BEST FILMS OF 2012 (according to me)

[oscar jubis]

It has taken me longer than usual to produce a list for 2012 because I had to catch up with many notable 2012 releases. I still have not seen 2 films that have many admirers: Tabu and Django Unchained. However, I've been able to watch the top 10 (or 11) at least twice so I feel confident about listing them in such a prominent place. Rankings within the "runners up" and "honorable mention" categories is not to be taken as definite. The differences between films in these categories is not of great significance. Note: I have ties at #1, #4, and #7, order in each is alphabetical. That is why Amour is listed before The Mill and the Cross, for example.

Amour (France)
The Loneliest Planet (USA/Germany)
The Mill and the Cross (Poland-Sweden)
The Turin Horse (Hungary)

The Deep Blue Sea (UK)
Las Acacias (Argentina)
Once upon a time in Anatolia (Turkey)

The Hunter (Iran)
Neighboring Sounds (Brazil)
This is Not a Film (Iran)

Runners-Up
The Kid with a Bike (Belgium-France)
Post Mortem (Chile)
Bernie (USA)
Beasts of Southern Wild (USA)
Moonrise Kingdom (USA)
Oslo August 31st (Norway)
Cosmopolis (Canada)
Cafe de Flore (Canada)
The Day He Arrives (So. Korea)
Elena (Russia)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
Silver Linings Playbook (USA)

Honorable Mention:
Two Years at Sea, Keep the Lights On, Unforgivable, Walker, Waiting for Sugar Man, The Secret World of Arrietty, Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Sister, Barbara, Take this Waltz, Intouchables, Holy Motors, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, The Master, Wuthering Heights, Goodbye First Love, Rust and Bone, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, The Central Park 5, Keyhole.

[Chris Knipp]

I like most of these films but I haven't seen all of them. I might not put them in your order, but we all have our sympathies and inclinations.
These I have not seen:
The Hunter (Iran)
Runners-Up
Cafe de Flore (Canada)
Honorable Mention:
Two Years at Sea, Walker, The Secret World of Arrietty, Keyhole.

I like the other ones and don't see any glaring omissions. Not with that many included. Good job in seeing them all, and good luck with finding Tabu and Django Unchained.

[oscar jubis]

Thanks for your comments CK.
The Hunter and Two Years at Sea have high metacritic scores. I am quite surprised that the Quebecois Cafe de Flore does not. These are the 3 films I would recommend to you (if you have time). I'm curious if you would agree with me that Cafe de Flore has been under-rated.

[Chris Knipp]

I can't enter the fray on CAFÉ DE FLORE because it's not available on Netflix. Neither is TWO YEARS AT SEA. THE HUNTER is. Now is not a very good time though. It would be better if it was on Instant Play but it's not. Barring unforeseen circumstances I'll probably see a new Iranian SFIFF film today at a SF preview screening, THE PATIENCE STONE.

[oscar jubis]

It's very interesting to consider how Iranian filmmakers manage to make films (and the kind of films they manage to make) under strict governmental censorship and scrutiny. I look forward to your take on The Patience Stone.

The US distributor of Tabu, Barbara, Sister, and Cafe de Flore is Adopt Films, which does not seem to be in the business of home video releasing. There are DVD and BluRay editions of the film marketed exclusively in Canada (region 1 also) that are available for purchase on Amazon. But no US rental outfit has it. Shame.

[Chris Knipp]

YEs, pity. I guess not many outside of festivals will get to see TABU here, then. I'd like to see CAFÉ DE FLORE, though I can live without it.

I'm supposed to hold a full review till later on PATIENCE STONE because it is being released this summer by Sony, and so I've stashed away my longer review and at festival-time will just "preview" it in 100 words or so, but I can tell you my feelings are mixed. It's beautiful to look at, which is a bit odd given that it takes place in Kabul. The female star, Farahani, is a recent exile to Paris: Rihani came there many years ago, and it neither looks like not was made under the conditions of the usual Iranian films, besides which Rihani is Afghan, and wrote the book in French. They shot all the interiors in Casablanca, Morocco, and a stand-in was used for Farahani in the few Kabul exteriors (in a burqa you can't tell); the star has never been to Afghanistan. Some of the things you say apply, but this looks and feels more like a European film. In my full review I contrast it with A SEPARATION, which is more like what you're talking about, and to me has more of a vérité look, and atmosphere. A PATIENCE STONE seems very stylized. It was conceived in Paris, made from a Prix Goncourt-winning French novel or novella, adapted for the screen by Jean-Claude Carrière, then (maybe by Rihani) translated into Farsi, and shot in Morocco (where BLACK HAWK DOWN and ever other Mideast US movie was shot). As a French viewer commented on IMDb (it's been released in France) it's got lots of faults, but "it''s not crap either." Golshifteh Farahani (who's Iranian) is beautiful, though sort of a tomboy (she strongly reminded me of the young Joan Baez) and she has great assurance in her role, which is practically just one hour and forty minute monologue. I could interview Rihani and then I could write all I want about him and the film, but I don't do interviews.