It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen! And it is actually that time for me for the eighth time. I know it was seven years last year so the realization that this is the eighth year should not be so much of a shock for me but it is. May I present to you the 2012 Mouton d'Or Awards!
This year was such an incredible year for film, with so many filmmakers reaching new heights in their careers and abilities. With this in mind, what finer example is there to lead the nominations than Paul Thomas Anderson's THE MASTER, which leads with eight nominations in total, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Next up on the leader board is the breathtaking, LIFE OF PI, from Ang Lee. It too is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and four others for a grand total of six. ARGO, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD and MOONRISE KINGDOM round out the remaining Best Picture nominees and each earns five Mouton d'Or nominations in total. And though they may have missed out on the top prize, LES MISERABLES and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK still have a strong showing, also with five nominations apiece.
P.T. Anderson's THE MASTER
I would like to thank everyone who shared their favorite movies with me in the last few weeks for the Black Sheep Readers Choice Award. There was so much response and so much passion for films that went on to be nominated that I had to expand the category to ten nominees, up from six last year. Be sure to vote in the poll at the top of the right hand sidebar for your favourite! And again, thank you so much for your participation. Your enthusiasm was moving.
And so, without further ado, here are the 2012 Mouton d'Or Award nominations ...
(Scroll over any film title and click for the full Black Sheep review.)
Thanks for reading. The 2012 Mouton d'Or Award winners will be announced February 16th and voting for the Black Sheep Readers Choice Awards will close at midnight on Sunday, February 10th.
(Be sure to click the title of any film mentioned to read the full Black Sheep review.)
Ordinarily, when I look back at the year in film as it comes to its close, I also take a look at the milestones my career as a writer has reached in the last 12 months. This year, that is a little difficult for me. In early May, I felt like I had made it. I had just interviewed Mark Ruffalo for his much loved performance as The Hulk in THE AVENGERS, as well as documentary filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, whose BULLY had become a serious talking point across America. Both interviews were due to appear as cover stories on the same day, Ruffalo on Montreal's Hour Community and Hirsch on Ottawa's Xpress. I was about to go on the air on Montreal's CJAD 800 to talk about both pieces when I received an e-mail from my editor at Hour, telling me that my cover story would be Hour's last. My editor at Xpress contacted me just a few weeks later to let me know that it too would be ceasing production. In some ways, I'm still recovering from that one-two punch.
I had grown up with Hour in Montreal. Hour was the first paper that ever published me. Not only was I sad for my editor, who had worked so hard to keep the paper afloat in difficult times, but I was sad for Montreal for its loss too. There was only one game left in town after that and it too shut down this year. Sadness for print journalism all around.
My best friend pointed out to me that writing, like other creative fields, is not always consistent. I remind myself of this whenever I need to and, although I do not know what 2013 has in store for opportunities, I do know that I will be heading out in search of them. And until I find one, I still have all of you. And there are more of you now than ever before so thank you. Thank you very much for your support and, more importantly, for reading. Without you, my words would fall upon blind eyes.
All the same, the year wasn't a total wash. I did get to interview this guy ...
This is about as scruffy as Jake Gyllenhaal was when we met to discuss END OF WATCH.
I saw something like 125 films in 2012, many of them quite good. Narrowing that list down was not as difficult as I had anticipated. I did get stuck at 11 though and that's when it got messy. Mission accomplished all the same, sort of. This list of ten films I feel best encapsulates my most memorable experiences at the movies this year. In alphabetical order, here in Black Sheep's Top 10 films of 2012!
Such a controlled film about two people who have lost all the control in their own lives. Simply put, AMOUR is exquisite. And aptly titled. It is a great and necessary reminder that love is a gift, and a fleeting one at that, and it needs to be appreciated for all its glory.
This debut feature by American filmmaker, Benh Zeitlin, is a beast all unto itself. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD roars with pride for its unique style, tone and take, and it stampedes forward with an infectious strength. And who is leading this charge? Why, one ferociously brave, little girl, of course. It is imagination incarnate.
Speaking of courageous, young women ... I do not care if this makes me an honorary teenage girl, but I am big Katniss fan, not to mention the actress who embodied her so brilliantly in THE HUNGER GAMES, Jennifer Lawrence. I got totally caught up in this movie's feverish hype after reading the book and loved every minute of it. PS. #TeamPeeta.
I respect THE IMPOSSIBLE for doing just that and daring to tell this true story. Sure, they changed the main characters, a Spanish family who was caught in the 2004 Tsunami, to an English family, but that just means we get to see all this heartbreaking hardship acted out by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. You can't tell every story from that tragedy but I believe they've done this story, and family, justice.
It is possible that I am very close to overdosing on LES MISERABLES. In the span of a week, I saw the film twice in theatres and have been moved to tears in my living room by the soundtrack more times than I'm willing to admit to. Easily the best movie musical since CHICAGO, "Les Mis" is designed to consume you and I have yet to tire of giving in to its song.
I wasn't sure even Ang Lee was going to be able to pull off LIFE OF PI, but I did suspect that if anyone was going to be able to make Yann Martel's biblical novel come to the life it deserved to on screen, it could be him. And within moments of the film starting, I breathed a great sigh of relief. I commend Lee for giving us the most visually groundbreaking film of the year.
Now, most people would assume I would put MAGIC MIKE on this list because I am in love with Channing Tatum. I mean, look at that picture. How can you not be? But what those people forget is that I've been in love with Steven Soderbergh for far longer. And only Soderbergh could make a stripper movie that inspires both cat calls and intellectual discourse from its audience at the same time.
Another aptly titled film but for very different reasons. Paul Thomas Anderson borders on genius with THE MASTER. After THERE WILL BE BLOOD, I didn't think he could go much higher and yet somehow, he has. Technically perfect, brilliant performances across the board and just plain mesmerizing, THE MASTER is well worthy of cult-like worship.
Like the previous Anderson, Wes Anderson has outdone himself with MOONRISE KINGDOM. To watch his panoramic and meticulously detailed style become more vibrant and warmer than ever before, is a total delight. His voice is confident, comfortable, clearer than ever, and perhaps most remarkably, it still feels as though it is alive and new.
I would never have imagined that the 50-year-old James Bond franchise would be able to provide one of the most exhilarating experiences of the year but then again, I never imagined that Sam Mendes would direct a Bond film. The cast, the cinematography, the writing, the risks - everything about SKYFALL is elevated by Mendes' presence and thus, Bond is reborn.
Honourable Mention: STORIES WE TELL Directed by Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley's first documentary and third feature film is only being considered for next year's awards race but there is no way I could not mention STORIES WE TELL when discussing the best films I saw this past year. Polley's bravery in telling this extremely personal story is moving and is somehow completely devoid of ego. Instead, she offers up her own history as an example that allows the audience to break down the many layers of storytelling itself. This is Polley's best film to date.
Oh, and this happened. My first quote!
There you have it! Ten amazing films (plus one!) from an incredible year at the movies. What about you? What made your list? Start thinking about it, in case you haven't already, as I will be calling on you to help shape this year's Black Sheep Readers Choice Award for the upcoming 2012 Mouton d'Or Awards. The nominations will be announced on January 25, 2013.
I'd love to take a break now but alas, I have a screening tomorrow morning! And so it begins again. Here's to an amazing 2013 and here's to seeing my name in print again before the year is out!
Thanks again for all your support. I could not do this without you. Happy New Year!!
You can listen to me discuss this list further on CJAD 800 below.
THE MASTER Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams Lancaster Dodd: Man is not an animal. We are not a part of the animal kingdom.
One of today’s most remarkable American film directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, returns with yet another majestic work, that is both visually stunning and psychologically enthralling. THE MASTER pits a disturbed and unhinged former sailor, just back from the war, against the intellectual and commanding leader of a budding religious group, and it is never quite clear just who is playing who. As the film inevitably lingers on in your mind after it’s done though, it becomes clear that there really only was one master all along, and that is undeniably, Mr. Anderson himself.
THE MASTER marks a very welcome return to narrative filmmaking for Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the aforementioned sailor, Freddie Quell. He struggles to find his path as he attempts reintegration into society after WWII, drifting from one pointless job to the next, as he inevitably makes a mess of each opportunity he’s given. He is prone to aggressive and violent outbursts and thanks to Phoenix’s stone cold expression, it is near impossible to tell whether he intentionally means to lash out or whether he truly cannot control himself. While lost on land, he finds himself again at sea, on a boat commandeered by one Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the aforementioned, and self-proclaimed, religious leader. Dodd has founded The Cause and aims to integrate Quell into his fold by healing the demons of his past. Much to Dodd’s dismay though, some demons cannot be tamed.
The Cause is a religion founded in the 1950’s that helps its practitioners return to their true selves through a series of exercises designed to conquer the lingering effects of past trauma. Anderson insists that The Cause is not a thinly veiled attempt at criticizing the controversial religion known as Scientology, but that just doesn’t ring true. Scientology was also formed in the 1950’s and also employs similar methods, known as auditing, which essentially accomplish the same task I just described. It seems silly to look at THE MASTER as anything other than a judgmental look at Scientology really. While it is a fascinating character piece, as Anderson’s films generally are, Dodd’s difficulty rehabilitating the deranged Quell, points to undeniable flaws in his system. If all mankind is eternal, then we should all be able to find our way back from our animalistic behaviour and toward our true, honest selves.
As technically perfect as it is, THE MASTER is the least emotionally engaging film of Anderson’s I’ve seen. I was so locked in on a cerebral level, overwhelmed by the brilliant cinematography (presented in 70MM and shot by Mihai Malaimaire Jr.), another obscurely melodic score by Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, THERE WILL BE BLOOD) and unforgettable performances from actors at the top of their game (including Amy Adams, as Dodd’s submissive yet dominant wife, Peggy Dodd). Still, I was somewhat taken aback when it ended. I felt as though there was more to this story that had yet to be told. Repeat viewings will likely prove me wrong, as Anderson is in full control of his facilities, but for all its prowess, THE MASTER left me a little cold. Anderson may be a true movie making master, but if he relinquishes just a little bit of control, he might unleash a genius we have never known the likes of. Hell, if he does that, he may even lead his own religion some day.
