2012 Movie Preview: Part 1

Alright, so I’ve come up with a giant list of upcoming films of 2012 that look interesting to me, and over the next week or so, I’ll be sharing it here in separate parts. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but I have tried to cover a lot of different genres. Today, we’ll look at the first half of the sci-fi/fantasy blockbusters that caught my eye. Stay tuned for part 2 of the sci-fi/fantasy list tomorrow.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22)

This could very possibly be terrible, but it could also be stylish and fun. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Mary Todd, which is bound to be awesome, and the film also stars Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Alan Tudyk, and Jimmi Simpson (McPoyles!). I must admit, lead actor Benjamin Walker (playing ol’ Abe) is pretty much unknown to me.

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3)

Like most people, I think that a Spider-Man update is unnecessary. However, I do love Andrew Garfield, so I support his foray into leading man territory. Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, and Dennis Leary are pretty cool, too, and I’m curious to see what 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb will do with this oh-so-familiar story.

The Avengers (May 4)

It looks like Joss Whedon’s superhero amalgam, The Avengers, will serve as this year’s official kickoff to the summer movie season. The trailers haven’t impressed me too much, and I could see this thing going horribly wrong (too many stars!), but I still remain cautiously optimistic. And anything with Robert Downey Jr. is worthwhile watching.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)

Part of me thinks that Christopher Nolan should have stopped the Batman franchise with his 2008 masterpiece (yeah, I’m one of those people) The Dark Knight. But a bigger part of me is also excited to see where he’ll take the series, as well as what Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, and Anne Hathaway will bring to the film.

Gravity (November 21)

Little is known about this Alfonso Cuaron-directed thriller, other than that it will star George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. It’s apparently about an astronaut trying to return to his family on earth. And while that doesn’t sound like especially new territory, Cuaron is bound to add a lot of visual richness.

The Hunger Games (March 23)

With its fast-paced plot and nonstop action, The Hunger Games reads like a book that is waiting to be adapted to a movie. So with that source material and with Jennifer Lawrence as your leading lady, it would be hard to screw up the movie too badly. It’s definitely marketed to a teen audience (a la Twilight) but The Hunger Games, if done well, could be an exciting time at the movies for all age groups.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14)

Considering how good the Lord of the Rings films were, it’s hard not to be excited for part one of this prequel of sorts. Martin Freeman seems like a great choice for Bilbo, and it’ll be great to see some of the original LotR cast back.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

I have a confession. I’m someone who tends to struggle to follow even moderately complicated movie plots. I have a bad habit of zoning out at the exact moments when I should be paying attention. You probably know which moments I’m talking about. It’s the ones where one character spends five minutes carefully laying out detailed plot exposition to another character, and to the audience. This is usually done in really unrealistic, heavy-handed ways that grind the movie to a halt. And while I’m definitely to blame for this shortcoming (I really should just listen more closely), I also like to pass the buck to the filmmakers. Maybe if they set out their exposition in more interesting, subtle ways, I would be compelled to pay attention, no?

This is where I give Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy a lot of credit. This is a complicated film. I imagine that even people more perceptive than I will struggle to follow every intricacy of the plot. However, it lays out its spiderweb of a narrative in compelling, unique ways. By switching between time periods, countries, and about a dozen different characters, things could easily get muddled. And while I wasn’t always 100% following every detail, director Tomas Alfredson did a great job of keeping things coherent and interesting.

At its core, Tinker Tailor is a who-done-it film. Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, a retired British Intelligence agent who must help his old crew figure out who among their group is actually a Soviet mole. That’s literally it. Of course, there is much more to the story than that, but I’ll let you sort out the finer details on your own.

The story is complex, and it gives you a lot to think about while watching. But the film can also be enjoyed on many different levels. Most notably (to me), it’s just gorgeous to look at. Alfredson’s visual style is right up my alley, full of damp tones, and sparse cinematography. Some of his shots of the London streets are absolutely breathtaking. His style seems very well-suited to the Cold War era, and he evokes such atmosphere. The tension and paranoia is almost palpable through the camera, and that is arguably the film’s strongest suit.

Of course, you also have to talk about the performances. Gary Oldman is magnificent, as always. George Smiley is such a repressed character, and Oldman nails it. Smiley plays his cards close to his chest, yet Oldman brilliantly gives away tiny hints in his expressions and body language to let the audience in on his emotions. These hairline cracks in the facade are far more telling than any over-the-top “freak out” scene that most movie character inevitably experience. I give Oldman huge kudos for having the steely, commanding screen presence to pull of what could have been a completely bland character.

The most surprising performance for me was from Mark Strong, though. It seems like Strong has made a career out of playing villains in blockbusters like Kick-Ass and Sherlock Holmes. I’ve seen him in at least half a dozen films, and while he’s always fine, he’s never made much of an impression on me. But he is brilliant in this movie. From the first 10 seconds of his performance, I knew that this was a different Mark Strong. He plays a British intelligence agent sent on a mission to Hungary, and he shows such a range of emotions and a great amount of soulfulness. This could easily have been a throwaway character, but Strong inhabits every inch of this role. I wouldn’t have thought that Strong would suit this type of movie, but he actually gives my favourite performance in the film, and one of my favourite Supporting Actor performances of the year.

Tom Hardy is also very charismatic as Ricki Tarr, a British agent accused of betrayal. It’s nice to see his character get a personal story arc, since much of the rest of the film is centered around the characters’ professional endeavours.

That’s actually one issue that I had with the film. It would have been nice to bring a little more warmth to the story and some of the characters. Of course, this film is all about the mystery, rather than the character study, but a little back story would help it feel less dry.

However, that’s not to say that it’s a boring movie. Quite the opposite, even if the pace is a bit slow. Alfredson is an expert at building tension, and the screenplay is taught enough to prevent Tinker Tailor from dragging. This movie would be worth seeing for the performances alone, so the fact that it’s also a beautifully shot, well-constructed thriller is just a bonus.

8/10

84th Annual Academy Award Nominations

Well, well, well. There were definitely a few surprises in this morning’s nominations. In fact, I’d say that there’s at least one surprise in all of the major categories. It keeps things interesting, which is fun. Let’s take a look.

Best Picture

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

WOW, okay. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was definitely a surprise. I think most people (myself included) had given up on that one. The Tree of Life is less surprising, but I still would’ve thought The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would’ve gotten in ahead of it. However, I do have to pat myself on the back a little bit for predicting that Dragon Tattoo would miss out. All of my predictions were correct in this category were correct – I just missed two of them.

Best Actor

Demian Birchir, A Better Life

George Clooney, The Descendants

Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Gary Oldman: Academy Award Nominee, at last! Guess this category wasn’t nearly as obvious as it seemed. Surprising about Birchir (guess I should have watched A Better Life when it was in the house), but I do feel a bit bad for Leo and Fassy (even though I’m not THAT surprised to see the latter snubbed).

Best Actress

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis, The Help

Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Oh, snap! Mara is a surprise (especially since she only got a Globe nom). Everyone else makes sense, but I am surprised that Swinton was the one to get snubbed over Close. I thought that this category would be pretty predictable.

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Nick Nolte, Warrior

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

When I saw EL&IC on the Best Picture list, I had a feeling von Sydow would be in. However, I thought he’d replace Nolte or even Hill – not the former frontrunner Albert Brooks. Brooks was obviously slipping after missing out on the SAG (and I had him ranked 4^th), but I’m still very surprised. All of the critical favourites are missing out, it seems. Good for Nick Nolte, though. He was fantastic in Warrior.

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist

Jessica Chastain, The Help

Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Damn, Woodley was the one to miss out after all (but I thought she might be when Albert Brooks was snubbed). A lot of people saw that coming, but I definitely think she should have gotten in over McCarthy (she was great in that movie, but Oscar worthy?) and probably Bejo, in my opinion. Ah, well.

Best Director

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

The Malick fanboys will be happy, the Fincher fanboys will be pissed. A lot of people thought this category would match up with the DGA nominations. I figured Fincher would miss out, but I’m a little surprised that Malick was the one to bump him (especially since War Horse did get a Best Picture nom. I guess the fact that The Tree of Life also got one should have been my hint.)

Best Original Screenplay

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Margin Call

Midnight in Paris

A Separation

Two surprises with Margin Call and A Separation. They were both very much in the discussion, but I’m a bit surprised both made it in. Yay for Bridesmaids, though. (Academy Award Nominee Kristen Wiig!)

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Wow, I am really surprised that The Help missed out. Very, very surprised. I’m glad The Ides of March got in, though (even if it does mean yet another nomination for Clooney). I’m off to see Tinker Tailor later today, so we’ll see how that one measures up to the rest of the category.

Click here to see the full list of nominees. Want to know how many categories I correctly predicted all five nominees in? That would be zero.

FINAL Oscar Predictions

So this is it. In less than 48 hours, the nominations for the 84^th Academy Awards will be announced. It’s been a pretty good race, in my opinion. It seems more unpredictable than the past couple of years, which is fun. Movies and performances that should been major contenders have kind of fallen by the wayside, while unexpected dark horses have emerged. I’m still conflicted about a couple of the acting categories, and I feel like there are definitely going to be some surprises on Tuesday morning. Here are my final FULL predictions for the nominees (the individual category pages, which include rankings, have also been updated).

Best Picture

The Artist

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

War Horse

I’m predicting that the Academy will nominate these seven films, though I could definitely see War Horse potentially missing the cut. The other six are pretty much sure bets. If the Academy wants to nominate more than seven (or snubs War Horse), then The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would be my next guess, since it does seem to be picking up steam. The Tree of Life is another viable contender, but ultimately, I don’t think either film will make it in.

Best Director

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Steven Spielberg, War Horse

In some ways, this has been one of the least predictable categories. Hazanavicius, Scorsese, and Payne are obvious choices, but what about the other two slots? Spielberg should be a shoe-in for the visually grand War Horse, but what if the Academy snubs it for Best Picture. And what about that fifth slot? Bennett Miller for Moneyball seems like a solid choice, but his support really hasn’t been strong this awards season (he hasn’t gotten any major directing nominations this year). Similarly, Terrence Malick would be a very deserving nominee, but The Tree of Life seems too “out there” for the Academy (and if it doesn’t get a Best Picture nomination, could he still get in?). That’s why I’m going with Woody Allen. His film was an unexpected hit, he got the DGA and Golden Globe noms, and everyone loves Woody, right?

Best Actor

George Clooney, The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Michael Fassbender, Shame

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

This is one of those categories that seem like they’re all sewn up. But while I am predicting Fassbender, I also wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him miss out on a nomination thanks to his controversial, small film. (Despite what some people are saying about Leo, I think he’s locked.) I just can’t come up with a compelling enough alternative to switch Fassbender out for. Gary Oldman would be the most likely replacement, I suppose, but aside from the BAFTA nomination, he really doesn’t have much momentum. Gosling, Birchir, and Shannon are all vaguely possible. I say Fassbender’s in, but there could definitely be an upset here.

Best Actress

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis, The Help

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

These category appears to be a little bit more cut and dry. Sure, Close or even Swinton could miss out in favour of Charlize Theron or Rooney Mara, but I don’t really see that happening.

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

Albert Brooks, Drive

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Nick Nolte, Warrior

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

We’ve got our winner already in this category, it’s just a matter of figuring out who the other nominees will be. Branagh is in, and Brooks and Hill look like pretty safe bets (but Brooks did miss out on that SAG nomination…). Nick Nolte is the most obvious fifth pick, but while lots of people like the performance, it doesn’t seem like he’s exactly taking this Oscar season by storm. I still think Max von Sydow could sneak in as a surprise, but he’s been almost completely absent this awards season (just like his film). Even Stanley Tucci had some precursor support when he got nominated for a similarly disliked prestige picture. Hammer, Oswalt, Mortensen, and Serkis have at least received a bit of precursor support, but I can’t really see any of those happening. What about Ben Kingsley? At least his film has some traction. Again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an upset here, but for now, I’ll go with the “obvious” picks.

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist

Jessica Chastain, The Help

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

I’ve probably agonized over this category the most. Spencer is the only sure bet. Bejo and Chastain are quite likely. But I could see any combination of McTeer, Woodley, and Melissa McCarthy getting in for the last two spots. No matter who misses out, it will be surprising (to me, at least). I know a lot of people think Woodley will miss out because she didn’t get a SAG nomination (or a BAFTA nom), and that is very possible. The same kind of thing happened to Andrew Garfield last year. But I’m sticking with her (barely). Maybe it’s more wishful thinking on my part, but it just seems like the right film and the right role to get a young actress nominated.

Best Original Screenplay

50/50

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Midnight in Paris

Young Adult

I’m not sure if so many comedies can get in, but the WGA went solid comedies in this category, too. And these were some of the best original screenplays of the year, so why not recognize them accordingly? Margin Call is definitely a possible spoiler, though.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

Moneyball

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The last couple of spots are murky, and The Ides of March or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo could easily get in over Hugo or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Cinematography

The Artist

Hugo

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Art Direction

The Artist

Captain America: The First Avenger

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Hugo

War Horse

Visual Effects

Captain America: The First Avenger

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Hugo

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Costumes

Albert Nobbs

The Help

Hugo

Jane Eyre

My Week With Marilyn

Make-Up

The Green Lantern

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

J. Edgar

Film Editing

The Artist

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Moneyball

War Horse

Sound Editing

Captain America: The First Aveger

Drive

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

War Horse

Sound Mixing

The Adventures of Tin-Tin

Hugo

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

War Horse

Original Score

The Artist

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Moneyball

War Horse

Original Song

“Lay Down Your Head”, Albert Nobbs

“Star-Spangled Man”, Captain America

“Hello Hello”, Gnomeo & Juliet

“The Living Proof”, The Help

“Life’s a Happy Song”, The Muppets

Animated Feature

The Adventures of Tin-Tin

Happy Feet 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

Winnie the Pooh

Golden Globes: Best Dressed

Top Row: Claire Danes, Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood

Middle: Laura Dern, Berenice Bejo, Charlize Theron

Bottom: Michelle Williams, Diane Lane, Octavia Spencer

Golden Globe Final Predictions!

Best Picture – Drama

Will Win: The Help

Should Win: The Descendants

Best Picture – Comedy

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: Midnight in Paris

Best Actor – Drama

Will Win: George Clooney, The Descendants

Should Win: George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress – Drama

Will Win: Viola Davis, The Help

Should Win: Davis is the only one I’ve seen, and I thought she was great.

Best Actor – Comedy

Will Win: Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Should Win: Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Best Actress – Comedy

Will Win: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Should Win: Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids (though I haven’t seen Marilyn)

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Should Win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Jessica Chastain, The Help

Should Win: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Director

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Should Win: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Screenplay

Will Win: Moneyball

Should Win: Midnight in Paris

Best Original Song

Will Win: “The Living Proof”, The Help

Best Original Score

Will Win: The Artist

Best Animated Film

Will Win: The Adventures of Tintin

Best Foreign Language Film

Will Win: A Separation

Best TV Series – Drama

Will Win: Boardwalk Empire

Best TV Series – Comedy

Will Win: Modern Family

Should Win: Modern Family

Best Mini-Series/Made for TV Movie

Will Win: Mildred Pierce

Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama

Will Win: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Should Win: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama

Will Win: Claire Danes, Homeland

Best Actor in a TV Series – Comedy

Will Win: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy

Will Win: Laura Linney, The Big C? (No idea who will take this category)

Should Win: Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor in a Mini-Series/Made for TV Movie

Will Win: William Hurt, Too Big to Fail?

Best Actress in a Mini-Series/Made for TV Movie

Will Win: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series, or Made for TV Movie

Will Win: Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail (these TV supporting categories are so packed that I could see anyone winning)

Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series, or Made for TV Movie

Will Win: Maggie Smith, Dowton Abbey

10 Actors Who I’m Happy To See Nominated Just Because I Like Them

• Michael Fassbender
• Ryan Gosling
• William Hurt
• Diane Lane
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt
• Kelly MacDonald
• Bill Nighy
• Guy Pearce
• Kristen Wiig
• Owen Wilson

Things We Learned From the Critics Choice Awards

1. The Help may be an even bigger threat than many anticipated

The Help has been a shoe-in for a Best Picture Oscar nomination for a while now. But do the Ensemble, Actress, and Supporting Actress wins from the Critics forecast its Oscar chances? Supporting Actress seems like a wide open race, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Spencer ends up taking home the Oscar (if she wins the Globe, she’ll become a safe bet for the win). I think Davis has tougher competition from Streep and Williams, but this is definitely a good early sign for her. It’ll be interesting to see how the SAG award for Best Ensemble plays out, seeing as that award often echoes the eventual Best Picture winner at the Oscars. The Help has proven to be a fiercer competitor in the Best Picture race with these victories tonight, but I don’t think it will win the Oscar. Speaking of that…

2. The Artist will win Best Picture and probably Best Director

This isn’t really news, but I’d get used to seeing Michel Hazanvicius endearingly muddle his way through awards speeches. Scorsese and maybe Payne do pose a bit of a threat in the Best Director race, but I really think Hazanavicius is taking home the Oscar.

3. It’s within the realm of possibility that Bridesmaids could be a Best Picture nominee

The PGA nomination was huge for Bridesmaids, and it proved its awards traction again tonight by winning Best Comedy over presumed favourite Midnight in Paris. There are eight movies ahead of it in the Best Picture race, but since the category can go up to ten nominees, it’s a definite possibility.

4. Shailene Woodley is in trouble (maybe)

First Woodley missed out on the SAG nomination, which is kind of a big deal. Tonight, she lost the Best Young Actor award to Thomas Horn. And while Best Young Actor isn’t equivalent to Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, this loss suggests that support for her performance could be waning. However, Clooney’s win tonight suggests the film isn’t losing traction as a whole, as some speculated, so maybe support for his performance will help pull her through. I hope so, anyways.

5. Plummer is all but a lock for the win

He’s been the frontrunner ever since Brooks lost out on the SAG nomination (I don’t want to hyperbolize, but that snub is huge. Nobody wins the Oscar after missing out on a major precursor nomination like that.) His win tonight suggests that he’ll probably win the Oscar, and I am quite alright with that.

6. Best Actor is probably as predictable as it seems

Clooney has been the obvious choice to win the Oscar for quite a while, but all this hoopla about The Artist had some suggesting that DuJardin could win. Then Moneyball was a big hit and many were championing Pitt’s chances. And while they are still contenders (also: am I the only one who could see DiCaprio pulling out some bizarro win out of nowhere?), Clooney seems to be widening the gap with his win tonight. DuJardin will win the Comedy Actor Globe, and Clooney will probably win the Drama Actor Globe (seeing as he’s also nominated for Director), so Pitt’s chances seem to be diminishing. It’d be fun to have a Clooney/Pitt megastar showdown for the Oscar, though.

7. Diane Kruger is incapable of looking un-fierce

Sorry, this isn’t Oscar-related, but by my money, Diane Kruger is the best dressed at pretty much every event.

Favourite Movie Posters of 2011

We Bought a Zoo (2011)

I love Cameron Crowe. He’s one of my favourite directors. Almost Famous is among my top five movies of all time, and I even enjoy his “lesser” films like Elizabethtown and Singles quite a bit. So when I heard that he was releasing a new movie last year, I was excited. Sure, the premise didn’t sound too exciting (a family buys an abandoned zoo and tries to get it back up and running), but anything Crowe is going to grab my interest. My faith waned a little bit thanks to a fairly sappy looking trailer, and the eventual response to the film (lukewarm reviews, and a general lack of interest from the public). But I went out and saw it today, and I’ll go as far as to say that this is a great film.

Okay, first of all, I will say that We Bought a Zoo has its flaws. It’s a family film, and at times, things get a little to precious and predictable. Some jokes fall flat, and some of the minor characters feel more like caricatures. But none of that really mattered to me in the end, because the film has so much heart. The relationship between Matt Damon’s character and his children is very warm, and as an viewer, you’re really rooting for them to make everything work out.

Speaking of Matt Damon, he is great here. It’s a mature, varied performance, and he plays a father very well. He hits the right emotions, and he brings a lot of warmth to the screen. Thomas Hayden Church also stands out as his brother, adding a lot of humour, and also sympathy to the character. The biggest surprise in the cast for me was Colin Ford, who plays Damon’s 14-year-old son. He’s very convincing as a moody, grieving teenager, and he brings the right combination of petulance and pathos to his portrayal. I was unfamiliar with Ford as an actor, but his screen presence here has me convinced that I’ll be seeing a lot more of him. Elle Fanning is also luminous in a smaller role. She’s proven to be highly charismatic and charming in films like Somewhere and Super 8, and she does similarly great work here with more limited screen time here. It’s also worth noting that this is one of Scarlett Johansson’s best performances. Her character is very well-defined by Crowe, and Johansson picks up on the nuances well.

As with all Cameron Crowe films, We Bought a Zoo also has a great soundtrack. Crowe digs out lots of old favourites, including Neil Young and Bob Dylan, but he also uses Bon Iver’s “Holocene” to nice effect. It’s also great to hear Temple of Dog’s “Hunger Strike” pop up, which is a neat little nod to Crowe’s love of 90′s grunge. Sigur Ros’ Jonsi also provides an original score the film, which is fantastic. It’s triumphant and uplifting, and that score adds a lot of emotional heft to several scenes. Crowe is a master of music, and the soundtrack is always one of my favourite elements of his films.

We Bought a Zoo is certainly trying to pull on your heartstrings, and for me, it worked. It’s lovely and simple, and sometimes that’s the best kind of film. A shorter run time could have made the film a bit tighter, yet I never felt bored. I find it very difficult for a film to keep my interest for the whole duration, but We Bought a Zoo did that.

8/10

My 10 Favourite Movies of 2011

10. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, and Jeremy Renner proved to be the dream team in this surprisingly entertaining franchise reboot. Also notable is director Brad Bird’s seamless leap from Pixar to live action. He created a taught, fast-paced thriller that exemplifies what going to the movies is all about.

9. Beginners

Mixing human drama and gentle comedy, Beginners is a simple but effective story about family and love. The film is loosely based on director Mike Mills’ own experience with his father, and his closeness to the material only strengthens this heartfelt story.

8. Meek’s Cutoff

Director Kelly Reichardt deserves a lot of credit for turning a plotless 2-hour movie about a group of wandering pioneers into one of the year’s more compelling films. Reichardt’s stark visual style suits the subject matter perfectly, and subtle, ambiguous performances only strengthen the material.

7. Win Win

Paul Giamatti shines as a self-serving wrestling coach who takes a child prodigy under his wing in Win Win. It’s a quiet film, but with a stellar cast and a heartfelt story, it sticks with you more than you might think. In some ways it is a standard “indie” film, but without the pretentions that hinder some similar projects.

6. The Ides of March

Clooney directs a high-quality political thriller with a cast that most filmmakers could only dream of. Thankfully, with such a juicy story, he departs from his typically dry directorial style in favour a more popcorn-friendly flick full of drama, suspense, and plot twists.

5. Daydream Nation

Kat Dennings and Reece Thompson serve as very likeable leads in this quirky coming-of-age drama. The film is shot in an appropriately moody style, perfectly encapsulating the overboard misfit teen angst. Daydream Nation is simultaneously funny, moving, and just a little strange.

4. Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids says some nice thing about female friendships, but mostly, it’s just hilarious. Kristen Wiig proves that she deserves many more leading roles, and the supporting cast also gets to shine. With one laugh-out-loud scene after another, it’s the funniest film of the year.

3. The Descendants

The Descendants is a moving story about family and change, set against the gorgeous backdrop of the Hawaiian countryside. George Clooney and Shailene Woodley make for an appealing father/daughter duo, and director Alexander Payne deftly mixes heartfelt drama with small bouts of comedy.

2. Midnight in Paris

If you’ve ever wished to live in a different era, Woody Allen’s great Midnight in Paris will probably ring true for you. It’s a film that celebrates art, history, and the need for individuality, all told through Allen’s sharp, eloquent point of view. It’s also Owen Wilson’s best performance to date.

1. Super 8

Paying homage to the films of Spielberg (who is a producer here), J.J. Abrams crafted a hugely likeable sci-fi adventure with Super 8. Led by a cast of charming and distinct kids, this monster movie is exciting, fun, and everything that movies should be.