Top 10 Movies of 2012

Ok, I know I dragged this end of year thing into a bunch of posts, but this is the last one.  Here's my top 10 of 2012:

10. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Of my top 10, Benh Zeitlin is the only new director to have a film make the list.  I found this film to be so uplifting and triumphant that I knew it had to be included.  Zeitlin shows real talent working with non-professional actors like Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry, and apparently took input on just about everything from just about everyone who worked on the film, and the result feels like it perfectly captures the struggling Louisiana area, while also delivering an engaging fantasy story.




9. JACK REACHER

I've always been an unabashed Tom Cruise fan, but lately his movies have left me wanting more.  Working with a writer/director like Christopher McQuarrie who not only is a talented writer of dialogue but is also a master of staging action sequences, Cruise is given free reign to create one of the most badass action heroes of recent memory.  Jack Reacher is my favorite pure-entertainment movie of the year.





8. KILLER JOE

The ludicrous violence and sexuality of this movie is decidedly not for everyone, but I can honestly say I was not expecting how darkly funny this movie would be.  Emile Hirsch does an excellent job as an incredibly stupid redneck, and Juno Temple does her best work to date, but the movie is really made by Matthew McConaughey, who uses his reputation as the romantic lead in so many crappy romantic comedies to create something exactly the opposite, using his endless charisma to repulse rather than attract.  The final 15 minutes are so jaw-dropping in their insanity that you'll be thinking about this one for months afterwards.



7. SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS

Martin McDonagh had a lot to live up to, and while Psychopaths may not be as good as In Bruges, it is certainly not a sophomore slump.  The dialogue remains crude yet profound, and he is always sure to tell these crazy gangster stories in such a way that character always comes first.  Even the most psychopathic of the psychopaths demands our sympathy at one point or another.  Add onto all of this an excellent performance by Christopher Walken who is given several long scenes to really shine, and isn't just required to play himself and get laughs that way.



6. KILLING THEM SOFTLY

Many have had issues with the lack of subtlety in the film's themes, but a film that is about anger and frustration almost requires that it be as unsublte as possible.  The allegory of the gangster world filling in for the current political and economical climate is an inspired choice by Andrew Dominik, who saw that potential from a much pulpier novel.  The film is about the spin, red tape, and stupidity that goes into making any sort of important decision these days, and highlights how frustrating that can be by really accentuating the ugliest moments, whether it be a man being beat up in the rain, a slow motion assassination sequence, or just a drug addict getting high.  The performances are some of the best of the year, particularly from Pitt, James Gandolfini, and Scoot McNairy (also seen in Argo and Promised Land this year, and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more from him).  It also doesn't hurt that the best scene in the movie is also its last.


5. DJANGO UNCHAINED

If I were to make this list after seeing each film 5 more times over the next 5 years, I think this might just creep up to the top of the list based purely on rewatch value alone.  Every performance is riveting, and the film, like Inglourious Basterds, keeps you on the edge of your seat, keeps you laughing, and keeps you thinking for the entire running length of almost 3 hours.  With his last two films, I think Tarantino has finally found a way to perfectly meld his love of genre films with his own unique style, creating two back-to-back masterpieces that are sure to go down as classics on the level of anything else he's made.  He's probably the filmmaker right now whose next film I most want to see as soon as possible.  I'll also single out Christoph Waltz, who delivers Tarantino dialogue better than any other actor ever has.


4. LINCOLN

That a film based on passing an Amendment through Congress is this riveting is a credit to Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, and Daniel Day-Lewis, who deliver old-style movie magic like no other.  The script is the best of the year, playing out like some sort of flashback long form episode of The West Wing, and Day-Lewis's performance is my favorite of the year as well, paying tribute to the undeniable legend but choosing to focus on the man, flaws and all.  It moves like no other historical drama I've ever seen, and the supporting cast features more recognizable faces than a high school reunion.




3. THE MASTER

This film is an enigma.  The story is as undissectable as it is fascinating, choosing to focus more on the personal effects of war and religion on man than some sort of personal attack on Scientology.  Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are perfect choices for their roles, and their on-screen chemistry is beyond electric.  This is a really difficult movie to wrap your head around, but one that I feel will exist to be analyzed for decades to come.





2. MOONRISE KINGDOM

A perfect combination of heartfelt drama and uproarious comedy.  The adult cast, led by Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, are all fantastic, but the two young stars (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) are excellent as well.  The production design is meticulous and flawless, and I love how it's basically a war movie crossed with a kids movie.







1. LOOPER

Rian Johnson's first film Brick was my favorite movie of 2006, and 6 years later he tops the list again.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a terrific actor who seems at his best when working with Johnson, and Bruce Willis (who has big roles in my top 2 favorite movies of 2012, whodathunk) is willing to surrender his image more than people give him credit for.  The film takes its cues from masterworks such as Blade Runner and Witness, but Johnson still manages to create a wholly unique science fiction world where the future is not sunny and bright but rundown and low-tech.  Time travel has rarely been done better, and the human element of the story that really takes hold in the second half of the film adds an emotional element that's too often missing from genre films.  Themes about parenthood, nature vs. nurture, and responsibility for your actions are prevalent, but never overpower the enormously entertaining ride the movie takes you on.  Looper is first and foremost an incredible action film, but by focusing first on character and story and letting the action grow organically from there, Looper is elevated from a traditional genre piece into my favorite movie of 2012.