Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012) -- Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple's bond of love is severely tested. I've always liked Haneke's movies, though I have to say that most of them are for watching only once, and this is no exception; not because the 'surprise' is lost, but more because of the sentimental weight they have and how hard some of them are to watch.
And thus, being a Haneke movie, you come to expect some really dark moments to jump at your from out of nowhere, especially in a movie with a title so 'cute' as this one. The shocking part here isn't up to the level of his other works, but it still makes an impressive impact and opening a huge theme for discussion as well as so much material for the movie to be discussed and debated. In that is something I appreciate Haneke, because he actually makes the viewer think for his7herself and lets everyone draw their own conclusions and set the track for debate.
The strongest point of this movie, beside the plot, are the perfomances by both Jean-Louis Trintignant, with a role written specifically for him and where he's shown as both exasperated and heartbroken, and Emmanuelle Riva who has a subtle role but never relies on overacting to make it believable.
The movie continues winning awards and praise, and it really deserves most of them. 9/10
Argo (Ben Affleck, 2012) -- A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. On the other hand, I've never liked Ben Affleck, though I've only been a witness to his acting abilities and been the unfortunate partner of someone who liked him a lot. Because of that I got to the theater with so-so expectations, but as soon as it began I was interested and hoping the characters would make it all the way until the end.
I was completely ignorant about the events of Iran in the 80s, but the brief history at the start set the tone for the rest of the movie, which really had me wondering at times what it really was about, since at times it's drama, then it was comedy, then it actually made fun of itself and the whole Hollywood establishment and then it was a very good thriller. But honestly, it's a movie that kept me interested, biting my nails and gripped to the edge of my seat, and that alone deserves a lot. Can Ben pull it again, I don't know, but I'd like to think so. 9/10
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012) -- After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. Despite what jeffgoddin might say, I really liked this portrayal of the dysfunctional family searching for a way to come together, acted wonderfulyl by Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. It works from the perspective that finding your perfect mate is hard and that, for better or worse, we're all a bit off, and knowing that is one of the key points in finding a long-lasting relationship.
Yes, it's a corny point of view, but it's also something most rom-coms steer clear of. Yet
Silver Linings makes the damn movie exactly about that. I'm not bipolar, but I've known a few bipolar people and I think this movie represents very accurately how bipolar people think and act, including he mood swings, the detachment from reality, the failure to learn from past errors, etc., but also shows the disease from the outside and how people react to it. The character is driven by obsession and everything he does is to make himself look desirable to his exwife.
The best part of the movie is that it's indeed a rom-com, yet it doesn't empty your soul like the ones of the perfect people with perfect lives always do. Apart from the story, I never thought Bradley Cooper had so much good acting in him, or that De Niro still had a great performance in him after a decade of caricaturing his old self. This movie reminded me of the surprise you get when you watch a movie thinking nothing of it and it turns out great. The end did seem a bit too idealistic, but after all the angst throughout the movie, it just seemed fair to the characters and the viewer. 9.5/10
Northface is about the attempts of four German/Austrian climbers on the Eigers' death wall in 1936. It's based on the true story of the climbers trying to be the first to reach the top, from this side of the mountain, up the vertical wall of ice and rock, with some of the most unpredictable weather conditions you could imagine. It's not a comfortable watch, even being in a nice, warm house. You can feel for these guys, what they're trying to do and the annoyingly unfortunate situation they end up in. Yes, this movie is subtitled, unless you're German ofcourse 
