10. The Tree of Life
(yes, this picture is at the Bonneville Salt Flats!) There is so much I don't understand about this movie. I'm inclined to say that it's too unorthodox for it's own good, but there is something about this film's style that puts it at the top of many film critics' lists. The film mixes the simple story of a troubled family, led by a strict father (Brad Pitt), with scenes depicting the creation of the universe. A lot of the content flew over my head, but this work of art certainly stands out in this year of films.
9. X-Men: First Class
I love movies/stories with teams. Lord of the Rings? Yes. Inception? Of course. X-Men? All the way. This movie didn't meet my expectations in many respects, but it was still impressive. The best part of all was probably the cast...no ginormous stars. That's the way I like it, especially when such a cast can deliver as well as these guys. I'm also a fan of mutant abilities...don't ask. Cool stuff right here.
8. Thor
We can all agree Thor wasn't exactly a high-quality film. Sure, some of the scenes were borderline cheesy and the story wasn't fabulous, but there were a lot of aspects of this film I loved. The leading relationship was cute. Thor's team of Norse warriors was flipping awesome! Best of all was the depiction of Asgard, the Norse realm...those scenes inspired me. In terms of creating an atmosphere, Thor's the top contender.
7. Hanna
Hanna was weird. I mean, it's a story about a young teenage girl trained to be an assassin...of course it's weird. If you can get past the gruesome and crude bits, Hanna has a lot to offer through its one-of-a-kind story and incredible collection of music. This movie surprised me in a variety of ways.
6. The Adjustment Bureau
A lot of movies tried to be especially clever this year a la Inception. Source Code, In Time, Limitless. For me, these ones didn't quite work out. The Adjustment Bureau, on the other hand, was at once intriguing, touching, and well-constructed. I had heard bad things about it, but for me, it was all good. If your life isn't going as planned, the Adjustment Bureau "adjusts" it, but can love beat this predetermined fate? Definitely one of the top thrillers of the year.
A lot of movies tried to be especially clever this year a la Inception. Source Code, In Time, Limitless. For me, these ones didn't quite work out. The Adjustment Bureau, on the other hand, was at once intriguing, touching, and well-constructed. I had heard bad things about it, but for me, it was all good. If your life isn't going as planned, the Adjustment Bureau "adjusts" it, but can love beat this predetermined fate? Definitely one of the top thrillers of the year.
5. Soul Surfer
I understand that Soul Surfer didn't closely follow the story that it's based on, but I was still moved, and by 'moved' I mean more than I think I ever have been by a movie. If you haven't heard about it, it's about the teenager in Hawaii who lost her arm in a shark attack and then continued surfing competitively. It's one of the most inspiring things I've seen and despite the flak some critics have been giving it, I'd recommend it to anyone.
I understand that Soul Surfer didn't closely follow the story that it's based on, but I was still moved, and by 'moved' I mean more than I think I ever have been by a movie. If you haven't heard about it, it's about the teenager in Hawaii who lost her arm in a shark attack and then continued surfing competitively. It's one of the most inspiring things I've seen and despite the flak some critics have been giving it, I'd recommend it to anyone.
4. The Thing
When boredom crept in during this summer, my family turned to horror movies, which I haven't really cared about for a while. One of the movies I watched was the original The Thing from 1982. After that, I was obviously pumped up for the new one. I thought it was awesome. Nothing beats the psychological tricks behind The Thing's terrifying concept. The Thing takes place in an antarctic research camp where a monster picks off the team one by one. When it absorbs a victim, it takes their shape, meaning no one knows who's human and who's monster. Ultimate paranoia. Freaky.
3. Hugo
Inspired by a children's book and directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo is a film about a homeless boy in Paris who is searching for the key to activate an automaton his deceased father left him. In the process, he finds a forgotten filmmaker (this character is a real person who is known as the father of special effects today) and brings his work to the world. This film is delightful and beautiful; it put my expectations to shame.
There you go. Hopefully you haven't seen some of these and I've convinced you to give them a shot. Now it's time to drool over Hunger Games and all of those other exciting 2012 movies!
When boredom crept in during this summer, my family turned to horror movies, which I haven't really cared about for a while. One of the movies I watched was the original The Thing from 1982. After that, I was obviously pumped up for the new one. I thought it was awesome. Nothing beats the psychological tricks behind The Thing's terrifying concept. The Thing takes place in an antarctic research camp where a monster picks off the team one by one. When it absorbs a victim, it takes their shape, meaning no one knows who's human and who's monster. Ultimate paranoia. Freaky.3. Hugo
Inspired by a children's book and directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo is a film about a homeless boy in Paris who is searching for the key to activate an automaton his deceased father left him. In the process, he finds a forgotten filmmaker (this character is a real person who is known as the father of special effects today) and brings his work to the world. This film is delightful and beautiful; it put my expectations to shame.
2. Super 8
Cloverfield and War of the Worlds are some of my favorite movies of all-time. People think it's because I like monster movies. I don't. I like survival movies. I like seeing a group of people come together against something unimaginable, something incredibly dangerous. Usually some sort of monster serves as that something. Super 8 has a monster, but that's not why I like it. I like it because of how the relationships develop between the characters as they face the monster. I like it because of the emotional intensity. I like it because of the ending, which was this year's very best.
Cloverfield and War of the Worlds are some of my favorite movies of all-time. People think it's because I like monster movies. I don't. I like survival movies. I like seeing a group of people come together against something unimaginable, something incredibly dangerous. Usually some sort of monster serves as that something. Super 8 has a monster, but that's not why I like it. I like it because of how the relationships develop between the characters as they face the monster. I like it because of the emotional intensity. I like it because of the ending, which was this year's very best.
1. Life in a Day
I watched this film just a couple days ago and I instantly knew it would skyrocket toward the top of this list. Life in a Day is a documentary about just that: a day in the life of humanity. Primarily through YouTube, Ridley Scott, working with a few other big names in the film industry, asked the world to film their lives on one day: July 24th, 2010. The result was 45,000 hours of contributed footage from 192 countries. I thought of submitting something myself, knowing that it was Utah's birthday that day, but I lazied out. Anyway, all of this amounted to a 90 minute movie about people and about their lives. In one scene, which is only a second long, a man waits at the register with a credit card. He is purchasing an engagement ring. In another scene, a father and son pay tribute to their deceased wife/mother. As you can imagine, this is all very touching, and the only characters are us, the people of the world, on a single day. It's cool to know that not even the year's greatest stories could beat this account of pure reality in my mind. I only wish it was ten times longer than it is. give it a shot.
There you go. Hopefully you haven't seen some of these and I've convinced you to give them a shot. Now it's time to drool over Hunger Games and all of those other exciting 2012 movies!
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