Eat it, Channing.
My first full year of cohabitation with Amy Lynch was spent watching more TV than movies. Her focus on a dissertation and my generally low IQ meant short attentions spans all around, which are much better suited to 44 minute episodes than 100+ minute movies. (Plus, Amy is a bit of a neophyte when it comes to the cinema, and my semi-regular habit of showing her "the classics," meant missing much of what 2012 had to offer). Nevertheless, with a single-screen theater less than 10 minutes walking time from the apartment, we did get out to see a few things this year, the best of which can be found below, in order from "blech" to "meh":
10. Haywire
First-rate ass-kicking goes international; Channing Tatum gets beat up by a girl - that alone was worth the price of admission.
9. Coriolanus
Ralph Fiennes does Shakespeare the way it was intended - with big guns and Gerard Butler, all seen through a CNN camera.
8. The Avengers
Noise, jokes, Hulk, shawarma (stay through the credits).
7. Hunger Games
A decent adaptation of the book, although it could have been called The Not-So-Hungry Games.
6. Cloud Atlas
I read and loved the book...still couldn't follow the movie.
10. Haywire
First-rate ass-kicking goes international; Channing Tatum gets beat up by a girl - that alone was worth the price of admission.
9. Coriolanus
Ralph Fiennes does Shakespeare the way it was intended - with big guns and Gerard Butler, all seen through a CNN camera.
8. The Avengers
Noise, jokes, Hulk, shawarma (stay through the credits).
7. Hunger Games
A decent adaptation of the book, although it could have been called The Not-So-Hungry Games.
6. Cloud Atlas
I read and loved the book...still couldn't follow the movie.
5. Prometheus
Don't think, just watch. (Seriously, the thing defies even simple logic) (Bonus take away: if you ever find yourself on the run from a giant rolling spaceship, just remember - tuck and roll to the side).
4. The Master
Nothing conveys authority like a mustache.
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Too heartbreaking to be really enjoyable, but an amazing movie with an incredible performance from that young actress whose name I can't pronouce (Quvenzhané Wallis...say THAT five-times fast, then tell me how to say it).
2. Looper
Joseph Gordon-Levitt growing up to be Bruce Willis is almost as unbelieveable as the mob using time travel to whack people. But...whatever - Looper was an action movie you can think about, with characters you can care about. It's a close second to my favorite movie of 2012...
1. Argo
I don't care if I'm unoriginal for saying so - Argo was a tense, yet funny thriller reminiscent of Three Days of the Condor. It's the kind of movie Hollywood stopped making right around the time Spielberg taught everybody how to make dinosaurs look real.
Don't think, just watch. (Seriously, the thing defies even simple logic) (Bonus take away: if you ever find yourself on the run from a giant rolling spaceship, just remember - tuck and roll to the side).
4. The Master
Nothing conveys authority like a mustache.
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Too heartbreaking to be really enjoyable, but an amazing movie with an incredible performance from that young actress whose name I can't pronouce (Quvenzhané Wallis...say THAT five-times fast, then tell me how to say it).
2. Looper
Joseph Gordon-Levitt growing up to be Bruce Willis is almost as unbelieveable as the mob using time travel to whack people. But...whatever - Looper was an action movie you can think about, with characters you can care about. It's a close second to my favorite movie of 2012...
1. Argo
I don't care if I'm unoriginal for saying so - Argo was a tense, yet funny thriller reminiscent of Three Days of the Condor. It's the kind of movie Hollywood stopped making right around the time Spielberg taught everybody how to make dinosaurs look real.