Every year I summarize my favorite flicks of the year. I haven’t seen every good movie, but I’ve seen most of the bigger ones.
This is more about giving me what I want from a film than being a “quality” movie. While I recognize a movie like Lincoln might be educational, showcase great acting, and have literary merit, for me it was a lot of old white guys arguing in conference rooms. At the end, they reach the shattering conclusion that slavery is bad. Surprise! Good movie, but not making my list.
My favorite of the year, surprisingly, was The Avengers. While I normally enjoy big budget Sillywood schlock, I rarely elevate it to “favorite of the year” status. But hey, this one made me laugh aloud several times, had me on the edge of my seat several times, and let me have a hell of a good time for two hours without feeling embarrassed about it afterward. Score!
The rest of my faves, in no particular order:
Django Unchained. Quentin Tarentino makes movies that are more about schlocky American cinema than about any period in history. Somehow his exuberant gore fails to offend, and his dialogue never fails to delight.
Silver Linings Playbook. Crazy people aren’t cute, except when they are.
Argo. Suspenseful, intriguing, fun. I’ll let the liberties taken with the facts slide.
Looper. This might seem to be a movie about time travel, but it’s really a movie about parenting.
End of Watch. I am deeply critical of our policing system in modern America, and in many ways our hero cops in End of Watch are perfect examples of what’s wrong with it. Doesn’t stop me from winning me over.
Moonrise Kingdom. Two misfit kids run away from home and have surreal adventures. Enchanting.
Wreck-It Ralph. Not Pixar’s best work, but certainly worth watching.
Chronicle. Three high school kids with no imaginations get superpowers. An interesting take.
Tomorrow I’ll post about my most-hated 2012 movies…