In spite of this menu of prime cuts, though, I found myself
drawn back to a few movies or recommending the same handful of films above others.
It was still quite difficult to whittle a Top Ten list out of the number of strong
films I saw this year. At one point, I tried splitting the lists into fiction
films and documentaries, but that didn’t feel right to me since three of my
favourite films of the year are docs. Some of them also tread the line between
truth and fiction, so I felt that I was doing them a disservice by taking them
away from the head table. Likewise, I debated including festival films from
this year that did not yet make it to a theatre near you, but I decided to push
them back – both to free up some spots and to keep them in the conversation when
moviegoers outside of Toronto could see them. On that note, shout oust go to
Frances Ha, Twice Born, Something in the Air, Great Expectations, Imogene, and What Maisie Knew. They will set the bar for 2013. Before we get to
2013, however, let us celebrate the year that is ending.
The Best Films of 2012:
(UK, Dir. Joe Wright)
This year had a heavy slate of strong page-to-screen
efforts, but director Joe Wright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard rewrote the book
on adaptation with their ingenious take on Tolstoy’s classic novel. Joe Wright
deserves especially strong recognition for his innovative decision to shoot Anna Karenina in a dusty old theatre
when budgetary restrictions prevented him from filming in the conventional
scope one would expect for such a sweeping epic. Wright makes
astute use of the setting and incorporates the theatricality into the dramatic
energy of Anna Karenina, which in
turn stresses the themes of Tolstoy’s novel. It’s a stunningly realized feat
that accentuates Stoppard’s economical adaptation. Not a page
feels lost. Adding to the inspired artistry of Anna Karenina is Keira Knightley’s fearless showstopper of a performance
as Tolstoy’s heroine. Equally good are the supporting performances by Jude Law,
Matthew Macfadyen, Olivia Williams, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Kelly
Macdonald, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, et al. and sumptuous arts and crafts work by costumer Jacqueline Durran, composer Dario Marianelli, production designer Sarah Greenwood, and DP Seamus McGarvey, who captures the film in exquisite theatrical lighting and offers another noteworthy long take. Anna Karenina, with all its breathtaking boldness and ingenuity,
stands tallest in year of strong contenders.
If all the world’s a stage in Anna
Karenina, then the cast and crew should take a well-deserved bow.