There are plenty of "Best Of 2012" lists floating around right now, but most of them focus on the bigger films, plus a few independent and foreign movies mixed in. I watch my fair share of Hollywood fare (it's hard to avoid it), but I tend to gravitate toward the lesser-known and off-the-beaten-path films that may seem few and far between, but are often staring you right in the face -- assuming you know where to look. Kevin B. Lee, who runs the Indiewire Press Play blog, and is a contributor to Keyframe Daily, a blog on fandor, put together a video essay featuring his 12 best of the year (with a tie thrown in for good measure). There's a good chance you haven't seen all of them, or even some of them, so it's a great list for those looking beyond the mainstream.
Here is his list from the video:
- 1. This Is Not a Film
- 2. Holy Motors
- 3. Let the Bullets Fly
- 4. Silver Linings Playbook
- 5. Consuming Spirits
- 6. Neighboring Sounds
- 7. In the Family
- 8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
- 9. The Deep Blue Sea
- 10. A Simple Life
- 10. The Day He Arrives
- 12. Meanwhile
He also had a pretty interesting honorable mention list:
Here are twelve that stayed with me the most. But not far behind are: Abendland, Attenberg, Barbara, Bernie, Bestiaire, The Color Wheel, Girl Walk // All Day, Life of Pi, Looper, Moonrise Kingdom, The Turin Horse, Two Years at Sea, Whore’s Glory, Woman in the Septic Tank, Wuthering Heights and You Are Here.
And extra special mention to five undistributed films I saw this year that I hope will get deserved exposure in 2013: So Sorry (dir., Ai Weiwei), When Night Falls (dir., Ying Liang), The Three Disappearnces of Soad Hosni (dir., Raina Stephan), Golden Slumbers (dir., Davy Chou) and Jerry and Me (dir., Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa).
Be sure to head on over to Keyframe Daily to read the rest of Kevin's thoughts on the films.
What do you think? What were some of your favorite under-the-radar, independent, or lesser known films of 2012? Let us know in the comments.
Link: Video: Twelve for 2012 | The Best Films of the Year -- Keyframe Daily
