Terry's Top Ten Films of 2012

It always takes me a little longer to get my top 10 list of the year out than my two companions.  This is mainly because I have more trouble finding time to view the top films of the year before the come out on DVD.  Eventually I see them all and am able to put out a strong top films of the year.  This last year was one of those years where I think the Academy got it pretty right with who they honored at the Oscars.  This not only makes for a much more enjoyable Oscars ceremony, but also gives me increased faith in the awards systems.  Eight of the Best Picture nominees can be found in my top ten.  The one that is not I have yet to view (Beasts of the Southern Wild) but I feel confident enough in the ten that I have to go with it without viewing this one yet (Update: I saw Beasts and it did not crack the list).  So far, I have given out nine 4 star ratings for 2012 which is my lowest total since 2009 when there were eight 4 stars.  However, with that said, I believe this was a good year for movies because of the quality of the these ten movies at the top.  With all that said, here is the list.

Honorable Mention

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Haywire

Skyfall

This Is 40

10.  Amour (Dir. by Michael Haneke)

Let me start by saying this type of film is not my cup of tea.  I am usually not a fan of quiet subtle character studies.  I usually differ to Todd or Zach to discuss the greatness of this genre.  However, Haneke's latest achievement about an elderly couple dealing with the trials and struggles of the twilight years impressed me so much I had to put it on my list.  I still didn't necessarily "like" this movie in the traditional sense of the word, but I was fascinated by it and by the beauty of its subtlety.  The screenplay is brilliant because of everything it doesn't say.  There isn't much plot in the story, but most of the events that advance the plot are not seen or heard.  The film is not about what is happening, but about how people react to and cope with those events.  The beauty is in the non-verbals which led to two amazing performances from the Oscar-nominated Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant.  If nothing else, this film shows the incredible artistry of a unique filmmaker.

9.  The Avengers (Dir. by Joss Whedon)

This is probably the closest thing to a polar opposite that you could find to the last film on the list.  However, I would be lying if I didn't say the superhero mega-movie event wasn't one of the most enjoyable movie-going experiences of the year.  Individually, some characters made decent films (Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger) and some didn't (Thor) but together they made an explosive team that saved the world.  I could watch this movie over and over and over again.

8.  Lincoln (Dir. by Steven Spielberg)

I love a good historical drama.  When you add to that one of the better directors of the last 30 years, one of the best actors of the last 25 years, and one of the most beloved characters in American history, you are bound to have a masterpiece.  That is exactly what this combination brought.  Daniel Day-Lewis once again gave a career-defining performance (I believe this makes 5 career-defining performances for him) as he became the embodiment of the character instead of simply playing him.  Add to that some of the best supporting performances of the year from one of the most impressive casts of the year, and you really can't find anything to complain about.

7.  Les Miserables (Dir. by Tom Hooper)

When I heard they were making a movie version of my favorite musical of all time, my only reaction was, "Don't screw it up."  What I realized after watching the film was you really can't screw it up.  It was not a perfect movie.  I had some issues with some of the casting decisions and some of the performances, however when it came down to it the story is so good and the music tells the story so well that less than perfect still produced a masterpiece.  I give Tom Hooper a lot of credit for this because he realized the best way to bring this musical to the screen is to not mess with what made it a great musical, and that is the music.  By keeping the singing throughout and allowing the actors bring their characters to life through song, it gave the film the emotion and epic scale that makes the musical so beloved.

6.  Looper (Dir. by Rian Johnson)

This was one of the best kept secrets of last year.  However, by the time saw this movie, I had heard from everyone that had seen it that it was the most underrated film of the year.  So the hype had definitely built up.  With that said, it lived up to all the hype.  What a unique and original movie!  As all great sci-fi films do, it establishes its reality quite well, but what makes this one stand out is the reality we are forced to live in for two hours.  The unique and fascinating premise is so thought-provoking in itself that when the plot starts taking its twists and turns, you are hooked and on the edge of your seat for the duration.  Looper redefined time travel movies in a way District 9 a few years ago redefined alien movies.

5.  Django Unchained (Dir. by Quentin Tarantino)

It seems that no matter when Tarantino makes a film, it ends up on my top films of the year no matter how ridiculous the film is.  Django is a perfect example.  If you were to hear about a film with this premise, you would think it was a joke.  A slave right before the Civil War is freed to work with a bounty hunter to hunt down and kill slave owners.  What a terrible sounding, offensive movie!  This film should never be made!  Then you're told that Quentin Tarantino is making it.  All of a sudden it becomes one of the movie events of the year and a soon-to-be masterpiece.  It almost seems like Tarantino wants to see how far he can push it before he gets run out of Hollywood.  This will never happen though.  First, Tarantino would run away from Hollywood before he would be considered a part of it.  Second, he makes films in a way no one else does.  His screenplays and dialogue are so unique and his plot lines are so original, he has practically created a genre of his own.  Because of that, every time we see Tarantino work we see something we have never seen before.  This is what makes films like Django so great.  I'm sure if we saw films like these everyday then Tarantino wouldn't wow us so much.  But we don't, so they do.

4.  Zero Dark Thirty (Dir. by Kathryn Bigelow)

It is rare that such a moment of recent history is brought to the screen so quickly and so effectively.  Kathryn Bigelow has built a reputation for herself that I don't think anyone else should ever make a film about the Middle East besides her.  I really don't like a lot of the movies that are coming out about the wars in the Middle East, but Bigelow has now succeeded in making two masterpieces on the subject.  This film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden is so honest and suspenseful that it draws you in from the very first scene.  The last half hour of the movie is one of the greatest war sequences I have ever seen.  It is definitely a film that takes you for a ride.

3.  Life of Pi (Dir. by Ang Lee)

This film surprised me more than any other this year.  I knew nothing about it going in except there was a boy, a boat, and a tiger.  I also knew that it was getting more recognition than I looked like it should by the awards season.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Yes, it is a story about a boy, a boat, and a tiger, but it is so much more than that.  It is a story about faith, survival, and imagination.  And when you put an imaginative story like this into the creative hands of Ang Lee, you are bound to have one of the greatest movie experiences you can find.  I loved everything about this movie.  The story is incredible, which you almost forget about because the film is so beautiful to watch which is a given when Ang Lee is at the helm.  On top of all this, the film ends in a way that keeps you thinking for days.  It is one of those films where you need to have a discussion with someone to debrief after you are done watching it.  This is a film I will never get tired of talking about.

2.  Silver Linings Playbook (Dir. by David O. Russell)

Out of all the films on this list, this is the most human story with the characters you relate to the most with the best overall acting job of the year.  This film about a bipolar finding his way to be normal in the world is quirky, heartbreaking, funny, serious.  In short, it is life.  Few films capture life in all its dynamics like this does.  In a lot of ways (and my counterparts will hate me for this), it is a lot like Sideways in this way.  There is a real life story told with flawed, complete characters in a way real life actually is.  However, Silver Linings would have been nothing if not for its stellar cast.  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence show they can do a lot more than what the general public recognize them for, and when you can round out your cast with a living legend you have a perfect cast.  I know some of you were thinking the living legend was Chris Tucker, but it's not.  It was Robert De Niro.

1.  Argo (Dir. by Ben Affleck)

If any of you have read any of my other posts or know what my favorite movies are, you will know that my all-time favorite type of movie is a 20th Century American History film.  Whether it's Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, or Frost/Nixon, there is something about this time period that appeals to me.  Argo is the latest film I can add to this list.  Ben Affleck is quickly becoming one of the best directors we have with this film being his masterpiece about the rescue mission of the Americans who escaped before the hostages were taken in Iran.  This movie feels like an instant classic, and instantly became one of my favorite movies of the last number of years.  I really don't know how to describe it other than: awesome.

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Oscar Breakdown and Handicapping: Original and Adapted Screenplay

Over the next two weeks leading up to the Oscars, I am going to do a series breaking down each major categories individually and giving my own Vegas-style odds for each nominee’s chances of winning. Almost all of the relevant awards have taken place, with the exception of the Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, Costume Designers guilds. So if you need help with the OSCAR CHALLENGE, my advice is to just check the winners of those guilds over the next week or so and just go with them. Or just take Life of Pi in every technical category and the odds are that you will do just fine.

As for the screenplay categories, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), while it has the most member crossover with the Academy, there are always like 10 contending screenplays that are ineligible. They cannot fully be trusted, but they are a decent indicator. Their awards take place on Sunday, February 17^th, so some of the odds could be shifted a bit, but they aren’t going to completely shake anything up. All Oscar members vote on the winner, not just the writers. Check out my breakdown of the category below…

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

This category seemed basically decided a couple weeks ago. Now that Argo has steamrolled the competition in every single awards circuit, we have a race. Oh by the way, Silver Linings Playbook took the BAFTA, which has come to mean a lot in the past few years. It feels like the winner of this category will be our Best Picture winner.

5. Beasts of the Southern Wild (Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin)

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: BAFTA, USC Scripter

Case for the Oscar: The film got so much more love from the AMPAS than was expected. It clearly has its backing from the members, but these types of films do not win in the screenplay categories.

Oscar Doppelganger: Winter’s Bone, 2010. It has a similar pedigree and ultra-indie style film with a Best Picture nom. It had almost no chance of winning in the category due to the heavy favorites in the category.

Odds of winning: 250/1

4. Life of Pi (David Magee)

Notable awards: Satellite

Notable nominations: BAFTA, BFCA, Golden Globes, USC Scripter, WGA

Case for the Oscar: David Magee is a previous nominee (Finding Neverland). His film is pure Oscar bait, and there is a small chance that it could go all the way in several categories. It is not really a screenplay achievement, but if it is going to have a chance in the major categories, then this is probably the least consequential award it could throw its way. I like the film’s chance in Director more than Screenplay.

Oscar Doppelganger: Gladiator, 2000. It was a visual spectacle, yet only a decent achievement in screenplay. It looks and feels like a major Oscar contender, but there are a couple clear frontrunners in the category that prevent it from taking home the screenplay award.

Odds of winning: 80/1

3. Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)

Notable awards: BAFTA, National Board of Review

Notable nominations: BFCA, Golden Globes, Spirit Awards, USC Scripter, WGA

Case for the Oscar: The Weinstein factor is definitely prevalent here. Unless there is an unforeseen sweep for the film, this is its best chance to award David O. Russell for the first time. His speeches and appearances in interviews have been heartfelt and emotional. It is the story of his son, and that connection could pull a lot of votes for him. The material is total Oscar stuff, even more so than the films in front of it. These are the kinds of films that win.

Oscar Doppelganger: Precious, 2009. It was a great surprise on Oscar night when it won the award over the heavy favorite Up in the Air. It was the best chance to award the filmmaking of the indie that was all the talk around awards time but was stuck behind a couple unstoppable forces.

Odds of winning: 4/1

2. Lincoln (Tony Kushner)

Notable awards: Boston Critics, BFCA, Chicago Critics, National Society of Film Critics, New York Critics

Notable nominations: BAFTA, Golden Globes, USC Scripter, WGA

Case for the Oscar: It seemed as if there was no chance that it could lose a couple weeks ago. The screenplay is the movie, almost coming off like a stage play. It is very sophisticated and not really a typical winner, but one that should be awarded for keeping our attention for 150 minutes of dialogue.

Oscar Doppelganger: Good Night , and Good Luck, 2005. The styles are similar, being backboned by the dialogue-heavy script. It pretty much dominated awards season until one film rose up at the last minute and took its award. Lincoln’s chances are slightly better, though.

Odds of winning: 2/1

1. Argo (Chris Terrio)

Notable awards: Los Angeles Critics, USC Scripter

Notable nominations: BAFTA, BFCA, Golden Globes, WGA

Case for the Oscar: It is the overwhelming favorite for the top prize, so unless it is going to be the second film ever to take that without any other wins, then this is its best chance for another award. The script is tight and complex. The Scripter award has correlated with the Oscar every year since 2007. There are easier films to award in contention, and an “upset” would not be all that unexpected. However, at this point (WGA result pending), it is the one to beat.

Oscar Doppelganger: Breaking Away, 1979. This is a bit of a stretch, but what Argo has done is unprecedented and impossible to find a similar case. This is a terrific screenplay that took home the award against several more easily-digestible Oscar movies, including a courtroom drama and a lovable comedy-drama. It is probably the favorite to win, but it is by no means a significant favorite.

Odds of winning: 3/2

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

This category has taken quite a few shifts throughout awards season. Early on, it appeared that Zero Dark Thirty was going to be a slam dunk winner. Django Unchained’s buzz has come and gone and come back again. Amour continues to defy the odds and garner more buzz and accolades. This is always one of the coolest categories at the ceremony.

5. Flight (John Gatins)

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: BFCA, WGA

Case for the Oscar: This film stands almost no chance of winning. It is a great story, but the script is sort of sloppily-written. It does have some great characters, and the film did really well at the box office. Gatins is an interesting guy, and his roller coaster ride to the Oscar ceremonyis really a great story. A win would be one of the biggest shockers in recent memory, but never underestimate the popularity of Denzel Washington.

Oscar Doppelganger: The Color of Money, 1986. This is another commercially-popular movie with a nominated lead performance and directed by a major director. The movie was never really looked at as one of true quality, but it did receive some love from awards. The screenplay nomination is odd and had no chance going in, even though the main contenders were not exactly juggernauts.

Odds of winning: 350/1

4. Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola)

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: BAFTA, BFCA, Spirit Awards, WGA

Case for the Oscar: Wes Anderson movies are always among those films that are so quirky and interesting, yet they just cannot appeal to everyone. This film is his most conventional, which makes me think that this could be the film that the Academy could reward him for. These coming-of-age stories are not too popular in terms of winning screenplays, but the nominations are common. If there is a shock winner in either screenplay category, it could and should be this.

Oscar Doppelganger: Full Metal Jacket, 1987. The movie was made by a master of misunderstood and niche filmmaking. After a host of popular and nominated films, he made his most accessible movie yet. Screenplay was the film’s sole nomination, and while its chances of winning were slim, it may have been the best chance that its writer had at it.

Odds of winning: 50/1

 3. Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal)

Notable awards: Chicago Critics, Satellite

Notable nominations: BAFTA, BFCA, Golden Globes, WGA

Case for the Oscar: Mark Boal is a past winner, and there still may be some leftover love for The Hurt Locker. This film is so thickly researched and thrilling, and at least in my eyes, almost all of that credit should be given to Boal. His film missed out on a Best Director bid, which dampens the support for the film a bit. This screenplay is one of the contenders still, and I would not be shocked at all to hear it called on Oscar night.

Oscar Doppelganger: Crimes and Misdemeanors, 1989. After winning the Oscar, a few years later he is again invited to the ceremony with another huge success and brilliant screenplay. All of the main Best Picture contenders were in the Adapted category, so original could have gone to almost anything. The Academy may have wanted the writer to wait a little while for another award.

Odds of winning: 6/1

2. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)

Notable awards: BAFTA, BFCA, Golden Globes

Notable nominations: none

Case for the Oscar: It has been almost 20 years since Tarantino has won his Oscar, despite being perhaps the most popular American filmmaker working today. He was taken down by Mark Boal in 2009, and if he loses this time, then it will be like a Hilary Swank-Annette Bening type of rivalry beginning to brew. Django has the important wins so far, and since it was ineligible at the WGA, he won’t have to worry about losing steam there. Almost any other time, he would be the favorite. There is just one film ahead that has even more support than Tarantino’s blockbuster.

Oscar Doppelganger: As Good As It Gets, 1997. James L. Brooks won his Oscar more than a decade before, and this was his best chance to take home a second for screenwriting. He was up against a film that didn’t really have the awards or expectations as his film, but it had more overall Oscar support and wound up taking home the prize in what had to be an achingly close vote.

Odds of winning: 5/2

1. Amour (Michael Haneke)

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: BAFTA

Case for the Oscar: Michael Haneke’s films have been revolving around the Oscars for a while now, but this is easily his most accessible movie. The film has nominations in every major category that he could ask for, so we know the support is great. Despite being the no-brainer for Foreign Film, this is the category that the Academy can really show their support for the film and Haneke’s work on it. The other two realistic contenders are past winners, and Haneke got his first nominations this year at age 70. It would seem as if it is his turn.

Oscar Doppelganger: Talk to Her, 2002. If there had been the rules there are now back in 2002, then these cases would be identical. Almodovar’s film was up against a couple highly-touted writers, but his beautiful and heartbreaking film took home the award, the first for a foreign film since 1966. Look for something similar to happen. It may seem like an upset on paper, but given the situation and huge love for Amour, I am almost expecting it.

Odds of winning: 2/1

 

So, what do you think? What are your doppelgangers? Request me other non-Big 8 categories if you need more help with the OSCAR CHALLENGE. Stay tuned in the next couple days for my breakdown of Best Supporting Actress.

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Zach's Top Ten Films of 2012

I disagree with Todd about 2012.  I think it was the best year in movies since (at least) 2009.  In fact, I can prove this: That year, Inglorious Basterds ranked 5 on my year-end list.  This year, Django Unchained did not even make my top ten list.  And yet, I would consider Django a slightly better film between the two (solid Tarantino, not amazing, but still undeniably entertaining).  It is also the first year in my life where, if given choice between going to a theater and staying at home watching a movie, I would stay at home.  Theater audiences are talking and texting at seeming record-highs.  And it’s not a “generational” thing, as the talking heads love to claim – it’s more often than not 40-50 year olds who can’t shut up.  One of these days, I’ll grow up and tell them what I think . . . or maybe I’ll just trust the opposite of my instinct. OK, I’ll stop being grumpy now.

Films seen: 53
Thumbs up percentage: 56.66%

Best Actor: Jack Black, Bernie
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games

Best Supporting Actor: Michael Pena, End of Watch

Best Supporting Actress: Cecile de France, The Kid With a Bike

Underrated Films: Prometheus, The Dictator

Overrated Films: Silver Linings Playbook, The Cabin in the Woods, The Avengers

If I was an Oscar voter: Zero Dark Thirty, Michael Haneke (I haven’t seen Amour but it would be cool if he won), Daniel Day-Lewis, Jessica Chastain, Tommy Lee Jones, Helen Hunt. I think the Oscar nominations this year absolutely suck.

Worst Films of 2012: I’ll write this in an article about this later this week.  They deserve to be criticized at length.

Honorable Mention: Django Unchained, The Grey, A Late Quartet, Lincoln, Magic Mike

10. Compliance (Craig Zobel) Let me explain this pick.  First of all, I would not recommend you see this movie.  It is absolutely unbearable to watch.  Like Funny Games, it is not so much a movie or conventional story, but an experiment in illustrating human depravity manifested in its must vulgar forms.  The story (based on real-life events) takes place at a McDonalds restaurant, where a prank caller posing as a police detective orders one of the young female employees to strip, while various men are escorted in to “watch over” her.  It is neither entertaining nor sensational nor even particularly insightful.  It simply portrays the events as they surely must have happened, and it is horrifying.  It is like the 15-minute rape sequence in Irreversible stretched out to 85 minutes.  Some objected to the film’s sympathy for its characters’ unbelievably stupid actions, but the film effectively makes audiences question how blind compliance leads to unforgivable consequences.  The jury may be out on whether this is a “good” film or not, but few films have ever gotten deeper under my skin. 

9. Arbitrage (Nicholas Jarecki) When this film came out in September, most of the publicity it received was a result of its simultaneous DVD-theater-on demand release (“day-and-date” release).  But refreshingly, it actually turned out to be an outstanding film, starring Richard Gere (in maybe his best performance ever) as a hedge fund magnate who is caught in two serious, coinciding crises: The buyout of his firm, which has been guilty of accounting fraud for years, and the death of his mistress, for which he is squarely responsible.  The ways in which he is able to constantly get himself out of the walls caving in around him is amazing, and really makes you wonder whether the movie is just showing the powerful connections of Wall Street elite or, in a strange morbid way, romanticizing the craftiness of corrupt officials like Bernie Madoff (which Gere’s character appears at least partially inspired by).  Like last year’s brilliant Margin Call, this is a film rich with details about not just the downfall of Wall Street after the 2008 meltdown, but about the people most responsible (and subsequently affected) by the crash.  This is made all the more impressive by the fact that is the first feature screenplay and film by the 33-year-old director.

                                                         

8. Looper (Rian Johnson)  Think Minority Report-meets-The Terminator with a little bit of Inception on the side.  It’s not just that the story is ingenious, involving elements of time-travel, black market crime syndicates, and vigilante terrorism, but that the particular dramatic situations cannot possibly be described without an intricate knowledge of the sophisticated world the movie creates.  The screenplay is ingenious in its construction of this dystopian future, but also its creation of interesting characters and wonderfully unique encounters (such as when Joseph Gordon-Levitt converses with Bruce Willis, the future version of himself, over a cup of coffee).  Where it lacks Minority Report’s jaw-dropping visual palette, it makes up for in a surprising degree of intimacy, particularly with the characters of Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt, who are left with the unenviable task of (yes, just go with me here) deciding how the fate of the world will be impacted through their actions.  And believe it or not, there is not a second of it which is corny.

7. End of Watch (David Ayer)  Technically it is a buddy cop film, but honestly, it is much deeper than that.  Not unlike The Hurt Locker, Ayer’s film explores the undercurrents of men who seek out dangerous situations for a living.  They do it not necessarily because they feel a larger duty to improve the world, but also because they are addicted to the thrill of it.  To them, there is no other worthwhile existence.  Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena play the two LAPD cops at the center of the story, who monitor the streets of South Central Los Angeles. The film charts roughly a year in their lives, as they go through various marriages and childbirths in the midst of ongoing drug busts and homicide investigations.  The film is exciting, funny, cynical, tense, and most of all, real.  These feel like extremely real people, which is the result of a unique handheld visual aesthetic, career-best performances by Gyllenhaal and Pena, and a story which at first seems familiar, but delves into quite unexpected terrain at times. 

6. The Queen of Versailles (Lauren Greenfield)  Let me describe this film for you (and hopefully you’re looking at the picture I’ve provided).  This is a documentary about Jaqueline “Jackie” Siegel, a bleached-blonde former model with an impressive boob job.  She is married to David Siegel, 30 years her senior and head of the world’s most profitable time-share corporation.  They are billionaires.  When the film opens in 2008, they are in the process of constructing the world’s most expensive private home (which they dub “Versailles,” pronouncing the “s”).  The first half-hour feels like a Real Wives-esque exploration into the absurd lives of the rich and famous.  But as this film goes along, it turns into something very different: a portrait of aristocratic people struggling to retain not only their economic status, but their dignity.  It does a tremendous job of showing (but not convincing) audiences why anyone ever voted for Mitt Romney.  And maybe the most amazing thing about it is that, in a strange way, the Siegels come off as . . . kind of likable.  Particularly Jackie, who is less bubbly and vapid as she is insightful, candid, and self-deprecating.  And I hate rich people.  I watched this film curious and bored late on a Saturday night.  I have been thinking about it ever since.

5. Bernie (Richard Linklater)  There was no funnier movie in 2012 than Bernie, and there was no performance as dynamic, hilarious, and surprisingly deep as Jack Black.  He plays an East Texas assistant funeral home director who befriends an elderly widow who everyone in town hates.  From there, the story turns into a dark comedy of manners by way of Texas stereotypes (always good fodder for Christopher Guest-inspired mockumentaries like this one).  This is the first collaboration of Black and Richard Linklater since their wonderful School of Rock in 2003, and like that film, Bernie features great music, hilarious one-liners, and a story which at first sounds contrived, but when put in the right hands, is completely unique and fascinating.  Also – the scene introducing the juror members in San Augustine may be the funniest scene I’ve ever seen in a movie.  I’m not being hyperbolic.  When I saw it, I went into compulsive, uncontrollable laugher and missed the next five minutes of the film attempting to be polite to the rest of the audience by controlling myself (unsuccessfully).

4. Argo (Ben Affleck)  Affleck’s three prior features (Hollywoodland, Gone Baby Gone, and The Town) showed competency, even while lacking in sophisticated narrative structures, but Argo is clearly the finest film he’s ever been a part of behind the camera.  The story is compelling because it is constantly shifting between three interesting components: The plight of the hostages in hiding at the Canadian diplomat’s house, the escalating security crisis at the CIA, and the cynical lives of B-list film executives.  Appropriately, the film is full of heart-pulsing action and suspense, tense drama, and biting satire.  Can you think of a more unexpected hybrid of genres?  Not to mention, this film is all based on true declassified events.  There is not a single uninteresting moment in this film as the story is shown with great economy, rising tension, and many surprises.  This is one of many major Hollywood features in the last decade to deal with major crises in the Arab world, but this may be the only one that does it in such a riveting and flat-out entertaining manner.

3. The Kid With a Bike (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne)  The Dardenne Brothers have never made a bad film (except maybe Lorna’s Silence, which was only OK) and The Kid With a Bike is one of their very best.  The story is, not surprisingly, simple: A 12-year-old boy (with, yes, a bike) is abandoned by his insolvent father, put in an orphanage, and befriended by kindly hairdresser who eventually becomes his guardian of sorts.  He then is tempted into criminal action in spite of his better instincts.  If this sounds like the plot of Oliver Twist, you’re not too far off, since the story also deals with issues of peer pressure, alienation and abandonment, and class divisions.  This is one of those wonderful movies, like last year’s A Separation, which shows straightforward, easily-understood events, but characters whose thoughts and actions are fascinating to read into.  Why does the boy resort to the actions he does?  Why is the woman so deeply drawn to him?  What will happen to these people?  In a lesser film, these might be flaws; in a great film like this, they are blissfully unresolved circumstances left to ponder by engrossed audiences.

2. Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow) Let’s tackle the controversy head on.  First, Republicans have vilified this film because it shows how torture tactics were used to gain intelligence from suspected terrorists (which they say had little direct impact on the Seal Team Six raid), while hunches such as the one Maya has in this film were routinely scoffed at by CIA bureaucracy.  Meanwhile, liberals claim that the film shows how the Obama administration’s anti-torture policies were met with resistance by anti-terrorism units.  Roger Ebert attacked the film (unfairly) as jargon-ridden poor storytelling, while the Academy distanced itself from controversy by not nominating it in several obvious categories (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound).  All of this is inexplicable.  First of all, the torture scenes are shown as part of the larger reality of interrogation processes that existed in detention camps in the years following 9/11; as Bigelow herself recently told the Los Angeles Times, no one can deny that waterboarding was common, if not routine.  To exclude portraying it would be irresponsible and would make Bin Laden’s capture oversimplistic.  The Obama administration is tacitly criticized in the film, but by its characters, not its filmmakers, and the intent is to open up a wider discourse about how we treat suspected terrorists and what appropriate methods of gathering intelligence should be.  Not only is this masterful cinema, but like all great movies, it begs a meaningful dialogue afterwards.  I don’t know if this is a better or worse movie than The Hurt Locker, but for what it’s worth, Bigelow and Boal are the best filmmaking team working today.

1. The Hunger Games (Gary Ross) Like two years ago when I walked into a theater showing the bastardized American remake of Let the Right One In, I never in a million years would have guessed this movie would top my list of the year’s best films, let alone be mentioned on the list (except maybe a spot on the year’s worst films list).  But the truth is, from its opening moments and through its entire running length, The Hunger Games was the year’s most entertaining, unpredictable, and captivating motion picture.  It was the only 2012 film that, while watching it in a darkened, packed movie theater, made me completely forget about the real world around me.  Forget the fact, for a moment, that the film was based on a popular teen book series; this was a film that had a surprising amount of depth in its treatment of media, culture, and socio-economic divisions.  In an election year where the Right vilified “47 percent” of listless Americans (read: anyone not male, white, affluent, or straight), The Hunger Games’ portrayal of the lower districts’ triumph over the aristocratic elite was uplifting, powerful, and surprisingly relevant in today’s society.   Yes, Elizabeth Banks and Wes Bentley looked ridiculous, but if you can get past that, the story is quite deep.  But the film also worked as terrific entertainment, with Jennifer Lawrence giving the best “girl kicking ass” performance this side of Beatrix Kiddo.  Looking back at the last few years, the films which tend to be number one on my list share one trait: They take themselves seriously.  The Hunger Games could have been a kitschy, over-the-top action satire for teens, but Gary Ross and screenwriter Billy Ray knew this story was more than that, and they made a movie adaptation of the book far better than it deserved to be. 

Thoughts? Disagreements? As long as its not spoilers about Catching Fire, feel free to post below!

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Year in Review: Top 10 Films of 2012

Looking back on 2012 in film, I cannot help but notice how average it was. The Best Picture nominees are solid or great films, but not masterpieces. The majority of the films were watchable, but not transcendent. This resulted in a significantly-reduced number of films I watched, since there just weren’t the quality films getting released every week like normal. Check out my breakdown of the year, as well as my personal (and most likely incomplete) top 10 of 2012:

Films seen: 89

Thumbs up percentage: 53.93%

Actor of the year: Matthew McConaughey (Bernie, Killer Joe, Magic Mike, Mud, The Paperboy)

Actress of the year: Emily Blunt (Arthur Newman, The Five-Year Engagement, Looper, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Your Sister’s Sister)

Performances of the year: Joaquin Phoenix – The Master, Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty, Edward Norton – Moonrise Kingdom, Emma Watson – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Most underrated film: Bernie

Most overrated film: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Biggest surprise: Chronicle

Biggest disappointment: The Dark Knight Rises

Best ensemble casts: Django Unchained, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom

Best screenplays: Argo, Looper, Django Unchained

Bottom five of the year (from bad to worst): 360, The Campaign, Men in Black 3, Red Lights, Virginia

Most anticipated unseen films: Amour, Frances Ha, On the Road, Rust and Bone, This Is Not a Film

Honorable mentions: The Do-Deca Pentathlon, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Moonrise Kingdom, The Raid: Redemption, Wreck-It Ralph

10. Smashed (directed by James Ponsoldt)

After seeing the promise of writer-director James Ponsoldt in 2006’s Off the Black, this film became one of my most anticipated of the year. Being a massive Breaking Bad fan, the fact that Aaron Paul was in it only added to my intrigue. These kinds of tiny budget indies are among my favorite types of films, and this one, while at times very funny, is a devastating and absolutely authentic look at alcoholism and its affect on relationships. It has this real fly-on-the-wall type of feel, giving the audience the perspective of the sober bystander observing the highs and brutal lows of being a drunk. The movie is sad, hilarious, but always genuine and true. It is a rewarding experience for whoever seeks it out. Ponsoldt is a director to watch in the coming years.

9. God Bless America (directed by Bobcat Goldthwait)

Each year there seems to be a movie that gets no attention butt is so off-the-wall and daring that it ends up being one of the best of the year. Two of the last four years, that movie has been directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, of Police Academy “fame”.  This movie follows a recently fired and terminally ill man who joins forces with a teenage girl to go on a killing spree throughout the country, taking out celebrities and other people who most piss them off. Usually a movie like this would be shot in way that makes it seem otherworldly, but this one clearly is in reality. Goldthwait has the balls to push the envelope, and this is certainly his best film yet. It is a painfully funny and perceptive little film. Keep an eye out for Goldthwait’s next directorial efforts. He has a way with dark comedy that is unlike any other working filmmaker right now.

8. Seven Psychopaths (directed by Martin McDonagh)

After In Bruges, I immediately was looking forward to how Martin McDonagh was going to follow up his Oscar nom. With the return of star Colin Farrell, I knew it was going to be terrific. In a lot of ways, this is actually a better and certainly a much funnier film than his last one. Seven Psychopathsis about a screenwriter who gets caught up in a criminal plot, since his friends, who kidnap rich people’s dogs and return them for cash, accidentally do so to a brutal gangster. The actors are clearly tons of fun, which you can tell in certain scenes when they almost break character because the situation is so absurd. The movie hits its climax, and then goes even further until it is so out-there that the audience is just in a constant state of laughter and giggling that will last until the credits are rolling. It is smartly-written, hilariously overcast, and superbly executed. I know it probably isn’t for everyone, but if pitch black comedy is for you, then there have been few better in the last few years than this one.

7. The Master (directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)

As brilliant as everything Paul Thomas Anderson touches is, this one could have been even better. It is magnificently-shot, brilliantly-scored, and hauntingly-acted. It is also overlong, a bit pretentious, and just a little too strange. Don’t get me wrong, the highs of The Master are the best scenes of the year. There are just not as many of them as a normal PTA effort. However, average PTA still ranks among the best of the year. Joaquin Phoenix gives the performance of the year, and should certainly win Oscar gold, but he stands almost no chance against Daniel Day-Lewis. Philip Seymour Hoffman digs his teeth into his role to create one of his best characters. I was blown away and underwhelmed at the same time with this movie. Either way, it lingered around in my mind for quite a while, which is about all you can ask for when you watch as many movies as I do.

6. End of Watch (directed by David Ayer)

This movie absolutely destroyed me. I have an incredible soft spot for cop movies, and this maybe the most realistic I have ever seen. The two lead actors are incredible, with Michael Pena giving one of the standout performances of the year. The movie is the most frenetic and furiously-paced of 2012. David Ayer does his best to make the movie seem like a documentary, some of which is even shot by the leads on a handheld camera. The cast chemistry and brotherhood built by the actors is brilliant and authentic, and the writing is among the year’s finest achievements. This cop film, above all others, just gets it. There is a host of brutal action, but that is just not what it is about. As big of a fan I am of Training Day, I just cannot rank it any higher than this film. You really care about these characters, and it is a movie that will likely never my memory.

5. Skyfall (directed by Sam Mendes)

After the extraordinarily disappointing Quantum of Solace, I was thrilled to find out that Sam Mendes was taking over the next film in the Bond franchise. Somewhat predictably, he created what may very well be the second best of all Bonds. Skyfall is a throwback. It is filled with breathtaking cinematography and a superb score. It pays its homage to the films of the past, but then it finally breaks off from tradition. The filmmakers made it clear that they want to create their own Bond legacy, rather than just adding tired additions to the end of the previously dying franchise. Daniel Craig is Bond, and the future is bright. In all honestly, if we are talking about my favorite movie-going experiences of the year, then seeing this at IMAX at the midnight premiere has got to be at the top. It is thrilling in ways that had been absent from the franchise for decades. Javier Bardem’s villain is brilliant. The performances by Craig and Judi Dench are their finest in the franchise.  Every scene does something to make it memorable and vital. It is movies like Skyfall that remind us why we go to the movies in the first place and why Bond is the coolest character ever.

4. Looper (directed by Rian Johnson)

I was beyond shocked by how good this movie was. The trailers looked very ordinary, but Rian Johnson has always intrigued me. Time travel movies are made so often, most of which are lame and unimaginative (see, I mean do not see: last year’s Men in Black 3). This one, however, creates its own rules and world to make one of the most unique thrills of the year. Johnson’s screenplay is the best of the year, without any real competition. The performances are true, which is rare in a movie like this. The actors clearly bought in and understood that the movie is more than just an exercise in science fiction, but more a brilliantly-conceived drama based around sci-fi elements. It is so in touch with its tone and so committed that I almost want to live in that world for another movie or two. It doesn’t just toy around with the time continuum paradox and try to twist you into loving it. It plays it straight, and the characters are real. It is most likely the most re-watchable movie that 2012 had to offer. There is nothing out there like it.

3. Argo (directed by Ben Affleck)

Suddenly, Ben Affleck has become the go-to guy in Hollywood for marketable, thrilling stories coming to the big screen. Argo is certainly a unique case in the industry. I am not sure I have ever seen a movie that brings out more kinds of emotions than this one. It is almost a comedy. It is certainly a thriller. It is a hard-hitting drama. It is an intriguing character study. It is an engrossing history lesson about the famous 1980 CIA ex-fill from Iran. Needless to say, Ben Affleck’s direction was the most complex of the year. The cast was terrific and committed. The final half hour is among amazing achievements of 2012. There is so much silence, yet so much tension is built. The screenplay is sensational. The technical aspects are all close to flawless. It may be a bit easier to appreciate this movie than to really love, but that is not a bad thing at all. It is Affleck’s best film and one of the elite films of 2012.

2. Django Unchained (directed by Quentin Tarantino)

Go figure, Quentin Tarantino has done it again. In what may be his most indulgent film, he has created what could turn out to be his most widely-appealing hit. If nothing else, this proves that no matter what style it is, the mass public is still desperate to see westerns. Tarantino has created some of his most memorable characters in his brilliant screenplay. It is relentless in its violence yet also playful in ways unlike all previous QT ventures (maybe a bit in Inglourious Basterds). The bounty hunter story is not exactly a step out for QT, but if anyone is making a bounty hunter film, it had better be him. He has made this story of revenge a regular thing with his movies, but never as entertaining as this. Tarantino has created his own genre of film, and that is the mark of a true auteur. He pulls out the most unforgettable and ridiculous performance Leonardo DiCaprio has ever given. The cast clearly had the time of their lives, and Christoph Waltz should be required to be in every Tarantino movie from now on.

1. Zero Dark Thirty (directed by Kathryn Bigelow)

This movie has got to be one of the most astonishing achievements in recent memory. The Kathryn Bigelow-Mark Boal combination reaped unbelievable benefits with 2009’s The Hurt Locker, and making another movie about the Middle East, let alone something so recent, seemed like a project destined to fail. It became, however, perhaps the most enthralling movie of the last few years. The story is complex, fast-moving, and so tight that I can only really compare it to something like All the President’s Men. The main character Maya, played astonishingly by the seemingly everywhere Jessica Chastain, is one of the more unlikable yet relatable characters in years. She is more Clarice Starling than Carrie Mathison. She is obsessed, but not to the point of being a lunatic. She is commanding and committed to her career. Like Starling, she is essentially the only woman in doing that sort of work, but she is the kingpin. The movie clicks along at a pace that will never wear on the patience of anyone, all intelligently leading up to the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, which is one of the most breathtaking sequences I have witnessed in a theater. Every moment of this movie seems vital, and every performance rings true. I am not sure I can really relive this movie too many times, but for the 157 minutes I spent watching it on the big screen, I was left spellbound in a way that is not normal for me. It is one of the most meticulously detailed and researched scripts, as well as one of the most involving character studies and technically-sound films in years. It is the movie of 2012, and finally one that I do not feel is a default choice for my top spot.

Thoughts? Omissions? You top 10? Hit me up in the comments.

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