Top 10 movies of 2012.

[FilmCraverChris]

While I haven't seen every single movie I want to see this year quite yet, I doubt my list is going to have any major shake up (though, I could be wrong).

1) Moonrise Kingdom - I've always been a Wes Anderson fan, and this is his best movie to date. Great characters and story and was just perfect in every sense of the word for me.

2) Argo - Ben Affleck deserves a lot of credit for this one. Of course there are embellishments, but I was riveted from the start and it never let up.

3) The Dark Knight Rises - A lot darker than I was expecting, but I can't think of a better send off for this franchise.

4) The Avengers - If Dark Knight was a gritty and dark, Avengers was the wittier, fun side of superheroes. I give a lot of credit to Joss Whedon - hopefully Phase 2 will turn out just as good.

5) Lincoln - While some people might find this a bit slow as a person who usually frowns at biopics, this was a knockout thanks to Daniel Day-Lewis and the obvious passion that went into this project.

6) Zero Dark Thirty - Not as action-oriented as I was expecting, but the buildup to the last 20 minutes are worth it. Jessica Chastain is fantastic.

7) Wreck-It Ralph - That's right, I have no problem putting this animated film in the top 10. Being a video game nerd, the movie hit all the right notes from characters to story. Easily the best animated film of the year for me.

8) The Cabin in the Woods - A great twist on classic horror tropes that makes you rethink every horror film you have seen. Excellent.

9) Looper - Time travel is hard to get right and despite the flaws you will inevitably find, Looper is one of those films that works.

10) Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino is back in top form. Love the music and the story. Who cares about controversy, this one is just violent fun from start to finish.

Honorable Mentions:

The Silver Linings Playbook - For making me like romance for once.

Skyfall - Bond is back and pretty impressive.

The Hunger Games - Proving all YA adopted material isn't utter garbage.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Although a bit too long, Peter Jackson is still the king of fantasy/action.

[IanTheCool]

Originally Posted by bbf2

So am I the only one who didn't like Zero Dark Thirty?

In all fairness, I went into it after hearing everyone rave about how it was going to win the Oscar hands down. But while I did like the visuals, I hated, hated, hated the way it treated its characters (other than Chastain) from a cinematic and storytelling perspective. Jason Clarke was the most interesting and compelling character and for the first third of the movie it seemed like he was the co-lead, and then they basically removed him from the film for a long period of time (they gave a justification for it, but it's not based on historical fact, so from a storytelling perspective there was no reason to get rid of him), then he gets like 7 minutes to himself, and then he comes back for the last third and becomes an extra who gets no dialogue. What? They randomly introduce characters constantly without any explanation of who they are, what their jobs are, or why they are important. In the last third of the movie, for example, Mark Duplass randomly shows up and is shown to be Chastain's good friend, and out of nowhere he becomes her close friend figure during all the meetings and whatnot while Clarke (the man who she spent years and years with and who trained her) sits silently in the background. Wait, what? Wouldn't it have been better for her to be socializing with Clarke...you know, the character that we actually saw her develop a friendship with? Now you introduce some random dude with no character development that we've never seen before (and is hard to take seriously since the actor is mostly in wacky comedies) as her close friend and the guy who you actually built up as a character and as a friend of the protagonist in the first part of the film is just an extra in the background with no dialogue? It infuriated me.

The raid at the end was definitely well done but I was angry that we basically spent zero time with any of the Marines involved and couldn't tell any of them apart except Edgerton (who got some screentime but not a personality) and Pratt. I'm not saying the story should have focused on them, but it would have been a thousand times more powerful if we actually had some sort of investment (or, really, ANY distinguishing characteristics) about the characters who were involved in the climax and the most important scene. It is not cinematically satisfying to have the climax involve nothing but disposable and indistinguishable characters who were only introduced for the first time (and not very thoroughly) a few minutes prior.

That's a fair criticism. However, I liked that aspect of the film. I felt the revolving door of characters gave it an authentic and almost documentarian feel to the whole thing. As for the marines, I had enough of a connection to them to make that scene work well.

[MovieBuff801]

Originally Posted by IanTheCool

That's a fair criticism. However, I liked that aspect of the film. I felt the revolving door of characters gave it an authentic and almost documentarian feel to the whole thing. As for the marines, I had enough of a connection to them to make that scene work well.

Agreed. That's one of the things I loved about the film myself.

[jonk]

Originally Posted by MovieBuff801

Agreed. That's one of the things I loved about the film myself.

I'm hoping to watch this film on the weekend. But iI really don't know what to expect, feels like a lot of mixed feelings coming from reviewers.

[DrManhattan]

1. Dredd: My favorite movie of the year and possibly the best comic book film of the year! been a fan of the comics since 85 when i was 4 and i knew they would improve over Stallone's movie, kick-ass action with good acting and great direction. This will be a cult classic!

2. The Hobbit: I've been a fan of Tolkein's books for years since i was a kid and knew one day they would make a live-action movie, this delivered it for me.

3. Skyfall: Satisfying Bond movie, i loves it.

4. The Dark Knight Rises: Emotional, dark and stylish finale to the trilogy, Ann Hathaway looked hot in that catwoman outfit (Catwoman is my comic book character dreamgirl afterall) and she did great, Bane was great too.

5. The Raid: Excellent action foreign import! it totally rocked my world when i rented it on blu-ray and has became a bestseller now due to word of mouth on the net. Go rent it! one of the best Asian movies in recent memory.

6. Django Unchained: Tarantino never lets me down, been a fan of him since i rented Reservoir Dogs at age 12 and saw Pulp Fiction 5 times in theaters and this one was a nice tribute to Italian westerns.

7. Looper: Nice to see mature dark sci-fi is still around and Willis did a nice performance.

8. Prometheus: Underrated movie, i saw it 4 times in theaters and what a nice prequel to the Alien franchise. It didn't became a PG-13 sellout like AVP and went back to the R-rated formula, thank god for that plus Ridley as director.

9. The Avengers: Being a comic geek, i saw this 8 times in theaters and it didn't let me down.

10. Cabin in The Woods: Meta-horror comedy parody at it's finest!

honorable mentions: Wreck-it Ralph, Brave, Argo, Zero Dark Thirsty, Argo and Amazing Spider-Man.

[MovieBuff801]

My #'s 10 through 6...

10. Looper



Writer/director Rian Johnson didn’t particularly impress me all that much with either of his first two efforts, Brick and The Brothers Bloom. So, if you had told me at the start of 2012 that his next feature film would wind up on my list of the Best Movies of the Year, I would’ve probably waved you off with an “Oh, come on!” smile. But Looper more than earns a spot on this list. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a hired killer in the year 2046 and part of a group known as “loopers,” who kill targets sent back to them via time travel from thirty years in the future by the mob. But when Joe’s latest target turns out to be his own future self (Bruce Willis), things start to get very dangerous, not to mention very complicated. First, I have to give Looper props for having the most interesting and creative original concept of any movie I saw in 2012, not to mention one of the best original screenplays, period. In any lesser or more uninspired hands, Looper could have easily turned into something less-than-satisfying. But Rian Johnson, who clearly favors story and character development over all the flash and bang of a conventional Hollywood thriller, turns this film into something unexpectedly smart and compelling. The story takes a few turns that the trailers don’t imply, demonstrating that Johnson has enough faith in his audience to expect them to not check their brains at the door. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis both give equally great performances, with Willis especially hitting a few emotional notes we rarely, if ever, see him hit. Emily Blunt also shows up halfway through the film and does nice work as a single mother caught in the middle of all the chaos. The film also has the rough and gritty feel of sci-fi cult hits such as Blade Runner and Dark City at certain times, and I have a feeling that years from now, Looper will be regarded alongside titles like that. Overall, Looper is an endlessly engaging movie that ranks with others like Moon and Inception as one of the most original and entertaining sci-fi films of the past few years.

9. The Dark Knight Rises



Easily one of the most divisive films of 2012, in general, I think the one thing that everybody who’s seen The Dark Knight Rises can agree on is that no matter what “camp” you find yourself in, it’s a very passionate camp at the end of the day. I know this film is considered not as great as The Dark Knight, BUT I still loved it and I still stand by my placing it on this list. And for the record, yes, I liked it more than The Avengers. Set eight years after the 2008 record-setting and record-breaking superhero epic, The Dark Knight Rises picks up with a retired and weakened Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), whose shouldering of the guilt of the crimes committed by Harvey Dent/Two-Face all those years earlier has thus eliminated the need for Batman in a now-peaceful Gotham City. But that peace is soon broken by the arrival of Bane (Tom Hardy), a ruthless and masked terrorist leader whose deadly strength is matched only by his horrific intellect, an intellect which forces Batman out of retirement in order to save his city. Just like his previous two outings with the Caped Crusader, director and co-writer Christopher Nolan delivers a summer blockbuster with equal emphasis put on story, characters and spectacle. In every sense of the word, The Dark Knight Rises is a true epic, encompassing everything that has not only made Batman Begins and The Dark Knight so good, but also every other superhero movie worth their salt that has been released in the past ten years. From moment to moment, my investment in this film never wavered. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman all deliver their best performances in the trilogy here, and newcomers like Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (that’s two appearances for him on this list) also leave lasting impressions with their respective characters. And in a year of memorable movie moments, the scene where the National Anthem is used to chilling effect in order to foreshadow a forthcoming act of terror still gives me goosebumps.

Now, SPOILER ALERT (and a shout-out to bbf2, because our thoughts here are similar), I want to talk briefly about the ending to this film, which has most Batman fans up in arms because it has Bruce Wayne hanging up the cape and cowl, thus leaving the legacy for John Blake (Gordon-Levitt) to continue. Personally, I have no problem with this. First, it’s not like this is a development that comes out of nowhere. As was established in The Dark Knight, Wayne was clearly willing to stop being Batman if he believed it would serve the welfare of Gotham, which this clearly does. By the end of this film, he’s fixed all the main problems in the city, which was his intention all along, as well as making Batman become a symbol, which is clearly the case, too. Second, I feel that Bruce Wayne deserves happiness after everything he’s been through in this trilogy, and besides, he’s leaving the safety of Gotham in what he truly believes to be capable hands. I think it’s a natural character progression and a satisfying emotional point, one of many throughout the film.

All in all, The Dark Knight Rises is an epic, exciting, emotional and ambitious conclusion to the greatest superhero trilogy ever made.

8. Life of Pi



I’ve never read Yann Martel’s beloved novel Life of Pi, on which director Ang Lee’s latest film is based. But even so, the sheer magnitude of the story and its messages weren’t lost on me, as this film pulled me in deeper and deeper every minute. The majority of the film finds a teenager named Pi (Suraj Sharma) stranded in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger referred to as Richard Parker after a ravaging storm claims the lives of the rest of Pi’s family. In terms of story set-up, Life of Pi reminds me of Robert Zemeckis’s Cast Away, but Ang Lee’s film is a much more miraculous achievement, not to knock Cast Away, though. For one, Life of Pi has a wondrous visual scope, with sometimes breathtaking imagery worthy of being paintings in an art museum. But more importantly, the film’s emotional core is tenderly and expertly handled by Lee and screenwriter David Magee, whose script makes the film’s hour at sea a captivating stretch in every sense of the word. Suraj Sharma’s performance is more than worthy of the burden of carrying most of the movie by itself, and the way his dynamic with the tiger blossoms is really quite extraordinary, especially in how powerful and heart-tugging its resolution ends up being. Also doing great work here is Irrfan Khan as the older Pi, who recounts the events that we see play out. By the end of this movie, I felt as if I’d experienced something truly remarkable. Life of Pi is a real experience, an experience not to be missed, and I can confidently say that its 11 Oscar nominations were not wasted. If you haven’t yet seen this film, then I absolutely urge you to.

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower



If I were to give out a prize for the Biggest Surprise of the Year, then that honor would most definitely have to go to Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Why, you ask? Well, because this film is simply remarkable in the way it captures and portrays everything that goes along with growing up in our formative high school years. Chbosky’s eyes and ears for realism and honesty are incredibly fine-tuned to all of those definitive moments in our lives that occur during these four years, as well as everything that make teenagers tick, and not for one second do we ever doubt his abilities as a storyteller. The film follows Charlie (Logan Lerman), a high school freshman who befriends two free-spirited seniors named Sam and Patrick (Emma Watson and Ezra Miller), who gradually coax Charlie out of his shell and welcome him to the world of young adolescence, or “the island of misfit toys,” as Sam refers to it. If you were a teenager in high school in either the ‘90’s or the 2000’s, then odds are you’re going to find something in here to relate to. But if you don’t fall into that category, this film is still great anyway. Logan, Watson and Miller all deliver sympathetic and fragile performances, ones that get to the heart of what it fundamentally means to be a teenager in a society like this. Chbosky’s adapted screenplay from his own novel is surprisingly smart in how it has a real, heartfelt human story at its core. This story is thankfully not inhabited by hipster clichés, but instead by real characters with dark, sometimes haunted pasts, and they’re all brought together in a way that’s equal parts funny, charming, sad and profound. By the end, I had connected with and was moved by this film in a way that I wasn’t expecting. And I hope the same goes for those of you out there who’ve either seen it already or will see it soon. This movie is as beautiful as it is real.

6. Les Miserables



My usual stance on musicals is that, on average, I’m not a big fan of them. But, I’ve been thinking about this lately, and actually, I’ve given quite a few musicals favorable to glowing reviews. So, allow me to amend that statement to this: I enjoy musicals when they’re done well. Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the Broadway sensation Les Miserables falls into that category. Maybe I can partly attribute my loving the film to all of the Theatre classes I took throughout high school and college. But I’m getting off-track. The fact is, Les Miserables works, through and through. It works primarily because it feels unlike any other movie musical I’ve seen except for maybe Sweeney Todd. Tom Hooper’s vision for the film is decidedly more intimate while being big, grungy while being beautiful and somehow, those combinations end up suiting each other well. Its story is an epic one, showcasing a prisoner named Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), who skips parole, is thus chased by the fierce Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), and adopts a young girl named Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), who becomes entangled in a love triangle amidst a revolution in France. Much has been made of the way in which the singing in this film is done, where the actors all sung their songs live while filming, as opposed to recording them months in advance. Well, I’m here to tell you that the method ends up working. It provides a sense of emotional intimacy that not only feels natural and unforced, but also adds to the whole aesthetic that the film is going for. Les Miserables is a very serious and gritty story, so this style of singing only serves to compliment and build on the entire tone. On the acting front, Hugh Jackman turns in the best performance of his career as Jean Valjean, not only taking advantage of his training in the Theatre, but also exploring emotional depths that his previous action hero roles haven’t allowed him to explore. Believe the hype about Anne Hathaway, whose incredible use of limited screentime and heartbreaking rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” are sure to earn her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. And even though it took me a while to warm to Russell Crowe’s performance, his version of “Stars” serves as the point in the film where he gets better, and that song has rapidly become one of my favorites from the film the more I’ve listened to the soundtrack. The fact that Les Miserables is an obvious Oscar grab and a film that wears its heart on its sleeve is something I can’t really begrudge it for when it emotionally involved me as much as it did. I guess you could say that I’m one of the people who heard the people sing.

[bbf2]

Originally Posted by IanTheCool

That's a fair criticism. However, I liked that aspect of the film. I felt the revolving door of characters gave it an authentic and almost documentarian feel to the whole thing. As for the marines, I had enough of a connection to them to make that scene work well.

I definitely see your point, but I personally feel that when it comes to cinema I prefer actual character development to help me feel invested rather than providing a "documentary-type" feel. That being said, I have less of an issue with the "revolving door" nature of the characters than the fact that when a character is introduced we have no idea who they are or what their job is. I mean, James Gandolfini, Duplass, Stannis Baratheon, Michael from Lost, and several others just kind of show up and act like they've been there the whole time rather than getting any sort of introduction, leaving me quite confused as to each character's role and importance in the hierarchy. I honestly wouldn't have minded some sort of on-screen text giving the character's name and job description when a character first appears (which sounds a bit cheesy in theory, but I've seen it pulled off elsewhere and think it would have been a natural fit here). When it was announced that "the head of CIA operations in the city of Islamabad" was being let go, I had absolutely no idea which character they were referring to until Chastain turned to Kyle Chandler and addressed him about it and I realized they were talking about Kyle Chandler.

[Jack]

Originally Posted by bbf2

When it was announced that "the head of CIA operations in the city of Islamabad" was being let go, I had absolutely no idea which character they were referring to until Chastain turned to Kyle Chandler and addressed him about it and I realized they were talking about Kyle Chandler.

While the lack of character development is a fair criticism, your example here doesn't work as well for me. Kyle Chandler is literally introduced to Maya as "Joseph Bradley, station chief" after seeing the Islamabad screen title at the beginning of the film.

Some of the lack of introduction, etc. just feels like separating wheat from the chaff. I didn't feel like Gandolfini needed to come in and say who he was. He has a presence in that first meeting room, it is a shock he sits with Maya at the cafeteria, no one sits if he doesn't sit, he asks all the questions, and he's in direct communication with the president. So, I deducted Leon Panetta. Other folks don't have names because that is the life of a CIA agent. They work the data, have their leads, and live and die by the information they produce. The movie operates on that same understanding, and I love that about it.

I personally like films that lean on the audience to keep up - not the other way around. That said, there is an arms-length, procedural element to all of it that has a general disregard for characters. I love procedurals, so I was all for it.

[chewie]

1. Lincoln
2. Silver Linings Playbook
3. Skyfall
4. Argo
5. Django Unchained
6. Looper
7. The Dark Knight Rises
8. The Hunger Games
9. Zero Dark Thirty
10. Cabin in the Woods

[IanTheCool]

Lincoln! Atta boy.

[MovieBuff801]

And the rest of my list...

5. Silver Linings Playbook



In terms of watching a movie, there’s no better feeling than when you’re watching something fresh and exciting. Enter David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, a film which resuscitates a genre long thought to be dead: the romantic comedy. But this isn’t your usual romantic comedy, not one bit. Whereas every film released with that classification nowadays seems to more often than not focus on two detestable people being just as detestable to each other before ultimately hooking up after a race through the airport, Silver Linings Playbook instead focuses on two refreshingly well-rounded people: Patrick (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). Patrick has just been released from a one-year stint in a mental institution after a sudden and violent burst of anger. He moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), and soon attempts to get back into the good graces of his ex-wife. During this, he meets Tiffany, and the two strike up a partnership of sorts designed to help both of them out, but that partnership eventually begins to turn more into a relationship. Just like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Silver Linings Playbook feels more like a slice of real life, rather than a recreation of it. There’s not one major emotional moment throughout this film that comes off as either forced or contrived, and that’s really the result of a combination of three things: the performances, David O. Russell’s direction, and his writing. Both Patrick and Tiffany have cases of mental illness, yet what Russell wisely does with his adapted screenplay, and what Cooper and Lawrence bring out through their masterful acting, is a strong desire to play against-cliché. Patrick is bipolar, and yet he has a manic and naturally likable energy about him that contradicts the usual portrait of depression or negativity we normally associate with a mental illness. Likewise, Tiffany is a character who seems content with using whatever disorder she may have to her advantage, which translates into a very amusing devil-may-care attitude. We want to see these two get together, which in turn elevates our investment in the film to the point where it instills a sense of joy in us because the storytelling is so strong. And I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see a movie that’s overall optimistic about life in general. I already knew that David O. Russell was a seasoned filmmaker capable of great films after seeing Three Kings and The Fighter, but after Silver Linings Playbook, I absolutely can’t wait to see what he does next.

4. Argo



I think it’s official: Ben Affleck has joined the ranks of actors turned directors whose work behind the camera has surpassed his work in front of it. With Argo, he’s delivered three home runs in a row, but when all is said and done, this is his most accomplished work as a director to date. Moving from the brutal streets of Boston to the hallways of Washington, the glamour of Hollywood and the city of Iran, circa the 1970’s, Argo tells the only-recently declassified true story of CIA operative Tony Mendez’s (Affleck) daring attempt to rescue six stranded American citizens in Iran as the political powers of said country become ever more dangerous. And Mendez chooses to do so by building the entire operation around the cover story that he and the American citizens are members of a film crew visiting Iran to scout locations for a science fiction movie. On a surface level, Argo invites similarities between it and Steven Spielberg’s Munich, and while this film may not be as thematically or dramatically deep as the latter, it’s still an incredible accomplishment in its own right. Ben Affleck has really come into his own as a director, and on display here is a natural skill for pacing, tension, drama and entertainment … all rolled into one. The heart of this film is the extraction of the Americans from foreign soil, and the fact that the film can successfully put in a lighter and more comedic subplot about the making of a fake movie and not have it detract from or overshadow the main storyline says wonders not only about Affleck’s capabilities as a storyteller, but also the strength of Chris Terrio’s screenplay, which is filled with great dialogue and some wickedly funny jokes. But most importantly, Affleck makes Tony Mendez a likable character so that we can better get involved in his struggle to succeed and feel the suspense as it is gradually ratcheted up to such a level where, even if we already know the outcome of this true story, our hearts are still pounding in our chests in the Third Act as parts of the mission begin to potentially unravel at the last minute. If you needed a reason why the Academy foolishly failed to honor Affleck with a Best Director nomination this year, then there you go. Also worth noting is how the film has the authentic feel of a ‘70’s thriller, and yet still manages to use more modern methods to compliment and even strengthen that tone. Overall, Argo is a masterwork from a director who’s quickly proving to be a force to be reckoned with.

3. Flight



What a return to form for both Denzel Washington and director Robert Zemeckis. After countless years of being delegated mostly to just either cops or federal agents in routine action movies, Denzel Washington delivers his best and most effective performance in years in Flight as Whip Whitaker, an alcohol and cocaine-addicted airline pilot who manages to pull off a miraculous crash landing in the midst of a horrific nosedive. But the fact that Whip was under the influence during the crash soon starts up an investigation, and he finds himself finally, and painfully, having to confront his addictions head-on. If you went to see this film based solely on the trailers without doing any further research, then odds are you were caught off-guard by how different Flight ended up being from what you thought it would be. Yes, Flight is an unapologetically dark character study about the effects and consequences of one man’s addictions, but that’s what I found made it so great and compelling. If the film’s central performance had been lackluster or overplayed, it wouldn’t have worked so well, but Washington’s performance is simply magnificent and more than deserving of his Oscar nomination. He portrays Whip by walking that fine line between frankness and sympathy, and always manages to get us to root for him to make it out okay. Not only does that wind up being a strength of Washington’s performance, it’s also perhaps the biggest strength of the film, period. John Gatins’ expertly-written, not to mention Oscar-nominated, screenplay makes no illusions about Whip’s guilt in the matter, and yet, even though we can clearly see that he’s deserving of all the scrutiny and threatened jailtime, our desire to see Whip come out unscathed grows and grows as the film goes on. That’s great writing. Some may complain that the film lacks subtlety where Whip’s struggle is concerned, but as long as a film can get us as invested in that struggle as Flight does, then I can’t really bring myself to fault it for that. After spending a decade focusing on computer animated efforts, Robert Zemeckis jumps back into the live-action foray without missing a step. In addition to staging and filming an unbelievably intense crash sequence, Zemeckis also films and paces the rest of the film with all the intensity of an incredibly taut thriller. And while I think the film could’ve ended more effectively five minutes before it actually did, Flight is still one of the most gripping and involving movie experiences I had in 2012.

2. Django Unchained



On display in Django Unchained is everything that makes Quentin Tarantino one of my all-time favorite directors. In a story concerning a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) teaming up with a German bounty hunter known as Dr. King Schulz (Christoph Waltz), and sees them slaying a bloody multitude of slave drivers and criminals before ultimately going to rescue Django’s wife from a nefariously charming plantation owner named Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), is the damn-near perfect marriage of everything that’s vintage Tarantino. You’ve got the sharply-written and verbose dialogue, the brutal violence that makes your jaw drop in shock only so that you can laugh in stunned amusement, and the deft hand at combining tension, humor, thrills, dread and anticipation – and most times, all over the span of just a few minutes – that results in a movie experience that only Quentin Tarantino can deliver. And with flying colors, no less. Much has been made about the stellar performances from Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio (do we ever expect anything less from them?), and while I’m over the moon that Waltz got another nomination, it’s an utter travesty that the Academy still refuses to acknowledge DiCaprio, especially when he’s brought to life one of the most memorable screen villains of the last few years. But I also want to praise Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson. It’s easy to say Foxx isn’t as memorable as his co-stars, but that’s because out of all of them, he has the straight-arrow and less-flashy performance. Foxx nonetheless does the best with it and by the end, he’s become a very badass hero in his own right. Samuel L. Jackson, meanwhile, as the head slave of “Candie Land” is amazing in the way he effectively pulls off someone who’s curiously content with his people’s status in society at this time, and has learned it’s better to give into convention than to fight it. Leave it to Tarantino to not only write such a great character, but also ensure the actor in the part never mishandles it. The nearly 3-hour running time of Django Unchained is undoubtedly felt as the film goes along, but at the same time, my attention and interest never wavered. Django Unchained may not be the deepest film of 2012, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t the most entertaining. It gave me everything I expected and then some, and by the time it was over, I was left with a feeling of childlike giddiness.

1. Zero Dark Thirty



Back in 2009, my Top Two Films of the Year were thus: 2. The Hurt Locker and 1. Inglourious Basterds. How interesting that three years later, both Quentin Tarantino and Kathryn Bigelow would have films that claim the same positions on my Year-End list again, only in reversed positions. If this marks the beginning of an inevitable pattern, then I can’t wait for 2015. Zero Dark Thirty chronicles the arduous ten-year manhunt for Osama Bin Laden following the events of September 11, 2001 as seen through the eyes of CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain). And during those ten years, Maya’s determination and faith in her job will be put to the test, until that fateful night on May 1, 2011. Zero Dark Thirty is the most polished, riveting, intense and satisfying experience that any movie I saw from 2012 gave me, on par with the best procedural, political and military movies ever made. When I compare it against director Kathryn Bigelow’s previous The Hurt Locker, I’m even more amazed by her ability to craft a film that feels so real, it’s like the camera is a fly on the wall that’s capturing real interactions and situations as they play out. What’s more amazing is Bigelow’s flawless way of building suspense, even when we know the outcome of this story. I know I praised Ben Affleck for doing the same with Argo, but Bigelow earns more credit between the two because her methods are more subtle. Seriously, I could hardly breathe during the climatic raid on Bin Laden’s house. On the acting front, Jessica Chastain is extraordinary as Maya, and this marks the second year in a row after The Debt where she’s appeared in my #1 Film of the Year. The best thing about Chastain’s performance here is how internal she keeps Maya’s struggle, and through the “less-is-more” approach, manages to get our sympathy almost effortlessly. Some may call this film emotionally lacking, but I found its decision to let the audience decide how they feel about everything, rather than being spoonfed it, much more effective and representative of how a story like this would play out in real life. If it were up to me, I’d give Zero Dark Thirty Best Picture at this year’s Oscars; it’s the one film from 2012 where, by the time it was over, I was left in a daze from how great it was. Ms. Bigelow, here’s to seeing what you give us next.

[tubehead]

so far my favorites are
the Avengers
the amazing spider-man
batman dark night rises

i also enjoyed
the hobbit
PARENTAL GUIDANCE
red dawn remake
Alex cross
rise of the grudains

blu rays
Batman dark night returns part 2
score code
sky fall
the three stooges
Real steel
Captian america first agvener
thor
Ghost rider 2 Spirit of Vengeance
warth of titians




ones on dvd
Pricne of persia sands of time
Green lanteren
Cowboy & Alines
bATMAN Dark nigh returns part 1
james bond quantma of solace

ones rented on nelifx
the covemenrt
james bond Casino Royale
The Odd Life of Timothy Green

[drjonesy]

Cloud Atlas - the most polarizing film of the year. Yes it was crazy uneven, but its best sequences were better than the entire running times of lots of these films. I appreciated that it didn't play it safe, that it was unlike anything else I had seen this year. If you didn't get a chance to see it in theaters, watch it on DVD in March (although it was a film designed for the big screen).

In the same way, I loved what Cabin in the Woods attempted to do or even Les Miz or even Life of Pi ... all brought something new to cinema.

... no offense to anyone, but yes Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark, etc. are all well-made movies but I have no desire to ever see any of them again ... in fact, I've tried with two of them that are front-runners for winning the Best Picture and they are soooooo boring the second time around seeing them. At some point, the seem like just very well made films that will disappear into the film vaults in years to come and never shown again except for the occasional showing on AMC.

[MadaBidyoni]

Originally Posted by PG Cooper

10. The Raid



A powerful crime lord has held himself up n an apartment complex with his own personal army. A S.W.A.T team has been sent in to take him out, but they’ll have to fight through hell first.

The Raid is not a film mainstream audiences are familiar with nor is it one the various awards bodies have chosen to acknowledge. But to the internet film fan, The Raid is one of the most satisfying films of 2012. The film is a constant barrage of action and badassery, aided by real stunts and extremely tight editing and directing from Gareth Evans. There’s also just enough story and character beats placed throughout to keep audiences invested. Some may dismiss the film for its simplicity, but to do that would be to miss the point.

“Pulling the trigger is like ordering take out.”

9. The Avengers



After years of build up, Earth’s mightiest heroes must band together in order to stop Loki from conquering the planet.

While I’m not as in love with The Avengers as I once was, it’s still a great film which remains entertaining throughout the two hour runtime. The action scenes are truly fantastic and there are at least four top notch set pieces. What really makes the film though is the characters and the interaction they share. I could watch this team share the screen all day and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll have that drink now.”

8. Django Unchained



Former slave Django is freed by bounty hunter King Schultz. The two become a bounty hunting team and eventually set out to rescue Django’s wife from the vile Calvin Candie.

Django Unchained has a lot one could criticize. The film is too long, there’s a horrid cameo, and the theme of revenge was analyzed much better in Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga and Inglorious Basterds. And yet, the film is so entertaining that these issues don’t bring it down nearly as much as one would expect. Quentin Tarantino still crafts some great dialogue, makes some very tense scenes, the violence is gloriously over the top, and the acting is great from almost everyone. If nothing else, the film proves that Tarantino makes great films even on a bad day.

“The ‘D’ is silent.”

7. Prometheus



A group of scientists discover evidence that links human origins to beyond our solar system. A crew is sent to a far off planet to investigate and find more than they bargained for.

Prometheus is a film I love in spite of itself. Certain character moments don’t make sense, the film has a lot of plot holes, and at times it feels rushed. And yet the film’s successes are so many that I can overlook a lot of the issues. There’s some great acting for example, mainly from Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Ridley Scott also brings his talent for great effects and technical details. I also love the connections to the Alien universe. Most importantly though, Prometheus features an abundance of ambition. One could even argue it’s the most ambitious film of 2012. So maybe it doesn’t hit every beat it aimed to, at least it had the balls to try.

“Big things have small beginnings.”

6. Skyfall



A foe from M’s past has returned to challenge MI6. The timing couldn’t be worse as Bond is struggling to recapture his old talent.

James Bond and Sam Mendes returned to form in epic fashion with Skyfall. This is the perfect mix of an old-school Bond adventure and a modern Bond film. We get the thrills, set-pieces, and excitement one could want from an escapist adventure, while maintaining the commentary on character and setting the previous Craig films have had. A lot of care is put into the story and characters but the film still features great action scenes. Overall, Skyfall is one of Bond’s strongest outings and the best blockbuster of 2012.

“Think On Your Sins”

5. Argo



In the 1970s, the American embassy in Iran was overrun and held hostage. A handful of Americans escaped by hiding in the Canadian embassy. CIA operative Tony Mendez hatched a plan to break them out by creating a fake movie production.

With Argo, Ben Affleck has established himself as a great director. Stepping away from his Boston crime roots, Affleck tackles a bigger story and in the process has made his best film yet. Affleck tells the story masterfully, weaving from drama to genuinely funny comedy. The fact that both elements of the film work so well is almost miraculous. Affleck is also able to build a remarkable amount of tension and there are several scenes which show this skill off. Also worth acknowledging are the performances which are all quite strong. Argo may not have the same level of depth as a thriller like Munich, the film is so well made it doesn’t really matter.

“Argo **** yourself.”

4. Zero Dark Thirty



The film chronicles the ten year manhunt for Osama Bin Laiden through the eyes of a CIA operative named Maya.

Kathryn Bigelow surprised a lot of people in 2009 with The Hurt Locker. Bigelow, who had previously been most notable as the director of Point Break, would go on to win a Best Director Oscar and The Hurt Locker would win Best Picture. Zero Dark Thirty is her return to film making and she proves beyond a shadow of a doubt The Hurt Locker was no fluke. Zero Dark Thirty is an engrossing picture which sucks the viewer in from the get go. Bigelow’s direction is bang on and she creates some great scenes. The film also does a great job bringing the viewer through the manhunt while still being firmly rooted in Maya. Speaking of Maya, Jessica Chastain’s performance is phenomenal and her best work yet. She is able to evoke so much with so little dialogue one can’t help but be impressed. And for all the talk of the film’s political agenda, the fact is Zero Dark Thirty is very objective. The film merely presents the events which unfolded and lets the audience decide how they feel.

“I’m the mother****er that found this place.”

3. Moonrise Kingdom



Two troubled kids run away from home to live together in the woods. A search party goes out led by a cop, a mildly depressed father, and an over enthusiastic cub scout master.

Moonrise Kingdom was the first great film I saw in 2012 and it has remained one of my favourite films throughout the year. Perhaps the film’s biggest strength is how it is full of themes and imagery but is also constantly entertaining and accessible. This is in large part thanks to a great script from Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola who keep the story interesting and give the characters great dialogue. There’s also a lot of great performances from veterans like Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, and Bill Murray, but also from newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. Really though, the whole cast is great. Wes Anderson’s unorthodox style also adds a lot to the film and helps craft a truly delightful and poignant tale.

“What kind of bird are you?”

2. Silver Linings Playbook



After spending a year in a mental institiute for assault, Patrick is finally being released and returned to his family. Patrick still has some issues to work through but finds himself entangled in the life of Tiffany who, like Patrick, has mental health issues of her own.

The romantic comedy is a genre generally considered to be one of the worst. And while a majority of romcoms released each year are crap, Silver Linings Playbook reminds audiences that, like any genre, romantic comedies can produce great films. The way the film twists the usual genre cliches is fun to see, but the real pleasure of the film comes from the characters. I genuinely fell in love with the people in this film and the performances that brought them to life, especially Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. The film is funny, sad, intense, light, fun, frustrating, unpleasant, likable, cynical, and hopeful all at the same time. Like real life, it’s a mixture of every emotion. The film captures reality extraordinairly well, a testament to the talent of David O. Russell as both a writer and director. As much as I love dark and cynical films I also love a brighter look that says people can find happy endings if they work hard enough. Silver Linings Playbook is a film that earns its optimism and I can honestly say I would recommend this to anybody. A perfect crowd pleaser.

“When life reaches out with a moment like this it’s a sin if you don’t reach back.”

1. The Master



World War II veteran Freddie Quell is drifting through life aimlessly. One evening, he drunkenly stumbles across Lancaster Dodd, the leader of a group called “The Cause”. Dodd takes Quell in and attempts to cure him.

As the years go by, The Master will be the 2012 film I’ll go back to the most. No other film had me ponder so many different ideas and themes. I still think about what writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson wanted to say and also think about what the film means to me. I’m not sure if I can fully breakdown the thematic currents which run through the film, but I look forward to studying the film again through the years. Even if one ignores the thematic ideas, The Master is still a brilliantly well-made film. The visuals Anderson puts into the film are mesmerizing and complimented nicely by Johnny Greenwood’s score. I also love Anderson’s script which is unformulaic and unpredictable. The film also has some of the best performances I’ve seen in years. Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams are all unforgettably good in their respective roles. What’s also impressive is that all three are equally good in different ways and never over shadow each other. The “test” between Quell and Dodd early on is the best acting I’ve seen in any film all year.

Some people have been split by the film, admiring several elements but ultimately being left cold by the film. I never had this problem. I was thoroughly entertained by The Master and while few people would describe the film as “fun”, I had an amazing time watching it. To me, The Master is everything a great film should be. Made with excellent craftsmanship, superb acting, and bursting with ambition. The film is everything I wanted it to be and then some. Paul Thomas Anderson, you truly are The Master.

“I am a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist and a theoretical philosopher. But above all, I am a man, a hopelessly inquisitive man, just like you.”

Prometheus had potential but the final product wasn't that great. is was ok i guess. but nothing more.

[JBond]

Quote fail.

[PG Cooper]

I thought he was quoting me just to say, "great list."

[JBond]

I can edit it...?