My Top 11 Movies of 2012
As another year draws to a close, I have watched a grand total of 80 movies (yes, I've been keeping count). Out of those 80 movies, I've decided that these were the best of the best: 11. Chronicle
Who needs a pointless Akira remake when you have movies like this? This little found footage film blew my mind in ways Battleship only wished it could. 10. Les Miserables
This movie looked like it took a lot of work to make and that's why I liked it so much. Seeing the actors sweat and strain as they belted out those songs just made me appreciate their hard work even more. Many people have criticized Tom Hooper's directorial choices, but I liked the look of the film. It was theatre brought to life. I'm looking forward to seeing Anne Hathway finally get her Oscar and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of scene stealer, Samantha Barks. 9. 21 Jump Street
Without a doubt, this was the funniest movie of the year. As much as I like to look at Channing Tatum, this was the first movie since A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints that made me actually appreciate his acting. I went into this movie with low expectations, but walked out amazed at how clever it was. Michael Bacall wrote an amazing screenplay. 8. Magic Mike
More Channing Tatum! I often have debates with people about this movie. Magic Mike is about more than male strippers. It's about the American Dream and battling addictions and other serious stuff that you never thought you would have to deal with when you bought tickets to go see Channing Tatum grind to "Pony". It also features another one of Matthew McConaughey's outstanding performances, who has suddenly emerged as a really great actor this year. 7. ParaNorman
I think ParaNorman was the best animated feature of the year. Like Coraline, this movie was probably a little too dark and creepy for the kids but I loved it. It's a very thoughtful movie about death and being an outsider and had me in tears at it's conclusion. 6. Moonrise Kingdom
What a sweet and beautiful movie. Leave it to Wes Anderson to create such an adorable film about two misfit kids falling in love in the 60s. 5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I discovered the book version of Perks when I was 23, probably not the target age for such a novel yet it impacted me in ways that instantly made it one of my favorite books. I tend to stay away from movie adaptions of my favorite books but I figured since the writer of the book wrote and directed the film, how badly could he slaughter his own work? The Perks of Being a Wallflower was excellent. It was moving. It was funny. It was sad. Stephen Chbosky really brought his book to life. I knew Ezra Miller was a great actor from his roles in City Island and We Need to Talk About Kevin but I had no idea Logan Lerman could act! I thought Emma Watson was the weakest link. She seemed a little too prim and proper to portray Sam. I always envisioned someone like Kat Dennings in that role but I guess she's too old and Broke these days. 4. Silver Linings Playbook
Why is Jennifer Lawrence so good? Who knew Bradley Cooper could act? Where has Chris Tucker been? Why does Robert De Niro's agent let him star in so many crappy movies instead of only letting him be in things like this? Those were only a few of the questions I had while watching this great and hilarious movie about a dysfunctional family in Philadelphia. 3. Argo
In many ways, I think Argo is the perfect Hollywood movie. It's exciting, funny and tense and will have you at the edge of your seat. It's about real life events and has great performances for the Academy to eat up. There's even a cute little animated section that tells you the history of Iran. It has everything I tell you, everything! 2. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Has there even been a movie quite like this? It's almost impossible to describe to people. I just know that there hasn't been a movie this year that moved me like this one. Kudos to all involved, especially the young actress, Quvenzhane Wallis. 1. Looper
My favorite movie of the year. Rian Johnson created a truly original film that had it all. I loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt (what else is new?). I loved the soundtrack. I loved the twist near the end. I could watch this movie over and over again. More movies like this, please. Honorable Mentions: Cabin in the Woods, The Dark Knight Rises, End of Watch
