In a year where tons of powerhouse directors returned with their dream projects, actors gave some of the best performances of their careers and studios easily pulled in over a billion dollars in sales, it’s fair to say that 2012 was a fantastic year for films. It’s for the aforementioned reason that putting a top films list for this year was an extremely difficult task but I think I’ve finally settled on what MY top 12 films of 2012 are. Why 12 you ask? Because I damn-well can and because I like seeing the number 12 twice in one line.
You may notice films like Zero Dark Thirty, The Imposter , Cloud Atlas, and The Sessions missing from the list and that’s because I just haven’t had an opportunity to those films yet. I know, very hard to believe. Others movies like The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, or Les Miserables didn’t make the cut because while I may have enjoyed them I personally didn’t think they were strong enough to make the cut or, in the case of Les Miserables, I’m just not a musical fan but I respect the film so unless it’s a comedy, musicals probably won’t make my list. I’ve also included a list of honorable mentions as most of those could have made the cut but not all of them had a significant impact on me to warrant one of the coveted top 12 spots. Any who, without further ado, here are my top 12 films of 2012.
12. Beasts of the Southern Wild
This is one film that I tried to review but failed to do so because I couldn’t put into words the wonder and heartbreak I felt when watching it. It’s a beautiful and touching film that critics, actors and fans alike have praised for its vision, story and outstanding performances, especially by the six year old lead in the film, Quvenzhané Wallis, and her father, played by Dwight Henry. It’s a film about tough love, surviving even tougher times and having hope to make it out the other side alright. Beasts is a visually stunning film and though it was arrived from the indie circuit it most certainly has mass appeal for American audiences.
11. Ace Attorney (my review)
Maybe this one made the list because of how awesome the crowd was when I went to see it or maybe it’s because it really is one of the best video game adaptations I’ve ever seen. Never has a video game movie been so blatantly campy, chock full of so many video game like effects and mannerism and yet remain totally accurate than with prolific director Takeshi Miike’s take on Ace Attorney. I’ll be honest, I’ve never played the game but those in the crowd said the movie was spot on, so I have to trust them, especially since they had Ace attorney T-shirts on and from their description of the game, which is about a lawyer trying to solve paranormal crimes, was spot on with the film’s plot. Ace attorney is both ridiculously fun and inspiring for video game nerds who have been awaiting the day one film does the content justice.
10. Robo-G (my review)
This is probably the only true family film on my list this year but it rightly deserves this spot. When a robotics team breaks the robot they were supposed to enter into a robotics show, they hire an old man, who is looking to reconnect with his family, to wear a metal suit and pretend to be a simple robot until they can fix the old one. Things get hilariously out of control though when the grandpa starts functioning at a more sophisticated level, becoming the hit robot of Japan. Though very quirky, Robo-G is an inventive feel good film that the whole family can enjoy if they can get over the fact that the movie is in Japanese. I’d also like to declare it the more innocent and more comical version of this year’s Sundance hit Robot and Frank, so if you liked that, you’ll love Robo-G.
9. Looper (my review)
Earlier this year I dubbed Looper one of the best mainstream movies of the year, I should have been more specific and stated one of the best R-rated mainstream movies of the year. Rian Johnson’s time travel action flick is a smart, intense and compelling feature that simply asks audiences to pay attention and embrace the intelligence of the sci-fi/time travel genre. It stars Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt opposite each other as the same hitman looking out for their best interests. It’s an excellent feature and one of the few films that actually met my high expectations, something that doesn’t happen that often.
8. Fat Kid Rules the World (my review)
Though I’m not overweight and never have been, Matthew Lillard’s directorial debut touched me in a way that I didn’t expect. Having received the audience award at SXSW, Fat Kid Rules the World is a movie made for the American audience. It shows how two unlikely people, one a suicidal fat kid and the other a high school dropout, can become friends through the power of music and overcome their own personal obstacles to help save each other’s lives. Luckily, this is all channeled through the best musical genre for this type of plot synopsis, punk rock. This gem is a “film made for kids lost in the world” and proves that all good things come in time, it’s just a matter of patience. If you need a very funny film to watch with a touching plot supporting its comedy, look no further than Fat Kid Rules the world.
7. Monsieur Lazhar (my review)
Though it didn’t win best foreign film at the Oscar’s last year, the classroom dramedy Monsieur Lazhar won me over with such ease that it temporarily made me question how it could have lost to A Separation in the foreign film race. The film reminded me a lot of an Italian film I saw in High School called Ciao Professore and that may have helped increase my enthusiasm for the picture, but the movie is so well rounded that even without outside influences it still would have made me laugh just as much and would have broken my heart just as easily. The film follows an Algerian immigrant who decides to become a substitute teacher for a class of students whose teacher had recently hanged herself in their classroom, with a few students actually witnessing the body dangling. The film is about our lead Bachir trying to get these kids through a tough time while hiding his real motives for teaching in the first place. When I think of foreign films from the past few years, this has become a staple in my brain and one I tend to recommend to those who are willing to give it a chance.
6. Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal (my review)
It seems that every year some sort of horror comedy makes my top [insert number here] list and this year is no exception. Probably my favorite film of the Tribeca Film Festival was this brilliant comedic gem that takes two completely random “disorders” and mashes them together to create a hilarious and satirical film about an struggling artist drawing inspiration from his giant new roommate who happens to eat animals when he starts to sleepwalk. It’s such a unique and funny film that’s short, sweet and to the point, never wasting your time and always inducing laughs whenever possible.
5. The Avengers (my review)
I think this one is a given for any geeky film buff. Joss Whedon’s The Avengers was easily one of the most entertaining films of the year, if not THE most entertaining of the year, giving every character a chance to shine while finally bringing The Hulk to life in a way that everyone was able to embrace wholeheartedly. The culmination of years of planning, fun Easter eggs and after credit scenes during other Marvel films, The Avengers was able to set the bar higher for fun action films and from here we can only hope the Marvel Universe gets a whole lot better.
4. Argo (my review)
Ben Affleck has solidified himself as a top tier director with his latest directorial effort about a secret US/Canadian operation to extract a group of Americans from revolutionary Iran. Not only did I love this political thriller that was packed with hilarious performances from Alan Arkin and John Goodman, but the story was so well told that even if you already knew the result of the operation you were still completely engulfed by the film as you watched the high stakes events unfold before your eyes. Easily his best film to date, if you haven’t see Argo yet then you are most certainly missing out on one of the best of year.
3. You are the Apple of My Eye (my review)
I’m not one for romantic comedies but man did I love Gidden Ko’s adaptation of his best-selling novel and life itself. Very much a guys romantic comedy about the girl who sort of got away, this Taiwanese gem hasn’t really had much play here in the states but if you’ve had a chance to see it you know it’s a fantastic, touching and hilarious film, the best part of it being that it is basically all true. It’s a film that proved to me that Taiwanese guys are just as raunchy as all of us here from the West and that they handle love in similar fashion as well. It’s an all-around fun and frustrating movie that deserves to be seen if you can ever get your hands on it…it’s probably my favorite romantic comedy now too.
2. The Raid: Redemption (my review)
Easily the best action movie of the year for the simple fact that for a movie that runs 101 minutes in duration, there’s only about 10 minutes of dialogue which means that the rest is all balls to the wall action. Gareth Evans has made an action junkies movie and one that is easily gets by any language barrier. Not only that, it’s backed by an awesome score from Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda and features some insane martial arts sequences that get your blood pumping. If you haven’t seen it yet make it a priority in the new year. If there was something else in addition to action this probably would have made the number one spot on my list as amazing action makes me weak at the knees.
1. Django Unchained (my review)
Anyone that has seen my recent tweets or has talked to me in person should have been able to see this one coming a mile away. Tarantino’s latest film is a blast at the movies. It’s funny, violent and manages to address touchy issues in a way that doesn’t necessarily make you uncomfortable, it just makes you think and once you’re done thinking it showers you in fantastic dialogue that’s chock full of comedic quips. Of all the Tarantino movies I’ve seen this is likely my favorite one and snatched the top spot just before 2013 rolled around.
Honorable Mentions
Now that you know which ones are my favorites, here are this year’s honorable mentions that I had to remove from my list but are films that I truly did love, could have been in the #11 and #12 spots and are most certainly worth seeing when you get the chance to do so.
[In no particular order]
Killer Joe, Goon, Lincoln, End of Watch, Sons of Norway, Cabin in the Woods, Skyfall, Undefeated, The Woodsman and the Rain, Sleepless Night, Bloody Fight in Iron-Rock Valley, and Lawless
That about wraps up my favorite films of 2012 in a nutshell. It’s been a great year filled with inspiring surprises, big letdowns and generic entertainment that easily filled up open hours in my schedule. Here’s to a fantastic 2013!
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