Top 10 Films Of 2012

Until the already much anticipated year of 2015 dawns upon audiences, it's justified to say that 2012 has been a year dominated by 'epic blockbusters' hauling in billions with the aid of less than impressive 3-D. With the top two highest grossing films of the year being superhero movies it seems as though the genre has taken over becoming the easiest and most popular genre in which to create top dollar. The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises were of course these two films and whilst they may have not been the most impressive films of the year they certainly supplied much needed high end entertainment that cannot be argued with. Whilst all this buzz was surrounding these and similar blockbuster events, a realm of independent films formed in the background providing the quality products that will eventually most likely end up with Oscar Nominations. Leos Carax's Holy Motors baffled critics praising it for it's outlandish themes and it's study into film production, it may have not been exhilarating entertainment but it certainly provided something totally original for the art-house craving audiences

 As previously mentioned there were a plethora of brilliant films to be released this year in the UK (meaning films showing in America at the moment may not be released in the UK meaning they will not be on this list), too many in fact that they couldn't all fit on a list of 10, here are some films that just missed out.

The Cabin In The Woods- A much more meaningful and impressive film than it imposes to produce, it's a deeply interesting and entertaining view on the cliches of cinema.

Dredd- Not excellent but most certainly entertaining, it sticks to it's source material with precise honesty displaying a suitably violent thriller which lives up to it's name.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower- A sweet and beautifully depicted study into childhood and it's coinciding issues. Relatable and alluring if occasionally whimsical.

You've Been Trumped- One of the most powerful documentaries to be released this year riveting the audience to the screen where they'll be red with anger.

 Jeff Who Lives At Home- A wildly overlooked indie drama that tells the heartwarming story of a troubled man controlled by fate. Boasts originality and fantastic performances.

The Raid- An insane unrelentless action film that is as physically painfull as it is momentously entertaining.

Safety Not Guaranteed- A heartwarming rom/com with a meaningful message and excellent cast to match.

Onto the top 10 beginning with

10- Beasts of the southern wild
Following the story of a tenacious young girl and her relationship with her father and the world around her Beasts of the southern wild is a fantastic adventure told through the eyes of the innocent. Constantly in danger from impending floods due to the melting of the ice caps this story is as realistically relatable as it is an artistic portrait with a plethora of colours and rich messages. The central performance here is absolutely astounding from Quvenzhane Wallis, at the mere age of six years old her performance is as good if not better than any adult female performance of this year. The fantasy does begin to get marginally convoluted as the it draws to a conclusion but thankfully it ends on a perfectly understandable and charming way tying together each message, giving hope to the lead character of Hushpuppy; which is only aided by the fantastic score. This film should surely receive plenty of Oscar buzz and hopefully an unprecedented win for the outstanding performance of the young Quvenzhane Wallis.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/beasts-of-southern-wild.html

9- Rust And Bone

The first of two french releases on the list Rust and Bone concerns the story of two unlikely lovers a single father and a majestic killer whale trainer after she suffers from a tragic accident. Not only does this film respectively delve deep into the tolerance of disability but it is also very much a character study of two contrasting people. The acting here is fantastic with both leads displaying heart and emotion in their performance which ultimately drives the story to into it's heartwarming conclusion. This allows for a perfect connection between character and audience to be made, making each move of the characters seem all the more meaningful and relatable. This is a beautiful film with some truly powerful themes that shouldn't be missed. Forget the wrongfully acclaimed silver linings playbook, Rust and bone is the best romance of the year.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/rust-and-bone.html

8- The Intouchables
Similar to the previous film in a variety of ways, Intouchables follows the story of a quadriplegic man and his newly appointed assistant who proves to be more sensitive than initially believed. Beginning relatively slow this film more than makes up for it in it's remaining minutes displaying scenes of pure beauty and heartfelt emotion. The performances here are fantastic from Omar Sy and Francois Cluzet, their chemistry only makes the film that more believable and alluring. It's a film about finding trust in the unlikely and it achieves in portraying this message in a terrific way. Never does it prove to be cheesy or cliched, it may not be the most riveting of cinema but it certainly warms your heart from the opening minutes to the overwhelmingly loving conclusion. The various tones that it clearly set out to coagulate is achieved perfectly, appropriate heart is supplied as well as fitting comedic moments. Watch this classic before the inevitable American remake.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/intouchables-review.html

7- Looper
Much like 2010's Nolan epic Inception, Looper brought complicated yet eventually understandable sci-fi elements to the attention of the general audience. Set in 2074 where Time travel has been invented but it's very much illegal a gang use it's properties to send people back from the future and exterminate them in the past, so that they never existed. Although occasionally bewilderingly confusing Looper does a good job in making sense of it's narrative and making it accessible to a worldwide audience. The story works on multiple levels until it's unpredictable climax and just goes to show that blockbusters can be intelligent as well as being  entertaining.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/looper-review.html


6- Skyfall
Ever since the abysmal Quantum of solace audiences were skeptical that Bond would ever return to quality form and thankfully the worlds worry's were quelled as Skyfall was released, taking the world by storm. Claiming the worthy title of the best Daniel Craig bond film and perhaps the best ever since the Sean Connery era, Skyfall made James Bond suave once more just in time for his 50th birthday. This was achieved through an excellent coagulation of old and new, the cheesy volcano lairs of 60's Bond films are of course absent however no longer are all of their novelty gadgets and death sequences a thing of the past. Paying homage to early Bond, Skyfall did a brilliant job in integrating the old into the new as well as creating it's own identity with some excellent action scenes and sophisticated humor  Perhaps for the first time ever Bond felt oddly relatable as he fought his physical hardships and fought against the emotionless psychopath Silva, played by the brilliant Javier Bardem. Action scenes were intensely thrilling and each hit was felt by not only Bond but also the audience as we rooted for him like never before.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/skyfall.html

5- The Grey

Due to recent half-hearted action flicks Liam Neeson has become partially typecast as a 'badass OAP' with the likes of Taken and Unknown of the last few years. Nearly all hope had depleted until earlier this year when the totally unexpected critical acclaim for his newest film became evident. With a seemingly cliched narrative of plane crash, survivors looks for civilization  this film shouldn't be shunned as this may not be the story from the basic exterior however as the story progresses and plot points are uncovered this proves to be a surprisingly deep study into fate and courage. A shining performance from the fantastic Liam Neeson can be witnessed here providing so much emotion behind his performance, a scene where he desperately shouts to the heavens proves to be one of the most powerful in the whole film as well as one of the most poignant scenes of the year. The finale ties up the events perfectly as well as supplying it's own satisfying, heartfelt twist which will alter your perception on the previous hours, making the film that much greater. Don't dismiss this for 'another survival action'.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-grey.html

4- Argo
For a film with the credentials of a political thriller this is by no means a dialogue heavy bore, with Ben Affleck proving once again that he's more than just a fantastic actor. Argo follows the unbelievable true story of 6 American diplomatic personnel being extracted from a revolutionary Iran. Yes the story may be rather dramatised with the climactic scenes feeling more like a Bond sequence rather than an intelligent get-away, however this tone was vital in making the film what it is, appealing to the masses. If you marketed Argo as a political thriller following the guidelines precisely, a predictable target market would be drafted however stick to the event and make it dramatic, now you've got an audience. The final scenes of this film are more intense than any film of the last year, to create such tension behind a story with little actual action and a near total lack of violence is unbelievably commendable.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/argo.html

3- Sightseers
Ben Wheatley is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with despite this being only his third feature film, having an evident knack for dark horror in his 2011 epic Kill List, Wheatley converted his knowledge and mixed it with very British humour creating his hilarious comedy Sightseers. This follows Chris and Tina, two slightly obscure yet traditional adults who take a caravan holiday only to watch it spiral to disaster after a very wrong turn. Being by far the best and most inventive comedy of 2012, Sightseers brings comedy and makes it both delightfully awkward and deeply insidious. With the plot however does a come a message which is both heartwarming as it is deeply unsettling and not to mention horrifyingly relatable. Far too often have holidays taken a similar turn, people met along the way could very easily be 'that weird couple on the campsite'. Sightseers does an absolutely perfect job in nailing that tone, making the audience as paranoid as the characters as they face their annoyances. It's God bless Americas British counterpart but it's miles more accomplished.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/sightseers.html

2- Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, king of the quirky returns with Moonrise Kingdom a heartwarming tale of an intelligent American scout as he finds love and experiences adventure. Coming of age films have been done to death however few have delved into the young age bracket and none have done so with the prowess of Wes Anderson. By viewing the story through these innocent eyes messages arise and plot points become ever more interesting and alluring. It's a fascinating scope that is perfectly portrayed with the help from the two leads who feel more like adults than there supposedly naive age insinuates  This is a loving drama that perfectly captures the innocence of childhood as well as the gradual steps to maturity.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/moonrise-kingdom-review.html

1- Life of pi 

If stated after 2003's Hulk that the director Ang Lee would continue to adapt one of the most acclaimed yet 'unfilmable' books of all time onto the big screen, it would be greeted with hysterical laughter and criticism. However now that Life of Pi is a critical smash, Ang Lee is sitting smug in his comfortable armchair soaking up the praise and quite rightly so. Life of pi is an absolute masterpiece. Any director able to stimulate an audience with two characters in relativity the same setting for a good hour is commendable enough,  any director who does it with so much meaning and power is truly outstanding. The acting throughout the whole cast is brilliant most notably Pi (Suraj Sharma) carries the entire film on his shoulders especially considering the fact that he's acting against blue screen with a similar CGI character to interact with. The visuals are overwhelmingly fantastic looking even more triumphant in one of the only useful uses of 3-D to date. It's truly magical storytelling with some beautifully subtle symbolic moments which can be easily withdrawn and used as valuable messages. Life of Pi is the film of the year.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/life-of-pi-3d.html

Calum Russell

Safety not guaranteed

 Already this year we've seen Looper, the gritty realistic time travel based film in which one man faces his future self. Now imagine Safety not guaranteed as it's younger more playful brother, less convuluted, less dark but a whole lot more meaningful. It's not every day that you see a film similar to this, an indie sci-fi that's more a rom/com with complications. Surrounding the fanatical advert written by an eccentric man, Safety not guaranteed explores the themes of regret, love and happiness without diving in head first.

 Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a seemingly insane 'wannabe scientist' is met by Darius (Aubrey Plaza) after her and her fellow magazine co-workers reply to his advert asking for a time-traveling companion. What may seem to be a rather disjointed narrative proves to form a formidable foundation for the most part however once events unfold and the climax is reached the story finds itself frustratingly tangled. This isn't until however the joyous events of the first hour of the film unfolds bringing heart and perfect comedic moments.

 Being as much a comedy as any coinciding genre portrayed, this film brings some truly hilarious moments that feel relevantly fitting largely provided by the both naturalistic and well executed comedy prowess of Arnau (Karan Soni); Aiding in the films near-perfect tone. Each individual character provides a personal story and a hugely recognisable personality to match, most notably the whole aura of Mark Duplass' character is perfect in making this film what it proves to be, a loving drama with hidden but undoubtedly present messages. Although vague the message is relevant and meaningful once touched upon however it tends to be seemingly apprehensive in doing so, tentatively skimming the surface but rarely delving in deep. This led to a lot of frustrating scenes that not only felt pointless but were also unnecessarily convoluted, giving the whole film a misty facade that obscured the otherwise pleasant view. These scenes almost inevitably concluded in a disappointing finale that did near to nothing to justify the previous hours of film making it all seem a little irrelevant as it ended on a pitiful, nonsensical thud rather than a meaningful elegant close .

 With the attempt and ambition clearly present Safety not guaranteed does a brilliant job in creating a realistic and heartfelt romance but fails to withstand it's success as the film draws on. For the most part it is a brilliant film, there were just too many short moments containing irrelevant major aspects making it seem more audaciously flashy rather than lovingly niche. Enjoyment is guaranteed, a consistent plot however is not.

7.5/10- A fun and reflective rom/com if unnecessarily contrived and nonsensical.

Calum Russell

Argo

True stories can go two ways. Occasionally they stick tight to the event, following it's every move to cinematic boredom however on other occasions there're well executed bringing a deceased icon to life once more or in Argo's case highlighting an otherwise unknown event to the interest of the public eye. Once an A-list blockbuster actor and now also a certified successful director, Ben Affleck began his directorial career with his debut of Gone baby gone and then certified his talent with his 2010 thriller The Town. Argo is a step up with the daunting relatively complex narrative based on an unbelievable true story coming also with the pressure of delivering after his past two successes.

 Set in the 1980's Argo follows the true operation to extract six fugitive diplomatic personnel out of a revolutionary Iran. How stereotypical political thrillers go, they often find it difficult to penetrate into the heart of the narrative procrastinating in dialogue heavy office scenes, Argo barely suffers with similar issues as for the majority it proves to be a riveting thriller captivating the audience in militant Iran despite it's obvious dramatisation. For the most part of the first thirty minutes of this film it deals with ensuring permission to carry out the operation as well as making it look seemingly legitimate  Pacing issues are present but seem irrelevant in comparison to the surprisingly engaging debating scenes of the office that prove to be humorous as well as realistic due to the seamless script. The momentum only builds from this point gathering plot points and  intrigue as the film goes on, always placing the audience into the heart of the action with a total lack of any form of dull moment. Each character holds their unique personality and attributes, throughout the course of the film we see them adapt to their current situation with growing discomfort whilst being performed with emotional prowess making each of them and their feelings seem realistic and understandable.

 Argo is the best thriller to be released in 2012 and in fact one of the most engaging of the past few years. To be able to provide an intense thriller which has a near total lack of (usually present) violence is a momentous achievement  The concluding moments of the film engage the audience to new levels to the point of literal anxiety. The more Affleck immerses himself within the world of directing the better he becomes, his successes have certainly rocketed him to directorial acknowledgement with Argo being his most impressive achievement.

9/10- Bringing a poltical thriller to the interest of the general audience with extraordinary success.

 Calum Russell

Rust and bone

 It seems as that French filmmakers have a knack for creating sensitive character studies surrounding the difficulties and social standpoint that being disabled brings. We've witnessed this already, earlier in the year with the fantastic Intouchables that covers the personality change that 'new life' can bring and now we've witnessed it to an even greater extent with the excellent Rust and bone a film about disability and it's coinciding tolerances.

 Stephanie,a recently disabled killer whale trainer (Marion Cotillard) finds refreshing love in the form of rough single father, Alain (Matthias Schoenaerts) in this heartwarming tale of true love and the bitterness of fate. From the exterior with it's seemingly unoriginal trailer it looks as though Rust and bone has little going for itself when in reality it's much different proving to be original and metaphorically rewarding. It takes it's time to get into the swing of it's fluid narrative proving to procrastinate slightly in it's opening few minutes however once it gets going it doesn't stop until its heartwarming climax. The films tonal and technical aspects are perfectly balanced never swerving away from the sensitive story at hand, proving to constantly connect with the audience sharing in their difficulties. This is as much a character study as it is an art-house drama looking into the rich depth of the characters that have been created, every decision is understood and every wrongdoing is painful to watch. This films ultimate triumph in it's perfect portrayal of characters coinciding with them being beautifully acted by the two lead roles who both prove to be fantastic driving there performances with true emotion and heart which should surely provide some Oscar buzz.

In a year of many overrated art-house pictures this is one that should truly not be missed and should be recognized as a piece of gentle art, bringing sensitivity to a fragile subject. Carrying painfully realistic and powerful messages of respect and change, Rust and bone takes the viewer on a ride of unrelenting emotion.

9/10-  A fantastic heartfelt drama driven by feeling and concluding with a charming bow.

Calum Russell 

Life of pi 3D

 Ang Lee, director of the truly fantastic and the dismally underwhelming, it seemed as though after his momentary downfall with 2003's Hulk that he would never return to the bright limelight of the blockbuster. It may have taken him nine years to do so but Ang Lee has returned to serve a dose of fantasy in the form of the beloved novel Life of pi, and whilst it may not be a blockbuster for the masses it is certainly a blockbuster none the less boasting high end CGI and a typical third dimension to match. Issues arise whilst analysing the narrative : a boy and a tiger (named Richard Parker) find hope in each other after the ship carrying them sank and there're left stranded on a stray life raft. It may not be the most relatable and linear of narratives present however that's where it's true triumph stands, Life of pi manages to bring intelligence to the mainstream blockbuster in a way which is subtle and undeniably beautiful.

 From it's exterior it seems as though Life of pi is simply a convoluted fantasy tale, it's not until you begin to watch the film that you know it's going to be about so much more. Beginning at Pi's childhood we see his controlled upbringing and also his introduction to religion in particularly large doses. A familiar cinematic route is to take sides on a certain view on religion rarely braving to speak a unique mind, Life of pi however is very different doing just this with controlled understanding and intelligence showing zero tolerance to religious injustices. Pi grows older leaving the humor of the first half in it's rightful place, taking upon a more serious meaningful tone till the point where Pi becomes stranded and the film disembarks on a cinematic journey of wonder.

With a very large majorety of the film shot with CGI settings and characters, Life of pi did a fantastic job in riveting the audience to the story making the CGI become seamless and irrelevant.  Unlike many blockbusters of a similar nature the CGI is used sparingly only to enhance the visual features and sustain disbelief. This creates for some truly momentous scenes of pure beauty creating a visual spectacle like no other, treating the senses to incredible settings and creatures that only look more fantastic in the third dimension. It's much deliberated but the 3-D in Life of pi is truly astounding and not to be missed, immersing the audience into the wildlife and surrounding scenery to the point where you felt transported to the world yourself. The connection made not only between audience and scenery but also audience and protagonist is astounding, we believe his every action and hope for his well-being. Never before have seemingly in-cohesive characters managed to create a narrative that is as compelling as it is sustainably intriguing .Every performance was fantastic with emotion forcefully driving each character and their subsequent actions, most notably the performance of young lead of Suraj Sharma was outstanding especially considering the fact that a lot of the acting was done against non-existent characters on blue screen.

 With early critics stating that Life of Pi was 'unfilmable' the finished result simply goes to show that any book can be transcribed if enough thought and emotion is inserted into it. There is an overwhelming triumph surrounding Life of pi and it's responsible director Ang Lee, once again displaying that he is a truly influential film maker capable of anything. The extent to which this film connects to the hearts of the audience is touching and unprecedented in a year of soulless dramas. Life of pi is a cinematic epic that will be remembered for years to come, proving to be majestic without being pretentious.

10/10- Rich in meaningful messages which will remain with you for days prior. A true beauty.

Calum Russell

Take this waltz

 The 'Rom-Com'. Perhaps the most downtrodden film genre ever to bare our screens with most, if not all concepts being murdered by the continuous manufacture of countless 'tween' dramas and bigoted quirky comedies. It takes a substantial amount of effort to be noticed in such a genre frequently slammed by critics and whilst Take this waltz may bare a hugely pretentious exterior title it proves to differentiate itself from the ever growing crowd being gorgeously alluring with the absence of suspected whimsicality.

 Displaying a schmaltzy facade, Take this waltz doesn't aid itself in the originality category telling the story of a happily married woman, Margot, (Michelle Williams) who falls for an artist (Luke Kirby) living across the street. This narrative is lovingly pieced together in the opening half an hour, introducing the audience to the life of Margot and as we follow her noticeably jolly yet oddly tedious lifestyle. Following a clearly defined plot for the most part it does tend to lose it's way in the opening hour or so proving to become mighty bland as it procrastinates to a seemingly non existent goal. However once the films processed the fact that she's a 'lost soul' it eventually finds it's grove boasting a truly riveting narrative, mainly due to the terrific performances of the polished cast led by Michelle Williams. The almost sociopathic performance of the deranged character of Margot was excellently delivered with pure emotion and drive supplying the films vital pragmatic punch. Following in suite was the equally excellent role of Seth Rogan, proving that he can deliver outside of his stereotypical role of 'comedy stoner', providing the loving relatable soul that this film bases a majority of it's messages on.  The inconsistencies of the opening hour do continue in a minimalistic form, becoming prominent on occasion,  most notably the bizarre sexual undertones of the concluding half hour are slightly unnecessary detracting from the rich depth of the story at hand.

 Aside from the tendencies to slip in and out of coherency  Take this waltz largely coagulates fantastically providing some truly beautiful scenes that display the complicity of love and happiness. This is as much a study as it is a piece of entertainment with obvious deeper undertones present throughout. It's true triumph is in the fact that it takes a rusty, delirious narrative and transforms it into something powerful and heartfelt.

7.5/10- A film with much more substance, feeling and originality than initially expected, despite it's frequent tonal issues.

Calum Russell

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

After the worldwide success of the universally praised Lord of the rings series it was almost inevitable that it's child friendly predecessor would follow suit with a feature film adaptation. Many years later after much cast deliberation and technical issues, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has wondered onto our screens boasting a crystal clear higher frame rate as well as the modern blockbuster necessity 3-D. With much hype to live up to The Hobbit didn't have a particularly easy task, transcribing the innocence of the children's novel with the previously established gritty world of middle-earth ; and whilst it was pleasant to revisit Tolkien's universe, the Hobbits journey felt slow, forced and tediously childish.

 A seemingly forgotten fact surrounding The Hobbit, is that it's very much a children's novel, following the adventure of a mythical Hobbit being taken on a quest to a mountain guarded by a vicious dragon. It's a classic children's novel with obvious coinciding themes. However the problem lies when Jackson attempts to merge the gritty sensation of Lord of the rings with the totally contrasting themes of The Hobbit. This results in a giant mess of Dwarves, dragons, necromancers and nonsensical folk-law  A clear target demographic is not present and in an attempt to appeal to everybody it coincidentally appeals to nobody. One scene you find yourself in the company of a jolly naturalistic wizard tending to the needs of the local wildlife, the next he's being confronted by the deeply intimidating shadow of the necromancer. This unproductive contrast between every scene makes for a totally inconsistent tale of messy fantasy. 

 Many of the cinematic issues with the Hobbit come as a result of the brilliantly told, yet undeniably faulty tale of the novel. Most notably the Dwarf pack was simply too large for the audience to care for each one of them, so in an attempt to display individual personalities Jackson tries to give each one sufficient screen-time  yet even still, the most memorable ones are the ones which are simplistically stereotyped for the joys of a younger audience. Characters are forgotten as the story becomes overwhelmed with sophisticated ideologies instead of focusing on character depth, which it's Lord of the rings counterparts achieved with excellence.

  CGI which was previously used sparingly as a tool to sustain an audiences belief and enhance the visuals, in the Hobbits case has now become an easy way to show off the worst of a wonderful universe. This overindulgence of hackneyed special effects detracted from the story completely, forcing you to think that your watching a low budget B-movie rather than a cinematic spectacle. This extensive use seemingly poor CGI, wasn't aided by the technical addition of a higher frame rate, only highlighting the prosthetic and computer animated negatives. This unrepresented technology did near to nothing to enhance the viewing experience of the audience with the exception of the fluid movement and crisp imagery during the establishing shots of vast nature.  It's increasingly useless counterpart of 3-D followed in an all too familiar suit, proving to be useful in the first 5 minutes yet simply being an irritating 'dimmer switch' in the events proceeding.

 The novel, although providing some nuisances does however provide the sturdy foundations for this epic adventure tale, which in itself is sweet and nostalgic. Displaying scenes of creative imagination for the most part, despite it's obsession with special effects. The novel however is transcribed in a bizarre fashion, dragging each chapter to unbearable lengths in the hope that they'll fortunately piece together making the shape of an 'epic trilogy'. The obsession of money is a clear drive behind the narratives procrastination, with greedy box-office numbers getting the upper hand on cinematic beauty.  

 Much of this films faults come as a result of it's tonal inconsistency, which is a shame as there's much to be admired here if it wasn't for the sticky facade of issues. Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins is the link desperately holding the story together, providing a performance that was not only relatable but also innocently charming. The best scene, displaying middle-earths magic once more, appeared from the magnificent chemistry between the performances of Freeman and the iconic Lord of the rings creature, Gollum. This scene perfectly encapsulates the excellent performances of both actors as well as being one of the few scenes which truly balances witty humor with child friendly storytelling. Issues arise when observing the bigger picture, with two more installments on the horizon and little explained in 'An Unexpected Journey' the Hobbit needs to rethink it's demographic and find harmony in it's tones.

60%- Middle earth is as much missed as it is infested with issues.

Calum Russell

A movie christmas

It's that time of year again, put up the lights, set the table and dust off your ultimate Christmas DVD, because the merry month of December is here. Whilst we're amidst the buzz of Oscar season, we cannot forget that this holiday period is a time strictly dedicated to the viewings of multiple Christmas classics. With the inevitable family debate of personal cinematic Christmas favourites just around the corner, a definitive guide to your Christmas viewing is compulsory.

Which is why in the true spirit of Christmas, here is THE Christmas guide.

For the family friendly, festive night in

The very first pick of the best family Christmas films is one that delivers the classic tale of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, through the use of our furry cinematic friends, The Muppets. A Muppets Christmas Carol remains to be the best adaptations of the classic novel to date, despite the relatively recent attempt from Jim Carrey and his motion capture technology. It combines clever, familiar Muppet wit that we all know and love with the already excellent tale of kindness and happiness. It also gives a touch of magic through it's musical numbers which will have you grinning uncontrollably as two elderly men sing 'we're marley and marley'. This is a true Christmas classic that shouldn't be snubbed because of it's childish use of puppetry, this is not just one for the kids, this is a fun and festive family film.

The second is the most recent on the list, produced by the increasingly impressive stop-motion animation studio Aardman, Arthur Christmas is a truly excellent tale that encapsulates the true meaning of Christmas. What with the boom in technological advancements, tradition has partially gone out of the window with the new 'easier way', such a complex idea would surely be unheard of in kids animation. Well not exactly. Whilst kids may not fully understand the moral message behind the film, the message remains prominent for every loving adult who sits with their child to watch this modern classic. Alike the previous film in the list, this film is truly one for the whole family, it's surprisingly hilarious as well as lovingly heartwarming not to mention so elegantly gentle in it's storytelling. This is an ease to watch on a cold, tired winters evening give it a watch and remind yourself of 'the true magic of Christmas'.

Perhaps the most popular Christmas film amongst kids and early teenagers on the list is the comedy sensation Elf starring the excellent Will Ferrell. Following the story of an overgrown elf living in the north pole as he ventures into New York city to find his true identity. Alike many films on the list this one is also a harmless comedy that has jokes for both young and old, making way for a truly hilarious 90 minutes of fun. Contrary to most however, Elf finds the perfect balance of drama and comedy, displaying a consistent even tone that will flow fluidly throughout it's running time. This is an elegantly hilarious film for the whole family, a true modern Christmas classic.

 The concluding, and debatably best, addition to this category of the list follows the story of Kevin Mcallister when he's left Home Alone at Christmas. Proving to be one of Macaulay Culkin's first and notably best roles, Home Alone delves deep on the reality of loneliness as well as the true meanings of Christmas. It may do this in a cheesy and sadistically violent manner however it mostly remains within it's childish narrative, proving that a brick to the head is a minor injury when using slap-stick comedy. It's a lovingly innocent look at a child's alluring immaturity and seemingly ingenious 'trap-setting' skills that never prove to become old. Christmas would be lacking without a dose of Home Alone!

For the days of anticipation

An unlikely yet certainly deserved reservation for the one and only Christmas documentary on the list appears here in the form of 2011's Becoming Santa. This film takes an in depth forage into the stressful yet rewarding lives of the USA's 'commercial santas', dedicating their lives to brighten the hearts of children around the country. We follow Jack as he takes upon the decision to 'become a santa' after the late death of his Christmas loving father, throughout his journey we see his physical transformation as well as his emotional one. With this one singular story proving to be fairly linear this documentary does an excellent job in breaking the film into enjoyable chunks, separated by a study into the history of the Christmas icon. These pieces of historical information initially proved to be drawn out as near useless information about his origins were thrown effortlessly at the screen, however as the film progresses these scenes became increasingly more interesting providing more relevant and interesting information. The films 'other half' of the story of Jack takes a similar route proving to procrastinate towards the beginning, but picks up towards the end until it's heart warming finale. The conclusion of this film is it's most poignant and memorable scene, showing the magic of Christmas that we see regularly in animation but very rarely in reality. This lovingly realistic climax to this film is truly beautiful and shouldn't be missed.   (For all you UK 'netflixers' this is available to stream)

For the elders

Almost certainly, the most dark and eerily uncomfortable film on this guide is Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, set in the mountains of Finland where the much loved Christmas icon Santa Claus proves to be a sinister creature. Although this may be dark and at some points extremely dreary, it does provide a refreshing twist on the familiar tale of Santa. With it's bizarre tones running wild throughout the film, this is not for everyone, earning it's place in the 'anticipation' category simply because if it's disliked it will cast a creepy shadow over your Christmas viewing. With it's '15' certificate, this is most definitely not suitable for kids encouraging them to discard all loving memories of Santa in place for new deeply intimidating ones! Never the less it's a hilarious romp for adults allowing for a breath of fresh air after multiple cheesy viewings of family favorites, give it a go.

A raunchy Christmas comedy is almost taboo in a genre dominated by family films however one has found a niche space and has wriggled perfectly in it, Bad Santa fulfills the needs of any comedy craving festive individual. Opposing the Christmas conventions with magnificent style Bad Santa 'bad mouths' tradition in place for it's new unashamed immaturity. The true star of this film comes in the adorable package of Brett Kelly, playing 'the kid' with near perfect comedy timing, no matter how many times he offers sandwiches he never fails to produce a flurry of laughter from the audience. The cohesion between him and Billy Bob Thornton also works to brilliant comedy effect, similar to the banter between two beloved comedians its easy to forget your witnessing a conversation between a naive boy and an alcoholic santa. Surprised at just how well this film holds together with it's thin narrative, Bad Santa proves to be the raunchy Christmas comedy alternative to the family friendly 'Elf'.

A quick taste of Christmas

Too busy for a lazy afternoon in front of your favorite festive movie? Then why not watch the beautifully heartwarming tale of The Snowman as he prances through the air.  This animated adventure follows the story of a young child when he makes a snowman come to life of Christmas eve, based on the beloved children's novel this wordless animation perfectly captures the child-like wonder of Christmas. Aided handsomely by it's exhilarating score of 'Walking in the air' this 30 minute short will leave you speechless, craving that innocence once again. The whole film is available on 'YouTube' so there is simply no excuse to discard this spectacle, it's short, sweet and succinct  (Here's a handy link to take you straight to the film at hand-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgTpoy91nWo)


'But where is the Christmas classic It's a wonderful life, not to mention a Miracle on 34th street' these are simply films on the must see list, and since it's Christmas time they will be watched in a matter of days, to most probably be marked on the list next year. These films will most likely fill the heart with joy and Christmas spirit, like the films on the list will also do.It's the best genre, we all know it, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the films.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Calum Russell

Sightseers

 We've seen love stories before, enough that (for most films) the whole narrative can be predicted from the off, the cheesy, the 'kookie' and the childish it's justified to say that the rom/com genre has been near enough murdered. One thing we haven't seen however is a love story between two equally insane 'serial killers' like in Ben Wheatleys much anticipated film Sightseers, and judging by his previous film Kill List, despite it's comedy properties Sightseers is likely to be pretty dark.

 Chris a seemingly proud and proper English gent offers to show his girlfriend, Tina, his world of 'caravan luxury' however as events soon conspire against them, the trip takes an unexpected turn. Imagine it as an ' uncomfortably dark rom-com road trip'. Unlike Wheatleys previous work which proved to be barely watchable at times, Sightseers displays a much lighter tone that will most likely appeal to a much larger demographic of people. A frequent issue when dealing with such a contrast in dark subject matter is finding that perfect balance between humorous and uncomfortable, Sightseers manages to find that perfect balance, creating for bizarre contrasting scenes of absolute hilarity and horrific violence. At times the film leans towards an uncomfortable dark narrative, momentarily forgetting about it's comedy roots and producing some uneven tones. This is largely when the bulk of the underlying themes are becoming prominent, however this did happen a little too often.

 Unlike this films American counterpart 'God bless america' which deals with similar contemporary themes, Sightseers manages to handle it's narrative with care, never forgetting it's true meaning with the characters performing the murderous acts with legitimate justification. This provides for some truly hilarious death scenes, which are usually followed by an apt one-liner giving the film a necessary playful personality. This personality is mainly injected by the uncomfortably excellent acting performances of the two lead roles, Steve Oram and Alice Lowe who provide a totally convincing depiction of two abnormal pissed off psychopaths. Every action they perform is utterly unpredictable displaying just why they are such a couple to be feared, the totally normal yet contrasting psychopathic tendencies that the couple posses prove to be oddly relatable as most of their frustrations are shared with the audience. This could easily be 'that odd couple you meet on holiday'.

 Sightseers does an excellent job of mocking English traditions with a perhaps unintentional patriotic view of Britain and In a year of completely underwhelming comedies certainly proves that you don't have to be big to be the best. Tending to the needs of it's comedic half and it's contrasting dark undertones, Sightseers manages it's narrative with direct precision from start to end supplying for a much more heart-felt finished product than expected .This is the best British comedy in years and by a mile the funniest, most gruesome, most romantic comedy of the year!

9/10- Traditional psychopaths in the English countryside, whats not to love!

Calum Russell

The Grey

Liam Neeson once provided some of the most impressive cinematic performances seen on screen however after his 'family was taken' back in 2008, he's been very much typecast as the 'aging action hero'. From the exterior it seems as though Neeson continues his caricature in The Grey as he is forced into treacherous conditions after a plane crash in Alaska. However as the initial formulaic plot is drawn back a totally unexpected fresh one is put into action, revealing a truly fantastic narrative rich in heartfelt meaning and emotion.

 From a sub-genre which is mostly totally exhausted of unique ideas, The Grey does the almost impossible task of bringing life to an otherwise bland narrative. The story at hand is as simple as previously described as Neeson finds himself tackling the local weather conditions as well as the blood thirsty inhabitants of Alaska. The difference is however that unlike many films of a similar genre, The Grey isn't just about fighting for survival  it also produces some rich undertones that tackles the sensitive subjects of religion, faith and desperation. This allows not only for an intellectually developed narrative to unfold but also for a handful of  intriguingly rich characters to carry the story.

 Although undoubtedly stereotyped the largely unknown supporting cast of sub characters do an excellent job of conveying emotion through their performances. Occasionally they did fell like 'bait' for the wolves in order to 'tend to the needs of the audience' through a gruesome death scene however for the most part they provide a excellently realistic structure for the film to mold itself . When the wolves did attack they did so in a repetitive manner picking them off one by one as the group ran away in comic style, this created for some unintentionally silly scenes of unrealistic nonsense, fortunately these scenes are kept to a minimum and for the most part the audience sympathises with the characters as a much loved member passes away. Liam Neeson leads the group at the helm, proving that he hasn't simply become an 'action dad' delivering a truly endearing
and believable performance of heart felt emotion and genuine fear.

 These underlying subjects  implement an extra dimension to the film, acting as the most poignant aspect that makes this film so memorable. This more realatable deeper narrative, increasingly builds up until the astounding climactic scene of unexpected beauty, that is surprisingly intelligent as it is meaningful.

The true excellence of The Grey is its surprise factor, expecting a dull formulaic story of escape and instead being delivered with a heartwarming tale of one mans inner battles. Instead of insulting audiences with a simplistic plot, The Grey challenges them to uncover the deeper themes of the narrative and make an informed decision of how the film ultimately concludes. This is an exemplary example of an intellectual Hollywood blockbuster that went totally overlooked but should be lovingly praised.

8.5/10- Neeson at his very best in this meaningful portrait flowing with creativity and emotion.

Calum Russell