2012 was a great year for movies. Everybody, from Wes Anderson to Ben Affleck to Steven Spielberg, were in top form. Frankly, there’s no real science behind why this year was particularly good for movies, but a recurring element was taking risks. More often than not, it worked out beautifully, bringing unique ideas and wonderfully different approaches to many of this years best movies.
And now, the next installment of the 25 Top 2012 movies:
10. “Moonrise Kingdom”: Wes Anderson has given us many great pieces of cinema before, but nothing like “Moonrise Kingdom”. The movie springs to life with beautiful settings and a fantastic ensemble cast (Including the vastly underrated Jason Schwartzman and the always wonderful Bill Murray). A tour de force in terms of great filmmaking, “Moonrise Kingdom” is a dazzling film that’ll leave every audience member amazed at the power of Anderson’s unsurpassable filmmaking.
9. “Looper”: Time travel has been done so often in movies, it’s become one of the biggest cliches in cinema. Leave it to Rian Johnson to bring the sci-fi idea roaring back to life with this fascinating and original film. Between cementing Joseph Gordon-Levvit as one of this generations greatest young actors, Bruce Willis in his best role in ages and one of the best scripts of the year, it’s also the story of our past, our future and the importance of our present. Looper is a smashing success, that will continue to amaze audiences for years to come.
8. “Skyfall”: Good to see you’re doing better, Mr. Bond. The cinema icon is given his best film in years, maybe ever, in the form of “Skyfall”. It’s gangbusters action sequences are the best seen in any recent movie and Javier Bardem plays one of the best antagonists put onto film in recent memory. He owns the screen, but Daniel Craig isn’t a slouch either, giving Bond depth, suave and even a nice dose of humor. Despite being this franchise being 51 this year, James Bond seems to be stronger than ever, and if they’re even half as good as “Skyfall” , let’s hope we have another 51 years of Bond’s stupendous adventures ahead of us.
7. “Silver Linings Playbook”: The best rom-com made in ages, this unique tale features some of the best performances of the year, with a script thats dazzling and full of memorable moments. At times both bleak and optimistic, David O. Russell brings this story to life like no else could, his screenplay and directing both working splendidly, as do Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, who give the performances of their careers as father and sons who see too much of themselves in each other. The best of the cast is Jennifer Lawrence, who is gifted beyond her years and is just one of the many things of “Silver Linings Playbook” that will amaze you.
6. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”: The turbulent years of high school have been covered in hundreds of movies, all with varying degrees of quality. However, none have had the emotional impact of “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”, which shows the power of friendship in a completely unique and powerful way. Logan Lerman and Emma Watson break free of the shackles of their previous film roles and show acting talent previously unheard of. The best of the bunch is Erza Miller, a gay teen whose journey through the film will bring both tears and laughs to any audience member. He gives the best supporting performance this year, hands down and his role shows how amazingly beautiful this film truly is.
