21. Wreck-It Ralph (Must See: Not Listed)(I wrote this, and saw a few more movies, so I kept it in here.)
Disney made one of the best animated films under its own label in over a decade, and it featured about every video game that most of us grew up playing. John C. Reilly plays Wreck-It Ralph, the villain in the video game "Fix-It Felix", who is tired of being ignored and abused, so he leaves his video game for greener pastures. The plot is clever, the actors were spot on (especially Sarah Silverman being adorable), and the writing was funny and heartfelt. It was one of many family films I absolutely loved this year.
The Moment I Fell in Love: A support group for video game bad guys leads to some mighty big laughs.
20. Looper (Must See: Not Listed)
Tense, fast-paced, and downright awesome. "Looper" was everything you would want in a science-fiction, action film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays an assassin who specializes in killing the enemies of the mob... from the future. When they are finished with his contract, they send back his future self... which is Bruce Willis, and he's pissed! Writer/Director Rian Johnson creates an alternate reality that plays fast and loose with the rules of time travel, and every second is as thrilling as the last.
The Moment I Fell in Love: The montage showing the span of time between Young Joe and Old Joe.
19. Perfect Sense (Must See: Not listed)
This Scottish gem came out at the beginning of the year, and stuck with me through most of it. Ewan MacGregor and Eva Green play a couple finding each other as the world begins to lose all of its senses. Literally. Everybody in the world loses all five of their senses, one by one. It is a beautiful love story surrounded by so much tragedy, and yet it still somehow manages to be very uplifting.
The Moment I Fell in Love: After losing the sense of taste, McGregor discovers that texture can provide a decent substitute.
18. The Avengers (Must See: #6)
Geek God, Joss Whedon, added Marvel Comics' banner team-up title to his list of great things he has done. This film was everything it should have been: the perfect kick-off to the summer blockbuster season, a loud, fun shoot 'em up action film, and the perfect vehicle for the Hulk to smash! This more than made up for the stumble that was "Iron Man 2", and the formulaic, yet still slightly entertaining, "Thor". Comical and action packed, it was hard not to have as much fun as possible while watching "The Avengers".
The Moment I Fell in Love: Cobie Smulders.
17. The Raid: Redemption (Must See: Not Listed)
I don't know what it was about this film that made it a cut above most other martial arts films I have seen, but it just was. It was fast-paced, violent, and unflinchingly impressive. The acting wasn't top-of-list good, but it worked well enough to tie the piece together. I was lucky enough to see this before I saw "Dredd" this summer, because the premises were very much alike. Cops get stuck in a high rise controlled by a vicious gang, and the gang's leader turns the tenants on them. The fight to get out becomes, to steal kind of cheesy phrase, a pulse-pounding ride that doesn't let up until the credits role.
The Moment I Fell in Love: While hiding in a wall, two cops have to evade getting stabbed without making a sound.
16. The Secret World of Arrietty/Brave (Must See: #7)(Must see: #3)
Studio Ghibli has made some of my favorite films. Their imagination knows no bounds, and their visuals are usually more striking then anyone else in the medium. "Arrietty" felt like a much safer film than the likes of some of the other titles they have released, such as "Princess Mononoke" or "Howl's Moving Castle". However; this take on the classic children's book "The Borrowers" is still magical. Great voice acting (I saw it with the British and American voice casts), and fun dialogue make for a highly enjoyable outing for anyone.
Speaking of safer options from Disney affiliates, Pixar's latest was certainly that, but it was still better than "Tangled", and still very moving. Pixar may not have reached their highest peak with "Brave", but they gave us a beautiful tale of a royal Celtic family and the bonds they share. A young princess curses her mother, turning her into a bear (the very animal that took her father's leg, and continues to haunt them). What follows is a story about forgiveness and acceptance that knocks out most other family films this year.
The Moment I Fell in Love: Arrietty - The lush animation did it for me in this one.
Brave - The retelling of Fergus losing his leg.
15. The Sessions (Must See: Not Listed)
I didn't realize how invested I was in Ben Lewin's "The Sessions" until I hit the end and began welling up. The emotion I felt for the film's protagonist, poet, and author of the source material, Mark O' Brien, crept up on me, and caught me off guard when I really wasn't expecting it to. John Hawkes embodies the role so expertly, you almost forget that he doesn't actually have polio. Helen Hunt, Moon Bloodgood, and William H. Macy, among others, give equally great performances, and let Lewin's (and O' Brien's) words flow onto the screen in a beautiful tale that is less about sex than it is about human connection and perseverance.
The Moment I Fell in Love: John Hawkes' brilliant performance was all I needed for this one to grow on me.
14. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Must See: #12)
Smiling isn't something I get to do through a lot of movies. Either they're so damn serious, or they have Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler in them. So, when a feel good film like John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" comes along and just keeps a smile plastered across my face, it is bound to end up on a list like this. I love the entire cast. Between Dev Patel, playing a young Indian man trying to run a crumbling elderly community, and the group of aging British actors including Dame Judi Dench and Bill Nighy, there isn't a bad performance in the bunch. I said in my must-see list last year that this was going to be fluff, but it is such great piece of fluff.
The Moment I Fell in Love: The group arrives at the Motel, and Dev Patel tries to convince them all to stay.
13. ParaNorman (Must See: #9)
Laika, the studio who made the wonderful "Coraline", has once again done a (somewhat) family friendly film that was worth taking the family to. Norman, an outcast in a small town famous for being cursed by a witch, can talk to the dead, and it is this fact that leads to him being the unlikely hero of the town when the dead being to rise. Though, much like "Coraline", it may be a little too scary for the young kids. However, the beauty of the stop-motion animation and the simplicity, and hilarity, of the script, really makes this film a joy to watch. If this is the standard the rest of their films will be held up to, we may have a new Pixar on our hands.
The Moment I Fell in Love: Norman has a conversation with his grandmother, and then his father reveals she's dead.
12. Flight (Must See: Not Listed)
Now for another feel good film. And by feel good, I mean exactly the opposite. "Flight" is one of the single most depressing looks at addiction and self-destruction that I have seen on the big screen. It was almost hard to believe that it was brought to us by the same guy who directed "Forrest Gump" and "The Polar Express". Denzel Washington brings his A game to the table, and gives a broken, troubled, Oscar-caliber performance as a drug-addicted pilot who saves the lives of almost every passenger on his plane while drunk. At no point does this film try to make you feel good, and no point should it.
The Moment I Fell in Love: The plane crash sequence.
11. Argo (Must See: #15)
So, Ben Affleck does have an Oscar for writing 1997's "Good Will Hunting", and 15 years later he has found himself the recipient of some major awards directing his third film. "Argo" is a tense political thriller based, somewhat loosely, on true events. A group of American diplomats get stuck inside of the Iran borders after the country falls into chaos, and Affleck is the CIA agent sent in to save them. His ensemble cast is one of the best of the year. The script is riveting and amusing, and flows so well with Affleck's style. His directing is so solid that it is hard to tell fact from fiction. After it is all said and done, however, it's even harder to tell if you want to.
The Moment I Fell in Love: The seamless editing between the actual footage and the staged sequences.
10. Jeff, Who Lives at Home (Must See: Not Listed)
Mumblecore. I love it. And no one has a better grasp on the genre than the Duplass Brothers. This bittersweet comedy about a family on the brink of destruction is them at their very best. The understated performances of the cast compliment the script perfectly, and Jason Segel continues his string of wonderful roles in top-notch films. Ed Helms is better than he has ever been as Segel's brother, and Susan Sarandon is marvelous as his mother (of course). Great things came from this low budget film that starts with a monologue about the film "Signs". Also, a small shout out to the other Duplass Brothers' film about estranged brothers, "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon", which was also released this year, but didn't have the punch of this movie's climax.
The Moment I Fell in Love: The aforementioned monologue about M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs".
9. The Dark Knight Rises (Must See: #1)
Nolan brought his Batman series to a close this year, and it wasn't perfect, but it was phenomenal. The scope was so grand, the story was so epic, and it was simply exciting in all the right ways. Many fan boys seemed to only want a remake of the previous film, or just didn't seem to care enough to give this film a chance, but for all the nit picking, this is still a solid film. The actors are all on top of their games, the stakes have been significantly upped from "The Dark Knight", and the climax was as emotional as the trilogy has been so far. Well played, Nolan. Well played.
The Moment I Fell in Love: Bane hijacks a plane to kidnap a scientist.
8. Life of Pi (Must See: Not Listed)
Ang Lee is a very capable director, and I don't think this has ever been more evident than this year's survivor tale "Life of Pi". First time actor Suraj Sharma carries this movie with extreme talent and charm. He handles the complex range of emotions without a glimmer of inability. The animal effects are jaw-droppingly impressive, and I'm not easily impressed by special effects. David Magee's script is a heart-wrenching tale that grabs hold, and keeps it. By the time you reach the end, you have experienced an emotional spectrum so wide, that you feel like you were the one stuck on that raft.
The Moment I Fell in Love: Pi's near fatal introduction to Richard Parker.
7. Skyfall (Must See: #4)
This is easily the most well-rounded James Bond made to date. Director Sam Mendes took what the last two films started, and made Bond human. Craig has never been sharper, and Dame Judi Dench gives her best performance since her last role (#'s "Best Exoctic Marigold Hotel"). Better yet, Javier Bardem's villain is a burnt spy (stealing a phrase from one of my favorite shows) with a grudge, and he couldn't be better in this role. It was so chilling that it brought up images of his Oscar-winning turn in "No Country For Old Men". The film starts on the best cold open in the series, and then rolls through a wonderful opening credit sequence scored to a soulful theme song by Adele. The film was vibrant, exciting, and emotional. I wonder how the next film would ever top this.
The Moment I Fell in Love: Naomie Harris takes the shot.
6. Django Unchained (Must See: #5)
I don't have enough good words in my vocabulary to praise Quentin Tarantino with. "Django Unchained" is wild in all the ways it should be, and disturbing in all of the ways you would not have expected to be. A revenge film, set a couple of years before the American Civil War, about a slave who is set free and working along-side a German bounty hunter. Tarantino takes our nation's violent, sordid history, and puts it on bloody display in a wonderful historic fiction, that is essentially a companion piece to 2008's "Inglorious Basterds".
His casting is as solid as ever, and his writing is dark and comical, switching at the drop of hat. This movie is awesome!
The Moment I Fell in Love: Schultz gives a group of shackled slaves a very humorous ultimatum.
5. Moonrise Kingdom (Must See: Not Listed? How did this happen?!)
Dear Wes Anderson,
It is so hard to pick the film of yours I love most, but "Moonrise Kingdom" was trying its hardest to make a case for the top spot. You have such a great body of work, that your wonderful tale of young, innocent love just blends into it perfectly. Your young leads are so genuine that it is a wonder we haven't seen them before now. The script drips with the sly wit that you are known for, and bursts with beautiful dialogue that carries a great cadence, that almost reads like a bizarre poetry. There isn't a thing I would change about this film.
Adoring fan since "Bottle Rocket",
MCH
The Moment I Fell in Love: Bob Balaban gives a tour of the island in which the film takes place.
4. Zero Dark Thirty (Must See: Not Listed)
Before 2008 the biggest thing that Kathryn Bigelow was known for was "Point Break". She made action films that were fun to watch, but were mostly forgettable. Now she is making not only the best films of her career, but probably the best film of her ex-husband's (Oscar-winner James Cameron) career. This political thriller is so tense that during the last 30 minutes, I'm pretty sure I forgot to breathe. Laying out a just-the-facts account of the hunt for Taliban leader Osama bin Laden, taken from the people involved, Bigelow has captured a piece of history (less than two years after it happened) with a beautiful tenacity.
The Moment I Fell in Love: I was so immersed in this film, I honestly don't know...
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild (Must See: Not Listed)
I want to say up front that Quvenzhané Wallis, the young star of this picture, ranks as my favorite performance of the year. She proved more than capable of handling the weight and emotions of such a intricate film. Here is a story about a young girl named "Hushpuppy", from a small island in Southern Louisiana they call "The Bathtub", and her strained relationship with her father, "Wink". "Wink" is ill, and trying to raise his daughter to survive on her own. When the island floods, they are forced to deal with each other as the battle the elements. The writing is honest, the performances are real, and the directing is visceral. With a hint of fantasy mixed into the story, there is truly something for everyone.
The Moment I Fell in Love: "Once there was a Hushpuppy, and she lived with her daddy in The Bathtub."
2. Seven Psychopaths (Must See: Not Listed)
This was hands down the funniest, goofiest, and most shocking film of the year. Martin McDonagh has written a dark comedy about a screenwriter and his dognapping friend who get caught up in mob business, starring what is possibly the greatest ensemble of the year. "Seven Psychopaths" is at one minute gut-bustingly funny, and the next it is in-your-face violent. Colin Farrell plays a wonderful straight man to Sam Rockwell's goofy fall guy, and Christopher Walken and Tom Waits are solid as always. I can't say enough great stuff about this film, so I will just say that if you haven't seen, you should.
The Moment I Fell in Love: Sam Rockwell opens his mouth, and every time golden nuggets of awesome drop out.
1. Lincoln (Must See: #14)
After "War Horse" and "The Adventures of Tintin" Spielberg HAD to be out of steam. Those were two great films, and there was no way he was going to be able to follow them up with something even better. Right? WRONG! "Lincoln" was not only better than his two films from last year, but could be put beside "Jaws" and "Saving Private Ryan" as some of his best work to date. Not to mention that Daniel Day-Lewis may be the only choice for best actor this year. I can't express enough how perfect this film was. Not a single bit of of screen was wasted, and Tony Kushner's script was so tight, that it never seemed to droop. Not for a second. The Wunderkind is back in the swing, and I hope he directs equally phenomenal films for another couple of decades.
The Moment I Fell in Love: A black soldier, after questioning Lincoln, walks away from him quoting the Gettysburg Address.
2012 "Must See" Films That Didn't Cut it:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (#14) - Mostly style, and little substance. This may be destined for cult classic status, but that is hardly a good thing.
The Hunger Games (#13) - Bad acting, poor scripting, and lack of nuance made this mostly a bore of a film that left the audience wishing that, somehow, every character would die.
American Reunion (#11) - It had most of the cast, and the very capable directors, but it was missing something that made it less than the best of the series (which was "American Wedding").
The Amazing Spider-Man (#10) - A lot of fun, but just a step behind the excitement of "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2".
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (#8) - I LOVED this film. I was sad that it didn't make it, but some films are just better.
Prometheus (#2) - The "Alien" series is one of my favorite series, but this was more on the side of "Alien: Resurrection" than "Alien" (my favorite of all five films).
P.S. Daniel Day-Lewis may be the only choice for best actor EVERY year. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is very true.
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