10 Best Films of 2012

Welcome to a special episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today I am going to countdown the 10 Best Films of 2012.

Here's the breakdown of my year at the movies.

Total number of films seen - 45

Avg score - 3 stars

What's up everyone.

I've counted down the rest. Now it's time for the best. This has always been a tough list for me to come up with in the past. 2012 however was a bit easier. That boys and girls was not a good thing. It was an indication that this year's crop didn't produce a better library of titles for me to rack my brain over. Now before some of you start to pick apart that last statement. I feel it's necessary to remind you that this list is comprised of ONLY the films I've seen this year. I realize that there are plenty of films that you may have seen that will rival any title I put up here but it's the nature of the game.

Before I dive into my top 10. Here are the honorable mentions. In no particular order.

The Hunger Games
The Master
Magic Mike
End of Watch
Silver Linings Playbook
The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey
The Raid : Redemption
Cloud Atlas

10) The Dark Knight Rises - 5 star score - 4.5 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

Who knew a comic book film could be so controversial. Coming off the immense success of The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan and company had their work cut out for them. What followed three years later was by many, a less than stellar conclusion to the trilogy. Now as I wrote in my review of this film, I see every side of the argument and with some points agree 100% on how TDKR was disappointing. The film contained more plot holes and head scratching scenarios than the previous two films combined.

The villain wasn't as captivating as The Joker. That excuse however needs to be stricken from the record. After what Heath Ledger accomplished, there wasn't going to be another antagonist for Batman that was going to rival him in any capacity. What TDKR accomplished was finalizing Nolan's take on the character's mythology. Like it or not he finished what he started and that has to be commended. With films this popular, the pressure to keep the bat signal on as long as they can usually is the status quo of Tinseltown.

Nolan wanted no part of that and retired the cape and cowl. I applaud his effort and recognized what he was trying to do. Despite all the haters reigning fire on me for my defense of this film. The Dark Knight Rises came full circle from the roots set by Batman Begins and for that I was pleased. The presentation could have been handled a bit better but you can't please em all.

9) Skyfall - 5 star score - 4.5 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

The James Bond franchise has had a very nice run recently. Thanks in most part to Daniel Craig's infusion of youth and power to the character. Not since the days of Connery has a Bond character commanded so much respect. I had a hard time deciding whether to put this on my list or leave it. My choice to put it here was aided by the fact that Skyfall was the first Bond film I've seen that had balls.

Skyfall made very tough choices with it's characters. Mainly Bond and M.

The film questioned M's ability to lead and effectively run MI-6 and Bond's ability to do what he does best. In a way father time was catching up with both of them in different yet similar ways. This was an awesome take on these ageless characters. We finally saw them age. For the first time in the history of the franchise, the great James Bond was fallible and mortal. Combine that with a Joker rip off villain played masterfully by Javier Bardem. Skyfall gave Bond fans a new reason to be on the heroes side. The future of the character is as always up in the air. Hopefully the powers that be can come to their senses and get cracking on Bond 24 before Craig actually becomes too old for the part.

8) Argo - 5 star score - 4 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

Ben Affleck's been on quite a roll in the director's chair. His last 2 films, Gone Baby Gone and The Town were terrific crime dramas that were worthy of the accolades they received. His latest entry is getting a lot of Oscar buzz and with good reason. Argo was a very tight, slick and at times suspenseful film.

The last 15 minutes do go overboard a bit but it didn't change the fact that Argo hooks you from the beginning. The intrigue surrounding the characters hiding away and how the operation to rescue them gets planned out in Langley was very polished and entertaining.

Lastly, this film provided us with one of the best film catch phrases in years.

Argo F#@k Yourself!

Awesome!

7)  Life of Pi - 5 star score - 4 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

A nice segue from Affleck comes Ang Lee. Returning to big screen form with a stunning visual tale of wonder, adventure, friendships and hope. Life of Pi takes it's time to build but once it gets going, look out. This movie has so many themes and messages permeating through it that it might be hard to classify the film.

If that wasn't enough, the film was jam packed with some of the best visual effects and shots to be seen in a film of this nature. Films that contain effects like this one did historically rely on them to get you through a weak or meandering story. This is not the case here. Life of Pi is jam packed with an amazing narrative that you can't help but get swept away by it.

6) Django Unchained - 5 star score - 4.5 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

What would a top 10 best film list be without a Quentin Tarantino entry. It's no secret to anyone who knows me but I have a man crush on this guy. I love his films. So much so that a critique can be made that I see all of his movies with rose colored glasses. I don't take much offense to that. I'll be the first to admit that I might be more inclined to be a QT apologist before I bash his work. That being said, aside from maybe Death Proof, name me a Tarantino film that wasn't worthy of praise in one form of another.

His latest and greatest is the second chapter of his revisionist history trilogy.

Django Unchained takes the spaghetti western and turns it upside down. As expected QT loads his film with rich, interesting characters with back stories detailed enough to make their own solo films. Then he takes the 2 leads and teams them up for a crazy ride filled with ponies, pistols and tons of profanity. I realize that this was a major point of contention with the film. The use or over use of the "N" word was widely seen as a basis to dislike the film. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I will say that if someone can't separate the fact that this film has absolutely NOTHING to do with actual events then why do you care? Just enjoy the film for what it was.

A Tarantino film.

This is what he's known for. It's what he's best at. Long live the king!

5) The Intouchables - 5 star score - 5 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

This one was a big surprise. A pleasant surprise. Recommended to me I rolled the dice and gave this film a look. WOW! was this film wonderful. A story of strength. courage, heart and the unlikeliest of friendships.

This film can be summed up in a scene between the main character Philippe who's a paraplegic and one of his friends at a restaurant. They were talking about the man he hired to care for him. Driss played by Omar Sy. Driss is from the projects and lives in a rough neighborhood. His friend says to Philippe.

"These street guys have no pity."

Philippe's response was perfect.

"That's what I want. No pity."

That was the moment when you knew that these men shared a bond that would never be understood by anyone outside their circle. The Intouchables was a masterpiece that was criminally snubbed of Best Foreign Language honors for this year's Academy Awards. Do yourself a favor and seek this film out.

You will be glad you did. Oh by the way. It's based on a true story.

4) Lincoln - 5 star score - 4 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

We now come to one of the biggest films of the year. Lincoln is getting honors left and right. Daniel Day Lewis and Steven Speilberg have a lot to do with that. However, neither one have a leg to stand on without the terrific script by Tony Kushner. The script isn't perfect. There were a few balance issues but Speilberg takes care of that by giving us as much DDL as humanly possible. He was so awesome as Honest Abe that you couldn't take your eyes off him.

Does Lincoln walk away with the Oscar? It's not my pick, but it's got a great chance and right now is the odds on favorite against my #3 film.

3) Zero Dark Thirty - 5 star score - 5 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

In my opinion the Best Film Oscar is a 2 horse race. Between Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln. This movie had anticipation all over it from the announcement it was being made. It delivered on every conceivable level. Obviously liberties must be taken when watching this due to the very sensitive nature of the subject. Specific and intimate details about the operation to kill Bin Laden were paramount to the success of Zero Dark Thirty.

Of course, Jessica Chastain didn't hurt it's cause.

Her performance was thrilling, stoic and emotional. The growth her character takes is a journey worth taking with her. Her persistence on chasing down leads about Bin Laden were not just motivated by revenge but an outright will and belief that she was right. You could sense her eagerness and defiance against anyone who dared to challenge her intel. Finally, the moment that nailed it for me concerning her performance took place right at the end. The look on her face as she sits on the plane, reflecting on everything that took place over the 10 year man hunt. The expression of relief and satisfaction that she got the job done was worth all the tragedies and obstacles she endured.

Great! Great! Great!

My pick for Best Picture.

2) The Avengers - 5 star score - 5 stars. Recommendation - "Worth Every Penny!"

Did you really think this film wasn't making my list? As much as I went goo goo and ga ga over this one? No way was the best Marvel film wasn't going to make my Top 10. There was so much to love about this movie. The story, the characters, the dichotomy between each super hero before their eventual team up to save the world. For me, The Avengers was a full blown success due to two words.

The Hulk.

For the first time ever, The Hulk was properly represented on film. Picking up his storyline after The Incredible Hulk. Both Banner played by Mark Ruffalo and The Hulk were as close to the comic version as you could get. This is all thanks to Joss Whedon. He knew what it took to get the big green guy right. The Hulk is not a super hero. He's an anti hero. In Banner's eyes, The Hulk is a curse. He couldn't get rid of his alter ego fast enough. Whedon made that a major point of emphasis. Banner wanted no part of being in The Avengers and he wasn't supposed to be until he found a way to make "the other guy" useful.

The rest of the players all had their time to shine. Highlighted by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The argument can be made that he had more life and personality in The Avengers than he had in both of his Iron Man films combined. He no doubt was a driving force but Whedon masterfully gave each character a chance to show off and flex.

This is why he was the perfect guy for the job.

Whedon is a great character director, specializing with ensemble casts. He knows how to give everyone their just desserts while keeping his eye on the overall story. Not to mention his knack for comedic timing, The Avengers was a wonderful blending of some of Marvel's biggest heroes banding together to form a super team. If done right, the future sequels could stake it's claim as the best comic film franchise in history.

So if The Avengers didn't make it to the top. What in the world could have beaten it?

1) The Grey  - No Score. No Recommendation.

I know what you're thinking. No score? No recommendation? How is this my number one film of the year? Here's the answer. When this film was released I was recovering from my knee surgery so I never got the chance to see this in the theater. Thankfully my brother had it on Netflix one day I was at his house and we watched it.

So technically this will be my first DVD review ever.

The Grey was an UNBELIEVABLE film.

Written and Directed by Joe Carnahan. The Grey was a film that gripped me emotionally on levels that I didn't know were possible. This is magnified even further considering how simple the subject matter was for this one. The story of The Grey revolved around a security specialist Ottoway (played by Liam Neeson) for an oil drilling company in Alaska. His job was to protect the workers from the local wildlife.

The local wildlife being wolves.

The opening scene shows Ottoway lying in a snow bank several hundred feet away from the encampment. His rifle sight is tracking the area, looking out. He sees some guys heading toward the local bar when a wolf speeds after them. Ottoway calmly sets his target and kills the wolf without the guys realizing that they were seconds away from being attacked. Fast forward a bit and it's time for the guys to go home when their plane crashes. The rest of the film involves the survivors trying to brace themselves with the harsh weather and the wolves attacking.

Simple enough right? Well you would be wrong. The Grey has so much going for it that it goes way beyond a man vs beast story arc. The running theme of the film revolves around death and the many forms it can take. The wolves play a major role in the dwindling number of supporting cast members but they are not the only ways the survivors meet their demise. As survivor after survivor begins to expire, the realization that no one is going to make it begins to dominate your thoughts. The Grey does a fantastic job of creating that scenario leading up to the final showdown between Ottoway and the wolves pack leader.

This ends up being the final scene that created a lot of controversy. Not for what it showed but for what it didn't show. If you pay attention you will get what I meant by that. The way the film ended ruffled some feathers of the audience and critics alike. I for one LOVED how the film ended. It was a bold and smart way to finish the journey of these helpless men. Not all films are meant to have a happy ending or heroic climax. If you want to be real about it, take the situation these guys were in and ask yourself how anyone gets out of there alive. But in a sick twist, The Grey pulls and Inception on you and doesn't really give you the answer. You are teased with several possible outcomes, like the spinning top on the table. That's what made the ending of The Grey so perfect for me. You have no choice but to make a decision on the end for yourself. It creates great debate and thought.

Brilliant.

Well there you have it peeps. My 10 best films of 2012. Here's to a great 2013 at the cinema.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"