"Calm down, crazy."- MY FAVOURITE EVERYTHING ELSE OF 2012

         I kind of went on a list-making frenzy when I started with my end-of-year lists. These are the ones I won't be making separate posts for because of time constraint, but they are awesome nonetheless. Also, my favourite performances and films will be up soon.

• Silva, Skyfall- A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and my god, I loved both of them.
• Bane, The Dark Knight Rises- Not easy following Heath Ledger's footsteps, but Tom Hardy did a great, powerful job.
• People, The Cabin in the Woods/ Paranorman/ The Hunt- People suck.
• Joe, Looper- Love the concept of your older self being the baddie. Bruce Willis was super cool.
• The Amazing Spider-Man- For being a shit, unnecessary film and wasting Emma Stone.
• Old Age, Amour- We are all going to die.
• Hugo Weaving characters, Cloud Atlas- Weaving is one of my favourite villain-playing actors and here, he goes from being an oppressive nurse to an assassin to the devil himself.
• Joe, Killer Joe- Oh Matthew McConaughey, you creepy, creepy man. Never set foot in KFC.
• Stephen, Django Unchained- I found him so much more villainous than his master Candie. A total bastard.

Biggest Villain of 2012- Loki, The Avengers

As I had written in my review, it isn't easy for a relative newcomer like Tom Hiddleston to hold his own against so many big actors playing such super persons, but he does it with a lot of snarkiness and aplomb. 

• Hushpuppy. Beasts of the Southern Wild- Brave, wild, amazing.
• Hulk, The Avengers- Mark Ruffalo and Joss Whedon have made me a fan of the big, green, rage monster. Smash all the aliens! And Thor! And Loki!
• Patrick, The Perks of Being a Wallfower- Oh god, I want a best friend like him!
• Selina Kyle, The Dark Knight Rises- Best part of the film by a batmile.
• Fat Amy, Pitch Perfect- Aca-awesome.
• James Bond, Skyfall- A human Bond is just that much cooler.
• Richard Parker, Life of Pi- Magnificent.
• Princess Merida, Brave- Pixar has given us a great first heroine.
• Tiffany, Silver Linings Playbook/ Weird Girl, Frankenweenie- Because they're both weird and awesome and are going to become my role models (hey, this is my list!).

Best Character of 2012- Marty, The Cabin in the Woods

A prophet and a badass? He is going to become a cult god. Great work by Fran Kranz.

• Cloud Atlas- Just look at all the actors and ALL the characters they portray.
• Django Unchained- Tarantino might just have outdid himself with this cast.
• Skyfall- Craig, Dench, Fiennes, Bardem, Whishaw. Stellar.
• Silver Linings Playbook- There is a reason why this is the first film in 31 years to get nominations in all four acting categories. Love the other supporting actors too, most notably, Anupam Kher.
• The Dark Knight Rises- I don't care about Batman half as much as I do about Alfred, Gordon and Fox. And in this we get Selina and Blake too. Plus, love it when Cillian Murphy shows up.

Best Ensemble of 2012- The Avengers

• Everything Suzy Bishop, Moonrise Kingdom- Another memorable Wes Anderson female character with a penchant for individualistic fashion.
• The surgery machine, Prometheus- When I was sick last year, I kept wishing for this machine so that I could get cured in jiffy. Mighty useful it would be.
• Joe's gun, Looper- Uber awesome.
• Shawarma, The Avengers- I, for one, am very happy that Shawarmas are getting the respect and love they deserve.
• Kirsten Dunst's bitchface, Bachelorette- To master that would be a dream.
• The Aston Martin, Skyfall- Try and tell me that your heart didn't skip a beat when this first appeared in the movie.
• The time machine, Safety Not Guaranteed- Because I need one. Woodstock is waiting for me!
• Bong cup, The Cabin in the Woods- Do I need to explain myself?
• The Bat, The Dark Knight Rises- Do I need to explain myself again?

Coolest Object of 2012- Princess Merida's Hair, Brave

I made this list so that I can have Merida's wondrous, fiery tresses topping a list. I can build an altar to them.

Favourite Quotes of 2012-

(in descending order)

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." - MY FAVOURITE SHOTS OF 2012

12 shots for '12.

"C'est le temps de l'amour"- MY FAVOURITE SCENES OF THE YEAR

         Here's the thing. Somehow, my favourite scenes this year have either been fight scenes or mainly scenes with singing or dancing in it. Is my true Bollywood spirit seeping through? I don't know, but I do know that the following are some of the most memorable moments of 2012, cinema-wise.

Honourable mentions- Pitch Perfect finale, Accordion interlude in Holy Motors, Calvin J. Candie and the skull in Django Unchained.

10.

Johnny Depp's cameo in 21 Jump Street

For a film that was surprisingly hilarious, its funniest moment comes when original 21 Jump Street man and my movie god (who still very much has it going on if he'd stop coming in crap) reveals his secret identity. Laughter ensues.

 9.

The flight scene in Argo

I admit that I did not know about this whole part of history until I watched the film so the finale was actually really nail-biting for me. However, from what I have read, it thrilled even those who knew about it. The plane lifting off is one of the happiest, most uplifting moments of last year's movies and in my eyes, warrants that Best Film Oscar.

 8.

The voting scene in Lincoln

Speaking of uplifting scenes, this part of Lincoln really stood out for me. I am not the biggest fan of the movie and I was pretty bored throughout but here, when I did know the result and was still so moved by it, I loved the film (but that's it).

7.

The beach dance in Moonrise Kingdom

Heaven would be being in a place and a time and a scene like this.

 6.

The cell breakdown in The Master

In a way, this could have been in my favourite fight scenes. I just love the contrast between these two men which is most prominent here. Freddy goes batshit crazy in the cell, and Dodd just stands there, cool and composed, looking on. Brilliant.

 5.

Gena's and Clyde's kiss in Bachelorette

What makes this scene even more amazing is the fact that the song that leads to the kiss in the film, The Proclaimers' legendary "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", was put in afterwards. I love Lizzy Caplan and Adam Scott and their chemistry here is to die for.

 4.

"Who Were We" sequence in Holy Motors

Holy Motors is a film full of unforgettable, incredibly original scenes. This one, though not the most unique sequence in the film, is my favourite because it is so poignant and mysterious and beautifully shot. In a way, it is the antithesis of the beach scene in Moonrise Kingdom, but it is just as touching.

 3.

Hester underground in The Deep Blue Sea

I realise also that my list is full of either really happy, life-affirming moments or incredibly sad ones. This one is both in a way. Hester, played immaculately by the lovely Rachel Weisz, comes to the train station to commit suicide after another fight with her lover when she is transported back to the time when she, along with her husband and many other people, were hiding out there during the London air raids. There was a song and a glimpse of hope in a lot of misery and Hester finally realises that life, however terrible it may become, is still worth living.

2.

"I Dreamed a Dream" in Les Misérables

This scene gave me shivers when I first saw it. I understand why Anne Hathaway is going to win an Oscar for a scene that barely lasts five minutes. The range in it is astounding- sadness, nostalgia, disappointment, bitterness, anger, and finally, the acceptance of such a faith. The way I see it, this song captures the last moments of hope in a person, how it does fight to stay alive but life has other plans. I cried.

 1.

The final dance scene in Silver Linings Playbook

This scene was made to be loved by me. A kooky dance number in a ballroom competition- come on! It is fun and romantic and sexy and has one super uncomfortable moment but that just makes it better and they play "Fell In Love With A Girl" and there is tap dancing and the leads staring into each other's eyes a lot- TOTES AMAZEBALLS! Happiest, most awesome scene of the year.

HELLO OSCAR NOMS!

      The Academy for Motion Pictures and Arts are going to announce the nominees for the 85th Academy Awards soon. There are still a number of "Oscar" films that I still haven't watched yet like Silver Linings Playbook, Les Miserables, The Sessions, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Master, among others. So basically the following are my wishlist/predictions for the Big 5 and Supporting categories.

Best Film: Once again we do not know how many there will be. My gut says it will be less than last time (9 nominees).

Mine- 1) Cloud Atlas

2) Django Unchained

3) Argo

4) Beasts of the Southern Wild

5) Holy Motors

6) Skyfall

7) Moonrise Kingdom

8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Special wish that has no chance- The Avengers. Eat slugs, Avatar!

Theirs- From my list, I reckon only Argo will make it in for certain. Django Unchained, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Cloud Atlas, Moonrise Kingdom are maybes and Holy Motors, Skyfall and The Perks of Being a Wallflower will take a lot of effort and genuine love on the part of the Academy voters. Lincoln is probably the only definite nominee there is, which is a shame because I fell asleep in it. Zero Dark Thirty is a frontrunner too, though I was not all *that* impressed. I haven't seen other possibilities like Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook. Life of Pi is another strong contender. Amour seemed like a frontrunner some months back but I guess it will only prevail in the Best Foreign Film category.

Winner- I really don't know right now, and I kind of like it.

Best Director: The year of the returning winners and new hope.

Mine- 1) Wachowski Siblings & Tom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas

2) Ben Affleck, Argo

3) Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingom

4) Ang Lee, Life of Pi

5) Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained/ Michael Haneke, Amour

Special wish that has no chance- For the fanboys out there, Joss Whedon, The Avengers and Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises

Theirs- Past winners such as Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty and Tom Hooper Les Miserables are almost locks. From my list, I think Affleck and Lee might be locked. Michael Haneke's nomination for Amour is long-awaited, so it would be nice. 

Winner- I would choose either the Cloud Atlas team or Affleck. I think one of the past winners might get the big prize though, with a possible blindside from Affleck.

Best Actress: Old and new and everything in between. Haven't seen enough from this category.

Mine- 1) Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

2) Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

3) Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone

4) Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

5) Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games

Special wish that has no chance- Princess Merida, Brave (no, I do not accept the fact that she isn't real).

Theirs- Lawrence is getting nominated for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, for sure. The other decided nominee and frontrunner is Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty, who I liked but did not like enough. My favourite Wallis has very little chance unfortunately, and Weisz's powerful performance is also doubtful to make it through. Naomi Watts might get in for The Impossible. Helen Mirren and Judy Dench are possibilities too, for their work in Hitchcock and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel respectively. Keira Knightley is standing on shaky grounds for her role in Anna Karenina.

Winner- Wallis has blown me away and I doubt I will see a better female performance this year. For the Oscars, it is a fight between Chastain and Lawrence, with Riva being a dark horse.

Best Actor: I'm on the same boat with this as I am with the Best Actress category. Depressing.

Mine- 1) Denis Lavant, Holy Motors

2) Denzel Washington, Flight

3) Jean-Louis Trintignant, Amour

4) Mads Mikkelsen, The Hunt

5) Jack Black (I know, right?!), Bernie

Special wish that has no chance- Logan Lerman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower/ Daniel Craig, Skyfall

Theirs- Daniel Day-Lewis is our god etc. I liked him in and as Lincoln, but meh (please do not come to my house with pitchforks, please!). Only Denzel will make it through for my list, sadly. Even though I have not watched the film, I am really dying for Hugh Jackman to be nominated for Les Miserables. Other possibilities are John Hawkes for The Sessions, Bradley Cooper (I knowww, right?!) for Silver Linings Playbook, Richard Gere (eep!) for Armitage and Joaquin Phoenix for The Master, if he hasn't antagonised all the voters yet.

Winner- Lavant's performance is mindblowing, and too out there for Oscars. DDL's fandom knows no bounds, so yeah, he's probably going to pick up Oscar #3.

Best Supporting Actress: Uhhhhhhhhhh.

Mine- 1) Rosemary DeWitt, Your Sister's Sister

2) Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises

3) Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect

4) Judy Dench, Skyfall

5) Jennifer Ehle, Zero Dark Thirty

Special wish that will never happen- The three women of Bachelorette.

Theirs- Let's just say, none of mine. Hathaway will be nominated for Les Miserables. Sally Field for all that in Lincoln, Helen Hunt for The Sessions and my favourite unseen performance by Nicole Kidman in The Paperboy. Maggie Smith for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Amy Adams for The Master are big possibilities.

Winner- This award is Hathaway's to lose. I am already impressed with her, so I guess she is my pick too.

Best Supporting Actor: Once again, my favourite category.

Mine- 1) Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

2) Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

3) Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike

4) Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
5) Michael Fassbender, Prometheus/ Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Special wish that will never happen- Alan Arkin doesn't get nominated for Argo, because I do not understand this much love.

Theirs- Arkin. Ugh. Robert De Niro is apparently back in full form in Silver Linings Playbook, so good for him. Philip Seymour Hoffman is another film geek god, so he will probably be nominated for The Master. Leo might get ousted by or be competing against co-stars Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson. In the most unexpected turn of events, people are really rooting for Javier Bardem in Skyfall (love it).

Winner- It's time for Leo. Please! He bled his own blood for the role! And he plays a happy person (somewhat)! Called Calvin J. Candie! When will the stars align to give us something like this again?!

Best Original Screenplay: Interesting year.

Mine- 1) Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom

2) Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

3) Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks

4) Rian Johnson, Looper

5) Michael Haneke, Amour

Theirs- They love Zero Dark Thirty loads. I think everyone in my list except Ruby Sparks can make it through. Also The Master is a good bet.

Winner- It's between some of my favourite filmmakers this year- Tarantino, PTA, Wes Anderson

Best Adapted Screenplay: Can comic books prevail?

Mine- 1) Steven Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2) Joss Whedon, The Avengers

3) Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski, Cloud Atlas

4) Chris Terrio, Argo

5) Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Theirs- Silver Linings Playbook and Lincoln are sure bets. Adaptations of super famous books like Les Miserables, Life of Pi and Anna Karenina are possibilities too.

Winner- Chbosky wrote the script based on his own bestselling novel. He's already a winner in my eyes. Silver Linings Playbook and Argo are frontrunners for the Oscars.

These winners are preliminary. We'll see if and how my decisions change.

This is a Poster-Appreciation Life- 2012 edition

I did a post like this last year and thought that it's about time to take a look at this year's posters.

Let's start with one of the biggest films of the year- The Dark Knight Rises. These posters carry the right amount of mystery and well, coolness to attract people.

However, my favourite TDKR poster is the one featuring my favourite part of the film.

Some posters are better than the movie itself. A great example would be this beauty from Snow White and the Huntsman.

Also this one, if we are to believe the reviews so far. Shame because it is so wonderfully witty and morbid.

Some films are ridiculous and have fun with it. I like this poster so much more than Lincoln's.

Now I still have my problems with JGL looking insane in Looper. Doesn't change the fact that it was one superbly awesome movie and that it showed a very interesting concept of time-travel. I think the poster captures that.

I don't know about you but I am not all that fussed about character posters. However, my favourite poster for On the Road is the one featuring Kirsten Dunst as Camille. Doesn't really showcase the film or anything, but gosh Kiki looks absolutely radiant in it!

One of the most unexpected gems of this year (at least for me) was The Cabin in the Woods. I appreciate this poster so much more now-

Django Unchained is my most anticipated film of the year, and its final poster is kind of badass.

Beasts of the Southern Wild and Holy Motors are two films I have seen this year so far that have left me confounded, mostly because I have nothing to compare them with. And both of their posters are just exuberant in their own weird ways.

The Master is supposed to be a very enigmatic film. I love the enigma in this poster.

Though I am not as pumped for it as others, this poster for Zero Dark Thirty is quite enticing.

Okay I don't know what it is about it, but I LOVE this Skyfall poster.

Also Skyfall does have The Best Fan-Made Poster EVER!

"What makes you think this is my first time?"

(PS. If you didn't get that, please go watch the movie now or go jump in an icy lake).

Now for my favourites:

Killing them Softly has had one brilliant poster after another. I really love all three of these.

Life of Pi is arguably the most gorgeous looking film of this year. It has some lovely posters.

My favourite poster though, just how it is with TDKR, is the one featuring my favourite part of the film.

Richard Parker is so stunning.

Finally, my favourite poster of the year goes to-

Come on! This poster is HILARIOUS!!

Okay fine, my favourite poster is this gorgeousity from Moonrise Kingdom. I have been in love with it ever since I first laid eyes on it. It is just so magical... like the cover of one of Suzy Bishop's books.

Moonrise Kingdom also has given rise to some of the best poster artwork I have seen all year.

Hope you liked this! What are your favourites?

Mini Reviews- Moonrise Kingdom, Festen, Your Sister's Sister, HBO's The Girl

          You all must know by now that I am a terrible reviewer. I rarely ever post film reviews in this "film" blog. But I do want to, except then I get lazy or lose faith in myself or something. So this mini reviews post is actually all the films I had recently started proper reviews on but never bothered to finish. Something is better than nothing I suppose...

Moonrise Kingdom (Dir: Wes Anderson, 2012)

"I think you've still got lightning in you."

Basic plot- Khaki Scout, Sam and the local children's drama group's raven, Suzy decide to runaway together and this causes a lot of confusion and distress to the adults and the other Khaki Scouts of the New Penzance area. A most magical looking and feeling film from Wes Anderson about two kids in love, much against the world.

           I am a Wes Anderson fan. I guess to be one you have to love the little details and characteristics of his present in all of his films- the characters, the look, the sound etc. We have eccentric, troubled, but very efficient characters, who are often brilliant children. There is Bill Murray playing some sort of a loser (haven't seen Steve Zissou so I don't know how his character is in it). The colour palate is bright and orange-y and the music is very 60s and happy. Moonrise Kingdom has all of that, but it also has this unreal beauty about it. It is like something out of one of Suzy's books. All of Anderson's films are beautiful to look at, but Moonrise Kingdom beats them all and I honestly think it is one of the most gorgeous looking films I have ever seen. Maybe it is because I have always lived in the city and the natural settings, all which were filmed around Rhode Island, are so singularly lovely that I could not help but feel happy and wistful just looking at the film. And that is even before I come to the story. I thought it was adorable. Anderson wrote it with Roman Coppola. The story too makes me feel the same way as the look of the film does- finding the perfect childhood love seems so magical and impossible, and then running away with them against all odds, heck even being struck by lightning and surviving that! Yes there are some oddities and not everything fits as perfectly as one would wish, but the overall feeling from the film negates all that and it just fills one with so much wonder and longing for a place and time like Moonrise Kingdom.

            It is interesting to note that the kids playing the protagonists, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward don't even feature on the film's absolutely stunning poster. I guess the big Hollywood names are what draws the audience in, but really they are only the supporting cast. My favourite from the supporting cast is definitely Edward Norton, who plays the Scout Master Ward who is kind of an oddball himself (duh) and really concerned for the kids. But the real heroes of the film are very much Sam and Suzy. They are awkward and not the most polished actors, but personally I found it very endearing and sweet. I guess kids are like that after all. I thought Suzy especially was facially very expressive and natural and has become my mini Margot Tenenbaum. I might have to rewatch some of the other Wes Anderson films before I can definitely decide, but right now I do think this is my second most favourite offering by him, after the amazing Rushmore.

Rating- 10/10

Festen/The Celebration (Dir: Thomas Vinterberg, 1998)

"Here's to the man who killed my sister... to a murderer."

Basic plot- It is Helge's 60th birthday and his whole family has gathered in the family-run hotel to celebrate it. His eldest son Christian has come from Paris to attend it, and so have the other two surviving children of Helge and his wife Else, Helene and Michael. Their fourth child, Linda, who was Christian's twin, recently committed suicide and the family is hoping to move past that with this celebration. Except when it starts, some unsavory secrets of the family start pouring out...

        I had heard about Festen, but it was after watching the celluloid vs digital filmmaking documentary, Side By Side, that I got really interested in watching it. And I am so glad I have. I love films about dysfunctional families, and this might become my most favourite yet. It is about as messy and crazy and emotionally affecting as you want a film about a fucked-up family to be. There are a lot of parts which make one very uncomfortable. For example when the whole gang starts singing a racist song with Helene's black boyfriend in the room. The story is a simple and effective one, but it is the characters and the camerawork that makes it work so well. The characters were really varied and the actors did great justice to them. We have the silent and tortured Christian, played by Ulrich Thomsen, the repressive Helge, played by Henning Moritzen, the fun-loving but conflicted Helene, played by Paprika Steene and the boorish and thoughtless Michael, played Thomas Bo Larsen. There are a lot of other characters in the film, a whole party of them literally, but these four are the main ones and Thomsen especially is great.

        As I said, I got into the film when its cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle spoke about it in Side By Side. It was the first Dogme 95 film and it was shot using video cameras only, which was both revolutionary and controversial at the time of its release. I will say that at first this style irritated me a bit, but as the film went on it just added to the experience. Like there is a part when a character gets thrown out of the dinner room and the hotel and the way his return is shot is so powerful and impactful. It also gave the film a unique look which I liked very much, along with making it all the more uncomfortable because it felt as though I was there will the party when well, all the shit is going down. A truly brilliant film.

Rating- 10/10

Your Sister's Sister (Dir: Lynn Shelton, 2012)

"You're on an island, it's three in the morning and you're drinking by yourself. What's going on?"

Basic plot- Even after a year of his brother's death, Jack is struggling with his emotions and his life. His best friend and brother's ex-girlfriend Iris tells him to go stay at her father's isolated house as a way to rejuvenate himself. However when he arrives there, he sees that Iris's older sister Hannah has moved in, after breaking-up with her long-term girlfriend. That night, after a lot of tequila-drinking, Hannah and Jack decide to take an unexpected step together, due to which things get complicated, and even more so when Iris suddenly shows up the next day.

           I thought this was such a lovely little film. After watching it, I felt incredibly happy just thinking that one does not need big budgets and fancy schmancy special effects and whatnot to make movies, just great actors and a human story. All the three actors- Mark Duplass who plays Jack, Emily Blunt who plays Iris and Rosemary DeWitt who plays Hannah, were in top form. I am not going to elaborate on the story, except that Jack does in a way get between these two loving sisters and it is pretty funny and heartwarming. You have to watch it to enjoy it. The writing is witty and touching, and the three actors really bring it to life. Shelton wrote and directed it. The setting is very pretty and scenic and that just adds to this film.

            Your Sister's Sister highlights the importance of both friendship and family. I thought it was refreshing the way the relationship between Iris and Hannah is shown, albeit a bit unbelievable for me since my brother and I are always at each other's throats when we are together. Still the kid does idolize me a teensy bit, and I thought this sibling love was really sweet. Blunt and DeWitt were very genuine in their parts. I especially loved the vulnerability of Blunt, who is just such an excellent actress. Also Duplass, who I recently saw in Safety Not Guaranteed which is another good indie film, fits right into this picture and relates to both these ladies very well. All the three characters were so likeable that it is difficult not to watch this film without a smile plastered to your face. Still, it does have its wonderful poignant moments that tugs your heartstrings a little. A real indie gem.

Rating- 10/10

The Girl (Dir: Julian Jarrold, 2012)

"Blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints"

Basic plot- HBO's TV movie The Girl shows the relationship between legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and model-turned-actress Tippi Hedren from when he discovered her and throughout the filming of their two films together, The Birds and Marnie. It explores the psychological and sexual abuse that she received from Hitchcock during this part of their lives.

            So The Girl painted Hitchcock, THE Alfred Hitchcock, as an insecure little sadistic creep. Eh, who cares? Most of the reviews I have read of it seem to hate it because they are more or less outraged by this aspect of it. But it is one somewhat warped view of a very complex and cool man. I didn't really mind it because it has done nothing to change my view of how Hitchcock was, and more importantly, how brilliant his films were. Actually Toby Jones superbly eerie portrayal of this evil incarnation of Hitch made me appreciate the film. And seriously, I think I enjoyed it more than everyone else (evidently) because I liked the performances in it so much. Jones's Hitchcock was more sinister than any of the villains in any Hitchcock films that I have seen (which admittedly are not that much) except maybe the birds in The Birds themselves. But he was also pathetic and sad. Sienna Miller too was really good as Hedren. She was the heroine who saved her integrity from this big, powerful man and was rather believable as that. My absolutely favourite performance in it though was of Imelda Staunton as Alma Hitchcock, Hitch's poor, neglected, perceptive, brunette wife. At the risk of sounding highly clichéd, there is so much she says without saying anything at all. I felt even more sorry for her than Hedren. Her performance is definitely going down as one of my favourite supporting performances of the year.

           Another thing I liked about The Girl is when they show the filming of The Birds and Marnie. I loved how The Birds was actually shot in a studio and that Hedren was, very villainously, made to react to real birds being flown (thrown?) at her in the studio for five days to film the attic scene and many other such "behind the scenes" things. How her horror was always real, because of Hitch. How Hitch just sat there in a trance, seeing her getting hurt and being traumatised. Personally I felt that some of his steps, no matter what the ulterior motives might have been, were necessary because he was, after all, making a movie and he wanted to make the best he could. Geniuses are often a bit crazy, but what they leave us with is so amazing that we have to accept them- all of them. Also this film made me want to watch more Hitchcock (more than usual that is) and I did end up watching Marnie right after it. No way I will ever voluntarily watch The Birds again obviously, but it is intriguing to think how such films were made possible. Plus I really want to see Hitchcock now, to compare and also because it explores the relationship between Hitch and Alma. Poor Jones, the last time he made a biopic, Infamous, it was in the same year as Philip Seymour Hoffman and Capote. And now this... Anyways, my final verdict is that even though The Girl shows us this twisted Hitch, if it ends up making one want to watch more Hitchcock films and as a result discover what he really was, which is a visionary and a true master of suspense and someone who daringly explored the human psyche (like in Marnie), all is good.

Rating- 7/10