Ada's Top 10 Films of 2012

It's that time again boys and girls!  Just when you thought everyone and their monkey had posted their top whatever lists of 2012... here's mine!

There's nothing like Awards Season to entice me to watch a final few Best Picture contenders before making my picks.  But seriously, how is your average movie-goer supposed to make a proper list by Dec 31st when something like Zero Dark Thirty (which qualifies under 2012 for the critics) doesn't even open in theatres until January?  Should I even include that in a 2012 list, when 2013 might be more appropriate?  I've had problems in the past with January releases.  Luckily ZDT is an honourable mention at best so we don't need to have a debate about it.

Then there's also the matter of films from major festivals like TIFF and Hot Docs, for years friends would accuse me of cheating by listing films they had no hope of seeing.  But as I see it... a) it's *MY* list and b) a sizable chunk of movies that I see are at festivals.  If I see an average of 28 films at TIFF, that's easily equal to or more than the number of films I see at regular theatres the rest of the year.  So to disqualify them would put me at a severe disadvantage.  My argument is still mostly point a) though ;)

So let's recap... what qualifies for Ada's Top 10 list:

- any film from a film festival that I attended in 2012
- any film with a Canadian theatrical release dated in 2012
- is listed on www.imdb.com as released in 2012


1. Django Unchained (USA)
2. The Dark Knight Rises (USA)
3. Cloud Atlas (USA/Germany)
4. Argo (USA)
5. The We and the I (USA)
6. Perks of Being a Wallflower (USA)
7. Much Ado About Nothing (USA)
8. 2 Days in New York (France)
9. Moonrise Kingdom (USA)
10. Silver Linings Playbook (USA)


Narrowly missing the top 10 were:

The Master (USA)
The Avengers (USA)


Honourable Mentions go to:

What Maisie Knew (USA)
Disconnect (USA)
Aftershock (USA/Chile)
The End (Original title: Fin) (Spain)
Zero Dark Thirty (USA)


Normally I'd just launch right into the films but this year I felt the need to point out that 2012 was an endless chain of enjoyable films.  Unless your last name is Cronenberg, if I saw your film this year I likely thought it was watchable.  What I struggled with through most of the year was finding outstanding films, of which there were few and this fact is reflected in my Top 10 list, which I'm ashamed is see is an almost solid wall of USA-produced titles (even the one French-produced film was in English and took place in New York).


(clicking on titles will bring you to the IMDB page)

Up until early December I was still lamenting about the year's lack of outstanding movies and it was pointed out to me that Django Unchained was going to top my list by default anyway so I should stop worrying.  So here it is, because you guys said so, because I do genuinely love the movie, and because Tarantino is my f'n hero.  However, do I think it's far superior to #2 on my list?  No, not really.  The writing, the direction, the supporting performances by Christoph Waltz, Sam Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the gratuitous violence... all part of what makes this film terrific.  Must see it again before it leaves theatres.

The Dark Knight Rises, thought enjoyable from the first viewing, grew on me the second time I saw it, and I'm anxious to see it yet again (always a good sign that you can't get enough).  I loved The Dark Knight but at this point I still can't decide if I like the 2nd or 3rd chapter better.  It's rare to find a solid trilogy where each is continuously impressive, not that I doubted Christopher Nolan could deliver.  Really it would've made more sense to me if Anne Hathaway was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in The Dark Knight Rises than Les Miserables.  Yeah, I said it.

Nobody wants to show Cloud Atlas any love?  I will.  This movie has the best special fx make-up of the year, don't let a little "yellow-face" controversy distract you from that fact (if you don't know me personally, I'm yellow, and I wasn't offended).  The Academy is blind not to recognize this.  As well the most beautiful score out of any film I've seen this year, partially composed by one of its multi-talented directors, Tom Tykwer.  If you want linear logic, go watch Lincoln, if you want to fill your mind with existential and philosophical ideas amidst a backdrop of visual wonder, go watch Cloud Atlas.

Ben Affleck has done a lot of stupid things in his life, both on and off the screen, but Argo pretty much puts everything right.  It's an intelligent crowd-pleaser with a good mix of humour, suspense, Canadiana, play-on-word profanity, and even a splash of truth.  Why these complaints about authenticity of the story?  If they'd stuck with the facts 100% it would've been a documentary and I think it's clear that was never the intent.  Affleck has really found his niche in directing, though I'd like to see him at the helm of something that he doesn't also star in.  That's ok though, a little narcissism is fine as long as you're good enough.

The We and the I is another film that didn't get a warm reception and I don't understand why.  Indie fav Michel Gondry rounds up a group of non-professionals from an after school program to star in this tale of inter-woven stories that take an intimate look at teenage life in the Bronx with events unfolding over one long bus-ride home on the last day of school.  My own high school experiences were probably closer to this than John Hughes' version.  I grant you it's not a film for everybody, but it's a film for me.  I like it best when Gondry doesn't have a budget.

My first tweet as I was leaving the threatre after seeing this movie: "Perks of Being a Wallflower teaches us that geeks and weirdos make the best kind of friends. #moviesdontlie #tiff12" (incidentally, my most retweeted tweet to date)  Easily relate-able and easy to like, going to see Perks of Being a Wallflower is like going to meet your wacky friends at the theatre.  Screw trying to be cool, trying to fit in, it's about flourishing despite your flaws and weaknesses and finding others that compliment your eccentricities.  Maybe I just like the movie because it reinforces my belief that I'm doing the right thing.

Now we're deep into festival territory.  I do hope that audiences will get a chance to see Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing in theatres some time though, it's probably the best modern take on Shakespeare since...uhm... Ten Things I Hate About You (haha).  Shot in crisp black and white in Whedon's home, the tale feels fresh and the (added & built-in) humour really comes off, even with the preservation of the original language.  I think it's quite the accomplishment.  

I didn't see 2 Days in New York until earlier this month and I'm sorry I waited so long.  While it follows in the formula of 2 Days in Paris, Delphy's directorial debut, and as such lacks a certain degree of innovation, it still had me in fits of giggles. Also I'm a sucker for family dysfunction and Delphy kicks that up a notch in her sequel.  Set it in yet another city that I'm fond of, and you've pretty much got my attention and admiration.

In my opinion, Moonrise Kingdom was the best love story of 2012.  No vampire weddings and blood-sucking spawn (though the latter doesn't sound too bad if only those Twilight movies had more fangs and gore), just a couple classic misfit pen pals in love.  Signature Wes Anderson cinematography, production design, and perfect balance of camp (pun intended).  As I get older, I seem to have increasing issues with those who are purposefully weird, and Moonrise Kingdom began that way but the story really won me over.  Which makes it that much more impressive.

Yes, Moonrise Kingdom is a better lover story than Silver Linings Playbook, but that doesn't detract from the spirit and message of this movie.  On one hand Silver Linings is a prime example of how 2012 was filled with good movies but not great ones, in my initial review I considered it easily digestible and predictable.  However the script and heart of this movie probably would have won me over regardless for a top 10 spot anyway.  After all, aren't movies ultimately about enjoyment?







I can't help but compare the performances of Joaquin Phoenix in The Master and Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln despite the movies being quite dissimilar.  It has something to do with DDL generating an oscar-winning performance in P.T. Anderson's last film There Will Be Blood and the fact that Phoenix did an equally amazing job in The Master (but enough to beat out his predecessor in another film?).  Months after seeing The Master, I admit I cannot readily recall too many details of the supposed story of Scientology and only remember being mesmerized by Phoenix and Seymour Phillip Hoffman's embodiment of their characters.  That and the 70mm projection of some beautiful camera work and production design.  I don't know if I'll ever see The Master again, but it has left it's impression on me.

The other film that just missed the top 10...The Avengers!  C'mon, tell me you didn't have a great time at the theatre watching Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk (mine and veryone's fav), Scarlett Johansson kicking ass in a skintight suit, and Chris Helmsworth (uh...I know he does stuff in the movie but right now I can't envision anything past his muscles for some reason...) all under the spirited direction of Joss Whedon.  In the over-saturation of superhero movies, this one manages to stand out.


Honourable Mentions:

This year's honourable mentions are almost exclusively from TIFF.  I have no information about North American release dates but they are worth checking out if they ever come to your town.  Late in the festival, I had one day of movie-going which featured my celeb-future-husband Alexander Skarsgard, I just scheduled my movies so I could stare at him all day, but turned out I saw two pretty memorable films... Disconnect (directed by Oscar-winning director of Murderball, Henry Alex Rubin) is an intense movie with a multiple storyline, looking at the terrifying consequences of online identity fraud.  It's a very relevant topic and a good demonstration of how little everyday interactions can escalate to unspeakable acts.  In a completely different vein, What Maisie Knew provides intimate insights from the eyes of an adorable 7 year old about her parents' bitter divorce and selfish custody battle.  With star power the likes of Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Skarsgard, etc. I hope to be able to catch this again on the big screen sometime.

Of the genre films, Aftershock by Nicholas Lopez is a gruesome scare based on some of the directors' own experiences during the earthquake in Chile.  It stars Eli Roth, severed limbs, psychological terror, and a lot of blood.  The End (Original title: Fin) from Spain is far from perfect but stuck a chord with me as I have a soft spot for post-apocalyptic survival stories, as well as tales of friendship/reunions.  There are some pretty major flaws with pacing and I didn't like the ending, but it awakes my middle school desire to write the perfect tale of friendship and horror.

Depending on who you talk to, Zero Dark Thirty is either over-hyped or partially snubbed in the recent round of Oscar nominations.  I think it's a combo.  I don't get the Jessica Chastain hype, she's a good actress, but Oscar-worthy?  I'm not sure.  Kathryn Bigelow should have gotten a nomination for best directing, truly the film would have slogged on rather uneventfully if not for her brilliant direction.  The final product is engaging, powerful, and worthy of its Best Picture nomination.  At first I was indecisive about whether I should see this movie, now I'm glad I did.