20 Favourite 'New To Me' films of 2012

2012 was the best year as far as blogging is concerned for me. Well, the fact that this was the ONLY full year of blogging I have had thus far made it very easy. But, Still it was pretty incredible year. First full year of blogging, documenting and cataloging the movies I have seen throughout the year and my brief thoughts on them and off course, other bloggers that have already done similar lists made me want to do this list. So, this is the list of 20 movies that I liked the most out of 305 movies that I saw in the calender year of 2012 for the first time. In all likelihood, as and when I update my Top 100, most of them will make it into that list, if they already aren't. Most interesting part of making this list was sifting through all the movies I have seen and realizing that it has been less than a year since I have seen, City Lights(1931) or The Game(1997). For a strange reason, I feel like I have loved these movies for a long, long time. And yes, I have left all the 2012 releases out of the list since at some point of time, most likely mid-February, I will eventually do the list of my favourite 2012 movies. So, they will have there time in limelight. It's time for some older movies to shine. Lets get to it then.

Honourable Mentions: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(1958), The Lost Weekend(1945), Away From Her(2006), All About Eve(1950), Cache(2006), Brokeback Mountain(2004).

20. Black Narcissus(1947): After watching The Red Shoes(1948) last year, which really impressed me and introduced me to the duo of Powell and Pressburger, Black Narcissus took it a step further. I am arguably a little partial towards it because of the Indian settings and using them well but then I look at that last scene and it feels like it deserves it. It really does.

 

19. Paths of Glory(1957): Let me start with the usual. Not a big Kubrick Fan but that's what makes Paths of Glory special that despite not belonging to the Kubrick camp, I loved it. It is Kubrick at its usual acerbic best. He still uses the platform to criticize but it is little restrained and is for the right cause which makes it exploratory and not exploitative. 

18. The Birds(1963): I live less than 100 miles from Bodega Bay and the fact that this happens on that location made me scare for my life. Not Really, just joking but this is true that I was more scared while watching this movie than most of the so called scary/horror movies I have seen. Over the time, this has even made into my favourite Hitchcock's as well.

17. Life of Brian(1979): After being long overdue, I finally caught up with Monty Pythons last year. This year, I caught up with Life of Brian. It sure still is one of the funniest movies of all time but I have been amazed by its power to infuse a discussion and to prove my point I will point you to the only thing that is even better than this film is this interview.

 

16. The Discreet Charm of Bourgeoisie(1972): Bunuel's movies are a challenge. However the fact that this is not the only Bunuel in the list should certify to the fact that I like this challenge. Walking into this movie, almost without knowing anything about it makes it an even bigger challenge and I think I almost gave it up but I realized what's happening at the last image. It all suddenly made a lot more sense then. I have rarely had such 180 turns based on 1 still.

15. A Separation(2011): Last year at around this time everyone was getting excited about this movie. As usual, I arrived little late but this movie hit me equally hard, just like everyone else. I flat out deny to draw any conclusions from this about Iranian policies but what I really do admire is earnestness and honesty of the script and in the performances. It is also really hard to believe that there is absolutely no sappy melodrama in it.

14. The General(1926): I can say that one of the highlights of my self movie education this year will be my introduction to Buster Keaton. What I appreciate the most about this movie is that it is not just a collection of some gags but there is a real story to it. I still belong to the Camp Chaplin but if Buster Keaton can make anything as funny and fluent as The General, the other side has got a damn strong case too.

13. The Double Life of Veronique(1991): After his Three Colours Trilogy last year, this was the next logical step for Kieslowski for me and personally, this was even better than anything in the trilogy. Even in the trilogy, Red was my favourite and there is one big reason for that - Irene Jacob. There is something in her face or the way Kieslowski presents her that keeps me fixated on her, almost hypnotized.

12. Viridiana(1961): As I said, there are more than one Bunuel on the list. Cynicism of this movie astounds me. There really isn't much worse that you can do to defame any regime. Spanish authorities promptly banned this movie right after they saw the final cut. I wouldn't have been surprised if they tried to kill it completely and we never would have known that such a film once existed. But it takes real courage to make such movie and do it so well.

11. Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf(1966): In the past year, quite a few of my fellow bloggers turned in their lists of various favourite performance. Truth be told, I won't be able to do such a list. I only know that my favourite male performance is Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will be Blood(2007) and its female counterpart would be Elizabeth Taylor in this movie. I swear to god that I never imagined in my wildest dream that anything like this was ever possible.

10. The Game(1997): It feels a little weird that it has been less than a year since I saw The Game for the first time. It feels like it has been quite a while because it is the movie that made me fall in love with the city of San Francisco. Off course, it does have a great concept executed exquisitely which keeps your adrenaline pumping and which doesn't fail you in the end, once the secret is revealed. 

9. Shame(2011): Just like A Separation(2011), Shame never made into my Top 10 in 2011 just because I wasn't able to catch up with it anywhere close to the end of last year. I got to it almost 6 months into 2012 but once again, just like A Separation, realized that it indeed is that damn good. Carrey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender's performances, only topped by very harsh and honest representation of an addiction.

8. Judgement at Nuremberg(1961): It was more than two years ago that I heard such movie existed. I spent almost one year trying to find a copy of this movie until I finally found it by complete off chance. I spent some more time before watching it even after owning a copy of it but when I did watch, I understood why people recommend it so highly. Since the day I have seen it, I haven't been able to shake off Burt Lancaster's monologue in the court.

7. Metropolis(1927): Thanks to Netflix, I saw the most complete version of it and I am thankful I did because I had no idea about the existence of multiple versions when I saw it. I am sure that many agree with me when I say that what amazes me the most about it is the vision of this movie. In my opinion, making this movie in 1927 was an exceptional feat. However, making it in such a way that it remains relevant even after so many years is nothing short of miracle.

6. Boogie Nights(1997): I had heard a lot of good things bout this movie and I found most of them to be true when I actually checked it out. It has the amazing opening tracking shot that introduces almost the whole cast in a single shot, it also has one of the most incredible ensemble cast assembled where every one delivers. However, what I find interesting about it is these are great actors playing bad actors on screen and doing a great job at that.  

5. Pather Panchali(1955): Satyajit Ray is probably the most well-known Indian director in the world and his Apu Trilogy is his most well-known work. I was really glad when I got a chance to watch them this year because of a friend. Like lot of others, I really think this is one of the Best Trilogies in the history of cinema but out of the three, Pather Panchali made a greater impression on me because of the way it celebrates the small joys of life. It made me nostalgic.

4. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans(1927): If it wasn't for that ending, I would have killed everybody related to that movie. It should be a crime that they get us to care so much for the characters in such a little time and then send us home as a blabbering mess that I would have been, if not for that ending. But they did the right thing and so I am doing it too by including it in this list. Seriously, one of the most iconic silent movies.

3. Dr. Strangelove(1964): Did I say that I am traditionally not a Kubrick fan? And then sound like a hypocrite putting two movies on this list? Well, that's an occupational hazard I guess. But this was the perfect place, perfect scenario for all the criticism, cynicism that Kubrick's movies are full of; up to the brim. There are very few films that take a dead serious issue, turn it into a broad comedy and do in successfully. It also has one of the most iconic dialogues ever.

2. The Seventh Seal(1957): 1957 was an amazing year. There are so many movies made around the world in that year which are still considered as some of the best works of art. However, even if we only look at Ingmar Bergman, he made The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries. Two of my favourites and I love that they are really deep but at the same time so accessible. For a movie that is primarily about death, I was surprised by how much of hope there is in it

            

1. City Lights(1931): I have been watching Chaplin since I was kid. That's why I was really surprised when I realized that it has been less than a year since I saw City Lights. It seems like I have known him much longer. His Tramp has an uncanny ability of making you laugh so hard that it would make your stomach hurt but then do something so innocent, so pure, so beautiful that a single drop of tear would drop out of your eyes and you wouldn't even know it. Watch the last scene of this movie if you need any proof.

A Separation

I take my IMDb user account quite seriously. I have a habit of rating the movie on IMDb right after watching it. I also make lot of lists there, update them regularly and follow IMDb's lists as well. One such list is my watch-list for the IMDb Top 250 movies which is a list of movies I haven't seen from Top 250. For the longest time, Rear Window(1950) was my highest rated movie on that list, after that was Dr. Strangelove(1965) and now it is City Lights(1931). One fine day, about 6-7 months ago when I had not seen Rear Window yet, I realized that it wasn't first movie in my list anymore. Completely out of nowhere, a movie I had never heard of then took its place at the top of my list. That movie was A Separation(2011). This probably was the first time I heard of it and kept hearing about it since then as it collected awards after awards, praise after praise. That was until last week when I finally saw it and became one of them to be bowled over by the brilliance of this film.

This probably will not be like a normal reviews since I usually tend to discuss plot details in most of my reviews. But I have seen many reviews for A Separation after watching it and I agree with most of them when they say that it is impossible to discuss plot without giving any important spoilers away. For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, it will be criminal and if you have seen it, well, you anyway know everything. It might also make it a little shorter, but I can leave with it. All I will say is it is a story of a young couple going through difficult times in their marriage. Let me just introduce you to the characters - concerned couple is Simin and Nader. They have a 11 year old daughter Termeh. They also have Nader's old father leaving with them who has Alzheimer's and there is Razieh, a woman Nader has hired to look after his father. It takes hold of you from very first scene which probably is one of the best scenes you will ever see - a quick exchange of dialogues setting up the tone for next two hours as well as put us into perspective of what are we in for. There is no background music, there are no cuts. It relies on the acting skills of its two leads and their dialogue delivery and Boy, do they deliver! And so does the end. They could easily have cut it a minute earlier as Simin and Nader both come out of room but it lingers for a minute, giving you a full grasp of what Nader and Simin and going through, building the tension as if you are waiting for the decision as much as they are and then credit start to roll. I don't know about everyone but I was staring at the screen till the credits ended hoping maybe something will happen.

There are a lot of very subtle twists and turns in the plot which will make you question your loyalty to any side if at all you have already chosen a side. But as we go further in the movie we realize that there is no right side of it even though we can empathize with them. Everyone is doing what they are doing for one simple reason - to save their own skin. Asghar Farhadi, who directed as well as wrote this shows a great control by steering it in great direction at every turn. He not only made it interesting to watch on screen but harrowingly realistic in its cinematography and utterly thought-provoking. I saw it sometime last week and it had such a profound effect on me that I had to take some time to gather my thoughts enough to put this review together(So, excuse me, if it is not Coherent enough !!). His cast also deserves an equal credit since there is not a single character, small or big, which looses it's bearing at any point. Two leads Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami along with Sareh Bayat as Raziah carry this film on their able shoulders. But, one I would really like to mention here is Sarina Farhadi who plays the role of daughter Termeh who if you haven't realized is daughter of the director Asghar Farhadi. Whole movie revolves around her and she does a great job of carrying that burden with maturity that is beyond her age.

It is not the first Iranian movie I saw. I have seen few before as Majid Majidi is one of the directors I have seen quite a bit of and I have immense respect for. But, I have a kind of Interesting pattern of watching Foreign Films e.g. I have seen at least a dozen Swedish films but they are either Bergman or few recent one's like The Girl with Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Similarly, all the Japanese movies are either Ghibli or Kurosawa. I know I am looking at the vast picture through a very small window and that does not make me a connoisseur but one thing that I have noted in all the Iranian movie I have seen is characters in these films are always very Iranian and at the same time they manage to be very Universal. Any character in these films can very well be the person sitting next to you, wherever in the world you might be. Main reason Farhadi's script or A Separation in general works for me is this universal appeal but by keeping them as close to their own soil, to their own culture. It uses no background music, it is completely shot with the handheld camera which gives it much more personal touch like you are watching these characters in person. Script is very well written to help us understand the characters, understand their lives, their perspective. I loved the small touches like Simin never lashes out on Nader's father even though he is the reason behind all her problems, she is always polite, always respectful. Touches like this make it impossible to hate any character even though you might think they are otherwise wrong - it makes them Human and for that alone, it deserves its Oscar and every other award it has got.

I refuse to look at it as the failure of Iranian Judicial System because I do not think that the questions this film asks us have any simple solution to it and that any judicial system would have helped it. And also without bringing politics in, because it has uncanny ability to make purest water murkier, I can only hope that this Oscar and all the attention it brings along, will help bring the Iranian Film Industry to a little normal state.

Rating(out of 5):