Top 5 movies of the Year

Back at the start of July I looked at the best 5 movies of the year so far (link here). With the end of the year fast approaching I thought I would look back at those movies as well as any released in the second half of the year.

Honourable mentions go to The Hunger Games and Carnage which made the top 5 in July but failed to hold onto a place by the end of the year. From the second half of the year I believe that The Dark Knight Rises, Lawless and Silver Linings Playbook should also be given honourable mentions. If I had to choose a #6 it would have been Polisse.

5. The Raid: Redemption

An Indonesian action movie which appeared out of nowhere to critical acclaim and showed Western action films how things should be done. Brutally violent whilst being incredibly tense and claustrophobic means it's impossible to look away through the fast 90mins of action. A simple premise of a group of policemen raid a building run by a crimelord and soon end up just wanting to escape from the carnage.

4. Undefeated

A documentary film that actually won an Oscar, it looks at the American Football team of Manassas in Tennessee and life in small-town America. The town is one of little hope for the pupils of the high school and the only way out for many is to earn a scholarship to play American Football at a major college or be stuck in a town where violence and crime run wild. The film follows the coach who puts hours of work with them on and off the field to make them better players and people, all without being paid a single cent.

3. Martha Marcy May Marlene

The story of Martha played by Elizabeth Olsen who has just run away from a cult that resides in upstate New York, the film tracks her trying to adjust to normal life whilst staying with her sister despite her lack of knowledge of social norms and also flashes back to her time in the cult. John Hawkes is excellent as Patrick the cult leader who is warm and sympathetic whilst being evil and calculated being the fake exterior.

2. Margin Call

Released way back in January, Margin Call still sits with me as one of the best films in recent years. An immensely relevant look at an investment firm that realises its exposed to millions of pound worth of risk in mortgage back securities that respresents a higher figure than the net worth of the company. Zachary Quinto is excellent as the young naive risk analyst who initially realises the problem and sets off a chain reaction as everyone starts to fight for their own jobs and money as the greed of Wall Street takes over.

1. Untouchable

An absolutely heart warming and funny French film that will not be eligible for the Oscars this year as the Weinstein company want to do an English language remake that will be utter shite. Francois Cluzet plays Phillippe, a rich quadriplegic who needs to hire someone to look after him and after seeing many qualified applicants decides to pick Driss (played by Omar Sy). Driss is an ex-criminal from the projects in Paris and only applied for the job so he could continue to collect his benefits but the two form a superb bond of friendship as the movie progresses. The performances by both lead actors are an absolute joy to behold!