The Best Movies of 2012: #60 – #41
Over halfway there, folks. Just gotta keep on truckin’. And for all you newcomers who accidentally found your way over here:
Day 1: #102 – #81
Day 2: #80 – #61
Alrighty then, onward!
60. God Bless America (Full Review)
Preachy to the point where it’s practically the cinematic version of a guy on the street corner waving a gun around screaming “THE END IS NIGH!” But by the same token, it’s about damn time someone made this movie. Just another reason to be on the Bobcat Goldthwait bandwagon these days.
59. Les Miserables
Saw it on Broadway, saw the Liam Neeson version, and this is the first time I’ve ever truly appreciated the extraordinary story that is Jean Valjean’s. Still, for everything there is to appreciate and admire, it never quite hit me on an emotional level and I just couldn’t get past the non-stop singing. Hate that I’m so hung up by such a subjective complaint, but alas, it just wasn’t my thing, folks.
58. Bad Ass (Full Review)
Okay, another admittedly ridiculous movie to edge out an Oscar contender, but what can I say, it’s my guilty pleasure of 2012. Blows my mind that this thing even got green lit, and just a total-effing-riot for anyone who’s ever been down with Epic Beard Man.
57. Sleepwalk with Me
Doesn’t quite measure up to the hilarity of Birbiglia’s standup specials, but damn if it didn’t just keep getting better and better.
56. Chico & Rita
A lovely little movie with a whole lot of life. Infectious soundtrack, too.
55. The Hole
Loses some of its magic by the end, and man, does it go heavy on the cheap scares, but it was a whole lot of fun regardless. A great gateway drug into the world of horror, and quite possibly the best movie Joe Dante’s ever made.
54. Head Games
I really need to thank my parents for never signing that Pop Warner permission slip. Pretty terrifying and royally informative for anyone who’s ever played contact sports, not to mention required viewing for parents and coaches alike.
53. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Getting the impression that this was a favorite doc for many this year, and for good reason at that. Nothing like watching someone spend their life fighting the system, especially when that system is none other than freaking China. However, I can’t help but feel like the film makers jumped the gun on this one since Weiwei’s story seems to be far from over. Guess I’ll have to stay tuned.
52. The Snowtown Murders (Full Review)
One tough mother to swallow, but holy hell, does it get under your skin. Big ups to Daniel Henshall for one of the most memorable, straight-up evil performances in recent memory.
51. The Five-Year Engagement (Full Review)
Alright, maybe it ran a bit long, but this was one of the best date night movies that the missus and I saw all year, and it had the both of us laughing our asses off. Awfully eerie how much of it mirrored that of my own life last year, too.
50. Ballplayer: Pelotero
A surprisingly eye-opening and heartbreaking look into a corrupt side of a corrupt game. Killing me here, baseball.
49. The Raid: Redemption (Full Review)
It might as well be a live-action video game, and for that matter, it kicks a whole lot of ass. Didn’t do much for me beyond that, but man, does it kick ass.
48. The Day He Arrives
Refreshingly sincere and wonderful in its simplicity. The only movie this year that I really didn’t want to end.
47. Haywire (Full Review)
Stylish as all hell and as only Soderbergh could pull off. Will always have a soft spot for action movies that cut out the bullshit, especially in a world where so many film makers can’t stop dishing it out.
46. Safety Not Guaranteed
Still feel like the script could have given some plot lines more closure, but a small complaint in light of everything that’s so magnetic and likable about these characters and their missions. Yet another point for Mark Duplass on the board.
45. Last Days Here (Full Review)
More Intervention than Anvil!, but that’s exactly what sets it apart.
44. Michael (Full Review)
Chalk this one up as one of the hardest movies to recommend to anyone ever, but for those willing to give it the old college try, trust me, it’s a keeper. Helps to keep in mind how horribly wrong this could have gone under someone else’s direction.
43. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Full Review)
Took a bit to start feeling like its source material, nor does it hold a candle to its source material, and I still wish Paul Rudd’s character played a bigger part. But once it hit its stride, I was hook, line, and sinker. The fact that it took all of ten seconds for Ezra Miller to make me forget he played Kevin is more than enough to warrant its spot on this list.
42. Jeff, Who Lives at Home (Full Review)
Hit home in a whole bunch of ways I really wasn’t expecting. The beginning of my year-long love affair with the brothers Duplass.
41. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (Full Review)
So much more insightful than I think anyone was expecting. Will give you a whole new respect for hip-hop and the originators who continue to make it what it is.
Apologies in advance to my lovely wife and everyone else who liked Les Mis exponentially more than I did, I hope we can move past this. Hopefully I can redeem myself with the next 20 tomorrow, so bear with me and stay tuned!
Cut The Crap Movie Reviews 
Wow. I’ve only watched three films on this list, heard of an additional seven, and had no clue about ten of them.
I’ve got a lot of catch-up to do.
Hahaha. Yeah, I made the rounds alright. Which ones did you see?
“Les Mis”, “Chico & Rita”, and “Perks”
Right on. Your thoughts?
“Les Mes” – C
“Chico & Rita” – A (I also named it the best film of 2011 with a wide release in 2012)
“Perks” – B+ (listed it #10 on my Top-10)
You can take a look at my best of here:
http://victorsmoviereviews.com/2013/01/07/2012-year-in-review/
Let me just say that you have one of best-looking Top Tens I’ve ever seen from an aesthetic standpoint, and the movies on your list are pretty damn great, too. Well done.
Glad you dug The Imposter as much as I did, too. Something tells me we’ll get along pretty well with tomorrow’s list.
Thanks.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s list.
OK, my goal by the time the Oscars come around this month is to have seen all of the Best Picture nominees. I only have two left. “Les Miserables” is the one I’m dreading to watch the most. It seems like everyone is divided. The clips that I saw are all close-ups of singing. Uhh… Who knows? I may end up liking it so I’m keeping (or trying to keep) an open mind.
I want to see “Chico & Rita” so badly. I think it’s available via Netflix streaming. I must get on that. Same with “Head Games.”
THANK YOU for putting “The Hole” on this list. It was good, fun, funny, and had scary bits! It’s an excellent companion for “The Gate” starring a young Stephen Dorff.
“The Snowtown Murders” is horrifying. I will not see that movie again for a long, long time.
Oh, my god, “Michael.” That is all. I remember your review of it. I admired it a lot. I do not recommend it to just about anyone, and yet… it is a must-see. Truly. I am not making sense right now, I know. But… wow. It’s my #2 film of 2012.
Just seeing “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” on this list just warms my heart. My question is, when will it be released on DVD so I can watch it again?
Haha! Funny you mention “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” Unlike you, I didn’t forget. Miller has that death stare look that surfaces every once in a whole. Chills run down my spine. I like him!
Yeah, the non-stop singing definitely threw me. Was hoping I would just get used to it, but that just never happened. Quite the bummer.
Chico and Head Games are both on Netflix Instant. Enjoy! And would love to hear what you thought.
Dude, The Gate was all I thought about when watching The Hole, which is weird because I’ve only seen maybe ten minutes of it and that was like 15 years ago. High time I gave that a fair shake.
And I’m never seeing The Snowtown Murders again. No one has to see that movie twice.
Dude, Michael is a mighty fine choice for #2. Not an easy story to tackle, but it’s astonishing how well it ended up being. Thank god I had you to back me up on that one last year.
Haha. Well have you read that book either?
And, dude, my jaw dropped when I first heard they were casting Miller as Patrick, but big ups to Miller for totally owning the role. Was the best of the bunch, IMHO.