Best Films of 2012

Year In Review: Best of 2012

2012 was not a great year for films, but there were some great films released this year. The list below are my top 10 favorite films from this year with brief descriptions. They are listed in order of approximate preference. Ask me again tomorrow, and their placements may well change. Also should be noted, there are many films I still greatly anticipate but have not seen, like Zero Dark Thirty, Killing Them Softly and Life of Pi, which upon seeing, could alter this list slightly.

1. The Master - Upon first seeing Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film in September, I knew it would be the film for all other films to contend with, for me. And over three months later, I still have not seen a better film; this is the perfect synthesis of acting, directing, cinematography, editing, score, and just about everything that makes a great film great. Every shot is the shot of a true artist; carefully composed, balanced, and executed. The acting is phenomenal. And it is probably the most original film of the year. Some found it murky, incomprehensible, or boring. I found it enchanting.

2. Amour (Love) - The latest masterpiece from director Michael Haneke deservedly took home the Palme d'Or, the highest honor of the Cannes Film Festival. This French-language drama is beautifully directed and powerfully acted, with an Oscar worthy performance from Emmanuelle Riva. Along with Sarah Polley's Away From Her, this is one of the finest depictions of love, loss, and old age in a long while.

3. Beasts of the Southern Wild - This Sundance darling startled me with its beauty, imagination, and depth. Seen entirely through the eyes of a child, Quevenzhane Wallis in an Oscar caliber performance, it is a fantasy-drama set in an impoverished community known as "the bathtub," which exists disconnected from New Orleans, on the other side of the levee. Wallis, and her father (Dwight Henry), were both first-time actors, and they give performances as convincing as anybody else this year.

4. Django Unchained - Perhaps the the most outright entertaining film of the year, Tarantino's newest film is a bloody, uproarious, action-filled piece of cinema. At nearly three hours in length, it never feels it. Throw in some Award-worthy performances from Christoph Waltz and especially Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson, and you have a bloody good time at the theatre. Is it flawless? No. But it is a perfect example of why I love movies.

5. Flight - Containing the most terrifying plane crash sequence I've ever seen in a film, Flight ushers a welcomed return to live action cinema for Robert Zemeckis. What follows after the crash is a careful, dark, and at time very funny story about alcoholic pilot Whip Whitaker. In Whitaker, Denzel Washington is given one of his best roles ever, and hopefully will earn an Oscar nomination for his work.

6. Killer Joe - A story about one messed up, trailer-trash family that decides their mother isn't of much use, and so they bring in Killer Joe (Matthew McConaughey, who's had a splendid year) to kill her. The screenplay, cinematography, direction, and performances are flawless. This film deservedly earned an NC-17 rating; I can't imagine anybody under 18 needing to see this film. But it is a great one, and shouldn't be missed, if you can stomach it.

7. Jack Reacher - Probably the most critically derided film on this list: I don't give a shit. This is the analog James Bond. Writer/Director Christopher McQuarrie (of Usual Suspects fame) adapts the film from one of Lee Childs' novels, and in so doing, reminds us what action films should be about: not explosions, car chases, and shoot-outs every other scene, but rather an establishment of character and a careful build of suspense so that when we get to those car chases, shoot-outs, whatever they may be, they carry an intensity unlike any other. Another film of pure entertainment.

8. Ruby Sparks - Paul Dano has had a great year, with not only this film, but also the very good Being Flynn, and For Ellen, which I have yet to see. This film is an impeccably written comedy about a writer in Los Angeles who literally writes a character into existence. This character being Ruby (Zoe Kazan, also the screenwriter of the film), who plays the character and her wide array of emotions with fascinating range. A highly enjoyable romantic comedy.

9. Compliance - This unsettling film based on nearly 70 real life incidents would be entirely unbelievable... if it didn't actually happen. It's a masterful exercise in how seemingly simple and benign actions can gradually escalate into monstrous happenings. With a fantastic supporting turn from Ann Dowd, this is one of the most fascinating, unsettling, well-directed films of the year, especially impressive because of its limited locations.

10. 21 Jump Street - Hands down the funniest film of the year, this is an excellent comedy with great performances from Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, and a magnificent screenplay that delights in turning genre cliches on their head. It may be formulaic and somewhat predictable, but it's a goddamn fun ride. It improves upon rewatch, when little nuances of performances reveal themselves, and cute bits of foreshadowing emerge. It also probably contains the best cameo of any film of the year.

Honorable Mentions, in alphabetical order: Argo, Cabin in the Woods, End of Watch, The Impossible, Lincoln, Looper, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Sessions, Seven Psychopaths, The Silver Linings Playbook.

Best Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
David Ayers, End of Watch

William Friedkin, Killer Joe

Michael Haneke, Amour

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Robert Zemeckis, Flight

Best Screenplay:

Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Stephen Chbosky, Perks of Being a Wallflower

Michael Haneke, Amour
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Craig Zobel, Compliance