1. Holy Motors (Léos Carax)
The most exhilarating time I've had at the cinema in years. Absolutely bonkers, yet at times strangely moving. Denis Levant gives the performance of a lifetime.
2. Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)
Funny, touching, romantic, real.
3. Amour (Michael Haneke)
Beautiful and harrowing.
4. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)
The best shot film of the year, with a beguiling elliptical script and a game cast.
5. Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow)
Intelligent and thrilling, Boal and Bigelow up their ante, surpassing The Hurt Locker in cinematic and political spectacle.
6. Lincoln (Steven Spielberg)
A surprisingly witty script raises this historical biopic above what could have been a "rah-rah-American" patriotism-fest. Daniel-Day Lewis deserves the Oscar he'll most likely win.
7. Anna Karenina (Joe Wright)
Dazzling, lush and sweepingly romantic. Wright's modernist games and Stoppard's twisting script remain true to the core of Tolstoy's novel, while rushing it forwards to the 21st century.
8. Hitchcock (Sacha Gervasi)
My 'guilty pleasure' of the year. Mirren and Hopkins are a delight to watch, and while not all of the film's gambles work, who cares when you're having this much fun?
9. Cosmopolis (David Cronenberg)
Unabashedly highbrow, Cronenberg's film has many detractors --most of my theatre walked out-- but if you're up for an intensely cerebral time at the cinema, you may find yourself well rewarded. An incredible supporting cast, with Pattinson showing his chops.
10. Rust and Bone (Jacques Audiard)
Simultaneously chilly and romantic, with powerful performances.
Still Need to See
A Royal Affair
5 Broken Cameras
Bernie
Brave
Farewell, My Queen
Frankenweenie
The Grey
How to Survive a Plague
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Looper
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
ParaNorman
The Queen of Versailles
Tabu
Take This Waltz
This is Not a Film
West of Memphis
Not-So-Good Films
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin)
Excellent performances and tight direction, but 'Magical Negro' syndrome and 'Poor People Are So Quaint' overload marred this for me.
The Sessions (Ben Lewin)
Lewin's Mark O'Brien was just too Saint-like for me to take, with attempts at 'oh-so-witty' to boot. A cliché-ridden script.
Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore)
Sorry, y'all. I couldn't stand the saccharine-sarcastic explosion of Sugar Rush, and rarely have I ever wanted to slap a character as hard as Sarah Silverman's.
Dishonourable Mention
Les Misérables (Tom Hooper)
See my review as to why I loathed this.
The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan)
Nolan's most insufferable film to date.
Iron Sky (Timo Vuorensola)
You can't manufacture cult campiness. It just doesn't work. How can you mess up space Nazis?? With far too obvious (and outdated) political commentary, not enough action, and making it a long, boring drag.
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