Feature - evlkeith's Top Ten Films of 2012

It's that time of year again: the time for lists. Here are my top ten films of this year. The only rule is that I have to have seen them for the first time this year, it doesn't matter if they weren't released in 2012. 

It seems to have been the year of the 7/10 film. I haven't seen anything particularly special this year, with many disappointments (The Raid springs to mind). But I am looking forward to watching a few films next year, (Holy Motors for one) so hopefully things should be better in 2013.

In traditional reverse order, here we go...

10. The Wicker Tree
I don't think that anyone else likes this, but I've still got a soft spot for it. The final images of her running up the hill have stayed in my mind to this day.

9. Only the Strong

Mark Dacascos. Capoeira. Job done. Wish it was available on R2 DVD.

8. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Initially I thought that this was going to be terrible but it quickly turns into a humourous little mountain man romp. The chainsaw scene is a classic.

7. The Hindenburg

I completely love the matte shots in this. The story's pretty powerful too. The switch to black and white real footage of the destruction of the Hindenburg is awe-inspiring.

6. To

Some lush CGI anime from Sori in the form of two short stories. Shame it's so expensive on Blu-ray, but I might have to bite the bullet at some point.

5. Rosetta

Following someone round for an hour and a half is always a treat... ahem... Rosetta is a grimy little treat with a stunning central performance. Pity you see her back for the majority of the proceedings.

4. Ong-bak

Anyone who loves seeing someone jumping up in the air and then smashing their elbow down onto a poor unfortunate's head will love this. Looking forward to watching the sequels next year.

3. Lars and the Real Girl

Not at all what I was expecting and this is possibly the only film on this list that I would recommend to absolutely anyone.

2. First Squad

I'm not exactly sure why I've put this Russian language anime so high on this list ,but it's one of those films that I enjoy watching solely for the atmosphere. It leaves room for a sequel where the story might actually develop more satisfactorily.

1. The Avengers

This is a bit of a shock to me that a mainstream film can actually be my top film of the year. I wasn't expecting that much due to the uselessness of Captain America and Thor. And fair enough, The Avengers has a bit of a lull in the middle section and a dodgy uninspiring villain, but when it kicks off it is impressive stuff. Joss Whedon shows again that he is able to juggle a large group of characters and give them all a suitably heroic moment. The Hulk on screen has never impressed me up to now, and the CGI still looks ropey, but the writing helps him to steal the show on numerous occasions. Not as good as Serenity but I bestow it with the title of Film of the Year.

So there you have it, some half-decent films there. But to balance things out let's have my worst film of the year... Donkey Punch. Hate it with a passion. A turgid little turd of a film. 

evlkeith