Best Films of the Decade: 2003-12

Compiling a best of the decade list using only top 10 film lists from 2003-12 resulted in omissions from many of the best directors in the world. That meant no films from Claire Denis, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Pedro Costa, Béla Tarr, Manoel de Oliveira, Wang Bing, Terrence Malick, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Jia Zhangke & Nuri Bilge Ceylan. In most cases, it took me a few years to catch up with the forenamed auteur’s work thereby making the film ineligible from an end of the year list. On a few occasions, worthy films narrowly missed out on the top 10. For example, Syndromes and a Century placed #12 in 2008, Uncle Boonmee.. was #15 in 2010 and The Turin Horse grabbed #18 in 2011.

In order to come up with a more complete best of the decade list, I put together a collection of stellar films that I caught a few years after the film’s release. Also, I included some films that were initially cut from my top 10 but placed in an end of the year list. The final tally of this collection ended up being a staggering 181 titles. These 181 titles combined with the original 100 more accurately reflects some of the best films of 2003-2012.

List 1 (reproduced here): 100 films from 2003-2012 top 10 lists

List 2 (in alphabetical order below): 181 films that were delayed viewing or narrowly missed out on the top 10.

12 (2008, Russia, Nikita Mikhalkov)
12:08 East of Bucharest (2006, Romania, Corneliu Porumboiu)
15 Park Avenue (2005, India, Aparna Sen)
2046 (2004, Hong Kong co-production, Wong Kar-wai)
35 Shots of Rum (2008, France, Claire Denis)
4 Months 3 Weeks 2 days (2007, Romania, Cristian Mungiu)
5x2 (2004, France, François Ozon)
A Town Called Panic (2009, Belgium co-production, Stéphane Aubier/Vincent Patar)
A Useful Life (2010, Uruguay, Federico Veiroj)
After this our exile (2006, Hong Kong, Patrick Tam)
Agrarian Utopia (2009, Thailand, Uruphong Raksasad)
Alamar (2009, Mexico, Pedro González-Rubio)
Alexandra (2007, Russia/France, Aleksandr Sokurov)
Apocalypto (2006, USA, Mel Gibson)
Applause (2009, Denmark, Martin Zandvliet)
Attenberg (2010, Greece, Athina Rachel Tsangari)
Avenida Brasilia Formosa (2009, Brazil, Gabriel Mascaro)
Away from Her (2006, Canada, Sarah Polley)
Baixio das Bestas (2007, Brazil, Cláudio Assis)
Ballast (2008, USA, Lance Hammer)
Before I Forget (2007, France, Jacques Nolot)
Between Two Worlds (2009, Sri Lanka, Vimukthi Jayasundara)
Black Butterfly (2006, Peru, Francisco J. Lombardi)
Blind Shaft (2003, China co-production, Yang Li)
Blockade (2006, Russia, Sergey Loznitsa)
Broken Flowers (2005, USA, Jim Jarmusch)
Bug (2006, USA, William Friedkin)
Café Lumière (2003, Japan/Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-heien)
California Dreaming (2007, Romania, Cristian Nemescu)
Carcasses (2009, Canada, Denis Côté)
Certified Copy (2010, France/Iran/Italy, Abbas Kiarostami)
Children (2006, Iceland, Ragnar Bragason)
Chronicles of an Escape (2006, Argentina, Adrián Caetano)
Citizen Havel (2008, Czech Republic, Miroslav Janek/Pavel Koutecký)
Climates (2006, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Closer (2004, USA/UK, Mike Nichols)
Colossal Youth (2006, Portugal, Pedro Costa)
Continental: A film without guns (2008, Canada, Stéphane Lafleur)
Crane World (2003, Argentina, Pablo Trapero)
Crime and Punishment (2007, China, Zhao Liang)
Crimson Gold (2003, Iran, Jafar Panahi, Writer -- Abbas Kiarostami)
Curling (2010, Canada, Denis Côté)
De Muze (2006, Holland, Ben van Lieshout)
Delta (2008, Hungary, Kornél Mundruczó)
Departures (2008, Japan, Yôjirô Takita)
Dirty Carnival (2006, South Korea, Ha Yu)
Dogtooth (2009, Greece, Giorgos Lanthimos)
Dogville (2003, Denmark co-production, Lars von Trier)
Duck Season (2004, Mexico, Fernando Eimbcke)
Election (2005, Hong Kong, Johnnie To)
Elephant (2003, USA, Gus Van Sant)
Enter the Void (2009, France co-production, Gaspar Noé)
Euphoria (2006, Russia, Ivan Vyrypaev)
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010, USA/UK, Banksy)
Good Bye Dragon Inn (2003, Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang)
Happy New Life (2007, Hungary, Árpád Bogdán)
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003, India, Sudhir Mishra)
Helvetica (2007, UK, Gary Hustwit)
Hunger (2008, UK, Steve McQueen)
I Wish I Knew (2010, China, Jia ZhangKe)
Import Export (2007, Austria/France, Ulrich Seidl)
In Memory of Myself (2007, Italy, Saverio Costanzo)
Independencia (2009, Philippines, Raya Martin)
Inland Empire (2006, USA co-production, David Lynch)
In the Pit (2006, Mexico, Juan Carlos Rulfo)
Invisible Waves (2006, Thailand, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang)
Iraq in Fragments (2006, USA, James Longley)
It’s Winter (2006, Iran, Rafi Pitts)
I’m Not Scared (2003, Italy co-production, Gabriele Salvatores)
Japanese Story (2003, Australia, Sue Brooks)
Julia (2009, France/USA/Mexico/Belgium, Erick Zonca)
Khadak (2006, Belgium/Germany, Peter Brosens & Jessica Hope Woodworth)
Khamosh Pani (2003, Pakistan co-production, Sabiha Sumar)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003, USA, Quentin Tarantino)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005, USA, Shane Black)
La France (2007, France, Serge Bozon)
Last Life in the Universe (2003, Thailand/Japan, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang)
Let Each One go Where He May (2009, USA/Suriname, Ben Russell)
Like you know it All (2009, South Korea, Hong Sang-Soo)
Lion's Den (2008, Argentina co-production, Pablo Trapero)
Look At Me (2004, France/Italy, Agnès Jaoui)
Los Angeles Plays itself (2003, USA, Thom Andersen)
Los Muertos (2004, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso)
Lourdes (2009, Austria/France/Germany, Jessica Hausner)
Love Exposure (2008, Japan, Shion Sono)
L’Appolinde (2011, France, Bertrand Bonello)
L’Enfer (2005, France co-production, Danis Tanovic)
L’Intrus (2004, France, Claire Denis)
Machuca (2004, Chile, Andrés Wood)
Manufacturing Landscapes (2006, Canada, Jennifer Baichwal)
Memories of Murder (2003, South Korea, Joon-ho Bong)
Miami Vice (2006, USA, Michael Mann)
Mildred Pierce (2011, USA, Todd Haynes)
Milk of Sorrow (2009, Peru/Spain, Claudia Llosa)
Mirage (2004, Macedonia, Svetozar Ristovski)
Mithya (2008, India, Rajat Kapoor)
Mo & Me (2006, Kenya, Roger Mills/Murad Rayani)
Moolaade (2004, Senegal co-production, Ousmane Sembene)
Moon (2009, UK, Duncan Jones)
My Joy (2010, Ukraine co-production, Sergei Loznitsa)
Mysteries of Lisbon (2010, Portugal/France, Raoul Ruiz)
Mystic Ball (2006, Canada/USA, Greg Hamilton)
Mystic River (2003, USA, Clint Eastwood)
No Smoking (2007, India, Anurag Kashyap)
Notes on a Scandal (2006, UK, Richard Eyre)
Of Gods and Men (2010, France, Xavier Beauvois)
Oki’s Movie (2010, South Korea, Hong Sang-soo)
Oldboy (2003, South Korea, Chan-wook Park)
Our Beloved Month of August (2008, Portugal, Miguel Gomes)
Oxhide (2005, China, Jiayin Liu)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Mexico, Guillermo del Toro)
Paprika (2006, Japan, Satoshi Kon)
Paradise Now (2005, Palestine co-production, Hany Abu-Assad)
Paraguayan Hammock (2006, Paraguay co-production, Paz Encina)
Paranoid Park (2007, USA, Gus Van Sant)
Parents (2007, Iceland, Ragnar Bragason)
Poetry (2010, South Korea, Lee Chang-dong)
Putty Hill (2010, USA, Matthew Porterfield)
Rapt (2009, France/Belgium, Lucas Belvaux)
Requiem (2006, Germany, Hans-Christian Schmid)
Rhinoceros Eyes (2003, USA, Aaron Woodley)
Rumba (2008, France/Belgium, Dominique Abel/Fiona Gordon/Bruno Romy)
Secret Sunshine (2007, South Korea, Lee Chang-Dong)
Shame (2011, UK, Steve McQueen)
Shut up & Sing (2007, USA, Barbara Kopple/Cecilia Peck)
Siddharth: The Prisoner (2008, India, Pryas Gupta)
Sideways (2004, USA, Alexander Payne)
Silent Souls (2010, Russia, Aleksei Fedorchenko)
Songs from the Second Floor (2003, Sweden, Roy Andersson)
Spare Parts (2003, Slovenia, Damjan Kozole)
Still Life (2006, China/Hong Kong, Jia ZhangKe)
Summer Wars (2009, Japan, Mamoru Hosoda)
Sun Spots (2009, China, Heng Yang)
Syndromes and a Century (2006, Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Synedoche, New York (2008, USA, Charlie Kaufman)
Take Shelter (2011, USA, Jeff Nichols)
The Barbarian Invasions (2003, Canada/France, Denys Arcand)
The Box (2009, USA, Richard Kelly)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007, France/USA, Julian Schnabel)
The Edukators (2004, Germany/Austria, Hans Weingartner)
The Ghost Writer (2010, France/Germany/UK,Roman Polanski)
The Girl Cut in Two (2007, France, Claude Chabrol)
The House of Sand (2005, Brazil, Andrucha Waddington)
The Inheritance (2003, Denmark, Per Fly)
The International (2009, multiple, Tom Tykwer)
The King and the Clown (2005, South Korea, Joon-ik Lee)
The Machinist (2004, Spain, Brad Anderson)
The Man’s Woman and other Stories (2009, India, Amit Dutta)
The Middle of the World (2003, Brazil, Vicente Amorim)
The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories (2007, Bulgaria, Director Andrey Paounov)
The New World (2005, USA/UK, Terrence Malick)
The Russian Dolls (2005, France/UK, Cédric Klapisch)
The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Portugal co-production, Manoel de Oliveira)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005, USA, Tommy Lee Jones)
The Tiger Factory (2010, Malaysia/Japan, Woo Ming Jin)
The Tree of Life (2011, USA, Terrence Malick)
The Turin Horse (2011, Hungary co-production, Béla Tarr/Ágnes Hranitzky)
The Wind Journeys (2009, Colombia co-production, Ciro Guerra)
The World (2004, China co-production, Jia Zhang ke)
The Wrestler (2008, USA, Darren Aronofsky)
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006, Brazil, Cao Hamburger)
There Will be Blood (2007, USA, Paul Thomas Anderson)
Three Times (2005, France/Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-hsien)
Tinker Tailor Sailor Spy (2011, UK co-production, Tomas Alfredson)
Todo Todo Torres (2006, Philippines, John Torres)
Tony Manero (2008, Chile/Brazil, Pablo Larraín)
Torremolinos 73 (2003, Spain, Pablo Berger)
Tropical Malady (2004, Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010, Thailand co-production, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Undertow (2009, Peru co-production, Javier Fuentes-León)
United 93 (2006, USA co-production, Paul Greengrass)
Used Parts (2007, Mexico, Aarón Fernández)
We Own the Night (2007, USA, James Gray)
West of the Tracks (2003, China, Wang Bing)
Whisky (2004, Uruguay, Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll)
White Material (2009, France, Claire Denis)
Win/Win (2010, Holland, Jaap van Heusden)
Woman on Fire Looks for Water (2009, Malaysia/South Korea, Woo Ming Jin)
Woman without a Piano (2009, Spain, Javier Rebollo)
You, the Living (2009, Sweden, Roy Andersson)
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004, USA, Xan Cassavetes)

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Top 10 of the decade, 2003-12

1. L’Intrus (2004, France, Claire Denis)

2. Tropical Malady (2004, Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul) 

3. Colossal Youth (2006, Portugal, Pedro Costa) 

4. West of the Tracks: parts I, II, III (2003, China, Wang Bing)

5. Crimson Gold (2003, Iran, Jafar Panahi) 
6. The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Portugal co-production, Manoel de Oliveira) 
7. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005, Romania, Cristi Puiu) 
8. Three Times (2005, France/Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-hsien) 
9. Foster Child (2007, Philippines, Brillante Mendoza) 
10. Los Muertos (2004, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso)

Runners-up: 

Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (2005, Brazil, Marcelo Gomes)
Liverpool (2008, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso)
Syndromes and a Century (2006, Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
My Joy (2010, Ukraine co-production, Sergei Loznitsa)
The Turin Horse (2011, Hungary co-production, Béla Tarr/Ágnes Hranitzky)
Climates (2006, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

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The comparison of List 1 & List 2 is further proof that it often takes a few years to catch up with all the worthy films from one calendar year. And I am certain the above 278 titles still don't cover everything. I have missed many films over the last decade, including those by Lav Diaz, and need to catch up with a few 2011 & 2012 titles. So the above best of decade could still change in 2014.

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Update Log

Entry #1, Feb 13: Less than a few hours after posting this list, I realized that I left out The New World from the above list. So List 2 grew from 178 titles to 179. I am certain the list will grow in upcoming weeks, so I will gradually update this page and modify the top 10 as needed. But for now, the top 10 stays unchanged.
Entry #2, Feb 16: Hard to imagine I left out the wonderful Mexican documentry In the Pit. Also, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly deserves its place. Total titles in List #2 have been modified from 179 to 181.

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Best Films of the Last Decade

I have always refrained from assessing whether a particular year had a good cinematic output mostly because a majority of foreign films were out of reach for me. This meant I was a few years behind in catching all the newest film titles and as a result, many excellent titles missed my end of the year list. For example, past omissions have included personal favorites such as The Strange Case of Angelica, Mysteries of Lisbon, My Joy, West of the Tracks and Pedro Costa’s Colossal Youth. I had a 2 year delay for the first three films and it was almost 4 years before I finally saw the Costa. But ultimately at the end of the day, I can only judge what is available to me. With that in mind, I decided to tally up my top 10 film lists from 2003 - 2012 to determine a personal best cinematic viewing year. I cut down lists from some years which had more than 10 titles, such as 23 films in 2009.

A quick rundown of lists from 2003 - 2012.

Top 10 films of 2003

1. Lost in Translation (USA/Japan, Sofia Coppola)
2. And Now...Ladies and Gentlemen (2002, France/UK, Claude Lelouch)
3. Mr & Mrs Iyer (2002, India, Aparna Sen)
4. Teen Deewarein (India, Nagesh Kukunoor)
5. Adaptation (2002, USA, Spike Jonze)
6. 21 Grams (USA, Alejandro González Iñárritu)
7. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002, South Korea, Park Chan-wook)
8. Gangaajal (India, Prakash Jha)
9. Haasil (India, Tigmanshu Dhulia)
10. Saathiya (2002, India, Shaad Ali)

Top 10 films of 2004

1. Exiles (France/Japan, Tony Gatlif)
2. Monsieur Ibrahim (2003, France, Francois Dupeyron)
3. Kontroll (2003, Hungary, Nimrod Antal)
4. Samsara (2001, India co-production, Pan Nalin)
5. Carandiru (2003, Brazil co-production, Hector Babenco)
6. Kopps (2003, Sweden/Denmark, Josef Fares)
7. Control Room (USA, Jehane Noujaim)
8. About Baghdad (USA, Sinan Antoon & 4 other directors)
9. Checkpoint (2003, Israel, Yoav Shamir)
10. Before Sunset (USA, Richard Linklater)

Top 10 films of 2005

1. Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (Brazil, Marcelo Gomes)
2. Yes (2004, UK/USA, Sally Potter)
3. L’Enfant (Belgium/France, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne)
4. Sepet (2004, Malaysia, Yasmin Ahmad)
5. Cache (France co-production, Michael Haneke)
6. Mountain Patrol/Kekexili (2004, China/Hong Kong, Chuan Lu)
7. Head-On (2004, Germany/Turkey, Fatih Akin)
8. Brokeback Mountain (USA/Canada, Ang Lee)
9. Good Night, and Good Luck (USA/France/UK/Japan, George Clooney)
10. Turtles Can Fly (2004, Iran/France/Iraq, Bahman Ghobadi)

Top 10 films of 2006

1. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005, Romania, Cristi Puiu)
2. Dosar (2006, India, Rituparno Ghosh)
3. El Violín (2005, Mexico, Francisco Vargas Quevedo)
4. Tzameti (2005, France/Georgia, Géla Babluani)
5. The Bet Collector (Philippines, Jeffrey Jeturian)
6. Khosla Ka Ghosla (India, Dibakar Banerjee)
7. The Descent (2005, UK, Neil Marshall)
8. The Lives of Others (Germany, Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck)
9. Election 2 (Hong Kong, Johnny To)
10. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005, South Korea, Park Chan-wook)

Top 10 films of 2007

1. Foster Child (Philippines, Brillante Mendoza)
2. Dans la ville de Sylvia (Spain, José Luis Guerin)
3. Slingshot (Philippines, Brillante Mendoza)
4. Children of Men (2006, USA/UK, Alfonso Cuarón)
5. Black Friday (2004, India, Anurag Kashyap)
6. The Bourne Ultimatum (USA, Paul Greengrass)
7. Zodiac (USA, David Fincher)
8. Rendition (USA, Gavin Hood)
9. Ratatouille (USA, Brad Bird)
10. Drained (2006, Brazil, Heitor Dhalia)

Top 10 films of 2008

1. Rachel Getting Married (USA, Jonathan Demme)
2. Happy-Go-Lucky (UK, Mike Leigh)
3. Wonderful Town (2007, Thailand, Aditya Assarat)
4. The Fall (2006, USA/India, Tarsem)
5. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (India, Dibakar Banerjee)
6. Gomorra (Italy, Matteo Garrone)
7. Silent Light (2007, Mexico, Carlos Reygadas)
8. Tell No One (2006, France, Guillaume Canet)
9. Rock On (India, Abhishek Kapoor)
10. WALL·E (USA, Andrew Stanton)

Top 10 films of 2009

1. Be Calm and Count to Seven (2008, Iran, Ramtin Lavafipour)
2. Breathless (2008, South Korea, Yang Ik-June)
3. Wendy and Lucy (2008, USA, Kelly Reichardt)
4. Police, Adjective (Romania, Corneliu Porumboiu)
5. Buick Riviera (Croatia, Goran Rusinovic)
6. Call If You Need Me (Malaysia, James Lee)
7. Karaoke (Malaysia, Chris Chong Chan Fui)
8. Birdsong (2008, Spain, Albert Serra)
9. Everyone Else (Germany, Maren Ade)
10. Milk (2008, Turkey, Semih Kaplanoglu)

Top 10 films of 2010

1. Kill the Referee (2009, Belgium, Y. Hinant/E. Cardot/L. Delphine)
2. Liverpool (2008, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso)
3. El Pasante (Argentina, Clara Picasso)
4. The American (USA, Anton Corbijn)
5. R (Denmark, Tobias Lindholm/Michael Noer)
6. Manuel De Ribera (Chile, Pablo Carrera/Christopher Murray)
7. The Robber (Austria/Germany, Benjamin Heisenberg)
8. Carlos (France, Olivier Assayas)
9. Shutter Island (USA, Martin Scorsese)
10. The Life and Death of a Porno Gang (2009, Serbia, Mladen Djordjevic)

Top 10 films of 2011

1. Le Quattro Volte (2010, Italy co-production, Michelangelo Frammartino)
2. Do Dooni Chaar (2010, India, Habib Faisal)
3. Drive (USA, Nicolas Winding Refn)
4. A Separation (Iran, Asghar Farhadi)
5. Dhobi Ghat (India, Kiran Rao)
6. Another Year (2010, UK, Mike Leigh)
7. Nostalgia for the Light (2010, Chile co-production, Patricio Guzmán)
8. Aurora (2010, Romania co-production, Cristi Puiu)
9. The Kid With a Bike (Belgium co-production, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne)
10. Melancholia (Denmark co-production, Lars von Trier)

Top 10 films of 2012

1. Holy Motors (France, Leos Carax)
2. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
3. This is Not a Film (2011, Iran, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/Jafar Panahi)
4. The Master (2012, USA, Paul Thomas Anderson)
5. Gone Fishing (2012, Argentina, Carlos Sorin)
6. The World Before Her (2012, Canada, Nisha Pahuja)
7. Found Memories (2011, Brazil co-production, Lucia Murat)
8. The Bright Day (2012, India, Mohit Takalkar)
9. Unfair World (2011, Greece/Germany, Filippos Tsitos)
10. Sleeping Sickness (2011, Germany co-production, Ulrich Kohler)

Best overall year

All the years contain many strong films but 2009 has the best overall selection with 10 outstanding entries. On top of that, there are 13 other worthy selections in 2009 that would have made an adequate top 10 substitute.

The Storm (Turkey, Kazim Öz)
Border (Armenia/Holland, Harutyun Khachatryan)
In the Loop (UK, Armando Iannucci)
The Limits of Control (USA, Jim Jarmusch)
Zidane (France, Douglas Gordon/Philippe Parreno)
Ain’t No Tomorrows (Japan, Yuki Tanada)
The Happiest Girl in the World (Romania co-production, Radu Jude)
The Hurt Locker (USA, Kathryn Bigelow)
The Class (France, Laurent Cantet)
District 9 (South Africa/New Zealand, Neill Blomkamp)
Katalin Varga (Romania co-production, Peter Strickland)
I Killed My Mother (Canada, Xavier Dolan)
The Prophet (France, Jacques Audiard)

2010 and 2011 are the next two best years with the highest number of personal favourites.

Top 10 from 100 films

In order to pick 10 titles from these quality 100 films, I ignored the previous year’s ranking and threw all 100 films into one big pot so that all entries were on equal footing. Even though the final list consists of films from 10 different directors and 9 countries, all the films either feature a journey or are shot in a verite style.

1. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005, Romania, Cristi Puiu)

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is called a dark comedy but it is entirely possible to view it as a bloodless horror film where the audience is given a front row seat in witnessing the slow disintegration of the title character. Even though Mr. Lazarescu is slowly edging towards his death, no one around him seems to notice because they are all weighed down by a bureaucratic system and can’t look up to see the obvious.

2. Foster Child (2007, Philippines, Brillante Mendoza)

In 2007, Brillante Mendoza pulled off a unique feat by making two powerful films, Slingshot and Foster Child, in the same year. The two works share many production similarities as both are shot in roughly the same amount of time (10 and 11 days respectively) in locations next to each other and utilize a verite style where actors are integrated with the slum residents to create a unique mixture of fiction and reality. However, the two film differ by their focus on the resident’s lives. Slingshot looks at how corruption and politics mixes with poverty while Foster Child looks at foster care in Philippines and individuals who adopt children and look after them. Foster Child smartly balances both the macro and microscopic view by depicting the larger hierarchal structure of adoption and the tender individual relationships that form between the children and those that care for them. As a result, the film is heart-wrenching and leaves a lasting emotional impact.

3. Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (2005, Brazil, Marcelo Gomes)

Johann is a traveling salesman who cleverly uses cinema to sell aspirin. As engaging as his encounters are, what elevates this work is the director’s decision to overexpose the film negative. This gives each frame a yellowish tint which perfectly conveys the heat and brutality of the almost endless Brazilian landscape. The overexposed film shatters the fourth wall and ensures the audience gets a sense of Johann’s struggles thereby making them a passenger on his journey. The film also smartly shows how people’s idea of freedom varies and what makes one person happy can be torture for another.

4. Liverpool (2008, Argentina, Lisandro Alonso)

Farrel, a lonely man, leaves a ship’s confined space and heads off into the vast open land in order to seek closure from his past. Alonso’s flexible camera film allows one to breathe in the environment and take in all the sights and sounds while observing the weight drop from Farrel’s shoulders as he makes his way through snow covered paths to his goal.

5. Exiles (2004, France/Japan, Tony Gatlif)

Exiles follows two characters who leave Paris and head to Algeria to find their roots. Since this is a Tony Gatlif movie, flamenco musical sequences are present but this time a touch of Rai music is added to the mix. The music, which consists of a hypnotic 11 minute trance segment near the finale, heightens the emotions thereby ensuring an immersive work.

6. Samsara (2001, India co-production, Pan Nalin)

A beautiful soulful film that explores the philosophical question "How do you prevent a drop of water from drying up?". A Buddhist monk renounces his religious life for the worldly pleasures of sex and love. But despite getting married, he begins to realize that satisfying one desire always leads to more desires. The movie highlights his spiritual journey but more importantly, it tackles the spiritual question from a woman's point of view as well. It is always men who are willing to get up and leave for the mountains. But what about the women they leave behind? Did anyone ask what happened to Buddha's wife?

7. Be Calm and Count to Seven (2008, Iran, Ramtin Lavafipour)

This stunning poetic film opens with fast boats landing on a beach, followed immediately by burqa covered women hurriedly unloading goods off the boats and disappearing into mud houses. The contents of those bags are revealed later on in the film but both the contents and act of smuggling are minor details. The most important aspect of this film is observing the way of life on a tiny beautiful island in the Persian Gulf. If the character’s didn’t speak Farsi, then one would imagine the fishing village setting was Yemen or North Africa . But the film is Iranian and shows a rarely seen side of the Persian country.

8. Holy Motors (2012, France, Leos Carax)

Leos Carax creatively captures the essence of cinema from the silent era to contemporary times while paying homage to key genres throughout.

9. Dans la ville de Sylvia (2007, Spain, José Luis Guerin)

Guerin beautifully strips cinema down to its bare essence capturing every sound found in a vibrant European city, right down to a bottle rolling down a cobblestone street, in following a man's return to the city where he met the lovely Sylvia 6 years ago. It is clear that the man is haunted by memories of Sylvia and seems to encounter her ghost in every female he crosses.

10. Breathless (2008, South Korea, Yang Ik-June)

Breathless draws a direct line from domestic abuse to a gangster life. In doing so, the film clearly depicts the dangers of a violent life, both in a household or in a gang, and demonstrates that there is a consequence to every violent action even if sometimes that consequence takes two generations to manifest itself. Yang Ik-June’s debut film is a rare film that has a purpose for every brutal violent scene and as a result film makes a strong case for leading an anti-violent life.

Children of Men and Once Upon a Time in Anatoalia were very close to making the top 10 and are worthy runners-up.

Countries represented

There are 30 countries represented but 3 nations make up 43% of all films, with USA having 21 films, India with 14 and France 8. Here is the list of nations arranged by inclusions:

USA: 21
India: 14
France: 8

Brazil, Germany, Iran, UK: 4

Argentina, Belgium, Malaysia, Philippines, Romania, South Korea: 3

Chile, Denmark, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Turkey: 2

Austria, Canada, China, Croatia, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Serbia, Sweden, Thailand: 1

Note: in the case of co-productions, the primary country is selected.

Film distribution breakdown of all 100 films

Total number of films seen due to film festivals: 53
Multiplexes: 20
DVDs: 18
Arthouses/indie cinemas: 8
online streaming: 1

The high percentage of titles from USA, India and France is not surprizing as these three countries have a prolific film industry and an established distribution scheme which ensures their works are easily available around the world. This is especially true in Canada where American, Indian and French films are quite accessible via cinemas and DVD/online streams. In fact, for a better part of the last decade, French films were more easily available than Canadian films which were mostly found only at film festivals.

However, the difficulty of seeing films from other countries becomes an issue if film festivals are taken out of the equation. For example, all three Filipino titles came from attending VIFF for two years. So now that I am not attending VIFF, my access to quality Filipino titles has declined drastically. Another decline has come from the closure of a local indie DVD store that specialized in carrying classic and contemporary Asian films of all genres. Therefore, many titles from Hong Kong, China, Japan and South Korea have fallen completely out of my regular viewing schedule. Plus, the shutdown of some mail rental stores such as Videomatica in Vancouver has also hurt in getting access to foreign films. The online film streaming sites in Canada do not have a fraction of the collection that worthy arthouse/indie DVD stores carried previously.

It seems that every year I am forced to repeat similar words about the difficulty of seeing global cinema but the truth is the foreign film distribution model in North America is broken, unless one lives in New York. Foreign film distribution is similarly in bad shape around the world but no such distribution problems exist for substandard Hollywood productions which are available in every part of the world.

A few other observations

2012 is the only year when all 10 films came from 10 different countries.
2003 contains the lowest number of countries represented with 4.
2009: 9 of the 10 films were made available due to film festivals.

Top 10 Canadian Films of 2012

2012 was a really good year in Canadian cinema as demonstrated by the titles below but also by a few that narrowly failed to make the list such as Kim Nguyen’s Rebelle (War Witch). Any other year, Rebelle would have been in this list. Also, there are quite a few attention worthy films that I missed seeing last year such as Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways, Peter Mettler’s The End of Time & Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell.

Top 10 Canadian Films of 2012

1) The World Before Her (Nisha Pahuja)

A perfectly balanced and insightful film that examines two very different camps of thought in India. The two camps, beauty pageants vs fundamentalism, contain the essence of issues that are dividing and ruining India. Given the recent brutal crime in Delhi, The World Before Her is one of the year’s most relevant films which should kick-start a debate about improving women’s rights in India.

2) Take This Waltz (2011, Sarah Polley)

Perfectly etched characters depicted in a beautiful fluid manner. Plus, Leonard Cohen's title song elevates the film emotionally.

3) I’m not a Rockstar (Bobbi Jo Hart)

Bobbi Jo Hart has edited over 4 years of footage to craft a documentary about the struggles and journey of a young girl, Marika Bournaki, to become a pianist. There are few scenes which show Marika’s natural talent but for the most part, the film shows her relationship with her father and the sacrifices the father makes for her success. This focus on father-daughter is why the film works so well as we get to know both of them better and even listen to things that we should not have access to. The subject matter applies to all arts in general and highlights pitfalls that can trip up young artists.

4) Mallamall (Lalita Krishna)

A highly relevant Canadian documentary that looks at India's economic rise via the countless malls being constructed there. The film also highlights a Canadian connection crucial in developing these mega stores, something that is hardly ever seen in any newspaper headlines.

5) Lowlife (Seth Smith)

This unique film follows two characters who get high on slugs. Their repeated usage of slugs blurs the line between reality and their slug induced nightmares. The drug visions are shown in black and white while reality is shown in color but as the film progresses that changes, especially with a jaw dropping ending.

6) Midnight’s Children (Deepa Mehta)

Midnight’s Children is such a dense rich novel that it seemed too difficult to ever adapt into a film. Of course, if anyone could accomplish this feat, it could only be Salman Rushdie himself. He has used his story telling strengths along with his well documented love of cinema to carefully adapt segments which contain the novel’s essence while providing a smooth cinematic flow. Huge credit also goes to Deepa Mehta for smartly using Rushdie’s narration to smoothen over the decade long gaps in the story without losing a beat. Rushdie’s voice comes across like a wise story teller preparing us for events we are about to see before our eyes. Also, the presence of many actors, regardless of their screen time, enhances the film as each actor adds a distinctive ingredient to the overall flavor.

7) Cosmopolis (David Cronenberg)

This carefully constructed Cronenberg limo was cruising towards the #2 spot on my year end list until it hit a roadblock. That caused the driver to get out of the car and inquire the damage. However, the young passenger Eric Parker got frustrated and jumped from back of the limo into the driver’s seat. He sped the car past the roadblock and made it to his destination in an impressive manner. Unfortunately, he arrived a little bit too late for the end of 2012 party. Still, Eric didn’t realize that his quick thinking allowed him to narrowly edge past another Cronenberg vehicle hot on his tails.

8) Antiviral (Brandon Cronenberg)

An absolutely juicy debut film that one can sink their teeth into. Antiviral looks at a not too distance future where society’s obsession with celebrity culture results in people lining up to buy meat grown from celebrity cells and happily injecting themselves with a celebrity’s virus. Given current addiction to anything celebrity related, such a scenario is not entirely unbelievable so full credit to Brandon Cronenberg for extrapolating the present in such a thoughtful film.

9) Mars et Avril (Martin Villeneuve)

Martin Villeneuve adapted his own graphic novel for the poetic and meditative Mars et Avril. The film is a labor of love and demonstrates that beautiful visuals can be made on a tight budget and a sci-fi film can be made without any horror or mindless action scenes.

10) Bestiaire (Denis Côté)

At first, this Denis Cote documentary looks like a peaceful observation of animals in a zoo. However, that perception is quickly shattered when the first agonizing sounds of animals wanting to break free from their cages are heard. The camera angles also emphasize the struggles most animals have in coping with a harsh winter which restricts their roaming space. Once summer arrives, Cote smartly frames his camera to give the appearance that it is the humans who are in cages and are observed by the animals. This shift of just who is the real observer coupled with the indoor winter shots raise plenty of burning points about caging of animals.

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Interestingly, Antiviral & Mars et Avril also extended the cinematic family tree of two famous Canadian names. Brandon is David Cronenberg’s son while Martin is Denis Villeneuve’s brother. However, it is good to see that both Brandon and Martin have successfully made their own mark with their debut feature films.

Best Films of 2012

It goes without saying that an end of the year list depends on access to quality films from around the world. And my access to those quality global titles is getting harder each year with closure of arthouse/independent cinemas thereby delaying seeing foreign films in a timely manner. For example, only 4 of the 25 films (16%) listed below had a theatrical run of one week or more. The rest only played once or twice via a film festival/cinematheque screening. Since all film festivals don’t have access to the same films, that forces a wait of 1-2 years to see certain foreign titles. That is why this list, like all previous years, contains older titles.

Top 10 Films

1. Holy Motors (France, Leos Carax)

Leos Carax creatively captures the essence of cinema from the silent era to contemporary times while paying homage to key genres throughout. Pure Cinema!

2. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

A stylistic film that is packed with dry wit while depicting characters in the hunt for a murdered body over the course of a night. Also, the best shot film of the year which manages to use light and shadows to great effect. For example, the scene where the mayor’s daughter makes an appearance is pure cinematic bliss.

3. This is Not a Film (2011, Iran, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/Jafar Panahi)

The film shows that in the hands of a talented filmmaker even a tiny confined space can be a liberating cinematic experience. The final moments capture those magical moments that Werner Herzog has claimed happen only when the camera is left recording just a little bit longer.

4. The Master (USA, Paul Thomas Anderson) 

5. Gone Fishing (Argentina, Carlos Sorin) 

A charming and relaxed film that contains plenty of contemplative moments in following a father’s (Marco played by Alejandro Awada) attempts to patch-up with his daughter. Such a story could have gotten a serious treatment in the hands of another director but Sorin smartly uses the visuals and pleasant score (composed by his son) to release any tension before it forms on the screen. When things are about to get serious Sorin ensures that the audience gets a nice reprieve either with a moment of humor or breathtaking beauty.

6. The World Before Her (Canada, Nisha Pahuja)

A perfectly balanced and insightful film that examines two very different camps of thought in India. The two camps, beauty pageants vs fundamentalism, contain the essence of issues that are dividing and ruining India. Given the recent brutal crime in Delhi, The World Before Her is one of the year’s most relevant films which should kick-start a debate about improving women’s rights in India.

7. Found Memories (2011, Brazil co-production, Lucia Murat) 

A mesmerizing film that deceptively appears as a contemplative piece but contains another layer beneath the surface. The ending, which puts a completely different spin on the overall film perception, haunts long in the memory because it forces one to rethink the lives of the residents and why they have continued to stay in a place cut-off from the rest of the world. One could easily classify this as an artful horror film!

8. The Bright Day (India, Mohit Takalkar) 

Mohit Takalkar makes his cinematic debut with a beautiful, poetic and hypnotic film. The visuals are striking as is the use of background music to enhance the film’s mythical tale. Plus, there are some smart touches such as using the same actor (Mohan Agashe) to play different characters that highlights how the main character Shiv perceives people around him.

9. Unfair World (2011, Greece/Germany, Filippos Tsitos) 

This smart Greek film shows how two cops’ efforts to save an innocent person leads to murder thereby forcing them to cover their tracks. Each frame is packed with absurd comedic moments which are slowly revealed as the camera movements act like a drawn out punch line. The film’s comedic style is reminiscent of Aki Kaurismäki, Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective) and the recent wave of Greek films directed by Giorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, Alps) & Athina Rachel Tsangari’s (Attenberg).

10. Sleeping Sickness (2011, Germany co-production, Ulrich Kohler) 

15 Honorable Mentions roughly in order of preference:

Teddy Bear (Denmark, Mads Matthiesen) 

An award winning body builder who not only lives with his mother but is afraid of her. Despite his hulk like appearance, he has no luck with love. So he decides to fly to Thailand to find a bride. This setup brings plenty of humor and credit to the director to allow events to flow naturally without any extra drama.

The Queen of Versailles (USA co-production, Lauren Greenfield) 

Even though Lauren Greenfield’s documentary looks at a single American family, the Seigels, the film is a case study of the excess spending that played a part in the American Economic crisis of 2008. The Siegels clearly spent beyond their means but they were not alone in doing so. After 2008, when easy access to money was shut down, the previously wealthy Siegels suffered the same fate as the average American of having to cut back and making drastic changes in their lives. Essential viewing!

Polisse (2011, France, Maïwenn) 

An unflinching look at a French police division dealing with children and juvenile crime cases. The verite style heightens the tension and shows that even the police officers dealing with the cases are not immune to losing control.

Reality (Italy, Matteo Garrone) 

A devastating case study of a man who is so blinded by his quest for fame that he starts to lose grip on reality and starts to throw his life away.

Killing Them Softly (USA, Andrew Dominik) 

Andrew Dominik makes a very good decision to adapt George V. Higgins’ 1974 novel Cogan's Trade to the 2008 American economic crisis. The original book is devoid of any political or economic elements but the film depicts the effects of financial strain on the characters in every frame. The opening shots of abandoned houses plus the non-stop sound bites of presidential debates highlight that even assassins and mobsters are feeling financial pressure in cutting back. The grayish look of the film also emphasizes the constant gloom that envelopes all the characters. As good as the film is, two stylistic scenes don’t mesh with the rest of the film’s look. The slow-motion car killing and the drug trip may look good on their own but they have no place in an otherwise tightly constructed film.

Arcadia (USA, Olivia Silver) 

A wonderful American film about a father’s road trip with his children to their new home. The strong start sets the tone of the father’s parental methods early on, which makes for a fascinating viewing. John Hawkes puts in a strong performance but the young actors also shine brightly and evoke tender emotions. This film is another one of those that belongs to the Neo-Realist American cinema category which depict genuine stories with a fly on the wall perspective.

Take This Waltz (2011, Canada, Sarah Polley) 

Perfectly etched characters depicted in a beautiful fluid manner. Plus, Leonard Cohen's title song elevates the film emotionally.

I’m not a Rockstar (Canada, Bobbi Jo Hart) 

Bobbi Jo Hart has edited over 4 years of footage to craft a documentary about the struggles and journey of a young girl, Marika Bournaki, to become a pianist. There are few scenes which show Marika’s natural talent but for the most part, the film shows her relationship with her father and the sacrifices the father makes for her success. This focus on father-daughter is why the film works so well as we get to know both of them better and even listen to things that we should not have access to. The subject matter applies to all arts in general and highlights pitfalls that can trip up young artists.

The Dynamiter (2011, USA, Matthew Gordon) 

A visually stunning film that belongs to the same category of New Realist American cinema such as Ballast and Wendy and Lucy, films that show a true slice of American life by focusing on characters completely absent from the big Hollywood productions.

The Student (2011, Argentina, Santiago Mitre) 

A razor-sharp political film that examines core issues at the heart of politics: tactics, strategy, managing & manipulating people.

Mallamall (Canada, Lalita Krishna) 

A highly relevant Canadian documentary that looks at India's economic rise via the countless malls being constructed there. The film also highlights a Canadian connection crucial in developing these mega stores, something that is hardly ever seen in any newspaper headlines.

Snowtown (2011, Australia, Justin Kurzel) 

A chilling work that shows how evil can slowly build up until it explodes with horrific consequences. Based on a true life crime, this Australian film shares some aspects of family & crime shown in 2010’s Animal Kingdom but Snowtown is far darker.

The Color Wheel (2011, USA, Alex Ross Perry) 

Alex Ross Perry and Carlen Altman’s vibrant script ensures that The Color Wheel stands apart from other American independent films by including dialogues and jibes that have a purpose in illustrating the character’s insecurities and personalities.

Heleno (2011, Brazil, José Henrique Fonseca) 

Jose Henrique Fonseca has created a devastating portrayal that perfectly depicts the self-destructive habits that led to the Brazilian soccer player Heleno de Freitas' decline. At times, it is painful to watch Heleno throw everything away but given his personality, his fall from grace seems inevitable. The music and black and white visuals nicely evoke the 1940’s-50’s and enhance the mood of the film.

Lowlife (Canada, Seth Smith)

And now for something completely different. This unique film follows two characters who get high on slugs. Their repeated usage of slugs blurs the line between reality and their slug induced nightmares. The drug visions are shown in black and white while reality is shown in color but as the film progresses that changes, especially with a jaw dropping ending.

Best Performances & Cinematography of 2012

There have been many worthy films in 2012 but also many more fine performances and great visuals. So I created a separate entry just to highlight actors & cinematographers prior to publishing a best of 2012 film list.

Lead performances (both male & female) 

Denis Lavant in Holy Motors

Denis Lavant is the perfect vehicle for allowing Leos Carax to explore various film genres in a unique and mesmerizing manner. Easily the best performance of 2012.

Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master

Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are an ideal one-two punch that power Paul Thomas Anderson’s devastating film. However, Amy Adams holds the Master’s power (literally) in her hand and in a quiet manner manages to shine through.

Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant in Amour

Riva and Trintignant put in gut-wrenching and emotional performances as their characters deteriorate in a confined space.

Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln

Safe to say Daniel Day-Lewis IS Lincoln, not an actor playing the part. But then again, one expects nothing less from Daniel Day-Lewis who completely takes on the persona of every character he plays. It is still shocking to think that he had once retired from acting altogether. 

Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained

Waltz is given plenty of juicy dialogues to flesh out his memorable character.

Manoj Bajpai in Gangs of Wasseypur

Manoj Bajpai has performed many worthy roles in his career but he is still best known for portraying the wild Bhiku Mhatre in Satya more than a decade ago. That is why it is refreshing to see him tap into the same energy in Gangs of Wasseypur. The film also highlights that in the hand of the right director, Bajpai is one of the best actors working in the Indian film industry.

Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar

It is hard to imagine anyone else acting the title role in Paan Singh Tomar other than Irrfan Khan. His relaxed style ensures that his character does not deviate too much in tone when he is happy, angry, sarcastic or just plain innocent.

Nina Hoss in Barbara

Nina Hoss puts in a pitch perfect performance by playing a character required to control her emotions in every instance.

Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe

McConaughey plays slimy variations of a similar character in Killer Joe, Bernie & Magic Mike. But he is truly on the top of his game in Killer Joe where he plays a corrupt cop who oozes evil while delivering precise dialogues.

Aniello Arena in Reality

It is heartbreaking to watch Arena’s character throw his life away in Reality but he has put in performance that has shades of a young Robert De Niro from Scorsese’s The King of Comedy.

Michelle Williams in Take This Waltz

Michelle Williams nicely slips into a character who is easily bored of men and things very quickly. As a result, her character will never be happy in life & Williams’ expressions convey this impending sadness behind every smile.

Matthias Schoenaerts in Rust and Bone, Bullhead
Marion Cotillard in Rust and Bone

Matthias Schoenaerts plays a different shade of a tough character in Bullhead & Rust and Bone. In Bullhead, Schoenaerts is a physical force of nature but one who has trouble finding love because of a past which has scarred him for life. His character is still physically imposing in Rust and Bone but he has no trouble getting love and can pick up a woman at the drop of a hat. The Dardennes' style used by Jacques Audiard ensures that Schoenaerts and Cotillard’s characters are properly showcased thereby finding beauty in moments of brutality & pain. Also, the visual style is definite proof that Marion Cotillard is gorgeous without any make-up.

Rodrigo Santoro in Heleno

Santoro plays a footballer prone to self-destruction. Just like Reality, it is painful to watch someone throw their live away but Santoro shines in every moment of joy, misery and anger.

Vidya Balan in Kahaani

For the last few years, Balan has outperformed her male co-stars so it was appropriate that she finally got a film where she was the main lead. And she nicely carries Kahaani on her shoulders.

Best Supporting Actor (Male & Female)


Rishi Kapoor in Agneepath

Rishi Kapoor’s ruthless portrayal of Rauf Lala comes as a real surprize given the warm loving characters that Kapoor has played in the past. Yet, Rishi Kapoor is able to extract enough charm from his past characters and transform it into the sinister Rauf Lala who appears to be trustworthy when needed and is ruthless when he wants to eliminate his enemies.

Tigmanshu Dhulia in Gangs of Wasseypur

It was a real surprize when Anurag Kashyap gave director Tigmanshu Dhulia an acting role but the move has paid off incredibly. If one has to see what is wrong with India and its politicians, then one need not look further than Dhulia’s corrupt and manipulative character of Ramadhir Singh.

Gina Gershon in Killer Joe

Gershon puts in a raw performance for a character forced to take the blows, both emotional and physical.

Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained

DiCaprio’s smooth yet wickedly evil plantation owner is a masterful performance.

Brad Pitt in Killing Them Softly

The only thing negative about Brad Pitt’s character of Jackie is that he is not given enough screen time.

Carlen Altman in The Color Wheel

Altman’s character of JR delivers a non-stop flurry of dialogues from the get go and is a delight to watch.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Gangs of Wasseypur

Nawazuddin Siddiqui had quite a year by starring in many big named films such as Paan Singh Tomar, Kahaani and Talaash. But he gets the meatiest role in Gangs of Wasseypur and he excels in playing a drug addicted gangster thrust into seeking revenge for his family.

Best Cinematography

Gökhan Tiryaki, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Caroline Champetier, Holy Motors
Mihai Malaimare Jr., The Master
Rui Poças, Tabu
Julián Apezteguia, Gone Fishing
Amol Gole, The Bright Day
Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Roger Deakins, Skyfall
Stéphane Fontaine in Rust and Bone
Lucio Bonelli, Found Memories
Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi

Film Log: 2012

I expected a slow down in film viewing this year and was certain I would finally drop below 300 films per year. It turns out that I ended up with 340 films for 2012, which is just one more than my previous lowest total of 339 in the last 6 years. Still, 340 films is too much. Although, I expect things to dip in coming years as more theaters close down and my choices are even more limited. Still, it was a good year of cinematic viewing.

Total number of features (fiction and docs) seen: 340

The above total includes about a dozen features that won't be released until 2013. Those 2013 titles are removed from the list below.

Film (Year, Country, Director): [optional rating out of 10]

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The Hero (2004, Angola/France/Portugal, Zézé Gamboa): 7
Le Grand Voyage (2004, Morocco co-production, Ismaël Ferroukhi): 7.5
Kalyug (1982, India, Shyam Benegal): 10
Breakaway (2011, Canada/India, Robert Lieberman)
L’Appolinde (2011, France, Bertrand Bonello): 9
Rocket Singh (2009, India, Shimit Amin): 9
The Devil’s Double (2011, Belgium/Holland, Lee Tamahori)
The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Portugal co-production, Manoel de Oliveira): 10
Dreams of Dust (2008, Burkina Faso/France/Canada, Laurent Salgues)
Jackie Brown (1997, USA, Quentin Tarantino)
Winter in Wartime (2008, Holland/Belgium, Martin Koolhoven)
Junoon (1979, India, Shyam Benegal)
Storm (2009, Germany co-production, Hans-Christian Schmid)
Terribly Happy (2008, Denmark, Henrik Ruben Genz)
Mammoth (2009, Sweden/Denmark/Germany, Lukas Moodysson)
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Turkey/Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nuri Bilge Ceylan): 10
Redbelt (2008, USA, David Mamet): 8.5
Green Street Hooligans (2005, USA/UK, Lexi Alexander)
The Guard (2011, Ireland, John Michael McDonagh)
Silent Souls (2010, Russia, Aleksei Fedorchenko): 9
Miss Bala (2011, Mexico, Gerardo Naranjo): 8.5
The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo (2011, USA/Sweden/Norway, David Fincher)
The Future (2011, USA/Germany, Miranda July): 4

Helvetica (2007, UK, Gary Hustwit)
Madame Brouette (2002, Senegal co-production, Moussa Sene Absa)
Take Shelter (2011, USA, Jeff Nichols)
American Psycho (2000, USA, Mary Harron)
Objectified (2009, USA, Gary Hustwit)
Adanggaman (2000, Ivory Coast co-production, Roger Gnoan M'Bala)
The Blacks (2009, Croatia, Goran Devic/Zvonimir Juric)
Agneepath (2012, India, Karan Malhotra): 8.5
Gambler (2006, Denmark, Phie Ambo)
Mysteries of Lisbon (2010, Portugal/France, Raoul Ruiz): 9
The Salt of Life (2011, Italy, Gianni Di Gregorio): 8.5
Husbands (1970, USA, John Cassavetes): 9
Badmaash Company (2010, India, Parmeet Sethi): 6
Kisses (2008, Ireland, Lance Daly): 8
The Gods Must be Crazy II (1989, Botswana/South Africa/USA, Jamie Uys)
Den Muso (1975, Mali, Souleymane Cissé)
The Mill and the Cross (2011, Poland/Sweden, Lech Majewski): 8.5
A Fistful of Dollars (1964, Italy co-production, Sergio Leone): 9
Life in a Day (2011, USA/UK, multiple)

In Time (2011, USA, Andrew Niccol): 7.5
Mildred Pierce (2011, USA, Todd Haynes): 9.5
Puss in Boots (2011, USA, Chris Miller)
Ratatouille (2007, USA, Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava): 9
Karen Cries on a Bus (2011, Colombia, Gabriel Rojas Vera): 6
The Man From the Future (2011, Brazil, Cláudio Torres)
Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011, India, Tigmanshu Dhulia)
The Tree (2010, Australia co-production, Julie Bertuccelli)
Everlasting Moments (2008, Sweden co-production, Jan Troell)
A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (2009, China/Hong Kong, Yimou Zhang)
Polisse (2011, France, Maïwenn): 9
High Tension (2003, France, Alexandre Aja)
Le Havre (2011, Finland co-production, Aki Kaurismäki): 7
The Pink Panther 2 (2009, USA, Harald Zwart)
Life and Living it (2008, Ghana, Shirley Frimpong Manso)
Khorma (2002, Tunisia co-production, Jilani Saadi)
These Amazing Shadows (2011, USA, Paul Mariano/Kurt Norton)
Cafe de Flore (2011, Canada/France, Jean-Marc Vallée): 8.5
Snow & Ashes (2010, Canada, Charles-Olivier Michaud): 7.5
Kahaani (2012, India, Sujoy Ghosh): 8
Manhunter (1986, USA, Michael Mann)
Rapt (2009, France/Belgium, Lucas Belvaux)
The Message (1977, co-production, Moustapha Akkad)
Crank (2006, USA, Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor)
Crank 2 (2009, USA, Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor)
Parking (2008, Taiwan, Mong-Hong Chung)
Manila (2009, Philippines, Raya Martin/Adolf Alix, Jr.)
In Darkness (2011, Poland/Germany/Canada, Agnieszka Holland)
I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You (2009, Brazil, Karim Ainouz/Marcelo Gomes)

This is Not a Film (2011, Iran, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/Jafar Panahi)
Detachment (2011, USA, Tony Kaye)
Devil’s Town (2009, Serbia, Vladimir Paskaljevic)
The Lorax (2012, USA, Chris Renaud/Kyle Balda)
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943, USA, William A. Wellman): 10
Agent Vinod (2012, India, Sriram Raghavan): 8
Eyes without a Face (1960, France/Italy, Georges Franju)
Tinker Tailor Sailor Spy (2011, UK co-production, Tomas Alfredson): 9
A Dog’s Day (2001, India, Murali Nair)
Rockstar (2011, India, Imtiaz Ali)
Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012, India, Shakun Batra)
Starbuck (2011, Canada, Ken Scott): 7.5
God Bless America (2012, USA, Bobcat Goldthwait)
Klovn (2010, Denmark, Mikkel Nørgaard): 8
The Rum Diary (2011, USA, Bruce Robinson): 6.5
Turn me on, Dammit (2011, Norway, Jannicke Systad Jacobsen): 8
Immortals (2011, USA, Tarsem Singh): 7.5
The Color Wheel (2011, USA, Alex Ross Perry): 8.5
Inbred (2011, UK/Germany, Alex Chandon)
Snowtown (2011, Australia, Justin Kurzel)
Monsieur Lazhar (2011, Canada, Philippe Falardeau): 8
Shame (2011, UK, Steve McQueen)
The Last Circus (2010, Spain/France, Álex de la Iglesia)
Applause (2009, Denmark, Martin Zandvliet)
They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968, Spain co-production, Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi)
My Joy (2010, Ukraine co-production, Sergei Loznitsa)
How I Ended This Summer (2010, Russia, Aleksey Popogrebskiy)

Warrior (2011, USA, Gavin O'Connor)
The Whistleblower (2010, Canada co-production, Larysa Kondracki)
38 Witnesses (2012, France, Lucas Belvaux)
Come As You Are (2011, Belgium, Geoffrey Enthoven)
Coming Home (2012, France, Frédéric Videau)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011, USA/UAE/Czech Republic, Brad Bird): 4
Play (2011, Sweden co-production, Ruben Östlund)
Some Like It Hot (1959, USA, Billy Wilder)
The Apartment (1960, USA, Billy Wilder)
Calcutta Mail (2003, India, Sudhir Mishra)
Bliss (2012, Germany, Doris Dörrie)
Skylab (2011, France, Julie Delpy)
Bullhead (2011, Belgium, Michael R. Roskam)
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967, USA/UK, Roman Polanski)
The Double Steps (2011, Spain, Isaki Lacuesta)
Freaky Deaky (2012, USA, Charles Matthau)
Terreferma (2011, Italy/France, Emanuele Crialese)
My Father and the Man in Black (2012, Canada, Jonathan Holiff)
Mallamall (2012, Canada, Lalita Krishna)
Found Memories (2011, Brazil/Argentina/France, Lucia Murat)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949, UK, Robert Hamer)
Bringing up Baby (1938, USA, Howard Hawks)
Teddy Bear (2012, Denmark, Mads Matthiesen)
Off-White Lies (2011, Israel/France, Maya Kenig)
Meherjaan (2011, Bangladesh, Rubaiyat Hossain)
Bestiaire (2012, Canada/France, Denis Côté)
The General (1926, USA, Clyde Bruckman/Buster Keaton)
Trafic (1971, France/Italy, Jacques Tati): 10
This is Spinal Tap (1984, USA, Rob Reiner)
Trouble in Paradise (1932, USA, Ernst Lubitsch)
The Man in the White Suit (1951, UK, Alexander Mackendrick)
Annie Hall (1977, USA, Woody Allen)

Sullivan’s Travels (1941, USA, Preston Sturges)
Madagascar 3 (2012, USA, Eric Darnell/Tom McGrath/Conrad Vernon)
Arsenic and the Old Lace (1944, USA, Frank Capra)
The Lady Eve (1941, USA, Preston Sturges)
Jaane Bhi do Yaaro (1983, USA, Kundan Shah)
Chhoti Si Baat (1975, India, Basu Chatterjee)
Blazing Saddles (1974, USA, Mel Brooks)
The King of Comedy (1983, USA, Martin Scorsese)
Being There (1979, USA, Hal Ashby)
The Great Dictator (1940, USA, Charles Chaplin)
The Thin Man (1934, USA, W.S. Van Dyke)
Gol Maal (1979, India, Hrishikesh Mukherjee)
Angoor (1982, India, Gulzar)
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955, Sweden, Ingmar Bergman)
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951, UK, Charles Crichton)
The Captain’s Paradise (1953, UK, Anthony Kimmins)
The Ladykillers (1955, UK, Alexander Mackendrick)
Duck Soup (1933, USA, Leo McCarey)
Dollhouse (2012, Ireland, Kirsten Sheridan)
I Am Not a Rockstar (2012, Canada co-production, Bobbi Jo Hart)
First Position (2011, USA, Bess Kargman)
Sons of Norway (2011, Norway co-production, Jens Lien)
California Solo (2012, USA, Marshall Lewy)
The Circus (1928, USA, Charles Chaplin)
Juan of the Dead (2011, Spain/Cuba, Alejandro Brugués)
Paris Under Watch (2012, France, Cédric Jimenez/Arnaud Duprey)
Happy Family (2010, Italy, Gabriele Salvatores)
Scialla! (2011, Italy, Francesco Bruni)
La kryptonite nella borsa (2011, Italy, Ivan Cotroneo)
The Dynamiter (2011, USA, Matthew Gordon)
The Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2011, France co-production, Thierry Binisti)

For a Few Dollars More (1965, Italy co-production, Sergio Leone)
Ferrari ki Sawaari (2012, India, Rajesh Mapuskar)
I Wish (2011, Japan, Hirokazu Koreeda)
A Bullet for the General (1966, Italy, Damiano Damiani)
The Great Silence (1968, Italy/France, Sergio Corbucci)
Teri Meri Kahaani (2012, India, Kunal Kohli)
Sabata (1969, Italy, Gianfranco Parolini)
Keoma (1976, Italy, Enzo G. Castellari)
Django (1966, Italy/Spain, Sergio Corbucci)
Shanghai (2012, India, Dibakar Banerjee)
Paan Singh Tomar (2012, India, Tigmanshu Dhulia)
The Bright Day (2012, India, Mohit Takalkar)
Lowlife (2012, Canada, Seth Smith)
Zombie (1979, Italy, Lucio Fulci)
Four of the Apocalpse (1975, Italy, Lucio Fulci)
Contraband (1980, Italy, Lucio Fulci)
Contraband (2012, USA/UK/France, Baltasar Kormákur)
Tabu (2012, Portugal co-production, Miguel Gomes)
Barbara (2012, Germany, Christian Petzold)
Generation P (2011, Russia/USA, Victor Ginzburg)

Duck, You Sucker (1971, Italy, Sergio Leone)
Ice Age 4 (2012, USA, Steve Martino/Mike Thurmeier)
Man from Nowhere/Arizona Colt (1966, Italy/France, Michele Lupo)
White Zombie (1932, USA, Victor Halperin)
Revolt of the Zombies (1936, USA, Victor Halperin)
Pablo (2012, USA, Richard Goldgewicht)
Arcadia (2012, USA, Olivia Silver)
Night of the Living Dead (1968, USA, George A. Romero)
Dawn of the Dead (1978, USA, George A. Romero)
Friends with Kids (2011, USA, Jennifer Westfeldt): 4
Cemetery Man (1994, Italy/France/Germany, Michele Soavi)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012, USA/UK, Christopher Nolan)
Unfair World (2011, Greece/Germany, Filippos Tsitos)
King Curling (2011, Norway, Ole Endresen)
Holidays by the Sea (2011, France, Pascal Rabaté)
Keep the Lights On (2012, USA, Ira Sachs)

Mandi (1983, India, Shyam Benegal): 9
Ankur (1973, India, Shyam Benegal): 10
The Watch (2012, USA, Akiva Schaffer): 6
Total Recall (2012, USA, Len Wiseman): 5
Kondura (India, Shyam Benegal): 8
Nishant (1975, India, Shyam Benegal): 9
Manthan (1976, India, Shyam Benegal): 10
Cocktail (2012, India, Homi Adajania): 6
Oslo 31 August (2011, Norway, Joachim Trier): 8
Las Acacias (2011, Argentina/Spain, Pablo Giorgelli): 7.5
Hysteria (2011, UK co-production, Tanya Wexler): 6
The Raid (2012, Indonesia/USA, Gareth Evans): 6
The Intouchables (2012, France, Olivier Nakache/Eric Toledano)
A Dangerous Method (2011, Canada co-production, David Cronenberg)
Chronicle (2012, USA, Josh Trank)
Domino (2005, USA, Tony Scott)
Man on Fire (2004, USA, Tony Scott)
The Hunger (1983, USA, Tony Scott)
Taken (2009, France/USA/UK, Pierre Morel)
Revenge (1990, USA, Tony Scott)
Days of Thunder (1990, USA, Tony Scott)
Bondu Saved from Drowning (1932, France, Jean Renoir)
The River (1951, France/India/USA, Jean Renoir)
Unstoppable (2010, USA, Tony Scott)
Deja Vu (2006, USA, Tony Scott)
True Romance (1993, USA, Tony Scott)

La fille de l’eau (1925, France, Jean Renoir)
Nana (1926, France, Jean Renoir)
Headhunters (2012, Norway/Germany, Morten Tyldum): 5
Elena (2011, Russia, Andrey Zvyagintsev)
Ruby Sparks (2012, USA, Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris)
Ekdin Achanak (1989, India, Mrinal Sen)
Ekdin Pratidin (1979, India, Mrinal Sen)
Gangs of Wasseypur Part I (2012, India, Anurag Kashyap)
The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment (1959, France, Jean Renoir)
The Elusive Corporal (1962, France, Jean Renoir)
La Marseillaise (1938, France, Jean Renoir)
The Dictator (2012, USA, Larry Charles): 3
La Grande Illusion (1937, France, Jean Renoir)
Patlabor (1989, Japan, Mamoru Oshii)
Samurai 1 (1954, Japan, Hiroshi Inagaki)
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955, Japan, Hiroshi Inagaki)
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956, Japan, Hiroshi Inagaki)
The Cabin in the Woods (2011, USA, Drew Goddard): 6

Wrong (2012, USA, Quentin Dupieux)
The Day I Saw Your Heart (2011, France, Jennifer Devoldère)
See Girl Run (2012, USA, Nate Meyer)
Fat Kid Rules The World (2012, USA, Matthew Lillard)
Amour  (2012, Austria/France/Germany, Michael Haneke)
Rust and Bone (2012, France/Belgium, Jacques Audiard)
The Misfits (2011, Mexico, Javier Colinas/Marco Polo Constandse/Jorge Ramírez Suárez/Sergio Tovar Velarde)
Reality (2012, Italy/France, Matteo Garrone)
Holy Motors (2012, France/Germany, Leos Carax): 10
As Luck Would Have It (2011, Spain/France/USA, Álex de la Iglesia)
NO (2012, Chile/France/USA, Pablo Larraín)
Rebelle (2012, Canada, Kim Nguyen)
The Battle of Warsaw 1920 (2011, Poland, Jerzy Hoffman)
Margarita (2012, Canada, Dominique Cardona/Laurie Colbert)
The World Before Her (2012, Canada/India, Nisha Pahuja): 10
Antiviral (2012, Canada, Brandon Cronenberg)
I’m Flash (2012, Japan, Toshiaki Toyoda)
Mars et Avril (2012, Canada, Martin Villeneuve)
All In Good Time (2012, UK, Nigel Cole)
The Ambassador (2012, Denmark, Mads Brügger)

Vengeance (2009, Hong Kong/France, Johnny To): 5
Ek Tha Tiger (2012, India, Kabir Khan): 2
The Master (2012, USA, Paul Thomas Anderson): 9
The Avengers (2012, USA, Joss Whedon): 6
Where Do We Go Now? (2011, France/Lebanon/Egypt/Italy, Nadine Labaki): 8.5
Cosmopolis (2012, Canada co-production, David Cronenberg)
Fightville (2011, USA, Petra Epperlein/Michael Tucker)
Looper (2012, USA, Rian Johnson): 7.5
Moonrise Kingdom (2012, USA, Wes Andersen): 6.5
Kauwboy (2012, Holland, Boudewijn Koole)
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012, USA, Colin Trevorrow): 7.5
Mirror, Mirror (2012, USA, Tarsem Singh): 4
The Deep Blue Sea (2011, UK, Terrence Davies): 6
Argo (2012, US, Ben Affleck) : 7
To Rome With Love (2012, USA, Woody Allen): 6
Evangelion 1.11 (2007, Japan, Masayuki/Kazuya Tsurumaki/Hideaki Anno)
They Live (1988, USA, John Carpenter)
Escape from New York (1981, USA, John Carpenter)
The Wasp Woman (1959, Roger Corman/Jack Hill)
Rodan (1956, Japan, Ishirô Honda)
Shock Corridor (1963, USA, Samuel Fuller)

Heleno (2011, Brazil, José Henrique Fonseca): 8.5
Gone Fishing (2012, Argentina, Carlos Sorin): 10
La Sirga (2012, Colombia/France/Mexico, William Vega)
The Student (2011, Argentina, Santiago Mitre): 9
Skyfall (2012, UK/USA, Sam Mendes): 9
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012, India, Yash Chopra): 4
Son of Sardaar (2012, India, Ashwani Dhir): 2
El Bulli (2011, Germany, Gereon Wetzel)
Take This Waltz (2011, Canada, Sarah Polley): 9
Cloud Atlas (2012, USA co-production, Andy & Lana Wachowski/Tom Tykwer): 6.5
Our Idiot Brother (2011, USA, Jesse Peretz): 6
The Palm Beach Story (1942, USA, Preston Sturges): 8.5
2 Days in New York (2012, USA, Julie Delpy): 7.5
Midnight's Children (2012, Canada/UK, Deepa Mehta): 8.5
Savages (2012, USA, Oliver Stone): 4
Prometheus (2012, USA, Ridley Scott): 6
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (2012, USA, Timur Bekmambetov): 5

Killing Them Softly (2012, USA, Andrew Dominik): 9
Life of Pi (2012, USA/China, Ang Lee): 7
Zero Bridge (2008, India/USA, Tariq Tapa): 8
Starship Troopers (1997, USA, Paul Verhoven)
Talaash (2012, India, Reema Kagti)
Lincoln (2012, USA, Steven Spielberg): 8
Sleeping Sickness (2011, Germany co-production, Ulrich Kohler): 9
4:44 Last Day on Earth (2011, USA/Switzerland/France, Abel Ferrara): 6
The Forgiveness of Blood (2011, USA/Albania/Denmark/Italy, Joshua Marston)
Total Recall (1990, USA, Paul Verhoeven)
The Queen of Versailles (2012, USA co-production, Lauren Greenfield): 9
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012, USA, Benh Zeitlin)
Gangs of Wasseypur Part II (2012, India, Anurag Kashyap)
The Loneliest Planet (2011, USA/Germany, Julia Loktev)
Bernie (2011, USA, Richard Linklater)
Magic Mike (2012, USA, Steven Soderbergh): 8
Margaret (2011, USA, Kenneth Lonergan)
Pandorum (2009, Germany/UK, Christian Alvart)
This is 40 (2012, USA, Judd Apatow): 4
Django Unchained (2012, USA, Quentin Tarantino): 8.5
Post Mortem (2010, Chile/Germany/Mexico, Pablo Larraín)
Footnote (2011, Israel, Joseph Cedar): 8

Arbitrage (2012, USA, Nicholas Jarecki): 6
The Lady (2011, France/UK, Luc Besson)
Barfi! (2012, India, Anurag Basu)
Heroine (2012, India, Madhur Bhandarkar)
Uski Roti (1970, India, Mani Kaul)

And that's a wrap for 2012!

CIFF 2012

The Calgary International Film Festival kicks off today, Sept 20, with the much anticipated opening gala of Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children and runs until Sunday, September 30. As usual, the line-up is stellar and contains a healthy dose of worthy International, Canadian & American films. Also, new this year is a spotlight on 3D which contains a dazzling list of titles. I am looking forward to discovering some new gems and will put up a final report at the end of the festival but for now, here are ten favourite films that I have already seen.

Found Memories (Argentina/Brazil/France, Júlia Murat) 

A mesmerizing film that deceptively appears as a contemplative piece but contains another layer beneath the surface. The film starts off by capturing daily rituals in a sleepy Brazilian town, routines which are slightly disrupted by the arrival of young Rita. Rita does not attempt to alter the lives of the residents too much and keeps to herself while photographing sites and the town folk. However, she does not realize that her presence is critical to the residents, something which is only apparent by the film’s end. The ending, which puts a completely different spin on the overall film perception, haunts long in the memory because it forces one to rethink the lives of the residents and why they have continued to stay in a place cut-off from the rest of the world.

 

The Bright Day (India, Mohit Takalkar)

Mohit Takalkar, an experienced theatrical director, makes his cinematic debut with a beautiful, poetic and hypnotic film. The story revolves around Shiv who leaves his home to travel across India in search of his identity. There have been many films made about characters who undergo a self-discovery journey in India but those films were from the perspective of a foreigner arriving in India. On the other hand, The Bright Day shows a born and bred Indian who leaves to travel within his country. This makes a world of difference as the film does not focus on a checklist of items that must be shown in a film about India but instead dives deeply to uncover the torment that the main protagonist experiences. The visuals are striking as is the use of background music to enhance the film’s mythical tale. Plus, there are some smart touches such as using the same actor Mohan Agashe to play different characters that highlights how Shiv perceives people around him.

 

Unfair World (Greece/Germany, Filippos Tsitos)

This smart Greek film shows how two cops efforts to save an innocent person leads to murder thereby forcing them to cover their tracks. Each frame is packed with absurd comedic moments which are slowly revealed as the camera movements act like a drawn out punch line. The film’s comedic style is reminiscent of Aki Kaurismäki, Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective) and the recent wave of Greek films directed by Giorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, Alps) & Athina Rachel Tsangari’s (Attenberg). Appropriately, Unfair World stars Christos Stergioglou who played the father in Dogtooth. The film swept the top Greek Academy awards this year and is Greece’s foreign film submission to next year’s Academy Awards.

 

Teddy Bear (Denmark, Mads Matthiesen)

A charming and delightful film that depicts an award winning bodybuilder who not only lives with his mother but is afraid of her. Despite his hulk like appearance, he has no luck with love. So he decides to fly to Thailand to find a bride. This setup brings plenty of humor and credit to the director to allow events to follow naturally without any extra drama.

 

Mallamall (Canada/India, Lalita Krishna)

An excellent and timely Canadian documentary that looks at India's economic rise via the countless malls being constructed there. The film also highlights a Canadian connection crucial in developing these mega stores, something that is hardly ever seen in any newspaper headlines.

 

King Curling (Norway, Ole Endresen)

Finally, a well made curling film! This Norwegian film incorporates some of the competitive in your face humor from Dodgeball within a deadpan framework similar to that of fellow Scandinavians Bent Hamer (O’ Horten and Kitchen Stories) and Roy Anderson (Songs from the Second Floor, You, The Living).

 

Generation P (Russia/USA, Victor Ginzburg) 

This Russian film combines the fierce energy found in Night Watch, the Russian film based on Sergey Lukyanenko’s novel, with some of Mad Men’s creative advertising ideas and tops things off with a layer of religion, nationalism, philosophy and mythology. There are plenty of conspiracy ideas presented and even though not all those ideas are tied up at the end, there is plenty to chew on.

 

Barbara (Germany, Christian Petzold)

Christian Petzold’s pitch perfect film features an incredible performance from Nina Hoss in depicting life in East Germany. Hoss plays the titular character, a doctor, who is sent away from Berlin to the countryside as a punishment for seeking to leave for the West German side. The forced exile does not dampen her plans as she tries to still seek an escape to the West with her lover. However, her presence is closely monitored forcing her not to trust anyone and maintaining a distance from the hospital staff. But with time, she slowly starts to warm up to her job and starts to develop relationships which force her to rethink her situation. Petzold’s cool looking film is completely different to The Lives of Others because of its singular focus on Barbara and using her as a lens to examine others. The film is Germany’s submission to next year’s Academy Awards.

 

I Wish (Japan, Hirokazu Koreeda)

Hirokazu Koreeda has come up with another masterful work that looks at two young siblings who are forced to live across Japan due to their parent’s separation. It is always amazing to see how Koreeda manages to bring out such rich performances from his child actors. His style ensures that the acting is natural and the film maintains a perfect emotional tone without resorting to melodrama.

 

The Dynamiter (USA, Matthew Gordon) 

The film follows a young teenager Robbie who is forced to fend for himself and his younger brother in a harsh and unforgiving environment after the mother leaves the family. It is a steep learning curve for 14 year old Robbie as he finds himself as man of the house and at first, his actions and behavior land him in some trouble. But his teacher gives Robbie a chance to atone for his stealing and poor grades by asking Robbie to write an essay that will allow him to graduate. Robbie tries his best but his task is made harder by the arrival of an elder brother who is not the role mode that Robbie once thought. Full credit to director Matthew Gordon for maintaining a sense of hope in depicting the kids which makes for a fascinating character study. The Dynamiter is a visually stunning award winning film that belongs to the same category of New Realist American cinema such as Ballast and Wendy and Lucy, films that show a true slice of American life by focusing on characters completely absent from the big Hollywood productions.