Honorable Mentions
1. The American
A euro-noir disguised as an assassin flick, and let there be no mistake: The American is geared more towards an arthouse audience than anything else.
It's minimalistic, understated, and sparse with dialogue -- but a mounting sense of tension and paranoia prevent it from becoming a snoozefest. George Clooney gives a mature, enigmatic performance that's full of subtlety and self-reflection. Sometimes less is more, and that seems to be the prevailing aesthetic here for Clooney and director Anton Corbijn.
A slow pace coupled with a european-laced style and backdrop, and also a distinct lack of any extravagent action or set-pieces (not enough explosions or transformers or Jason Stathams) likely baffled the hoi polloi, but the fact that it became such an afterthought this awards season is kind of surprising to me. It's a shame, because The American, I feel, is a deeply misunderstood film, and easily one of the more underrated gems of the year.
It's minimalistic, understated, and sparse with dialogue -- but a mounting sense of tension and paranoia prevent it from becoming a snoozefest. George Clooney gives a mature, enigmatic performance that's full of subtlety and self-reflection. Sometimes less is more, and that seems to be the prevailing aesthetic here for Clooney and director Anton Corbijn.
A slow pace coupled with a european-laced style and backdrop, and also a distinct lack of any extravagent action or set-pieces (not enough explosions or transformers or Jason Stathams) likely baffled the hoi polloi, but the fact that it became such an afterthought this awards season is kind of surprising to me. It's a shame, because The American, I feel, is a deeply misunderstood film, and easily one of the more underrated gems of the year.
2. Never Let Me Go
This one begins as a familiar period drama, but eventually unfolds as a meditative, existential sci-fi romance-drama.
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel of the same name, Never Let Me Go chronicles the lives of three childhood friends who must come to terms with the fact that they are clones being manufactured for their organs.
There's some serious soul searching going on here, and solid performances from Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan and Kiera Knightley help us feel the innocence and anguish of these characters. And though at times the sentiment may come across a bit forced, it never becomes too distracting, as Never Let Me Go is surely one of the most unique and emotionally affecting films of the year.
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel of the same name, Never Let Me Go chronicles the lives of three childhood friends who must come to terms with the fact that they are clones being manufactured for their organs.
There's some serious soul searching going on here, and solid performances from Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan and Kiera Knightley help us feel the innocence and anguish of these characters. And though at times the sentiment may come across a bit forced, it never becomes too distracting, as Never Let Me Go is surely one of the most unique and emotionally affecting films of the year.
3. Greenberg
An atypical style of film for Ben Stiller, but the role itself suits him well.
Greenberg is the name of the film and the name of our protagonist, who's an eccentric, unlikeable middle-aged man in the midst of a generational crisis. He's in LA to housesit for his brother's family, and it's quickly learned that he once led a promising life in the City of Angels before strangely vanishing to New York.
This film is all about rediscovery. It's also a character study in the sense that Greenberg's delineation is far more important than plot (which there is little of). We, as the audience, are forced to follow this self-absorbed, bitter guy around, and it's not until he precariously falls into the developmental stages of love that we realize that there's an actual character arc at work. In the end, while we might not be able to truly feel for the character, we can at least identify with some of his issues as he attempts to revitalize his life.
Greenberg is the name of the film and the name of our protagonist, who's an eccentric, unlikeable middle-aged man in the midst of a generational crisis. He's in LA to housesit for his brother's family, and it's quickly learned that he once led a promising life in the City of Angels before strangely vanishing to New York.
This film is all about rediscovery. It's also a character study in the sense that Greenberg's delineation is far more important than plot (which there is little of). We, as the audience, are forced to follow this self-absorbed, bitter guy around, and it's not until he precariously falls into the developmental stages of love that we realize that there's an actual character arc at work. In the end, while we might not be able to truly feel for the character, we can at least identify with some of his issues as he attempts to revitalize his life.
Special nods to The Fighter, I Love You Phillip Morris and Animal Kingdom; all quality films.
My top ten of the year after the jump...
