Staff Selections: 2011 The Year in Review

Andrew

CyrusA perfectly rounded American 'indie' that handles its prickly relationship triangle with consistent sensitivity and wit.
The Social NetworkA story for our times told with peerless virtuosity.
SennaRiveting tale of the Brazilian racecar driver has everything a sports fan or documentary lover could ever want.
The Kids Are All RightMore prickly relationships, with exceptional scenes that brings out the best in its sensational cast.
The OratorGenuinely exotic and authentic drama that had me in thrall of its unfamiliar geography and culture.
Best Worst MovieIrony and obscurity abound in this documentary gem about the unlikely cult revival of a forgotten film.
Tucker and Dale vs EvilPitchfork perfect horror-comedy that is mercifully sweet and playfully subversive.
Sarah's KeyFrench melodrama that is more gratifying than extraordinary, this ambushed my emotions in its final scene.
The Warrior's WayAn imaginative "Eastern Western" shot on an Auckland soundstage, this was the most under-rated and underseen film of the year.
TiMERAnother pleasant surprise, this charming indie had script smarts to overcome its shoestring budget and ostensibly silly premise.

Highly Commended:Essential Killing, The King's Speech, Inside Job, Winter's Bone, Blue Valentine, Howl, Welcome, Barney's Version, Rango, Hook, Line & Sinker, House of the Devil, Agora, Farewell, Dinner For Schmucks, The Perfect Host, Four Lions... Best catalogue: Therese and Isabelle.

Tim

Meek's CutoffKelly Reichardt's precise but ineffable 'western' reaches well beyond the parameters of genre, history, and Americanism. A miniature masterpiece.
Police, AdjectiveBone-dry procedural about the crisis of conscience doubles as a scrutiny of language and civil service in oppressively grey Romania.
Ne Change RienDrowsy rock numbers and dreamy chiaroscuro photography make for a rapturous concert film indebted to the agony and ecstasy of the creative process.
DogtoothStupendously tormented Greek tragicomedy of sexually frustrated captive siblings and their control freak parents.
The Social NetworkSensationally scripted movie-of-the-moment brimming with confrontational dialogue, head-swelling big themes, and brilliant assholery.
LourdesIts tone beautifully unmoored, this porous, open-ended inquiry into the veracity of miracles - and the wonders of actress Sylvie Testud - lingered long in the memory.
CarlosOlivier Assayas's epic saga of celebrity terrorism as the preserve of rockstars, sex maniacs, and blowhard revolutionaries.
Super 8If derivative on the whole, an innocent pleasure in spite of - or because of - its Spielbergian nostalgia. Clinched by a terrific cast of kids, especially the winning Elle Fanning.
House of the DevilAn exhilarating mise en scene of uneasy interiors and home alone tomfoolery distinguish this savvy horror, one mercifully devoid of cheap transgressions and false jolts.
Mademoiselle ChambonThe surprise of the year for me, and certainly the most impressively acted. The sidelong glance has never felt so emotionally loaded.

Best of the Rest: Certified Copy, True Grit, La Danse, 35 Shots of Rum, The Headless Woman, This is England '86, Cairo Time, Wild Grass, The Hunter, I'm Still Here, Summer Wars, Insidious, Buried, Essential Killing, Life During Wartime, The Myth of the American Sleepover, A Prophet, The Wolf's Mouth, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Let Me In, Jack Goes Boating…

Rob

35 Shots of RumClaire Denis's third masterpiece.
Certified CopyAbbas Kiarostami's return to narrative is as playful and though-provoking as his best.
Ne Change RienKnockout peformance film with Pedro Costa striving to capture the chameleon Jeanne Balibar.
The Wolf's MouthA hidden gem and the gutter romance of the year.
The Headless WomanDread soaked morality tale that demands rewatching.
DogtoothDelicious black comedy of sex and semantics.
Don't Touch the AxeSharp-tongued costumer with Depardieu Jr and Balibar tearing strips off each other.
Police, AdjectiveThe most deadpan and mordant police procedural imaginable.
Meek's CutoffRefreshing western where a broken axle - not marauding Indians - spells doom.
Wild GrassComic and almost inscutable tale of obsession with a memorable non-sequitur ending.

Runner Ups: Operation 8, Bridesmaids, Modern Life, Cell 211, The Social Network, From the Ashes, House of the Devil, White Material, La Danse, A Prophet, Milk of Sorrow, The Hunter, Momma's Man, Buried, Best catalogue: La Gueule Ouverte, The Prowler, For All Mankind, Gandahar, Chantal Ackerman in the 70s.

Misma

DogtoothOh wonderful wonderful sick little film!
Meek's CutoffSparse and spellbinding. Left me full of prarie colour for days.
Inside JobMonumentally infuriating insight into the madness that led to the global financial meltdown.
Another YearI loved everything about this acutely uncomnfortable and compassionate Mike Leigh gem.
CircoCharming real-life story of a family's struggles in the glitter and dust of a century-old Mexican circus.
Operation 8Expertly told and deeply unsettling account of post-9/11 legislation turning activists into terroists... in NZ!
The Wolf's MouthPoetic and vague, this grimey love story became joyously vivid the moment I realised it wasn't fiction.
The Missing PersonSomewhere between Bogart and Bukowski, this low-key noir is just so good.
William S Burroughs: A Man WithinI can't get enough of the 'Arthouse' doco series, especially when it's about someone as strange and savagely brilliant as Burroughs.
The TreeSteeped in desert light, Gainsbourgh is a wonder in this melancholic journey through grief.

Second Eleven:My Son My Son What Have Ye Done?, Winter's Bone, Lourdes, The Yellow Handkerchief, Howl, In a Better World, Hesher, Farewell, Plan B, Made in Dagenham... Best revival: Cria Cuervos.

Svenda

35 Shots of RumAnother quietly momentous Claire Denis film, this time featuring Parisian train drivers performing the drinking ritual of its title.
LemmyA decent tribute to our heavy metal God.
Rare Exports - A Christmas TaleAnd we have Santa Claus! For once, a non-commercial re-telling of the Santa myth, suitable for weirdo folklorists of many ages.
Good DickWhile bravely attempting to chronicle some truly dysfunctional sexual infatuation, this film proves to be just as problematic as real life.
LourdesPilgrimage story set high in the Pyrenees mountains bordering France and Spain, which carefully observes the force and folly of human faith.
Police, AdjectiveThoroughly geeky Romanian police procedural and philosophical inquiry, which shrewdly demystifies the meanings culturally attributed to words such as 'conscience' and 'morality'.
SnowtownHorrifying, and like the equally brilliant Animal Kingdom, provides fascinating insight into the role of psychological manipulation in an Australian crime family.
The Kids Are All RightThough not as deliciously awkward as Cyrus (Annette Bening's intense dinner-time rendition of Joni Mitchell's 'All I Want' notwithstanding), this comedy by the dir. of High Art provides an apt examination of all the mess and love of whatever constitutes 'family'.
Cell 211It's his first day on the job, but Spanish prison guard Alberto has to pose as an inmate to survive after a brutal riot flips authority on it's head! The story has already been sold to Hollywood.
FlippedThe same coming-of-age tale told twice from two distinct perspectives, Rob Reiner's latest is a gloriously overwrought celebration of headstrong independence and personal integrity.

Chris

DogtoothUnpredictable and savagely absurd 'cooped-up-family' comedy.
House of the DevilNostalgic in the best possible sense; in fact, it betters some of the period bests it pays reverence to.
Father of My ChildrenA delicate study in grief and depression. Life-affirming nonetheless.
The Social NetworkA very human film with a very un-human phenomenon as its basic core.
LemmyCandid, warts 'n all account of an uncompromising rocker. Not just for the heavy metal maniacs!
The Wolf's MouthOutlaw lovers bring affection to the terms 'bitch' and 'bastard' in this sometimes sweet docudrama with balls.
LourdesThe mystery of faith is explored in this subtle but fascinating religious journey.
CarlosThrilling political epic that must be seen its in entirety to appreciate fully.
Meek's CutoffAn art-house western directed by one of the leading ladies in American Cinema.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese WithJeff Garlin brings an improv charm to the 'indie rom-com' genre (without the quirks). Be sure to watch the classic Marty which this was partially based.

Bubbling under: Inside Job, The Headless Woman, Best Worst Movie, Snowtown, Essential Killing, White Material, The Kids Are All Right... Best revivals: Cria Cuervos, Les Maitres du Temps.

Simon

RestrepoThe real deal, top marks to the filmmakers. RIP Tim Hetherington.
The King's SpeechA crowd-pleaser that delivers. Personal and engaging.
Go FastStylish and exciting French cop thriller. Watch along with 28 Bullets and MR 73. Vive la French Filmmakers.
Hanna21st Century Red Kick-Ass Riding Hood.
Operation 8Kiwi doco punching above its weight. Challenges preconceptions.
Four LionsUncomfortably funny and dark.
True Grit"The Dude" delivers another fantastic performance. Best Western..
The Adjustment BureauSupremely silly idea - so enjoyable it suspends your belief.
The Killer Inside MeYou don't get a nastier character than this. (Spoiler: he doesn't get away with it.)
CargoThe best Swiss sci-fi film ever made! Underrated.

Special Mentions:Nicholas Cage - three films in one year! Drive Angry(fantastic!), The Sorcerer's Apprentice(awesome!), The Season of the Witch(not so good); Soul Kitchen, A Town Called Panic, Ghost Writer, The Guard, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, Senna, Source Code, Captain America, The Walking Dead, Luther (TV Series)…

Lucy

Never Let Me GoHeart rending tale of longing, love, loss, and the crapness of being human. Set in a chillingly believable sci-fi reality.
The FallGorgeous, sumptuous, hallucinatory, visual deliciousness with a very real heart and a dead sexy Lee Pace.
Mad Men - Series 4A new agency and a divorce for Don lift this drama out of the domestic drudgery of Series 3 and back into sharp and enjoyable viewing.
QuinceaneraAuthentic and moving drama about the problems of two Latino teenage cousins. A story of Mexican Americans that doesn't involve cliche, sensationalism, or gang violence.
BridesmaidsFinally the women get to be the obnoxious ones. Gross out comedy meets chick flick that will have you in hysterics.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2Fantastically dramatically satisfying climax to the HP series.
I Love You Phillip MorrisCrime caper/rom com about a gay con man who managed to escape prison more times than you've had hot dinners. Amazingly, based on a true story.
The Social NetworkSurprisingly gripping film about the start of Facebook, never mind if it's accurate or not.
TiMERIndie rom-com uses sci-fi ideas to put a clever new twist on looking for love. And there's swearing.
Despicable MeSo cute!!!!!!!! Just so darn cute. For all ages (except maybe teenagers).

Waiting in the wings: Entourage (Series 7), United States of Tara (Series 1) The Inbetweeners (TV Series), Gnomeo and Juliet…

Further recommendations...

The Genteel: My Afternoons With Margueritte, Everlasting Moments, His & Hers, The Peddler, Lovely Still, Babies.

The Cool: Gainsbourg, I Killed My Mother, Monsters, Splice, Metropia, Rubber, Sherlock (TV Series).

The Fun: Tamara Drewe, Horrible Bosses, The Other Guys, Paul.

Le Fun: Heartbreaker, Potiche, Mammuth.

The Grown-Up: Rabbit Hole, Oranges and Sunshine, Desert Flower, Treme (TV Series).

The Educational: Freakonomics, Waiting for Superman, Gasland, Age of Stupid.

The Inspirational: Mrs. Carey's Concert, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Pianomania, The Choir, Fire in Babylon.

The Worldly: In a Better World, Incendies, Lebanon, Biutiful.

The Underworldly: The Killing (TV Series), The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, Disappearance of Alice Creed, Harry Brown, The American, The Town, Limitless.

The Web-worldly: Catfish, Winnebago Man.

The Well Drawn: A Cat in Paris, Megamind, Tangled, Rio.

The Girly: Eat Pray Love, Please Give, Cracks, Black Swan, Downton Abbey (TV Series).

The Heroic: The Fighter, 127 Hours, The Way Back.

The Super-Heroic: Thor, X-Men: First Class, Tron Legacy.

The Iconoclastic: American: The Bill Hicks Story, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.

The Britpop: SoulBoy, Oil City Confidential, George Harrison: Living in the Material World.

The Homegrown: Insatiable Moon, My Wedding and Other Secrets, Love Birds, The Devil's Rock, Russian Snark, Bliss: The Beginning of Katherine Mansfield.

The Off-beat and/or Overlooked: Candyman - The David Klein Story, Audience of One, Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure, The Living Wake, Sensation, Boogie Woogie, Silent House, Machete Maidens Unleashed.

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Staff Selections: 2011 The Year in Review