Melancholia

2011, 15, Directed by Lars Von Trier
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard

If there’s one thing that will spring to mind when Danish director Lars Von Trier is mentioned, it will most probably be his silly remarks that got him thrown out of Cannes Film Festival; as if we didn’t know already, it turns out the bloke is as controversial and conversation-inducing as the films he crafts. Looking past this - and towards Melancholia, the film he was promoting at the time – and there should be no doubt in the mind that this same bloke is something else entirely. Beginning paradoxically with the end of the world (shown using obscure, chilling, yet beautiful images in extreme slow-motion) the film is split into two halves, both of which focus on two sisters. The first is Kirsten Dunst’s Justine, a not-too blushing bride who would much rather have a soak in the bath then cut the cake by the side of her groom. Von Trier does his best at merging family drama with social comedy, which all in all creates a crazily uneasy feeling. We track Justine constantly, all smiles in front of her guests and pure emotion behind closed doors. Snippets of dialogue enlighten us to a history of unpredictable behaviour from Justine who seems to be seen, but rarely heard despite her best efforts. As an audience, the entire half of the film could become an extremely alienating experience – let it be said that Justine could be construed as an ignorant livewire, but somehow Dunst grounds things, providing a form of perspective. The fact that this is just the precursor to her later appearance in the second half of the film speaks volumes, especially when considering she took home the Best Actress prize at the Festival where her director caused such furore.

This part of the film is dedicated to Claire played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, who can only now be described as a Lars stalwart after that performance in Antichrist. Taking place after an undisclosed amount of time since the wedding, we bear witness to the changes that have occurred – perhaps most importantly the announcement of Melancholia, a newly-discovered planet which is rumoured to be heading directly for earth. A bizarre concept, but one that is tackled head on by all involved upholding rationality until the intentionally predictable climax; Kiefer Sutherland’s scientist husband  is convinced the planet is simply going to pass by, viewing the entire debacle as a ground-breaking experience. But an unspoken worry looms. Retrospectively, there is some difficulty when attempting to highlight what Von Trier is exactly commenting on - if whether Melancholia has a deeper symbolism (the auteur conceived the idea during a spell of depression, an idea relevant to the film).  But as the film reaches its inevitable endpoint, if you are still trying to piece together what you think is going on, it’s fearful you may have missed the mark completely. This is science fiction with technicalities ignored. It doesn’t matter why the world is coming to an end, it just matters that it will come to an end.  

Love it or hate it (it will either be one or the other), prepare to marvel at the wonderment Von Trier has achieved. Even if a non-converted, it will undoubtedly be a struggle not to become impressed with what has been achieved on a visual and humane level. Just don’t search for anything too subliminal.

4.5/5

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Kill List

2011, 18, Directed by Ben Wheatley
Starring: Neil Maskell, Harry Simpson, MyAnna Buring, Emma Fryer

If there’s one thing that you should know about Kill List, it’s that knowing as little as possible is key. What can be said is that on the surface we follow two soldiers-turned-hitmen (Neil Maskell and Harry Simpson: both fantastic) who are handed a ‘kill list’, and so embark on one last job before turning clean. On the surface. For what this inventive British shocker actually is dissolves into an extreme workshop in genre-weaving. What you think you know, you basically don’t. Here, Ben Wheatley - director of the equally manipulative Down Terrace - issues a master-class in how to trick the watchful eyes of the audience, and ultimately how to gut-punch. It goes without saying that gruesome violence abounds (you’ll never view a hammer in the same way), but for all the viewers who can’t stand the sight of gore, through paying attention to the cleverly deployed narrative, it will be hard not to be impressed. The rational manner that Wheatley depicts life for Jay and Sam, not ignoring the equally as important wife of Jay (MyAnna Buring) and random girlfriend of Sean (Emma Fryer), ensures that later events prove that bit more disturbing and uneasy to view, not to mention captivating and inspiring - much like the films this homages (to even whisper these films would give the game away). Avoid Google and watch with immediacy; Kill List should earn a placement on your must-see list.

4/5

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Top 15 of 2011: 5-1

5-1

Number 5:

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Mummy's little devil...

Release Date: 21st October

Highest Box Office Position: 7

Directed by Lynne Ramsay

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell

If there’s a few films from 2011 that certainly need to be spoken about, it’s Lynne Ramsay’s dazzlingly bleak We Need to Talk About Kevin, in which Tilda Swinton puts in a career-best performance as a mother who has to deal with the consequences of her son Kevin’s devastating actions. Through non-linear narrative, Swinton perfectly conveys Eva’s desire to love a son who hates her, and anguish at facing up to cruel revelations. Ramsey raises the game here – it has to be seen to believed.

We Need to Talk About Kevin reviewed...

Number 4:

Drive

Some heroes are real

Release Date: 23rd September

Highest Box Office Position: 5

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks

Nicolas Winding Refn’s 80s neo-noir has everything going for it, not to mention guaranteed cult status. Ryan Gosling is the enigmatic toothpick-chewing Driver with no name who whisks away criminal’s right from under the cops’ noses by night. Keeping himself to himself, he threatens to ruin all stability when involving himself when a bid to protect Carey Mulligan’s innocent girl next door embroils himself in danger with Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman’s villains. Depicting this with an electro, vibrant, damn cool soundtrack, as well as tight editing and an iconic performance in Gosling to top it all off, Drive is races ahead.

Drive reviewed...

Number Three:
Melancholia

Enjoy it while it lasts

Release Date: 30th September

Highest Box Office Position: 15

Directed by Lars Von Trier

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt

Directed by Lars Von Trier, and promoted amidst his thoughtless remarks at Cannes Film Festival, this is a truly astounding work of art. Split into two parts, the film follows two sisters, played by an award-winning Kirsten Dunst and Von Trier regular Charlotte Gainsbourg, and how their lives are altered by the introduction of a new planet named Melancholia that threatens to collide with the earth. With support in the form of Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt, this could be the arthouse auteur’s finest piece yet.

Number Two: 
Tyrannosaur

Release Date: 7th October

Highest Chart Position: 19

Directed by Paddy Considine

Starring: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Samuel Bottomley

The directorial debut of actor Paddy Considine proved that this guy has more than one string to his bow – and one that he should pluck more often. Tyrannosaur, a gritty British drama set in a Leeds estate, was quite simply storytelling of the cruellest, gruelling – yet sublime nature. Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman’s central performances (as the lost souls whose lives collide when the former charges into the latter’s charity shop) are ones to be shouted about.

Tyrannosaur reviewed...
Number 1:

The Artist

Release Date: 30th December
Highest Box Office Position: 8 (as of present)

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

Starring: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, Uggie the Dog

 The Artist is a very special film. Telling the story of George Valentin, a silent movie star who refuses to embrace the introduction of sound in cinema at a time when audiences 'want to hear what actors have to say', he remains set in his ways and continues making silents with his trusy dog (amazingly played by Uggie the Dog!). As his career hurtles downwards, new actress on the block Peppy Miller's soars - but Valentin remains in her mind amidst her success... A charming storyline propelled forward by the charming way in which French director Michel Hazanavicius depicts his film. If you don't know already, The Artist is a silent black and white. The irony of the storyline keeps this from ever becoming gimmicky, with lead actors Dujardin and Bejo keeping everything grounded: and just when you think you have this treat worked out, the rug is pulled from under your feet in a way you just don't expect.

This one really lives up to the hype and deserves any award success it receives.  

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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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Top 15 of 2011: 15-11

Today is Jacob's Film Cabin's 1st Birthday! To celebrate this, I will post up my Top 15 of 2011 throughout the day, as well as the Top 12 upcoming films in 2012 and Golden Globe predictions. Big day for the Cabin. I encourage comments and feedback from all, and if you would like to get in touch, feel free to follow Jacob's Film Cabin or follow me on Twitter. Get involved!

A quick note - I am not including films from before March of last year, so as to disclude Oscar contenders. If a film was released in the UK from March 2011 to January 2012, it has a chance of appearing on my list. Similarly, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, War Horse,The Descendants and Take Shelter have not yet been seen by me, so will not be appearing on this list.

Happy reading, fellow film lovers.

15-11

Number 15:

Warrior

Family is worth fighting for

Release Date: 23rd September

Highest Box Office Position: 3

 Directed by Gavin O'Connor

Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison

A mixed martial arts film that sees two estranged brothers inexplicably drawn back to the sport they used to compete in, sees them both enter a tournament with a huge cash prize. It is no spoiler to say that it looks ever more likely the two are going to enter the cage and face off at some point - but can they put their deep issues aside? If it all sounds tired and cliched, give Warrior a chance and you will discover this could genuinely be one of the most moving films of the year, all aided by the casting of Joel Edgerton and superstar-in-the-making Tom Hardy as the brothers - not to mention Nick Nolte as the recovering-alcoholic and ex-abusive father who tore the family apart years previous. Like Black Swan and ballet, Warrior is not just for fans of MMA, but for film-fans worldwide.

Number 14:

Crazy, Stupid, Love

This is crazy. This is stupid. This is love

Release Date: 23rd September

Highest Box Office Position: 2

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore

A romantic comedy with splashes of drama that stars Steve Carell as a fresh divorcee who is taken under the wing of ladies man Ryan Gosling sounds like a pretty standard effort. But noticing that two relative unknowns have somehow managed to compile a cast that daren't be sniffed at may elevate your expectations. And so it is, half an hour into Crazy, Stupid, Love, you'll see just why that cast signed on the dotted line, for the touching script taps so well into the the ensemble ensuring the film can appeal to an older and younger generation. There may be one sub-plot too many and a polarizing convention-busting twist that see the film swerve towards an underwhelming climax, but the whole thing charms you into thinking that none of this matter. Hilariously touching.

Number 13:

Moneyball

  What are you really worth?

Release Date: 25th November

Highest Box Office Position: 10

Directed by Bennett Miller

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright

Brad Pitt saw something in Moneyball, the true-life story of Billy Beane - a former baseball player turned general manager of Oaklands Athletics, a team with a dire financial situation that prompts assistant general manager Peter Brand to throw an idea Beane's way: choose a team of players based on statistical success as opposed to fleeting match success. Pitt produces and stars as Beane and is truly on top form. Viewing this as a sports movie is unwise (considering the lack of sport action) but by focusing on Beane's loyal dedication to an underdog team he innately believes in and you will be deeply rewarded by something you probably didn't expect to find too many rewards in. On the Money/ball.

Moneyball reviewed here...

 Number 12:

Kill List

 The scariest hit man movie

Release Date: 2nd September

Highest Box Office Position: 17

Directed by Ben Wheatley

Starring: Neil Maskell, Harry Simpson, MyAnna Buring, Emma Fryer

  

There's a lot that can be said about Kill List, the British hitman film that is never quite what it seems. Frankly, the less said about this ridiculously disconcerting but thrilling ride the better - for here is a film that needs to be seen to be believed. It all sounds like fair game, with two ex-soldiers (played with brutal realism by Maskell and Simpson) embarking on one last job after being handed a kill list. But in an apparently leftfield genre veer (that becomes not so leftfield upon rewatch), and you will understand why Kill List requires a placement upon this list. At best, it's an experiment. At worst, a homage - but when a homage is produced as skillfully this, the whole thing becomes something else entirely. The words classic, modern and cult spring to mind.

Number 11:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

It all ends...

Release Date: 15th July

Highest Box Office Position: 1

  

Directed by David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman

No list compiling the best films of 2011 should be without the final installment of the ridiculously-popular adapted Harry Potter novels, which saw Harry and pals face off against Ralph Fiennes’ Lord Voldemort in one of the biggest and much-anticipated battles committed to screen. Watch on in awe, shock and excitement as the hugely loved landmarks at Hogwarts (everyone’s favourite school) are destructed in the largest scale possible. It's placement on this list is deserved for Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Professor Severus Snape alone – actors rarely match roles to the degree that Rickman matched his in this franchise, and hopefully will be recognised to some degree this coming awards season.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 reviewed here...

Jacob's Film Cabin's Harry Potter franchise retrospective

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Moneyball

2011, 12, Directed by Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright

If there’s one thing you can count on from a sports movie it’s that if events away from said sport prove lacklustre, there’s always the action of a respective match itself to fall back on… Not in Moneyball, the Brad Pitt starring and produced sports movie for the thinking (wo)man. Adapted from Michael Lewis’ book of the same name by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball provides the story of Billy Beane, a former baseball player turned general manager who attempts to embrace the dire financial situation of his Oaklands Athletics team by moulding a team around players who look far better on paper than on pitch. Pitt takes centre stage as Beane, an assertive, charismatic yet unnatural leader who takes the game maybe that bit too personally, but never lets it get in the way of being a good father to his daughter. Listening to the highlights of matches past as he drives, you can only glimpse just how much the Oaklands mean to Beane. His contention with the old-school crew who believe his somewhat inane tactics to be some sort of baseball sacrilege, pit(t)s his driven determination in such a way that you can’t help but feel the guy is setting himself up for a giant fall. Therein lies where Moneyball compensates – in a gargantuan way – to the uncharacteristic absence of actual sport action. For here we have a character study under the guise of a baseball drama.

 The backstage politics of the sport are where attention is paid, and Capote director Bennett Miller skilfully shows how, every now and then, these moments may just be as tense as a closely-scoring match: a scene where the transfer window is on the verge of closing and Beane, together with assistant general manager Peter Brand - played by Jonah Hill, crucially reserved in what is destined to be his wisest possible career move – barters various other managers in order to draft in a key player; as they wait for a phone call response, clock ticking down, the heart rate will increase.

This emphasis does mean that characterisation of the baseball players we hear so much about are left somewhat unexplored, delegating them screen-time almost as an afterthought. Similarly, the key support – Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Oaklands coach Art Howe– teeter on being underused, however it is compensated by Miller’s direction being cleverly led by the talent on display, elevating Mr Pitt to a standard he has oft reached and has now become comfortable with. He can add yet another marvellous performance to his more increasingly varied filmography – and one that would totally justify awards recognition at that. For a film that places emphasis on statistics and figures as opposed to home runs and countless cliches, it has to be said that Moneyball swings it out of the park.

4/5

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Bridesmaids

2011, 15, Directed by Paul Feig
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy

With all the hype surrounding Judd Apatow-produced comedy über-hit Bridesmaids, it seems a given that it be an enjoyable romp that does for wedding planning what The Hangover did for stag-dos. Right? Well, in a word, yes. Kristen Wiig headlines this female vehicle as the down-to-earth Annie, who is requested by her best friend bride to be chief bridesmaid at her forthcoming wedding. Plain-sailing it is anything but as set-pieces involving a dodgy Mexican coming back to haunt a dress-fitting (‘I just need to get off this white carpet!’), not to mention Annie having to contend with Rose Byrne’s pristine new friend on the block, Helen – are all evidence of the hilarity at bay. Where Bridesmaids works is through the Apatow-applying of witty conversational dialogue that could have easily been improvised by the stars, and on perhaps a less-important gender level, the induction of relatable policeman love-interest Chris O’Dowd (far away from The IT Crowd) to ensure this is as much for males as females (although make no mistake, more for females...). But whilst the supporting cast do their best to shove their comedic chops in the way of the audience, it is Wiig – who has writing credit alongside Annie Mumolo – who really comes through this with a flashing Next Big Thing beacon. Without her, Bridesmaids could have appeared as if it were trying too hard, whereas her presence gives the impression that the comedy provided is effortless. Mention also has to go to Melissa McCarthy’s Megan, the Zach Galiafanakis of the piece; it would have been terribly easy to play this one just for easy laughs, but instead decides to opt for heart also. You’re going to be see more from this one.

With the success and love Bridesmaids has heaped upon it, producers could opt for bigamy; an easy money-spinning venture (unfortunately much like The Hangover is in the process of becoming). The truth is, leaving this as a one-off truly witty dark horse would be the more clever option. There's just no room for other people in this marriage, Hollywood.  

4/5

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