Marc Fitten’s second novel follows the difficulties of a middle-aged woman working a successful neighborhood restaurant in Hungary, rife with romantic entanglements, magical cooking, and a fearsome gourmet food critic. Elza is a complex and flawed woman, yet strong-willed and fascinating. Her journey through her middle-age is believable and engrossing, even when Elza makes foolish choices based on emotional reactions. The setting of the Hungarian city of Delibab is beautifully drawn and detailed giving the reader a taste of a different world. Part fable, part life-affirming story, Elza’s Kitchen is a beautifully-written, lovely tale about a real, complex, independent woman.
#13 – The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen
Judith is tormented by her schoolmates; one boy in particular, because she lives alone with her father and they belong to an evangelical religion that believes armageddon is imminent and that it is their mission to save others. She copes with her torment by creating another world in her bedroom made from rubbish and discarded items that she called the land of decoration after a passage from Ezekiel. It is a diorama of the universe (including miniature planets, oceans, factories, rabbits and dragons) that she’s built in her room out of orange peels, soda caps, twigs, pipe cleaners and other odds and bits. But one day, after a mysterious, perhaps divine voice, begins to speak with her, her favors change, and she finds she has great power, and with that power comes repercussions that she cannot imagine. The Land of Decoration is a tough read, wrenching our hearts and keeping us reading to discover Judith’s ultimate fate. it’s a page turner and an emotional roller coaster.
As I mentioned previously, it was a good year for books. I read a lot of really good books last year, and I couldn’t quite stop at a top 15… I had to squeeze one more on there. So here we go, #’s 16 & 15 of my favorite books read in 2012! And what do they have in common? They’re both geared toward teen readers. #16 is a newcomer to this list, and #15 made the list last year at #10.
#16 – Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
I read two teen novels with gay characters/themes in them, and while I enjoyed them both, both had flaws as well. Will Grayson Will Grayson‘s conceit about two characters named Will Grayson, one straight, and one gay, written by two authors handling alternating chapters is both a strength and a weakness. The two writers have noticeably different writing styles, which I found distracting. There is also an element of over-simplification that can often mars feel-good novels. However the book is hilarious, unabashedly moving, and a nice look at the variety of personalities embodying high school life today.
#15 – Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow
Cory’s latest book tackles a subject he is passionate about: copyright and the internet. In Pirate Cinema, a boy runs away to London after his cinema mash-ups cause his family to lose internet access for a month. While living on the streets, he hooks up with a Dickensian band of pals who show him how to live on his own and educate him about the draconian nature of the laws created by big entertainment industry that struggle to hang on to the establishment, but stifle the artistic creativity of a new generation. (He also finds a pretty amazing girlfriend.) While the novelty of this book for me was seeing my husband’s name appear throughout in a very pivotal role (Scot won naming rights at an auction) about halfway through Cory had hooked me with a compelling read, strong characters, and a message that is so relevant to the world we live in today. Cory’s last novel, the epic For the Win was my #10 favorite book read in 2011.
2012 was a good year for books. My New Year resolution last year was to read more, and I successfully accomplished that. Last year I read 33 books, up from twenty-something last year. Of those 33 books, I have a top 16 that I will post about in the coming days. For this first post in the series, I’m going to talk about some of the books that I really enjoyed that I just couldn’t squeeze onto my top books of the year list.
There were two books in particular that deserve a special mention. The first is part of a terrific new series available in ebook only edited by Scott Heim called, The First Time I Heard… I read the first in the series featuring the Cocteau Twins, which was a delight, but anyone who knows me knows that a later book in the series, The First Time I Heard Kate Bush, was tailor made for me. Kate has long been my favorite musical artist, and it was really special reading the essays that Scott pulled together from various musicians, artists, authors and the like, all talking about the first time they heard Ms. Bush. From those who were there from the beginning, fortunate enough to live in England during the late 70’s and the release of her first single, “Wuthering Heights,” to younger folk who first heard of Kate when she finally broke the Top 40 here in the U.S. with “Running Up That Hill.” The First Time I Heard Kate Bush was ever so fun to read, and perhaps when I’m finished with this series about my top books of 2012, I will include a post about the first time I heard Kate Bush.
Also in the musical vein, another book that deserves special notice and gave me great pleasure to read this past year was Kicking & Screaming: A Story of Heart Soul and Rock and Roll by Ann & Nancy Wilson. Again, those of you who know me, know that aside from Kate Bush, Ann Wilson and Heart have had an incredibly profound impact on my life in music. Ann and Nancy, with their co-writer Charles Cross, chronicle their lives from childhood, through the ups and downs and musical challenges face by that seminal and classic rock band, Heart. Even though much of the story was known to me, after decades of following their careers (even a lengthy stint in their fan club – I was in Kate’s as well) there was plenty I didn’t, and their candor and insights proved to be terrific reading. One of my greatest wishes is to one day meet Ann Wilson and thank her for the incredible music she has given us, and now, after reading their story, I feel I know her that little bit more.
Other books I really enjoyed but just didn’t make the list include:
The First Warm Evening of the Year by Jamie Saul Zone One by Colson Whitehead The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Eviston Live By Night by Dennis Lehane Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne RayBeautiful Ruins by Jess Walter Canada by Richard Ford Fantastic Four: Season One by Roberto Aguire-Sacasa The Collective by Don Lee Falling Backwards: A Memoir by Jann Arden
I’m borrowing this blog post idea from my friend Chris at Kriofske Mix. As most of you know, I run an independent film society, the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Tonight marks our 18th annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony, when the winners of our 2011 awards are announced. You’ll find out who won after tonight, but I am going to post my votes here as an addendum to my favorite films of the year. Like Chris, I will also include some favorite choices that didn’t quite make this year’s ballot. My choice in each category is in bold.
Ensemble Cast
Another Year
Artist, The
Margin Call
Midnight in Paris Separation, A
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Iranian film A Separation blew me away, and was my favorite film of 2011. The mix of professional and non-professional actors did an outstanding job telling this challenging story in a visceral and emotional way.
Should have been nominated: Meek’s Cutoff. Led by strong turns by Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Paul Dano and Shirley Henderson, this ensemble truly captured the pioneering spirit and the hardships of walking across this grand country.
Production Design
13 Assassins
Artist, The
Illusionist, The
Last Circus, The Melancholia
Midnight in Paris
Lars von Trier’s Melancholia was sumptuous in it’s look and feel, from a grand, old estate tricked out for an expansive wedding, to the amazing experience of the end of the world, the production design on this film was mind-blowing.
Should have been nominated: Heartbeats. Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats vibrated with a hipster vibe and a colorful palette that truly captured the tangle web of young people in love.
Cinematography
13 Assassins
Artist, The
Bellflower
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Melancholia
Tree of Life Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
The dreamy camerawork capturing the jungles of Thailand, and the dream landscapes of Uncle Boonmee’s past lives create a surreal tapestry in the latest film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Should have been nominated:Weekend. The intimate camerawork of Urszula Pontikos in Andrew Haigh’s Weekend works seamlessly with the charismatic performances of the two leads to create a believable portrait of two men meeting for a one-night stand and slowly falling love, or something very close to it over the course of a weekend. From long hours in a cramped apartment to an evening in a traveling amusement park, Pontikos captures the feeling in the visuals perfectly.
Adapted Screenplay
Descendants, The
Hedgehog, The Higher Ground
Music Never Stopped, The
Submarine
This adaptation of Carolyn S. Briggs’ memoir beautifully captures one woman’s struggle with faith. The devout Christians in this community are three-dimensional, finely nuanced characters, and Corinne’s journey as she starts to question her faith is deftly and powerfully explored.
Should have been nominated: I’m satisfied with the nominations we got.
Original Screenplay
Another Year
Guard, The
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Poetry Weekend
Andrew Haigh’s screenplay for Weekend was beautifully scripted, although both Martha Marcy May Marlene and Poetry gave it a run for its money.
Should have been nominated: I’ve got several films I would have liked to have seen nominated in this category; most notably Another Earth, The Future and Meek’s Cutoff – all amazingly original films that I loved last year, all of which didn’t get nominations for anything. I also think the astounding screenplay for A Separation deserved a nod.
Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Jean-Pierre Darroussin for Havre, Le
John Hawkes for Martha Marcy May Marlene Shahab Hosseini for Separation, A
John C. Reilly for Terri
No contest here for me. Shahab Hosseini was riveting as a short-tempered man caught in a untenable situation. The entire cast of A Separation was amazing, and I was glad to be able to vote for one of them in this category.
Should have been nominated: I particularly enjoyed performances by Bruce Greenwood in the ensemble of Meek’s Cutoff – that man can play anyone – and Scott Speedman in Barney’s Version – he really captured the self-destructive, suicidal artist/writer perfectly.
Supporting Actress
Lesley Manville for Another Year
Shailene Woodley for Descendants, The Frances Fisher for Janie Jones
Kristin Scott Thomas for Love Crime
Kim Wayans for Pariah
Melissa Leo for Red State
Most of my choices didn’t make the ballot in this category, and while Lesley Manville and Kim Wayans were incredibly strong in their respective roles, it was Frances Fisher, in a single scene of Janie Jones that stuck with me the longest.
Should have been nominated: My choices in this category were radically different, but my top choice for this category would have been Amy Ryan in Win Win. She is such a natural and gifted actress, and in this film she perfectly captured the New Jersey housewife without coming off as a stereotype. Other standouts in this category include Sarah Polley in a brief but memorable role in Trigger, Charlotte Gainsbourg in Melancholia, and Sarah Paulson in Marcy Martha May Marlene. Additionally, I saw Take Shelter after nominations were submitted, but had I seen it earlier I would have been hard-pressed to leave Jessica Chastain’s sublime performance out of this list.
Best Actor
Jean Dujardin for Artist, The
Javier Bardem for Biutiful
Chris New for Weekend
Stellan Skarsgard for Somewhat Gentle Man, A Michael Shannon for Take Shelter
Tom Cullen for Weekend
I was sure I was going to go for one of Weekend’s superb leads, and I was leaning toward Chris New, but after seeing Take Shelter late in the game I was blown away by Michael Shannon in the underrated Take Shelter.
Should have been nominated: Alessandro Nivola is an underrated actor, and his rock ‘n roller who discovers he’s got a teenaged daughter was beautifully handled in Janie Jones. Stephen Spinella also put in a terrific comic turn in Rubber.
Best Actress
Berenice Bejo for Artist, The
Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene
Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia
Adepero Oduye for Pariah
Jeong-hie Yun for Poetry Tracy Wright for Trigger
This was a very difficult decision, with powerful performances all around. Adepero Oduye nailed in in Pariah, and Jeong-hie Yun conveyed so much in Poetry, but Tracy Wright not only got the sentimental vote from me, but it was a career high for the incredibly talented actress.
Should have been nominated: You know I love my actresses, and there were a handful of extremely worthy contenders that didn’t make it. Britt Marling was astounding in the overlooked Another Earth, as was Michelle Williams in the similarly skipped over Meek’s Cutoff. Trieste Kelly Dunn really shone in the tiny indie Cold Weather, but my top choice for this category was Vera Farmiga – so perfectly understated and three-dimensional as a woman questioning her faith in Higher Ground.
Best Director
3 Assassins
Another Year
Artist, The
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Melancholia Separation, A
No contest here either. A Separation was my top film of 2011, as director Asghar Farhadi was a master at bringing this uncomfortable story to the screen. There isn’t a misstep in this film.
Should have been nominated: I have a short list of directors that should have made this list including Bruce McDonald for Trigger, Miranda July for The Future, and Aki Kurismkai for Le Havre, Vera Farmiga for Higher Gound, but my top choice for director that was overlooked was Kelly Reichardt who really showed her mastery of the art in Meek’s Cutoff.
Best Documentary
Bill Cunningham New York Buck
Into the Abyss
Pina
Senna
Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
I waffled between Buck and Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls but ultimately I couldn’t resist Buck‘s powerful, charismatic pull
Should have been nominated: No problems with this list.
Best Movie
Another Year
Artist, The
Pariah
Poetry Weekend
All great films, but it had to be Weekend for me. This intimate portrait of two men meeting for a one night stand then unexpectedly falling in love over the course of a weekend as natural and exquisite.
Should have been nominated: It should come as no surprise from my earlier comments that Another Earth, Higher Ground and Meek’s Cutoff were all on my list of Best Movie contenders. But the biggest omission in my opinion was my number one film of 2011, A Separation.
Buried Treasure
Arbor, The
Littlerock
These Amazing Shadows Trigger
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
What a tough choice this year. All of the films were terrific, and with the exception of These Amazing Shadows which just didn’t meet the heights of the other four, I could have gone with any of them.
Should have been nominated: I was charmed by the brother/sister story of Cold Weather and would have liked to have seen it in this category.
#14 – Elza’s Kitchen by Marc Fitten
#13 – The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen
