My Top Ten of 2012 +
by EvinC | created - 30 Dec 2011 | updated - 03 Feb 2015 | PublicMy top ten plus all the films that i saw in 2012 ranked, in theaters and at home. US Releases only, so some of these came out a while ago somewhere in the world.
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1. The Master (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, History
A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons
Votes: 186,058 | Gross: $16.38M
*Spoilers* I adore this one. It declares why we are the way we are in the 21st Century through one very horny sailor in the 20th century named Freddie Quell. How I took it; its about this sailor sleeping next to a sand woman on the foreign beaches after the war is over, and through his dreams he finds a pathway into creating a religion, By following this Scientology like family. Perhaps he's met this religious group in a past or future life and that is what he's dreaming of. Which would then provoke him enough to act on it throughout his entire present life. Hence, Quell is The Master. But he's been scarred by a tough life and war, like many of his companions as well, and that's where the message applies. In a post 9/11 America, we're anxious and aberrated. So we turn to our vices (drug, drink, money, religion, what have you..) for satisfaction, much like Quell does. But in the end, and this is debatable, it keeps us in the past rather than in the present. Because whenever Lancaster Dodd processes Freddie, he can't help but be taken not to a past life but to his life before the war. And it leads him to an old girlfriend who eventually moved on from Quell. An answer that took him ages to achieve but ended up nowhere. Although I've said a great deal here, this isn't even the whole story. The film is edited so that you don't know when these moments are taking place but with enough thought provided anyone can make it out after repeated viewings. It's easy to write something off as pretentious, it's a bit more difficult to actually solve a film's puzzle. This film is far from what it's negative criticism has implied, just take a look at the vagina on the cover. That's one for the fans.
2. Looper (2012)
R | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano
Votes: 602,560 | Gross: $66.49M
Completely original and just damn great from the performers, to the story, and everything else in between. This is one for the books. Very proud of Rian Johnson, hopefully this film will allow him to create even bigger and (dare i say), better films in the future.
3. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After 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.
Director: David O. Russell | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Votes: 742,212 | Gross: $132.09M
Changed my life. For those who can see it, David O is just a brilliant man. The cast is perfect and it's just a beautiful message.
4. Django Unchained (2012)
R | 165 min | Drama, Western
With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Votes: 1,692,320 | Gross: $162.81M
Loved it!! This is where film should be going people, not racist. Honest, bold, and daring. Then again Tarantino hardly ever disappoints.
5. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
R | 86 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.
Director: Colin Trevorrow | Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni
Votes: 130,814 | Gross: $4.01M
One of the most charming and engrossing film's i have seen this year. It's hilarious, while being perfectly dramatic, the performances are warm and a good story about time travel is always welcome.
6. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
PG-13 | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Two 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.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray
Votes: 366,575 | Gross: $45.51M
A delightful story that will remain with me for as long as i live. My favorite Wes Anderson film.
7. Argo (2012)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
Director: Ben Affleck | Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Votes: 638,731 | Gross: $136.03M
I think this film puts Ben Affleck in the league of greatness. He's 3 for 3 in my book now. His efficiency to keep the pace going is magnificient and he knows how to keep a shot interesting and important.
8. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz
Votes: 450,217 | Gross: $42.07M
This movie was actually pretty good. It was a pretty great fantasy. Definitely gonna become a cult classic and age better in time. Definitely gonna make the top ten.
9. Life of Pi (2012)
PG | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A 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.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu
Votes: 666,335 | Gross: $124.99M
10. Killer Joe (2011)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church
Votes: 83,272 | Gross: $1.99M
11. The Avengers (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 1,458,347 | Gross: $623.28M
Saw it trice. it's a superhero masterpiece. Kudos to Joss Whedon who repeatedly kicks ass.
12. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
PG-13 | 164 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Eight 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.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman
Votes: 1,825,280 | Gross: $448.14M
Bombastic to a fault, but it ends the trilogy with a good message of Bruce Wayne leaving the 1st mark on the legacy of Batman.
13. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.
Director: Gareth Evans | Stars: Iko Uwais, Ananda George, Ray Sahetapy, Donny Alamsyah
Votes: 216,895 | Gross: $4.11M
14. ParaNorman (2012)
PG | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tucker Albrizzi
Votes: 109,857 | Gross: $56.00M
This animated film was a wonderful blend of mild horror and comedy. I thought the filmmakers did an amazing job.
15. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 37,981 | Gross: $2.55M
16. End of Watch (2012)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Shot documentary-style, this film follows the daily grind of two young police officers in LA who are partners and friends and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves.
Director: David Ayer | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera
Votes: 268,773 | Gross: $41.00M
A terribly entertaining cop drama with two very good performances from Michael Pena and Jake Gylenhaal. Kudos to David Ayer for finally making a film almost as good as Training Day.
17. Skyfall (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench
Votes: 730,652 | Gross: $304.36M
Definitely Works as a modern "dark" thriller about Bond but it doesn't work as a "Bond Film". It feels like the makers were going for a Chris Nolan/Batman themed bond movie. I wanted it to feel more "Bond", rather than "The Dark Bond". Nevertheless, it's a grand, smart, and visual spectacle.
18. Your Sister's Sister (2011)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Iris invites her friend Jack to stay at her family's island getaway after his brother's death. Jack's drunken encounter with Iris' sister Hannah at their remote cabin kicks off a revealing stretch of days.
Director: Lynn Shelton | Stars: Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mike Birbiglia
Votes: 28,417 | Gross: $1.57M
Very funny and refreshingly human.
19. Killing Them Softly (2012)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Jackie 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.
Director: Andrew Dominik | Stars: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, Scoot McNairy
Votes: 153,020 | Gross: $15.03M
20. Chronicle (2012)
PG-13 | 84 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Director: Josh Trank | Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly
Votes: 264,276 | Gross: $64.58M
Finally breaking the *beep* found footage chain, Chronicle is a devastating yet fascinating turn for a super hero movie. Good performances and a solid story. I dig it.
21. 21 Jump Street (2012)
R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller | Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson
Votes: 597,890 | Gross: $138.45M
This was actually pretty damn funny! It was suprisingly hilarious to see Hill and Tatum as the cliched buddy cop duo. The film's satire and editing make it comedic and really a breath of fresh air. Best comedy of the year thus far. Although its hard to judge because its barely march. I hope the recently greenlit sequel is just as good.
22. Bernie (2011)
PG-13 | 104 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
In small-town Texas, an affable mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when she starts to become controlling, he goes to great lengths to separate himself from her grasp.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey, Brady Coleman
Votes: 63,381 | Gross: $9.20M
23. Ruby Sparks (2012)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.
Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris | Stars: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas
Votes: 105,391 | Gross: $2.54M
24. Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)
R | 83 min | Comedy, Drama
Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his widowed mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his unhappily married brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.
Directors: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass | Stars: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 65,570 | Gross: $4.24M
The Duplass' create a moving little tale about fate and one misfortunate family's progress towards a better life.
25. Cloud Atlas (2012)
R | 172 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
Directors: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 374,191 | Gross: $27.11M
Even though i don't think the story or makeup is as effective as it wants to be, The Wachowski's and Tom Tykwer definitely create something that is really good when stripped down but not as huge as it should be when put together.
26. Seven Psychopaths (2012)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken
Votes: 273,726 | Gross: $15.02M
Martin McDonagh puts his sharp tongue to use through a cast of colorful psycho's. It sure is intriguing and an interesting lesson on writer's block.
27. Prometheus (I) (2012)
R | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Votes: 643,639 | Gross: $126.48M
*spoilers* A fascinating and original science fiction film for about the first two thirds, until it becomes a franchise building "alien" origin film in its final act.
28. Savages (I) (2012)
R | 131 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro
Votes: 134,461 | Gross: $47.38M
I was never a fan of Oliver Stone before but this one had me intrigued since it's trailer surfaced. It's actually a decent film. Even though the stories end up nowhere, i can see why Stone is the icon amongst directors he is now. It's a lesser film from a master and i'll take that over all the dross thats been recently released any day. Most of the performances are good and of course the direction is pretty great.
29. This Is 40 (2012)
R | 134 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Pete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their businesses are failing, they're on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.
Director: Judd Apatow | Stars: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow
Votes: 150,309 | Gross: $67.54M
30. The Grey (2011)
R | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After their plane crashes in Alaska, six oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step.
Director: Joe Carnahan | Stars: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Dallas Roberts
Votes: 263,214 | Gross: $51.58M
Liam Neeson is amazing as always. His gruff demeanor is put to great use in this. Along with the supporting cast (Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, and Dallas Roberts) who each bring their own talents to the table. It's also nice to see Joe Carnahan taking another serious approach to film like his early work. He has an interesting way of making a bad situation take a turn for the worse, all without making an uneven transition. His plane crash was real, and the wolves were horrifying and memorable all the same. Overall, good film.
31. Flight (I) (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller
Troubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez, Don Cheadle, John Goodman
Votes: 375,908 | Gross: $93.77M
32. The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
R | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
One year after meeting, Tom proposes to his girlfriend, Violet, but unexpected events keep tripping them up as they look to walk down the aisle together.
Director: Nicholas Stoller | Stars: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie
Votes: 102,537 | Gross: $28.84M
Like most reviewers of this film i agree that it could have been shorter but nevertheless it was funny. It just wasn't anything special. The whole cast was solid and Alison Brie was definitely a standout.
33. Ted (2012)
R | 106 min | Comedy
John 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.
Director: Seth MacFarlane | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale
Votes: 656,201 | Gross: $218.82M
Very funny and irreverent. A mature take in comedy in the most childish way, Seth Macfarlane makes a fine transition onto the silver screen.
34. The Loved Ones (2009)
R | 84 min | Crime, Horror
When Brent turns down his classmate Lola's invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.
Director: Sean Byrne | Stars: Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, John Brumpton, Richard Wilson
Votes: 44,014
Came out in 2012 in the US.
35. The Dictator (2012)
R | 83 min | Comedy
The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 334,358 | Gross: $59.65M
Mr. Cohen's latest is a raunchy and offensive flick, but it's impossible not to laugh at least once with the high number of jokes they throw at you. The supporting cast was solid, along with its bumpy direction and script. It wasn't Larry Charles and Sacha Baron Cohen's best, but it's worth your money.
36. The Campaign (2012)
R | 85 min | Comedy
An incumbent Representative embroiled in personal scandal faces a no-holds-barred challenge from a naive newcomer funded by two unscrupulous billionaire lobbyist brothers.
Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott
Votes: 136,948 | Gross: $86.91M
37. Premium Rush (2012)
PG-13 | 91 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
In Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.
Director: David Koepp | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Sean Kennedy
Votes: 118,434 | Gross: $20.28M
A fun b-movie, the actors seemed to be havin a good time and David Koepp's hyper shooting style is a good substitute for energy drinks.
38. The Hunger Games (2012)
PG-13 | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
Director: Gary Ross | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 1,002,731 | Gross: $408.01M
I liked the first half of the film, it felt different and i was kind of invested in the characters. But then when the actual "hunger games" started, It lost a lot of my interest because it was just a random collection of scenes that were stitiched together until it abruptly ended. I'm down for the sequels if they can do it better the 2nd time around.
39. Men in Black³ (2012)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Agent J travels in time to M.I.B.'s early days in 1969 to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement
Votes: 386,671 | Gross: $179.02M
A worthy sequel but a lot of parts were dumb. Too many misfired jokes and uneven acting, although Josh Brolin and Michael Stuhlbarg ruled.
40. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Irrfan Khan
Votes: 701,560 | Gross: $262.03M
I wanted to like this, but Sam Raimi did it so much better the 1st time around. In the end, the result is a tired and strained story with inspired performances. Perhaps they can change it up with a sequel.
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