My Top Ten Films of 2012

I don’t know what it can be attributed to, but 2012 FLEW by almost unceremoniously. Thankfully, this past year brought with it a massive heap of middling to solid cinematic endeavors, a vast majority of which I had the pleasure and sometimes displeasure of viewing and meticulously ranking. In addition to my run-of-the-mill theater ventures, I along with a pair of fellow cinephiles attended TIFF 2012 together – an event that was far and away the most memorable high point of my soon-to-be 25 years here on this earth, and words cannot describe how eager I am to tackle 2013’s festival offerings when the time comes. This in mind, I’ve once again compiled a list of my absolute favorites for you to potentially admire and compare to your own or even others’, so without any further adieu, I present to you my top ten films of 2012!

Top 10: Collaborators That Could Use a Reunion

Series scribe Tony Gilroy returns with his first directorial go in the Bourne saga tomorrow, The Bourne Legacy. Having parted ways with Paul Greengrass – the man behind the camera for both The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum – many have been wondering if Gilroy has the chops necessary to give the franchise’s signature frenetic aura that certain special oomph. While the movie-going public mulls that one over this weekend, Mr. Deepayan Sengupta and I have compiled a list of collaborators both past and present that we hope get back together sometime in the near or distant future. Enjoy, and as always, feel free to voice your own personal wishes for future collaborations!

My January in Review

As a resounding failure, last year’s attempt to log my monthly film viewing habits came to an abrupt halt when I decided to call it quits after January. For my second go-round, I’ve decided to stick with it and share with you the total number of films I’ve viewed during the month in question and pinpoint my five favorites while posting (mildly) informative blurbs about each. In regards to the past month specifically, I’ve recently embarked upon a director’s retrospective over at Reel Time, focusing primarily on one Wong Kar-wai as I set out to view each of his films in chronological order, so make sure to check out my full reviews of each film via the link provided. This aside, I found myself pleasantly surprised by my first two 2012 theater outings and even more so by a first-time viewing of one of 2011’s more elusive limited foreign releases. Enjoy, and as always, feel free to comment on anything you’d like!

Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar-wai, 1990)

As an above average sophomore effort, Kar-wai successfully blends his dreamy visual aesthetic with a story surrounding a rebellious womanizer, the women he simultaneously seduces and the ongoing search for his birth mother after discovering he’s been adopted. Thin yet compelling, Kar-wai deftly incorporates themes of love lost and subsequent heartbreak along with those of a more existential nature as central character Yuddy struggles to find his place in the world. All the while remaining engaging on account of how each individual is linked together in subtle yet increasingly significant ways, Days of Being Wild is essentially the precursor to Kar-wai’s later, more renowned cinematic endeavors. Full review at Reel Time.

Fallen Angels (Wong Kar-wai, 1995)

As a quintessential companion piece to 1994’s Chungking Express, Fallen Angels is largely comparable to its immediate predecessor in several noticeable aspects, yet the subversive nature of character Wong Chi-Ming’s line of work and the sexual tension that exists between him and his rarely seen partner are what make this indirect continuation of Kar-wai’s magnum opus stand out significantly. Dwelling on the auteur’s signature themes of inevitable heartbreak and loneliness to varying degrees, the film’s two disparate story arcs are deftly woven together as the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong is expertly captured by one of today’s most talented working filmmakers. Full review at Reel Time.

Haywire (Steven Soderbergh, 2011)

As another slight departure from Soderbergh’s typical fare, Haywire feels appealingly experimental in its portrayal of Mallory Kane (Gina Carano): a mercenary-for-hire and brute force to be reckoned with that’s recently been sold up the river by her shady employer Kenneth (Ewan McGregor). In order to clear her name, Mallory must uncover the truth both alone and with the help of an unwilling accomplice as she mercilessly beats her assailants within an inch of their lives one-by-one. Lem Dobbs’ often complex screenplay doesn’t opt for easy answers, and the raw presentation of the expertly choreographed action sequences, believe it or not, may not appeal to mainstream audiences, but Soderbergh’s discernible panache and a pulse-pounding score set the tone for this slick actioner that treads through familiar territory while maintaining its own identity.

Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai, 1994)

Widely lauded as the contemporary masterpiece that catapulted Kar-wai into the realm of commercial success, Chungking Express tells the tale of two Cantonese policemen as they both struggle with losing their respective significant others, relying on their own peculiar coping strategies and prospective new female cohorts to dry their oceans of grief. Unashamedly addressing Kar-wai’s signature themes dealing with the complexities and unforgiving nature of modern day relationships, these tales exist independent of one another as they’re gradually interwoven and serve as testaments to Kar-wai’s penchant for streamlined yet engaging narratives and the visual panache that’s earned him a spot among the likes of so-called “visual storytellers,” ensuring that the entire experience is as much a film lover’s film as it is a prime example of Kar-wai’s budding prowess as an auteur. Full review at Reel Time.

The Grey (Joe Carnahan, 2012)

Those looking for nothing but Liam Neeson beating the living piss out of a pack of wolves will be sorely disappointed once they’ve laid eyes on Joe Carnahan’s latest, an astonishingly humanized take on a tried-and-true survival movie formula that prides itself on warranted brutality and heartfelt emotional sincerity. Under Carnahan’s watchful eye, The Grey remains a beautifully realized effort that has unfortunately fell victim to what I like to call the “January Release Effect,” meaning that it’ll most likely be forgotten in the coming months as bigger and assuredly better things loom not-so-ominously on the horizon. Make no mistake however, as this is most likely the singular early 2012 release that’ll make waves on the mainstream circuit, and if you haven’t already seen it, please do yourself a favor and enter the theater with an open mind, expecting nothing but a breath of fresh air within a previously hackneyed subgenre of filmmaking.

Total number of films watched: 9
Other first-time viewings (in alphabetical order): Ashes of Time Redux (Kar-wai, ’08), Happy Together (Kar-wai, ’97), Point Blank (Cavayé, ’10)

Review: The Grey (2012)

Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo

Joe Carnahan, let’s face it, is not a generation-defining auteur when it comes to intelligent contemporary cinema. His past projects have been shallow, derivative, and if anything, mindless diversions from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. While earlier marketing campaigns for The Greysuggested that the film was merely just another big-budget actioner in the same vein as Carnahan and Neeson’s respective recent filmographies, it does continue this trend by way of pure visceral intensity, yet to say that I was genuinely taken aback by how mature and steadfast this production remained in its surprisingly humanistic sensibilities would be an understatement. That being said, Carnahan and the gang have essentially struck gold with more than fairly competent blend of your run-of-the-mill survival flick and an emotionally compelling commentary on the complexities of the human condition when paired with such a devastating predicament.

Wolves. The not-so-captivating centerpiece of the aforementioned marketing mishaps leading up to The Grey‘s opening day. Granted, they do quickly become the bane of our ill-fated laborers’ existence following a horrific (and brilliantly executed) plane crash, however to assume that the entire film revolves solely around Neeson stabbing them all to death in gung-ho fashion is plain asinine on your part. While the film does seem to pride itself on periodic bouts of brutal, prolonged violence, the scenes in question serve only to illustrate and subsequently accentuate the unforgiving foreign environment our fledgling survivalists are unwillingly flung into. Blatant Man vs. Nature philosophical musings aside, The Grey‘s more involving sequences actually don’t feature a helpless Alaskan oil crewman getting his jugular torn out, given how well Carnahan implements the film’s wonderful air of humanity regarding its characters’ overall development.

Sure, there’s a fair amount of stereotyping to blame for the film’s lesser moments, whether it’s Neeson’s titular omniscient badass or the stubborn ex-con that simply refuses to take orders from the only person that actually knows what he’s doing or talking about. This aside, The Grey reaches a plane of human emotion and understanding no film of its type has ever reached before, focusing primarily on Neeson’s Ottway and the loss of his wife as he desperately clings to her memory to brazenly pave the way toward his dwindling troupe’s next life-or-death decision. As each unwitting party member begins to succumb to their own respective fates, we’re offered but a smidgen of these characters’ backgrounds so as to effectively force us to care that much more about them and their potential plight. Whether you agree with this approach or not, Carnahan’s surprising visual finesse does wonders for the film as a whole, especially during periodic flashbacks centering on Ottway and his lost love, making the proceedings that much more engaging by way of a visceral, big-budget feel that makes the characters’ eventual catharses and bouts of sheer hopelessness stand out and hit that much harder.

In addition to merely braving the elements, The Grey also sports a questionable dogmatic agenda that will or won’t appeal to the masses. Certain individuals question their faith and the idea of an afterlife as often as they do their next step on their perilous sojourn through the Alaskan wilderness. Fortunately for us, everyone involved is portrayed nearly flawlessly by a cast helmed by the one and only Liam Neeson, of whom gives his best performance in recent memory. Seemingly channeling real-life emotion into each moment that not-so-subtly addresses his own personal demons, Neeson brings enough conviction to the role to both reestablish himself as a more than capable leading man and one of today’s best working actors following a string of mindless hit-or-miss action-thrillers. The supporting cast also brings a substantial amount to the table, tackling their respective roles with adequate fervor as the terror-stricken group uneasily makes each transition from one life-or-death situation to the next.

As a multifaceted big-budget survival flick with a heart, The Grey fires on all cylinders. Both delivering in the realm of compelling, exceedingly violent yet not too over-the-top action sequences and authentic human emotion surrounding the central characters’ anguish regarding their loved ones, Joe Carnahan has essentially taken a turn for the better. Neeson’s Ottway remains the film’s most compelling key element, boldly leading his ragtag team of former coworkers through the unforgiving wilderness while remaining vulnerable and far from your typically invincible protagonist. The film’s oft-discussed philosophical musings pertaining to death, faith and nature’s fury will undoubtedly divide audiences, however to deny the surprising amount of effective emotional complexity the film sports would be unfair considering how rarely this approach has been implemented elsewhere. Misleading marketing campaign aside, The Grey is more than just your typical January release, standing tall as a remarkably insightful, appropriately brutal and emotionally poignant survival thriller with dynamite performances that further permeate the above average proceedings.

Rating: 8/10