Sunday Spotlight: Best of 2012

Well it is finally here.  The day we share our Top 5 movies of 2012.

Steve's List
Well as I said last week with my bottom 5 I did not see as many movies as I have in past years.  Apparently having a kid means making a few sacrifices.  But I did manage to see quite a few great movies and here is the list of my favorite.
 
5. Django Unchained -As a big fan of Quentin Tarantino I eagerly awaited Django Unchained and he did not disappoint.  One of his best movies a western filled with violence and comedy.  It feels like every movie he keep honing his craft with every movie he makes.

4. Safety Not Guaranteed- With all the big budget movies coming out in the beginning of the summer this was a nice refreshing movie. Part romantic comedy and part time travel movie it had a great cast and fun story. Jake Johnson from New Girl and Aubrey Plaza were the stand outs. The movie is about a newspaper crew doing a story about an ad in the classified section that read “WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARENTEED”

3. The Avengers – Definitely the most fun I had at the movies this year.  On paper this looked like a movie that could never work.  How do you take superheroes from 4 different movies and jam them all into one movie?  Somehow Joss Whedon figured out how to make it work.  Each character gets their time in the spotlight and their is great banter between them.  A great example of what a popcorn movie should be.

2. Lincoln – Another movie that just sounded awesome from the beginning.  How can you go wrong with Steven Spielberg directing a movie staring Daniel Day Lewis. I was thoroughly engrossed in this political drama. Some people might have thought there was too much talking but it sucked me in. All the performances were amazing and I thought the movie presented Lincoln as well rounded man and not just as a flawless leader.   

1. Compliance - Not a movie a lot of people saw and caused division among those who did see it. For some the movie and the characters are stupid. But for me it was a fascinating look into the psychology of men. The movie gets under your skin with the sadistic prank phone caller who seems to get off on a power trip.  The question is how far are the people on the other end going to go.  And it turns out pretty far.  What is most disturbing is the fact that it is based on real events that happened in multiple locations around the country.  I read an interview with the screenwriter who said that he  left some things out that actually happened because he thought it would be too unbelievable.  Here is the news article from the original story warning it does have some spoilers.  A Hoax Most Cruel

Honorable Mentions:
sound of my voice- the only reason this didn’t make my list is because it made my list last year. I saw this at Sundance in 2011 but it did not get released till this year but didn’t feel right having it on my list two years in a row.

Holy Motors – Every year there is that one movie that you see that is so bizarre it takes a while for it to really sink it. While I don’t think it was a great movie it did have some good moments but like great films it caused some fun conversations trying to figure out what it was about.


Chris' list
2012 was a great year for movies. It seemed that every week, there was a great new movie opening.
It was hard to whittle them down to a top 5 but, here are my picks for the year.


5. Prometheus - How many other movies released in June are still being debated now? Prometheus marks Ridley Scott's return to the Alien universe he created in 1979. With a fascinating story and top notch acting, Prometheus fits right in on my top 5 list. With an open ending, Scott confirmed that a sequel is in the works.

4. The Cabin In The Woods - This is a fun horror movie. With a very clever script and a talented cast, this was a breath of fresh air in a season of sub par horror movies. Delayed for some time, Lionsgate snapped this up for distribution.

3. The Avengers - One of the greatest popcorn movies of all time is The Avengers. Marvel had been building up to this for years with their previous films. This is a blast to watch from start to finish. This is the new gold standard for comic book films.

2. Django Unchained - Tarantino's western opus is nothing short of fantastic. Jamie Foxx is so well cast as Django and Tarantino's clever writing has never been sharper here. The action is total Tarantino, as is the humor. See this film ASAP.

1. Lincoln - Daniel Day-Lewis is one of, if not the finest actor working today. If you don't believe me, see Lincoln. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln has been in the making for years and it comes to the screen in grand form. The game of politics hasn't changed much and, it is fascinating to see Lincoln play this game. This is a close look into the final days of the Civil War and, Lincoln's fight to end slavery. This is my favorite film of the year and really one of my favorite's of all time.