As I watched the Golden Globes this year, I
realize how much I disagree with the choices of the Hollywood Foreign
Press Association, but their agenda is to award people they know and like,
while mine is to list movies that in some way entertained me this year. At this point, I have seen most of the Oscar contenders, and there were a few that I intentionally left off this list (including "Amour," "Django Unchained," and "Life of Pi"). Also, I also don’t include documentaries, because comparing them to
scripted and acted films is like the proverbial “apples to oranges.”
Maybe it’s because I’m a guy, or maybe it’s
because there were so few good dramas this year, but a number of films on my
list were action-oriented, or at least contained action scenes. So, here it is—my list of the Best Movies of
2012, in inverse order.
21. Prometheus
This was Ridley Scott’s prequel to “Alien,” and while it at times lacks
energy and/or strains disbelief (hey, it is at the bottom of the list), it is nevertheless
entertaining. Also, the story is
constructed in a way that explains many of the plot concepts of the “Alien”
movies, and it features good performances by Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender,
and Charlize Theron.
20. Battleship
This is a movie I was surprised to like—I rented it thinking it was a stupid
action film based on an old board game.
Fortunately, I was wrong; it is much better than that, in part because
of Peter Berg’s deft direction and decent acting by Liam Neeson, Alexander
Skarsgård, and Taylor Kitsch. Granted,
it’s not the best alien invasion movie ever made, but it is definitely an
entertaining 2+ hours.
19. The Hunger Games
Just because something is popular with teenage girls doesn’t mean it’s not good…OK,
well most of the time it means that (the “Twilight” series), but this time,
there is enough real story and talent involved that the movie is actually worth
watching. That talent includes director/co-writer
Gary Ross and a cast including Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Woody Harrelson, and
of course Jennifer Lawrence, who seems to shine in every role she accepts.
18. Magic Mike
This is actually the second of two, very good movies that Steven Soderbergh
released in 2012, and it tells the sometimes shady story of a male stripper,
played by Channing Tatum in a somewhat autobiographical role, who is performing
in an act run by a character played by Matthew McConaughey. Unlike other movies about similar themes, the
various characters in this film are multi-dimensional, rather than just being
blatantly sleazy, and the lead character shows significant growth from the
beginning until the film’s ending.
17. Men in Black 3
If you enjoyed the previous “Men in Black” movies, you’ll really like this
one, if for no other reason than the fun of seeing (and hearing) Josh Brolin as
a young version of the Tommy Lee Jones character. Of course, Jones himself is also in the
movie, as are Will Smith, Emma Thompson, and a variety of entertaining,
computer-generated aliens. Barry
Sonnenfeld seems to have as much fun making these movies as I do watching them.
16. The Avengers
I grew up reading the Avengers comic books and reveling in the adventures
of Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, and the other characters who
comprised the Avengers. So when I heard
that Joss Whedon would direct the film, I was very excited. And while the results were somewhat mixed, I
still totally enjoyed watching my childhood superheroes come to life. This is a good action movie with enough human
interaction to make it very watchable.
15. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Yeah, it sounds stupid, which is what makes this film so appealing, not to
mention terrific acting by Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and
Kristin Scott Thomas.
But it’s the thoughtful and honestly
heartfelt direction of
Lasse
Hallström, who seems to bring a high level of quality to every film
he directs, that makes this film special.
14. Haywire
This Steven Soderbergh film was officially released in 2011, but did not
appear in theaters until late January of 2012.
It stars Gina Carano and Ewan McGregor, with supporting roles by Michael
Douglas and Channing Tatum, and it is a taut, well-acted spy-action movie that
keeps you interested and involved from start to finish.
13. The Dark Knight Rises
While this is the weakest movie of the new Batman series, it is still very
good. Christopher Nolan’s
direction is sharp and insightful, and the addition of characters played by
Anne Hathaway, Marion
Cotillard, Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, and Matthew Modine to a cast that already included
Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine makes this film a must-see.
12. Skyfall
I’m not a huge James Bond fan, considering most of the movies to be action
fluff. But this one has a major
difference from the others in that it’s directed by Sam Mendes, whose films are
rarely vapid or light. The other
difference is Daniel Craig, who has brought a new depth to the Bond franchise. And despite Javier Bardem’s hammy overacting,
the supporting cast that includes Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes is very strong. This Bond is worth seeing.
11. Zero Dark Thirty
I was somewhat disappointed by this film, which was all plot and very
little character development, but director Kathryn Bigelow and
screenwriter Mark Boal told a very interesting and at times riveting tale. Jessica Chastain did a good job as the woman
behind the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, but most of the other characters were
seriously underdeveloped. Despite those
shortcomings, the movie is worth seeing for the way it builds as you watch the
clues unfold and the plans being developed and carried out.
10. The Sessions
Starting with a great script by director Ben Lewin based on the writings of Mark O'Brien (the actual person about whom the movie is based), this is a wonderfully touching film about a 38-year-old polio victim, who can only control the movements of his head and who is mostly confined to an iron lung, and his efforts to lose his virginity and find requited love. John Hawkes and Helen Hunt are outstanding in the lead roles, as are the supporting performances by William H. Macy and Moon Bloodgood. This could have been depressing, but instead was remarkably humorous and uplifting.
9. Argo
Ben Affleck directs and stars in this film about a CIA operative who
hatches an inventive scheme to rescue a group of Americans from revolutionary
Iran. The story is interestingly told,
and my favorite aspect involves the characters played by Alan Arkin and John
Goodman as the “producers” of the phony movie that forms the basis of the
rescue plans. With this film, Affleck has
established himself as an A-list director, and although the ending is a bit
Hollywood-ized, it is still very involving.
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Wow, where did this come from? It
was actually the product of two Wesleyan graduates—producer Michael Gottwald (whom I
actually saw perform in a play with Alex) and director/co-writer Benh Zeitlin. This was a fascinating movie about a group of
characters barely surviving in “the Bathtub”—a southern Delta community at the
edge of the world. But the revelation is
the performance of 6-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who stars as the film’s
central character, known as Hushpuppy.
This is an outstanding and beautiful film that demonstrates the triumph
of the spirit over seemingly invincible odds.
7. Looper
This was a very intelligent film about a futuristic society where when the
mob wants someone killed, they send that person 30 years into the past where
someone else is waiting to gun them down…that way, there is no body to dispose
of. The plot turns when the person being
sent back is an older version of the person expected to kill him. Director/writer
Rian Johnson was the mastermind behind this very complex movie, which features
Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and an outstanding performance by Joseph
Gordon-Levitt. Some people may be turned
off by the violence, but it is central to the plot (unlike “Django Unchained”),
and this film’s ending is haunting and thought-provoking.
6. Cabin in the Woods
This may be the smartest horror film I’ve ever seen. Director Drew Goddard shares writing credits
with Joss Whedon for a script full of dark humor an unforeseen plot
twists. I can’t say any more without
giving away those twists. All I will say
is that what you’re seeing may not actually be what is occurring. If you like horror films, you should
definitely see this one.
5. Moonrise Kingdom
I’ve never been a fan of Wes Anderson’s movies, usually considering them to
be smarmy and unlikeable, but this one is completely different. It’s a delightful fable about young love and
the adults who are preventing it, and it’s told in a quirky style that made me
smile throughout. It also features
actors including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray,
and Tilda Swinton. But the real stars are
the brave children, played by Jared Gilman
and Kara Hayward, as well as
the peculiar script by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
4. Cloud Atlas
If nothing else, this is the year’s most ambitious film, spanning centuries,
and placing several actors in multiple roles in varying time periods, only to
eventually tie together their stories. I
totally enjoyed most of those stories, while understanding that some segments
worked better than others. Based on the
novel by David Mitchell and co-directed by Tom Twyker, Andy Wachowski, and Lana
Wachowski (the Wachowskis also directed “The Matrix” trilogy), this movie’s
cast includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant,
Susan Sarandon, Xun Zhou, and Jim Sturgess.
Overall, it worked far more often than it stumbled.
3. Les Miserables
As with most movies, it all begins with the source material—in this case, the spectacular
musical version of Victor Hugo’s most famous novel. I’ve read several movie reviewers who clearly
don’t like the musical itself…so they naturally dislike the movie of it. Personally, I’ve seen the musical performed
on stage four times, and I enjoyed each production…so here’s my review of the
movie version. (1) I loved the idea of
singing it live while filming it, unlike most movie musicals which record the
score separately in a studio. Given that
the entire musical is sung (they spoke a few lines in the movie), it would have
been silly to re-record the entire soundtrack.
(2) I liked a lot of director Tom Hooper’s close-ups…I just think he
used them a little too much. (3) The
cast was generally very good, with Hugh Jackman starting slow but improving as the film went along, and Anne
Hathaway, Samantha Barks, Eddie Redmayne, and Aaron Tveit submitting the best
performances. (4) The casting of Russell
Crowe as Javert was a disaster, and having him sing “Stars,” which is among the
best songs ever written for the stage, is equivalent to casting Roseanne Barr
to play Grizabella (who sings “Memory”) in “Cats.” Crowe’s voice has no quality or nuance, and
his acting wasn’t much better. I still
enjoyed the movie, but it should have been the year’s best film, and in a
stronger year, it might not have even made my top five.
2. Silver Linings Playbook
A dramedy about mental illness should not be this enjoyable, but in the
hands of a director as talented as David O. Russell, it is. Jennifer Lawrence submits an Oscar-worthy
performance as the female lead, playing opposite Bradley Cooper, who showed
more talent in this movie than in all of his previous roles combined. Set in Philadelphia, the movie explores the relationship
between the two leads, who have each been ostracized by friends and family due
to their bouts with different mental issues.
Add in excellent supporting roles by Jacki Weaver and Robert DeNiro,
whose character’s own mental issues are displayed with increasing frequency,
and you have a movie that is alternatively difficult and enjoyable. Although the plot becomes slightly
predictable, the strength of the characters carries this movie and makes it one
of the year’s very best films.
1. Lincoln
If you’re expecting a major biopic about the life and times of Abraham Lincoln,
you will be disappointed. This is not a
big movie. Rather, the outstanding
script by Tony Kushner, based in part on a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, tells
the story of a short period at the beginning of Lincoln’s second term when he
does everything in his power to pass the 13th Amendment, abolishing
slavery. This is a beautiful and elegant
film, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day Lewis, and featuring
supporting performances by Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
and a wealth of other excellent actors.
It presents a picture of a president who is tortured by his own personal
situation and seemingly aware that he is running out of time to accomplish the
crowning glory of his legacy. It also
shows Lincoln to be the conniving politician that he was, who used homespun humor
and stories to disarm his adversaries while promoting a humanist agenda that
was far ahead of its time. Unlike other
Spielberg movies, the beauty of this film lies in its small and personal
nature, in a world where great strides can be accomplished with a handshake, a
promise, or in some cases, a deceit. It
is a complex story of a complex man, told eloquently and succinctly, and it is
the year’s best film.
