Top 10 Movies of 2012
2012 was a surprisingly great year in cinema. Some of the very best directors in the business did their best job this year. Here goes the top 10 movies that stood out.
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- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJamie FoxxChristoph WaltzLeonardo DiCaprioWith the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.Possibly even the greatest movie of all time and my personal number 1. The 60s had The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, the 70s had the Godfather, and our generation has Django Unchained: That perfect movie that comes out once in a very long while, one that every other movie is weighed against, and perpetually fall short from.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.Martin MacDonagh is one of the youngest genius film-makers of our time and Seven Psychopaths is his best film yet. Thanks to an all-star cast and amazing movie-in-movie story, the 90 or so minutes fly by, and leave you wanting more.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsJoaquin PhoenixPhilip Seymour HoffmanAmy AdamsA Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.Not his best work, but a definite indicator of how much young Paul Thomas Anderson has already matured in what can still be considered his early years. Thanks once more to a great score by Johnny Greenwood and a perfect performance by Phillip Seymour-Hoffmann, you are sure to forgive the movie's slow pace, and focus on the beautiful scenery before you.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsJared GilmanKara HaywardBruce WillisTwo 12-year-olds, who live on an island, fall in love with each other and elope into the wilderness. While people set out on a search mission, a violent storm approaching them catches their attention.Being a big fan of Wes Anderson, I anticipated this movie for months, and once I got my hands on it, it was worth the wait. The cinematography is mesmerizing, and the shots are beautifully symmetric and wonderfully surreal. Wes Anderson makes it look so easy as always, but where he outdoes himself here is by eliciting a wonderful performance from the young protagonists of the film.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsSuraj SharmaIrrfan KhanAdil HussainA young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.One of the most aesthetically pleasing movies of all time. From start to finish, the scenery, colors, and the dynamic of the shooting grabs you. Not only is it a great movie, but an inspirational piece, and once again, the masterpiece of its director (in this case, Ang Lee)
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsBradley CooperJennifer LawrenceRobert De NiroAfter a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.David O. Russell has outdone himself with this brilliant adaptation of a novel with the same name. One can argue that the casting could've been better, but no complaints here.
- DirectorSeth MacFarlaneStarsMark WahlbergMila KunisSeth MacFarlaneJohn Bennett, a man whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life came true, now must decide between keeping the relationship with the bear, Ted or his girlfriend, Lori.As a Seth Macfarlane fanboy, I welcomed this movie with wide arms well before I got to see it, but I can say with some certainty that even had I kept my objectivity, this movie would've still stood up to the challenge. Hilarious, fast paced, and full of really funny lines, and a few signature Seth Macfarlane action scenes, made all the more impressive by the fact that it's not animated this time.
- DirectorAndrew DominikStarsBrad PittRay LiottaRichard JenkinsJackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.Andrew Dominik does a very Scorsese-esque job with this movie. The shooting, the dialog and the whole story reminds one of some of Scorsese's finest work. Andrew Dominik is yet to top 'The assassination of Jesse James', this is a solid movie and one of this year's best.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleTom HardyAnne HathawayEight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.The best movie in Nolan's trilogy and visually one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. The action scenes are incredible and Bane is one hell of a villain. It should be noted that it's also a very unconventional Batman movie in many regards: Batman actually gets defeated, and spends time outside of Gotham. It's the first Batman (that I know of) where he doesn't win every battle, though he wins most of them.
- DirectorGenndy TartakovskyStarsAdam SandlerKevin JamesAndy SambergDracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teenaged daughter.Nowhere else in this list is a movie that flies by as quick. Partially it's because the movie is really short and fast-paced, but also because, as soon as you get comfortable in the universe of the movie, it's suddenly over and leaves you wanting more, which is a good thing, since there will definitely be a sequel.