Set fra mit elfenbenstårn har 2012 været lige så skelsættende for europæisk film, som gælds- og finanskrisen har været hård for europæisk økonomi. Hvis dén tendens fortsætter, tager jeg gerne et par år yderligere med krise, for sjældent har jeg haft sværere ved at rangere årets bedste film.
Ikke desto mindre lykkedes det til sidst - sågar også med et par ikke-europæiske film blandt de udvalgte. Alle film er som altid udvalgt efter 100% subjektive kriterier, ligesom det kun er film udsendt i dansk biografdistribution i 2012, der kan komme i betragtning. I hovedkategorien akkompagneres hver titel igen i år af en kort anmeldelse fra min Critiker.com-profil. And without further ado:
ÅRETS FILM
10) Pina - Win Wenders, Tyskland
- I haven't yet figured out what this peculiar dance-related artform does to me or how to fully absorb it, but 'Pina' is - no matter what - one of the most visually striking and overall intriguing movies in years. Months after the first viewing it still hasn't left my mind, and I doubt it will.
9) Life of Pi - Ang Lee, USA
- With one word: Inspirational. The rest is for you to decide.
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius, Frankrig
- An immensely charming tribute to the good old days where less was indeed more and a well-timed glance stroke ten times the emotional chords than all the high-tech 3D effects of today will ever achieve. A bit lengthy and overly sobby in the third act, but nevertheless a worthy winner of the Oscar. Chaplin would have been proud.
7) Holy Motors - Leos Carax, Frankrig
- Holy craziness, Batman! If the Mad Hatter ever made a movie, it would probably look a lot like this.
6) Intouchables (De urørlige) - Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano, Frankrig
- So genuinely charming and funny, I can't stop smiling. And I'm writing these lines hours after the credits started to roll. A feel-good masterpiece of elegance, timing and on-screen chemistry.
5) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Tomas Alfredson, UK
- The antithesis to the Bond franchise, 'Tinker Tailor' is slowly paced but endlessly intriguing and as atmospheric as it gets. With a mise-en-scène to commit treason for - the art direction and cinematography is particularly striking - topped with effortless acting (Oldman! Hurt! Hardy! Cumberbatch! Firth! etc. etc. etc.) this one has "something to trade, something big", indeed.
4) Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson, USA
- With time Wes Anderson has matured and grown a much-needed heart - without losing his unique cinematic eye. 'Moonrise Kingdom' balances just about perfectly the fine line between gorgeously nostalgic 16mm art and unspoiled tenderness. This is movie magic in it's purest, rarest form.
3) Amour - Michael Haneke, Østrig/Frankrig/Tyskland
- Love according to Haneke is harsh, ruthless - and literally to die for. This may very well be the film he is remembered for, and deservingly so.
2) We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lynne Ramsay, UK/USA
- Made me physically sick. And cry. And remember how powerful movies can be.
1) Cesare deve morire (Cæsar skal dø) - Paolo og Vittorio Taviani, Italien
- To me both the most purely satisfying and complex movie experience of 2012 - and rarely has the 'you've never seen anything like this!'-cliche felt more fitting. Equally beautiful to watch and inspiring to experience, the Taviani brothers succeed in showcasing human beings instead of convicted demons - without sympathizing with their bad deeds, as illustrated perfectly in the last line: "Ever since I became acquainted with art my cell turned into a prison".
*** DIV. UNDERKATEGORIER - sorteret efter alfabetisk rækkefølge ***:
- Årets øvrige nævneværdige film: Argo, Brave, Cabin in the Woods, Hugo, Into the Abyss, Kapringen, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Palme, Shame, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, The Grey, The Pirates!, The Queen of Versailles.
- Årets 'Jo jo, skam udmærkede film - men skal vi ikke liiiige skrue lidt ned for hypen?': En kongelig affære, Looper, The Avengers, Weekend.
- Årets 'ro på, så var de heller ikke dårligere': Hvidsten-gruppen, John Carter.
- Årets skuffelser: Dark Shadows, Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal, Hobbitten, Jernladyen, Prometheus, The Bourne Legacy, The Descendants, To Rome with Love, Total Recall, Undskyld jeg forstyrrer, War Horse.
- Årets tidsspilde: Battleship, Ekstremt højt & utrolig tæt på.
- Årets 'hvorfor h… fik den ikke dansk biografpremiere?!': The Muppets.
- Årets 'film jeg ærgrer mig mest over, at jeg ikke fik set': Barbara, Kidd Life, Le Havre, Searching for Sugar Man, Take Shelter, Tyrannosaur.
- Årets 'filmen jeg er mest stolt over at have undgået': Den skaldede frisør.
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ÅRETS INSTRUKTØR
5) Leos Carax - Holy Motors
4) Michael Haneke - Amour
3) Wes Anderson - Moonrise Kingdom
2) Taviani-brødrene - Cæsar skal dø
1) Lynne Ramsay - We Need to Talk About Kevin
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ÅRETS MANUSKRIPT
5) Chris Terrio - Argo
4) Tobias Lindholm - Kapringen
3) Michael Haneke - Amour
2) Taviani-brødrene - Cæsar skal dø
1) Wes Anderson og Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom
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ÅRETS FOTOGRAFERING
5) Roger Deakins - Skyfall
4) Simone Zampagni - Cæsar skal dø
3) Claudio Miranda - Life of Pi
2) Hoyte van Hoytema - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
1) Seamus McGarvey - We Need to Talk About Kevin
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ÅRETS EFFEKTARBEJDE
5) Kulisserne/detaljerigdommen - Moonrise Kingdom
4) Overall 70'er-look - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3) Makeuppen - Holy Motors
2) CGI-tigeren som 100% overbeviste mig om, at jeg så på et rigtigt dyr - Life of Pi
1) 3D der gav kunstnerisk mening (!) - Hugo, Life of Pi, Pina
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ÅRETS SCENE
5) Cruise klatrer på Burj Khalifa - M:I-4
4) Det unge par danser på stranden - Moonrise Kingdom
3) Musiksmags-battle - De urørlige
2) Nådedrabet - Amour
1) Massakren - We Need to Talk About Kevin
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ÅRETS SKUESPILLER
5) Michael Fassbender - Shame
4) Ezra Miller - We Need to Talk About Kevin
3) Denis Lavant - Holy Motors
2) Jean-Louis Trintignant - Amour
1) Salvatore Striano - Cæsar skal dø
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ÅRETS SKUESPILLERINDE
5) Kara Hayward - Moonrise Kingdom
4) Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises
3) Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
2) Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
1) Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin
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