Thursday, December 20, 2012

2012 Top 6 Movies

Why not a top 10, you may ask? Because as evidenced by the lack of posts here, I am lazy. And I'm not quite finished watching all of my screeners. I'll be sure to add the rest in later, right after I put all those old electronics (Sony Disc-men, a Sega Genesis) up on eBay. (Seriously, I've been saying I would do that for years.) By the way, anyone want to buy an old Sega Genesis? I'll throw in a 1994 Madden if you're itching to see the Cowboys in their heyday. For now, please enjoy these 2012 film picks…

Silver Linings Playbook: Bipolar disorder has never been sexier…or funnier. Director David O. Russell has done it again; dug deep into darkness and pulled out a common thread amongst those who aren't perfect…in other words, all of us. This is funny and raw, with elements of a classic 60s love story mixed with a little bit of Gene Kelly where you'd least expect it, with just a dash of mental instability. Bradley Cooper filled in nicely for D.O.R.'s usual muse, (Mark Wahlberg) and Jennifer Lawrence is inspiring. A.

Argo: ...and to think, we all thought Matt Damon was the smart one. Ben Affleck has once again shown off his directorial skills with this clever, informative and oddly witty story of Hollywood heroism during the Iran hostage crisis. (That’s right, I said "Hollywood heroism": believe it.) Not sure Affleck needed to star in this; (didn't quite buy him as "Tony Lopez") but the pacing, writing and supporting actors, especially Alan Arkin and John Goodman, were so good, it didn't matter. A

Frankenweenie: My love of Tim Burton has waned over the years, so I went into this cynically. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This animated, black and white film is the story of a dachshund mix who's brought back to life Frankenstein-style due to the sheer determination and love from a young boy and it brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats. (It was Dogs!) A.

Beasts of the Southern Wild: This might sound cheesy, but this was literally a poem in cinematic form. The perspective of a young girl in Louisiana during Katrina reminds us that even during enormous macro-disasters, one's will and point-of-view remains myopically micro-focused. In other words, it doesn't matter what the earth brings…it matters what's going on inside your own heart. If that has to be labeled cheese, it's Gouda. (Good-a.) I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry. A.

The Master: Sometimes I'm not sure if it's my preconceived love of P.T. Anderson that makes me adore his movies or if he really is a genius. Here's what I do know: Philip Seymour Hoffman is flawless and to a slightly lesser extent, so is Joaquin Phoenix. Based not-so-loosely on L. Ron Hubbard and his church which will not be named, this is eerie and chilling and oh-so-very good. It's missing something I can't quite put my finger on, but it still works. A-

A Royal Affair: Based on the true story of a nutty Danish king, a depressed queen and a brilliant German doctor influenced by the French Enlightenment movement, this incredible story has passion, lust, and humor for characters with tragic repercussions. In Danish, with English sub-titles, I never wanted to take my eyes away from the screen. A-

The last four best-picture picks are TBD and I'll put them up when I've screened everything. But so far, some contenders are: "Flight", "Hello, I Must Be Going" and (don't yell at me) "The Hunger Games." Stay tuned.

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