2012 Film List
Films
1) Planet Terror - dir: Robert Rodriguez
Made as a double feature with Tarantino's 'Death Proof', Robert Rodriguez has a real talent for grindhouse films. Personally, I prefer his later film 'Machete', but that's because I really don't like zombies. Stylistically though, I love what he's done with it.
2) Once Upon a Time in America - dir: Sergio Leone
This is a long film - 3 hours and 40 minutes, and it feels long as well. Personally, I don't think it pays off, although looking back you blot out the long scenes and it seems better on reflection. Has a very very uncomfortable rape scene though, and I'm not used to seeing De Niro play a character like this.
3) No Retreat, No Surrender 2 - dir: Corey Yuen
For the crack really. 80s. Action. Nonsense.
4) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - dir: John Ford
A classic western - John Wayne and James Stewart. A wonderful story about a lawyer who finds himself in a town terrorised by an outlaw, and he's unable to accept that the only law there is the law of the gun. James Stewart is as always wonderful, and John Wayne plays a brilliant role really emotively. It's a great watch. Also, Andy Devine (the voice of Friar Tuck in Disney's Robin Hood) is a brilliant bit of colour in the vocal range too.
5) Down With Love - dir: Peyton Reed
An Homage to the campy romcoms of the 1960s, a la Rock Hudson and Doris Day. I love it. It's campy good fun, enjoyable to watch, slickly filmed and beautifully scored and designed. Also Ewan McGregor is a bit fit.
6) Arrugas (Wrinkles) - dir: Ignacio Ferreras
This is an amazing, tragic and beautifully presented film. Well worth a watch, deals sensitively and wonderfully with old age and Alzheimers. It starts sad and never really gets better, but it is painted so emotively and gently it really is an experience to watch. It's currently longlisted for an Oscar, and it deserves it. You'll really reassess your plans for your parents' retirement prospects, that's for sure.
7) The Rebound - dir: Bart Freundlich
J described it as "the best Bad Romcom we've watched", which is perhaps the most accurate way to describe it. Certainly it had far more to it than almost any other romcom of recent years, which have been tickbox affairs of tropes and lazy scripting. This tried to do something a bit different, and I really enjoyed it. I actually quite enjoyed Catherine Zeta Jones in it as well, which I can't often say!
8) The Princess Bride - dir:Rob Reiner
A classic, I recently bought the special edition DVD and loved it (although, minor niggle, don't feel that any of the trailers on the DVD actually complemented the film at all) all over again. It doesn't date like most of its contemporaries, largely I think because it lovingly lampoons itself as it goes - the point is that it's a bit cheesy and a bit crap, and that's what makes it amazing. That said, I was showing it to my friend Katie, and I don't think she really got it.
9) Hairspray - dir: Adam Shankman
I've loved this film from the first time I saw it (yes, it's the remake, but they do give the original writer a cameo) - bright, bubbly and really good fun, with massively high production values, and some cracking tunes. The very fact that people compare this with 'Mamma Mia' makes me angry when this is easily the more intelligent, more fun and better scored musical. ABBA just make people stupid I guess.
10) Your Highness - dir: David Gordon Green
This was not as bad as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it's still a godawful film, but I was expecting far, far worse and if you switch your brain off it's fairly enjoyable. It seems mainly to work on the basis that everything's funnier if you say it in an English accent.
11) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - dir: Brad Bird
I considered carefully before going to see this, and I do believe this may in fact be the only Tom Cruise film I have ever seen more than twenty minutes of. And I didn't hate it. I am usually put off, because I think the man's a bit of a knob, but he was alright in this. Sometimes he leaned dangerously towards the style which I was certain would characterise his acting, and sometimes his timing or intonation were a bit funky, and the plot was just nuts (well, what do you expect), but he was carried along by a brilliant supporting cast. Except the woman, who was a bit naff. Pros: Simon Pegg, and a lovely shot of Budapest over the Danube at the start.
12) Bandslam - dir: Todd Graff
Actually more Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist than Camp Rock, I was surprised that I actually quite enjoyed it. The DVD cover mis-sells it by putting Vanessa Hudgens front and centre, when actually the real star is Gaelan Connell as Will, who is a relative newcomer to lead roles, and who manages to pull off a very Michael Cera-esque role but with a bit more oomph behind it than Cera usually manages. Some issues - U2 and David Bowie don't count as indie music, given their cumulative total of hit records, the Sex Pistols were an English band, formed in London. A little grungy club in New York was not the turning point of their careers, and they would have been big without it. Equally true of the Clash. Stop trying to appropriate our culture. Also, trended a little towards the traditional high school drama tropes which it didn't really need. But otherwise pretty good!
Also: this song is pretty epic.
Click to view13) Sudden Impact - dir: Clint Eastwood
aka. Dirty Harry #4, certainly not the best of the series, but enjoyable nonetheless. Clint Eastwood wrote it as well as directed it, but he hasn't quite hit his stride here as he did with Unforgiven. Still pretty good fun, and has a magic gender-changing dog. Like we're not going to realise it has testicles in one scene, and massive puppy-feeding teats in another.
14) An Unfinished Life - dir: Lasse Hallström
Not a great film. Not a terrible film either. Has some nice moments, but I actually forgot I'd watched it and had to come back and add it on. Morgan Freeman is always good. Surprisingly, Jennifer Lopez isn't actually that bad in it either. And bad guy or not, it's always good to see Damien Lewis popping up on my TV.
15) The Slipper and the Rose - dir: Bryan Forbes
Am-Dram Panto meets Gilbert and Sullivan, this is quite a fun adaptation of Cinderella. Cinderella herself isn't that annoying, and the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming are awesome, followed closely behind by the rest of the Royal family who are quite good fun. Certainly the broadest sweeping version of the story I've ever seen, it gives political reasons for the Prince having to marry, and then follows up with the ramifications which come from him choosing Cinderella instead of another Princess.
16) The Room - dir: Tommy Wiseau
OH GOD. The worst film ever made. Ever. No, I'm serious.
17) Chalet Girl - dir: Phil Traill
If this had been an American film, it would have been shit. As it was, to my surprise this was a British film and was actually pretty good. Bill Bailey was pretty good as the widowed and jobseeking father who has been cared for by his daughter since the death of his wife, Bill Nighy was great as the wealthy banker who owns the chalet the main character goes to work in. And the main character wasn't obnoxious either, as could so easily have happened in a film like this.
18) Captain America - dir: Joe Johnston
Better than the hype said it was going to be. Certainly one of the best Marvel films in a few years (Thor? I still want to cry a little thinking about that. WHY, ANTHONY HOPKINS? WHY?) Pacing off a little towards the end, and a lot of CG-actionery which whilst probably high-budget, looked a bit too much like a video game cut scene for my liking. Also find myself pondering what will happen if the Avengers ever cross over with the Fantastic Four, given as Captain America and the Human Torch are the same person.
19) Guys and Dolls - dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Not my favourite musical ever. It felt very long. I liked bits of it, I liked a lot of the characters and the style, but the two plotlines felt only very loosely linked and I just wanted it pulled together more. I did really like Marlon Brando in it. I'd only ever seen him in the Godfather, so it was a bit of a treat. Didn't expect him to sing either - and so well!
20) Proof - dir: John Madden
A wonderful film - Gwyneth Paltrow is excellent, Anthony Hopkins equally so (Why Thor, Anthony Hopkins? How can you have done Thor after this??), and it may well be the first Jake Gyllenhaal film I've seen that I've liked. Very moving, and you can see that it was originally meant to be performed on stage because it is a very simple but effective setup. I imagine on stage it is doubly striking. J said it reminded him of A Beautiful Mind, but less happy.
21) The Muppets - dir: James Bobin
It is like this film went "Here Claire, have everything that you love oh-so-dearly, in one awesome badass film, to enjoy again and again." I loved it. Maybe its only flaw was that it felt more like a Jason Segel movie than a Muppet movie, but that's only a slightly leaning, and not really a bad thing over all. I ADORED the styling of it, so 50s Hollywood meets Contemporary Sendup, but lovingly so. This is a DVD-er. No questions asked.
22) America's Sweethearts - dir: Joe Roth
Not as good as I remember it, but still enjoyable good fun. I find myself thinking that Catherine Zeta-Jones is quite reasonable when she gets upset that her ex tries to kill her by riding a scooter through a restaurant window at her, then gets caught 'shaking hands with Mr Happy' outside her hotel room. They do write it so she looks unreasonable, but I kind of think she has a point. I guess age does change how you watch a film. But, lots of actors I do like though, so that's fun.
23) The Princess Bride - dir: Rob Reiner (again)
Harriet hadn't seen it. This needed fixing.
24) The Pirates! In an Adventure with Sciences - dir: Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt
Aardman is really back on form with this bad boy. It's amazing. It's helter-skelter good fun, very clever and really witty. Based on a book, but with a totally different plot, so that doesn't matter too much, it's a great concept and brilliantly executed.
25) The Producers (2005) - dir: Susan Stroman
One of my favourite films with Will Ferrell in, I think everyone in this is perfectly cast. It's snappy, zippy and self-aware. Certainly my favourite Mel Brooks film I've seen, although I've not seen Blazing Saddles yet. "Remember when Oola dance? Oola dance again!"
26) Planet of the Apes (1968) - dir: Franklin J. Schaffner
Caught this on Film Four - didn't see the start, but have done before and own it on DVD, so still counting it. Such a fantastic film, and it has aged remarkably. I still struggle to see how the makeup and prosthetics could be improved. In all ways, it's a near perfect film.
27) Take the Money and Run - dir: Woody Allen
One of his first directorial films, and you can see his early style, but it felt really long. I sometimes find that with Woody Allen films. Some are good and peppy, but for the most part, especially if you're not a huge fan of his humour, his films do feel really long. And it was only about 90 minutes!
28) Ben-Hur - dir: William Wyler
Wow. So, I'm not surprised I got to this age without having seen this before, because this is one helluva a long film. Like, 3 and a half hours long. J and I took a break at the intermission and carried on the next day, and that worked really well - made it like a mini-series rather than a film. And it's a very good film, although it's pretty slow to get started and there is a lot of intense discussion and staring and repeating oneself, which sort of slows things down. The second half is where most of the action is, with the chariot race and the crucifixion. The religious aspects of it were very cleverly done, taking place adjacent to the main story rather than being the focus of it. It's a very moving film, and Charlton Heston is, of course, amazing.
29) Cube Zero - dir: Ernie Barbarash
The third of the 'Cube' films, and only the second one I've seen (although I'm told I'm not missing out much on Hyper Cube), I think it might be my favourite. It spends less time inside the cube, and more with an equally-confined office where two paranoid and cabin-feverish technicians make sure the process runs smoothly. It's a more psychological thriller than the earlier one, and gives you a better idea of the world which could have created this awful contraption. Sadly, still no sense of closure at the end of it, that the Cube is gone for good! But it is a prequel, and segues in nicely, so...
30) The Avengers - dir: Joss Whedon
I never ever thought I'd say this - I think this is a Marvel film I might like to own on DVD. I really enjoyed it. And I agree with everyone else in the rest of the world that Mark Ruffalo was a fantastic Hulk (but I've always known Mark Ruffalo was amazing, and bemoaned that he didn't get more notice. He was great in Shutter Island, and I adored him in The Brothers Bloom - everyone else is joining this party already in progress). I'd never really been interested in a large, green man with rage issues, but Whedon really knew how to put the correct spin on him and it worked. I loved it. It didn't feel rushed either, which means that almost every other Marvel screenwriter EVER needs to take a lesson on pacing and character development from He Who Is Most Shiny. Largely what did come out of it though was a MASSIVE desire to watch The Brothers Bloom again. Which I have since bought. Oh yesssss.
31) The Raid - dir: Gareth Evans
Not quite the all-out action film I expected it to be, it was pretty dark and drama-heavy, and the Action heroes weren't... well, Action heroes. Very similar in tone to the Ong-Bak films, and it was wonderful to see a well-choreographed and performed Martial Arts scene and actually be allowed to watch it - none of the choppy, quick-change camerawork here. Nosiree. It felt long for 140 minutes though.
32) Get Over it - dir: Tommy O'Haver
I remembered this as being better than it was (not surprising, I was about 13 when I last watched it), which is a shame because stylistically and character-wise it really could compete with 10 Things I Hate About You, but it just falls short in a few places - jokes never followed through with, flimsy side-plots, a little too much toilet humour for my liking. Oh well.
33) Burn After Reading - dir: Joel and Ethan Coen
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this - I didn't really like the Big Lebowski, and given as that's held up as THE film by most Coen fans, I was expecting this to be similar. I actually really really enjoyed it! It was snappy, more controlled than TBL, with characters I could grasp more fully. It seemed more polished and better thought out. Fantastic cast, absolute winner.
34) Monty Python and the Holy Grail - dir: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
J had, unbelieveably, never seen this. I've seen it so many times I was quoting along, but it's been a good few years, so it was nice to come back to from a distance. So many things I'd never noticed before! So many jokes I'd forgotten! Ah, good times.
35) Welcome to the Space Show! - dir: Koji Masunari
This was a film of 2 halves really. It started off as a really sweet little film and then in the last 40 minutes decided to become really complicated really quickly and it got very convoluted and seemed to lose its way a bit. Still a very nice film, although a bit saggy in the middle.
36) Get Smart - dir: Peter Segal
Such a funny film, so well executed! It's exactly what Johnny English should have been. I love Steve Carell in it, I love Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne Johnson has epic comedy chops which he shows off the the max in this. It's one of those amazing high-quality relaxing films.
37) Prometheus - dir: Ridley Scott
Not a bad film, not a scary film, felt a bit long at times, but the cast all played their parts well and were great to look at. Just... meh. Not really moved by this kind of story at all. I always just feel that they're asking for trouble and it just... I dunno. Bleh.
38) No Strings Attached - dir: Ivan Reitman
I actually really liked this. The cast were great, the script was full of zingy dialogue, and it was just nice and really well executed. Nothing terribly new, but a spin that was really really well done. Also I love Natalie Portman.
39) Star Trek: First Contact - dir: Jonathan Frakes
This is one of those films that I've seen bits of at different times, but never the whole thing at once. It's enjoyable but fairly disposable, as expected!
40) The Dark Knight Rises - dir: Christopher Nolan
[Spoilery thoughts]
It really finished off the series well, and brought a tear to my eye. And made me want to watch lots and lots of Michael Caine films. I called the Thalia Al Ghul bit, but not that she was working with Bane, so that was a nice surprise, and I sort of called the restaurant bit at the end, which was a relief!
But so so so much love for Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway. It feels like this is the film I've been waiting for Anne Hathaway to make in all the time I've thought she was amazing, and all the crap films she's made *coughBrideWarscough*. I could watch it over and over again for her. And Tom Hardy! Man, if this was Bane how he was meant to be, no wonder people were pissed off at Batman and Robin. He was flawless. And I loved his voice. It... resonated. Lovely lovely! One day I'll actually recognise him in a film though.
41) Sin City - dir: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez
I've not seen this since I was about 17, and I think I appreciated it more this time around. Stylistically such a great film, and I was better able to cope with the more gruesome bits this time around as well. The script's a bit clunky in parts, but that's due to the style they're aiming for I think. Beautiful to look at though!
42) Despicable Me - dir: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
I am probably the last person in the world to see this film, but I'm glad I did. I really really enjoyed it. Like all Steve Carrell films, it's beautifully underplayed where it counts, with some really inspired humour carrying it along. Looking forward to the next one now!
42) The 40 Year Old Virgin - dir: Judd Apatow
This felt more like a standard Steve Carell film than a Judd Apatow film - there were some scenes with the usual unpleasant behaviour that Apatow usually includes, but mostly it was quite nicely underplayed by Carell. Not as strong as more recent Steve Carell films, but not bad.
43) The Switch - dir: Josh Gordon and Will Speck
I watched this on the understanding that it would be suitably crappy and a brain-switch-offer. I didn't want to actually like it, but I kind of did. Jennifer Aniston was actually alright in it, Jason Bateman played the role really well but the child...! That kid was adorable. And amazing to watch whenever he was on screen. He should've been in Every Scene. The plot was kinda rushed though, and it felt like unimportant bits were given less emphasis than they should've done.
44) Star Trek: The Motion Picture - dir: Robert Wise
This was quite a pleasant film. But good gravy was it long. There were loads of massively long tracking shots to show off all the stuff that they could now do with computers to make the Enterprise and Space look pretty. And it was impressive, but they had some real issues with perspective and relative proportions of people to spaceships, and it really slowed the pace of the film.
45) While You Were Sleeping - dir: Jon Turteltaub
This is just a really nice, warm fuzzy film. Not perfect by any means, but really hits the spot when you just want something to curl up with. Of course now I want it to be Christmas. (it is currently August).
46) Scott Pilgrim vs The World - dir: Edgar Wright
I bought this in the sales last Christmas, and finally got to watch it! It's such a good film. Simply from a cinematography level, it's so slick and dynamic, it's beautiful to look at. And I really enjoy the story too, which helps.
47) Love Actually - dir: Richard Curtis
Not Richard Curtis' strongest film, but still a nice gentle one to watch (although it made J a bit cross). Nicely woven together stories, it was the one which spawned all the American ones trying to copy it, but poorly - Valentine's Day, He's Just Not That Into You etc etc...
48) No Country for Old Men - dir: Joel and Ethan Coen
Another Coen film that I enjoyed more than I expected, great cast, very well done, but it felt a little bit long for me. I got a bit fidgety.
49) Megamind - dir: Tom McGrath
Will Ferrell was surprisingly good in this - I usually find his stuff a bit hit and miss, but this I really enjoyed. Great characters, great execution, great soundtrack.
50) Expendables 2 - dir: Simon West
Script wise, not as good as the first, or story wise, but there were some moments of absolute brilliance, just unfortunately strung together a bit clumsily. Still. Arnie and Bruce Willis ripping the doors off a Smart Car, and driving around gunning people down in it is an image I'm not going to forget quickly.
51) Going the Distance - dir: Nanette Burstein
I really quite liked this film. It was bright, breezy and the two leads were charismatic and fun. Cool script, nicely film. Nothing majorly life-changing, but good fun nevertheless.
52) I love you, man - dir: John Hamburg
I really enjoyed this film - Paul Rudd has never been more attractive to me. A fun, honest buddy comedy. Great soundtrack, well-delivered, and as with pretty much every Jason Segel film I've ever seen, almost too honest and well-drawn for comfort. But not quite.
53) The Maltese Falcon - dir: John Huston
This film... seemed quite long. And, as J observed, not quite as profound and amazing as he'd remembered it being. It's an unusual story, and I think it wasn't adapted for screen very well, but it's a classic and I've finally seen it, so I'm still going to count it as a bonus.
54) Date Night - dir: Shawn Levy
J and I really love this film. The Fosters remind us so much of ourselves, and the script snd delivery is great. It's just... a really good fun, well-delivered film. And with some fantastic cameos as well!
55) The King's Speech - dir: Tom Hooper
Such a good film, I could easily watch it again and again. It's got a wonderfully charismatic cast, and is so delicately played. Colin Firth really deserved his oscar for this, and aside from the inspired casting as Bellatrix, I think this is my favourite role for Helena Bonham Carter - and perhaps it just pips Bellatrix because she gets more screen time here.
56) Desperado - dir: Robert Rodriguez
Another grindhouse style Western. I do love Rodriguez' films, there's always something so knowing about them. Not quite as good as Machete though, but also less gory. The ending was a bit of a letdown considering the buildup we'd had through the film, but at the same time the little bit of it there was was brilliant.
57) Looper - dir: Rian Johnson
I think I liked this film, once I realised what they'd done to Joseph Gordon Levitt's nose - didn't twig until I saw Bruce Willis and realised they'd tried to give them a similar profile. It was very effective! It was a good film, very well done, but J was cross that the ending was so predictable. And there isn't really a happy ending either way, which is a bit distressing as I'd initially thought it had wrapped up happily until I thought more about it.
58) Mirror Mirror - dir: Tarsem Singh
It's basically a panto. Not the best film ever, but silly and enjoyable enough - very much like going to the panto at Christmas! And there are some wonderfully inspired parts, and the set and costume designs are lovely, and some of the actors just really ham it up and look like they're really enjoying it. Sean Bean is in it for all of 10 minutes max, but is way too good for it, and sadly looks a bit like he knows it.
59) Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - dir: Tomas Alfredson
This film was probably supposed to be clever and intricate, but really it just got long, involved and boring. The cast were all great, gotta love a bit of Colin Firth and Gary Oldman.
60) Rob Zombie's Hallowe'en - dir: Rob Zombie
Not a bad film, but it lost a lot of the subtlety of the original, and it felt very long in comparison. It was clearly higher budget than the original, but not certain it benefitted for that. Didn't appreciate all the added sex and nudity - it felt gratuitous and didn't add anything to the film - and also I didn't like that they gave Michael a backstory, and made him outstandingly sympathetic. They made him a woobie. In the original it is very much just that he is a man who will kill remorselessly for no reason - he's from a happy family, treated well, he is just pure evil. In this version, you're kinda rooting for him.
61) The Secret of Kells - dir: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey
What a delightful film! The animation is beautifully stylised, the story is very sweet and the characters are all wonderfully sketched. It's at parts very dark, in others lovely and sweet. I'd really recommend it!
62) Arsenic and Old Lace - dir: Frank Capra
I loved this film when I was a kid, and watching it as an adult I seemed to pick up so much more this time around. It's such a great film, Cary Grant gets his comedic skills shown off brilliantly, and Peter Lorre is always so strangely endearing to watch. Add to that the wonderful Josephine Hull, who's also in one of my other favourites, 'Harvey', it's just great.
63) Nativity - dir: Debbie Isitt
I watched this for the first time last year and I was pleasantly surprised by it - it's a great example of improv film making. Re-watching it a bit further away from my PGCE, I was less inclined to want someone to push Mr Poppy out of a window as well. I'm getting such a crush on Martin Freeman.
64)The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! - dir: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt
J got this for me as a birthday present, so a re-watch was of course in order. I caught even more little details than the first time around - I think it's easily Aardman's best film for me.
65) The Muppets - dir: James Bobin
Another birthday present re-watch - still a great film! Although it's unusual that Rizzo doesn't take such a bit role in it, I didn't notice that so much the first time round.
66) Public Enemies - dir: Michael Mann
A pretty good film, but didn't blow me away. It seemed like they were frightened of either falling into traditional cops-and-robber tropes, and also shying away from portraying either side as the 'bad guys', which meant it never really got as involving as it could have done. It felt like it was trying to be "Once Upon a Time in America", but didn't have the guts that went with it.
67) Muppet Treasure Island - dir: Brian Henson
This was way sillier than I remembered it being, but still good fun. Tim Curry as a pirate. <3 I used to have such a crush on the kid who played Jim, but watching it now it's so scary to think that - his voice hadn't even broken!
OMG - just realised he's now grown up to be the guy in 'Star Stories'. He's Tom Cruise in the Tom Cruise Episode!. Now I know it, I totally recognise him, but holy moly.
68) Skyfall - dir: Sam Mendes
I've always been an armchair fan of Bond at best, although I outright disliked the last two, I knew that Daniel Craig would make a good Bond if he was given a good script. And he was! And it was great! I honestly don't remember being this swept away by a Bond film ever. I loved the attention they gave M, handled so well; I adored Javier Bardem; I really loved how much they used London, and how they didn't use all the quick-cuts and shaky cameras which I hated in the last one. It was amazing, and I loved it. Actually loved it.
69) Support Your Local Gunfighter - dir: Burt Kennedy
I've been meaning to watch the Support Your Local films for years, and always seemed to miss them on TV. This one arrived from Lovefilm a couple of days ago, and man it's great. It's similar in tone to films like Hot Shots and The Naked Gun, but more restrained and slightly more subtle in its humour, which in some ways makes it less exhausting to watch. James Garner is naturally super, and the rest of the cast were utterly fantastic. Very good film!
70) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - dir: Stanley Donen
A really great film. although since seeing the stage show it's lost a bit of charm for me, as Film!Millie does have a tendency to warble like a goat when she sings, which spoils songs like "Wonderful, Wonderful Day". Great fun to watch though - this rewatch I spent largely watching Jacques d'Amboise (the ballet dancer on loan from the New York City Ballet for the film), and Julie Newmar (who went on to become Catwoman in the Adam West Batman series). It's a corker.
71) Donovan's Reef - dir: John Ford
The first John Wayne non-Western I've ever seen, and it was really quite pleasant. Sort of a slice-of-life film, whilst there was a plot set up it was handled very lightly and it didn't drive the film so much as burble along with it. Good fun, although the latest film I've ever seen Dorothy Lamour in, and sadly it looks like she didn't age well...
72) The Hobbit - dir: Peter Jackson
What a good film to end the year on! I really liked this, and had been worried it'd feel like it dragged, but it didn't. I thought the CGI was a bit weak, and some scripting moments a little clunky ("Oh look, moon runes! It just so happens they were written on a night EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE") but otherwise it bumbled along rather nicely. I also very much enjoyed playing Spot The British Actor - it was great to see so many used so well!