Parabola's Films Watched in 2012
Films that I've watched in the 2012 calendar year.
My Ratings Scale:
10 - an all-time favorite, happy to re-watch any time and go out of my way to recommend it. Probably needs a few years post-release to be promoted this high.
9 - something really memorable that I would likely own and tell others about as a must-see.
8 - better than most, would likely watch again. Something about it that makes it stand above the rest.
7 - perfectly enjoyable movie, worth the time to watch.
6 - meh ... alright, but nothing to get excited about.
5 - not overly enjoyable, but somewhat watchable.
4 and below: scale of awfulness.
My Ratings Scale:
10 - an all-time favorite, happy to re-watch any time and go out of my way to recommend it. Probably needs a few years post-release to be promoted this high.
9 - something really memorable that I would likely own and tell others about as a must-see.
8 - better than most, would likely watch again. Something about it that makes it stand above the rest.
7 - perfectly enjoyable movie, worth the time to watch.
6 - meh ... alright, but nothing to get excited about.
5 - not overly enjoyable, but somewhat watchable.
4 and below: scale of awfulness.
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218 titles
- DirectorGareth CarrivickStarsChris O'DowdMarc WoottonDean Lennox KellyWhile drinking at their local pub, three social outcasts attempt to navigate a time-travel conundrum.Amusing and nerdily well thought-out, but not as funny as I was hoping. 6/10 (1-JAN)
- DirectorMichael BliedenStarsPatton OswaltBrian PosehnMaria BamfordFollow four comedians as they tour the States.Interesting look at life on the road for a group of comedians; features some familiar faces (even though their names may not be). I think you have to be a little crazy to be a good comedian. 6/10 (1-JAN)
- DirectorDebra GranikStarsJennifer LawrenceJohn HawkesGarret DillahuntAn unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.Be warned that it's slow and the rural life/people are depressing, but it still held my attention. Jennifer Lawrence was good, as buzzed about during awards season. 7/10 (1-JAN)
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsAnne HathawayRosemarie DeWittDebra WingerA young woman who has been in and out of rehab for the past ten years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.Yes, Anne Hathaway is definitely good, but I can see how people would either really like or dislike this movie. The talky characters and family dysfunction feel real, but could also seem annoying. I liked it, but probably wouldn't watch again. 7/10 (1-JAN)
P.S. - shaky camera - DirectorJoe CornishStarsJohn BoyegaJodie WhittakerAlex EsmailA teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.Really fun and original alien invasion movie. 8/10 (2-JAN)
- DirectorPhilippe FalardeauStarsMohamed FellagSophie NélisseÉmilien NéronAt a Montréal public grade school, an Algerian immigrant is hired to replace a popular teacher who committed suicide in her classroom. While helping his students deal with their grief, his own recent loss is revealed.Very thoughtful and touching, and incorporates a lot of contemporary issues. The main kid actors do a great job. 9/10 (5-JAN)
- DirectorGuy MaddinStarsJason PatricIsabella RosselliniUdo KierGangster and deadbeat dad Ulysses Pick embarks on an unusual journey through his home.Like other Guy Maddin movies, you don't always know what the hell is going on, but I've always been captivated anyway. This is a strange mash-up of gangsters and ghosts and elusive memories. 7/10 (6-JAN)
- DirectorNathan MorlandoStarsScott SpeedmanKelly ReillyKevin DurandWWII vet Eddie Boyd is torn between providing for his young family and an unfulfilled dream of becoming a Hollywood star. He discovers a way to do both, but his dream leads him down a path of danger and tragedy.What it lacks in character depth, it is a very thorough recap of one of Canada's most famous bank robbers. I had never heard of the story, so found it very interesting. It's a very nicely shot film, especially considering it's a first-time director. 7/10 (6-JAN)
P.S. - features Ethan and Keamy from Lost. - DirectorPaul FeigStarsKristen WiigMaya RudolphRose ByrneCompetition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.Hilarious and highly re-watchable. 9/10 (7-JAN)
- DirectorJason EisenerStarsRutger HauerPasha EbrahimiRobb WellsA homeless vigilante blows away crooked cops, pedophile Santas, and other scumbags with his trusty pump-action shotgun.Purposely crazy and over the top, it's pretty fun to watch. 6/10 (7-JAN)
- DirectorKen ScottStarsPatrick HuardJulie LeBretonAntoine BertrandAs his lover announces her pregnancy, a fortysomething slacker receives other life-changing news: 142 people, all of them the result of artificial insemination, have filed a class action lawsuit against him, their biological father.Very funny, despite some pretty unbelievable bits. 7/10 (10-JAN)
- DirectorGuy ÉdoinStarsPascale BussièresGabriel MailléLuc PicardOn a dairy farm in the Eastern Townships, in the middle of a drought and while the land is parching, a drama will disrupt the life of the Santerre family. Confronted to each other they will have to learn to forgive.Life on a farm is depressing enough, but then to have a sad, slow story take place there just makes it worse. It's well done, though, just not very exciting. 6/10 (11-JAN)
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsVanessa ParadisKevin ParentHélène FlorentA love story between a man and woman. And between a mother and her son. A mystical and fantastical odyssey on love.I really liked this the first time around, even though you spend a lot of time wondering how things fit together. Afterwards, it leaves an impression and a lot to think about. I just saw it again, and I'm still impressed and would definitely recommend it. 9/10 (13-JAN and 15-JUN)
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsManfred SchulzMassimo VignelliRick PoynorA documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.You wouldn't expect a film about a font to be so entertaining, but it is. 7/10 (14-JAN)
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsPaola AntonelliChris BangleAndrew BlauveltA feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.Not as good as Helvetica because -- understandable, since the subject isn't as well-defined. 6/10 (14-JAN)
- DirectorSébastien PiloteStarsGilbert SicotteNathalie CavezzaliJeremy TessierMarcel Lévesque, a quick-witted car salesman nearing retirement, lives to sell. He has been salesman of the month for the last sixteen years at the dealership where he has spent his career, in a declining industrial town in Lac Saint-Jean, where it's cold enough to scare away the tourists and buying a car sometimes seems completely absurd. There's just one thing on his mind: getting his beloved Detroit rides off the lot. Marcel Lévesque is a salesman from a bygone era, a man who learned his trade by telling tales - "fibs dressed up with flowers" - and making his customers happy. But a tragedy will change everything for this peddler of dreams.The director described it well beforehand: a movie that shows little details, but is about bigger ideas. So, not recommended if you're easily bored. :) 6/10 (14-JAN)
- DirectorSarah PolleyStarsMichelle WilliamsSeth RogenSarah SilvermanA happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street.There was a lot I liked about this (humor, characters) ... but just as much that seemed distracting (certain story parts & filming style). In the end, still enjoyable. 7/10 (14-JAN)
- DirectorGottfried KolditzStarsJana BrejchováAlfred StruweEkkehard SchallAfter a six year journey, the Spaceship Cyrno lands on the planet TEM 4 from where they had received a call for help. Strangely enough, the Temers deny having sent this message. As commander Akala prepares the spaceship to leave they get an invitation from the rich ruler of TEM 4 to be a part of a lush party. Not only do the opulent food and the seductive dancers cloud their minds, but also the drugs mixed into their food manipulate their consciousness. Only navigator Suko was left behind on the spaceship for security reasons and makes an unexpected, terrible discovery.The Soviet-era sci-fi B-movie I originally went to see was rescheduled, so I saw this one instead. Pretty much what you would expect from a 70s, East German, sci-fi, B-movie ... Including bad clothing, bad dancing (yes, that's right ) and absurd villains. It's a cheesy good time. 5/10 (20-JAN)
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsAlisa FreyndlikhAleksandr KaydanovskiyAnatoliy SolonitsynA guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes.Much more psychological than I was expecting, and I probably need to see it when I'm not so tired in order to fully appreciate it. I hoped as a strange, post-apocalyptic sci-fi type story it would be more engaging, but you really need to be in a thoughtful frame of mind for it. I give it a 6/10 for my own viewing, but willing to give it another shot. 6/10 (21-JAN)
- DirectorJonathan LevineStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittSeth RogenAnna KendrickInspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.Very funny but also serious, really enjoyed it. 8/10 (28-JAN)
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsNatalya BondarchukDonatas BanionisJüri JärvetA psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.Oddly, not as dark as I remember the Soderbergh/Clooney-remake to be, but this original is still more engaging. Maybe the contrast between the bright environment of the base and the strange happenings make things more unsettling. A good psychological sci-fi. 8/10 (2-FEB)
- DirectorHarold RamisStarsBill MurrayAndie MacDowellChris ElliottA narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.Why haven't I made this a yearly tradition?? Classic. 8/10 (2-FEB)
- DirectorZoya AkhtarStarsHrithik RoshanFarhan AkhtarAbhay DeolThree friends decide to turn their fantasy vacation into reality after one of their friends gets engaged.I heard this described as "Bollywood bachelor party road trip" and although it does have some famous names in it, it's much more indie than typical Indian movies. I was actually surprised at how authentic and often hilarious the film was, and the Spanish setting was a great landscape. Definitely some cheesy bits, but still well worth watching. 8/10 (11-FEB)
- DirectorStanley DonenStarsAudrey HepburnAlbert FinneyEleanor BronA couple in the south of France non-sequentially spin down the highways of infidelity in their troubled ten-year marriage.Finney and Hepburn are a good match showing the many ups & downs of a relationship; Hepburn in particular is charming as expected. 7/10 (18-FEB)
- DirectorJohn MaddenStarsHelen MirrenSam WorthingtonTom WilkinsonIn 1965, three Mossad Agents cross into East Berlin to apprehend a notorious Nazi war criminal. Thirty years later, the secrets the Agents share come back to haunt them.A pretty good action film, better than I expected. 7/10 (18-FEB)