Terry's Top Ten Films of 2012

It always takes me a little longer to get my top 10 list of the year out than my two companions.  This is mainly because I have more trouble finding time to view the top films of the year before the come out on DVD.  Eventually I see them all and am able to put out a strong top films of the year.  This last year was one of those years where I think the Academy got it pretty right with who they honored at the Oscars.  This not only makes for a much more enjoyable Oscars ceremony, but also gives me increased faith in the awards systems.  Eight of the Best Picture nominees can be found in my top ten.  The one that is not I have yet to view (Beasts of the Southern Wild) but I feel confident enough in the ten that I have to go with it without viewing this one yet (Update: I saw Beasts and it did not crack the list).  So far, I have given out nine 4 star ratings for 2012 which is my lowest total since 2009 when there were eight 4 stars.  However, with that said, I believe this was a good year for movies because of the quality of the these ten movies at the top.  With all that said, here is the list.

Honorable Mention

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Haywire

Skyfall

This Is 40

10.  Amour (Dir. by Michael Haneke)

Let me start by saying this type of film is not my cup of tea.  I am usually not a fan of quiet subtle character studies.  I usually differ to Todd or Zach to discuss the greatness of this genre.  However, Haneke's latest achievement about an elderly couple dealing with the trials and struggles of the twilight years impressed me so much I had to put it on my list.  I still didn't necessarily "like" this movie in the traditional sense of the word, but I was fascinated by it and by the beauty of its subtlety.  The screenplay is brilliant because of everything it doesn't say.  There isn't much plot in the story, but most of the events that advance the plot are not seen or heard.  The film is not about what is happening, but about how people react to and cope with those events.  The beauty is in the non-verbals which led to two amazing performances from the Oscar-nominated Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant.  If nothing else, this film shows the incredible artistry of a unique filmmaker.

9.  The Avengers (Dir. by Joss Whedon)

This is probably the closest thing to a polar opposite that you could find to the last film on the list.  However, I would be lying if I didn't say the superhero mega-movie event wasn't one of the most enjoyable movie-going experiences of the year.  Individually, some characters made decent films (Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger) and some didn't (Thor) but together they made an explosive team that saved the world.  I could watch this movie over and over and over again.

8.  Lincoln (Dir. by Steven Spielberg)

I love a good historical drama.  When you add to that one of the better directors of the last 30 years, one of the best actors of the last 25 years, and one of the most beloved characters in American history, you are bound to have a masterpiece.  That is exactly what this combination brought.  Daniel Day-Lewis once again gave a career-defining performance (I believe this makes 5 career-defining performances for him) as he became the embodiment of the character instead of simply playing him.  Add to that some of the best supporting performances of the year from one of the most impressive casts of the year, and you really can't find anything to complain about.

7.  Les Miserables (Dir. by Tom Hooper)

When I heard they were making a movie version of my favorite musical of all time, my only reaction was, "Don't screw it up."  What I realized after watching the film was you really can't screw it up.  It was not a perfect movie.  I had some issues with some of the casting decisions and some of the performances, however when it came down to it the story is so good and the music tells the story so well that less than perfect still produced a masterpiece.  I give Tom Hooper a lot of credit for this because he realized the best way to bring this musical to the screen is to not mess with what made it a great musical, and that is the music.  By keeping the singing throughout and allowing the actors bring their characters to life through song, it gave the film the emotion and epic scale that makes the musical so beloved.

6.  Looper (Dir. by Rian Johnson)

This was one of the best kept secrets of last year.  However, by the time saw this movie, I had heard from everyone that had seen it that it was the most underrated film of the year.  So the hype had definitely built up.  With that said, it lived up to all the hype.  What a unique and original movie!  As all great sci-fi films do, it establishes its reality quite well, but what makes this one stand out is the reality we are forced to live in for two hours.  The unique and fascinating premise is so thought-provoking in itself that when the plot starts taking its twists and turns, you are hooked and on the edge of your seat for the duration.  Looper redefined time travel movies in a way District 9 a few years ago redefined alien movies.

5.  Django Unchained (Dir. by Quentin Tarantino)

It seems that no matter when Tarantino makes a film, it ends up on my top films of the year no matter how ridiculous the film is.  Django is a perfect example.  If you were to hear about a film with this premise, you would think it was a joke.  A slave right before the Civil War is freed to work with a bounty hunter to hunt down and kill slave owners.  What a terrible sounding, offensive movie!  This film should never be made!  Then you're told that Quentin Tarantino is making it.  All of a sudden it becomes one of the movie events of the year and a soon-to-be masterpiece.  It almost seems like Tarantino wants to see how far he can push it before he gets run out of Hollywood.  This will never happen though.  First, Tarantino would run away from Hollywood before he would be considered a part of it.  Second, he makes films in a way no one else does.  His screenplays and dialogue are so unique and his plot lines are so original, he has practically created a genre of his own.  Because of that, every time we see Tarantino work we see something we have never seen before.  This is what makes films like Django so great.  I'm sure if we saw films like these everyday then Tarantino wouldn't wow us so much.  But we don't, so they do.

4.  Zero Dark Thirty (Dir. by Kathryn Bigelow)

It is rare that such a moment of recent history is brought to the screen so quickly and so effectively.  Kathryn Bigelow has built a reputation for herself that I don't think anyone else should ever make a film about the Middle East besides her.  I really don't like a lot of the movies that are coming out about the wars in the Middle East, but Bigelow has now succeeded in making two masterpieces on the subject.  This film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden is so honest and suspenseful that it draws you in from the very first scene.  The last half hour of the movie is one of the greatest war sequences I have ever seen.  It is definitely a film that takes you for a ride.

3.  Life of Pi (Dir. by Ang Lee)

This film surprised me more than any other this year.  I knew nothing about it going in except there was a boy, a boat, and a tiger.  I also knew that it was getting more recognition than I looked like it should by the awards season.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Yes, it is a story about a boy, a boat, and a tiger, but it is so much more than that.  It is a story about faith, survival, and imagination.  And when you put an imaginative story like this into the creative hands of Ang Lee, you are bound to have one of the greatest movie experiences you can find.  I loved everything about this movie.  The story is incredible, which you almost forget about because the film is so beautiful to watch which is a given when Ang Lee is at the helm.  On top of all this, the film ends in a way that keeps you thinking for days.  It is one of those films where you need to have a discussion with someone to debrief after you are done watching it.  This is a film I will never get tired of talking about.

2.  Silver Linings Playbook (Dir. by David O. Russell)

Out of all the films on this list, this is the most human story with the characters you relate to the most with the best overall acting job of the year.  This film about a bipolar finding his way to be normal in the world is quirky, heartbreaking, funny, serious.  In short, it is life.  Few films capture life in all its dynamics like this does.  In a lot of ways (and my counterparts will hate me for this), it is a lot like Sideways in this way.  There is a real life story told with flawed, complete characters in a way real life actually is.  However, Silver Linings would have been nothing if not for its stellar cast.  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence show they can do a lot more than what the general public recognize them for, and when you can round out your cast with a living legend you have a perfect cast.  I know some of you were thinking the living legend was Chris Tucker, but it's not.  It was Robert De Niro.

1.  Argo (Dir. by Ben Affleck)

If any of you have read any of my other posts or know what my favorite movies are, you will know that my all-time favorite type of movie is a 20th Century American History film.  Whether it's Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, or Frost/Nixon, there is something about this time period that appeals to me.  Argo is the latest film I can add to this list.  Ben Affleck is quickly becoming one of the best directors we have with this film being his masterpiece about the rescue mission of the Americans who escaped before the hostages were taken in Iran.  This movie feels like an instant classic, and instantly became one of my favorite movies of the last number of years.  I really don't know how to describe it other than: awesome.

Oscar Breakdown and Handicapping: Best Director

Aside from Supporting Actor, this is the one category that is impossible to get a read on. It is simply unprecedented what this category has gone through with the obvious favorite Ben Affleck getting one of the most egregious snubs in Academy history. Affleck has been cleaning up every precursor that means anything. We have two former winners in this category, a past nominee, a first time director, and a foreign director finally breaking through to the mainstream. This is the category to watch.

5. Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: Spirit Awards

Case for the Oscar: This is one of the stranger nominees in recent memory. The movie was a modest indie hit at best, but it was a very popular critic movie. Its buzz was very quiet until it somehow jumped into all of the important categories at the Oscars. Zeitlin is a newcomer, and while his direction and film are commendable, he has a very slim chance at making a run at the award. Not enough people saw the film during its June release.

Oscar Doppelganger: 2000 Best Director: Stephen Daldry. He had an astonishing directorial debut that really captured an audience and rode it popularity all the way to the ceremony. Being up against all major directors made it a foregone conclusion that he was not going to take home the Oscar, but his nomination was an expression of the love that the members had for his directing efforts, which put him on the fast track toward a potentially big career.

Odds of winning: 100/1

4. Michael Haneke – Amour

Notable awards: National Society of Film Critics

Notable nominations: BAFTA

Case for the Oscar: He certainly has an uphill battle to winning the Oscar, but the massive love for his film has put him right in contention. With the Best Picture favorite not nominated in this category, this could be the spot that the Academy may want to honor this tremendously popular film. He also has his screenplay in contention, which would be a lesser award to give him, but Haneke is certainly going to shake some things up. His chances are as good as any, and honestly, his direction might be the best of the nominated films. Without having to give a predetermined award to Ben Affleck (which would have been deserved), this may finally be the year that we can see a real directorial achievement take the award, not just the most popular film’s director.

Oscar Doppelganger: 2002 Best Director: Pedro Almodovar. The directing category was a very wide open race going in, yet everyone underestimated the popularity of the foreign film and director that broke through into the major categories. The Academy had their choice of acknowledging his achievement here or in the screenplay category. Since the directing lineup was much more star-studded, he just missed out on winning, but certainly had a terrific chance at it going in.

Odds of winning: 6/1

3. Ang Lee – Life of Pi

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: BAFTA, BFCA, DGA, Golden Globes

Case for the Oscar: His direction is huge. It is like the Avatar of this year, a direction that under the hands of a less creative director would have tanked. He brought together all of the amazing visuals, photography, and sound to create a beautiful experience. His film is a total Oscar movie, and this is the only real chance that the Academy will get to recognize it in a major category. While the film somewhat underwhelmed at the box office despite its incredible ambition, his direction is a marvel. He is certainly not the favorite, but he is just looming in the weeds, waiting to win his second Oscar.

Oscar Doppelganger: 1956 Best Director: George Stevens. His film was warmly received by many critics and awards circuits, but it was never the frontrunner. While the other films were equally Oscar friendly, his film was just so large in scope and beauty that it was hard to not recognize his achievement in this category. He had won in this category less than a decade before, and there was probably still some leftover love from his previous venture and frustration over it not winning Best Picture.

Odds of winning: 3/1

2. David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook

Notable awards: Satellite

Notable nominations: BFCA, Spirit Awards

Case for the Oscar: His film has the Weinstein backing, and he is becoming one of the more well-liked people in the industry. The Fighter had a ton of fans, so this could be a delayed award to throw his way. His film is still ripping up the box office, and while it is not the most complex direction, he is the helmer of the crowd-pleaser of the year. He has the sob story about how the movie being about his son, so he will certainly be a sentimental favorite at the ceremony. If he wins this, then his film could challenge Argo for Best Picture. If he doesn’t win for his screenplay, this could be the spot to give him his first Oscar.

Oscar Doppelganger: 2009 Best Director: Jason Reitman: At one point, he was clearly the frontrunner in multiple categories. He wound up getting stuck behind a somewhat confusingly popular awards film that didn’t exactly tear up the box office. His film captured a wide audience, and he rode the sweet comedy-drama all the way to a nomination, his second in 3 years. He had an outside shot at taking home the prize, but there were a couple huge favorites that prevented him from winning it for a film that wasn’t exactly a directing showcase. His real chance was in the screenplay category.

Odds of winning: 3/2

1. Steven Spielberg – Lincoln

Notable awards: none

Notable nominations: BFCA, DGA, Golden Globes

Case for the Oscar: He is still one of the most popular directors in the world. Every movie he makes is an event, and to turn that talky script into the engrossing drama that he did is absolutely one of the finer efforts of the year. His film is not going to take Best Picture, so like in 1998, they may want to throw Spielberg another bone. The problem he faces is that he is nowhere near as much of a shoo-in as he used to be. Like Clint Eastwood, the Academy may be getting somewhat tired of him. He was not nominated for War Horse, and Lincoln is Oscar gold on paper, but his film is getting taken to the woodshed by Argo. His chances to win this Oscar are still overwhelmingly good because he is Spielberg, but there are 3 other major contenders who could take it, just because we don’t know how they are going to handle the category without Affleck.

Oscar Doppelganger: 1989 Best Director: Oliver Stone. He was a previous winner, and while his film was never really a serious Best Picture threat, his direction was superb. The inevitable Best Picture winner received a rare snub in this category, so it was somewhat wide open going in. Up against some serious talent, the biggest name ended up winning out.

Odds of winning: 1/2

Past articles:

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Original and Adapted Screenplays

Comments? Thoughts on this crazy Best Director race? Coming up tomorrow: Best Picture!

2013 Oscar Predictions: Final (Arts and Techs)

Here is the continuation of my final Oscar predictions for 2013. Check it out.

Link to the big 8 categories: http://almostsideways.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-oscar-predictions-final-major.html

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Life of Pi

2. Zero Dark Thirty

3. Skyfall

4. Lincoln

5. The Master

BEST ART DIRECTION

1. Lincoln

2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

3. Life of Pi

4. Anna Karenina

5. Les Miserables

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Les Miserables

 2. Anna Karenina

3. Lincoln

4. Cloud Atlas

5. Mirror Mirror

BEST SOUND MIXING

1. Zero Dark Thirty

 2. Les Miserables

3. The Avengers

4. The Dark Knight Rises

5. Life of Pi

BEST EDITING

1. Argo

 2. Zero Dark Thirty

3. Lincoln

4. Life of Pi

5. Les Miserables

BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING

1. The Dark Knight Rises

 2. The Avengers

3. Skyfall

4. Life of Pi

5. Looper

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Life of Pi

 2. The Avengers

3. The Dark Knight Rises

4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

5. John Carter

BEST MAKEUP/HAIR

1. Les Miserables

2. Looper

3. Men in Black 3

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. “Still Alive” – Paul Williams Still Alive

2. “Skyfall” – Skyfall

3. “Learn Me Right” – Brave

4. “Abraham's Daughter” – The Hunger Games

5. “Suddenly” – Les Miserables

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. The Master

 2. Life of Pi

3. Zero Dark Thirty

4. Lincoln

5. Argo

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. Searching for Sugar Man

 2. The Invisible War

3. How to Survive a Plague

4. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

5. This is Not a Film

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Frankenweenie

 2. Wreck-It Ralph

3. Brave

4. From Up on Poppy Hill

5. Rise of the Guardians

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. The Intouchables

 2. Amour

3. Kon-Tiki

4. No

5. War Witch

Predicted nominations count

Lincoln: 11 noms / 4 wins

Life of Pi: 10 noms / 2 wins

Les Miserables: 8 noms / 3 wins

Zero Dark Thirty: 8 noms / 2 wins

The Master: 7 noms / 2 wins

Argo: 6 noms / 2 wins

Silver Linings Playbook: 6 noms / 1 win

The Dark Knight Rises: 3 noms / 1 win

The Avengers: 3 noms

Amour: 2 noms

Anna Karenina: 2 noms

Brave: 2 noms

Django Unchained: 2 noms

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: 2 noms

Looper: 2 noms

The Sessions: 2 noms

Skyfall: 2 noms

Frankenweenie: 1 nom / 1 win

The Intouchables: 1 nom / 1 win

Paul Williams Still Alive: 1 nom / 1 win

Searching for Sugar Man: 1 nom / 1 win

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry: 1 nom

Cloud Atlas: 1 nom

The Deep Blue Sea: 1 nom

Flight: 1 nom

From Up on Poppy Hill: 1 nom

How to Survive a Plague: 1 nom

The Hunger Games: 1 nom

The Impossible: 1 nom

The Invisible War: 1 nom

John Carter: 1 nom

Kon-Tiki: 1 nom

Men in Black 3: 1 nom

Mirror Mirror: 1 nom

Moonrise Kingdom: 1 nom

No: 1 nom

The Paperboy: 1 nom

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: 1 nom

Rise of the Guardians: 1 nom

Rust and Bone: 1 nom

This is Not a Film: 1 nom

War Witch: 1 nom

Thoughts? Predictions? Comment below.