I still remember the feeling I had immediately after watching Beasts of the Southern Wild; my heart was beating out of my chest, a long-lasting smile was on my face, and I had that feeling that I just watched something great. Regardless of the title, it is special when a film can make you feel this way. So it should be of little surprise that Beasts of the Southern Wild is my number 1 film of 2012. But the main purpose of this preface is to highlight potentially important films that I did not get a chance to see before making the list. Some of these films include; The Sessions, Amour, The Comedy, Cloud Atlas, and The Silver Linings Playbook just to name a few.

Also to note, Paradise: Love is absent from my list (although it would have likely been in the Top 3). This is because of the rules we set up, only films with a North American release date of 2012 can count. Therefore it will have to appear on the list next year.

Dustin Jansick’s Top 10 Films of 2012

Honorable Mentions

Sound of My Voice
Goodbye First Love
Compliance
Ruby Sparks
Arbitrage

Not sure of what to get for your friends and family members with a discerning taste in film this holiday season? Look no further than our 2012 Holiday Indie Gift Guide! We have picked out titles that will be sure to cover everyone on your Christmas list. We even helped you out by suggesting exactly who to get the films for.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Who to get it for: Anyone with an imagination
Teeming with magic, beauty and pure joy, this crowd-pleasing winner at the Sundance Film Festival has emerged as one of the year’s most acclaimed films. This poetic fairy tale told through the point of view of a child’s imagination (Quvenzhane Wallis) named Hushpuppy who has unflinching determination to find her place in the world. When her tough but loving father Wink (Dwight Henry) succumbs to a mysterious malady, the fierce and determined girl bravely sets out on a journey to the outside world. But Hushpuppy’s quest is hindered by a “busted” universe that melts the ice caps and unleashes an army of prehistoric beasts.
Way Too Indie Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild

Jeff, Who Lives At Home

Who to get it for: Your brother that you need to reconnect with
The synopsis of Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a rather powerful yet whimsical one; it is about believing that things in life happen for a reason as well as bonding with your family. However, the film had just the right amount of laugh out loud moments combined with the right amount of emotional scenes. Achieving that level of balance along with making the film full of heart is something that is rarely done this well. The Duplass brothers make it worth being passionate about films.
Way Too Indie Review of Jeff, Who Lives At Home

Lola Versus

Who to get it for: Your hipster sister who lives in New York
This offbeat romantic comedy about looking finding yourself in a complicated world and is told from an unapologetic single woman’s point of view. When 29-year-old Lola (Greta Gerwig) is dumped by her fiancé Luke (Joel Kinnaman) just three weeks before the wedding, she embarks on an emotional, year-long adventure of self-discovery filled with love, loss, hilarity and heartache. Guided (and often misguided) by the well-meaning advice of her close friends and eccentric parents, Lola’s chaotic journey en route to the big 3-0 proves that a single tumultuous year can yield the lessons of a lifetime.
Way Too Indie Review of Lola Versus

Ruby Sparks

Who to get it for: Your writer relative who may be a genius
From the directors of Little Miss Sunshine comes a pleasantly suprising romantic comedy starring Paul Dano and writer-actress Zoe Kazan. Struggling with writer’s block and a lackluster love life, once-famous novelist Calvin (Dano) creates a beautiful fictitious character named Ruby (Kazan) who inspires him. But not only does this bring his work to life- it also brings Ruby to life- literally! Face-to-face with an actual relationship with his once virtual girlfriend, Calvin must now decide whether to pen this love story or let it write itself.
Way Too Indie Review of Ruby Sparks

Moonrise Kingdom

Who to get it for: Your teenage children who might be smarter than you
Moonrise Kingdom is unmistakably a Wes Anderson film. It features presumptuous children who seem to be more intelligent and mature than the adults and a simple but whimsical storyline that is completely overshadowed by its presentation. Everything is exaggerated and deadpan humor is in abundance. That is what often makes his films so fascinating to watch and Moonrise Kingdom is no exception. It is a fun adventurous fantasy that only he is able to create.
Way Too Indie Review of Moonrise Kingdom

Sound of My Voice

Who to get it for: That uncle that you think may be a part of a cult
Brit Marling is amazing in a film that is one of the most captivating opening 10 mintues that I have seen in years. A filmmaker (Christopher Denham) and his girlfriend (Nicole Vicius) set out to expose the beautiful leader of a cult (Marling), who claims to be from the future. But the more they explore, the more danger they face in this “an intricate and taut thriller” from writer-actress Marling and writer-director Zal Batmanglij.
Way Too Indie Review of Sound of My Voice

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Who to get it for: Your parents or any relative that is older than you
It is easy to see why it is a hit for the targeted audience because it has a great veteran cast who are about to embark on a journey they never expected in retirement. When seven cash-strapped seniors decide to “outsource” their retirement to a resort in far-off India, friendship and romance blossom in the most unexpected ways. The film is largely about adapting to new circumstances and learning to trust from places and people you would not expect to.
Way Too Indie Review of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Your Sister’s Sister

Who to get it for: Yourself!
If you read just the synopsis of Your Sister’s Sister you will most likely think a typical sitcom is in store. Instead, the film is more of an intelligent romantic comedy featuring terrific characters in a very honest manner. It is an excellent example of how wonderful improvisational dialog can be when you have the right cast members and director. To cap it all off, instead of opting for a safe ending Lynn Shelton gives us an ending that fit perfectly with the rest of the film.
Way Too Indie Review of Your Sister’s Sister

Sound of My Voice an intelligent slow burning indie drama that somehow fell off many people’s radar despite a relatively warm reception at Sundance. The logical answer would be that it may have been slightly overshadowed by lead Brit Marling’s other indie drama during the same year, Another Earth. It is one of the most captivating opening ten minutes that I have seen in years and it does not lose your attention once during the film.

The beginning of Sound of My Voice starts with an appropriately named title card of “One”. Two characters pull up into a garage with their car with further instructions pending their arrival. A man comes into the garage and pats the man and woman down to make sure they are not carrying any weapons. They are handed a change of clothes and instructed to “be thorough with the soap” as they shower before changing into their white scrubs. The two are then blindfolded before they are loaded into a van with several others heading to a discreet location.

Everyone is gathered in a circle all wearing the same white scrubs in some unknown basement. An older man with long gray haired man and oval glasses introduces the two main characters Peter Aitken (Christopher Denham) and his girlfriend Lorna Michaelson (Nicole Vicius) to the rest of the group. The man explains that Peter and Lorna are in for an unforgettable experience as newcomers but are not permitted to ask questions or make any sudden movements. The man then calls Maggie (Brit Marling) to the room. She slowly strolls in with an oxygen tank in hand.

Maggie goes on to explain her story of how she woke up in a bath tub in a motel one day but is still to this day not sure how she ended up there to begin with. She left the motel only remembering her name and her birthday but nothing else. She had no money or memories so she ended up on the streets until one day the man with the long gray hair, who we first saw in the basement, picked her up off the streets. She also explains that the tattoo of an anchor on her ankle means that she is a traveler and the number 54 next to it represents the year 2054 because that is where she comes from.

In chapter “Two” Peter and Lorna are leaving the cult location and reveal the true purpose of them being there. He explains that he wants to expose her because she is a con-artist who claims to be traveling back in time to save the people she loves. This bleeds into the third chapter that begins with Peter swallowing a transmitter which will record video of Maggie. The footage will be part of the documentary that the two plan to make on cults.

Just as he was about to expose Maggie as the fraud that he thought she was something crazy happened. She seeks him out and begins to describe his past well enough that he angers him before eventually he breaks down into tears. So maybe she is not con-artist he thought she was? Even though he denies later to Lorna that the emotions he showed were faked, it is hard to believe him. The ensuing chapters make it even harder to tell if Peter is continuing with the investigative journalism or if he has actually started to believe in Maggie.

2011 was a breakout year for Brit Marling. This is because not only did she star, co-produce, and co-write Sound of My Voice but also did the same for Another Earth. Both which were considered Sundance hits the same year. In both of these roles, she plays a compelling otherworldly character that is absolutely convincing and powerful.

However, perhaps even more impressive than the fantastic acting, is that the film was done by a first time filmmaker. Zal Batmanglij bypasses many of the pitfalls of similar films with thought-provoking scenes in a seemingly effortless manner. That is because the film does not clutter up the plot; it is simple yet highly effective. These are feats that are often not overcome by first time directors.

Sound of My Voice has the cult concept from Martha Marcy May Marlene and the lo-fi drama feel of Brit Marling’s previous film, Another Earth. As much as I enjoyed both of those films, I found myself mesmerized the whole time during Sound of My Voice and could not wait to see what happened next. If you thought the ending of Another Earth was intriguing, wait to you see this. There is no doubt some will fault the ending and some of the minor hiccups it had along the way but for me the positives vastly exceeded the negatives.

Fox Home Entertainment just gave a street date of October 2nd for Zal Batmanglij’s Sound of My Voice on Blu-ray and DVD. Along with the release date they gave some details on what the special features will contain as well as full specs on the film.

Synopsis:

Brit Marling is “intoxicating” (The Huffington Post) and “stirring” (PEOPLE) in the year’s most talked-about psychological thriller. A filmmaker (Christopher Denham) and his girlfriend (Nicole Vicius) set out to expose the beautiful leader of a cult (Marling), who claims to be from the future. But the more they explore, the more danger they face in this “intricate and taut thriller” (Claudia Puig, USA Today) from writer-actress Marling and writer-director Zal Batmanglij.

Special Features:
DVD:

• The Making of The Sound of My Voice
• Maggie Featurettes
• Theatrical Trailer

BD – all of the above plus:

• The Making of The Sound of My Voice
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Direct Effect Zal Batmanglij
• Fox Movie Channel Presents: Writer s Draft Brit Marling

Specs:
Sound of My Voice Blu-ray & DVD
Street Date: October 2, 2012
Screen Format: 16:9 (2.35:1)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
French 5.1 DD
Spanish 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 01:53:57 / 01:44:18 (DVD)
Closed Captioned: Yes

After watching the excellent trailer for Sound of My Voice two things came to mind, the first was how much I am looking forward to watching this film. The second was how closely it resembled Martha Marcy May Marlene. The latter is interesting as Fox Searchlight picked up both of these films for distribution.

The film made the Official Selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and stars Brit Marling. Brit Marling was considered a “Sundance standout” in 2011 as she not only starred, co-wrote and co-produced Sound of My Voice but in the same year had the same credentials for Another Earth (which was fantastic). The film also stars Christopher Denham (Shutter Island and Nicole Vicius ((500) Days of Summer).

Sound of My Voice theater release date is: April 27th. You can, however, watch the first 12 minutes of Sound of My Voice on their official website, www.soundofmyvoicemovie.com.

Official trailer for Sound of My Voice: