And so it has come. 2012 is over and I have now seen the films I deem necessary to name a definitive list of my
11) The Perks of Being a Wallflower
This was my favorite book in high school, so when I heard there was a movie being made I decided to approach with hesitance and tempered expectations. After all, how many movies are even comparable to the book? Even after hearing that Stephen Chbosky, the author of the book, was writing the screenplay and directing the film I wasn’t quite sold. I didn’t trust a first-time director with a story that was going to need hands-on direction. Suffice to say, I was wrong to doubt Chbosky. Not only did he keep the major points of the book in the screenplay, but he managed to complete the much tougher task of capturing the tone and feel of the book. The definitive scene from each iteration of Perks involves standing in the back of a truck, speeding, a tunnel, the perfect song, and a feeling of infiniteness. If the scene didn’t work, the movie wouldn’t work but it did. Most impressively I managed to get 8 sentences into this blurb without mentioning the strong performances by the cast. While Logan Lerman and Emma Watson performed above expectations, it was Ezra Miller as Patrick, a character I could never fully picture in the book, that stole the show. He played his part to perfection and truly deserves some love (that won’t come) from the Academy. While the film couldn’t crack the top 10 I couldn’t justify leaving it out completely.
10) Looper 
While I managed to temper my expectations for Perks, Looper was a whole other animal with some outrageous hopes. These expectations came from a combination of things; first there was Joseph Gordon-Levitt who has been a favorite of mine for years, there was his reteaming with director Rian Johnson, director of my second favorite film Brick (also starring Gordon-Levitt), Emily Blunt was the third-billed star, and finally the trailer and premise alone were enough to get the blood boiling. As I sat in the theater watching the film play out the ending became very obvious. Considering Johnson’s two previous films had excellent endings, it felt disappointing that in a movie full of twists and turns the ending could be seen coming a mile away. The true twist was even though you know it’s going to happen there is so much emotion involved and it was so well scripted, it didn’t matter. I was moved and thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
9) The Master 
Technically speaking The Master is one of the most masterful displays of movie making. P.T. Anderson’s direction, Mihai Malaimare Jr.’s cinematography, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adam’s performances are all some of the best of the year. The only flaw in The Master was its lack of enjoyableness. Watching The Master once was a gift. There was so much to take in, and the fact that it was shot in glorious 70mm film made it absolutely stunning. Watching The Master twice is much more akin to a chore. That is not to say the film isn’t great, because it is, but more so saying that it takes a particular mood to take in. I love all of Anderson’s films and this one is no different, although for different reasons. As an avid filmgoer I have learned to appreciate the art of making a movie and make no doubt about it, Anderson is a true artist. There are few movies that can be this perfect in their craft. It feels as though everyone knew they were part of something special and they gave everything they had to keep the perfection but as I learned from The Adventured of Pete & Pete, perfect isn’t always perfect.
8) The Dark Knight Rises 
With The Dark Knight Rises Christopher Nolan’s truly epic Batman trilogy came to a definitive, slightly open-ended, close. Before going any further there are some questions I feel I should answer about the movie. Is it better than The Dark Knight? No. Are there numerous plot holes and issues? Yes. Wasn’t it obvious from the beginning that Marion Cotillard was playing Talia and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was the next Batman in training? Yes. Was Bane a disappointment? Maybe a little. Was it all Arthur’s dream? Okay maybe that one was a joke but the others are both valid and not simultaneously. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the movie is able to overcome the expectations, plot holes, obvious casting choices, and a mediocre villain to create a highly entertaining and fitting end to the trilogy of superhero movies that changed the way we look at super hero movies. The Avengers never happens without Batman Begins and while the final installment may be the least of the three, it’s the strongest weak link in a trilogy this side of Toy Story. And those of you who are still complaining about Bane’s voice get your ears checked. His lines are perfectly understandable. Surprisingly, the best part of this fantastic movie is Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Selina Kyle. Her performance is shifty and moving and one of the best in a series that contains a bevy of Oscar winning and nominated actors. But most impressively, the story told throughout the trilogy truly comes full circle and shows that it was a story worth telling. Luckily for us, it was also a story worth watching.
7) Moonrise Kingdom 
Quirky movies are nothing new. Neither are quirky movies about quirky couples. In fact, Sundance is filled with them every year. To my recollection however, quirky romantic comedies centering on 11 year olds is fairly new. Wes Anderson’s tale of young love and runaways never gets too cute with itself and never becomes cliché. In fact, the movie tends to break many of the clichés that have fallen on the rom-com genre. With all of the staples of a typical Anderson film, from the yellow fonts, eccentric characters, star-studded supporting cast, Bill Murray, perfect soundtrack, and spoonfuls of the aforementioned quirk factor it’s hard to explain what sets this movie apart from his others. Although it is hard to place, there is the omnipresent “it” factor associated with this movie. Both hilarious and heart-warming, Moonrise Kingdom makes a name for itself.
6) Silver Linings Playbook
I honestly don’t know how to explain this movie in a way that sounds appealing. A film about a man ends his court ordered stay in a mental hospital and heads home to his Philadelphia Eagles obsessed family and tries to win his separated wife back by agreeing to dance with a recently widowed woman. Yeah that doesn’t sound like a watchable movie to anyone. But it is. Maybe it’s the Oscar worthy performances from Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert de Niro, and Jacki Weaver. Maybe it’s David O. Russell’s newfound resurgence as a filmmaker. Maybe it’s Chris Tucker making his first non-Rush Hour appearance in 13 years. Maybe it’s none of these things or maybe it’s all of them. Whatever it is, it works very well. The movie takes a group of flawed characters and makes you care about them and ignore the ridiculous sit-com presence to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Just ask Bret Easton Ellis, who is already naming it Oscar's Best Picture winner.
5) Argo
This movie was billed as being such a crazy premise that it had to be true and that only in a movie would an idea this ridiculous actually work despite it’s true story background. As the U.S. embassy is being protested and eventually raided in Iran six workers manage to escape out a back door and take refuge in the house of a Canadian ambassador. The word gets back to U.S. authorities and they come up with a plan to get them out of the country and back home to safety: Location scout in the area for a fake sci-fi movie named Argo. The theory is they will all have legitimate reasons to be in the country as long as they can memorize their aliases in the short time frame given. Interestingly, while watching the film play out you only realize that this could truly work, not that it is an absurd idea that shouldn’t have a chance. Yes, liberties are taken with the true story portion to make the movie more dramatic, but the over-dramatized parts are the ones that make the movie stick and the reason the movie made my top five.
4) Skyfall 
While watching Skyfall I noticed many similarities to The Dark Knight. With the significantly darker tone, the willingness to put the characters in actual danger, the unexpected humor, the Hans Zimmer-esque score, and the overall themes the film almost comes off as more of a sequel to the Batman story than the actual sequel. And it works. I say almost because this movie is still definitely a James Bond film. No longer is the Daniel Craig iteration of the character trying to be Jason Bourne, instead, he is comfortable in his own skin. However, the pieces that Sam Mendes seemingly lifted from The Dark Knight only help heighten the movie. They took what works for a real world super hero and gave it to a man who is larger than life, but not necessarily indestructible. With some new old friends (welcome back to the franchise Q and Moneypenny) Skyfall managed to be a breath of fresh air. As the 23rd Bond film in 50 years, that is quite a feat.
3) Safety Not Guaranteed 
After becoming my favorite film of 2012 back on its June release, Safety Not Guaranteed’s run as #1 came to an end Christmas day. That said, I find the film no less entertaining, fun, moving, or beautiful than it was that first June day I saw it. In my experience when you watch a great film, the next movie you watch rarely makes much of an impression on you. This is probably because it’s rare to watch two exceptional movies in a row. On that hot June day I went to the theater in a poor mood and was just hoping to be distracted for a few hours. I saw Moonrise Kingdom and proclaimed it my favorite movie of the year (I literally sent a text message saying as much). Two hours later that was no longer the case as the credits for Safety Not Guaranteed were rolling. Needless to say I ended up leaving the theater in a much better mood and was able to enjoy my third and seventh favorite films in all of 2012 back to back. I cannot get enough of this movie and still feel like placing it third on this list is unjust to the amount of entertainment I have gained from it.
1a) Django Unchained 
Django Freeman, the fastest gun in the south. A superhero origin story for a man without a super power. The latest installment in Quentin Tarantino’s filmography does service to the western and revenge genres while keeping his record as spotless as ever. The first time I watched Django I loved it. The second time I watched it I was able to appreciate it. The more you watch (good) movies, the more you notice the little things that directors put in and catch foreshadowing in obscure lines. Tarantino’s movies are always good for multiple viewings and will hold up every time. This movie has proved to be no exception and I will be happy to revisit Django trying to rescue his lovely bride Broomhilda anytime.
1b) Zero Dark Thirty
1b) Zero Dark Thirty
Back in 2009 Katherine Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino released movies that would go on to garner plenty of awards nominations. Both films were fantastic and made my top 10 lists, but there was no doubt in my mind that Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds was the superior film to Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. This year my decision is not nearly so black and white. I really don’t know how to make a true comparison. So I cheated and listed two movies at number one (in alphabetical order for the record). What I do know is that Zero Dark Thirty cranks up the intensity, impressive for a film with an ending that is public knowledge. I also know that Jessica Chastain gives her best performance to date and considering her 2011 included Coriolanus, Take Shelter, The Help, The Debt, and The Tree of Life that’s saying something. I know that it isn’t always easy to watch but it’s also impossible to turn away. I also know that the top Oscar prize is unlikely to fall on either film, I will gladly call Zero Dark Thirty and Django Unchained the best two films of 2012.
Honorable mentions: Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi
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