Top Five Films of January, 2013

Un carnet de bal (1937, Julien Duvivier)
I saw some unusually strong films this month and this film is truly a masterpiece.  Duvivier features a woman looking back on all the men she has loved and all her regrets and turns it into something very beautiful. 


The Silver Linings Playbook (2012, David O. Russell)
 After seeing all nine nominees for Best Picture, I think that this one is the strongest.  It won't necessarily win, but it would be great if it did! 

 
56 Up (2012, Michael Apted, Paul Almond)
Michael Apted's documentary project following kids from the age of 7 up until the age of 56 is truly remarkable.  At one point, it seemed that some of the participants continued just for self-promotion; however this installment was just as excellent as the rest. Apted shows clips from the other documentaries, so the viewer is not lost following several people over several years. 

A British Picture (1989, Ken Russell)
Ken Russell is a remarkable filmmaker and he tells the story of his full career through the eyes of a young boy. This documentary can be found on YouTube.

Searching for Sugar Man (2012, Malik Bendjelloul)
Another amazing documentary. I heard so many good things about it from so many different people; this is the kind of film that spreads like wildfire by word of mouth. The story was unbelievable and it has a huge chance of winning this year at the Oscars for Best Documentary.

 Honorable Mentions:
Blackadder Christmas Carol (short)
Amantes (1991, Vicente Aranda)