2012: Halfway in Film

2012 is at the half mark and there have already been many movies released to US theaters ranging from Adam Sandler's newest That's My Boy to the horror film The Devil Inside.  No, I didn't see either of those films nor do I ever plan on it.  However, I have watched plenty of good movies in the first half of the year and even missed quite a few that I wanted to see.  Well I really didn't miss them, but their releases were so small that they didn't play in any theaters near me.  These movies that I have not yet seen include notably Sound of My Voice, Snowtown, Kill List, Post Mortem, and Oslo, August 31st.  I'll get a chance to see them later in the year when they are released on instant.

Many of the major films released in the first half of 2012 were Cannes films from 2011 that were not released here until this year.  I particularly enjoyed the Mexican suspsense film Miss Bala in which Stephanie Sigman gives an impressive performance.  The Dardennes brothers newest film, The Kid with a Bike is another jewel in their repertoire.  Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives surprised me the most of any movie of the year so far.  It has a simple style contrasted to a complex plot and themes.  I had not seen any of Hong's movies and this first one was a treat.  I also loved the cinema verite of Maiwenn's child protection unit drama in Polisse.  It includes the best ensemble of the year and one of the best scenes.  I saw a few other of the 2011 Cannes films (Elena, Footnote, Michael, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Where do We Go Now?), but none of them reached the same level for me as the four aforementioned ones.  

I wasn't as huge a fan of The Avengers as most people have been, however there have been blockbuster and big budget movies I have enjoyed.  Garry Ross's adaptation of The Hunger Games absorbs the viewer into the universe of Panem.  Ridley Scott's Prometheus has its share of editing and writing problems, but it is a visual spectacle that dares to ask big questions.  Its one of those movies I appreciate much more than it is good.  For its sheer daring and spectacle, I will remember it come the end of the year. 

Returning to the screen for the first time since 1998 is American auteur director Whit Stillman.  His Damsels in Distress is a quirky, lovely, and joyful look at a college campus.  The delight in this film is a major contrast to the realism found in Miss Bala and The Kid with a Bike.  Like Stillman, Wes Anderson has a similar, but distinct style in his films.  Moonrise Kingdom, Anderson's newest, adds to Anderson's resume and continues upon his styles and themes.  Its extremely enjoyable to watch and made with the craft of a master.   

The animated movie The Secret World of Arrietty is one of the most simple films from the Japanese Studio Ghibli animation house, yet it is still charming, sweet, and impeccably made.  It may not be as good as a film directed by Miyazaki himself, but it is still a gem.  It won't be eligible for the Oscars this year, due to the delay in its release (it was released in Japan two years ago), but hopefully it will be remembered at the end of the year with other critics bodies.

Let's not forget Steven Soderbergh.  While he declared that he is retiring, the prolific director has shown now signs of slowing down.  Both of his films released this year, Haywire and Magic Mike, are very good.  Neither is a favorite for me so far this year, but they are highly worth watching and dissecting.  Magic Mike interestingly may be the most Floridian movie to be released in years.  As a Floridian, it is something I highly appreciate with its many location shots and references to upper and middle class Floridian lifestyles.  Not many films have showcased the uniquely southern but distinctively different Floridian culture.   

Below are my top ten of 2012 so far.  To be eligible, a movie must have had its American release starting January 1st through June 31st.  For practical reasons, limited releases in late June (like Beasts of Southern Wild) won't be included on the list since I won't get a chance to see them for some time.  Positions 3-7 were all very close and I would expect those movies to shift spots over time. 

My Top 10 of The First Half of 2012

Honrable Mentions: Bernie (Richard Linklater), The Hunger Games (Gary Ross), and Keyhole (Guy Maddin)

10. Tie: Hawyire and Magic Mike
Directed by Steven Soderbergh (The United States) 

 

 

 

9. Declaration of War 
 Directed by Valerie Donzelli (France)

8. Prometheus 

Directed by Ridley Scott (The United States) 

 

7. The Secret World of Arrietty 

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Japan)

 

6. Miss Bala 

Directed by Gerardo Naranjo (Mexico)

 


5. Polisse
Directed by Maiwenn (France)

4. The Day He Arrives 

Directed by Hong Sangsoo (South Korea)

3. The Kid with a Bike

Directed by Luc and Jean- Pierre Dardenne (Belgium)

2. Moonrise Kingdom

Directed by Wes Anderson (The United States)

1. Damsels in Distress 

Directed by Whit Stillman  (The United States)

And I have a few superlative awards to give out halfway through the year:

Best Actor: Jack Black in Bernie

Best Actress: Stephanie Sigman in Miss Bala        

Best Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender in Prometheus
               
Best Supporting Actress: Celine de France in The Kid with a Bike

Best Ensemble: Polisse



And for a treat, the list of my most anticipated films for the second half of 2012.

1. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)
2. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
3. Holy Motors (Leos Carax)*
4. To the Wonder (Terrence Malick)*
5. Beasts of Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin)
6. The Hobbit (Peter Jackson)
7. Frankenweenie (Tim Burton)
8. The Paperboy (Lee Daniels)
9. In the House (Francois Ozon)*
10. Up From Poppy Hill (Goro Miyazaki)

*Holy Motors and In the House both have American distributors, but neither company has announced the release dates of the films, which could be pushed into 2013.  Likewise, the new Terrence Malick movie has been announced, but we don't know if it is really truly ready and if it will get a 2012 release.