Review of 2012: The Best Films of the Year

While many are claiming that 2012 was a poor year for films, you cannot deny that there were some corkers! Granted there was a lot of let down’s this year, and a lot of badly made, money grabbing nonsense, but there was tons of good stuff.

2012 has also been the first year ticket sales have actually risen for three years, and more records have been broke, and more money made than any other year. Good films or not, people are going back to cinemas in a big way, and with the wealth of great films coming in 2013, that trend is set to continue.

My top twenty consists of films I have seen, and there may be films you feel should have been on this list, but I might not have seen them yet. There are two films I know had I seen them, they would have been on here, and that is Life of Pi and Joe Nesbo’s Headhunters, but here are the top twenty which, in my opinion, were the very best films of 2012.

20- Shame

Director: Steve McQueen

Director Steve McQueen reteams with Michael Fassbender with stunning results. Joining the team this time is Carey Mulligan who plays Fassbender’s sister, and she arrives on his doorstep to seriously interfere with his addiction to sex. A cleverly written and eloquently directed film about love, life, relationships and both the fun and dangers of sex addiction. Shame was at times sexy beyond belief, while at others heartbreaking, but it was always quite brilliant. (David Gillespie’s review)

19- Wild Bill

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Dexter Fletcher won the hearts of British move fans after playing Soap in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and with Wild Bill he made his exceptional directorial debut. Casting the brilliant Charlie Creed-Miles as Wild Bill was a genius choice, and you cannot help but love the former criminal trying to do right by his two sons. Naturally, he is brought back into the criminal world, but he still tries to go straight, but sadly his boys have their own issues after being left on their own for quite some time. Friendships are challenged, love blossoms and all the while Bill tries to hold his family together. Exceptional performances all round, a gritty, involving and at times utterly devastating story, Wild Bill delivers one of the very best British films of the last ten years. Powerful, and delivering moments of emotion, humour and violence at just the right moment, Wild Bill is a British classic not to be missed.            (Ross Hughes’ review)

18- Martha Marcy May Marlene

Director: Sean Durkin

After a couple of shorts, Sean Durkin made the move to feature films with the stunning and haunting drama, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film made actress Elizabeth Olsen the golden girl of Sundance 2011 after her mesmerizing performance as Martha, a troubled young girl who has escaped a religious cult with disastrous consequences. She struggles to adjust to a normal life with her family, and we the viewer are shown constant reminders of the abuse and mental torture she endured. Durkin cemented himself as one of the hottest directors to watch, and Olsen proved to be one of the finest up and coming female actresses in the world today, and a brave one too! (David Gillespie’s review)

17- The Grey

Director: Joe Carnahan

Come on, it was Taken with Wolves as Liam Neeson rounds up his group of oil workers to fend off a pack of hungry canines. The group are heading home for a well earned break, and after a superbly created plane crash, they end up in the snowy wilderness of Alaska, hunted by a pack of rather large and savage wolves. Cue Neeson barking (sorry) orders and showing his men how to fight off their attackers. Neeson’s showdown with broken bottles tied to his knuckles stands as one of his finest moments. The Grey was a real man’s film, directed by a man and starring men doing manly things and fighting like men. Hell, I bet even all the wolves were male!                       (Dr Lenera’s review)

16- Chronicle

Director: Josh Trank

Found footage and superheroes collide as newcomer Josh Trank delivers not only one of the years finest found footage films, but also one of the year’s most inventive superhero films. Featuring a relative cast of unknowns, Chronicle see’s three high school pals discover a hole in the ground, and they gain telepathic powers from inside it. Cue all sorts of fun from playing catch to moving parked cars to flying. Then, cue some seriously dark stuff as one of the group begins to enjoy his new found powers a little too much. This was seriously cool filmmaking, and a truly amazing addition to the ever growing found footage genre. The special effects were dazzling too!    (review)

15- End of Watch

Director: David Ayer

Yet more found footage trickery here as David Ayer gets right to the heart of being an L.A cop, with superb performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. End of Watch deals with the trials, tribulations and love lives of Brian and Mike, and the pair become instantly likeable, and the film itself incredibly realistic. Told more like a snapshot of life as an L.A cop, there is a lingering plot of some dodgy gangsters hunting the pai, but that is just a small part of the brilliance on offer with Brian and Mike telling jokes, fighting suspects, marrying a new girlfriend, having kids and meeting Big Evil. A moment of emotional drama can be followed by a joke or a moment of unsettling violence, but all the while End of Watch moves along at a blistering pace full of excitement and moments of absolute brilliance. One of the finest cop films since L.A Confidential. (review)

14- The Amazing Spider-Man

Director: Marc Webb

I remember not being all that excited about seeing this, and it took a few trailers to eventually really grab my interest. I loved Sam Raimi’s film, and thought the re-booting of a franchise only recently ended was too soon, and unnecessary. How wrong was I, and I recall being absolutely hooked in the cinema and totally swept away by Webb’s more grittier version, complete with a terrific cast of characters. Martin Sheen brought the emotional impact needed as Spidey’s Uncle, Emma Stone was seriously hot and Rhy Ifans was incredible as Dr Curt Connors. Hell, we even had the added bonus of the great Dennis Leary as Gwen’s police chief Father. However, the real surprise was that Andrew Garfield, in my opinion, actually bettered the brilliant Tobey Maguire in a believable and magnetic performance, complete with every element of Spidey’s character we all love. An astonishing achievement by all those involved, and a very brave decision by Webb which most definitely paid off, big time! (Dr Lenera’s review)

13- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson

Now I held off doing this list in the belief that my top ten would have changed once I had seen Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth, and while I believe The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a truly magnificent film, there were far too many let down’s for me. Sadly The Hobbit did not live up to my expectations, and certainly was not on the grand scale and epic adventurism of The Lord of the Rings. The Dwarves all became one character, too many scenes outstayed their welcome, and the film felt unnecessarily long. Jackson would have done better in sticking to just the two films. However, saying that, The Hobbit was a grand adventure, and you cannot ignore Jackson’s incredible passion as a perfectionist. Martin Freeman was a revelation as Bilbo Baggins, and Gollum’s return to the screen was one of the year’s most amazing moments. Sadly Jackson set the bar too high with The Lord of the Rings, and while you will not see anything quite as polished and perfected as this until Part 2: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey just felt a bit, well, too much  of nothing really. (Dr Lenera’s review)

12- Dredd

Director: Pete Travis

What we wanted to see from this new version of Dredd was Karl Urban NOT to remove his helmet, lots of violence and Dredd to kick some serious ass. We were promised a full on R-rated 3D extravaganza, and that is exactly what we got. Dredd wasn’t out to please the masses by cutting its violence to grant it a lower rating, here we had a film that reminded us of those wonderful politically incorrect action films of the 80’s. Thoughts of Verhoeven’s Robocop sprung to mind, and every other action film not afraid to spill lots of claret. The simple premise, much like The Raid, of Dredd and a rookie cop getting locked in a building and taking out the criminals one by one could not have been simpler, but Travis brought so much good stuff to his film. The violence was at times shocking, always over the top, and the villains really were villains. The truly dazzling special effects, especially the use of the drug “slo-mo”, benefitted hugely from being in 3D, and the film ended up being a violent, thrilling nonstop action film with Karl Urban doing a tremendous job as the helmeted grumpy cop. He never smiled, barely spoke, just shot, stabbed and punched the hell out of anyone who got in his way, and that, my friends, was great entertainment! (review)

11- Prometheus

Director: Ridley Scott

Prometheus became quite possibly my most anticipated film of the year, and going to the cinema to see it I very nearly exploded. I was SO excited, and for the most part the film really delivered on its promise. A staggering achievement in how to really do sci-fi good and proper by Ridley Scott, Prometheus had so much potential, and in all fairness Scott did a truly incredible job. The first hour and twenty odd minutes is up there with the best the genre has to offer: edge of your seat stuff, an amazing cast and a truly mind blowing story of how man was created. Maybe the story was just too big for the writers to handle, maybe there was just too much ambition, maybe Damon Lindelof is not the great writer he thinks he is, but I came away from the film feeling an almighty sense of emptiness. The final third just fell apart, and the film just didn’t seem to know how or when to end, and that was a massive disappointment for me. The tight, tense and jaw dropping build up was spoiled and let down by a messy ending that delved into realms of silliness. A real shame, but I still can’t wait for the sequel. (review)

10- Skyfall

Director: Sam Mendes

We all knew this would be big, but no one expected Skyfall to be quite as huge as it has become. Many were calling it the best Bond ever, and all the ten out of ten and five star reviews had the world sold. Personally, out of the Daniel Craig Bond’s, I thought Casino Royale was better, and Skyfall is certainly not the best Bond ever. But, Skyfall was a staggering, bold and brilliant Bond full of tense moments, stunning action and Craig proving his worth as one of the finest Bond’s ever. The film had shocks and surprises, and never failed to entertain. A much darker, grittier Bond but with some truly magical moments: the silhouette fight, the broken Bond coming back, many glorious moment s with M, and the re-introduction of some classic Bond characters and tons of homage’s to Bond’s 50 years. The film also gave us a truly wonderful villain thanks to a brilliant performance by Javier Bardem. Slightly over-long, and a little too adventurous at times, Skyfall had problems, and the odd truly hideous scene (the Komodo Dragon anyone?), but overall, Skyfall was well deserved of the almighty praise it has been getting. (Dr Lenera’s review)

9- The Yellow Sea

Director: Na Hong-jin

Featuring quite possibly the most amount of stabbings and machete slices ever put on screen, this savage Korean tale of revenge, violence, gangsters and cab drivers has to be seen to be believed.  A cab driver becomes entwined with gangsters and other dodgy characters as he desperately tries to find his wife who has left to earn more money. The cab driver ends up everyone’s enemy, and plays each side off against the other while serving as a hitman of sorts. Tons of truly sickening violence and one of the most amazing chase scenes ever filmed, the Yellow Sea is not for the squeamish, and those who don’t like knives or the sight of blood best avoid. However, those who love revenge films, especially one’s as violent and shocking as this, will find plenty to enjoy here. Terrific performances, a great story and violence far too realistic to stomach, The Yellow Sea is extreme filmmaking at its very best. (review)

8- Ted

Director: Seth MacFarlane

The worrying thing about Ted was whether Seth MacFarlane could break away from Family Guy and American Dad and actually make the jump to feature films without issues. Somehow he managed to not only deliver a near perfect comedy, but he allowed time for plenty of nods for fans of The Griffins and The Smith’s while delivering a film that actually had me in pain thanks to laughing so hard. Mark Wahlberg was a joy to watch, and Ted himself was an amazing creation both in terms of character, and the special effects to create him. The film went on to become one of the most successful comedies of all time, and rightly so. Who would have thought the tale of a young boy and his talking teddy could have turned into so much rude, crazy and totally hilarious fun. MacFarlane lives on the edge of what is right and wrong, and likes to push things as far as he can, and he certainly did that here. His love of the 80’s was all over this film, and the inclusion of Flash Gordon was truly an amazing and very brave moment. How can you not love the Thunder Song, or the punch up between a grown man and a drunken, drug addicted teddy bear. So right for all the wrong reasons! (review)

7- The Hunger Games

Director: Gary Ross

The Hunger Games was everything it was cracked up to be, and then some! Many were initially complaining that the film, based on the books written by Suzanne Collins, essentially looked liked Battle Royale for teens, but those complainers (including myself) were so wrong. The Hunger Games couldn’t have been any better, and Jennifer Lawrence pulled off an electrifying performance as Katniss Evergreen, the girl who volunteered to take part in the games to save her sister. The rule of one survivor lead to some excellent showdowns and quite brutal violence, but it was also the game show and the build up to the games themselves, with the training etc, that made for some really exciting and thrilling stuff. Some argued that Ross’ decision to include a drastic shaky cam was a little too much, but I thought he cleverly delivered Bourne type thrills to a controversial story. The sequel is out in 2013, and I will be first in line for a ticket! (Dr Lenera’s review)

6- Beasts of the Southern Wild

Director: Benh Zeitlin

The film which became THE talking point of the Sundance Film Festival, Beasts of the Southern Wild is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking films you will EVER see. Narrated by the mesmerizing, young  Quvenzhané Wallis, who stars as the lovable Hushpuppy, this simple yet incredibly affecting tale follows the lives of a group of people living in a place called The Bathtub. The threat of global warming causing the waters to rise, and the disastrous storm which destroys their homes are just a few of the daily problems these simple folk have to face. Hushpuppy has a loving, but sick Father and she fears ancient beasts known as Aurochs are heading their way. A timeless, emotionally driven film with incredible performances: the film is lifted by a gorgeous soundtrack, some moments of pure joy, and moments of pure sadness. You cannot help but love Hushpuppy and her innocence, and it is her narration of a child’s description of the world which will warm your hearts. I rarely cry at films these days, but Beasts of the Southern Wild got me, it tugged and tugged at my emotions until I could take no more. Never has a film so beautiful been so devastating, yet so powerful and uplifting. Filmmaking on a whole new level of genius. (review)

5- The Imposter

Director: Bart Layton

Director Bart Layton delivered a documentary here which goes way beyond the boundaries of genius. The story of a family who lost their son, only for him to turn up years later is heartbreaking enough, but when we find out the person claiming to be their son is not, the story takes on a frightening turn. The Imposter of the title is a French teenager looking for a better life in the US, and he decides to pretend to be the missing boy to get what he wants. We know it isn’t him, and watching this devastated family clearly blinded by their desperation to see their son again makes for compelling viewing. However, there are further twists in the tale, and Layton uses quick editing, superb music and edge of your seat pacing to deliver not just a documentary, but one of the finest thrillers I have ever seen. Bordering on horror at times, the film is crafted for maximum impact, and it achieves that in a way never thought possible from a documentary. This is masterful filmmaking, and it is doubtful you will see a documentary quite as good as this for a very very long time. Chilling, thrilling and utterly captivating. (David Gillespie’s review)

4- The Avengers Assemble

Director: Joss Whedon

There were doubters, me included, that thought having all these Marvel superheroes in one film just might be aiming too high. Would it really work, and could it really work? Damn right it did, and Joss Whedon delivered one of the finest superhero films in the history of superhero films. The complete opposite of The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers was all about having a good time and shutting off for two and half hours while being taken on a thrilling ride. Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, Nick Fury, The Hulk and Hawkeye all came together in an astonishing display of how to make a crowd pleasing film that was quite simply flawless. A rollercoaster ride of great big action and great big characters, The Avengers was probably the most fun anyone had at the cinema in 2012. The laughs were delivered with precision, the special effects were jaw dropping, the characters worked brilliantly together, the plot was perfect and The Hulk was THE best Hulk ever put on screen. I honestly don’t think The Avengers could have been any better! (review)

3- The Raid

Director: Gareth Evans

Like Dredd, The Raid’s plot could not have been simpler. A group of elite cops storm a thirty story building, working their way to the top where Mr Big resides. In all honesty, The Raid didn’t really need a plot because it was all about the kick-ass action, and as stated in the advertising, you have never seen anything like it. The Raid was insane, and featured some of the very best fight scenes ever put on film, but the fights were bloody nasty too. Machetes, guns, tables and even fridges were used as weapons in this frantic, heart pounding action flick that lives up to the slogan of “seeing is believing”. If you have not seen The Raid then you really have no idea just how insane this film is. Gareth Evans reunites with his Merantau star Iko Uwais who proves to the world that he is really not someone you’d want to cross. Bones are broken, necks impaled on broken door frames and throats cut, and we haven’t even got to the joys of watching lead henchman Mad Dog. He prefers hand to hand combat, using guns is liking “ordering takeout”. The Raid is astonishing, violent and simply jaw dropping and will quite literally leave you breathless. A pulse pounding soundtrack helps to raise the bar even higher. Incredible. (review)

2- The Dark Knight Rises

Director: Christopher Nolan

Epic! Someone asked me what I thought of The Dark Knight Rises and the only word I could think of was “epic” A stunning finish to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and also a very near perfect film too. Was it better than the Dark Knight? Not sure, on a par with it but both are very different beasts. Rises is big, big in scale, big in characters and big in just about everything else. A devastating story of Bruce Wayne crushed by the legacy of Batman, and then having to rise up to stop Tom Hardy’s ultimate villain, Bane, lead to a superhero film cut from a very different kind of cloth to the Avengers. Nolan’s film was serious beyond belief, and all the better for it. Emotions run high, and the edge of your seat would have been the only thing needed in this genius film. Bane was the stuff of nightmares, Anne Hathaway the stuff of fantasies and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was just brilliant. Nolan finished off his trilogy in terrific style, and the film was one massive thrill ride that just continued to build and build and build. A thundering soundtrack helped the film along, but it was Nolan’s genius that made it. Always looking for realism over CGI, The Dark Knight Rises felt like so much more than a simple superhero film. Here was a tale of finding one’s self, of saving a city, of broken promises and dangerous relationships. A tale of a brutal terrorist, a city under siege, sacrifices and the light at the end of the tunnel. The Dark Knight Rises had everything, and just might be Nolan’s masterpiece. (review)

1 – Looper

Director: Rian Johnson

After the classic noir thriller Brick, director Rian Johnson re-teams with the star of that film, Joseph Godron-Levitt, and with Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt joining the crew, Looper was nothing short of genius. 2012 was truly Gordon-Levitt’s year, but behind every talented actor is a director looking to get the very best out of his cast, and Johnson certainly achieved that, to the point of having Gordon-Levitt appear as a younger Bruce Willis, complete with mannerisms, speech and even his nose! Levitt’s performance as a hitman who kills people from the future, a ‘looper’, was astonishing in every way. We joined him on his missions, and we enjoyed the thrill of the time travel spectacle, and got sucked in from the second the film opened, to the very clever plot. However, when Gordon-Levitt finds out he has been tasked with closing his own loop as his future self arrives as his next target, we sympathize. His future self, played expertly by Bruce Willis, has his own story to tell, and Johnson brilliantly crafts a time travel tale where we side with both Willis and Gordon-Levitt’s character, and for a sci-fi action film, we are able to bond with these characters with ease, and actually feel their pain, their emotions, and we want both of them to win.

Naturally there are shady characters, and Jeff Daniels made a welcome return here as the man who pulls the strings in one time-zone, and it really is great to see him back to his best. Emily Blunt dazzles as a third (or second really) person in the story of Gordon-Levitt/Willis’ character, and while it would be a crime to say any more than that, Blunt’s performance also was superb. All the characters allowed for the viewer to really get caught up in the fast moving and often confusing (in a good way) plot, and created a real emotional bond between cast and viewer. The story itself is highly engaging, and you do need to pay attention, but Johnson had a terrific way to telling his story in a way that was just right: not too confusing, but not explained like the viewer was a five year old child. Looper was an incredibly smart film, and time travel can often be a difficult subject to tackle which can leave lots of room for errors:  there were none here. Johnson’s film is as perfect as they come, and packs an almighty emotional wallop come the final moments, with an ending I really did not see coming. This film is pure class, pure genius, pure brilliance on every single level, and has cemented Johnson’s place as one of the best directors in the world today. If you haven’t seen Looper yet, rectify it immediately!                        (David Gillespie’s review)