2011 was a bridge year for cinema that had to be crossed. If we were to exclude a number of award winners, many of which were already released overseas in 2010, the selection of quality films was slim at best. There were fewer independent American films than last year. The major releases included a multitude of sci-fi films that varied sharply in quality, as well as numerous unappealing gross-out comedies. It is fortunate that the year has been bookended on both sides by films in awards contention.
Next year’s theme is the ‘blockbuster’ as we await the release of crowd-pleasers like The Dark Knight Rises, Spider-Man, The Hobbit, the next Bond film Skyfall and the rerelease of Titanic in 3D. Expect more sequels, more unnecessary reboots and more than you would like next year. Is this indicative of Hollywood’s overhyping and complete lack of imagination? The answer is obvious but it is impossible not to be excited about some of the more popular projects, which in spite of oversaturation of comic-book films, should provide some glossy satisfaction.
Yet again Australian films this year made little financial impact on audiences. Most weren’t profitable but there was one significant spark in Red Dog, which sent audiences in droves, outdoing a number of the major Hollywood studio films at the local box-office. It has also been selling particularly well on DVD too, which is pleasing. Does this mean we’ll be seeing more lighthearted imitations and less challenging material? Part of the joy of this industry, whether you watch films or review them, is the anticipation of particular releases as we look to answer all of these questions. For now, consider the highs and the unmentionables of 2011…