5. Insidious
I love horror films, but in recent years the trend has been for horror films to replace real scares with gore and violence. The success of the Saw franchise is mostly to blame for this. It is ironic then that the best horror film I've seen in the last few years was in fact made by the team behind the original Saw (2004). Insidious depicts the struggles of a couple who experience demonic visions and presences in their house after their young son falls into a coma. To explain it any more would detract from the rest of the film, which is best experienced with as little knowledge of its plot as possible. I saw this film alone in an empty cinema, which was really not a great idea and like all the best horror films, it got under my skin and still sticks with me months after I saw it. A must-see for horror fans.
4. I Am Number Four
I was not expecting to enjoy I Am Number Four. I knew it was based on a series of teen novels I had never heard of, and it looked like a carbon copy of every other teen series that has come before it. To make things worse, its star, Alex Pettyfer, had played the lead character in one of the most disappointing film adaptations I've ever seen, Stormbreaker (2006). The only saving grace seemed to be the fact that it was directed by DJ Caruso, director of the underrated Disturbia (2007). However, I found I Am Number Four to be a surprisingly enjoyable film, which includes above average performances from its young cast. It may have been due to my incredibly low expectations, but I instantly loved this film and I consider it to be one of the best of its kind. Essentially the film is about an alien teenage boy living on Earth, who learns to control his powers so that he can protect himself from a group of aliens who are hunting him, all the while attempting to woo a girl at his school. If this premise intrigues you, make sure you see this film. The action and romance is cliched and kind of cheesy but for some reason it works. For me anyway.
3. Black Swan
Technically a 2010 release (it was released early 2011 here in Australia) Black Swan is a film that I had been looking forward to for a long time. The concept of a psychological thriller set in the world of professional ballet and starring Natalie Portman had be intrigued from the beginning. Even though dance doesn't interest me one bit, I was keen to see what director Darren Aronofsky would do with this story. The finished film is an intense and unsettling depiction of a woman's descent into madness as she gradually cracks under the pressure of taking the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. The film belongs to Portman, who gives the best performance of her career, which rightly won her the Oscar for Best Actress earlier this year. This film is not for the faint hearted and definitely not one to watch with the family, but Portman's expert performance guarantees this film a spot in my favourites of the year.
2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Planet of the Apes series, which began with the original film in 1968, came to an abrupt halt with the 2001 Tim Burton remake. The film, which upon reflection is not as bad as everyone says and definitely entertained me when I saw it as an eleven year old, was not received well by critics or audiences. Even though it made decent amounts at the box office, it is remembered as one of the worst remakes in recent history. The concept of a new film that showed the apes' initial rise to power definitely interested me, so I was looking forward to seeing the clumsily-titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes when it was released last week.
What I saw was more of a character-driven family drama than action film, with the relationship between genetically modified ape Caesar (Andy Serkis, giving another amazing motion-captured performance) and his owners, portrayed by James Franco and John Lithgow forming the emotional backbone of the story. There's action too, just not as much of it as the trailers would lead you to believe. In its depiction of scientists using chimps to test Alzheimer's medication, the film raises the issue of how far we should be willing to go to make advances in medicine and what the consequences of such decisions could be. Although quite a far-fetched concept, the film still manages to be completely believable in its execution. A late set-piece showing an ape attack on the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the best constructed action sequences of the past few years. I highly recommend this film!
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Anyone who knows me will have easily guessed my number one film for the year so far. I am a massive Harry Potter fan (more on that another time). I have followed the film series over the past ten years and, with the exception of last year's Deathly Hallows Part 1, I have enjoyed each film immensely. Considering that the previous instalment covered the first (and more boring) half of the final Potter novel, Part 2 is an extremely fast paced action film. The shortest film of the series, it manages to satisfyingly tie up most of the story and character threads that have been developed over the previous seven films. For anyone who has been living under a rock for the past decade, the film shows the final battle between teen wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his nemesis, the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
Let's be honest, if you're going to see this film you've probably already seen it, possibly more than once, considering the film has already become the third highest grossing film of all time in a few short weeks! Star Daniel Radcliffe has received mixed reviews over the decade that he has portrayed Harry, but despite the pressure of carrying such a massive series on his shoulders for so long, Radcliffe has grown into an impressive actor and he gives his best performance yet in this final film. Special mention must go to Alan Rickman for giving another pitch-perfect performance as Severus Snape, the role he was born to play. The sequence when Harry views a series of important memories from Snape's life is the finest sequence in the series. Also, credit must be given to Ralph Fiennes for finally making screen Voldemort as iconic and chilling as the character was in the novels.
JK Rowling's Potter series has been entertaining readers and movie-goers for the past fourteen years and will for many years to come, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a more than worthy end to the most successful film series ever, until the inevitable remakes of course. And next time can we please get Ian McKellen as Dumbledore?
Honourable Mentions: X-Men: First Class, Tangled, No Strings Attached, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Adjustment Bureau
I love a good horror film. My favourite horror film of all time is The Others starring Nicole Kidman. That is one of the rare films that is terrifyingly scary, yet at the same time has an emotional element that most dramatic films would strive for. Juan Antonio Bayona's Spanish-language film The Orphanage (or El Orfanato) sits comfortably in this exclusive genre. I was of course drawn to it by the presence of producer Guillermo del Toro.
