The Top 10 Films of 2012

1. Perfect Sense

Here is a virtually unknown film that you absolutely MUST see.  Ewan McGregor and Eva Green star as a newly formed couple whose burgeoning relationship occurs in a world where the human population is slowly losing their five major senses.  First, taste disappears.  Then, smell.  Emotions are high.  Panic is setting in.  What will we become when we lose all five?  It is riveting and romantic.  “Perfect Sense” is one of the very best films of the decade.  Find it.  Watch it.  Thank me later.

2. Life of Pi

One of the many beautiful things about “Life of Pi” is that it leaves its philosophical conundrum up to the viewer.  It doesn’t try to answer the central question of the value of faith.  It is satisfied with simply posing the question in and around a gorgeous fairy-tale, gorgeously shot and very well acted.  Special attention must be paid to Irrfan Khan’s quiet, contemplative, and non-judgmental performance.   This is an masterpiece from director Ang Lee.

3. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

I love it when I find a seemingly lighthearted comedy, and discover hidden depths and poignancy usually reserved for dramatic fare.  Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are an unusual cinematic pairing, but they combine for consistent laughs and irresistible chemistry.  I loved every second of this movie… a virtually perfect rom-com for the modern age.

4. The Grey

Other than this film, Joe Carnahan has directed three of the worst titles of the past two decades.  And somehow in the middle of his atrocious ‘Guy Ritchie-like’ output, he comes up with this magnificent gem.  Liam Neeson movies have now become a genre unto themselves.  This is one of his best.  The crash.  The snow.  The wolves.  The hunt.  The refrain that he utters in the film’s final moments.  It all adds up to one of the great survival movies ever made.  PS — Stick around for a post credits scene that most will have missed.

5. God Bless America

If you hate corporate America, trash TV like “American Idol”, “The Voice” and “X Factor” — then you will take great pleasure in this movie.  Director, Bobcat Goldthwait, skewers the entirety of the modern world with this small independent nugget of gold.  Think Michael Douglas in “Falling Down” meets reality television.  It is wickedly funny and deadly accurate with its criticisms.

6. Zero Dark Thirty

The lead up to and the execution of Bin Laden is laid out in finite detail by “Zero Dark Thirty”, directed by Kathryn Bigelow.  Jessica Chastain delivers a cracking performance as one of the lead investigators.  “ZDT” poses a lot of moral dilemmas with its depictions of torture and interrogation.  Perhaps it doesn’t answer them satisfactorily — instead choosing to let the viewer decide.  The final capture sequence is extraordinary.  

7. Move On

This project was originally a crowd-funded YouTube serial film.  Each episode was shot in different cities throughout Europe.  The plot follows a hired professional (Mads Mikkelsen) in possession of a very important briefcase.  The budget for “Move On” was minimal, but still manages to look like a big time action flick.  It is still available, edited together as a full 140 minute film, on YouTube for free.  Go out of your way to watch it.

8. Amour

Touching, gentle and authentic… “Amour” features two of the finer performances of the year.  It is the kind of film that lulls you into an emotional pay-off that you cannot fully anticipate.  Everything about this film is mature and melancholy.  It requires patience and empathy.  There aren’t enough films that deal with the elderly and the care they require.  It is an often ignored subject in Western culture.  It shouldn’t be… Rather, it is filled with life lessons we desperately need.

9. Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson is generally hit and miss for me.  With “Moonrise Kingdom”, he knocks it out of the park.  The quirky characters and unique cinematography fit this odd plot to a tee.  Every performance is filled to the brim with superb dialogue.  The young actors outshine the veterans.  I had such a good time with this movie. 

10. Flight

I’ve seen “Flight” three times and it has improved on each viewing.  Denzel is a legend… and this may be one of his most challenging roles.  It is a virtuoso performance that doesn’t rely on cliches.  There is a “Drunk Acting 101” class that Denzel didn’t bother taking.  He revolutionized the skill and commands the screen magnificently.  The crash sequence itself is reason-enough alone to see this movie.  

Cloud Atlas ………. 9.0
The Thieves (KOR) ………. 9.0
Silver Linings Playbook ………. 9.0
Django Unchained ………. 9.0
Arbitrage ………. 8.9
Haywire ………. 8.8
Skyfall ………. 8.8
The Hunter ………. 8.7
Searching for Sugar Man ………. 8.7
Wanderlust ………. 8.6
The Oranges ………. 8.6
Jeff Who Lives At Home ………. 8.5
Get the Gringo ………. 8.5
Total Recall ………. 8.5
The Perks of Being a Wallflower ………. 8.4
The Tower (KOR) ………. 8.4
The Woman in the Fifth ………. 8.3
Prometheus ………. 8.3
To Rome with Love ………. 8.2
The Bourne Legacy ………. 8.2
Deadfall ………. 8.2
End of Watch ………. 8.1
Premium Rush ………. 8.1
Rust and Bone (FRA) ………. 8.1
The Hunger Games ………. 8.0
The Master ………. 8.0
Albatross ………. 8.0
First Position ………. 7.9
Ted ………. 7.8
Killer Joe ………. 7.8
The Words ………. 7.7
Cabin in the Woods ………. 7.7
Goon ………. 7.7
Seven Psychopaths ………. 7.7
Compliance ………. 7.6
Columbus Circle ………. 7.6
Safe ………. 7.5
Safety Not Guaranteed ………. 7.5
Lore (GER) ………. 7.4
Escape (Flukt) (NOR) ………. 7.4
Killing Them Softly ………. 7.2
Argo ………. 7.2
Looper ………. 7.0
Safe House ………. 6.9
Project X ………. 6.8
170 Hz (NLD) ………. 6.8
This is 40 ………. 6.7
Miss Conspirator (KOR) ………. 6.6
Mirror Mirror ………. 6.5
Game Change ………. 6.4
Jiro Dreams of Sushi ………. 6.4
Hick ………. 6.3
Antiviral ………. 6.3
Boxing Day ………. 6.2
Farewell, My Queen (FRA) ………. 6.1
Les Misérables ………. 6.0
Gone ………. 5.9
The Impossible ………. 5.8
Contraband ………. 5.7
Girl Model ………. 5.7
A Thousand Words ………. 5.7
Love Fiction (KOR) ………. 5.5
The Dictator ………. 5.4
21 Jump Street ………. 5.3
Casa de mi Padre ………. 5.2
Jack Reacher ………. 5.2
Friends with Kids ………. 5.1
A Muse (KOR) ………. 5.1
A Hijacking ………. 5.1
Barbara (GER) ………. 5.0
Beasts of the Southern Wild ………. 5.0
Taken 2 ………. 4.9
The Campaign ………. 4.8
Chernobyl Diaries ………. 4.7
Dark Horse ………. 4.7
Erased ………. 4.5
Pitch Perfect ………. 4.4
Dredd ………. 4.3
The Man with Iron Fists ………. 4.2
Some Guy Who Kills People ………. 4.1
The Girl ………. 4.0
Lincoln ………. 4.0
The Dark Knight Rises ………. 3.8
The Raid: Redemption ………. 3.7
Holy Motors ………. 3.5
Vamps ………. 3.4
The Bay ………. 3.3
About Cherry ………. 3.2
One for the Money ………. 3.1
After Porn Ends ………. 3.1
The Five-Year Engagement ………. 3.0
Comes a Bright Day ………. 2.8
Confession of Murder (KOR) ………. 2.8
That’s My Boy ………. 2.8
Chronicle ………. 2.6
ATM ………. 2.5
Man on a Ledge ………. 2.5
Sightseers ………. 2.5
Stolen ………. 2.4
Butter ………. 2.2
Men in Black 3 ………. 2.2
Lockout ………. 2.0
Snow White and the Huntsman ………. 2.0

The Paperboy ………. 1.8
The Watch ………. 1.8
The Barrens ………. 1.7
Stand Up Guys ………. 1.6
Iron Sky ………. 1.5
4:44 ………. 1.5
Rock of Ages ………. 1.3
The Avengers ………. 1.2
This Means War ………. 1.0
Red Tails ………. 0.4