Best Movies of 2012

1. Cloud Atlas

My favorite flick of the year.  Fascinating, moving, exciting, and visually stunning in equal measure.  Multiple storylines and genres taking place over different time periods, weaving in and out of each other with seamless ease.  The actors get to truly show off their chops by playing no less than 5 different roles each.  Adapted from a novel that many deemed un-filmable, I can't even imagine how difficult this movie must have been to make.  But co-creators Andy and Lana Wachowski somehow managed to pull it off.  A remarkable achievement that had me enthralled throughout the entire 3 hour running time.



2. Cabin in the Woods

Creators Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard take the age old horror plot of a group of college kids heading out to a remote cabin in the woods and completely rip it apart, turning it into a gleefully twisted satire and a clever homage to the old-school splatter-fests of the 1980s.  By far the most inventive and original horror film I've seen in years, with plenty of gore, scares, and laughs to satisfy any true fan of the genre.  The hilarious supporting performances by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford are the icing on the cake.


3. Argo

Features the most nail biting, nerve-shredding final 30 minutes of any film in recent years, and the fact that this shit actually happened only heightens the tension.  The actors are all fantastic, particularly the wonderful supporting players John Goodman and Alan Arkin who almost steal the show.  Ben Affleck continues to amaze me with his talent behind the camera.  Since the release of 2007's equally brilliant Gone Baby Gone, he has quickly become one of my favorite modern directors.  Can't wait to see what he brings us next.



4. The Dark Knight Rises

A dark, thrilling, and emotional conclusion to the greatest comic book trilogy of all time.  It's always tough to try and outdo a masterpiece (2008's The Dark Knight), but director and co-writers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan come pretty damn close with this exciting & satisfying epic.  Dare I say this is Michael Caine's finest work as an actor, and I was pleasantly surprised by Anne Hathaway's excellent performance as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.


5. Django Unchained

A period piece, a spaghetti western, a blaxploitation film, a buddy picture, and a gory revenge flick all rolled into one, accompanied by a wonderfully inappropriate soundtrack for the period.  Only Tarantino could take a subject as serious and controversial as American slavery in the 1800s and turn it into 3 hours of joyous, blood-splattered fun, while at the same time never shying away from the grim horror of the topic.  It's a crazy balancing act, and Tarantino pulls it off with all the style and wild originality that has made him one of the most beloved and polarizing filmmakers of our time.  The violence is graphic and shocking at times.  But the cartoonish, over-the-top blood spray during the shootout scenes continually remind you that this is entertainment that doesn't take itself too seriously.  Much like his previous film, Inglourious Basterds, this movie knows exactly what it is and revels in its gleeful inventiveness.


6. Looper

Easily the most unique and intelligent sci-fi action movie to come out of Hollywood in quite some time.  Writer/director Rian Johnson's ingenious script miraculously covers all its bases and fills in the holes that tend to hinder a lot of time travel stories, and the results are surprising and effective, with excellent twists and a satisfying conclusion.


7. The Avengers

The biggest superhero movie of all time could have been an epic disaster.  In fact I was half expecting it to be terrible when they first announced it.  How can you give equal screen & story time to all these larger-than-life characters and still come out with a cohesive film?  Luckily director and co-writer Joss Whedon pulled off the seemingly impossible and delivered the ultimate summer popcorn flick.  A rollicking, whip-smart blast of a movie with great performances from the entire cast, mind-blowing effects and action sequences, and the same unique brand of witty humor he brought to his Buffy and Firefly TV series.  Summer blockbusters don't get much more fun that this.


8. Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story

Amazing rockumentary on the late singer/songwriter Mark Sandman of Boston-based indie band Morphine.  Sandman died tragically on stage in 1999 when he suffered a fatal heart attack while performing at a music festival in Italy.  Combining live footage of the band during it's 90s heydey with intimate home movie footage provided by Sandman's family, as well as interviews with well-known musicians like Ben Harper, Josh Homme, and Mike Watt, the film is an incredibly moving portrait of a brilliant artist cut down in the prime of his career.  A must-see for any Morphine fan, and a terrific introduction for anyone interested in checking out the music of this criminally overlooked band.


9. Skyfall

When talking about the Daniel Craig era of James Bond, I'm still partial to 2006's brilliant Casino Royale.  But Skyfall is definitely one of the best Bond films ever made, and a massive improvement over the mediocre Quantum of Solace.  The role is now firmly Craig's, and since he's now signed on for two more, it will be his for some time to come.  Audiences have now embraced his rougher, tougher, badass take on the character, and he really sinks his teeth into the role here to great effect.  Javier Bardem makes a terrific and creepy villain, and Judi Dench is brilliant once again as MI6 boss M.  Much more emotional and grounded in reality than any previous Bond film, director Sam Mendes confidently brings the series into a new era.  Here's hoping they bring him back for the next one.


10. This is 40

Writer/director Judd Apatow returns to comedic glory with this hilarious and heartwarming film.  Contains more laughs per minute than any recent comedy I've seen.  Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are both charming and funny, and the supporting performances from Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, and a scene-stealing Melissa McCarthy are all terrific.


Honorable mentions:

Moonrise Kingdom
Might be the most pleasantly charming film Wes Anderson has ever made.  I had a huge grin on my face for the entire thing.

21 Jump Street
Much funnier than it has any right to be.  Channing Tatum is a revelation and shows a surprising amount of comic timing (never thought I'd say that in a million years), while the always endearing Johan Hill is the perfect foil in this hilarious and clever adaptation of the classic 80s TV series.

Flight
Denzel Washington delivers a brilliant, Oscar-calibre performance in Robert Zemeckis' dark & edgy return to live action film.

Searching for Sugar Man
One of the most fascinating music documentaries I've ever seen.  A remarkable and heartwarming comeback story about an underdog 1970s-era singer/songwriter who never had a career in the first place, but in a just universe, should have been as famous as anyone else.  Awesome film.

The Hobbit
Much has been made of the 48 frames-per-second film speed, and what its impact will have on the future of film, etc... but nothing takes away from the fact that this is a fantastic movie from a true master of the craft.  The story is involving, the acting is stellar, the action sequences are thrilling and well executed, and the scope of the film is nothing short of epic.  As a fan of Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy (not to mention the books), I really enjoyed re-visiting Middle Earth and its characters, and I'm looking forward to the two upcoming sequels.