The Top Ten Movies of 2012

My Top Ten Films of 2012

By Jeremy Cooper: Layout Editor

2012 has been a particularly strong year for movies. Every year there will be disappointments and schlock, but I can’t recall a year where so many films that I have wanted to be good have managed to live up to my expectations. I haven’t seen everything that came out this year (namely Moonrise Kingdom and Amour), but I think my 10 favorites of this year will remain this way. 

*This is all my opinion and should not be interpreted as anything else.

Top Five:

1.      Zero Dark Thirty

·         “Zero Dark Thirty is a near masterpiece and the best film of this past year. Deftly crafted, superbly acted and meticulously researched, it is a film that will outlive its current relevance and be seen as a classic in the near future.”

2.      Django Unchained

·         “Outrageously entertaining from start to finish, Django Unchained is another gem in Tarantino’s nearly flawless collection.”

3.      Looper

·         “Looper is exciting, engrossing, and thought-provoking, as well as great acting, writing, and directing, it will please both action fans and those craving for something original.”

4.      The Master

·         “The Master is the rare thing; a truly original film. Led by two brilliant, career-best performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as some impeccable direction by Paul Thomas Anderson, it may well become a classic within time. This is a movie that will strongly divide audiences, but lovers of cinema will see to it that The Master lives on forever.”

5.      Skyfall

·         “Skyfall successfully continues the trend of a darker, more character-driven Bond film while also serving as a celebration of the classics. It’s one of the best in the series to date and quite possibly the best action film of the year.”

And the Rest:

6.      Lincoln

·         “Led by another staggering performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, an excellent script and one of the best casts of the year, Lincoln succeeds where many recent biopics have failed in crafting a layered, engaging and moving portrait of its iconic subject.”

7.      Argo

·         “Riveting, rousing, and crowd-pleasing, Argo is one of the year’s best films with tension, humor, great writing, and impressive directing.”

8.      The Raid: Redemption

·         “There may not be a whole lot in the way of story or character development, but The Raid: Redemption is an exception to the rule because it goes above and beyond the standard action movie by being a full-throttle blast of pure adrenaline and exhilaration from start to finish, with some of the best action sequences ever made, setting a new standard for the genre.”

9.      The Dark Knight Rises

·         “It wasn’t perfect and certainly wasn’t as good as its predecessor, but The Dark Knight Rises still proved to be a smart, emotional and even, dare I say, epic conclusion to a great trilogy”

10.  The Avengers

·         “The Avengers delivered all that it promised to be by being an exhilarating, funny blockbuster and all-around good time at the movies.”

Movie Review: Django Unchained

Django Unchained

 

By Jeremy Cooper: Layout Editor

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson

Synopsis: A slave in the Deep South named Django (Foxx) is freed by a German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), in order to help him identify and kill a group of criminals. In exchange for his help, Schultz promises to help Django free his wife (Washington) from an insidious plantation owner (DiCaprio).

Review: I’m a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino and I’m a huge fan of Westerns, so when I heard that I’d be getting both put together, it immediately became one of my most anticipated movies of this year. After a year of waiting, Django Unchained has thankfully met my expectations.

            This time, however, Tarantino has big issues to explore; racism and slavery, and he does so in the most Tarantino-y way possible. Like his previous film, Inglourious Basterds, it’s  a revenge-fantasy about a group of people who were wrongly persecuted getting even with their unfathomably cruel oppressors. When violence is committed against a slave, it is wince-inducing, intentionally and rightfully so, but when a cruel slaver gets it, it is a cheer-inducing splatter-fest.

            Tarantino’s brand of extended dialogue sequences somehow manage to be more entertaining than an entire action movie and Django Unchained is no exception. In addition, he creates a batch of eclectic characters, even the most minor of whom manage to make an impression on the audience.

            Jamie Foxx is a strong lead and brings a stoic demeanor to his character that’s reminiscent of the silent, rugged heroes of the old spaghetti westerns. However, this is a movie that belongs to its supporting players, the big three of whom are Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson.

            Waltz dominates the screen for the majority of the film and is charismatic, humorous and even a bit complex towards the end, always stealing the show. DiCaprio comes alive in a way I’ve never seen him do before as a villainous slaver whose charming personality is a thin disguise for his savage nature. This is the first time I think I’ve ever seen DiCaprio truly transform on screen and it might be my personal favorite performance of his. Lastly, Jackson gets probably the most original character as a slave whose loyalty to his owners leads him to go against his own people.

            Between a large dose of gleeful violence, fantastic acting and a surprisingly strong moral center, Django Unchained is easily one of my favorites of 2012.

Consensus: Outrageously entertaining from start to finish, Django Unchained is another gem in Quentin Tarantino’s nearly flawless collection.

Verdict: 9.5 out of 10