10. THE RAID: REDEMPTION
A special forces team enters a crumbling tenement building
in hopes to find and capture the drug lord that lives on the top floor. But the
bad guys get the jump on them, lock down the building and alert dozens upon
dozens of thugs and foot soldiers to their presence. Now the mission changes.
Get out and stay alive. THE RAID is one of the best action movies of the last
decade and gives France a run for it’s francs by raising the bar on stunts and
choreography to more than just your average parkour monkey shines. It kind of
takes a cue from the heyday of 80’s/90’s action and super charges it. The
everyman vs. the evil army turns into the Supermen vs. the super evil army.
It’s like watching gods clash with gods without having to hear Avatar guy’s
terrible accent.
9.
FRANKENWEENIE
Tim Burton has been on the outs with fans for a while. After
a few personal failures he kind of hid behind the sure thing. Doing adaptations
that seemed too obvious to add his unique aesthetic to. But when ALICE IN
WONDERLAND became a bigger hit than anyone involved was expecting, Disney
offered him the chance to do whatever he wanted. His choice was the first
surprise. He wanted to remake the live action short that not only got him his
first jobs in Hollywood, but in an ironic twist, got him fired from Disney. But
this time, make it feature length, in stop motion and in black and white.
Trusting the man that made a billion dollars with funny hats and rubber Crispin
Glover, they left him alone. This must have invigorated his creativity because
FRANKENWEENIE is the best film he’s made since BIG FISH. The lead is a
misunderstood boy living in a cheery suburb. His macabre fascinations earn him
odd looks from neighborhood busybodies, much like Burton’s real childhood. When
his beloved pet Sparky unexpectedly dies, he uses the power of alchemy and
b-movie horror to bring him back to life. But this power gets put into the
wrong hands and gets unleashed in the dark and creepy manifestations that
Burton does best. As a guy who is generally not into animals, it always surprises
me when I end up majorly falling for the relationship between an owner and his
pet. I grew up with dogs and very few movies actually put forth the effort to
portray an animal’s genuine personality. Instead favored approach is having
them drive cars, wear sunglasses and high five the nearest kid when a robber
slides into a carefully stacked display of pickle jars. Here, you end up caring
for Sparky as if he were real. This should have opened the door for massive
merchandising potential. But alas, the black & white stop motion movie
could not drum up the interest that jabberwockying Johnny Depp does. It’s a
shame because Burton does receive a lot of criticisms for his later movies, and
this is such a welcome return to form. I hope on video, it finds its audience.
Because it definitely has one. More super points for the awesome Karen O
soundtrack jam, “Strange Love”.
8. JIRO DREAMS
OF SUSHI
During one of the many interviews that were conducted with
the subject of documentary, star sushi chef Jiro, reveals that he regularly
dreams he’s making sushi. He’s in his twilight years and he’s been devoting his
entire life into perfecting this dish, that even when his body is at rest, his
brain is still working. Jiro’s sushi stand is one of the most sought after
eateries in all of Japan. It is small and modest, with a waiting list of about
six months and a price tag equivalent to about 380 American dollars. For that
you sit down, and experience the food that is chosen for you in the order that
he wants you to eat it in. We get to see one such group that is lucky enough to
eat food that has received the highest accolades and made by what many consider
to be the best sushi chef in the world. Mid-way through the meal, when Jiro
feels comfortable enough to converse with his patrons, he reveals that he’s cut
his sushi in different sizes in proportion with each person, so they could all
finish at the course at the same time. He also watches them and when he sees someone
eat with their left hand, the placement on the plate changes accordingly. When
that scene happens in the movie, my eyes just started to water. I’m not even
sure why, but I was so profoundly moved by the man’s devotion not only to the
food, but to how it is experienced. Right down to the individual. It’s a
transcendence that a chef could never possibly hope to achieve, but there he
is. Making sure what comes off of his board perfectly makes its way into your
mouth by means that most people might not even bother to think of. Finding
perfection is hard, but finding inspiration as it turns out, is really easy.
7. THIS IS 40
I think a lot about the bias I have when making up these
lists. After all, any sort of ranking is nothing more than subjective. I have
an incredible bias when it comes to the work of Judd Apatow and friends, as the
quality of work that comes from them and the methods they use work best for me.
The funniest comedy with emotional moments that resonate to what I feel is a
universal appeal. THIS IS 40 follows the continuing adventures of Deb &
Pete, supporting characters from KNOCKED UP and how they are coping with
getting older, growing kids, sense of purpose and faults with each other. The
family dynamic is one of the easiest ways to connect with a broad audience.
Everyone has family and none of them are perfect. The comedy comes from honest
situations and pop culture references that will delight the heart of even the most
exhausted of Paul Rudd audience. It’s been criticized for being too mean or too
yelly or being one long argument that never ends. But when I watch it I get a
sense of comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my familial relationships.
Rudd, Mann and both li’l Apatows hit it out of the park. He may be nepotistic,
but he goes with what works.
6. MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
Consciously or subconsciously, I’ve come to realize that my
favorite genre of movies is the comic book superhero adventure. This sucks for
me because, admittedly, 90% of all these movies are terrible. But it’s the
shining examples of greatness that come around every once in a blue moon that
make it the sweetest plumb. Marvel Studios went on the daunting task of taking
the its characters that studios had been unable to develop, and develop them on
their own in live action feature films, with the intention of throwing them all
together in one giant team up movie under the banner ‘THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S
MIGHTIEST HEROES’. Even though it sounds easy and even though they made it look
easy, this is a near impossible task. And it had its share of speed bumps in the
journey to our theater screens. The biggest being that Edward Norton is not
there alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson. But the big cuddly
blanket and hot mug of cocoa that Marvel gave us, as if to say “Everything is
going to be alright”, came in the form of Joss Whedon. Once he was in I knew
not only was this going to be a giant hit, but it was also going to be good. Whedon
understood that despite all the power and gifts that these characters possessed,
it was only interesting if they had to battle something that their powers
couldn’t take of. And Whedon faced similar hurdles. He had to wrangle many
characters, with many arcs and storylines and different tones and styles along
with the egos of all the actors playing them (RDJ walked in and told Whedon
that the movie should begin, revolve, and end with him. Try telling Marvel’s
super star ‘no’ on that one). He had to do it in a timeframe and a budget and
all under massive expectations with just the experience of television and one
film under his belt. In a more logical world, the results of his efforts should
be rewarded with at the very least, a best directing Oscar nomination. Not only
is it a spectacular visual spectacle to behold, but it has fantastic
performances, one of which had to be translated through a special effect and
despite being the character with the least popular theatrical presence, came
away stealing the movie as it’s most dramatic and it’s most fun element. He even assembled Soundgarden again, for godsake. To put it simply, THE AVENGERS is chips on chips. It’s everything we ever wanted to see done in a way that doesn’t
treat us like morons. It takes material previously classified as ridiculous and
unfilmable and instead of trying to stuff it a paticular box, it writes it’s own
code. Even at the end, it hints that the next enemy will come from the stars,
alluding to the vast reaches of the Marvel universe that you never thought you
wanted to see. Warner Brothers and DC got a big fat honking gauntlet thrown
onto their lap, and hopefully a little distinguished competition will keep us
entertained for the coming years.
5. DJANGO UNCHAINED
This is the only “Oscar” movie on my list. Only a few times
over the past few years, 2010 in particular, the Academy and I’s views have
been roughly similar. Although, now I think that ironically, the only reason
Quentin’s movies get nominated anymore is also the reason the Oscars have
sucked shit for the past 15 years. Harvey Weinstein and his stranglehold on the
voters. But let’s not focus on him or pushing a movie that was at first
intriguing and then disappointingly cliché, and not even the best movie of the
year to end in a dance competition. Let’s focus on Quentin Tarantino’s vision
of the old west as seen from the south. In the 90’s, when up and coming indie
filmmakers were being shepherded into the mainstream, the prospects of what
they can achieve in the future was the most exciting aspect of these new rock
gods. We loved the crime thrillers
that Quentin was making and would dream of what a Tarantino Kung Fu movie would
be like. Or a Tarantino WWII movie. Or even a Tarantino western. Amongst the
less incendiary criticism for this movie, was that he was just retreading
territory from his last few movies. Probably because they consider these genre
pictures just above novelty. True, these kinds of B-movie matinee grind house
films were the movies that Quentin grew up on but they are also the movies that
taught him character and storytelling. And through the pain, sorrow, heartbreak
and ultimate redemption that can be found on the path to revenge, the man
obtained the building blocks in which he brings us these masterful stories
filled with fantastic performances and emotional musical interludes. Everything
in DJANGO UNCHAINED was supremely crafted over a lifetime of loving film and
was executed amazingly, notably by Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio. I
make it a habit to read a Quentin Tarantino screenplay as soon as they leak, as
it turns out reading and seeing the movie can be two different experiences.
Omitted in the film, is the introduction of Dicaprio’s character, Calvin
Candie. I was originally disappointed that it wasn’t there as it went a long
way in showing you just how darkly intense and foreboding the character was but
for whatever reason, they chose to leave it out. But they did write a whole
other ending to the dinner scene that while different, highlighted every part
of why I loved the character so much. I naively proclaimed to no one in
particular that whoever played this role would be a shoe in for an Oscar, and
while his name circled the airstrip, it never came in for a landing. Not only
is this so high on my list just for sheer competence in movie making, but for
having my favorite performance of the year.
4. MOONRISE KINGDOM
There are two things that Wes Anderson excels at that keep
me a die hard fan. His take on the family dynamic and his honest yet poignant
nostalgia for childhood. In this movie, two young kids who have been, in one
way or another, abandoned by their families find in each other their wounded
little souls. And for the first time experience what it’s like when another
person understands what you’re going through. Wes Anderson’s version of
childhood can be embarrassingly accurate. The yearning to appear older and more
experienced than you are is usually played for laughs but sometimes it can be
bittersweet. Everything is more
intensified when you’re older. Instead of silently seething at hated coworkers,
in childhood it seems like your enemies actively sought to cause you harm and
destroy you. Your passions are your entire life. Your feelings always seemed to
be dismissed because, after all, you’re just a kid and you don’t have real
feelings yet. This all plays out by two gifted young actors of which Anderson
always seems to find to fit his cinematic voice. If you watch other children
characters from his movies, they all seem to come from the same crop of kids
and always seem to perfectly belt out his dialogue. Like they’re all really his
muppets and operated by him. Anderson has had problems in the past with letting
the big style and set pieces of his imagination run away with the movie, but it
strikes a good balance here. I think he would make a pretty bomb ass stop
motion Peanuts movie. Anderson’s got the Peanuts voice in him. Listen, dummy.
If you complain about every Debra Messing/Sarah Jessica Parker/Kathrine
Heigl/Kate Hudson romantic comedy piece of garbage, but still have a heart and
soul that needs nurturing than this hits some genuine beats while staying
pretty original. No dead eyed, coked out, magazine whoring shill in this one to
gum up the works.
3. BERNIE
Richard Linklater is a mystery to me. He’s one of those
directors that can walk on both worlds. Indies. Studio pictures. He’s had hits
on either side. Multiple genres attempted. Sequels? Remakes? He’s literally
done it all. Sometimes his choices are baffling. At first glance, this movie
doesn’t look like much. Even if I told you the plot, which sounds like I’m
spoiling it, it’s not a movie that doesn’t lend itself to explanation. You just
have to see it yourself. And try as I might to sway anyone’s interest in seeing
this movie or that movie, you pledge your allegiance to one Tyler Perry movie
and people will never listen to you again. This movie was based on a true story
and could very well be one of Aesop’s fables if he still did that kind of
thing. Jack Black plays Bernie, a small town man, beloved by his community,
who’s regular proclivity to being a kind and giving person is slowly sucked into
the vortex of a bitter woman who uses her profound wealth to shield herself
away from the world. He trades his companionship for lavish gift and exotic
vacations. But she does not warm up and her venomous personality begins to
poison ol’ Bernie until he finally snaps and murders her. This isn’t what the
movie is about. When the town finds out, and Bernie stands trial, they only see
the loving man that Bernie is and always was. And remember her for being a
fucking nasty old coot. A situation they could understand and sympathize with
more, there could not be. And thus, a world where moral ambiguity grows to
fever pitch levels in this bizarre Coen brothers esque sort of town peppered
with real live citizens of the real live town giving commentary as if this were
a documentary. The line between reality and fiction also blur. Sure this all
makes for rich dark comedy, but this really happened. Are you getting sucked
into the proceedings or is this how you’d really feel if you were a person in
this town? In any other hands, this would be a prime candidate for your run of
the mill 4pm TNT Sunday movie, but Linklater and Black put a way more
interesting and original spin on it that you’re just gonna have to jump into to
fully realize.
2. WRECK-IT RALPH
Speaking of originality. Whoa. What a golden age of movies
we have where this movie can not only exist but be as good as it is. Check your
fan fiction negative nelly bullshit at the door. Just because this isn’t the
Rockstar energy drink induced all night Street Fighter vs. Pac Man fist fight
fantasy that you’ve been furiously and angrily masturbating to in a room full
of posters of female wrestlers…doesn’t mean you can’t accidentally fall for a
charming little tale of identity and friendship. In fact, the novelty of having
real video game characters all live in the same world and interacting with each
other was not over done and presents itself just enough before it starts
getting boring. There’s even a lot of bonus and better-done candy references in
the Sugar Rush video game world where a lot of the action takes place. The
story involves two obsolete video game sidekicks who are out to prove, mainly
to themselves that they have some worth by winning the in game awards that
their machines provide but have been deprived of for so long by being kept on
the sidelines. It’s funny how most people describe movies in order to get others
to see it. You can talk about all the recognizable characters you’ll see, and
all the funny jokes and gags that happen in world that’s a giant video game.
But nobody says “The character dynamics were really well thought out” or “They
all had great chemistry” or “The Production Designer was perfectly cast as a
gumdrop”. Yet these are the things that I want to shout from the heavens. The
thing is, with me, you don’t have to have a big song and dance to get me in the
theater. The way I operate, I’ll see most anything that doesn’t appear particularly
offensive. But it really is so refreshing to have these high concept ideas be
handled with care and actually have all the well-greased cogs and sprockets
working together in harmony. There’s a moment at the end between the two main
characters that brought tears to my eyes, and it wasn’t because Donkey Kong and
M. Bison could finally high five. It’s because of what two fictional characters
meant to each other, cg or live action or go motion. And what a miracle that is
when THAT is possible.
1. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Have you ever seen a movie that completely rendered a genre
obsolete? You walked out of the movie, dusted off your hands and went “Well,
they’ve done it. Nothing more to see here”. That’s what THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
has done for horror. They made the ultimate horror movie that makes you feel
like your imagination is a dumb idiot that doesn’t work hard enough. That’s
what Whedon does best. He presents these things to you that are so fulfilling
and so obvious but you never in a million years would have had the mind balls
to think of. A bunch of teenagers set off in a van for a lonely old cabin in
the woods, prepared to drink and have sex and whatever else you can do in a
cabin. But some sort of secret organization is engineering the events that
unfold, turning it into your average slasher fest. Things don’t go exactly as
planned and horror as we know it turns on it’s ear. Saying anything more will
spoil the tricks and treats of THE CABIN IN THE WOODS. How much better of a
recommendation can the best movie of 2012 be? It’s itself! There were points
where I thought “It would be cool if…” and then something 11 times better
happened. Even if you’re not a fan of horror, I can’t imagine you how you won’t
be entertained by this. Joss Whedon not only mastered one, but two genres of
movies this year. He should be in charge of Hollywood from now on. I hope with
his newfound success, that Marvel will eventually let him loose long enough to
take on other things. Watching his movies give me a brief glimpse of what it
would be like to be a creative genius. If made in 1991, this would be a shoe in
for an MTV Movie Award, but even THOSE are corrupt now. Good thing you all have
me.
- D
