10 Best Films of 2012
Not a great year for movies, but had some bright spots.
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- DirectorStephen ChboskyStarsLogan LermanEmma WatsonEzra MillerCharlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.Lovingly captures the late 1980's and the awkwardness of high school life of being an outsider. Perfectly cast with one of the best screenplays of the year.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsBen AffleckBryan CranstonJohn GoodmanActing under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.Tightly made film that throws back to the great political thrillers of the 1970's. Humorous, intriguing and masterfully crafted. The rare true life historical film that still has you one the edge of your seat, a testament to the talents of director Ben Affleck.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsJoaquin PhoenixPhilip Seymour HoffmanAmy AdamsA Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.What more can you expect from PT Anderson, but a dark and beautifully shot masterpiece about a man looking for his place in the world after surviving the war. Joaquin Phoenix gives the best performance of the year.
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisAnanda GeorgeRay SahetapyA S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.One of the best action films in years. Amazing stunt work combined with a terrific plot line, camera and editing make for a classic.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJamie FoxxChristoph WaltzLeonardo DiCaprioWith the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.Typical Tarantino themes of revenge and redemption have never been so accomplished, with the usual poetic brushes of graphic violence. He takes his time in telling this story and does not disappoint.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsSuraj SharmaIrrfan KhanAdil HussainA young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsJake GyllenhaalMichael PeñaAnna KendrickShot documentary-style, this film follows the daily grind of two young police officers in LA who are partners and friends and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves.A realistic, thrilling and engrossing cop drama. Never relies on cliches to propel the story, and features terrific naturalistic performances from the leads.
- DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsAubrey PlazaMark DuplassJake JohnsonThree magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.Quirky, weird and all together touching film. One of the most original films of the year.
- DirectorCraig ZobelStarsAnn DowdDreama WalkerPat HealyA normal Friday service at a fast food restaurant becomes interrupted by a police officer who claims an employee stole from a customer, but something more sinister is going on.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.A violent, bloody and fresh slice of dark comedy from writer/director Martin McDonagh. Sam Rockwell has never been better.