AJ's Top 10 of 2012

This is the first year that I've taken my role as a film critic seriously, so even though the list of titles I've seen has expanded, I still have yet to see a few movies, including, but not limited to, the following: Hitchcock, Anna Karenina, Flight, Life of Pi, and Wreck-It Ralph. That being said, here is the list of the  10 best movies I saw this year (+1 Honorable Mention).

Sorry for the wait on this list. I wanted to hold off until I saw Zero Dark Thirty after predicting it would be in my Top 10. It wasn't.

Honorable Mention: The Woman in Black

(Courtesy of RedBox.com)

Maybe it's unconventional as a Top 10 film, but I couldn't make a best-of list for this year without giving some recognition to The Woman in Black. It's the most frightening ghost tale since The Shining - and the scariest movie I have ever seen.

#10: Arbitrage

(Courtesy of IMDb)

Richard Gere's performance as a financial scumbag who accidentally kills his mistress in a car accident is repulsive, yet spot-on. The movie is a tense, modern thriller about money, morals, legal quarrels and deception. 

#9: Prometheus

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Overdose of ambiguity aside, Prometheus is an incredibly well-acted sic-fi spectacle that returns us to Ridley Scott's Alien universe, with brutality and award-worthy technical construction. 

#8: Skyfall

(Courtesy of comingsoon.net)

Awesome action, assisted by the all-star cast headed by Daniel Craig and Judi Dench, make Skyfall one of the best Bonds of recent years. It's a shame that Javier Bardem wasn't used to his full extent. 

Watch me review Skyfall with my friends Charlie and Ines [here] (from 10:18-13:45)

#7: Argo

(Courtesy of IMDb)

Ben Affleck's direction, Arkin's and Cranston's performances, and William Goldenberg's tense film editing help to make Argo a success. The 40-minute climax at the airport will be talked about for years.

#6: Lincoln

(Courtesy of IMDb)

After a rather boring first act, Daniel Day-Lewis leads Lincoln into the waters of success, both in its historical storytelling and as a film. 

#5: Looper

(Courtesy of Flixster)

With comedies, dramas, actions, and now sci-fis in his filmography, Joseph Gordon-Levitt widens his acting credibility in the most original movie of the year. 

#4: Django Unchained

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Gotta love Tarantino. His classic employment of witty and uncanny dialogue through perfectly casted actors is present here in Django Unchained, alongside all the blood, guns, and profanity. 

#3: The Impossible

(Courtesy of IMDb)

The Impossible is gripping, emotional, and moving. It's one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen, with awe-inspiring turns from Tom Holland and Naomi Watts.

#2: The Hunger Games

(Courtesy of hungergamesdwtc.net)

Everyone who knows me knows I can't shut up about this movie once it comes up in conversation. Call me a fanboy, and you're probably right. I'll admit this isn't the most well put together movie, but where it lacks in being well-made, it succeeds in being the most entertaining movie of the year. And I honestly see it as a crime Jennifer Lawrence hasn't been getting any awards talk for her excellent, career-defining role as Katniss Everdeen. 

#1: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

(Courtesy of IMDb)

Heartfelt. Dramatic. Hilarious. Emotional. Awkward. Comedic. Moving. Infinite. But hey, that's high school. And it's the best film of the year. 

Reviews for all of these films, with the exceptions of The Hunger Games, Skyfall, Arbitrage, and The Woman in Black, are all available in my archives.