Top Ten of 2012

 Another year, another failed attempt at this blog. I was consistent there for a bit, but alas I got lazy and let work and school be an excuse for not writing. Oh well, here I am again with renewed hope that I can be on here at least once a week, and starting this year off with my top ten movies of last year.

I have to first say that I didn't see nearly as many movies this year that I wanted to. Safety Not Guaranteed, Brave, Ted, Lawless, Seven Psychopaths, Killer Joe, Smashed, Holy Motors, Wreck it Ralph and ParaNorman are just a few examples of movies that I missed. I plan to rectify this immediately as all these movies and more have been queued up in my Netflix ( and yes I still get them delivered to me, FUCK YOU RED BOX).

Also, for no particular reason, I decided to just leave off The Dark Knight Rises as it would have obviously been number one. Granted, no other movie I watched this year gave me such an emotional response, but I fucking love Batman, so duh. 

Without further ado, here are my favorite movies of 2012, starting with a movie I loved and ending with a movie I most loved.

10. THE INNKEEPERS- Whenever I sit down and begin thinking about the best movies I had seen for a given year, I always think about my immediate reaction to a movie, which as an aspiring film critic, isn't exactly the 'right' way to make a best of list. I should let a movie sit in my brain, give it another viewing and see how it holds up etc. But The Innkeepers just scared the shit out of me. The film's director, Ti West, is two for two in my book, having previously made the slow burn throwback slasher, The House of the Devil, moves to the haunted house genre with relative ease. Only helping matters is the casting of the insanely adorable Sara Paxton as our heroine and Pat Healy as her slightly older and kind of sort of but not really creepy but also sweet co-worker. The two have an easy chemistry together and a large part of the impact the movie had on me are because of the scenes early in the film establishing these two as extremely amateur ghost hunters which of course helps up the tension significantly when they find themselves in peril.

It might have a fairly simple story and an even less impressive 'villain' but The Innkeepers has scares and atmosphere to spare, enough to help the flick stick in my head months after I first watched it.

9. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK- I really struggled with whether or not to put this movie in my top ten. I mean, it's a really good dramedy about over coming mental illness with exceptional performances from almost everyone in the movie. But well, I can't get something out of my head that Devin Faraci said in his review that it's David O. Russell lite, or in other words, an OK movie from a better than OK filmmaker. I don't completely agree with that statement, but it's lingered none the less. It's definitely a simple story, maybe simpler than hard edged movies like Three Kings and not as weird and charming as I Heart Huckabees, but that's OK. SLP still draws the viewer into these people's lives and quickly and easily gets us to care about them.

The film's MVP's are easily Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro, with De Niro more engaged here than he has been since at least Heat. His work as the OCD, anger prone father of Bradley Cooper is heartfelt and hilarious, and his scenes with BC are great testament to his talent. Every time he asks his son to watch an Eagles game it's for both genuine and selfish reasons. He knows he neglected BC and gave more attention to his much more stable and successful older brother, and now that BC is back under his roof he see's an opportunity to make up for that. And De Niro absolutely nails it, bringing humor and warmth to what could have been just a true asshole of a character.

Back to Lawrence though. It's taken me a long time to warm to her as an actress. I really didn't care for Winter's Bone, and thought she was OK in X Men: First Class. It wasn't until The Hunger Games that I began to understand all the hoop la about her. Now, for me, her work here solidifies her reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Her character is razor sharp, filthy, laugh out loud funny and vulnerable and Lawrence makes it all look effortless. There is one scene in particular where, after her world has crashed down around her so to speak, and she tells her overbearing sister "You're killing me!" and she sells it completely. I grew up around mental illness ( I was certified legally insane when I was 7) and this moment absolutely rings true.

So in the end, it was the performances that really pushed this over the edge for me, and for making this otherwise really good movie into something truly memorable.


8. CLOUD ATLAS- I have to admit, it took me a few days to warm up to Cloud Atlas. I certainly enjoyed it at first, but I didn't quite fall in love with it as I had initially hoped. But with a few days to let it digest I slowly began to really appreciate what an accomplishment the movie is.

Spanning 500 years and six different storylines, Cloud Atlas could have easily stumbled over itself, but with sharp direction, tight focus and big ideas the movie manages to really swing for the fences and almost makes a home run.

It's hard to completely describe the movie, as there's simply A LOT going on, and as I sit here I'm having a hard time writing about it. Though, it's different than when I struggled with The Deer Hunter. That movie just floored me emotionally and I'm honestly not sure if I could ever watch that movie again. With Cloud Atlas though, I think I just need to see it again before I can try to tackle an actual review of it. So until then, just trust me and take a chance with this one, even if it ends up not being your cup of tea I believe anyone can appreciate what it's trying to say, even if I don't quite know what that is yet.

7. MAGIC MIKE-God damn you Soderbergh. God damn you for wanting to leave filmmaking, especially after giving the world the wonder that is Magic Mike. I know a lot of people went into this movie thinking it would be a Sex in the City/ sausage fest that was pretty much for women only, only to be surprised with a surprisingly frank and honest look at the world of male stripping and all the ups and downs that come with it.

Of course, there is plenty of oggling to be had, with pretty much every cast member appearing in the buff at some point on screen, obviously a key factor in my seeing the film in the first place. JK! ( not really JKing). But of course Soderbergh had more in store than just that. Instead, we follow Tatum's character as he tries to move on from the world of stripping and start his own furniture making business. Now again, after reading that last sentence this movie really starts to sound like something it's not, which is the brilliance of Soderbergh and one of the many reasons he will be sorely missed from cinema if he truly does walk away.

So if you haven't seen it already, remember that it's directed by the guy who gave us Traffic, The Informant, Sex, Lies and Videotape and so many other great movies and try to have an open mind.

If that still doesn't convince you, then I only have two words. Matthew. McConaughey.

6 BERNIE- If ever there was a movie made for Texans by Texans, it would be Bernie. Based on a true story about a local funeral worker, loved by everyone in town, befriends a local widow who also happens to be the town bitch. To say what happens next would spoil part of the fun, even though most people who are aware of the movie probably already know. Even so, the film is rich with authentic Texas characterizations, in large part due to the fact that most of the characters are played by actual Texans.

It's possible I'm biased towards this movie, seeing that I am Texan, but honestly, I think it's just a wonderful movie with great performances from Jack Black, Shirely MacLaine, and once again Matthew McConaughey and an excellent script by writer/director/Texan Richard Linklater. 'Nuff said.

5. THE GREY- I remember when the trailer first came out for The Grey and everyone just it was just Liam Neeson punching wolves, and amazingly everyone was perfectly OK with that, including myself. But then we all watched the damned thing, and instead found a deeply thought out drama/thriller about tragedy and the will to go on.

The work Neeson does here is simply incredible, believably guiding us through his characters journey from suicidal right out of the gate to fiercely defending his last chance to live at the very end. It really is some of the best work he has ever done and it's a shame he didn't get more credit for it.

Also, director Joe Carnahan finally lives up to the promise I first saw with Narc. I've greatly enjoyed his other films like Smokin' Aces and The A-Team, but with The Grey Carahan again dives deep into the mind of a broken man with intense and fascinating results. Here's to hoping he continues down this path and has more films like this one in store for us.

4. MOONRISE KINGDOM- After a second viewing of this film, it became quite clear that is definitely my favorite Wes Anderson movie. There's honestly nothing new or different per se compared to his other films, just a great story filled with great moments and characters portrayed by a group of actors that just could not have been better. Quite simply, it is a joy to watch.

Also, out of all the movies in this top ten list, this is the one I'm most upset about not being nominated as Best Picture that wasn't already. I know the Oscars don't really mean shit anymore, and they damn sure don't validate the merit or quality of a movie, but c'mon guys, you know this movie was wonderful. Fuck your best screenplay nomination, this should be in the running for the top prize.

3. ZERO DARK THIRTY- The word 'masterpiece' has been thrown around this movie quite a bit, and to be perfectly honest, it's for good reason. The expertise displayed here by director Kathryn Bigelow has officially taken her to another level of film making. By giving us a bird's eye view into the hunt and eventual capture of Osama Bin Laden, Bigelow allows the audience decide whether the means we took to get there were worth it.

But even aside from the brilliant tiptoeing aspect of torture, the film is an amazing procedural, much like David Fincher's classic Zodiac. It takes us step by step what it took to find this one person, which given all the news reports and articles and books that have already been written on the subject, could have made for one boring movie and pointless film. But again, Bigelow keeps the  audience glued to the screen thanks to sharp characterization, a breakneck pace and a feeling of tension that gradually builds to an extreme during the climatic raid. Fascinating, raw, and easily one for the books.

2. THE AVENGERS- I went pretty in depth about why I love this movie so much on this blog when the movie originally came out, so look back and see why this movie is so high on the list. Actually, just watch it again and that should remind you.

1. LOOPER- No other movie this year rolled around digesting in my head longer than Looper. A complex, adult, original Sci-Fi drama from director Rian Johnson, Looper follows the story of Joe, a looper who kills people who need killin sent by the mob 30 years in the future. Eventually, a looper will be forced to close his loop, or kill his future self, so that there are no loose ends for the mob in the future. Once this happens, a looper is given a huge pay off and sets out to live the good life until his time for elimination comes.

The main thrust of the story is that just when Joe is about to close his loop, the situation gets away from him and he is forced to track down his future self before things any worse. What follows is a layered action film filled with skilled actors, graceful genre changes, and the balls to go to genuinely dark places. In short, an amazing fucking movie.

The work Joseph- Gordon Levitt does here is borderline creepy in that he actually embodies Bruce Willis. Everything down to speech, facial expressions and they way he carries himself, he actually became a young Bruce, and even more awesomely, somehow made the performance his own without it just being a mere imitation. Young Joe genuinely struggles with the decisions being made by Old Joe, not to mention the ones he has already made that have yet to affect him. Levitt displays all the complexity of being in such a situation almost effortlessly, letting us get completely lost in his character's journey. Great, great work.

Of course, you can't talk about Looper without talking about Bruce Willis. As I mention above, Bruce did some great work in Moonrise Kingdom, but he was somehow better here, with one of his most complex roles to date. Old Joe is forced to do some truly heinous acts, and it's a testament to Willis' skill that the viewer isn't completely turn off from his character. It's obvious that Willis really responded to the story and the character, and as a result we get what will most definitely go down as one his best performances, right alongside John McClane and Butch. I actually just watched A Good Day to Die Hard, which was pretty terrible. Obviously, Willis can play that part in his sleep by now, and they obviously let him, but Looper just proves that Willis can bring it with the best of them, and hopefully he'll be able to find more roles like this and Moonrise Kingdom that keep him and audiences engaged.

Even better than richly developed character and an even better performance, Willis once again proves that he is the ultimate badass mother fucker with a shootout in the middle of the movie that is beyond violent and bloody, and is one of the highlights of this amazing movie.

I only barely scratched the surface of this incredible movie. No matter what you've heard, there is so much more going on, asking questions like 'how far would you go for the one you love?' while also supplying character driven drama all in the disguise of a science fiction mindfuck time travel movie.

Watch this movie and spread the word as wide and as far as you can, because the world needs more movies like Looper ASAP!



Well dudes, that's it, another top ten list delivered two months too late.  Since I've started this particular entry I've seen a few of movies I mentioned above like Ted and Brave. Both were great, but Ted in particular kind of rocked my world with its hilarity.

I need to do this more. I feel good when I do it, even if the piece sucks. So, bear with me as I once again attempt to get on here with reviews of new movies, old movies and movies that I just want to talk about.


Until next time dudes, suck it.