. A horse falls down. A woman screams with concern for her lover. Her husband watches.
Why : It is unlike anything else we've seen at the movies this year. Joe Wright's choice to film the whole movie inside a theater comes to bright vivid life in this scene. He builds the tension; is Vronsky OK? What will Anna do? How will Karenin react? The visuals are sumptuous and the emotions heightened.
ZERO DARK THIRTY
Setup: Mission accomplished, time to leave the mission site. A lonely hunter boards a plane. Tears stream down her face.
Why : We don't know why Maya is crying. Is it relief? Is it sadness? Does she feel lost? Not knowing what to do next with her life? We don't know and the questions are what makes the scene moving and memorable.
THE SESSIONS
Setup : The sex therapist and her patient finish a session. As they are saying goodbye they both discover the emotional bond that grew between them. They decide to end the sessions. The therapist has a breakdown in her car.
Why : The emotional honesty of the scene. The way Helen Hunt plays it is moving and cathartic. You see all these feelings on her face as she starts crying alone in her car. She is at once happy, sad and grateful. Happy for her patient's breakthrough, sad because she will miss him in her life, grateful to have had the experience.
What were some of your most memorable scenes? Do you agree with these choices? I would love to hear from you.
The first Awards body of the season announced today. The New York Film Critics Circle. Here is what they chose and my reactions :
FILM Zero Dark Thirty
DIRECTOR Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
Haven't seen it yet but happy for Bigelow. The Hurt Locker is the best war movie and can't wait for the follow up. Winning Best Pic 3 years ago was the only time my favorite movie of the year won. ACTRESS Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea Surprise, surprise. I like that this opens up the already very open Best Actress field. Weisz was excellent in The Deep Blue Sea, and judging from my twitter feed has many fans. But come on Emmanuelle Riva is the best thing at the movies this year bar none.
ACTOR Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln
Lets hope this is not the start of a sweep. It would be very boring if Day Lewis just keeps wining. Although it looks inevitable. He was great in Lincoln, and understated and funny and totally uncanny so I'm not complaining.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS Sally Field, Lincoln
Wowza. Another surprise although smaller. I was totally in the contingent that Anne Hathaway was going to sweep for Les Miserables. I like that they threw a wrench in that narrative. Sally was over the top I think in Lincoln. I get that she was playing crazy but I can't figure out if I like the performance or not. Her crazy to DDL's understatement I don't think entirely jelled. Obviously NYFCC doesn't agree with me. SUPPORTING ACTOR Matthew McConaughey for Bernie and Magic Mike
My fave award. McConaughey deserves it for his landmark year and great turn in Magic Mike. Haven't seen Bernie. I hope this fires up his Oscar campaign and he gets noticed. I'm predicting him. ANIMATED FILM Frankenweenie
Haven't seen it. Haven't seen any animated movies. I know. DOCUMENTARY The Central Park Five No comment, again haven't seen it. FOREIGN FILM Amour
I'm OK with Amour sweeping a la A Separation last year. It's fantastic. First Haneke movie that I love. I can't shake it 2 months after seeing it. Masterpiece. FIRST FILM David France for How to Survive a Plague SCREENPLAY Tony Kushner, Lincoln
They liked Lincoln. They really liked Lincoln. CINEMATOGRAPHY Greig Fraser for Zero Dark Thirty And they liked Zero Dark Thirty. 3 awards each.
After a summer traveling abroad I am back in New York and catching up with movies. Here are tiny reviews of movies I saw recently:
The Dark Night Rises : Overpraised and very loud. I saw this on a lovely sunny day in Wales - there are so few of these - and I regretted leaving the sun to see it. Anne Hathaway was good and its always a pleasure to see Joseph Gordon Levitt but I had several problems with the movie. The politics were very muddled while trying to be topical; is the movie really against the Occupy movement? Christian Bale was doing the same tortured hero he always does; nothing new to see there. Tom Hardy was undermined by the mask covering half his face - really Chris Nolan you hire the biggest sexiest lips on a man in the movies and then hide them, really?
The Amazing Spider Man - Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are very charming together. I totally bought their romance and the chemistry was combusting. The rest of the movie was just blah.
Magic Mike - In my mind the best movie I saw this year to date. It was very refreshing, amid the summer glut of super heroes; to see a character driven movie. Who would've thought this would be it? And I liked that it didn't glamorise striping; the ugly underbelly of drugs and self loathing was all there on screen. Channing Tatum proved his current omnipresence is justified with a charming, understated natural performance. Matthew McConaughey does what I think is a riff on his perceived public persona is wining and probably his best performance ever.
Ted - Opened the same weekend as Magic Mike as the above meme attests and it is perfect counter programing. I remember laughing a lot but can't remember any of the jokes or performances now. Apparently entertaining but not memorable.
Bachelorette - Another very funny movie. But more memorable. This movie about a trio of mean girls attending their fat friend's wedding carrying along years of resentment and dashed hopes is caustingly funny. Its also not afraid of honestly portraying its protagonists in all their loathsome qualities. While Kirsten Dunst is funny and brittle as the main mean girl, Lizzy Caplan steals the movie with an all out funny performance full of pathos as the girl who refuses to grow up lest she face her teenage demons.
More shorts takes coming soon about Fall movies The Master, Hello I Must Be Going and End of Watch.
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