Top 15 of 2011: 10-6

10-6


Number 10:

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Evolution becomes revolution

Release Date: 11th August
Highest Box Office Position: 1

Directed by Rupert Wyatt

Starring: Andy Serkis, James Franco, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto

It's hard to pinpoint why nobody held out much hope for this unlikeliest of hits (critically and commercially). Of course the Planet of the Apes franchise has been running for a long time now, but since Tim burton's poor remake of the classic original in 2001, the Apes took a backseat... Until 2011, that is, when Rupert Wyatt (director of largely unseen The Escapist) took on the job of helming the film nobody particularly wanted. Wyatt can most certainly have the last laugh after proving indefinitely that he has come from the Chris Nolan school of relaunching past hits in a classy way, but also by showcasing Andy Serkis' skills like never before. Ceasar, the Ape who leads the ultimate revolution the title alludes to, is given a rare humanity by Serkis, who quite bluntly outacts everybody around him. Oh, and if you manage to breathe in the thrilling final half hour, you deserve a medal. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes reviewed...

Number 9:
Hanna

Innocence can be deadly

Release Date: 6th May

Higherst Box Office Position: 5

Directed by Joe Wright

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander

Number 8:

This fairytale-esque creation from Atonement director Joe Wright, stars Saoirse Ronan as a 16-year-old assassin who is let loose in Europe, entering a game of cat and mouse with Cate Blanchett’s intelligence agent. Slipping under 2011’s radar, it may come as a surprise that this film – for all of its pantomime tongue-in-cheek villainy – is very artistically crafted to the backdrop of a pulsating Chemical Brothers score. Ronan is top of her game in a role that would have required an insane amount of training, and she lives up to everything that is expected of her, meaning that Hanna has plenty of standout scenes. By the time the somewhat abrupt ending blasts onto the screen, you should have been won over by this gem of a film.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The enemy is within

Release Date: 16th September
Highest Box Office Position: 1

Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Starring: Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Colin Firth

A Cold War espionage thriller with a narrative that throws its audience about like a ragdoll, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was the classiest hit of 2011. An ensemble cast, led with absolute relish by arguably one of the greatest actors about, Gary Oldman, who here plays the silent, bespectacled George Smiley who is tasked with tracking down which member of the M:I5 is consorting with the Soviet Union.  Standout acting and standout scenes mark this out as a treat, and a film that should garner award recognition as it did wholly-deserved critical acclaim.

Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy reviewed...


Number 7:

Submarine

A comedy that doesn't let principles stand in the way of progress

Release Date: 18th March

Higherst Box Office Position: 12

Directed by Richard Ayoade

Starring: Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Noah Taylor

Adapted from the Joe Dunthorne novel, Richard Ayoade’s Submarine is a quirky coming-of-age tale that is narrated by 15-year-old Oliver Tate, a neurotic schoolboy who takes it upon himself to steal the heart of fellow classmate Jordana Bevan, whilst trying to prevent his straying mother (Sally Hawkins) from getting close to new ‘ninja’ neighbour Paddy Considine – a character played with just the right amount of subtlety. Craig Roberts plays our unlikely protagonist, who is much more likely to check the dimmer switch in his parent’s bedroom as a means to assess their sex life than go and hang out with the friends he doesn’t have. This is one cool film; whether it’s the self-referential way in which The IT Crowd star Ayoade’s direction correlates to the narration or the sublime soundtrack provided by Arctic Monkey’s front man Alex Turner, this is an intensely likeable effort  that should be seeked out.

 Number 6:

The Guard

A raucous comedy

Release Date: 19th August

Highest Box Office Position: 5

Directed by John Michael McDonagh

Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong

The Guard is the filmic sibling of In Bruges; directed by John Michael McDonagh – brother of the former's director Martin – and starring Brendan Gleeson as a cynically-minded eccentric character who glides his way inexorably through the film, pitted together with an unlikely companion, the parallels are imminent. But instead of Colin Farrell, we here have Don Cheadle as fish-out-of-water FBI agent Wendell Everett, brought to the small Western Irish town in Connemara to investigate a drug-smuggling ring, led by Mark Strong. The film – in a word – is hilarious, with Gleeson putting in a career-best performance as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, the unorthodox Garda (Irish police) who breaks all the rules, earning himself a Golden Globe nomination in the process. Combine this with the statistic of it becoming the most successful independent Irish film of all time, and it's clear that if not yet experienced, you need to check this one out with immediacy.

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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

2011, 15, Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy

It has been commented that plans to re-adapt John Le Carré's classic spy novel (or depending on where you stand, remake the classic BBC series) were close to shutting down because of George Smiley... Sir Alec Guiness embodied him so well, the sheer thought of anybody filing his boots seemed scandalous. And then a bright spark in the room suggested Gary Oldman.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a British film through and through. Embedded in a Cold War era, London is a murky, drab and bloody realistic depiction, enhancing the accomplishment achieved by Swedish talent Tomas Alfredson. Best known for critically-acclaimed Let the Right One In, it is near impossible to believe this to be his first feature in the English language - a film that relies heavily upon the dialogue delivered in hushed tones. In honesty, if you’re unfortunate enough to miss a line, it's fully possible you'll be thrown for the remaining running time. The plot, however, is simple. Four men - Percy Alleline (Tinker), Bill Haydon (Tailor), Roy Brand (Soldier) and Toby Esterhase (Poor Man). One spy. Previously dismissed member of the MI5 Circus, George Smiley is the man assigned by John Hurt's Control to crack down on the defector. This being a 'spy' film, nothing is as it seems... apart from one thing. Gary Oldman is electric. Surrounded by a cast at the top of their game - Mark Strong making little go such a long way; Tom Hardy continuing to establish himself as the one-to-watch; Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch being damn privileged to work with a top notch cast at such an early stage of his career – this is undeniably Oldman’s film. A stark contrast to the bellowing zany types of Leon, The Fifth Element and Sid and Nancy, his Smiley, slow in movement – strong in presence, doesn’t have to speak to command attention. A twitch of an eyebrow, a curl of the lip – it is menial actions such as these that become portals into the mind of the character he embodies just as well as Guiness.

Those expecting plenty of Bourne-esque rooftop shootouts, look elsewhere. For Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy is a complex, non-linear, flashback-fuelled puzzle. Dialogue free scenes that rely on actions to indicate events are prominent. Alfredson wants his audience to work. The harder they work, the bigger the rewards– which include the pleasure of watching what is surely to become a modern classic. If the outcome of the plot seems to be furnished over briskly, see it as the point. Who the spy happens to be is not what’s important – it is the journey you experience with George Smiley and his faceless companions who have had such an impact on his life that rings in the memory long afterwards. No scene speaks this louder than when Smiley recounts meeting the mysterious Soviet spymaster Karla; the positioning of the camera upon the effectual emotive performance Oldman delivers ensure this scene to be the best cinema has offered all year.

With any luck, Alfredson and Oldman will be rewarded for their efforts come award season…

4.5/5

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