10. Seven Psychopaths (dir. Martin McDonagh)/Cabin inthe Woods (dir. Drew Goddard)/21 Jump Street (dir. Phil Lord & Chris Miller)/Sightseers (dir. Ben Wheatley)
So this is what I call my comedy/genre deconstruction sub category. I feel this year was a good year for meta filmmaking. A lot of movies disguised themselves as ‘normal’ movies and turned out to be movies which comment on their genre/format/idea so detailed and so well that as long as you’re the kind of person who would want to have that kind of discussion then you’d love the film(s) that are above. Reviews: Seven Psychopaths; Cabin in the Woods; 21 Jump Street; Sightseers.
9. Cloud Atlas (dir. Andy & Lana Wachowski & Tom Tykwer)
A film to end all films… or so they say. It’s a great interconnected series of stories all professing love for life and idolizing all things that is meant within that idea. More than that is a love of art and it’s most important purpose (though some argue that art inherently has no purpose) which is to pass on our ideas to another generation. Read my full review here.
8. The Intouchables (dir. Oliver Nakache & Eric Toledano)
When you think of movies that have and induce the most smiles per minute this is probably the #1 film of 2012. It’s the film that no matter how cynical you are in this world it will break you down to believe there is good in this world and you can find something to be happy about immediately after.
7. Silver Linings Playbook (dir. David O. Russell)
When Jennifer Lawrence stops being on a date and in turn goes straight to crazy woman laugh then breaks all the plates on the table this movie and I fell in love. With a rough edge of mental instability and a lot of football love the film at its core is a romantic comedy where at times an untrained audience member may not know where the real comedy is. However the movie plays to its strengths so well that I can’t wait to see it a 3rd and 4th time. Read my full review here.
6. Django Unchained (dir. Quentin Tarantino)
It may be illegal for a year to pass with a Quentin Tarantino movie is released and it doesn’t appear on my top films of the year list. If you’re the fan of Western films or even genre cinema then this movie is perfect. Between Jaime Foxx as Django, Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen and Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie this movie never stops its onslaught of amazing performances and exploitation fun. Read my full review here.
5. The Imposter (dir. Bart Layton)
Definitely the best documentary I saw in 2012. The film does the most interesting things with narrative that I’ve seen in documentary filmmaking since last year’s Tabloid. The story is so unbelievable that you can’t help but be intrigued from the very first scene to the very end.
4. Zero Dark Thirty (dir. Kathryn Bigelow)
This is a film that I worried so much about leading into it. I was worried as how it would contextualize it’s history and I apologize deeply to Ms. Bigelow as she keeps a lid on the radical and keeps it real. I now must worry about the media’s context that they’ll place this film in.
3. The Master (dir Paul Thomas Anderson)
Who knew you could tell so much with just a face. Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman remind the world that when you commit to a role so deeply the result is nothing short of mesmerizing. Paul Thomas Anderson is able to create a world where we have lost souls looking for purpose and it reaches into the audience and pulls their hearts out of their chests to be manoeuvred left and right until they’re in the perfect spot to just be for this movie. Read my full review.
2. Looper (dir. Rian Johnson)
Safety Not Guaranteed discussed the post feeling of error, being regret. Looper discusses the consequences of that error and asking what you would do if you could fix it now. Being faced with your older self you have such an opportunity and when you wrap it up in a action movie bubble then you’ve got a crowd pleaser. This movie wowed me and I can’t stop singing its praises — even after 3+ viewings. Read my full review here.
1. Like Someone in Love (dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Like Certified Copy we’re given little context as to how and why the relationship of our protagonists begins but are left to put the pieces together as we spend the day with them as they interact. The film may not be for all, but I can’t remember a film in 2012 that I was more engaged by in the cinema and I hope more people get a chance to see the movie. Read my full review here.
Skyfall, Argo, and Moonrise Kingdom were in my Top 10 (I didn't see as many new films as most), so it's always good to see more acclaim for those big movies. I also liked Safety Not Guaranteed a lot and agree with your take. Others are still on my list to see particularly Searching for Sugar Man and Perks of Being a Wallflower. I'm curious about Everyday because of Winterbottom, so that's being added to the watch list. I definitely need to check out your podcast.
Perks is so good. I love it for all its quirk but at the end of the day o felt that pick would be too personal to go into the Top 10. Was a great year for movies and yes, I pray everyone catches up with Everyday.
Nice to see love for Intouchables, Café De Flore, Moonrise, Perks, The Master, & Skyfall. I agree about those choices.
I thought 7 Psychopaths was uneven, especially the last half in the desert, but it certainly had some fun dialogue. Argo for me was a bit overrated this awards season, though the intro and ending are thrilling.
Seven Psychopaths works for me due to how it decided to tackle genre, storytelling and writing as a whole. It made it fun and when you think of it deeper you start to gain a further appreciation for the art of writing and how it plays into storytelling. Very few films can do that while still making their film entertaining. Argo, I feel can come off as overhyped at this point, but when you take away the expectation you can see nothing but gold there. Lovely movie.
I hope you give both films a second shot one day.
Glad you enjoyed the post.