Well, without further ado, let's start with number 20...
20) Haywire
I have always enjoyed Steven Soderbergh's films. Haywire was definitely a different film for him, but I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace for him. It is a great spy/conspiracy story starring the lovely (and deadly) Gina Carano and has great performances from a slew of Hollywood greats, like Ewen McGregor, Michael Fassbender, and Channing Tatum. This is one of those films that assumes you know what's going on from the start, then slowly reveals things to you. So don't feel bad if you are confused as all hell for the first half hour. It gets really good.
19) 21 Jump Street
I did not expect this movie to be as good as it was. But DAMN was this movie freaking hilarious. Who would have thought that Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum could have as much chemistry as they did? Even though the plot line was utterly predictable, the film was hilarious from start to finish. Do yourself a favor and see it. Also, FUCK YOU SCIENCE!
18) Compliance
This movie is SO fucked up. The only reason this movie is so great is because it is absolutely true. When I heard about this movie and heard that it takes place almost entirely in one room, I thought it was going to be a cluster-fuck. Needless to say, I was wrong. This movie may be a little slow for some people, but it goes to some pretty dark places. It is a great look at the human psyche and how we react to certain situations.
17) Bernie
I'm sure most, if not all, of you haven't even heard of Bernie. It flew under the radar this year, garnering very little recognition from anyone, even critics. Those who did see it will tell you that it shines under Jack Black's amazing performance as Bernie Tiede. This movie is a very dark comedy, but if you are a sick fuck like me, you will probably laugh your ass off the whole time. If not, you might hate me a little (more) for enjoying this movie so much.
16) Flight
I wish I could land a plan when I'm fucked up on cocaine. JUST TAKE MY MONEY, DENZEL! But, seriously, Washington gives one of his best performances in Robert Zemeckis' Flight. And John Goodman is just hilarious. The movie is a little slow at times, but it is a great character study into the mind of an addict/kind hero.
15) Sleepwalk with Me
Another lesser known film that made my list is comedian Mike Birbiglia's Sleepwalk with Me. It is the semi-autobiographical story of a man who is a bartender that is trying to get into stand-up comedy. Oh yea, and he sleepwalks. While this movie does drag at times, it has some of the funniest quotes of the year. Birbiglia is an amazing writer and I definitely need to look into his stand-up.
14) Pitch Perfect
How could this movie not make my list? It may be super predictable but it makes up for that by being absolutely hilarious. AND it has great music! And I don't just mean all the awesome acapella that goes on. There are some great mashups included in the movie that really caught my attention. And it didn't hurt that there were a lot of hot ladies in this film. Just sayin...
13) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
All of you haters who thought The Hobbit was too long or dragged too much or wasn't enough like LOTR can shut up. This is my review and I'll say what I want. The Hobbit and LOTR are nothing alike in book form and I thought that the film perfectly captured those differences. This movie felt way more lighthearted and adventure-y, as it should since it is based off of a children's book. I didn't feel like the movie dragged at all, in face, I was shocked when it ended. I thought I had been there for maybe an hour, at the most. Maybe it's because I love the material and was just so engrossed in seeing some of my favorite characters come to life... I don't know. Either way, I loved it. So suck it.
12) The Avengers
I can't be the only one who nearly shit their pants when they saw the "after credit" scene attached to Iron Man in 2008. This movie was set up for four years and every movie kept building up the anticipation with Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America. And the wait was WELL worth it. Joss Whedon fucking nailed it. It was a great script that so perfectly balanced all of the characters and genuinely made this an ensemble piece. Tom Hiddleston delivered an amazing performance as Loki and, in my opinion, stole the show. I almost wanted him to win. Almost.
11) The Dark Knight Rises
Another movie that I had been waiting four years for...but on a completely different scale. Unlike The Avengers, this didn't have the four year build up. I had to wait quietly for four years hearing tons of casting rumors and just DYING to see where Chris Nolan was going to go with everything. As always, he delivered an superbly shot (thanks to long time cinematographer Wall Pfister) and well written end to his Dark Knight Trilogy. And, even though I had a little trouble understanding him the first time, upon rewatching it, I think Tom Hardy nailed it as Bane. I would do unspeakable things to that man. No homo...
10) Les Miserables
I have always been a huge fan of Les Miserables, so when I heard that Tom Hooper (director of King's Speech) was tackling it, I got very excited. As casting was announced, I started to get even MORE excited. The movie was (almost) everything I dreamed it would be...with a few glaring errors. The first error was Russell Crowe. Just...all of him. He can't sing the part of Javert. He shouldn't have even tried. He failed MISERABLY. That being said...he was pretty good in every scene that he didn't have to speak. Also, can someone tell Tom Hooper that there are other shots besides "extreme closeup" shots? I mean, the closeups worked perfectly for songs like "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Bring Him Home" but he used it WAY too often. Other than those two glaring errors, everything else was pretty much spot on. Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman were phenomenal and made me jizz almost every time they were on screen. Don't judge.
9) Cabin in the Woods
If you didn't like Cabin in the Woods, I'm not going to claim you "didn't get it." Because that's just arrogant. I'm just going to claim that you are "retarded" or "the product of incest." See the difference? Cabin in the Woods was a love letter to all of the horror tropes that we have come to expect in our horror movies. Some people falsely classify this as "horror" or went in thinking they were going to see another Halloween-esque film. Those people were horribly mistaken. This is an amazingly written film that takes everything you think you know and flips it on its head. If you appreciate horror as much as me, you will enjoy this movie. If not, then we will never speak again.
8) Looper
When I heard that Rian Johnson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were reuniting for a sci-fi movie, I was completely on board. I absolutely loved their first collaboration, Brick, and knew that Looper would not let me down. The movie is so well written, and even though the ending was slightly predictable, I don't think it detracts from the amazingly written time-travel plot. Bruce Willis does what Bruce Willis does best: kicks ass. No, he isn't an amazing actor. But he is a ridiculous action star who can deliver some amazingly comedic lines.
7) Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Lingings Playbook made me look at Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence completely differently. I never thought that either of them were amazing actors (even though Lawrence was delivered a great performance in Winter's Bone.) But this movie showed off how moving they can both be given the proper script/direction. With great supporting roles from Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver (and the hilarious cameo by Chris Tucker), I was amazed by how much I loved this movie. In fact, I didn't even realize how much I loved it until I sat down to write this review.
6) Lincoln
Lincoln is probably the "best" movie this year. But I always factor rewatchability into my ratings, which dropped this down a few notches. The entire cast of this film showcases some superb performing. From Day-Lewis, as the spitting image of Lincoln to the small, but excellent James Spader as W.N. Bilbo, everyone blew me away. I was shocked at how this film pulled me in, even though I knew the general storyline. The script was written so well that it kept my attention for the full 150 minutes. I think that says it all.
5) Zero Dark Thirty
I intend on writing a full review of this movie in the near future, so I won't dilly dally here. Let's just say that Kathryn Bigelow nailed it again and that Jessica Chastain as Maya delivered one of, if not THE, best performances of the year. I shall definitely elaborate in the future.
4) Moonrise Kingdom
As someone who was never a huge Wes Anderson fan (Fantastic Mr. Fox is the only other of his that I really liked) I was surprised that I was DYING to see this movie. The script never dragged and the film was beautifully shot. But the thing that I loved the most were the performances from the two kids in the movie. Both Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward blew me away with just how well they played their roles and made me feel for their characters. The "young love" story really worked for me and made me root for the characters all the way to the end. Even if you don't like Wes Anderson, I think this film is a must see.
3) Argo
I will be the first person to admit that Ben Affleck cannot act. If you look at his resume, it is rife with utter failures like Gigli, Reindeer Games, and Pearl Harbor. But then he had a great idea and started directing movies...and starring in them. What he proved to us is that only on man can properly direct Ben Affleck. Apparently it's Ben Affleck. Just like Gone Baby Gone and The Town before, Argo is an excellently written, directed, AND acted film. I don't care if it isn't entirely historically accurate (all of the changes were made for cinematic reasons that I fully support.) Without these historical inaccuracies, the movie would have dragged a little and wouldn't have had the same intensity that it had at points. Affleck and writer Chris Terrio made all of the right decisions to make this a must see. And it also yielded my favorite quote of the year. "Argo fuck yourself!" Love you too Alan Arkin!
2) Skyfall
Skyfall is probably the greatest bond film of all time. I know that's a bold statement, but I believe it is 100% true. After the embarrassment that was Quantum of Solace, Bond came back with something to prove. Directed by American Beauty's Sam Mendes (the lucky bastard that's married to Kate Winslet), Skyfall still has the grittiness of the Craig era bond, but includes throwbacks to the campy bond that we all know and love. It had the perfect balance of grit and camp to make it work. But as much as people see this as "just another Bond film," I would disagree and say that this is completely an M film. Judi Dench steals the show in one of her best performances ever. And let's not forget Javier Bardem as the creepy Silva, who might be my new favorite Bond villian. Overall an amazing movie, regardless of any plotholes. Bond is allowed to have plotholes. BECAUSE HE IS BETTER THAN YOU.
1) Django Unchained
Yes, I'm a Tarantino fanboy. No, I didn't LOVE Death Proof. I have no problem criticizing his work. But DAMN did he knock it out of the park with Django Unchained. Jaime Foxx was pretty good as Django, but I think the real showrunners were Leonardo Dicaprio and Christoph Waltz. I will not be surprised if both of them get Oscar noms, let alone if one of them wins. I have never heard the word "nigger" used so many times in one movie, but I didn't mind because it fit the film so well. One of the best scenes in the film featured a surprising Jonah Hill cameo and a lot of angry KKK members.
Well, I know that was really fucking long, but that's my top 20 films of 2012. Check back soon for my 2012 Superlatives and my Zero Dark Thirty review! If you want me to do an in depth review on any of these films, or have any requests for movie articles/lists I could do, feel free to comment or message me!
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