Introduction: If you've read my worst of list then you realize that I loved this year in movies. I think it was infinitely better than last year and I'm so happy to have the privilege of reviewing it. I'd like to be able to talk about every movie this year that I thoroughly enjoyed but I wanted just nine since nine is my favorite number (plus 10 is cliched). Because of this, I found trouble picking the best of the best and found that in order to still have variety I would do something different. I will talk about the best movies of their respective genres ranking each top dog from least to greatest. Ready to read? Of course not, because reading is stupid...
9) Favorite Animated: ParaNorman
ParaNorman is the latest venture by Laika (the studio that gave us Coraline) and boy was this movie awesome. The film tells the story of a boy named Norman, who can see ghosts, and how he must stop a witch's revenge from destroying his town. The reason this movie is my favorite animated film is because of the f*cking animation. It's breathtaking for a stop-motion movie to do what this movie has done with lightning, ghosts, clouds, and just the people in general. More than that though it's the substance of the film and how it puts a twist on this average story and elevates it to something that makes you think about bullying, mob mentality, fear, death, and even homophobia. I loved this movie.
8) Favorite Musical: Les Miserables
Les Miserables had a lot of problems; relationships aren't given support, the directing was constantly about getting close up on people's faces at a tilted angle, and the third act decided to just completely change direction from redemption to a sappy love story you don't care about. The reason it's number 8 though is because of it's emotional core and wow does this movie have emotion. Thankfully, the film had moments of fun and lightheartedness to relieve that exhaustion (in case you were curious), but that core is what forgives those faults. The core of a movie is what's most important and it's what allows us to oversee the mistakes in our favorite movies, and do I really need to mention the music?
7) Favorite Found Footage: Chronicle
For those of you who don't remember, Chronicle was the film that gave us this awesome trailer and made us all run to the theaters. Okay, maybe not all of us, DAVE, but I definitely went. Never before have I seen a movie work so well as both a superhero movie and a found footage flick. The story follows three teens as they find a meteor and gain telekinetic powers that allow them to move objects, have a protective aura, and even fly. It's a tragic tale that makes you feel for Andy, our main character, as he falls into darkness. The movie works as found footage because the teens use their powers to pull off Jackass-style antics that are absolutely hysterical, and even move the camera for third-person shots. Just an excellent superhero movie that reminds you of Superman and Akira while also standing on it's own.
6) Favorite Fantasy: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ha! You thought this was going to be the Hobbit, didn't you? Well f*ck the Hobbit! While the Hobbit fails miserably in telling the story of a smaller-than-life character standing alongside larger-than-life people Beasts of the Southern Wild succeeds on all levels. This film tells the story of a little girl named Hushpuppy whose home town is flooded due to global warming and must survive alongside her people. The fantasy part being prehistoric beasts being freed from the polar ice caps and running amok. The beasts almost act as a metaphor for how Hushpuppy views her world. The amazing thing about this movie is that their are no actors. Everyone is just a simple resident. This is amazing when you realize that Hushpuppy, a child nevertheless, delivers the best performance of the year. Yes, even better than Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln. Speaking of comedies about slavery...
5) Favorite Laughs: Django Unchained
It's been said that the best way to take power away from someone is to ridicule them and it's for that reason that Quentin Tarantino's latest film, Django Unchained, is my favorite comedy of the year as it makes fun of the white racists of the Old West and just how ignorant, unorganized, childish, and f*cking stupid they are. Even the main villain is a wannabe villain! This can also be seen in the film's violence as you see white people die in some of the most bombastic and gratifying ways possible. On the other side of the coin, black violence is portrayed tastefully with a degree of realism possible within the tone of the film. Christoph Waltz was born to deliver this dialogue, Jamie Foxx turns in a subtle but effective performance, and this music works just too damn well.
4) Favorite Drama: Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas is the most impressive movie I've seen all year. Hell, it's probably one of the most impressive movie I've ever seen. The reason is because the movie had the balls to pull off something so intriguing and interesting that even though it has some flaws the sheer originality of it is unheard of. The term "cloud atlas" is supposed to mean "changing the status quo" as the story is about 6 protagonists from 6 different stories in 6 different genres in 6 different points in time with the same cast of actors edited together with seamless mastery as each story builds upon one another in an emotional climax where each protagonist overcomes their obstacle and achieves a personal form of freedom. I love this movie so much because I always see something new; some foreshadowing, some connections, some deeper message, etc. I love that about movies.
3) Favorite Guilty Pleasure: The Raid: Redemption
When I say guilty pleasure I mean something almost similar to fast food. It doesn't have a lot of substance but it's fun and entertaining and makes you feel like you spent your money well. I was struggling on giving this title to the Avengers because of just how much I loved that movie and how much it got right. But the Raid: Redemption is just better as a guilty pleasure because I f*cking loved this movie. It is the best action movie I've seen in 9 f*cking years! The story is actually very simple as it's about a SWAT team that infiltrates a crime boss' building full of criminals and when they are found out they must fight their way out. That simple premise made way for some of the most exhilarating and engaging fights you will ever see with a 4-foot, 40 year old man. This is all done superbly because of the choreography and skill in making scenes tense as sh*t.
2) Favorite Scares: Cabin in the Woods
Even though I couldn't put the Avengers on this list Joss Whedon still manages to get on it with Cabin in the Woods as the only legitimately scary movie this whole year. Like seriously, what the f*ck? This movie is f*cking brilliant as it perfectly blends horror, comedy, and sci-fan in a story about an evil corporation that manipulates events all around the world in order to reenact cliched horror stories as a means of sacrificing those who die to some type of great, evil beast. If you haven't realized it yet the beast is us, the audience, and the evil corporation is Hollywood as they take characters with a lot of potential for depth and emotion and waters them down to the tropes we see in every single f*cking horror movie. The reason this movie is so brilliant is because it breaks down the genre right in front of your eyes and shows you how everything is just regurgitated and reprocessed.
1) Favorite Romance: Moonrise Kingdom
I'm a sucker for a good love story, but out of every movie I've seen this year none of them have as much fun, uniqueness, and plain ole heart as Moonrise Kingdom. I'm actually nervous about writing this paragraph because I don't think I can accurately express just how much I adore this movie. The world Wes Anderson creates is so fantastical and immersive and the characters so real and relatable without having to be "realistic" or "gritty." The style and cinematography gives the film a feel that fits its world like a glove and the music works so well you will hear it when you leave the theater. Moonrise Kingdom is about two estranged young lovers running away together and being chased by family, police, and even a scout troop. It's about the cynicism of adults and the innocence of childhood, and even though this film has some amazing adult actors it is carried almost entirely by two child actors which is astounding and unheard of. This classic fairy tale love story is flawless and is not only my favorite romance this year but also my favorite film of 2012.
