All film reviews by Isaac Massey
An extraction of six fugitive American diplomats in Iran posed as a Hollywood film production. Argo was released in theatres on October 12, 2012. It was directed by Ben Affleck, who also starred in the film, alongside Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman. It was produced by Affleck, Grant Heslov, and George Clooney. The screenplay was written by Chris Terrio and was based on The Master of Disguise by Antionio J. Medez and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman. On a budget of $44.5 million, and a Canadian rating of PG, Argo tells the true story of Tony Mendez, who attempted to rescue stranded Americans in Iran during the Iran Hostage Crisis.
Looper
The hunt to catch his future self in the present before he changes the past. Looper was released in theaters on September 28, 2012. It was written and directed by Rian Johnson, and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. It was produced by Ram Bergman and James T. Stern. On a budget of $30 million, and a Canadian rating of 14A, Looper tells the original story of an era when enemies of the mafia are sent back in time from the future to be executed by hired men called ‘Loopers,’ and how this system crumbles when an unexpected figure is sent back to the present, and escapes.
Hobbit
The quest to take back a kingdom conquered by a fearsome dragon. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released in Canada and the United States on December 14, 2012. Produced, written, and directed by Peter Jackson, the film stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Richard Armitage, among its large cast. Also produced by Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, and Fran Walsh, it shares screenplay credits with Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro. Adapted from the classic 1937 novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, An Unexpected Journey is the first of three films to tell the story of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins; quiet, reserved, and can’t be bothered until hand-selected by the wizard Gandalf the Grey himself to accompany his fellow dwarf friends returning to their home to take back the land that was stolen from them by a terrible beast.
Brave
A young girl makes a wish that changes the fates of her family, as well as her own. Brave was released in theatres on June 22, 2012. Written and directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, the film stars the voice talents of Kelly Macdonald, Julie Walters, and Billy Connolly. It was produced by Katherine Sarafian under a budget of $185 million and a Canadian rating of G. Marking Pixar’s 13th film in the 17 years the company has produced feature films, Brave is set in the Highlands of Scotland in a time where princesses are not to disagree with the duties their mothers give them, and where wishes can turn into spells that have enchanting, and life-altering, consequences.
Oblivion
A man assigned with extracting Earth’s remaining energy begins to question his mysterious surroundings. Produced, written, and directed by Joseph Kosinski, Oblivion was released on April 19, 2013, starring Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, and Morgan Freeman. Produced also by Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Barry Levine, and Duncan Henderson on a budget of $120 million, Oblivion is the newest sci fi adventure to hit theatres that pays homage to the era of classic science fiction blockbusters of the 1970’s.
Les Miserable
A 19th-Century French man cares for an orphaned girl while on the run from the police. Les Misérables is a period piece drama and musical starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. It was released in Canada internationally on Christmas Day of 2012. Budgeted at $61 million and penned by William Nicholson, Alain Boubilm Claude-Michel Schonberg, and Herbert Kretzmer, Les Mis is the newest adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name directed by Tom Hooper.
A recent bipolar-diagnosed man finds love while trying to overcome his own life obstacles. The Silver Linings Playbook was released theatrically on November 16, 2012. Written and directed by David O. Russell, the film is an adaptation of the Matthew Quick novel of the same name, and was produced by Jonathon Gordon and Donna Gigliotti. A romantic comedy drama budgeted at $21 million, the movie stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in this award-wining picture on family, relationships, and mental illness.