Top Ten Movies of 2012

I know, I know.  It's February already.

I won't bore you with the list of my excuses for delaying my Top 10 list, though there are some good ones in there.  Instead, I'll just start dishing out the goods.

For those that read the blog last year, you'll recall that I took the time to write a separate post for every movie in my Top 10 list for 2011.  Sadly, I won't be able to do that this year because: A) it'd take too much time and I've already put this off long enough and B) I've already written reviews for the the vast majority of the movies on my list.

Don't worry, though.  Links will be provided.

Honorable Mentions

I'll just say it, 2012 was a fantastic year for movies.  I think every movie in my Top 10 list will have a long shelf-life.  I feel very good about my list, but there are a few that I really wanted to include, but I just couldn't find a place for them.

Here they are, in random order:

Moonrise Kingdom

I spent a lot of years pretending that I loved Wes Anderson, mostly in college.  But, when I was honest with myself and wasn't trying to impress the cool kids, I thought he was just OK.  A person can only take so much pithy dialogue and obscure tracks from the Rolling Stones without wondering what all the fuss is about.  That said, this was one of his best films, up there with The Royal Tenenbaums and The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  I didn't get a chance write a full review of this one.

The Dark Knight Rises

While this movie had it's flaws, it was one of the best escapist/action movies of the year.  Sure, it was the weakest of the three movies in Christopher Nolan's trilogy.  But, that's not saying a whole lot.  My review is here.

Bernie

Anchored by a tragically overlooked performance by Jack Black, this was one of the best comedies of the year, even though it shouldn't have been that funny.   My review is here.

Django Unchained

This movie was actually a little maddening.  As I watched the first half, I thought I was seeing a movie that could compete for the top spot on my list.  But, as the insanely long final act unfolded into obvious Tarantino self-indulgence, I couldn't help but start checking my watch.  Still, the first two hours or so are pretty damn good.  Didn't review this one.

Alright, with the formalities out of the way, here's the list.

The Top 10 movies of 2012 are:

10.  (Tie) Skyfall

Perhaps the best James Bond movie of all time, Skyfall is proof that, in the hands of talented filmmakers, even absurd, over-the-top action movies can be considered art.  Brilliant work all around from the cast, director Sam Mendes, and, most of all, cinematographer Roger Deakins.

My review can be read here.  Here's an excerpt:

But, then came Skyfall, a fantabulous piece of action filmmaking that manages not to just be a great Bond film, but a great film, period.  It delves further into the 007 character than we've ever gone before, giving him a fully-fleshed back-story.  And, it takes what started with Casino Royale -- instilling Bond with some amount of weakness and vulnerability -- and turns him into an actual character with layers hidden beneath the vodka martinis and promiscuity.  

That's not to say they've turned Bond into a wuss.  Craig isn't emo-Bond.  He's still a badass. But, he's far more brooding, with hints of anger and loss that were never present in previous versions of the character.  All I can say is that it works.

10. (Tie) Silver Linings Playbook

This is another movie that I didn't get around to reviewing fully on the blog.  I wanted to...I just couldn't find the time.

On the one hand, this movie is kind of like Django Unchained.  For a while, I thought I was watching the best movie of the year.  However, in the end, it devolves into all too familiar rom-com territory.  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  But, this script and these characters deserved a more thoughtful ending.

Still, Silver Linings featured perhaps the best cast of any movie in 2012.  And, from top to bottom, everyone was superb in their roles.  Jennifer Lawrence appears to be headed for an Oscar for her turn as a widow battling depression.  In a year not so stacked with great male leads, I'd say that Bradley Cooper would have a shot at Best Actor for his performance as the terrible-yet-somehow-likable jerk with bipolar disorder.

Ostensibly, this is a movie about people with mental illness.  But, a movie that was just about depression and bipolar disorder wouldn't have been as uplifting and fun to watch.

9.  Argo

As a director, Ben Affleck is for real, people.  Get on board.

Here's what I said in my original review:

The success is in the execution.  The script -- penned by Chris Terrio -- doesn't have an ounce of fat on it.  Every scene, every character, and every line of dialogue is important to the story.  The pacing is utterly flawless as the movie churns along as though it is being timed by a stopwatch.  It is, like Affleck's other movies -- particularly The Town -- a remarkable display of filmmaking prowess and efficiency, yet another reason I compared him to Clint Eastwood. 

Argo is currently the favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars.  Obviously, I don't think it's the best movie of the year.  But, I'd be happy to see it win.  

8.  The Impossible

Easily the most emotional movie of the year -- I think I cried at least five separate times (I've got a kid, people) -- The Impossible is a perfect example of bad movie marketing.  While the story about a family surviving the 2004 tsunami in Thailand is a more than a little intense, its incredibly accessible, with a happy ending and everything.  If marketed for a wider audience, it seems to me that it would have been a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.  And, given the subject matter and the fact that it's a true story, it's clearly Oscar bait.

But, for some reason, that's not the route they took.  I'm not sure why.

Though only a few people saw this movie, it was enough to get Naomi Watts a nomination for Best Actress. Still, it could have done much more at the box office and with the awards crowd.

Go see this movie.

7.  The Avengers

One of the more commonly repeated discussions among movie nerds this year was about whether The Dark Knight Rises was going to break the invisible barrier and be the first comic book movie to be nominated for Best Picture.  It was a fun discussion...but people were talking about the wrong movie.  While it doesn't have the artistic gravity of 2008's The Dark Knight, The Avengers is pretty much a perfect super hero movie.

Joss Whedon has solidified his position as King of the Geeks and I don't see him losing the title any time soon.

Here's what I wrote in my original review:

God Among Geeks Joss Whedon was brought on to write and direct The Avengers and he brings his other-worldly talent as a wordsmith fully to bear on this film.  As in everything he does, he's able to draw you into an unfamiliar world and then surprise you by making fun of it. Virtually every scene is punctuated by perfectly timed joke or sight gag.  Now, he's not lampooning or parodying super hero movies, not by any means.  He's simply allowing the movie to have a sense of humor about itself.  In the end, I that's what makes the whole thing work. I'm not kidding when I say that The Avengers should be up for a screenwriting Oscar.  

Now, the biggest no-no in comic book and super hero movies is crowding the story with too many characters.  Indeed, the quality of most super hero movies can be directly attributed to the number of villains.  Yet, with The Avengers, we see six different heroes competing for screen time, yet it doesn't fall into any of the pitfalls of past movies.   

For that, I have to give credit to the Marvel Universe idea.  While Thor and Captain America weren't great movies, they did allow their heroes to come into The Avengers as fully developed characters.  And, as the movie pipes along, you never get the sense that they're consciously trying evenly divide the story among the various heroes.  Indeed, they all existed independently before The Avengers and, if box office returns are any indication, they'll have long lives afterward.  It's a balancing act, to be sure, but Whedon pulls it off beautifully. 

6. Cloud Atlas

Screw all pessimists.  Yes, this movie wore its heart a little too much on its sleeve.  And, sure, some of the attempts to hide actors in ridiculous roles didn't work.  So the hell what.

Cloud Atlas is a feast for the senses and a wonderful movie-going experience.  It worked for me.  From the first scene where a mysteriously ragged Tom Hanks (see the image above) shows up on screen talking in an almost indecipherable dialect, I was hooked.  And, for three hours, it didn't let me go.

The more I think about Cloud Atlas, the more I like it.  But, as I said in my original review, I realize that it won't work for everyone:

Admittedly, there are times where the movie seems destined to devolve into an indecipherable mess.  However, the film is very well edited and paced.  For the most part, things move along at just the right speed and each element of each story is given the right amount of attention.  For the most part.   

In the end, it comes together efficiently, with each storyline getting an earned emotional payoff.  Even if none of the stories worked -- which they do -- the technical prowess displayed in putting them together so well  --  not to mention the incredible visuals that set each storyline apart -- would be worth the price of admission.   

The filmmakers whose prowess is display are Lana and Andy Wachowski (the minds behind The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run), all three of whom have director credits.  For the Wachowskis, this is easily their best work since the original Matrix movie.  After a series of misfires, they are completely on top of their game with Cloud Atlas. 

Ultimately, I understand why this movie hasn't worked for everyone.  It may be too much, too over-the-top for some.  Others may not like to have emotional themes spelled out for them.  And, of course, some people just can't sit through three hours of any movie.   

All I can say is that it worked for me.  Indeed, Cloud Atlas will quite likely find its way into my top 10 list for 2012.  

5.  Lincoln

Steven Spielberg's opus about our 16th president is a wonderful film.  That said, I honestly can't think of anything to say about it at the moment.  How's that for lazy?

Here's what I said about it in my original review:

Mr. Spielberg, though undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, has a mixed record when it comes to historical movies and period pieces.  And, in the lead up to Lincoln, many questioned what kind of movie it would be.

Would it be like Schindler's List or more like Amistad?  Would be like Saving Private Ryan or War Horse?

In a refreshing turn of events, it wasn't like any of them.  The movie, though emotional and moving, is free of the typical Spielbergian sentimentality.  It relies less on plot and action and more on acting and dialogue.  Indeed, it is easily the talkiest movie of Spielberg's entire career, and that's a good thing. 

A very good thing.

4.  Beasts of the Southern Wild

For a while, this was my favorite movie of the year.  It's a powerful, emotional piece of work that is as much about the world it creates as it is the story.  I was surprised to see it nominated for so many major Academy Awards -- Best Picture, Director, Actress, and Screenplay.  But, each nomination is very deserving.

From my review:

The first great success of this movie is the visceral depiction of life in the Bathtub.  The audience is placed right in the middle of this community.  You can almost smell the fish piled up at every dinner table and the dankness of the wet and rotting wood their homes are made of.  While it's ostensibly unpleasant, the scenes that take place in the modern world are, by comparison, without color and without feeling.  In the end, the Bathtub is clearly the place you want to be. 

The second great success, as you might have expected from my extended prologue, is the depiction of the characters. Wallis is, quite simply, an amazing screen presence.  Hushpuppy is a strong and willful character, but she lacks even a basic understanding of the world.  Too many successful child actors are just adults in little bodies (see: Dakota Fanning...creepy).  They can try to play children that are naive and ignorant, but there's always that feeling hanging over it all that it's just an act.  There is no such conceit hanging over Wallis's performance.  The youthful confidence coupled with the childlike naivete is just there on the screen, raw and unflinchingly real.  

If anyone cared about my opinion, I'd volunteer to lead her Oscar campaign.  

Henry's Wink is just as central to the story.  While he is mostly one note -- a drunk with an apparent ax to grind -- the layers of his character are revealed slowly as his illness and eventual fate come into greater view.  It's a great, heartbreaking performance.  

It's not all that rare for me to cry during a movie -- I'm kind of a squish when you get right down to it.  But, it is rare for me to cry during a movie, to weep a little on the way home, and to tear up when I think about the movie the next day.  Yet, that's precisely what kind of movie Beasts of the Southern Wild is.  It hits all the right emotional notes on the way to a resolution that is, at once, heart-rending and uplifting. 

3.  Looper

Easily the best sci-fi movie of the year.  It starts out as just a run-of-the mill futuristic actioner.  But, as it unfolds, it reveals a whole other side...a violent side that is equal parts brilliant and disturbing.  It all leads up to a climax that features, in my opinion, the best cinematic moment of the year.  It's a rare scene where the action, suspense, and emotional build-up reach the perfect payoff.

It won't mean much to you without seeing the whole movie, but, if you're interested, the scene I'm talking about begins at about 1:40 in this clip.  Play it loud.  Obviously, there are spoilers.

From my review:

Okay, let's say you've watched the trailers and commercials for Looper.  So, you're aware that it's a shoot-em-up actioner with an odd but interesting sci-fi premise.  You know that it involves a group of hit-men assigned to kill targets transported back in time from a future wherein time travel has been invented.  And, you know that the protagonist is assigned to kill his future self.

Sorry, you don't know anything about this movie.  Not of the most interesting parts anyway. 

There is a rich, detailed world created for this movie that's only hinted at in the trailers.  There are twists and wrinkles to the story that aren't even alluded to in the commercials.  Even if the movie wasn't very good -- and it is, believe me -- the studio could claim credit for outstanding marketing that managed to pull viewers in without giving everything away.  

It's a triumph all-around. 

2.  The Master 

Alright, I'm not sure whether this movie should this high on my list.  It may not be that good.  But, it may also be the best movie of the decade.  This is a movie that needs more reflection, more time to grow in our cinematic consciousness.  For me, it's a movie that I need to see at least one more time before I can be absolutely definitive.

What I will say is that, in 2012, no movie excited me and enthralled me like The Master.  At the same time, no movie in 2012 frustrated and befuddled me like The Master.  I don't think I've spent as much time thinking about a single movie.  But, because I'm still not sure about it, I didn't have the heart to put it at the top of my list.

One thing is for certain, Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the best directors working today.  The Master is either his best movie or his worst movie.  Only time will tell which one.

Oh, and one more thing.  With all apologies to Daniel Day-Lewis, Joaquin Phoenix deserves to win Best Actor this year.  I'm still haunted by what he was able to do in this movie.

From my review:

Ultimately, this is welcome entry into Paul Thomas Anderson's pantheon of greatness.  With his last two movies -- this film and There Will Be Blood -- Anderson has entered Kubrickian territory.  He reaches for profundity, borders on pretentiousness and tedium, but, in the end, he seems to knock it out of the park every single time.  Whether The Master will stand up next to Anderson's other work over time remains to be seen.  After one viewing, I'm pretty sure it belongs in the canon.  

1.  Zero Dark Thirty

Sadly, I didn't get around to writing a full review of Zero Dark Thirty.  Only so many hours in a day.

Still, though it was difficult to come up with the rest of the movies on this list and put them in order, I knew from the beginning of this process that this would be my top choice.  I knew from the moment the credits began to roll in the theater that this was my favorite movie of the year.

Zero Dark Thirty is, quite simply, as close to perfect as movies get.

From the opening moments when we hear the recorded phone calls from victims in the towers on 9/11 to the final moments of comfortless relief after the killing of Osama bin Laden, this movie takes hold of the audience and never lets go.  It's a first-rate mystery, a brilliant political thriller, and, in the final act, an incredible action movie.

Jessica Chastain gives a raw, slow-burn performance as the Maya, the CIA agent that eventually chased down the leads that led to death of America's top enemy.  Her portrayal perfectly encapsulates the moral confusion that surrounds the War on Terror.  Though her conviction and commitment are not ever questioned, she shudders when watching a brutal interrogation.  And, in the end, it's not clear that achieving her goal will bring her any peace.

The biggest travesty of the Oscar season is Kathryn Bigelow's snub for Best Director.  As with The Hurt Locker, she does a masterful job at building suspense.  But, with Zero Dark Thirty, she does most of it without the threat of an imminent explosion.  The movie gives a big eff-you to Hollywood conventions.  It's not about patriotism, it's about the truth, laying out the facts and letting the audience be the judge.

I won't delve too much into the controversy has surrounded this movie, I'll just say that anyone who claims that the film is pro-torture didn't watch it very closely.

Zero Dark Thirty is, without a doubt in my mind, the best movie of 2012.

So, there you have it people.  Just to recap, here is the list from top to bottom:

1.  Zero Dark Thirty
2.  The Master
3.  Looper
4.  Beasts of the Southern Wild
5.  Lincoln
6.  Cloud Atlas
7.  The Avengers
8.  The Impossible
9.  Argo
10. (tie) Skyfall and Silver Linings Playbook