Best Films of 2012

nIt’s that time of the year again where we write up our “bestnof” lists. Before we go on I have to tell you guys that no matter how hard anynfilm buff might try, they just aren’t going to be able to see everything, sonthere’s always one or two films that slip by me when I write these ‘best of thenyear ’ lists. For example, I haven’t seen Ana Karenina, Zero Dark Thirty, ThenMaster, Argo, or Paranorman. But fear not, I will surely see them in the comingnmonths and review them for your reading pleasure.

nIt isn’t easy coming up with these lists because there arenlots of good films during a year and it’s kind of difficult seeing them all,neven for a Film Connoisseur such as myself. Still, I tried to cut down the fatnand truly come up with the best of the best of what I have seen. So withoutnfurther ado I leave you with The Film Connoisseur’s Best Films of 2012, enjoy!

nTitle: The Avengers(2012)

nThoughts: So this movie exploded onto screens last summer andnended up being the ultimate super hero movie, audiences couldn’t have enough ofnthis superhero potpourri, so much so that audiences where going to see it morenthan once; it went on to become the biggest money maker of 2012 along withnSkyfall. It had everything and anything we always wanted to see in an Avengersnmovie. Great effects, explosive action, funny dialog, and good performance;nalso, a good representation of every character that appears on the screen, eachnhero was given its moment to shine. This was a thrill ride of a movie,nreminding us what a good summer blockbuster is all about.

nQuote: “Superheroesnin New York? Gimme a break!”

nTitle: Life of Pi (2012)

nThoughts: I might not be much of a “believer”, but I stillnenjoyed the hell out of Life of Pi despite its preachy nature. Far be it fromnme to reject a beautiful looking film simply because it preaches a bit.nEverything else that comes with the film is amazing, particularly the visualsnthat director Ang Lee conjures up, so much color, such beauty and depth. Andnyou know what, even though it preaches a bit about believing in God, it alsonasks many questions about God through the character of Pi. Plus, Pi displays ancertain love and wonderment for nature and the universe that I immediatelynwarmed up to the character because of this. This is a film that’s best enjoyednin 3-D, so if you still have a chance to see it that way don’t let it slip younby, this movie is as good as 3-D gets. It’s kind of like Avatar in that itnpushes what can be done with 3-D to its limits.

nQuote: “Doubt isnuseful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, you cannot know the strengthnof your faith until it has been tested”

nTitle: Looper (2012)

nThoughts: Looper wasnthe surprise hit of the year, like some of the best films, it came out of nowherenand critics and audience raved alike, this was a rare thing: an original sci-finflick with brains! It wasn’t based on no books, it wasn’t a sequel, it wasn’t anremake it was just original and I dug that about it. Sure it’s got similarities to Back to the Future and The Terminator, but it has enough originality in it that it becomes its own thing. This time travel movienconcerns a group of individuals who call themselves Loopers, they kill people sent to them from the future by their employers. Who are these people they kill? And why are they killing them? Loopers don’t care, they just want to get paid. This film comes to us from director Ryan Johnson,nthe guy responsible for Brick (2005) and The Brothers Bloom (2008), two films Indidn’t particularly care much for, but if you ask me he completely redeemednhimself with Looper, this movie rocked! Joseph Gordon Hewitt is on a roll! I caughtnhints of a possible sequel; could this be the first film in a series? Itncertainly felt like it, with all those unanswered questions and possibilities. Judgingnby Looper’s phenomenal Box Office intake, I think we’ll be seeing a sequelnsoon.

nQuote: “The rule is,nnever let a target escape, even if that target is you”

nTitle: Beasts of Southern Wild (2012)

nThoughts: There are few movies out there that distillngenuine magic to them and Beasts of Southern Wild is one of them. A verynstrong willed little girl by the name of Hushpuppy is the character that whisksnus away to her own magical world, ala The Wizard of Oz (1939) or Pans Labyrinthn(2006), this is a film about a little girl who escapes the harshness of thenreal world by escaping to a fantasy world of her own creation. Though I gottanhand it to Hushpuppy, she might see fantastical creatures that are not realnroaming her world, but she has no problems facing the real world as well; shenhas a fierceness to her that is admirable, she might be extremely young, butnshe faces this world head on, no matter how bad things can get. No matter hownugly the storm up ahead looks. This is a very beautiful film; director BenhnZeitlin does an admirable job of creating some truly beautiful images andnpulling an amazing performance from an endearing little actress, QuvenzhanenWallis, in the role of Hushpuppy. This is a film filled with hope and love innthe midst of a world being trampled by evil.

nQuote: “The wholenuniverse depends on everything fitting together just right”

nTitle: Chronicle(2012)

nThoughts: Now here’s the most underrated film of 2012,nChronicle. It came out of left field for me, but when I finally got to check itnout, little did I know how awesome a movie I was in for. I’m a sucker for anwell made telekinesis movie, and this is one of the best ones I’ve seen in anlong while. Add to that the fact that the film is heavily influenced by one ofnmy favorite animated films ever AKIRA (1988) and you’ve got yourselves anwinner. The film is told from the perspective of video cameras that the kidsnmanipulate with the power of their mind and cameras found around the city wherenthe events take place in; so at one given moment we get images from securityncameras and so forth. The ending of the film is a full blast telekinesis fightnthe likes of which you have never seen. It makes you wonder what an Akira movienmight end up looking like and why they are finding it so impossible to make.nHighly recommend this underrated film!

nQuote: “A lion doesnnot feel guilty when it eats a gazelle, you do not feel guilty when you squashna fly, I think that means something”

nTitle: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

nThoughts: Yet anothernunderrated one in my opinion. I actually didn’t even bother with this one, becausenfor some reason mixing Abraham Lincoln with zombies wasn’t all that appealingnto me. But then I actually aw the movie and damn, it blew me away. I should’venknown better, it comes to use from Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, a.k.a.nthe guy who directed Nightwatch (2004), Daywatch (2006) and Wanted (2008). Though I’m not a huge of Nightwatch ornDaywatch , Wanted was awesome in my book. There’s no denying this director hasna knack for interesting camera angles, interesting use of computer effects andnstylish visuals. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter excels in these departments,none jaw dropping scene involves Abe Lincoln chasing a vampire through a stampede of horses; wow, that scene is really something, made me wish I’d seen it 3-D.nThere’s an awesome climax, but I’m not gonna spoil it for you, my advice is gonrent/buy this one, If you like your movies filled with style and atmosphere, Indoubt you’ll be disappointed. Without a doubt, to me this was the best horrornfilm of 2012. Plus, seeing Lincoln chopping off vampires heads in slow mo isnjust a completely nutty visual, so off the wall it’s entertaining.

nQuote: “Historynremembers the battle, but forgets the blood. However history remembers menbefore I was President, it shall only remember a fraction of the truth…”

nTitle: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

nThoughts: Wes Anderson films all have this similar look andnfeel to them. One look at a Wes Anderson film and you’ll immediately identifynit as such. It’s something about the colors, the art direction and the wayncharacters talk and behave that achieve this signature Anderson feel, so innthat sense, if you’ve seen The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) or Rushmore (1998), withnMoonrise Kingdom you’ll feel like your revisiting Andersons unique cinematicnuniverse. On Moonrise Kingdom we meet Sam and Suzy, two twelve year olds who’venfallen madly in love. Neither one of them loves society all that much, so theynrun away to a secluded beach and share things they enjoy, like their favoritenmusic, their favorite books and a kiss or two. Problem is that theirndisappearance causes uproar in their home town and so their parents and thenlocal police and boy scout camp go on a search for them. Meanwhile, they arenhappy as can be sharing their admiration for each other and just chilling thenhell out. The film is populated by an amazing cast of characters, we get somenWes Anderson regulars like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, and a whole bunchnof actors that have never worked with Anderson like Bruce Willis, HarveynKeitel, Frances McDormand and TildanSwinton. I thought it was so interesting that the young actors who play Sam andnSuzy (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) are two complete newcomers to the filmnindustry who added freshness to the proceedings with their great performances.nHighly recommend this sweet coming of age film where young love arises andndecides to give their back to the crazy world they live in.

nQuote: “We’re innlove; we just want to be together, what’s wrong with that?”

nTitle: The Hobbit (2012)

nThoughts: WatchingnThe Hobbit is like going right back to that Middle Earth that Peter Jacksonnbrought through life with his first three Lord of the Rings films. On thisnfirst installment of the new trilogy, we meet a younger Bilbo Baggins as henembarks on an adventure with 13 dwarves and the wizard Gandalf. Their goal isnto free the Kingdom of Erebor from the deadly, fire breathing dragon calledn‘Smaug.’ Along their travels through Middle Earth they meet all manner ofncreatures and characters. The production values for this film are of thenhighest caliber, make up effects, wardrobe, and visual effects are all topnnotch stuff, you will truly be transported to Middle Earth for two and a halfnhours. That’s right, the film is long, but if you’re a lover of the works ofnJ.R.R. Tolkien or fantasy in general, you won’t even feel them.

nQuote: “Home is nownbehind you, the world is ahead!”

nTitle: Les Miserables (2012)

nThoughts: You guys might not know it, but I love musicals!nAnd this particular one based on Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables is an event of anmusical. It’s not just some silly happy go lucky musical you might forget asnsoon as you leave the theater (like Rock of Ages for example) nope, LesnMiserables is one epic sized musical with fantastic production values and annamazing cast who by the way truly did sing every song right there on the set,nnone of the songs where pre-recorded. In other words, Hugh Jackman and AnnenHathaway are not dubbing their songs, when they sing, that’s how it reallynsounded when they were acting the scenes in front of the camera; as a resultnall the little nuances of their performances shine through more intensely. AnnenHathaway in particular sings a song that really got to me, it’s a song aboutnpoverty and how sad life is during harsh, poverty filled days. I literallynheard the whole theater weeping after she was finished with her sad song. Andnthe whole musical is this way, it’s a very touching film that makes you feelnempathy for the less fortunate, it’s a film that truly explores the sadness of povertynand how it angers a nation, but it also speaks of new beginnings and the art ofnreinventing ourselves. If you love films like Annie (1982) or Oliver! (1968),ntwo films that are also about orphans who are rescued by a do gooder from thenclutches of evil adoptive parents, then you’ll love Les Miserables which has anlittle bit of these themes in them but also adds romance and revolution intonthe mix. This is an epic musical not to be missed.

nQuote: “I had a dream, my life would be so different fromnthis hell I’m living in..”

nTitle: Prometheus (2012)

nThoughts: Out of all the films made this year, this one isnat the top for me because it’s a film with lots of depth to it and a commercialnfilm that explores philosophical views as it entertains us is not something wensee a lot of these days. I liked Prometheusnso much I went and wrote a special “In Depth Analysis” of it in which Inexplored the different themes that the film touches upon. This my friends is anfilm that addresses many of the big questions we often end up asking ourselvesnlike “Where do we come from?” and “Who made us?” and if someone did in deed makenus, then why did they abandon us? It explores death, and our desire to livenforever a theme that Ridley Scott explored previously in Blade Runner (1984) asnwell. But aside from exploring these philosophical views, the film is annextremely well put together science fiction film, the visual effects arenamazing; this is probably the reason why it got an Oscar nod for best visualneffects. Personally, I just love how director Ridley Scott uses all thesenfilmmaking techniques to create an intricate and complex world. And I love hownwhile the film touches upon all of these heavy themes, it still doesn’t forgetnto entertain and wow us. I’m of the mind that it didn’t even need to benconnected to the Aliens universe, this is a film that could have stood alonenwithout any connections to the Alien franchise, but I’m guessing this choicenwas made in the name of money. Still, the fact remains that this is a spectaclenof a film and without a doubt, one of the best of 2012. Here’s hoping thatnsequel comes along!

nQuote: “Every kingnhas his day, then he dies. It’s inevitable, that is the natural order ofnthings.”

nTitle: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

nThoughts: The Dark Knight Rises was a special film for menbecause it is a film that speaks a about problems that society suffers fromnright now. The rich become richer and the poor stay poor, there’s more povertynin the world. The wealth is unevenly spread and as a result, the less fortunatenare suffering because of this, the cost of living is getting to high, educationnhas reached prohibitive prices, gas prices are sky rocketing every day and thenquestion inevitably arises “when will this ever end?”. Taking that innconsideration, in The Dark Knight Rises Bane, the main villain of the filmnattacks the bankers of Gotham in order to bring the city to its knees, similaritiesnto Sept 11^th 2001 didn’t escape me. Bane takes the city hostage innorder to “give it back to the people of Gotham”. Of course, he’s just anothernschmoe taking advantage of the pain of the people in order to fulfill his ownnagenda. Which of course lets us know that when the masses are in pain andnangry, they are vulnerable and can easily be taken advantage of bynopportunists. It’s a film that addressesnclassist issues through all of its characters, for example Bruce Wayne isnstripped of his riches and is now a poor man, I loved that about it. Wayne, thenmultimillionaire is suddenly left on the streets, now, Mr. Wayne feels firsthandnwhat it means to suffer poverty. Also in this film, Catwoman is a woman whonstruggles to survive and warns Wayne that “a storm is coming” and that when thenpoor decide to revolt, shit is going to hit the fan. Alluding to the idea thatnthe economical chaos in the world can only bring forth more chaos. A brilliantnfilm that speaks about many of the ailments that society is suffering from nownan important film in my book, much like the The Dark Knight (2008) which did ansimilar thing, these are super hero films with a social conscience. Mr. Nolan,nmy hats down to you for speaking about such relevant issues with your films,nand giving us a spectacle at the same time.

nQuote: “There’s a storm coming Mr. Wayne. You and yournfriends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you’re all goingnto wonder how you ever thought you couldnlive so large and leave so little for the rest of us”

nTitle: Skyfall (2012)

nThoughts: Turning Bond into a vulnerable spy as opposed tonthe indestructible cartoon he’d been for such a long time is something that hasnbeen attempted (in my opinion) from Die Another Day (2002) onward, but it isnSkyfall that truly achieved it. They’ve gone and stripped Bond down, he is nonlonger in tip-top shape, he isn’t even fit to be an agent anymore! This filmntakes Bonds famous gadgets and vehicles and throws them out the windows. Fornthis mission he only gets a gun, and a radio, that’s it! On this film his carndoesn’t turn invisible, it’s a 1968 Aston Martin! So basically, Bond isnstripped of everything that made him indestructible. This story isn’t about anvillain hell bent on world domination, nope, on this one we got a villain withna more personal agenda and by the way, this is a villain wonderfully portrayednby the amazing Javier Bardem. But at the same time, what makes this one of thenbest Bond films ever is that it gets very personal with Bond himself, thisnvillain goes for the jugular, for Bonds mother figure: M. It asks questionsnlike is Bond too old to be Bond? Is M too old to direct MI-6? The answer is,nold people can still kick your ass! And if that isn’t enough, everything is newnin this film, a new MI-6, a new ‘Q’ a new ‘M’, this my friends is a Bond filmnthat re-invents Bond and repackages him for a new generation.

nQuote: “Dignity? Tonhell with dignity! I’ll retire when my goddamn job is done!”

nTitle: Django (2012)

nThoughts: Django Unchained is Tarantino finally making anWestern, though if you ask him he’ll tell you he’s made a ‘Southern’ becausenthe film actually takes place in the south of the united states as opposed tonthe west. That’s right ladies and gents this here tale takes place in Mississippi,nduring the time of slavery, the ku kux klan, plantations and ‘Mandingo fighting’.nDjango Unchained is the story of Dr. King Schultz, a bounty hunter who partnersnup with a slave named Django so he can capture a trio of murderers. After doingnso, Schultz decides to help Django save his wife from the clutches of a slavernknown as Calvin Candie, played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio who by thenway turns in a very entertaining performance as the main villain. Interestingnhow the Academy chose to ignore DiCaprio’s performance this year. DjangonUnchained was nominated for various awards but nothing for DiCaprio whosenperformance in Django stands out for its charisma and intensity, but whatever,nwho understands the Academy right? Still, this Tarantino outing garnered fivenAcademy Award Nominations for best film of the year, best supporting actor,nbest original screenplay, best cinematography and sound. I’m glad that at leastnChristophe Waltz’s performance was noticed because his character is a truendelight. This film, as are many of Tarantino’s films is a fun time at thenmovies, it’s bloody, it’s filled with entertaining characters, it has thatnspecial brand of Tarantino dialog which is a delight to listen to, it has annamazing cast who turn in equally amazing performances and it aims its guns at racism,nwhat’s not to like? It gets my vote for film of the year, go see it!

nQuote: “Django, the ‘D’nis silent”