Best Films of 2012 BAYLEY

Daniel Bayley’s Top 10 of 2012

This year in film has been notable for several reasons. While I wasn’t thrilled with two films I greatly anticipated (Prometheus and The Amazing Spider-man), and was greatly disappointed by others (Snow White and the Huntsman and Dark Shadows), I can say I saw much more than ten films that I would jump out of my chair to recommend to you. Any one of the films below that I mention, I hope you will go and check out because they all contained a memorable story and influence that I believe deems them representational of 2012. What a great year for movies!

Without further ado, here is my list of the Top 10 of 2012. Please comment and write about your favorites of the year. Because the great thing about “best of lists” is to compare perspectives, see what films resonated the most with audiences, and come together to enjoy this great artistic medium.

10. The Impossible: This is the most intense film-going experience I have ever had. Depicting the true story of a family on Christmas vacation in Thailand in 2004, their lives are forever changed when the tragic tsunami hits their tropical resort. Naomi Watts’ character, Maria, goes through what I can only describe as a Passion of the Christ film circumstance of having to carry herself completely broken and beaten emotionally and physically back to safety, along with her son Lucas (played by Tom Holland). Holland deserves much recognition for his leading performance and earns a spot as the newcomer to watch out for. My favorite element of the piece is Ewan McGregors' performance as the father, Henry. I won’t spoil anything but there is a scene involving McGregor having to call him to describe what had happened, and it is just as powerful as any acting performance you will see this year. This is a tough movie to watch so I will add the element of caution here. But this is one moving piece I will never forget.

Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona

9. Paranorman: It’s no secret…I love Halloween and I love stop-motion. So I was very excited to watch this.  But what I didn’t expect to see was a surprisingly hilarious and enjoyable story that has earned its place as my nominee for the “Best Animated Feature” Academy Award. The story is about Norman, a boy who has the ability to see ghosts that nobody else can see. This makes him unpopular in the town, but when a witch’s curse presents itself as a threat, Norman must find a way to stop the witch from returning. With plenty of twists and turns, and laugh out loud moments, this was one of the most entertaining films I saw this year.

Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell

8. The Perks of Being A Wallflower: Adapted from the book that captures high school adolescence so well, Stephen Chbosky really hit his film adaptation out of the park. As a person who had read the book before the movie, I knew what to expect story-wise but was surprised to see the vision of the film matched and even enhanced the one I had before. Logan Lerman plays Charlie, who is entering high school and befriends two lovable and quirky seniors, Sam and Patrick. Emma Watson fully breaks out of her “Hermoine Granger” shell as the sweet and strong-minded Sam who Charlie’s affection clings to. But it is Ezra Miller’s Patrick that is the show-stopper, in a performance full of teenage energy and dimension that rings true in the piece. No film this year, or in many years, has captured a story of suburban high school youth and emotion quite like this one.

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

7. Cabin in the Woods- I am one true fan of Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s writing. Just ask the number of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel DVDs on my shelf. But here, they have not only payed homage to the horror genre they love, they have broken down the doors and created a hilarious commentary on all the story-telling elements we love about these films. Joss Whedon, much like the Avengers, has a very distinct way of telling his stories in three acts. The first act develops the characters, sets the mood, and implies future conflict. The second act will set the motions into place and have all the characters discover not only that everything isn’t exactly what it seems, but the characters themselves don’t know as much as they think they do. The final act in both films is “balls to the wall”, anything goes, anything you can imagine, s*** gets real action and visuals that are eye-candy all the way. I can note I saw this film alone in a sold-out theater in Manhattan and when this film’s third act kicked into high gear, everyone was enjoying it together in a hilarious revelry. The crowd of horror-buffs came together that night in some fashion I won't soon forget. It’s one of the best comedies of the year, and I mean comedy when I say it.

Directed by Drew Goddard

6. Skyfall- As a big fan of the 007 series, I'll just say I've seen all 22 Bond adventures multiple times. This is the 23^rd enstallment into the franchise and marks the 50^th year of martini’s, gadgets, Bond girls with odd names, villains with odd physical features, and a hero on a mission to protect Queen and country. But this one was just different. It’s a standalone Bond feature with a director who really wants every image, every frame, to bleed emotion and help you get to know just what kind of a man Bond is doing what he does day in and day out. With the world’s best cinematographer, Roger Deakins, composing every shot as if it were a painting, the film looks sensational. Bardem deserves Oscar consideration for Best Supporting Actor as the devilishly delightful Silva who is just as charismatic as he is creepy. And with Judi Dench giving her best performance in years as M, she is the true “Bond girl” of the film, playing off Daniel Craig’s Bond very well.

My only concern with Skyfall is that it is perhaps too similar to The Dark Knight. Sam Mendes has mentioned that The Dark Knight was very influential to him about taking on this film and even making it, but there are a few scenes that are constructed almost as mirror images of Nolans Batman film. I won’t give one away because it’s intrical to the story but one I can mention is this…how many movies are we going to see where the villain gets captured on purpose only to destroy the hero’s base from within!? This modern cliché’ must end!

All in all, it’s not only a fantastic Bond adventure that throws in plenty of fan-favorite nudges to the series, but is a stand-alone thriller. While I may still prefer Casino Royale to this, Skyfall is a Bond film I’ve been waiting to see.

Directed by Sam Mendes

5. Silver Linings Playbook- I admit, when I first saw this trailer, I thought, “Oh great, A film where everyone is quirky and problematic. I wonder what hilarity will ensue! I’m gonna skip that one!”. After much critical acclaim and friendly recommendations, I finally sucked it up and saw it in the theater. And boy, did those quirky and problematic characters delve into some hilarity! It was one of the funniest and enjoyable films of the year. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a former teacher who moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) as he works to better himself, find those “silver linings” in life, and win back his wife who cheated on him. He meets Jennifer Lawrence’s Tiffany, and while these two characters are seen as “crazy”, everyone in Russell’s film is so filled with idiosyncrasies, you’d wonder what being “normal” in this town could be. All the characters give impressive work to the film. At one point I looked over to my friend and said, “If the film were to shut off right now, I’d be so upset because I am so engaged in this story it’s not even funny”. Please, take my advice and go see this film in the theater. You will walk out feeling great.

Directed by David O. Russell

4. Moonrise Kingdom- As a fan of Wes Anderson’s signature style, you will get all of the camera-pans, signature set-design, and even some slow-motion you’ll always go to see. But this film also holds a wonderful story of Sam and Suzy (played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) whose young love is tested by their family and scout-troop. When these two kids run away from home to be together, we are shown the journey through landscape of the greatly calculated island setting as well as cuts over to characters played by Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton who all worry and bicker amongst themselves about the fates of these two children. It’s a nostalgic fantasy film where this ‘60’s time-period feels right at home and the characters are lively and lovable where you can’t wait to get to know more about each of them. While still filled with oddities and awkward moments to keep the Anderson-tone in check, this is a story I feel could appeal to a mass audience and age-group where many of his films may not have. The writing is superb here and I hope it’s recognized with an Oscar nomination.

Directed by Wes Anderson

3. Les Miserables- Now here is the return of the movie musical! With this as an adaptation of the play that is constructed purely of singing, the actors perform all of their music live on screen, in a daring move by Director Tom Hooper. Now while Hooper is receiving some backlash for how he handled this film, and I will agree with some of that, I will not forget the experience this movie brings which is one that engulfs you into the emotionality of the work I feel perfectly portrays the story on screen. With Hugh Jackman giving his best work yet as Jean Valjean, a man who stole a loaf of bread and will for the rest of his life be on the run from the ever-persistent Inspector Javert. While Russell Crowe’s voice may have been the weakest as he portrays Javert among a cast of some pretty heavy-hitting singers, he was actually my favorite to watch for the intensity of his acting.  He was my favorite to watch.

Anne Hathaway is getting considerable Oscar-talk for her small role as Fantine that may earn her her first Academy Award. Her scene of “I Dreamed A Dream” holds the perfect example of Hooper’s handi-cam/close-up/one-take direction being put to good use as we just watch the actress act out her singing and really get into the emotion of every word she sings in the song. The only problem I have with Hooper is the question of why he had to keep this same technique with virtually every single solo-performance? Not every scene warranted this technique and with such a beautiful setting constructed, why not show it around in wide-shot a bit and give us a sense of scale and gravitas? Oh well. This minor flaw for me did not stop me from walking out singing every song in the film and being moved emotionally by the great story well told.

Directed by Tom Hooper

2. The Avengers- I was sure until I recently saw the #1 film on my list that this was going to be my “Best Film of the Year”. It was the film that met all expectations. The movie that kick-started the summer. It’s the movie I’ve seen the most in theaters ever with four viewings. After a 5 year journey spanning 5 different Marvel films, introducing the iconic comic-book characters to the big screen, The Avengers came out and brought all of them together to the big-screen in an epic unlike anything you’ve ever seen. With Joss Whedon’s signature wit and nack for character interaction and detail, this gorgeously shot CGI blockbuster shows that you can have multiple characters in one spot and share their screen-time evenly in a film that doesn’t shy away from any of the great character moments we’ve been waiting for. Mark Ruffalo’s interpretation of “the Hulk” steals the show, and I want this note to in no way digress from the reiteration that this is one of the best “team” and ensemble movies you will find. The only thing that may steer non-Marvel lovers away is that you would really need to watch the films that lead up to The Avengers in order to get the full enjoyment the rest of the audience will be feeling in seeing characters they love all in one spot. With that being said, this film has laughs, spectacle, a brain to the script, and a great sense of monumental scope that brings in a great sense of drama to the action. You’re not going to get a better blockbuster action this year. This movie is grade-A enjoyment at it’s best that I can’t wait to watch again and again!

Directed by Joss Whedon

1. Zero Dark Thirty- And my Best Picture of 2012 is…Zero Dark Thirty. Yes, Kathryn Bigelow’s team-up with writer Mark Boal worked wonders in 2009 with The Hurt Locker and while they create a film that seems very similar to their 2009 work, this film is still a stand-alone gripping thriller that you won’t want to miss. Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a CIA Officer who works for over 10 years on the greatest manhunt of all time: tracking down Osama Bin Laden. Based on first-hand actual accounts on the events leading up to the “30 minutes after midnight” military mission that brought down the terrorist, the film almost feels too real with very realistic violence that can be quite jarring at times. The reality of the film helps us invest in Maya and how her one goal in life is to find a “disappeared man” that is near impossible to trace in risky scenarios that can cost not only her career, but her and her teams'  lives. With high stakes subject matter, Bigelow really knows how to pump up the adrenaline and direct scenes that you will not be able to take your eyes off of. While I had said in the past I didn’t feel this film was entirely necessary and it perhaps was too soon to have this story brought to the screen, Zero Dark Thirty is more of an analysis of a woman who gives her entire life to a mission and we see what the rewards and repercussions of that sacrifice will give. It’s powerfully acted, action filled, heart-wrenching, and moving cinema that resonates with the dark times we live in, the questions of ethics we ask in times of war, and the people whose life’s work can amount to a country’s successes and failures. I highly recommend this film and would nominate it for Best Picture, Director, Actress, and Original Screenplay.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Other Great Films to Watch from 2012 (in alphabetical order)

Argo

Beast of the Southern Wild
Chronicle

The Dark Knight Rises

Django Unchained

Frankenweenie

The Hobbit

Liberal Arts

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Looper

The Master

Safety Not Guarenteed

Seeking A Friend for the End of the World

The Sessions

21 Jump Street

-Daniel