2011. A good year for film.

Well now. What a palava. There are some people who believe that the Mayans' refusal to carve another millenia or two on their big stone calendar on the wall until they absolutely had to signals the end of the world in 2012. If they are right, cinema is going to make sure that the last two years are remembered fondly in the ticking seconds as fires rip through the heavens and the earth shatters.

There are a lot of things to be excited about in the next twenty two months. Here's a frank preview of what the dying days of cinema will hold (again, if the ancient civilisation's decision to stop being organised so far ahead of when they would need to, say, book hair appointments holds true as apocalyptic).


First off, a film I have actually seen. Black Swan. Excellently eerie, atmospheric and terrifying. I've never seen a film where it literally is a tight, lean portrayal of someone falling apart on screen to stunning effect. Nor have I seen hallucination and body shock used so subtly and interwoven with a great score and cracking acting. I make no bones about my love for Natalie Portman, and here she excels herself in both acting and vulnerability. The best film I will see this year, guaranteed.



Next, a film I have not seen but am desperate to catch while it is on. The King's Speech. I have heard many a good thing about it, not least from my mother and father.

I'm now bored of this post. So let me cop out by listing several films I am looking forward to seeing. No doubt the best ones will get some sort of honourable mentions or reviews here in the future. But, if you're interested, I'm looking forward to

Battle Los Angeles, a fourth POTC, third Transformers, Battle Los Angeles, Preist, Captain America and Thor. Cowboys and Aliens. Never Let Me Go. Rango. I Am Number Four.

Last mention must go to the final chapter, the ultimate part, the last scene, the closing episode of that great big wizarding series Harry Potter will also grace our screens. This will draw to an end the tyranny and addiction which Rowling's creations have held over Britain and the States for ten years the same way- SPOILER ALERT- Harry finally grows a pair and casts the spell he should have cast five books ago, killing Ralph Fiennes. Don't get me wrong, I loved the books and the films as a yarn, but as a yarn only. They're not classics. They won't become classics. But they were rollickingly good while you were in them. Having said all that, it's about time it finished, moved over, and let something equally good or perhaps, heaven forbid, even better explode onto the kids' reading scene and, inevitably now for any book which has some semblence of success, onto the screen.



And next year, well. A new Bond flick soon to be named, continuing the gritty, best run of the character on film yet with Daniel Craig as the spy. And, I'm pleased to be able to say, an attempt at getting Logan right by Aronofsky, of Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream fame, with a beefed up and properly preportioned portrayal from Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine.



As for this end of the world business. Well. Most of us just have to flip over a page to view the next month. Given the Mayan approach, chipping away to etch hundreds of thousands of days into a rock, well, it's forgiveable that they took a break. So stop being silly about it.