Looking back over the past few years of film, 2012 has undoubtedly been one of the best. Because of that, it’s even more difficult when it comes to compiling any “best of” lists, but nevertheless, movies writer Jeremy presents his top 10 movies of 2012.
It must be acknowledged that Zero Dark Thirty, one of the top awards contenders, was not screened for critics before this list went to press. However, of the films released in theaters in 2012, I’ve seen 90 of them, which makes whittling down a top 10 list extremely challenging already, without throwing another awards contender into the mix.
Before we get to the top 10 list, I have to discuss a few honorable mentions. Looking at some specific genres, in the realm of documentaries, The Queen of Versailles was one of the best portraits of America I’ve seen, The Imposter was a chillingly mesmerizing thriller, The Invisible War will have you screaming at the screen on behalf of American soldiers, and The Central Park Five is a maddening look at one of the darkest moments in the American criminal justice system. I urge any documentary fans to seek these out if at all possible. In foreign language films, both Amour and Rust and Bone were in and out of the top 10 list and deserve mentions of their own.
The Dark Knight Rises was a great, but flawed, end to an outstanding Christopher Nolan trilogy. The same goes for Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, which definitely had its moments of entertainment; The Cabin in the Woods was also great fun, but honestly doesn’t hold up as well on repeat viewings. I still maintain that John Carter was quite fun and the hate for that movie I’ll never quite understand, and The Hunger Games was a solid adaptation early in the year. Skyfall was a step in the right direction for the James Bond franchise, but couldn’t quite crack the top 10.
Early in the year, Chronicle and The Grey were both quite excellent and nearly made the top 10 list. I loved The Master and Killing Them Softly upon watching them, but they’re hard films to “enjoy” in the typical sense of the word, so were left off the list. 21 Jump Street was also hilarious and if not for the final fifteen minutes, may have had a spot on the list.
Indies Safety Not Guaranteed, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Sound of My Voice and Your Sister’s Sister all deserve mentions of their own, as each could have made the top 10 on a less competitive year. Lastly, I need to address the exclusion of (what I put as) my favorite film of the first half of the year: Beasts of the Southern Wild. Upon watching the film a second time, it simply did not stick with me in the same way. While Zeitlin and Wallis are remarkable in their first features, the second act dragged for me too much to keep it in my top 10, but it’s still a great film worth seeking out.
#10. Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson made something truly special with Moonrise Kingdom and it only grows on you over time. It’s such an authentic, unique love story with characters you’ll adore and a sort of deadpan humor that is pulled off perfectly. Anderson walks a fine line in making this film work, achieving one of his best films yet, and one that will be cherished by audiences for years.
#9. End of Watch
Perhaps the most intense film of the year, Training Day writer David Ayer wrote and directed End of Watch with a realism that’s startling. Employing handheld and character’s cameras to capture the roughest neighborhoods of Los Angeles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena are fantastic as police officers who must fight to survive every day. Pena in particular gives one of the best performances of the year.
#8. Seven Psychopaths
Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges follow-up is downright hilarious. A constant metaphor for the creative process of making a film, the cast, in particular Sam Rockwell, is spot-on. Seven Psychopaths may not have the most fluid narrative, but if you can put that aside, you’ll love it.
#7. Magic Mike
Best known for featuring the likes of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey as male strippers, Magic Mike is actually very much a male-centered movie. While the film may be responsible for creating a McConaughey and “Ladies of Tampa” Oscar campaign, it does deal with some more serious issues in what is perhaps Steven Soderbergh’s best film since his Ocean’s 11 and Traffic days.
#6. Prometheus
Easily the most flawed film on this list, Prometheus is also probably the most interesting. Having seen the film four or five times already, the questions this film raises makes it much more than a piece of entertainment – although I’d argue that it can stand on its own as just that. Themes and plot aside, Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba are also just great and the visuals are some of the best of the year.
#5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Grounded by a tremendous cast, particularly Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one the best coming-of-age films in recent memory. Writer/director Stephen Chbosky keeps the spirit of his novel alive in a film that will make you laugh and deeply move you, as I firmly believe there is something in this film for everyone.
#4. Looper
Rian Johnson continued his streak of solid directorial outings with Looper, a stellar sci-fi action film that realizes to any good film, character must come first. The cast, above all, turns this film into something special with an ending and narrative device that will leave you pondering the bigger picture of the film for months to come.
#3. Argo
Ben Affleck proves his assuredness as a director once again with Argo, his best film to date and one that is seamlessly created. With masterful attention to detail, the film is an edge-of-your-seat account of the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis that will entertain on multiple viewings. Yes, while the story was altered a bit here and there for narrative purposes, it sure is effective.
#2. Django Unchained
With an angry, brutal force Quentin Tarantino gives us Django Unchained. His most mature film to date, it is also his most brutal, as is follows a slave-turned-bounty hunter out to rescue his wife. Tremendous performances from Leonardo Dicaprio and Christoph Waltz anchor the howlingly funny, vicious, epic of a spaghetti western.
#1. Silver Linings Playbook
David O. Russell does the impossible with Silver Linings Playbook, a romantic comedy with all the right ingredients. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence anchor the film, giving it emotional truth as two individuals struggling with mental illness, in a hilarious, touching movie that doesn’t shy away from the cliche, yet knows exactly how to handle it.