The Top Film of 2012: #1 Moonrise Kingdom

The #1 film of the year is, Moonrise Kingdom. This charming film by Wes Anderson was not a love story but a story of first love. The story is about a young couple that decides to runaway to be together. While the story seems simply, it is the simplicity of the story that everyone can relate to. It also possessed a critical acclaimed cast of big name actors and actresses such as Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, and many more. In 2012, film audiences were surrounded by big budget productions and Hollywood blockbusters, Moonrise Kingdom proved that the quality of a film has nothing to do with quantity of money you throw at a film but with the quality of storytelling and how much the audience can relate to the story being told. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

#2: Django Unchained

Django Unchained is a great example of Quentin Tarantino at his best. The film is about a slave named Django, turned bounty hunter who is out to save his wife from a ruthless plantation owner. Quentin Taratino is a cinephile. His love and passion for the medium comes out in his work. Django Unchained is an example of Tarantino’s excellent storytelling ability.  All of the classic Tarantino motifs are present within this film and lovers of his work will be fully entertained. Acting is what truly drives this film. Leonardo DiCaprio does an amazing job as the lead villain, Calvin Candie, and will be remembered as one of the great on-screen villains of the decade. This film came in the 11 hour of the year and has made a huge impact on the film industry in a short period of time. From critical acclaim to accusation of racism, Django Unchained has caused a storm of opinions and discussions about what is on and off limits in Hollywood. Tarantino’s film tackles a variety of concepts and themes such as a slavery, racism, exploitation and segregation. Themes, that in American culture, are more commonly forgotten and dismissed than addressed through the usage of film. Django Unchained is #2 because it was not only a great film, but it successfully turned Hollywood on it’s head by removing everyone from their comfort zone and showcasing a truth that is commonly dismissed as a distant memory.

- Israel Lattiboudeaire 

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

#5: Looper

Looper is this year’s best surprise film. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, #5 on our list took us on a time travelling journey. Set in the year 2074, time travel has been invented and immediately outlawed. Futuristic Mobs have acquired the technology and use it when they need to eliminate a person. The person is sent into the past where a Looper kills the target and disposes of the victims body. We follow a Looper named Joe, who must “close his loop” by killing his futuristic self. Director Rian Johnson also served as the writer on this project and creates a unique science fiction mythology for the story to exist within. The film stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis, both of which give amazing performances. This film was a welcome surprise this year. Coming off of a huge summer filled blockbuster, Looper presented a blockbuster-sized story with an indie film feel. And for that it is our #5 on the list of top ten movies of the year. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

#6: The Avengers

The Avengers was the biggest film of 2012. This film grossed over $1.5 billion dollars international and became the 2nd biggest film of all time during its release in theatres. The Avengers has been over 5 years in the making and is the official end to phase 1 of marvel’s superhero film series. The film had 6 superheroes from the Marvel universe all come together and fight their deadliest foe yet. The film was a wild, fun ride that will not be easily forgotten by anyone who has seen it. What the film lacked in depth, it made up for in action and comedic charm. Avengers come in at 6th on our list of films of the year. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire

Twitter: @IzzyLatti 

#7: Iceman

Iceman is #7 on the list. While the film hasn’t seen an actual theatrical release, it has been lighting up the film festival circuit. The film is about Richard Kuklinski, a notorious contract killer and family man. Throughout the 1970s, it is said that Kuklinski killed over 100 people, some of which he froze so it would become difficult to tell time of death upon discovery. What made this film truly amazing was Michael Shannon’s portray of Richard Kuklinski. Michael Shannon is notorious in Hollywood for having a “stone face”. The Boardwalk Empire star plays the role completely void of emotions, making his performance truly haunting. The Iceman will probably not see a theatrical release anytime soon, but for those who have seen it, they understand how truly haunting the experience is. The story is not just about murder, but it is truly about how we as humans can allow our inner demons affect those we love. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire 

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

#9: Life of Pi

Number 9 goes to Life of Pi. Based upon the book by Yann Martel, Life of Pi is a colorful adventure that uses 3-D technology to display the vast and ever changing adventure of Pi Patel, as he survives on a life raft with an adult Bengal tiger in the Pacific Ocean. The 3-D technology in this film is amazing. Director Ang Lee truly used the capabilities of the technology to tell Pi’s story and bring the Pacific Ocean to life. Without 3-D, the film is still an amazing. The palettes of colors that are used throughout the film are vibrant and very reminiscent of traditional bollywood filmmaking. Life of Pi is an amazing experience that should not be missed in 3-D. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire 

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

Top Ten Films of 2012 

I love films. There is nothing better than going to a movie and just sitting down and escaping into a world that has been created to entertain/wow. In 2012, there were many great films that were released. Here are my top ten favorite films of 2012. Whether you agree or disagree, post you comment below and let your opinion be heard! Here comes the list!

- Israel Lattiboudeaire 

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

A Truly Unexpected Journey

           

        The Hobbit was released last week Friday and has quickly become one of the biggest films released in 2012. The Hobbit is the beginning of a prequel trilogy that takes place before the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. The film’s visionary and director, Peter Jackson, continued the same aesthetic and quality of filmmaking from the original. This is an impressive feat, as it has been almost 9 years since the release of the last film. While Jackson was able to keep the over all look of the film the same as the previous Lord of the Rings films, the use of lighter color textures, 3-D technology and increasing the frame rate in which the film is displayed in makes The Hobbit, it’s own unique film. The Hobbit is a fun, energetic ride that continues a series that the world has enjoyed for the last 13 years, while incorporating new filmmaking techniques to give it a new fresh look, for a new audience.

           The Lord of the Rings was not only a commercial and critically success, but it also built a rich fan base. Many people have called it our generations Star Wars. Peter Jackson understood the intense love that he helped to create with the first trilogy and set out to recreate this success. In many ways, he has already been successful. By maintaining a well-balanced atmosphere of comedy, action, adventure and emotional content, Jackson has honored his unspoken responsibility to Tolkien fans. Tolkien fans will also see some appearances from old Lord of the Rings characters, giving a very family reunion feeling to the film. Acting in the film is moving, especially when we begin to learn about the characters on a personal level. Martin Freeman role as Bilbo Baggins was good but it wasn’t the showstopper of the film. Richard Armitage’s portray of Thorin Oakenshield was the stand out performance in the film as each dialogue piece from the actor was full of power and excellent delivery. The Hobbit is a good movie going experience but it does possess some issues that hold it back from being truly great.

         The Hobbit does have plot issues. In Jackson’s desire to make this film a trilogy, he plants the seeds for many plotlines and leaves them seriously unresolved. Creating a trilogy from only one book, it is easy to see how plots would be started and left unresolved and in some cases completely unaddressed. Also, the film lacks some consistency. At times, it is epic in terms of scale and action, and then quickly falls back into the simplistic comedy of a family film. It is these small issues that keep the film from truly being great.

             The Hobbit is a fun, charming family film. It is worthy of being the true predecessor of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but remains detached enough to be its own series. This is only the beginning of The Hobbit trilogy, and it is very promising indeed. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire 

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

Everything is Connected.

     

      Cloud Atlas, is the latest film from the Tom Tykwer and The Wachowski brothers. It is a film that spans generations and time periods throughout human history and beyond. What is truly interesting about the film is that it is told through an intertwining of narratives taking place over multiple time periods. This makes the film a very high risk, potentially high reward type of film. High risk because combining these multiple time period narratives has a greater chance of alienating the audience. As well as high reward, because it allows the audience to truly experience the outstanding storytelling abilities of the Wachowski brothers. Cloud Atlas, at times can be long and cumbersome, but it a film worth investing time and effort in. It is not only a high risk/high reward film for the filmmakers, but also for the audience as investing your time into will reveal one of the most intricate and detail driven films of the year.

     Cloud Atlas is all about details and putting together smaller pieces of story to understand the overall film. Without true commitment on the part of the audience, they will become lost and disconnect from the overall story. Therefore, this story is not for audiences that wish to be spoon-fed. The overall narrative spans 6 generations, and deals with themes of spirituality, reincarnation, love, sexuality, civil rights, governmental control, and human dignity. While these aren’t the only themes that are tackled throughout the film, they are the most prevalent. These themes have been a part of the Wachowski brothers’ previous works, making this film their most deserving follow up to the Matrix since its release. The audience has to pay extra cautious attention to the details of this film, because they are the only to truly understand the film. Cloud Atlas is a film that ultimately uses philosophical themes to show us that humanity is far more connected then we think.

       While the overall narrative is an important and prevalent part of the film, the cast is equally as important. Cloud Atlas, has one of the biggest A-level acting casts of the year. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Robert Fyfe, and Martin Wuttake, all appear in the film. The most amazing part is all of the actors and actresses don’t only play one role, they play multiple roles. Some cast members are easier to spot than others, but all play multiple roles across varying generations. It is amazing to see the amount of work that went into making this film and changing up the looks of everyone to hide their normal appearances. This adds to the films overall theme: Everything is connected.

       Cloud Atlas, is true to its overall theme that everything is connected. The Wachowski brothers and Tom Tykwer are able to keep this theme going strong throughout the film and deliver it to audiences in a great package. If the audience members are invested in the film, they will be wowed by what they see. Unfortunately, the film is not for everyone as the long time length and intricate story will lose some audience members. All and all, this is a film that must be experienced to truly understand. Go out and check it out for yourself. 

- Israel Lattiboudeaire

Twitter: @IzzyLatti

Skyfall Review.

The James Bond series is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It has been one of the most popular film franchises of all time and is known by almost every avid moviegoer on the planet. The latest installment in the series was released last weekend and it began to shatter records the second it was released. It was the biggest UK release of all time and has generated $428 million dollars internationally in just one weekend. This is an amazing feat, considering 4 years ago MGM was considering the placing the franchise on indefinite hiatus, effectively cancelling any further Bond films. The biggest question that needs to be answered is: Is the film good? I am here to say that the latest James Bond film breathes new life into the franchise and will be the fan favorite that MGM has been waiting to generate since they began rebooting the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale, back in 2006.

 Skyfall is the third film in the “reboot” trilogy of the James Bond franchise. In this film, James’ loyalty to M is tested as he confronts a new foe that is more sinister and sadistic then any other foe James has faced before. One major flaw about the previous two James Bond films was that it felt like they lacked purpose. James was portrayed as a young agent who was still new and green to the world of espionage. In this film, James is far more controlled, focused and confident. No more show boating, or unnecessarily violent tactics to get the job done. He is back to being the gentleman spy that he is portrayed to be in older James Bond films. We also are shown a more human side of Bond. His relationship with M and the agency is tested. We are shown James’ true colors in regards to his home country and the agency. Daniel Craig has evolved tremendously as a Bond. Watching Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, you can see that Craig had difficult distinguishing his role as Bond from any other action role. Over time, he has been able to become the James Bond that many people have expected him to be. Javier Bardem plays the main villain in the film, Raoul Silva. Silva is more than a villain. Bardem has yet again done an amazing job of playing the villain. Silva represents a counter to Bond in literally every single way. He will be one of the more memorable James Bond villains and will creep audience members out as they watch him fight Bond on-screen.

 Cinematography within the film is good but to really treat your senses, it is all about the sound. UltraAVX is the best choice, because of its immersive sound system. Sound is the true gem of this film, as every punch and gun shot resonant through the speakers directly to the audience. Definitely, one of the best sound editing jobs done in cinema this year.

The 23rd film in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall, is not only the money maker that MGM studios needed, but it also the sum total of the last 6 years of patience and commitment. When the recession hit, MGM studios suffered and almost cancelled, one of cinemas most cherished gems. Fortunately for us, that didn’t happen. Skyfall, is this generations, Dr. No or Goldfinger. Finally we get an amazing villain and plot. This is the Bond film we have all waited for, now go out and see it!!

-Israel Lattiboudeaire

Twitter: @IzzyLatti