Come one, come all to the truly greatest season of movies-all. Well, at least one of my favorite times
of the year. January is always a
rather dull month, not just for film, but life in general. Holidays have passed, New Year craze
dies down, resolutions begin to falter and fade to black. Summer is still half a year away; most
of the country is riddled with shivering cool weather (except Miami of course,
hate on hate on). So for me, the
award seasons for movies always kind of grasp my attention span to kill those
early season blunders. Golden
Globes just passed and Oscars will arrive in February. SOOOOOO, in the meantime, yours truly
will once again bestow upon you “his” fellow choices for what was the 10 best
selections in film over the past 12 months in 2012. As always, I like to mention that this list is never
the end-all-be-all superior list.
What makes watching movies so fascinating is how differently they affect
us. No one choice is right or
wrong when we all have so many different emotions that react separate from one
another. Several movies on this
list surprised even ME that I would not only enjoy them but enjoy them enough
to merit “top ten of the year” worthy.
And that is the epitome of what movies will forever bring to our
hearts. The shock they can still
overcome what we expect to endure and delightful surprises of what we never see
coming. A passion of mine I never
see dying. Here’s to all you other
devoted movie-nerds out there that enjoy the escape from our reality over
motion pictures. To those special
few films that really lifts us out of our worlds and into another realm. These are my favorites for the past
year…ENJOY!
As the years gone by, I feel these unlucky devils that narrowly
missed making the list are more deserving of a few notes than just a title
sound off. Here’s a bit on the
ones I really wanted to put but couldn’t place them above the main 10.
Dark Knight Rises – the truly epic-scale-for an action-movie
send off to what was a memorable trilogy, the Batman series will be tough to
topple by whomever takes the torch after Christopher Nolan. The opening half of the movie was terrific, musical score probably the best of all three movies (i have ran and worked out to the music several occasions, bane's theme is epic to say the least). However, this finale piece wasn’t on
the level of its two predecessors.
Weakest story of the 3 films (by far), and a horrid final 3rd
act that really let the fans more than anyone else down I feel. Outside of another strong casted
villain performance played well by the up and coming Tom Hardy, this Batman
movie was the most “action packed” of the 3 and in-turn fumbled what made the
first two so iconic; powerful story-telling with impeccable lead as well as
supporting performances. Rises was
fun to watch, but forgettable over time whereas the first two were truly iconic
movies. That is why this is the
first of the Nolan series to miss out on my top 10.
Dredd – perhaps a bit too kind on my part but I personally
thought this movie was the most FUN and ACTION PACKED movie of the year. A film I had no doubt would be horrible
and forgettable. Dredd destroys
its original 90s model starring Sylvester Stallone by leaps and bounds. If you recall how Blade 1 surprised
audiences and came onto the screen with loads of blood, gore and awesome action
scenes, watch Dredd and thank me later.
The Impossible – terrific story of human survival based on
the amazing true events of the Tsunami that tore apart Thailand in 2004, this
story follows an American family who gets separated after the huge wave hits,
and how a mother and father go through hell and back to find their family
again. Powerful scenes and well
acted drama. Highly recommend.
Zero Dark Thirty - Director Katheryn Bigelow’s follow-up to
her highly acclaimed and Oscar Best Picture film The Hurt Locker is a mammoth
of story-telling, pacing and vigorous tension. When a film nearly pushes 3 hours and has zero to almost no
action, you better have a story to tell.
And what better story to compel audiences than the “greatest manhunt in
American history” as your tagline.
The final closing half hour of the film depicts the infamous raid
mission on Osama’s compound and Bigelow takes us POV style as if were one of
the members, the intensity is as vivid as any moment in film all year.
AND NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADU.........
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10 – DJANGO UNCHAINED
One of the most anticipated movies of 2012 that I was excited to
see. Django had it all; amazing
cast with a great director who wrote a fantastical idea of a screenplay. Tarintino continues not to
disappoint behind the lens or pad.
Here he arguably directs one of his funniest movies he ever done, even
though almost all of his films have a comedic undertone in their relatively
gory affairs. Django, story of a
black slave (Jamie foxx) who is freed by a bounty hunter (a superb Christopher
Waltz, who basically plays the same character from Inglorious Basterds but on
the good side here), who needs Django to help him find a slew of brothers who
only he knows how they look. But
the most fun of this movie comes once we reach Candyland and were introduced to
Candy, played by as good an acting job the great Leo DiCaprio can still show
us. It seems every movie he stars in he outdoes his last. Albeit a
short performance on screen, DiCaprio holds the audience hostage and commands
its attention in every scene he possesses on screen. Fantastic supporting roles by Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry
Washington as well. Django was a
wonderful, entertaining piece of filmmaking that starts off our top 10.
9 – THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
The first of a couple movies that I mentioned before that
surprised even ME, Perks by far away wasn't a movie even on my radar of must-sees. Not only did I not take this movie very seriously (at first
glance), I honestly only even watched it because of my secret affinity for Emma
Watson (Hermione, I miss youuuuuuu).
Anyway lol. Back on topic
here, the film follows a high school outsider Charlie whose dealing
with a number of personal issues, one of which is a twist we discover by the
final act that truly is worthy of a “didn’t-see-that-coming” award. When he finally befriends Sam and her
stepbrother Patrick, the three become best of friends and the siblings in
particular help fill the holes missing in Charlie’s disturbed life. I talk a lot about story-telling being
a supreme component in watching movies, and Wallflower’s enticing premise is
what glued me to the screen for its entirety. Many high school flashbacks to making tape recordings of
your favorite songs (today’s youth will not understand this hell) to fitting in
when you weren’t the prototypical jock or bully type. I was never an introvert by any stretch,
but I knew the types that were and had a few close friends that dealt with
similar disadvantages. The story
definitely hits a home run, however it’s one that wont be one loved by
all. Movie buffs out there ought to
give this small film a try, the result might surprise you too.
8 – ARGO
Gigli, Jersey Girl, Daredevil, Reindeer Games. Who is this Ben Affleck that hopped
behind the camera lens? This guy
has gone from laughing stock forgettable actor to mesmerizing, respected
award-winning director. It’s a
truly dumbfounding revelation.
Affleck is now a perfect 3/3 as Director, and all 3 of his films have
made my top 10 list (Gone Baby Gone, The Town). In Argo, he tells the story of one of CIAs most ludicrous
plots that only recently became public to the world. A movie about a "fake movie" to help get Americans out of Iran
in the 1979 hostage crisis that lasted months. A truly incredible story directed and paced feverishly by
Affleck, the suspenseful moments are truly remarkable and have to be
appreciated by this guy. Helping
is one of the strongest casts of any movie out in 2012, Bryan Cranston (of
Breaking Bad hysteria), Alan Arkin, John Goodman just to name a short few. Affleck himself even shows his
better-of-late acting chops. Argo
is a good story turned into a great movie due to the man behind the lens with
an even greater cast playing their roles to perfection.
7 – END OF WATCH
Cop films these days have become a dime a dozen. Mostly formulaic, predictable and
recycled. From the attractions
this one looked to me like a complete rip off of Training Day, minus the big
name villain. I couldn’t have been
more wrong, despite the director of Training Day helming this movie. End of watch throws the audience into
the lives of two cop partners, Brain and Miguel, best of friends played with
wonderful charisma by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. The two arguably displayed the best
on-screen chemistry of any two actors in 2012. End of Watch documents the everyday lives of these two cops as they patrol the perilous duty of monitoring the scum of Los Angeles. The movie uses the sometimes annoying use of
handheld-documentary cameras to give the look of a more “in your face”
realism. For the most part it works
because you surely get a sense that you feel like your following these guys
into the dark gritty streets of LA.
Outside of Training Day, this truly was one of the better cop dramas to
come out in recent memory. A tour
de force of emotion, action and drama.
The two cops will even make you laugh in the middle of it all, and that is a testament
to just how good Jake and Michael acted and played off each other in the
movie.
6 – LIFE OF PI
The most technologically eye-popping film of 2012 and
without question the best use of 3-D since James Cameron’s Avatar, Life of Pi
was simply a wonderful, spell binding tale to watch unfold. Immediately regret not having seen this
in the theaters, very possible this movie may have ranked higher. Despite the case, the overwhelming
fantasy story of an Indian boy lost at sea with a tiger named Rob Parker after
a stormy shipwreck is gripping and moving even. A humane story about love, loss and finding faith when none
exist. Pi is based off a 2001
novel of the same name that was turned down by 5 publishers before getting
picked up. The rest, as they say,
is history as the book went on to win many prizes around the globe and now
earning 11 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. It’s an automatic shoo-in to win all
the technical/effects awards as no movie literally popped out the screen at you
quite like Director Ang Lee made Pi.
I never been as huge of a fan of Ang Lee as most people are of his work
(Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hulk, Brokeback Mountain), however this is by
far his most brilliant work behind the lens. Although the story may appear to be geared toward a more
family-friendly affair, the movie depicts some dark yet telling lessons that
even young adults may learn to appreciate of life and all its ugly nature. A story of survival and keeping the
faith, Pi is one of the rarest forms of entertainment that you truly forget
you’re lost inside of a movie.
With equally as compelling story as its jaw dropping-effects. This will be a must own come its Blu
Ray release date.
5 – SKYFALL
Two words.
Bond, James Bond. Okay
technically that’s three. But it’s
been awhile since a Bond entry got to make the cut into my top ten (Casino
Royale) and the first ever to clinch the top 5. Skyfall was as close to a masterpiece as a Bond film can
reach. It was the darkest Bond
film to date, by far. And as with
all Bond films, it cannot be truly memorable without a conniving and cunning
villain. And leave that to Javier
Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Vicky Christina Barcelona) who may have put all
previous Bond villains to bed. His
depiction of a bitter ex MI6 employee with a brilliant mind to manipulate,
capture and kill his former employers was as riveting and stirring as any
villain of 2012 (only Tom Hardy’s Bane was as equally prolific, but Bane was
more physique where Bardem was more Joker to Bond’s Batman). Daniel Craig plays the iconic
character for the third time and truly has never been better, showing an
immense range in emotion than we haven’t seen in the previous two bonds where
he mostly has been stoic and cold.
Here we get to see where Bond came from, grew up, even some family
background. The climatic final
showdown doesn’t disappoint whatsoever.
With all Bond movies, a bit of disbelief is going to be warranted. However, even on Bond movie standards,
Skyfall was indeed the Mona Lisa of them of all. Here’s to shaken and never stirred Martinis, cheers.
4 – LOOPER
The mind-fuck award of 2012 goes to #4 on this list,
Looper. A movie that was an
immense amount of fun to watch.
And really is a treat to watch the second time around. Looper had one of the most incredible
original stories to tell of any movie in 2012, a shock in today’s
Hollywood. The story follows the
idea that time travel got invented in the future but was immediately outlawed
and only used by corrupt organizations to send those they wanted killed back in
the past to be assassinated by “loopers” who would be paid for their work by
attaching silver to the victims sent through time. Still with me?
Exactly lol. Believe me
this is a movie that really can’t be explained verbally without giving your
audience a question face expression.
For those who enjoyed films like Inception, Matrix, Back to the Future,
with a little bit of Terminator thrown in for good measure, Looper has elements
of all those classics sprinkled over its elaborate sophisticated plot. When a looper, Joe (JGL) is assigned to
kill one of these victims in the past, he realizes the guy sent back in time is
him from the future (Bruce Willis).
In his moment of shock, older Joe gets free and is on the loose in the
past, which is a huge no-no and can cause younger Joe his job and even his
life. Yea still lost there? And not to mention I haven’t begun to
discuss the main reason older Joe wants to be in the past. There is so much richness in this story
it truly would be criminal to give any more away. To any sci-fi fan out there that enjoys a good old fashion
time travel story, Looper will be a movie that surely won’t disappoint.
3 – FLIGHT
Denzel Washington has long been billed as one of Hollywood’s
crème de le crème, A-list actors.
Often than we’d like he does many moderate forgettable films such as the
early in the year Safe House. But when
he puts his acting hat on for a role we revel to see him in, that is when we
get to see Denzel for all he has to offer. And such is the case for his performance in Robert
Zemeckis’s Flight. The Director
behind Castaway and Forrest Gump, this is his first live-action film he’s done
since 2000’s Castaway and it doesn’t show one bit. Denzel plays one of the darkest roles I’ve ever seen him
play, as a drunken-alcoholic pilot who heroically lands a plane that is doomed
to crash, saving the majority of the passengers lives by flying the plan
upside-down seconds before it crash lands. The move was ballsy yet saved almost all their lives. But when tests show the pilot had a BAL
twice that of the legal limit, answers are demanded and Denzel is thrown from
hero to finger-pointed blame for those who perished aboard. Don Cheadle plays the company’s
appointed attorney to help diminish the case against Denzel, but the man has to
want to be saved. And in the midst
of his down-whirl spiral, we see him go places I have never seen him as an
actor go. Best Actor is all but
assured to go to Daniel Day Lewis’s amazing portrayal of Lincoln, however I for
one believe no one acted better in a film than Denzel Washington did in
Flight. Single-handedly carried
this amazing story about a broken man whose years of self-hate and self-pity
come to a climax by the story’s final act that truly warrants the stuff Oscars
are made of. Flight is a strong,
emotionally moving piece of filmmaking.
And I hope it doesn’t get lost in the mud at this years awards…but it
most likely will.
2 – LES MISERABLES
The shocker of 2012 has to be this 3-hour epic musical of
the legendary story by Victor Hugo, the amazing Les Miserables. A story re told and re told for over
100 years, made into a musical-Broadway hit and now its most updated version
yet, this was the first time I have ever watched the story unfold. As a movie buff and admirer, I give
every movie its honest due, however I for one was very skeptical walking into a
3 hour musical of which I typically detest. I walked in the theater flushed; when I walked out I was
floored. The great cat and mouse
tale of the criminal Jon Valjean (played masterfully by Hugh Jackman) and
police inspector Javert (one of Russell Crowe’s best work acting wise) takes
place over the course of 17 years, beginning with Valjean’s parole after serving
19 years of slavery for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s dying
child. Javert is a policeman who
shows no mercy for sorrows or humanity, he lives by the letter of the law
through and through. And although
Crowe’s singing ability leaves something to be desired, his acting trumpets the
few notes he can’t hit, enough to look over its imperfections. Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of the
ill-fated Fantine is absolutely terrific and is a sure lock for best supporting
actress for the Oscars. Her rendition
of the soulful “I Dreamed a Dream” will leave you breathless. Musicals clearly are a
love-it-or-hate-it system and you’re either going to love this movie for the
music or despise it because of it.
I am not the typical musical lover, admittedly. However the epic-scope of the story that
transpired completely engulfed my emotions. I simply have never had a movie do so before so vigorously. The movie deserves an audience, musical
lovers or non alike. Some men will
force themselves to hate this movie because of a lack of toughness that comes
with enjoying a musical. I dare
those men to show true form and admit to something that moves you no matter the
subject. Oh and did I mention the
soundtrack deserves an award itself?
Even once you look past Crowe’s inept voice, his solo pieces grow on you
because the music and story just bury you in its powerful message. Great music, great acting, GREAT
MOVIE!!!!!
1 – SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK
Rom-coms have come a long long way when one can reach the
status of Best Movie of the Year.
However, in years since the great Sleepless in Seattle in 1993, You’ve
Got Mail years later and all the muddled recycled teeny-bopper crap in between,
rom coms have truly elevated the manner of which they been perceived. Here David Russell directs quite
arguably one of the best motion pictures I’ve seen in the past half
decade. Silver Lining Playbook is
a human story carried solely by its characters. Bradley Cooper (who finally shows here he has top-bill actor
abilities) plays Pat, who is out of a mental hospital suffering from bi-polar
after walking in on his wife having sex with another man, and nearly beating
him to death. He blurts out
obscenities with no filter and is a major asshole to just about anyone who he
comes across. Whether its his own mother
and father (played to absolute wonder by Jacki Weaver and Robert DeNiro, who
hasn’t acted THIS GOOD in god knows when), best friend and his wife and her
sister Tiffany (played by the charming and elegant Jennifer Lawrence who has
matured so fast its hard to imagine she was just in Hunger Games a few months
earlier). Pat is thrusted back
into reality once he gets back home, but works on keeping himself busy with
activities; such as running with a garbage bag round his neighborhood, or
watching Eagles-football with his widely obsessive and superstitious father
(DeNiro). However when Pat meets
Tiffany, who is recovering from mental issues of her own after her husband
died, an unusual type of spark obviously ignites but not exactly how you think
it will. Pat still believes Nikki
(his ex wife) is the one and he is determined to get passed her restraining
order to prove to her he’s a new man.
There are layers and layers of rich human-emotion told throughout this
amazing story masquerading as a romantic comedy. To label this film as another run of the mill rom com is
like calling Johnny Walker another whiskey bottle. It’s just disrespectful, ok lol. Not since 1981 has the Oscars recognized a movie with
nominating all its actors in all 4 of its acting categories. Throw in best picture nomination as
well and you can see why this movie is getting the credit it definitely
deserves. The movie will make you
laugh, make you cringe, make you scream and yes, may even make you cry (a particular
scene where Pat’s father breaksdown to him is one that moved my emotions with
reminders of my own father).
Silver Lining Playbook is a rare kind of dramedy that has elements of a
rom com, drama and comedy. A feat
that’ll surely find an audience in all fashions. I was so impressed and left in awe by the ending of the
picture, even if everyone knows how it’s going to end. The speech DeNiro tells his son Pat
that deals with letting moments in life pass you by being a sin is one of the
most moving “chill scenes” expressed in any kind of drama you’ll see. The ending will still sweep you off
your feet and not leave you for a long long time. A movie I’m actually excited to watch again and again as the
years go bye.
