2012 Films Thread

[Reddy]

Isn't Les Mis like a 3 hour broadway production in real life?

yes

[Milkman delivers]

Django was indeed awesome. I have never been in a 3 hour movie and hoped it wouldn't end so soon before.

 

Yes.

[Texsox]

Ugh. It so didn't work. Jackman and Tveit (Enjolras) were great. Hathaway and the girl playing Eponine were really good. Everyone else was just awful. Amanda Seyfried was disgustingly bad, and Crowe was working so hard to sing that he forgot he was also supposed to be acting. I also felt the cinematography and direction were just odd. Like he was trying to capture the "standing on stage and singing out to the audience" feeling in a more intimate way... it ended up with us just staring up their noses while they looked right past the camera... just felt weird to me.

 

I liked it less than I liked the Phantom movie a few years back.

 

And I felt Crowe brought to the movie a performance that made the plot important instead of the plot being just an excuse that links together a few songs. I was never a Crowe fan before this movie, but I see him in a more favorable light now.

[BigSqwert]

I agree with the rave reviews in here about Django. Awesome movie.

 

And Tarantino is amazing for bringing us these characters played by Christoph Waltz. I love that dude.

Edited December 31, 2012 by BigSqwert

[shipps]

The Watch might have been the worst Stiller movie I have ever seen. Not that I expected anything from it but wow was it bad.

[Brian]

I had some health problems this year so was off work and saw a lot of movies, even more than I usually do. Here is my top 10 list. I also made a list of disappointing movies and awful ones but will save you those lists.

 

10-Cabin in the Woods

 

 

I’ve never been much for cliché’d slasher typer horror films. I like mysterious ones with characters different than the stupid teenagers. This is the horror movie to end all horror movies with characters that border on the cliché and some that “get it”. It’s a fun ride that is totally rewatchable and recommend it to those who do not like horror at all.

 

 

 

9-Moonrise Kingdom

 

 

I have always thought that Wes Anderson was kind of overrated. He never really got the attention to be called a great filmmaker but he has his underground fans who drool over everything he does. This is a film carried by two unknown child actors who are charming and believable and the first Wes Anderson movie I was fully pulled into. We have had a couple of films this year that shows realistic children/teens, look further down, with realistic problems and it is refreshing, even with Anderson’s over the top “quirky” style.

 

 

8-Goon

 

 

I am a sucker for sports movies. There is something about the human drama of a game or sporting event that I can associate with. This is a vulgar comedy that is actually heartwarming about someone in a rut but finds a unique talent, excels at it, and becomes accepted. Sean William Scott is very likable in the lead and the supporting characters provide the majority of the comedy.

 

 

7-Beasts of the Southern Wild

 

 

This is another great film this year with a child lead. Hushpuppy is forced to grow up fast under 2 extreme circumstances. It is hard to distinguish if this is a documentary at first but comes clear soon enough. A rare film that shows people living in extreme poverty but also how they are comfortable and enjoy their lifestyle in their own way.

 

 

 

6-Perks of Being A Wallflower

 

 

I was not quite sure what to expect when I walked into the theatre. A fun high school film about “misfits” who find themselves together and enjoy each other, until the film grows darker and darker as the pasts of some of the characters are revealed. In a time now where mental health of the youth is in the headlines, this is a film that means even more.

 

 

5-Safety Not Guaranteed

 

 

A film that is not a murder mystery or horror movie but keeps you guessing. Not about who did what, but if things are real or in someone’s head. A movie about wanting to go back in time, hypothetically and literally, and even going forward. Also, if you should believe or not.

 

 

4-Silver Linings Playbook

 

 

In the year of Jennifer Lawrence, this is a film that shows Bradley Cooper has acting chops, and can do more than get zapped by a taser or sack Vince Vaughn. This movie does not sell out on the mental illness that the two leads may or may not have. It comes off as very real and is my favorite character piece of the year.

 

 

3-Argo

 

 

Like the tag line says, it’s hard to believe this is a true story. Despite knowing the outcome, you are on the edge of your seat and nervous at every turn. Benn Affleck is batting 1.000 as a director, despite needing to stop “Hollywood-izing” his endings. I hardly blinked and never checked my phone for the time.

 

 

 

2-Life of Pi

 

When I first saw the trailers, I didn’t think it would be kind of movie. Despite Ang Lee at the helm, I just wasn’t sure what to expect. The reviews were too great to ignore. This is a visual masterpiece that will keep you talking about what was what, when it is over. Not sure how realistic a survival story like it is, but it doesn’t matter in the end.

 

 

1-Looper

 

Studying film in college, I had to endure fan boys and their love of BLADE RUNNER, a film I found horribly dull and overrated. BLADE RUNNER is a movie that people have talked about and theorized about since it first came out. For me, LOOPER is that. While it has a sci fi element and takes place in the future, it doesn’t feel like a sci fi movie, as it becomes a cat and mouse game between one person. This is a fun, rewatchable film, with the greatest child performance I have seen in years. Joseph Gordon Levitt had a great year as well and it has just the right amount of Bruce Willis.