The Films of 2012... And Oscar Predictions

2012. The world didn’t come to an end but the innocence of the 2011 movie season definitely did. We no longer had silent fluff pieces about two star crossed lovers or little boys running around train stations trying to fix robots. Instead, we had alcoholic pilots and cult leaders, terrorism and slavery, and the usually heroic Leonardo DiCaprio playing one of the most sadistic characters in recent mainstream cinema. You know things have gotten dark when Jack from Titanic is watching two men fight to the death all the while whooping and hollering in joy.

Anyways, here’s two things. One a list of my top ten movies from the year 2012. Another, some Oscar Predictions.

Two movies I didn’t get around to seeing: The Hobbit Part I, Skyfall

Two movies I wish I had seen: Killer Joe, Anna Karenina

Two movies that I thought were underrated: Safety Not Guaranteed, Wreck-It Ralph

Two movies that I thought were overrated: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour

Two movies I was disappointed in: Savages, The Five Year Engagement

Two movies I saw this year that were the worst: Rock of Ages, 21 Jump Street

Honorable mentions: Lawless, The Cabin in the Woods, The Avengers, Django Unchained

10. Looper (Rian Johnson) – A compelling, smart piece of science-fiction that was well-acted. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his ever growing amount of good work. The screenplay was the type of original thought that more people in Hollywood should be looking into. The ending was especially good.

9. Safety Not Guaranteed (Colin Trevorrow) – A bit off the beaten path here, this indie was funny, smart, and strangely satisfying. Mark Duplass and Aubrey Plaza were both very good. A good mixture of comedy, reality, and very, very light dash of science fiction.

8. Silver Linings Playbook (David O Russell) – A well-acted romantic comedy that addressed a very tricky subject matter in mental illness. I don’t know if Russell still got the tone entirely correct but in the end, I feel as if the audience was satisfied and the characters had redeemed themselves in a reasonably realistic way.

7. Prometheus (Ridley Scott) – It’s a rarity anymore that a movie provides more questions than answers without being too obnoxious about it. I thought Scott did a quality job of not compromising his vision of the Alien universe with too much explanation. The landscapes in the movie were incredible, the screenplay was intriguing, and Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender were well-casted.

6. Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson) – Ah, another whimsical journey into the mind of Wes Anderson, this time through the eyes of two young adolescence and a bunch of very good actors and actresses. The best parts were definitely anytime the two lovers conversed as if they were an old married couple. It was also interesting that they had it all figured out while the adults were the ones who seemed lost. The scenery was excellent and the framing was very Andersonian.

5. The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan) – I know a lot of critics and people bashed it for having too many characters and trying to do too much, but the action sequences were still top notch when considering cinematography and Tom Hardy as the villainous Bane was still iconic (just not the same way Heath Ledger was as the Joker). When a trilogy has done as much as Nolan’s Dark Knight has, the expectations of the third movie are so massive that they often fail (see: Star Wars originals, Aliens originals). It tied up an epic psychological, physical, and emotionally journey for a tortured protagonist. While many claimed it was a cop out, I believe it represented the true spirit of Batman.

4. Argo (Ben Affleck) – Gone Baby Gone. The Town. Argo. Affleck has shown he is quite adept behind the camera, maybe even more so than in front of it. Argo was a thrilling ride, even though the audience knew how it ended which credits Affleck as a director. His ability to create this tension and let it ride all the way to the end is a testament to his abilities. Good supporting turns from John Goodman and Alan Arkin.

3. Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow) – All politics aside, Bigelow knows how to make a modern war film incredibly tense. While the movie ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 and a half hours, I didn’t look at my phone once to see what time it was and I believe that’s the mark of a great movie. Jessica Chastain deftly portrayed a soul tortured by an unobtainable target. And the tears at the end bring us to question what it was all for.

2. Lincoln (Steven Spielberg) – One name. Daniel Day-Lewis. When he accepts his third Oscar for Best Actor, a number that has never been reached by any other actor in the history of the Academy, no one will be able to question him being considered one of the greatest actors of all time. And really, that’s all it took for me and this movie. His performance was incredible. The portrayal of one of the most important figures in American history was a testament to DDL’s acting abilities and Spielberg’s story telling capabilities. The film captured the intriguing nuances of one of the most important political battles that has ever been fought on American soil.

1. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson) – PTA has been considered one of the last standing true “auteurs” of film. While that could be endlessly debated, one thing is for certain: nobody attempts to do the things that PTA does. His ability to question humanity’s most base emotions, consistently analyze the strained father-son relationship of his protagonists, and display this all with incredible cinematography and top quality scoring is his greatest accomplishment. Joaquin Phoenix was out of this world, legitimately challenging DDL for the Best Actor Oscar. Philip Seymour Hoffman was his regular brilliant self, and Amy Adams hung with the big dogs with her special performance, displaying a quite rage underneath a bubbly exterior front. All in all, The Master was above and beyond the rest of this year’s movies.

Quick Oscar Predictions

Best Cinematography

 

Should win: Roger Deakins - Skyfall

Want to win: Roger Deakins - Skyfall

Will win: Roger Deakins - Skyfall

I think the Academy will finally acknowledge the genius that is Roger Deakins.

Best Supporting Actress:

 

Should win: Amy Adams – The Master

Want to win: Amy Adams – The Master

Will win: Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

Anne was great with “I Dreamed a Dream” but Amy stood tall among giants.

Best Supporting Actor:

Should win: Phillip Seymour Hoffman – The Master

Want to win: Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Will win: Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

I actually don’t mind anyone of the nominees winning this minus Alan Arkin. I didn’t think he was spectacular or anything.

Best Actress:

Should win: Emmanuelle Riva - Amour

Want to win: Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

Will win: No idea

This is a seemingly wide open race between Chastain Riva, and Jennifer Lawrence. I have no idea who wins.

Best Actor:

Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Want to win: DDL/Joaquin Phoenix – The Master

Will win: DDL

Daniel Day-Lewis will be crowned the greatest actor of all-time tonight with his unprecedented third Best Actor victory.

Best Director:

Should win: Paul Thomas Anderson – The Master (wasn’t even nominated! Travesty!)

Want to win: Steven Spielberg – Lincoln

Will win: Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

Best Picture:

Should win: Zero Dark Thirty

Want to win: Lincoln

Will win: Argo

There will actually be drama tonight for the big award. Could go to Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, or even a dark horse candidate like Silver Linings Playbook. Not nearly as clear as in years past.