2012 FILM IN REVIEW

Another year, another slew of films, some bad and some good. 2012 was an interesting year for movies. We saw the culmination of years of individual films and characters coming together in one epic masterpiece. We saw the end of what will go down in history as one of the greatest trilogies ever with a bit of a whimper. We also saw a reboot of yet another series just a mere 5 years after the last entry.

And that was just the superhero genre.

With as many near misses as hits, the box office ended up growing to the highest ever in history, no doubt thanks to the up-charge of 3D, HFR and IMAX. Maybe in 2013 we will see movies offered in WTF, SMH and HTTR.

For every movie I loved this year, there were ten I hated. Some films that I walked out disappointed in were: Headhunters, The Dictator, Prometheus, Brave, The Amazing Spider-man, Sleepwalk With Me, The Details and Lincoln. Yeah that's right, a three-hour talky set over a hundred years ago just didn't do it for me, not even if Steven Spielberg directed it himself.

But by far the worst movie I saw last year was Wrath of the Titans, I mean, what the hell were they thinking? I won't waste your time picking apart this abortion of cinema.

Biggest surprise: The Three Stooges. The Farrelly Brothers have been on quite a downslide over the last decade and this was one film I expected to loathe. Seriously, what could this movie be other than a big steaming pile? But I was pleasantly surprised. It was smart that they kept Moe, Larry and Curley's humor in their slapstick dimwitted yet innocent way, and threw them into modern times. You may judge the film and that's fine, but you must see it first to do so.

Before I get into my top ten, realize that I am only human and there are a number of films that either I missed out on in the theaters or they weren't released in my area at all. Some films I desperately want to see but haven't yet are: Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty, The Hobbit, Silver Linings Playbook, Life of Pi, Killing Them Softly and Seven Psychopaths.

And now... roll out the red carpet, start up the band, here is my top ten favorite films of 2012. 

10. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

directed by Christopher Nolan

“There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.”

-Selena Kyle

Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to the Dark Knight Trilogy was going to disappoint. Even those who loved it don’t love it as much as the second entry, The Dark Knight. I flirted with the idea of leaving this film off of the list, even including it on my list of disappointments. But let’s be honest here, this film is an ambitious, bare knuckles brawl of a tale that gives a well-deserved and fitting end to arguably one of the greatest trilogies ever. Even with its gaping plot holes and unnecessary exposition, this movie was epic in every possible way. Nolan has created a believable universe seeded in reality. There are no mystic creatures or body-morphing villains here. Christian Bale IS Batman. Yeah his voice was a little over the top at times, but it served a purpose, much like every motion Nolan made with this film does. While not the definitive Batman film, Christopher Nolan has given DC Comics, Warner Bros. and whoever has the gall to take on the inevitable reboot of the character a lot to compete with.

 9. ARGO 

directed by Ben Affleck

“Bad news, bad news. Even when it's good news, it's bad news. John Wayne in the ground 6 months and this is what is left of America.”

-Lester Siegel

Ben Affleck is three for three in my book. And yeah we are talking about that Ben Affleck, the Ben from Bennifer, the guy who fell in love with a lesbian, and Gigli. How did what was once a laughing joke in the media sphere become one of the greatest actor turned directors ever? With his third film, Affleck parted ways with his comfortable south Boston heritage and expertly directed a true life story set in 1979 that led from the posh rooftop pool parties of Hollywood to the dangerous streets of a revolutionary Iran. A plot almost too unreal to be real, Affleck played the lead operative on a joint CIA-Hollywood mission to extract six U.S. diplomats using a fake science fiction film as a cover. To say that the makers did the story justice is an understatement. Argo is wrought with tension through a streamlined script written by Chris Terrio and perfectly cast with a number of strangely familiar character actors. If Affleck continues this line of success he may finally be forgiven for Reindeer Games.

8. TAKE THIS WALTZ

directed by Sarah Polley

“Life has a gap in it... It just does. You don't go crazy trying to fill it.”

-Geraldine

Sarah Polley’s second feature film is a very straightforward tale about marriage, infidelity, and the desire to be wanted. Michelle Williams plays Margot, a woman who is deeply in love with her cookbook-writing husband Lou, played by a surprisingly reserved Seth Rogan. But when an innocent flirtation with her neighbor Daniel (Luke Kirby) turns into a not so innocent relationship, Margot is left with a decision to make. She loves them both and desires to be with Daniel, but does not want to cheat on her husband. Polley does such a great job inviting the audience into the lives of these three people. You truly believe that Margot is in love with both men through their simple day-to-day interactions and they way they speak and act towards each other.  Make no mistake; this is Williams’ movie from start to finish. She radiates the screen with her presence and even though her character makes some decisions some viewers may disagree with, she never plays the character unlikeable. In fact, no one is unlikeable in this film, even when they are breaking each other’s hearts. This wasn’t the biggest release of the year by far, but it is available on Netflix Instant and I highly recommend it.

7. THE AVENGERS

directed by Joss Whedon

“The Avengers. It's what we call ourselves, sort of like a team. "Earth's Mighiest Heroes" type thing.”

-Tony Stark

Is this real? Am I dreaming, or do I really see Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk on screen together? Black Widow and Hawkeye are great in their own way but those other four are characters I grew up with. Characters I had action figures, comics, and piggy banks of. This can’t be reality! But oh yes, it is. This movie really does exist. Whedon was an inspired choice to take on what could have gone down as the biggest mistake ever put to celluloid.  But he peppered in is “Whedon-isms”, crafted larger than life action set pieces, and directed what is no doubt the most fun film of the year. He was up against the wall with giving each character their own storyline, arc and fitting all of them into a cohesive and comprehensive plot, but the Gods of Asgard must have been watching over him because not only did he pull it off, he pulled it off in under 150 minutes. This is without a doubt the best Marvel film yet, and set’s up their “Phase II” quite nicely. Puny God.

6. JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME

directed by Jay & Mark Duplass

“Everyone and everything is interconnected in this universe. Stay pure of heart and you will see the signs. Follow the signs, and you will uncover your destiny.”

-Jeff

About six years ago I saw a film called The Puffy Chair and I knew that I had seen something different, something new, something special. Three movies later, the Duplass brothers, with their distinctive shooting style (yet slightly polished) are back with another road trip about growing up, sibling rivalry and finding your place in life. They owe a lot to M. Night Shyamalan’s film Signs for their latest offering starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms.  Segel’s character, Jeff, who lives at home, is obsessed with the idea that everything happens for a reason. And in this film everything does. He resembles a wandering prophet with his quiet innocence and positive attitude towards everything, including being mugged by who he thinks is his newest friend. There is no other movie this year that celebrates positivity as much as Jeff, Who Lives At Home does. And that makes me very happy.

5. MOONRISE KINGDOM

directed by Wes Anderson

“It takes time to figure things out. It's been proven by history. All mankind makes mistakes. It's our job to try to protect you from making the dangerous ones, if we can.”

-Captain Sharpe

When Anderson was in the process of casting this film I’m sure he had the obvious names on his list: Murray, Schwartzman, McDormand, Balaban, Norton. All of them: perfect. But there are three actors in Moonrise Kingdom that truly give career making and career reaffirming performances. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward ARE Sam and Suzy. No other actors could play these roles. Gilman reminds me of a young Daniel Radcliffe but has the sarcasm and wit of a modern Bill Murray. Hayward has a vulnerability to her that all young girls her age possess, but she is able to turn on a dime and demand attention when the time calls. These kids make this movie. But then there is Bruce “Yippe Ki Yay Mother Fucker” Willis. The scene where his character, Captain Sharpe is sitting with Sam and pouring him small amounts of beer as they get to know each other on a level no other person in Sam’s life ever wanted to know him, is so nuanced and expertly performed that I almost forgot Sam was having a beer with John McClane. Almost. This film may be Anderson’s best film to date, but with the filmography he has created for himself over the last near-twenty years, that is most certainly up for debate.

4. CLOUD ATLAS

directed by Lana & Andy Wachowski & Tom Tykwer

“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime; and every kindness we birth our future.”

-Sonmi-451

Six storylines, two dozen main characters, hundreds of years and 171 minutes. This is by far, the single most ambitious film I have ever seen. To think that a hundred million dollar independent film could get financing blows my mind, because who would have ever had the balls to fund a film of this scope, size and structure? Time magazine may have called it “the worst film of the year” but I’m inclined to think that they either A. didn’t actually watch it, or B. never saw Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy. Even with its length and multiple storylines, not once did Cloud Atlas leave me bored or confused, quite the opposite actually.  The editing was perfectly done and paced the film with a streamlined flow that made the last ninety minutes fly by like a speeding freight train. Aside from some questionable makeup, I have a hard time finding wrong what most critics did. Always thrilling and acted to the standards we expect from Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, this film is an epic masterpiece that will age much better than most other films released this year.

3. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

directed by Stephan Chbosky

“Right now we are alive and in this moment I swear we are infinite.”

-Charlie

Steven Chbosky’s 1999 novel has been critically applauded since its release and has been considered a modern classic. The tale of Charlie entering high school with no true friends to call his own is a universal story that could have easily gone down the clichéd route. But Chbosky (who adapted and directed the film himself) is much smarter than that. This is the most realistic approach to a coming of age story I’ve seen in such a long time that I really believe this happened to either a friend or Chbosky himself. The story goes into some dark places as we learn more about Charlie, and why he is the way he is. Emma Watson (Hermione from the Harry Potter series) delivers a performance that will no doubt separate her from the role she earned as a child and has played for over decade. Logan Lerman plays Charlie with the nervous quietness that truly helps him hide among the rest of the cast, which makes him the perfect wallflower. This is by far the best teen high school film I have seen since John Hughes was alive and directing.

2. DJANGO UNCHAINED

directed by Quentin Tarantino

“Gentlemen, you had my curiousity. But now, you have my attention.”

-Calvin Candie

This violent throwback to the blood soaked spaghetti westerns of the seventies is by far Tarantino’s most entertaining and funny film to date.  Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz are a dream team and the way they play off of each other makes me want to see all of their side adventures leading to the climax of this film. I didn’t think he had it in him, but Leonardo DiCaprio gives the best performance in the film as slave owner Calvin Candie. He is a truly despicable character and the moment he is introduced, you want him to be dispatched of immediately in the most gloriously violent way.  Amidst the tongue snapping dialogue, gorgeous landscape photography and scene chewing acting there is a very simple story of a man hell bent on revenge and searching for his wife. I know the character was written for Will Smith, but I cannot see him in this role. I only see Foxx. Foxx is Django, and the D is silent.

1. THE GREY 

directed by Joe Carnahan

"Once more into the fray. Into the last good fight I'll ever know. Live and die on this day. Live and die on this day."

-Ottway

This film…. this film.  After seeing it, I could not stop thinking about it. I still can’t stop thinking about it. Liam Neeson gives the best performance of his career. Carnahan made the best film of his career so far. By far. A story about life and death, this film is far different from the “Liam Neeson fight wolves” movie that the marketing campaign had make you think.  This is man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. the elements, man vs. himself.  The character of Ottway is so rich with angst, frustration and loss that you would think that half of the movie is his back-story. But in only a few brief glimpses, Neeson and Carnahan make everything Ottway is feeling apparent. It’s a strong performance in the middle of a number of strong supporting performances. One of them, Diaz, played by Frank Grillo is so well done that he sometimes steals the show from Neeson. Without any doubt, Grillo will be in high demand very soon.  The movie may have disappointed some with the lack of Neeson/wolf action, but I believe it is stronger for it. It gave a much deeper story with rich characters and the battles they fight to either live and die on this day.

Well, that is 2012 and I am already looking forward to 2013. Here are a number of films I am looking forward to seeing in the next twelve months:

Zero Dark Thirty (wide release), A Good Day To Die Hard, The Place Beyond The Pines, The Evil Dead, Pain & Gain, Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Only God Forgives, Man of Steel, This Is The End, World War Z, Kick Ass 2, Pacific Rim, Elysium, Sin City 2, The Worlds End.

2011 FILM IN REVIEW

As my introductory post to my new blog I figured I'd start with the movies I loved and hated over the year 2011.  There may be some omissions due to a variety of reasons, but this list is based on what I saw this year, from the movies that were released this year. Enjoy!

TOP TEN FAVORITE FILMS OF 2011 

10. SUPER 8:

JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg. Those two names are enough to get me into a theater. Together, they are a geek bomb explosion going off in my head. When I first heard of this film and started seeing trailers I was hoping for perfection. I nearly expected it. Unfortunately, what I got was not  perfection, but still a fantastic film. The subtle moments worked best for me, seeing first love blossom, and dreams of making movies come true was where the film flew. But once the monster was revealed at the end, I started to lose interest. I wanted more of what we saw in the first half. Overall though, it was good enough to break into my top ten.

9. RED, WHITE & BLUE

Now, here is a little film that snuck up on me when I least expected it. The first ten minutes are brutal to get through. I mean, just depressingly tough to endure. They are sexually graphic yet mundane, but they are absolutely necessary.  They open a window into the life of this sad, pathetic character. This broken woman who uses sex as a means to ignore and forget her past. The moment she meets an older man who falls in love with her for who she really is,  the movie switches gears so drastically and suddenly that it forces you to pay more attention. It really is startling as to how different the second half of the film is. I haven't seen a movie do that since From Dusk Til Dawn. The acting is incredible, especially from Noah Taylor who gives a performance I never would believe he could give. It's on Netflix instant and I recommend it to those who can handle very dark subject matter. A truly powerful independent film.

8. ATTACK THE BLOCK

For almost a year I had heard universal acclaim for this film. And once I got my hands on it, I was afraid that it was gonna be over hyped and I would be left unfulfilled.  Wow, was I wrong. This film was scary, funny, and all around entertaining. My favorite thing about this movie was how the main characters are completely unlikeable. They are thugs. Assholes. Their introduction is them mugging a young woman for Christ's sake. But as the movie drags on you begin to sympathize with them and by the end you are rooting for them to succeed whole heartily. It is a very clever film that is incredibly fun to watch and get caught up in.

7. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

I have never been a Woody Allen fan. I've seen his films, I've even enjoyed some of them, but never proclaimed myself to be a fan. But this was a pleasant surprise. It was suggested to me from a friend after I told her I wasn't an Allen fan. She got upset and sent me directly to the theater. Okay, maybe it didn't exactly go down that way but I did eventually see it. I enjoyed that it had a “twist” to it. I mean, who saw Woody Allen doing a time travel movie? I thought that Paris was beautifully shot and more than any other film, this one made me want to travel there. A very funny and sweet film about meeting your idols and finding yourself.

6. X MEN: FIRST CLASS

Oh Marvel, how marvelous you are. With every year, and every new character Marvel brings alive to the screen, the more rich their universe expands.  But the X Men series has always been hit or miss. The first two films were fantastic and without the original X Men movie, Marvel would probably have never given us any other character on screen that has come since. But Ratner's abortion that was The Last Stand and Wolverine Origins were just plain terrible. I was anticipating this film, but from their track record, was nervous leading up to the release. It could have gone either way. A prequel, trash. None of the original actors, trash. Changing the original films time line, trash. Everything was set against it. Then it was released and holy balls. This film fleshed out the back stories to every character we love and made their plights more understandable. Michael Fassbender as Magneto was by far the scene stealer of the film and I could have watched him hunt down Nazis for two hours and the film still would have made this spot on the list. Major credit goes to Kevin Bacon though, who was by far, one of the best villains of the year, if not of the entire X Men series. This movie was way better than it ever should have been. 

5. LIMITLESS

As much as I loved this years X Men entry, this was the best superhero movie of the year. And yes, it was a super hero movie regardless of what you think. Bradley Cooper takes a pill that makes him smarter than everyone else. He can remember everything he has ever seen, read, or heard. Which gives him the ability to fight, think fast, and always know what's going to happen next. If those are not super powers than I don't know what is. This is a film that is so cleverly shot and edited that the story is completely unpredictable. The moment where he has to drink blood oozing from the dead guy on the floor to get the drug in his system I realized that this film was bug fuck nuts and deserved respect. I really enjoyed it and watched it a second time just to make sure it was really that good. It really was. Now all I got to do is get my hands on that drug.

4. HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

Wow. To think that the eighth film based on a series of novels about a boy wizard would cause the amount of emotions it did to me is ludicrous. But this is Harry Potter so all bets are off. I know I fell into this series a bit late but by the time the fifth film had come out I had completed reading the entire series. And I was hooked. Not 'dress up as a wizard at the premiere' hooked but a fan nonetheless. This was such an immense series that spanned over a decade for all involved and made more money than anything else that had come before.  For that alone, it deserves admiration. But this single film alone, this finale to such a loved lore, was absolutely perfect. It was paced at a break neck speed, delivered the best effects and action of the entire series, and gave a fitting conclusion to the story of the boy who lived. This film and it's series will be loved and remembered a hundred years from now, mark my words. It is the Star Wars of a generation.

3. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.

I am kind of crushing on Ryan Gosling right now. This guy is charismatic, funny, good looking and talented to boot. And as much as he is the best thing in this film (he is), he isn't the prettiest. That title belongs to a beautiful little ginger named Emma. This chick is the girl of my dreams. Literally. Moving on, Steve Carell is a force of fucking nature. The guy is comedy gold, responsible for one of the greatest television characters ever, and when handed a heavily dramatic role like this, he kills it. Who did he sell his soul to to be this good? I expected to like the film, but I never expected to fall in love with it. I walked away from the theater with a smile on my face and an upbeat positive attitude. It made me want to change my life. Not a lot of movies have that effect on me. I don't want to say anything more, just go Redbox this flick right now!

2. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

What? Planet of the Apes? The original series is fun, harmless camp. The Burton remake from 2001 only had the costumes and makeup going for it. Who expected this prequel to be this good? No one. But it is. It's better than good. It's great. It's one of the best films of the year and deserves to be recognized as such. This movie had so many “OMG WTF” moments it's hard to keep count. When Caesar speaks for the first time I literally gasped. Like a thirteen year old at a Twilight screening, I gasped. It just blew me the fuck away it was so unexpected. The movie also hosts the best performance of the year, by far. And no I am not talking about James Franco. Andy Serkis is probably the best actor working right now. And you never would know it's him. He is responsible for delivering the most nuanced and subtle performances without ever being on screen. Gollum, Kong, Caesar, and Captian Haddock from another great film from this year, The Adventures of Tintin. He is the king of motion capture performance. In this film, his character Caesar is impossible to look away from. And not just because of Serkis' performance. The visual effects used to bring this film together are by far the best of the year, and if it doesn't win that award next March I will probably punch my cat in the face. I know it's hard to believe that this film is this fantastic, but believe it, it is. 

1. DRIVE

This film is pure art cinema. It has huge balls and is not afraid to swing them to and fro. When I saw the Fast and Furious-esque ads for it I had to laugh to myself because I knew this film was not going to be a Fast and Furious rip off at all. I read the script about a year ago and immediately started counting down the days to the release. And when I finally saw it I was mesmerized. The tone, style, music, cinematography were all spot the fuck on. Not a missed beat in this film and throughout the performances. Even throwaway characters were fully realized on screen. This movie owned me from the silent opening all the way to the face crushing, shotgun spewing end. The soundtrack has been playing through my iPod for weeks now, and when I listen to it while driving I feel the power and attitude that Driver, played by Ryan Gosling has. Unfortunately I am a much less talented driver.  Director Nicholas Winding Refn is a force to be reckoned with and I can't wait for future films of his. Without a doubt, Drive is one of the smartest, boldest, and ballsiest films to come out in a long time, and for that it's my favorite film of the year.

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TOP FIVE WORST FILMS OF 2011

5. THE HANGOVER PART II

Oh the lame money grabbing sequels that Hollywood spills onto us. The Hangover, released two years ago was one of the most funny, clever, and re watchable films I've seen in years. It's a movie I love to quote and do on a regular basis. But when I heard they were making a sequel I wasn't expecting a remake. This new Hangover adventure is a step by step, joke for joke, carbon copy of the first film, and that's not a good thing. The first film had originality on it's side, this one has familiarity. Which isn't always bad, but in this case, I've been there, done that.

4. THE TREE OF LIFE

Oh boy am I gonna get shit for this one. This film will no doubt be nominated for a bajillion Academy Awards and end up on most critics “best of” lists. But I'm not most critics. I am an avid  movie watcher and I love movies of all shapes and sizes. Give me a two hundred million dollar blockbuster and I'll double feature it with an indie, I have no qualms about that. But this film was an over hyped, overrated, pretentious bore.  Just because a guy makes one film every ten years doesn't mean all of his films are great. There I said it. 

3. BATTLE: LOS ANGELES 

I had high hopes for this flick. I really wanted a realistic alien invasion war film. Maybe that's what I got, but I got to believe an alien invasion war would warrant more action. My main  problem with this flick is that it thought it was more important than it really was. Don't be heavy handed when your slaughtering extra-terrestrials, just give me piles of green blood. Either way, this movie struck a chord in me that was off key and I did not approve.

2. GREEN LANTERN

Worst comic book movie of the last decade? Done. Worst special effects of the year? Done. Worst casting for superhero movie since Fantastic Four? Done. Do I need to continue?

1. SUCKER PUNCH

I got into a heated argument with a co-worker over this film. That's how serious I am about hating it. He claimed it to be the best film ever made. Not of the year, but ever made. Now, we all know he is full of shit, but he couldn't be more wrong if he tried. This movie is one of the most visually striking films and it's such a disappointment that the story, acting, structure and plot are all fucking terrible. A reviewer said this about the film, “ If you like Inception with more rape, than Sucker Punch is for you.” Boy, could he not be more on the money. The film was so offensive in it's “hey these girls are being raped but let's ignore that and watch them fight giant samurais instead” that it deserves an award. By far this is the worst film I've seen this year and possibly of the last decade. A terrible travesty. And the director is giving us a new Superman in 2013. May God have mercy on our souls.

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