By Cal Meacham
In 2001 Montana rancher Lawrence Allested and his ranch hands set his 2,000+ sheep out to graze in the Beartooth mountains one last time. A 150 mile trek through difficult terrain and adverse conditions takes its toll on the helper animals (dogs and horses), the sheep and most visibly the ranchers themselves.
I loved and hated moments of Sarah Polly’s 2012 examination of love and the complications of relationships. On one hand it is unfiltered look at the difficulty of modern relationships, on the other hand it is too forgiving to the idea of the lost soul and consequences of your actions.
Hyde Park on Hudson cannot be compared to other historical films of recent years. Though King George makes an appearance, he is not as grave as portrayed in The King’s Speech. Compared to Lincoln, this film feels very down-to-earth and light-hearted, even trivial. But sometimes a light-hearted look at history is just as important as the epic. Hyde Park on Hudson looks at the good and bad characteristics of FDR during the events of the British Royal Family’s first visit the the United States. Quite different from other historical films, however, the events here are not viewed from the eyes of the omnipresent everyman but from Daisy, one of FDR’s many mistresses.
A great year for movies, especially with what came out overseas. I decided that their were 8 films that I considered to be leaps ahead of the rest, so instead of adding 2 to make an even 10 I give you write ups on 8 and two honorable mentions. There was only one film this year that I regret not being able to see before making this list which is Haneke’s Amour, but that is beyond my control.
By: Cal Meacham
In a secondary role, Bela Legosi plays a Mr. Pringle looking nautical pirate gypsy named…….wait for it……Bela. Oh and there is a story about werewolves.
