This fascinating documentary about the relatively new world of independently made video games follows the maker of an established hit, a team preparing to debut their work and a guy who's been toiling for years on something that's still not finished. It's a look at the ambitious far reaches of a medium that's been dominated by the equivalent of blockbusters for most of its existence, and at what it means to strive for something personal and artistically inclined in a world just learning to appreciate those qualities.
Ira Sachs' film about the ups and downs of a decade-long romance is based on his own relationship, and has the sting of the personal in the way it tracks how the needy Eric (Thure Lindhardt) and the drug-addicted Paul (Zachary Booth) support, hurt and enable each other. It's a painfully honest look at how we can keep returning to the things we know are bad for us, and what it takes to finally pull away.
Yes, it comes with the baggage of featuring an unhappy, exhausted-looking Whitney Houston in her last role and serving as the acting debut of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. But Sparkle is an interesting, complex consideration of African American womanhood and what it means to be good and to be a success. And Carmen Ejogo, as the troubled and talented oldest sister, is an outstanding find — she's magnetic even as she's embraces destruction.
A heist movie in which the goal is not to steal but to make music: This Swedish comedy is built around four outrageous and inventive movements in a piece performed a group of anarchist artists who unlawfully invade a hospital room, a bank, a plaza and a power plant to make themselves heard . It's weird in the very best way.
Shot on iPhones and consumer-grade cameras posing as them, this film about a camgirl and her adventures on July 4th is a damning portrait of self-documentation as narcissism, and worse, as a way of using the Internet to justify your behavior and your appeal. Between her online following and her fawning best friend, Kelly (Louisa Krause) has surrounded herself with people who tell her how great she is. She blocks out anyone who disagrees, although it becomes apparent that she's as much at the mercy of pandering to her "fans" as she is empowered by their adoration.
A Canadian hockey comedy about an enforcer for a minor- league ice hockey team, Goon is the stealthily sweet tale of a guy who beats people up for a living. Seann William Scott is terrific as Doug, a dim-witted, loyal and genuinely nice guy whose moments of triumph are all hilariously and wonderfully bittersweet, whether they involve romancing the hesistant Eva (Alison Pill), befriending his prickly teammate Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin) or facing down his longtime idol Ross "The Boss" Rhea (Liev Schreiber).
Animator Don Hertzfeldt began the story of Bill, a man suffering from a potentially fatal brain condition, in 2006 with the outstanding short Everything Will Be OK. This year, he combined it with the 2008 installment I Am So Proud of You and the titular final chapter, which premiered at Sundance early this year. The resulting 71-minute feature has got to be saddest, most darkly funny and visually inventive stick figure saga in existence.
This Norwegian teen sex comedy turns the tables on the genre by having as its frustrated lead, a female character whose hormonal haze leads to some entertainingly humiliating scenarios and makes her an outcast as school. Its frank portrayals of sexual awakenings, masturbation and awkward adolescent interactions — all from a girl's point of view — set it apart from and make it far superior to other recent forays into the territory.
This smart reworking of the found footage and superhero genres puts its story in the hands of the abused outcast Andrew (Dane DeHaan), whose life is much worse than his two new friends-in-telekinesis know. The film depicts its Carrie-like tragic arc via his camera, while avoiding the usual traps of the faux doc style &mash; and his recording himself takes on a particular poignance given how little attention everyone else in his life is paying.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi was the year's attention-grabbing foodie doc, but this French film about chef Michel Bras' preparations to hand the three Michelin star restaurant he founded over to his son Sébastien is even better, tying together tradition, expectations and culinary skill into a marvelous whole. A scene in which Sébastien explains how the components of a dish correspond to members of his family may be the year's most unexpectedly tear-inducing movie moment.
Read More of Alison's Top Movie Picks for 2012:
The Masters: Movieline Critic Alison Willmore's Top 10 Films of 2012
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