8. The Five-Year Engagement
The Nicholas Stoller / Jason Segel bromance resurfaced again this year, for what is arguably their best collaboration to date. Running past the two-hour mark, this has to be one of the most focused and well-balanced rom-coms in a long time. Oddly enough, however, quite a few people complained about this depth, and were hoping for, one might imagine, something more akin to the works of Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. Thankfully, Stoller had a solid cast and an excellent script to work with, and avoided such tedium. Although The Five-Year Engagement is one of the tamer modern comedies with a Judd Apatow stamp, it still has the stamp nonetheless, and would prove a perfect companion piece to either Bridesmaids or Knocked Up.
7. Martha Marcy May Marlene
It is strange to think that no one knew who Elizabeth Olsen was at the beginning of this year, or in fact, that John Hawkes could only be identified as that guy from Winters Bone. Well, I think it is safe to say that since both of them have stormed through in Martha Marcy May Marlene, they will not long find their stars rising. This truly unnerving and gripping indie hit creeps out of the dark like a Wendigo, and just grows and grows; leading to an ending that is spot on. The more cynical viewer might see Martha Marcy May Marlene as a simple twist on the Manson cult, playing sexual abuse for cheap blows (no pun intended). But such an individual would be wrong. MMMM is an exploration of one girls fractured psyche in the wake of a life-altering event. It is possibly one of the greatest character studies of the year.
6. The Raid
Enter The Dragon, Police Story, Once Upon a Time in China, Ong Bak. Most well known Eastern martial artists have that one film which gets them noticed in Hollywood. This spring saw Iko Uwais launch himself into the company of Hollywood giants such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, with his wicked fast and uber violent Indonesian fighting style; Pencak Silat. Not only was The Raid ridiculously cool, but it was also exceptionally well conceived. Little known Welshman Gareth Evans was the man behind the lens, and his knowing ability of framing each and every fight sequence made The Raid more than just the Indonesian Die Hard. Through Evans use of long shots and setdi-cam, he created a three-dimensional environment, that ensured every punch, every gun shot, every stab to the face, was perfectly captured and, in turn, felt by the audience. Expect the sequel next year.