Our Favourite Films 2012

They get chattier as they go... 



Emily DiPietro

In no order

1. Argo
2. The Avengers
3. Cabin in the Woods
4. Dark Knight Rises
5. Lawless
6. Les Miserables
7. Lincoln
8. Moonrise Kingdom
9. Silver Linings Playbook
10. Skyfall

Julian Lazare

2012 wasn't very advantageous for me. I need to change that. 

1. Django Unchained
2. The Master
3. Looper
4. Lincoln
5. Compliance 



Kyle McDonald

No...scratch that. 1-10 is The Hobbit.

1. The Hobbit
2. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. The Avengers
5. Indie Game: The Movie
6. Looper / Prometheus (tie)
7. Men in Black 3
8. Marley
9. The Queen of Versailles
10. ParaNorman (minus the shitty dialogue)

Tim Earle

1. Wu Xia
2. Miss Bala
3. The Avengers
4. Killing Them Softly
5. Zero Dark Thirty
6. Django Unchained
7. Lincoln
8. The Cabin in the Woods
9. Moonrise Kingdom
10. Silver Linings Playbook


Michelle Siracusa

Remember, I was making a "favorites" list.

1. Looper
2. Zero Dark Thirty
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. Anna Karenina
5. Holy Motors
6. Django Unchained
7. Lore
8. Deep Blue Sea
9. The Master
10. Cosmopolis



Sean Van Deuren

I liked these films this year:

1. The Master
2. Holy Motors
3. Amour
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Lincoln
6. Take This Waltz
7. Zero Dark Thirty
8. Margaret (Director's Cut)
9. This Is Not A Film
10. Django Unchained


Dan Khan

Scout: And I take these are in random order?

Dan: Yeah, unfortunately. The Master's probably number 1.  I love 'em all, so...that's that.

1. The Master
2. Zero Dark Thirty
3. Argo / Frankenweenie
4. Django Unchained
5. Silver Linings Playbook
6. Compliance
7. Holy Motors
8. Looper
9. The Queen of Versailles
10. Moonrise Kingdom

Alysha Joslyn

So, Scout has asked me to make a list of my top ten favorite films of 2012 and I complied. Below are my favorite films of the year that had major releases in theatres. I’m sure that many people
will disagree with my choices but that’s fine with me. Also, please don’t mind my horrible writing skills; I am not a movie critic.

So here is my list in kind of an order but not really except for the top three.

Special Mentions:

Best Comedy – Pitch Perfect

To me, Pitch Perfect was the best comedy of the year for the sole reason that it made me laugh out loud obnoxiously more than any other film I saw this year. I already have a soft spot for Anna Kendrick and for people spontaneously bursting into song so there was almost no way that I wouldn’t love the film. I saw it in a packed theatre the week before it officially opened and I think everyone there had a great time. The fact that I loved it so much even with all the vomit just goes to show how great it is.

Best Animated Film – Wreck it Ralph

I really didn’t see that many animated films in theatres this year, but even if I didn’t hate Brave as much as I did I still think that Wreck it Ralph was the best animated film of the year. I have no desire to see Frankenweenie though which I know was a lot of people’s favorite. To me, Wreck it Ralph was a lot of fun. The characters were well developed, the script was great, and
the film balanced the humor in a way that wasn’t overbearing. For
a movie I didn’t even really want to see, I loved every minute of it. I even cried…though that doesn’t take much for me. Also, Paperman, which played beforehand, is my new favorite short and should get a special mention as well.

Top Ten:

10. Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom will always be special to me because it was my first Wes Anderson film and I think that that is always a magical moment. I was so pleasantly surprised with this film. Going into it I didn’t know what to expect but five minutes in I was already in love. I always love amazing child actors and I was not disappointed. In fact, the entire cast did a wonderful job. The
plot was so simple and yet still got so much across. I really have no issues with the film at all.

9. Les Miserables

I have no idea how I managed to decide to put Les Mis all the way at number nine…part of me wants to move it higher…but alas here we are. Anywho, Les Mis lived up to almost all of my expectations. People can go on and on about Russell Crowe’s singing or Anne Hathaway ugly crying through her whole song but I don’t care. Yes, I had my own issues with the film, mainly the massacre that was one of my favorite songs ("Master of the House") and everything to do with Amanda Seyfried, but besides that I had almost zero complaints, at least not ones that were the
film’s fault and not the musical’s.

8. Looper

Looper!!! Now Looper was a film that I was super excited to see. How crazy was that film? So crazy! Sure, some of the time travel stuff didn’t make perfect logical sense and yes, the film missed out on some cool things that I thought they should have done, but all in all the film was great. I will happily watch anything with JGL in it to begin with and Bruce Willis also did a great job. Also, that kid? I have never wanted to both hug and destroy a child so much. And that scene that I don’t want to give away? Amazing. My biggest issue with the film: not enough Paul Dano. Actually made me really upset.

7. The Avengers

I think that everyone that knows me knows that The Avengers would make my list of the best films of the year. First of all, it is the first major film that I actually worked on…even if I don’t
get any credit since I was an intern. Also, I saw the film in theatres three times which shows its re-watchability. As someone who has read a lot of comics I obviously have my issues with the film in terms of things not being canon and certain things being Ultimates universe and other things not. It also makes me upset cause I know so many cool things they could have done. But I also know that Kevin (Feige) and Joss (Whedon) had wanted to make this film since before Kevin was the head of Marvel Studios and that they truly put their hearts and souls into the project so I can’t complain. I think it is a great film and also a great super hero film even if you have never seen one before.

6. The Dark Knight Rises

So I ended up putting TDKR above The Avengers…another choice that I am not sure I agree with but technically TDKR did have a much deeper impact on me. It was a film that I found to be so inspiring and also moved me deeply for hours afterwards and I love that after seeing a film. I don’t even know what to say about the film that everyone hasn’t already thought. Great script, great actors, the best ending I could have hoped for, and Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and JGL in the same movie, all looking fabulous? What more could a gal want? Deshi basara!

5. Argo

Argo was a film that I decided to watch pretty much because I love Ben Affleck and I think he does good things. Also, I really liked the concept and it was just even better that it was true. For a movie where you pretty much know what is going to happen it still manages to keep the audience on the edge of their seat the entire time. The fact that even though I saw the movie two months after it came out the audience still all applauded when it ended and stayed till the end of the credits just goes to show what type of film it was.

4. Django Unchained

I love me some Tarantino. He has this thing he does with films and storytelling that is just amazing. After Inglorious Bastards I had pretty high expectations going into it…and also a fear that I wouldn’t even be able to watch half of it due to violence and blood. Sure the film had some issues with pacing and some scenes that I would have rather not been there but it was a really great film with some truly amazing performances. Definitely a must see.

3. Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook I think was the world making a large step in humanizing people with mental illness. This is another film with an all-star cast and a killer screenplay. Also, Jennifer Lawrence has the best outfits ever which for some reason was super important to me while I was watching the film. The characters were a bit too close to home for my personal tastes but I think that is will end up being one of my favorite films of all time.

2. Cabin in the Woods

Cabin in the Woods was my favorite film of the year for most of it. When you have been waiting literally years for a film to come out you are bound to have some pretty high expectations. Especially when it’s a Joss Whedon film. I was worried about this film because I have some major issues with gore and scary things and that is pretty much the premise of the movie but I somehow made it through by covering my eyes a lot. This is another film that can be easily ruined which I don’t want to do, but it is scary and hilarious all at the same time and definitely worth a few watches. Also, Tom Lenk just made the film for me. I love him so much.

1. Cloud Atlas

My favorite film of the year by far was Cloud Atlas. The score? Amazing. The acting? Amazing. The script? Amazing. Also, I have never had a crush on so many Hugo Weavings at one time. It is a fun film and you kind of get to play a game where you figure out who is playing who. Also, with the multiple plots there is something for everyone. I can’t even decide which my favorite
story was. I have already purchased the book; that is how much I just want to delve as deep as possible into the story. I know people disagree but I find the message to be very inspiring even if they do bash you over the head with it. It is also just a beautiful film the truly shows the types of things an actor can do. Are there issues with it? Of course. There are with all films. But to me the
issues were far outweighed by how amazing everything else was.

Fox Johnson

Killing Them Softly

Andrew Dominik's tiny crime film had it's sights set on the American Dream....and he nailed it. Dominik takes a fairly run of the mill crime film that could've wound up in the $5 bin at Walmart and uses both star power and his just off kilter view of the world to turn it into what I hope will become a classic American gangster picture. I don't think it'll be truly appreciated for a long time but I can only hope that when it does, I'll be there to see it.

Celebration Day

 It's sad that it takes a band with Led Zeppelin's kind of clout and financial backing to get a true concert film released in theaters these days. As far as I'm concerned the genre is a dying art and when I heard that I had one night to get my ass to a theater to see this bad boy I knew I'd been given a mission from God. And I wasn't disappointed. Shot in beautiful definition and edited as ragged as Zeppelin's music, Celebration Day does two incredible things. It shows off just how old the members of this band have gotten since the last time anyone has been able to see them live, and more importantly, how wonderfully gifted they still are in the way of their musicianship. Watching Jimmy Page's 68 year old self sweat and grind his way through Zeppelin tunes while loving every second of it is what music is all about.

Lincoln

 Whatever Spielberg's gotten himself into lately, I like it and I hope he stays on it. Last year's War Horse and now Lincoln show a very specific form that Spielberg's work is taking and its absolutely wonderful. The reason this film hits my list other than some great performances and overall top notch film making, is that the screenplay steers away from the traditional biopic and instead devotes the film's time to perhaps Lincoln's most incredible achievement: the passage of the 13th Amendment. Daniel Day Lewis Lincoln portrayal is scary good but the real success of the film lies in that fact that when the title character isn't on screen, the audience still has plenty of reason to stay engaged. The battle between parties in The House of Representatives made the film for me and I really had no idea I'd be getting that when I sat down to watch it.

Looper

 Maybe my favorite film of the year. Rian Johnson's films all have a special place in my heart and his first real big budget picture is no exception. It's one of the few films this year that wasn't based on a book, a remake, or finishing up a series. It's completely original. And guess what? It's brilliant! Johnson's screenwriting never seems to take a back seat even when saddled with his first film that features heavy CGI and other effect shots. Early on he has one of his characters promise the audience that it is in fact a time travel story and that you shouldn't spend too much time attempting to make sense of the film's laws and structure. But it's an empty caution. The film makes perfect sense for the universe it exists in and it whets your appetite for its universe just enough. You don't necessarily need another film to explore more but there's plenty to think about outside of the main narrative when you leave the theater.

Moonrise Kingdom

 Wes Anderson's very specific style has never worked for a film better than Moonrise Kingdom. His color coded, straight up and down shooting style provides an added innocence to one of the best love stories I've ever seen. I don't even have that much to say on this film other than its an absolutely wonderful watch without a moment of dullness.

Prometheus

 Probably the most contested film of the year. While most saw it as a narrative mess and a severe let down prequel in the Alien series, I saw it as an absolutely wonderful sci fi film. Amazing effects, a completely believable world, and one goddamn hell of a self surgery sequence had me madly in love with Ridley Scott's latest work.  Using a number of great leading men/women and character actors help fill the void left by an over simplified screenplay and make the struggles of this hired crew utterly watchable. No idea if the planned sequel will ever rise out of the darkness but if it does, I'll be waiting. Final note: This film had one of the best trailers I've ever seen. Period.

Skyfall

 

The three recent Bond films have been a wonderful rebirth to a classic but dated film franchise. Skyfall grabbed Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins and set to work making one of the most off kilter and fabulous Bond films to date. FilmPunk's got a whole article devoted to this film and our opinions of it but I'll just say really quick that the biggest reason for me that this film succeeds is because its the first of the new Bond films that actually features a prominent and absolutely devilish villain. Javier Bardem raises the film out of the trenches and into a much more heavy handed and epic feeling spy film. My favorite of the series so far.

Django Unchained

I've never been less excited for a Tarantino film than I was for Django Unchained. I'm happy to say I was surprised at how good a time I had. Quentin does a great job of taking on something as difficult as slavery, bounty hunting, and mandingo fighting, and somehow keeping it fairly lighthearted even at the film's grimmest moments. Christoph Waltz was the main reason I was able to have such a good time throughout most of the film but Tarantino's new found love of obscene amounts of blood makes the few action sequences so goddamn awesome it'd be impossible to not leave with a smile on my face.

The Raid: Redemption

Gareth Evans brought the world an onslaught of martial arts fury in 2011 but typical of American distribution, we didn't receive it in any kind of viewing capacity until this year. But any viewing hindrance aside, this is one of if not the best martial arts film I've ever laid eyes on. The story is simple and the characters aren't going to blow your mind but if your experience is anything like mine, you'll get up from your seat at the end of the film and immediately have to sit down again due to the intense mental strain you just went through while watching these people beat the ever loving hell out of each other.

The Dark Knight Rises

A film with as much buildup as The Dark Knight Rises will have its fair share of detractors. "How could it possibly be as good as The Dark Knight" "Heath Ledger left too much of a mark on this film series to be outdone" etc. Nolan kept us all in the dark through nearly all of production. Actors were announced but their characters remained a mystery. Bane's voice became a crossfire level issue in day to day conversation among movie nerds and every truly wondered how, not if, Nolan would kill off Batman at the end of the film. Then it came out.
I'm definitely in the minority on this but Dark Knight Rises is, I feel, the finest of Nolan's Batman films. It exists on a scale so epic it cannot be denied. Tom Hardy steps in to try to follow Heath Ledger's brilliant performance and he's given only his eyes and shoulders to perform with. AND HE KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE FUCKING PARK. I won't argue with people. They'll like what they will. But The Dark Knight Rises lived up to every inch of the hype that the movie industry and myself as a lifelong Batman fan (batfan) could possibly create for it.


The Master

I'm at a point where I saw The Master so long ago that I've nearly forgotten about it. But after thinking about it for only a few seconds, a billion images and emotions begin to cloud my mind. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman should be pioneering the first tandem Oscar win for Best Actor. Their performances are the stuff of legend in this film. But it doesn't stop there. PT Anderson creates another amazingly visual piece to add to his unimpeachable filmography. Playing out like a great American novel, this film will force you to drive your fingernails into the grips of whatever your sitting in while watching it but at no point will you ask it to stop.

Zero Dark Thirty

Seeing this film felt like a true test of my moviegoer props. All I wanted was to see it before 2012 officially ended but that wasn't my luck. But seeing it 5 days into the next year ain't bad either. Kathryn Bigelow follows up The Hurt Locker with another trip into the Middle East. This time, to tell a much weightier story. She's rounded up a number of wonderful actors to come and play in her world, many of them only showing up for a scene or two. The film plays out as a procedural for it's majority but the interrogation scenes and the last 30 - 40 minutes of the film are really where it shines. Bigelow strips away any hope of this being an "America! Fuck Yeah!" film. Instead she shows the psychological damage that can occur when torture is being used to uncover information. Not just for the hostage, but almost more so for the questioner. And though the members of Seal Team 10 appear as total professionals, they do appear human in all the right ways. I was terrified for this film when I first heard about it. I had no hope for a Bin Laden chase film. But Bigelow does it justice. She puts a nice firm cap on the 11 year manhunt by humanizing both sides and forcing Americans to realize that even revenge isn't cut and dry.

Scout

1. Holy Motors

2. The Deep Blue Sea

3. The Master

4. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

5. The Unspeakable Act

6. Cosmopolis

7. In Darkness

8. Perhaps Beauty Has Strengthened Our Resolve - Masao Adachi

9. Lore

10. Beyond the Hills