Films Watched: December 2012

After not watching many movies in September, October and November, I made up for lost time during the final stretch of the year. Here is what I watched and my thoughts on some of them.

Take This Waltz (dir. Sarah Polley, 2011)
Bernie (dir. Richard Linklater, 2011)
Margaret (dir. Kenneth Lonergan, 2011)

I finally got around to seeing Margaret, though I (stupidly) didn’t watch the director’s cut. That will happen soon. (If only Margaret had been finished when I was in college…)

Young Adult (dir. Jason Reitman, 2011)
Warrior (dir. Gavin O’Connor, 2011)
Romantics Anonymous (dir. Jean-Pierre Améris, 2010)
The Asphalt Jungle (dir. John Huston, 1950)
Morning Glory (dir. Roger Michell, 2010)

I can’t help it. I freaking love this movie. It makes me insanely happy and I enjoy it more every time I watch it.

2 Days in New York (dir. Julie Delpy, 2012)
Mirror Mirror (dir. Tarsem Singh, 2012)
Anna Karenina (dir. Joe Wright, 2012)

This is a visually stunning adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s. But I find Anna Karenina to be an insufferable character, which makes any adaptation – no matter how well-done it is, exceedingly hard for me to fully enjoy.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (dir. John Madden, 2012)
Remember the Night (dir. Mitchell Leisen, 1940)
The Queen of Versailles (dir. Lauren Greenfield, 2012)
Sleepwalk with Me (dir. Mike Birbiglia, 2012)

As a regular This American Life listener, I’ve heard a lot (a lot) about Sleepwalk with Me this year. It didn’t disappoint. Sleepwalk with Me is currently streaming on instant Netflix and you should really watch it.

The Town (dir. Ben Affleck, 2010)

I have my issues with The Town. But this doesn’t change the fact that Jeremy Renner is a life ruiner. Also, it’s probably time for me to revisit Gone Baby Gone.

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (dir. Henry King, 1955)
Love Actually (dir. Richard Curtis, 2003)
Django Unchained (dir. Quentin Tarantino, 2012)

I saw Django Unchained twice this past weekend. There’s so much to unpack with movie and a lot I want to say. (I had two very different experiences seeing it in two very different atmospheres.) Expect a longer post on it in the coming weeks.