Now I know what you're all thinking...how did Scott pass up such a perfect opportunity to make yet another Twelves pun with a Top 12 list? Let's just consider it a New Year's resolution. Or you could also say that I only saw 36 new offerings in 2012 (apologies to Amour, which has not been released yet in my area), and putting 1/3 of them on a top list just seemed wrong. Just a small disclosure before we get to the Top 10: this list represents merely the movies that I enjoyed most this year. It is not swayed by any awards show voting or critics choice list. That being said, if you agree with some of these movies, that's cool. If you don't, that's cool, too. This list is meant to spark discussion, to give suggestions to others on what I believe to be the best movies of the year, and to get more readers (shameless blog plug!). But without further ado, here are my picks for the top movies of the last year.
10: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Call me a sucker for angsty teenage drama, or for movies about kids who enjoy their English class, or even for Emma Watson, but The Perks of Being a Wallflower delivered on all of those things and more. This movie starts out seeming like your typical high school movie about the nerd who gets picked on, yet finds other people who are like him. But the third act takes an emotional turn that packs a wallop for any viewers willing to give this movie a chance. With good comedy, acting, and especially writing by the novelist-turned-director Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower snuck into my movie-viewing heart and into my Top 10.
9: 21 Jump Street
You're going to have to take my word on this for now, but I promise this list won't be filled with movies about high school. 21 Jump Street was an early spring release in 2012, which means that it had pretty much no expectations. But right out of the gate, this film proved that it was nothing to pass over. This movie was the second in a big year for Channing Tatum (Haywire, The Vow, Magic Mike), but it was the first to prove that he has the comedic chops to carry a story like this. Oh, and shocker, Jonah Hill is a funny guy too. With a car chase that breaks every genre cliche, an actually funny Ice Cube, and cameos from members of the original series, 21 Jump Street took what little expectations it had and shattered them.
8: Skyfall
Never in his 23-movie history has James Bond looked so old, and I mean that in the best way possible. Skyfall was Daniel Craig's most Bond-feeling film, yet this movie still took brave steps in toying with genre expectations. Steps such as Bond actually being shot (007 has been shot at 4,662 times in his spy career, yet only been hit once), Javier Bardem playing a bi-sexual villain, and a climactic scene that shan't be spoiled here. But back to that "old" comment: Bond sports a beard for part of the film, can't shoot his targets, and contemplates paintings of warships being taken out of commission. But with this world-weary spy theme, Sam Mendes creates arguably the best Bond film ever.
7: Lincoln
From the moment the curtains part, you can tell that this film is an Academy darling. Daniel Day-Lewis is perfect as the 16th President, and deserves every award that will be thrown at him. But what makes this movie even more perfect is how it takes what could have been a boring story about collecting votes and turns it into a riveting tale of back room political drama. The credit for this must go to Steven Spielberg, who is in top form here (or even to John Williams, who never fails to create a dramatic score). The natural lighting, calm pacing, and the casting of great character actors for every minor part makes Lincoln a joy to watch. While it may run a bit too long (Samuel L. Jackson was right on where it should have ended), Lincoln is worth the price of admission, as it's an important history lesson with modern ramifications.
6: The Avengers
Of the three blockbuster superhero movies that were released this summer, The Avengers probably had the second-highest expectations (behind that little movie about Batman), but it was also the only one that exceeded them. This movie was the most fun you could have in theaters the whole year. When the heroes finally assemble on Nick Fury's invisible flying aircraft carrier (yea, it's that kind of movie), Joss Whedon's script takes off. The jokes are whip-smart and the action well-paced. It's a movie that has too much, but never feels like it. Special credit goes to Tom Hiddleston (who has the most villainous smile since Jeremy Irons), Robert Downey, Jr., and Mark Ruffalo for suspending our disbelief and turning what could have been an over-the-top campfest into the second-best superhero movie ever (again, Batman gets in the way of everything).
5: Les Miserables
For a story that spans 17 years, Les Miserables never once felt long. Tom Hooper's risky, yet brilliant decision to remove almost all spoken dialogue and to have the actors sing live paid off with huge dividends in both the box office and in the story. The obvious stand-outs are Hugh Jackman (who carries the entire film) and Anne Hathaway (who steals the movie with only about fifteen minutes of screentime). But Eddie Redmayne and newcomer Samantha Barks deserve recognition as well for creating a tragic second half of the movie that lingers long after you leave the theater. With its soaring musical numbers and bittersweet story, Les Miserables may well be my favorite musical of all time (though take that with a grain of salt because I'm not a huge musical guy).
4: Life of Pi
I'm sure you've heard by now that Yann Martel's award-winning novel was considered by many to be unfilmable. But if all unfilmable books turn out as good as this one, that's all Hollywood should make. Though there's no official award for it, Life of Pi deserves special recognition for being the most beautifully shot movie of the year. And when I say beautiful, I mean b-e-a-utiful! Ang Lee turns your typical boy-stuck-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean-with-a-Bengal-tiger story into a masterpiece of filmmaking. A shout-out also to Suraj Sharma, who carries this film all by himself (with a little help from the year's best CGI). With a heartbreaking story, an important message, and an ending that will leave you staggering, the fact that movies can be this good just might make you believe in God.
3: Argo
You gotta hand it to Ben Affleck. The guy could have given up and gone full Charlie Sheen on us a long time ago, but instead he decided to turn himself into one of the best young directors in Hollywood. Argo doesn't pull many punches in creating an entertaining story. From the opening raid of the US Embassy in Iran to the thrilling escape in the final 25 minutes, Argo is as straight-forward as entertaining movies come. But as any good moviemaker knows, being "straight-forward" only looks easy. Though he plays the main character, Ben Affleck makes the smart decision to get out of the story's way and let his other castmates drive the narrative and have fun. Alan Arkin gets to play himself, John Goodman gets to make fun of the industry, and Bryan Cranston gets to yell like Walter White. What's not to love?
2: Zero Dark Thirty
It took almost a month for Zero Dark Thirty to expand nationwide, but man was it worth the wait. If you thought Lincoln had fun political drama, you haven't seen anything yet. This story is a decade-long narrative from September 11th to the day Bin Laden was killed (spoiler alert!), and you can feel the dreariness and numbing pain brought on by dead ends, deceit, and getting nowhere throughout the first half of the film. The torture scenes are harsh, for sure, but not worthy of the controversy that some have tried to bring up. What's more worthy of recognition is the inspired audio-only opening that reminds every audience member of the importance of this film and the climactic 30 minute raid, which perfectly details the suspense, bravery, and draining effort that went into finally attaining our goal.
1: Silver Linings Playbook
I am notoriously stingy when it comes to giving a film a perfect rating. I normally only give one a year, if that. So credit Silver Linings Playbook for stealing my heart and legitimately deserving a perfect 10. Everything about this movie just works: Bradley Cooper plays against type in the best role of his career, Jennifer Lawrence continues to rise up the ranks of the best actresses in the business, and Robert De Niro remembers how to act again. Hell, this movie even has Chris Tucker in his first non-Rush Hour role in over 15 years! Silver Linings Playbook is the only movie this year to earn Oscar-noms in every major category, and by that I mean Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Screenplay. The last movie to do that? Reds in 1981! Now I'm not saying Silver Linings Playbook is the best movie in the last 31 years...I'm just saying it's really really good. It will make you laugh, cry, and feel, which is everything a movie fan could ask for. So hats off to you, David O. Russell...your little movie wins the top spot in what was a great year in cinema.
There you have it! My Top 10 of 2012! Do you agree? Disagree? Only watched the trailers and didn't read? Feel free to comment below and look for more posts in the future (I promise I'm actually starting this blog for real this time).
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