It’s the halfway point in 2012. I’ve been busy blogging in a bunch of different places and organising events and – well, just having a very full life.
But I have been asked to post a top 10, so here goes. Let’s see how many make the whole year top ten!
1) John Carter: Yes I know this is just me and the relatives of the cast. I love Edgar Rice Burroughs and this is an utterly faithful movie, to the books, with gorgeous effects. Why did Disney fail to merchandise and push this? I will never understand and I have high hopes that the DVD wll reach a wider audience.
2) Le Havre: It grabbed me from the first frames and said something new about emigration and life.
3) Avengers Assemble: Awesome. Utterly, utterly awesome.
4) The Cabin in the Woods: A brand new type of horror movie announced itself, in style. Every minute wowed me.
5) Moonrise Kingdom: I finally understand the point of Wes Anderson. Geeky, kooky and yummy.
6) Ill Manors: Plan B (Ben Drew) writes a love letter to those east London folk forgotten by the Olympics. Elegiac and just wonderful. Difficult to watch but terrific.
7) Prometheus: Holes in the plot aplenty but just so very gorgeous to look at.
8) The Dictator: Joyful and politically incorrect. In which I finally get the point of Sacha Baron Cohen.
9) Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene: A fantastic look at the inside of a cult. Really special.
10) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: It feels like an old movie, but it works magic.
Movies that just missed the cut:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Moved me so much. It’s a great look at an odd child. I was an odd child and this hit me, hard.
The Descendants: Okay, it’s from last year but I saw it this year and it’s such an entertaining story.
Jeff, Who Lives At Home: Susan Sarandon is just amazing. An oddball tale for outsiders.
Best documentary I saw that you haven’t seen: Revolutions of the Night: The Enigma of Henry Darger I declare an interest here. Mark Stokes has an extraordinary and unique view and eye on films about artists and, if this were a mainstream release, it would be my favourite film of the year. I am spending a lot of my own time to ensure that you see it. You will be very moved and will understand why art matters.
Henry Darger Documentary 