Year In Review: Top 25 Films Of 2012

Words: Alison Potter, Ced Yuen, Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn, Lauren Johnson-Ginn, Raman K, and Saam Das

2012 saw three of the highest grossing films of all-time: 'The Avengers' (also known as 'Avengers Assemble'), 'The Dark Knight Rises', 'Skyfall'. Each of which found critical favour. Each of which appears in our Top 25 Films Of 2012 - our top choices from films released across the UK in the last year. Read our list below, and feel free to suggest your own favourite film(s) of the year.

LFF 2012: Rust And Bone / Shell / Seven Psychopaths [Reviews]

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn & Saam Das

We're nearing the close of the 56th BFI London Film Festival, which means we can actually get a good night's sleep soon enough. Alas, it also means a significant decrease in cinematic enjoyment. The three films in this digest include a couple of our favourites from the LFF as a whole. Read on for mini-reviews for Jacques Audiard's follow up to 'A Prophet', 'Rust And Bone'; desolate Scottish drama 'Shell'; and Martin McDonagh's 'Seven Psychopaths'.

Event Review: Silent Opera - La Boheme [VAULT Festival 2012]

La Bohème by Silent Opera at VAULT (24 Feb '12, Waterloo) // Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

At a silent disco, revellers hear the music via individual wireless headphones. The idea of transferring this concept for use in live theatre performances seems so obvious once you think about it, but it seems that Silent Opera have been the first to catch onto the potential in this method for the more immersive and site-specific productions, like their promenade La Bohème at VAULT Festival.

Event Review: Eye Saw Theatre - Excellent Choice [VAULT Festival 2012]

'Excellent Choice' at VAULT (26 Feb '12, Waterloo) // Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

Eye Saw state that their goal is to “produce insightful yet fierce entertainment within a realistic framework”, and in Rob Hayes’ 'Excellent Choice' they have definitely succeeded. At only a mere half an hour long and using just two actors, this is a perfect example of a short play done right, and is great entertainment from start to finish.

Top Twenty Films Of 2011

Words: Saam Das

A selection of FG writers submitted their favourite films of 2011. Each was released in UK cinemas during the calendar year. I totted the votes up and added some patented editorial magic to present this list of our top 20 films of 2011. With contributions from: Ced Yuen, Lauren Johnson-Ginn, Raman Kamboh, Alicia McBride, Paul Dean and Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn.

Theatre Review: Backbeat (2011)

'Backbeat' (Duke Of York's Theatre) // Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

Adapted from a 1994 film of the same name, 'Backbeat' chronicles the early days of The Beatles during their period as a 1950’s covers band in the seedy clubs of Hamburg. As well as a fascinating insight into their evolution into the biggest band the world has ever know, it also charts the tragic story of the original bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe, who dropped out of the band to pursue a life of art, but died of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 21.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 7

(Ed's note - read Gabriella's episode-by-episode reviews here.)

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

'Episodes' (2011) 'Episode 7'

SYNOPSIS: "Comedy series. The dreadful Pucks! pilot wraps and Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig) prepare to return to London. However, a final goodbye between Matt LeBlanc and Sean takes an unexpected turn." (bbc.co.uk)

So we come to the conclusion of the first series of 'Episodes', and while I bemoaned it last week for its predictability, I have to admit that ending it with everything up in the air as far as Sean and Bev’s relationship is concerned was a great choice.

With Bev feeling incredibly guilty in the aftermath of her infidelity with LeBlanc, and convinced that 'Pucks' will never be commissioned into a full season, all she wants to do is go home. Sean, on the other hand, can’t resist one last drink with Matt and ends up sniffing out (literally) what happened between him and Bev when he calls in to visit him at home and Matt fails at any sort of subterfuge.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 6

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

'Episodes' (2011) 'Episode 6'

SYNOPSIS: "Comedy series. Convinced that Sean (Stephen Mangan) is having an affair with Morning (Mircea Monroe), Beverly (Tamsin Greig) packs a bag and leaves, but a head-on collision has even more dire consequences." (bbc.co.uk)

The drama in 'Episodes' this week is ramped up to even greater levels, with Bev determinedly storming out on Sean and having a literal car crash with Matt LeBlanc due to what she feels is Sean’s obvious infidelity with Morning. All it really amounts to is some “garden variety masturbation” over a sex tape of Morning on the internet - Sean even being shot down by Morning when she turns up to try and talk to Bev because she feels that Bev hates her.

I was completely taken by surprise (read: not) by what happened next, and can’t see how the series will escape further clichés in the final episode next week. One redeeming feature of this episode, though, was further insight into LeBlanc’s "character" as we finally see the inside of his house (“You have taste!”, as Bev puts it to him incredulously) and also the extent of his self-delusion, as he apparently had no idea how truly bad 'Pucks' is.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 5

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

'Episodes' (2011) 'Episode 5'

SYNOPSIS: "Comedy. After Matt invites him to a charity benefit Sean realises that his attraction to lovely actress Morning Randolph may be mutual, leaving him with a difficult choice to make." (bbc.co.uk)

'Episodes' this week attempts to take a turn for a serious, with Sean (Stephen Mangan) being gravely tempted by Morning (Mircea Monroe) after Matt LeBlanc contrives to push them together at a benefit gala for a rape prevention charity. Despite Matt's best efforts of manipulation, Sean does manage to resist her charms, but apparently not her sex tape, which Matt had happened to mention to him at the gala.

Before all that, Bev (not invited to the gala) bonds with Carol (Kathleen Perkins) over a joint back at the 'Pucks' set, leading to the revelation that Sean was married to someone else at the time he and Bev met, and that Merc (John Pankow) was all set to leave his wife for Carol before she went blind. Though the attempt at making Carol more three-dimensional was much appreciated, having two women sit around complaining and worrying about the men in their lives is not exactly a groundbreaking piece of television.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 4

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

'Episodes' (2011) 'Episode 4'

SYNOPSIS: "Comedy. Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig) are on an all-night road trip when they retrieve Matt from a seedy bar so that the paparazzo won't see him driving home drunk." (bbc.co.uk)

Having bonded in last week’s episode, 'Episode 4' has Matt LeBlanc phoning up Sean to come and pick him up as he’s in a drunken stupor in a bar after losing custody of his kids. Bev decides to come along too so you know there will be plenty of incidences of them sniping at each other with Sean in the middle trying to ineffectually keep the peace.

Sean has already put his foot in it with Bev over the issue of whether he finds Morning (the blonde bimbo actress hired to play the librarian character in their show) more attractive than her, especially after finding out that she is actually slightly older than Bev. Even though Morning (Mircea Monroe) only looks about 28.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 3

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

'Episodes' (2011) 'Episode 3'

SYNOPSIS: "Comedy. Beverly (Tamsin Greig) can't stand Matt LeBlanc and the feeling is mutual, but after leaving Sean (Stephen Mangan) to look after him, she begins to feel excluded by her husband's new bromance." (bbc.co.uk)

We’re now three episodes into 'Episodes' and, after having established the ground rules, I’m beginning to wonder if we can really expect much more from the show. Matt LeBlanc continues to deftly manipulate British writers Sean and Bev by pitching them against one another, Merc the network exec continues to be incredibly two-faced and tactless, Sean and Bev continue to argue about whether they should stick it out or pack it all in and go home... so far so predictable.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 2

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

SYNOPSIS: "Sean and Beverly (Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig) are still reeling from the network's decision to cast Matt LeBlanc as the star of their show. However, when they meet him at a swanky LA dinner party at Merc's house, Matt couldn't be more charming or flattering about their show." (bbc.co.uk)

'Episode 2' of 'Episodes' picks up straight where we left off last week, with the bombshell of Matt LeBlanc’s involvement in the American version of their show being dropped on British writers Bev and Sean. They grudgingly agree to meet him over lunch, and it turns out that he doesn’t know who they are and what the show is about, much to Bev’s relief and Sean’s poorly-hidden disappointment. However, due to machinations by LeBlanc’s agent and the network he gets signed up anyway.

BBC iPlayer: Episodes (2011) Episode 1

(Ed's note: Gabriella joins Team FG to take on this new comedy series. Do say hello to her via the comments or on Twitter.

Words: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn

'Episodes' (2011) 'Episode 1'

SYNOPSIS: Sean and Beverly Lincoln are the creators of an a BAFTA award winning British sitcom, and move to Los Angeles to remake their series for an American audience, with disastrous results.

A co-production with the American network Showtime, this seven-part series was written by the highly acclaimed writing duo David Crane ('Friends') and Jeffrey Klarik ('The Class'), so it naturally arrived on our screens with some expectation behind it. As well as the star power of Matt LeBlanc (playing a heightened version of himself), there is British interest in the form of Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig, playing Sean and Beverly respectively - a partnership familiar to fans of surreal Channel 4 comedy 'Green Wing'.

Mangan and Greig’s previous history goes some way to explain the easy chemistry they have together on screen, and their characters’ marriage feels very real from the off, which is a good thing as this is basically what sustains this introductory episode and saves it from becoming too much of a formulaic establishment of characters and situation.