Best films of 2012

Author's note: I have included in this list, films that were released in cinemas in Australia in 2012 (which may differ from the US release dates) and have chosen my top films that I saw during 2012. This is not a critic's top pick of films for 2012, nor is it a list of the most popular films of 2012, this is purely my personal favourite films of the year. 

Shame (Australian Release date - February 9th, 2012), Steve McQueen

4.5/5

This is my top pick of films released in 2012. It is just beautifully crafted, and visually stunning. The performances are excellent particularly Michael Fassbender (Brandon) and Carey Mulligan (Sissy). The opening sequence is one of the best openings of a film I have ever seen. The musical score by Harry Escott (composer of Hard Candy) is just stunning, and coupled with the hauntingly stylised imagery, composed of mostly blue tones, the film is intense and evocative. Fassbender gives an amazing performance and the writing by Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan is understated and the emotions conveyed through subtext and are elegantly portrayed by the intense chemistry between Fassbender and Mulligan. On the surface this film deals with one man's journey of sexual addiction, but it is the details and depth that are alluded to, that make this film outstanding. Some may argue the sex scenes are gratuitous, but each scene is constructed in such a way that it depicts the emotions and experience of Brandon and the explicit sexual imagery is contrasted by the stark landscape of the visuals and the intensity of the relationships. The ending is also great, as the the music and great editing of the quick intercutting of shots increases as the tension builds. This is in contrast with the languid slow moving long shots that dominate the film,  and this contrast helps to amp the tension to breaking point at the climax of the film while pulls back at the end leaving the audience full of beautiful ambiguity, that is sadly lacking in most American and Hollywood films. This definitely makes my favourite films list of all time and overall it is haunting, intense and a visual feast. 

Martha Marcy May Marlene (Australian Release date - February 2nd, 2012), Sean Durkin
4.5/5

This film is just mind blowing. Intense, uncomfortable, with gorgeous cinematography and performances that are disturbingly authentic. The musical score beautifully underpins and subtly weaves throughout, lifting the tension. The cinematography is subtle and beautiful, quiet with no obvious camera moves or shots, rather you feel like you're focalised through Martha's (Elizabeth Olsen) experience. The lack of dialgogue in sections is filled with emotion and meaning with the subtle imagery. The stark and sparse dialgoue is amplified by the harsh intense scenes. The film leaves much of the behaviours and actions in the film to be interpretted by the audience, and you forget about the camera and instead focus on Martha. Elizabeth Olsen's portrayal of Martha is just amazing, intense, fragile and innocent all at once. Martha's vulnerability, the sense of hope, fear, and allusions to abuse are complimented by the choice of back and forth inter-cutting which assimilates the audience's experience with Martha's making the story fragmented mimicking Martha's fragmented memory as she pieces together not only her memories, but herself. This film is intensely powerful and speaks more than just about one girl and her experiences, but subtly through her eyes, takes a look at the attitudes of modern American society and Western culture. The film is not judgemental and much is left unsaid and many scenes are shot so the audience is unsure whether they are dreams, false memories or reality. This film may make viewers uncomfortable. The viewing is intensely powerful and will leave you changed. Like Shame (2012) Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene is ambiguious to the end, a feast for the intelligent audience. Performances are great, in particular Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, but also John Hawkes as the Manson-like Patrick, depicicting so beautifully the charm, and insanity that is disturbingly convincing.

The Cabin in the Woods (Australian Release date - June 14th, 2012), Drew Goddard 
(Writers: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard)
4.5/5

This film is a brilliant piece of entertainment, a feast of homage and parody for fans of the Horror genre. It is a hilarious take on the genre, full of gratuity and gore. The acting is great, with great over-the-top melodramatic dialogue excellently written by Joss Whedon (of Buffy, Firefly, & Alien Resurrection) and Drew Goddard. The film is expertly crafted with heavy sound design and ironic musical score, it also fits extremely well within all the Horror genre stereotypes. This film was not even scheduled to be released in cinemas in Australia, and was finally released only in limited theatres due to popular demand. This film is a great one to watch in theatres, and with friends. It is especially enjoyable for fans of Horror with far too many references and homages to Horror films to name. This film is a feast of gratuity, gore and cheesiness. And just so much fun, it is a consciously stupid and wonderful piece of post-modern Horror that is above all excellent entertainment.

The Man with the Iron Fists (Australian Release date - December 6th, 2012), RZA

4/5

This gorgeously gratuitous film, is elegantly constructed by RZA in his debut feature length film. The influence of Tarantino is clear. The fight scenes, amazing, the high brow actors and excellent performances are beautifully contrasted by the silliness and cheesiness. The story is somewhat nonsensical  but the narrative is by no means the feature of this film. Instead this film is homage, visual feast, stunning music and great fight sequences. All complimented by a lot of gratuitous violence and sexual innuendo. Read my full review and analysis of The Man with the Iron Fists (2012).