7D - Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily;com
Best Films of 2011
2. The Adventures of Tintin
JAN. 5, 2012 - Tintin always moves (unless he's ever do wrong?) is the perfect foil to the grounded
been knocked out by some ruffian). Motion is his Tintin, and Snowy (can dogs win Oscars?) may be
appeal and the reason Steven Spielberg's repre- the greatest dog in the history of dogs.
sentation rings true. "Tintin" testifies to the fact that you'll never
Every second conveys cartoonish energy: slip- find adventure sitting on your couch (or "locked"
ping, sliding, tripping - the swashbuckling fun up, drunk, in a ship's cabin). If you keep searching
never stops. It's vintage Spielberg - an animated for life, you'll find it. As they say near the end of
Indiana Jones. the film, "How's your thirst for adventure, Cap-
Great movement requires great characters, and tain?"
luckily, "The Adventures of Tintin" has them. The "Unquenchable, Tintin."
inebriated Captain Haddock (does Andy Serkis -MATTEASTON
3. Attack the Block
JAN. 5, 2012 - Damn, it feels good to be an alien- humor alive throughout (aided by a superb extended
thrashinggangster. The teenagehoodlums of"Attack cameo by Nick Frost), yet nimbly avoids parody.
the Block" realize every adolescent male's dream as The film's American release suffered from unfor-
they hop on BMX bikes to repel an extraterrestrial tunate timing - the miscreant heroes closely resem-
invasion. With the swagger of an old master, rookie ble the instigators of the London riots - and the film
writer-director Joe Cornish captures claustropho- floundered,soit'lltake agroundswellofsupportbefore
bic, frightening action as leader Moses guides his posters of this cult masterpiece become a dorm-room
people against the "gorilla wolf motherfuckers" that staple. An exclamation by one of the valiant teenage
land in their South London housing project. thugs properly sums up the "Attack the Block" experi-
And the action, gloriously gory without being gratu- ence - "I'm shitting myself but ... this is sick."
itous, ishilariouslyhair-raising.Cornishkeeps raucous -KAVISHEKHARPANDEY
4.Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2
JAN. 5, 2012 - When director David Yates joined Leavesden Studios as it does on British veterans.
the "Harry Potter" franchise, he was under a lot There are fantastic special effects, beautiful cin-
of pressure. The series was four movies and three ematography and a sweeping soundtrack by Alex-
directors in, with notoriously expectant fans. But andre Desplat. There are spells and broomsticks.
Yates rose to the challenge, culminating in a dark But it's also a damn good film that broke box office
finale more rewarding than this year's alleged Oscar records and made devoted fans cry buckets (Expec-
contenders. to Pa-tissues! ... anybody?).
"Harry Potter" is a fantasy bildungsroman: a Now, history's mostepic filmseries has ended. But
coming-of-age story for the characters, the film- as J.K. Rowling said at the world premiere, "Wheth-
makers and us. "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" boasts er you come by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts
some of the best ensemble acting of the series, rely- will always be there to welcome you home."
ing as much on the actors who grew up in London's -PROMA KHOSLA
5. Midnight in Paris
JAN. 5, 2012 - After several poorly received McAdams). Strolling the Paris streets at midnight,
films, many questioned whether Woody Allen still Gil is magically transported to the 1920s, where he
had it. But recent films have reversed tlse tide. wanders into its famous community of expatriate
This year's "Midnight in Paris" was one more. artists and meets historical icons such as Ernest
Featuring beautiful scenery, Woody Allen's trade- Hemingway, Cole Porter, F. Scott Fitzgerald and
mark snappy dialogue, captivating characters and countless others, all of whom are hilariously writ-
the best Woody Allen surrogate since Woody Allen ten and portrayed.
himself, "Midnight" is one of his cleverest films in The film, a contemplation of the futility of
years. romanticizing nostalgia, isn't one of Allen's deep-
A brilliantly neutoric Owen Wilson stars as Gil er films, but it's still inventive and continually sur-
Pender, a jaded screenwriter vacationing in Paris prising.
with his beautiful but vapid fiancee-Inez (Rachel -PHILIP CONKLIN
Best Albums of 2011
2. The Black Keys
- El Camino
JAN. 5, 2012 - The boys have done it again. El
Camino, the latest album from bluesy-rock duo The
Black Keys, sounds pretty much like the rest of their
six albums - and for that, you may thank them.
Hardly pausing to catch a breath after 2010's
bold and brazen Brothers, the band's El Camino is a
loud and crunchy riff-ridden album that continues
to satisfy.
El Camino revs up with the single "Lonely Boy,"
a tireless hymn about - what else is new - love
and loneliness. The album combines the noise and
grit of the boys with melodic chiming and a few
la's and whoa's of a chorus - few surprises, but
endless delights.
It's difficult to have too strong of a reaction to
El Camino. It isn't groundbreaking, but it is clas-
sic Black Keys. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney
have been at it for a decade now, and don't worry
- they know what they're doing.
-KATIE STEEN
FOSTERTH EPEOPLE
COLUMBIA
3. Foster the
People - Torches
JAN. 5, 2012 - It's hard to believe Foster the
People just released Torches last spring. In just
seven months, the album has soared to the top of
pop and rock charts and the group has accumu-
lated a variety of music award nominations.
But there's a reason for all the hype - Torches
has enough electrifying synth lines and static-y
vocals to nourish the hippest Urban Outfitters
playlist.
While it may be tempting to get caught up in
the hit single "Pumped Up Kicks," the rest of the
album is just as tantalizing. Each track stands out
from the others with its own catchy twist. It's live-
ly and unpredictable while still sounding polished
and cohesive: There is never a boring beat, yet
nothing sounds out of place. And to think - this
is only Foster the People's first shot at releasing an
album.
-CHLOE STACHOWIAK
undun
DEtF JAM
4. The Roots
Undun
JAN. 5, 2012 - Young men dealt an impossible
hand in drug-worn, forgotten neighborhoods aren't
exactly few and far between inhip hop. But The Roots
manage to bring an old theme back to life - a plain-
tively melodic, literally backwards life - on Undun,
the group's second album since shacking up with-
Jimmy Fallon's show. Nothing makes protagonist
Redford Stevens (musically related to Sufjan, whose
song"Redford" makes an appearance)unusual, which
is precisely what makes the album extraordinary.
Undun is the concept-album versionof "The Wire,"
a hard look at reality on the streets, as Redford's story
is traced from death to birth in the present tense. The
album highlights Roots ringleaders "?uestlove" and
Black Thought in equal parts: The former funnel-
ing soul, classical and indie harmonies into his gen-
tly rolling downtempo journey, the latter poignantly
recalling a narrative he grew up alongside - a narra-
tive that could have been his.
-SHARON JACOBS
5. Cut Copy -
Zonoscope
JAN. 5, 2012 - At times, dance records can be
annoyingly functional, made solely with the intent
of being played ata club or party.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, bands
like LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip hhve cre-
ated a whole new genre of ironic dance tracks
with snarky and sarcastic lyrics as easily enjoyed
on personal headphones as they are pumping
through loud speakers.
Cut Copy straddles this line as well as any band.
Neither planting its tongue too firmly in its cheek,
nor blindly escaping to a DJ booth, the Australian
quartet have been refining their craft for eight
years now, and Zonoscope - the band's third effort
- is hands down its finest to date.
Zonoscope is a truly versatile album with slight
hints of wit sprinkled across shameless dance
tracks, making it an appropriate selection for
many occasions.
-DAVID RIVA