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Christopher Bell's Best Films Of 2012

  • By Christopher Bell
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  • December 28, 2012 2:32 PM
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  • 23 Comments
Features
Another year, another fifty lists. There were a lot of truly terrific movies to come out in 2012 and it was difficult to sit down and whittle away at a list that contained 30+ films that warranted special acknowledgement. Eventually you have to go with your gut, and I admit that this list may look different in a year, a month, a week, maybe even a day -- but these are the films that really stood out, the ones that had an especially resonant strength.
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More: 2012: The Year In Review, Best Of 2012, This Is Not A Film, Elena, Tabu, Snow On Tha Bluff, Once Upon A Time In Anatolia, Almayer's Folly, The Comedy

11 Notable Films You May Not Have Seen In 2012

  • By The Playlist Staff
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  • December 20, 2012 2:30 PM
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  • 30 Comments
Features
Every week (bar the very thinnest parts of the calendar), somewhere between seven and twelve movies end up opening in theaters. On some weekends, it's even more -- the first week of December saw eighteen films begin their theatrical runs. As such, it's hard enough for film writers to stay on top of things, let alone Joe Public, who doesn't have the benefit of free screenings, and DVDs in the post to take the edge off things.
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More: Features, Best Of 2012, 2012: The Year In Review, Compliance, Tabu, Wuthering Heights, The Kid With The Bike, Sound Of My Voice, Once Upon A Time In Anatolia, The Forgiveness Of Blood, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Elena, Alps

Interview: 'Elena' Director Andrei Zvyagintsev Talks Changed Ending, Favorite Filmmakers

  • By Christopher Bell
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  • May 17, 2012 5:45 PM
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  • 2 Comments
News
Cinephiles, unite! The name Andrei Zvyagintsev is relatively unknown on these shores, as his remarkable debut "The Return" quietly came and went (though it is now on Netflix Instant -- GO!) and his tremendous sophomore effort "The Banishment" never saw a proper release in the West. That's all about to change with "Elena," his third and most refined piece of work, which not only saw a premiere at Cannes Film Festival but also left with the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize. Zvyagintsev's aesthetic might make him seem like Andrei Tarkovsky II, but his voice is still his own, eschewing his mentor's liberal use of magic for more grounded, realistic stories.
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More: Elena, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Interview

VIFF '11: 'Elena' Is A Dramatic Masterwork From Russian Director Andrey Zvyagintsev

  • By Erik McClanahan
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  • October 18, 2011 2:57 AM
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  • 7 Comments
For this writer, there are fewer things in cinema more satisfying than a filmmaker in total control of their story. Sure, we love the visceral thrill of a well-choreographed, impeccably staged action sequence as much as the next red-blooded human being. And there’s the perfect combination of song/score over moving images, blissful moments heightened through all the tools available in the medium. But then there are those rare moments when a film has just begun, and the feeling sets in immediately that you’re in good hands; that no matter what happens in this film, you can trust the filmmaker has thought everything through and knows what he or she is doing. It’s a good feeling. Comforting even. But it’s rare.
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More: Foreign Films, Review, Foreign Directors, Elena, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Vancouver Film Festival

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