It’s Oscar weekend, which means it’s once again time for The Haiku Review to reveal its best films of last year. And thanks to Ben Affleck, waterboarding, vengeful slaves, a French pillow, and one exceedingly incompetent fast-food restaurant staff, 2012 turned out to be a fantastic time at the cinema. So without further ado, here are the ten best movies of the year. Continue reading
Tag Archive: Best
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes & Jackie Earle Haley
Screenplay by Tony Kushner
Directed by Steven Spielberg
During the final months of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln struggles to gain support for the 13th Amendment, which would abolish slavery, and which he believes must be done before the Civil War ends in order to succeed.
…and everyone lived
equally ever after
for all time. [crickets]
Grade: A-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
Lincoln is now playing in theaters nationwide.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/
Marvel’s superhero epic The Avengers hits theaters this Friday, kicking off four months full of Hollywood’s hottest commodities. Complete with aliens and spies, explosions and car chases, violence and PG-13-style romance, this time of year always offers something for everyone. Thus, without further ado, the Haiku Review announces its most anticipated movies of the 2012 summer movie season. Continue reading
Starring: Peyman Moadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini & Sarina Farhadi
Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi
The separation of a married couple in Iran sets off a chain reaction of events that changes several lives forever.
Lesson: Don’t let your
divorce keep you from choosing
“the help” more wisely.
Grade: A
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
A Separation is playing now in select cities.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832382/
By Daniel J. Hoag
With Oscar nominations set to be announced, it’s time for the Haiku Review to weigh in on the best movies of the year. From a pair of films honoring the early days of filmmaking itself to a handful of big budget sequels, from baseball to The Boy Who Lived, from hackers to hillbillies, 2011 provided us with some top-notch entertainment. Rush to the multiplex or ready your Netflix queue: these are the ten films that get the Haiku Review’s 17-syllable stamp of approval. Continue reading
Starring: Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong & John Hurt
Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
In the midst of the Cold War, a retired British spy is recruited to uncover a mole at the very highest level of British intelligence.
Not all spies look like
Daniel Craig, but Oldman leaves
your martini stirred.
Grade: A-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is playing now in select cities.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340800/
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell & Penelope Ann Miller
Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius
A silent movie star struggles with irrelevance after the invention of talking pictures.
This picture speaks a
thousand joyful words while you
enjoy the silence.
Grade: A
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
The Artist is now playing in select cities.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton & Michael Nyqvist
Written by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec
Directed by Brad Bird
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must go rogue to stop a Swedish terrorist after they are framed for bombing the Kremlin.
Brad Bird performs the
impossible: making us
forget we hate Cruise.
Grade: A-
c2011
By Daniel J. Hoag
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is now playing in theaters nationwide.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229238/
Based on the best-selling book by Stieg Larsson, David Fincher’s highly-anticipated adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has just opened in theaters. But before Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara inhabited the beloved characters of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, there was a 2009 adaptation of the novel in the author’s native Sweden starring rising star Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows). So which movie is better? Is the latest film worth the price of admission, or will fans of the the Swedish original want to stay away? The Haiku Review presents its latest Remake Spotlight to help viewers determine which Tattoo is worth the money. Continue reading
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard & Judy Greer
Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Directed by Alexander Payne
A man struggles with the discovery that his wife, who is in a coma after a boating accident, was having an affair.
‘Twixt this and Sideways,
Payne’s proving to be quite a
national treasure.
Grade: A
c2011
By Daniel J. Hoag
The Descendants is now playing in theaters nationwide.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/
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