Favourite Films of 2012

**Update**: So I've seen a few more films this week on DVD that I missed in theatres and now I feel compelled to adjust my list accordingly. I might need to just add two more slots and make it my luck 17...

So, yeah. It's been a while since I last wrote here. I'm going to work on changing that. So for starters I'm going to list my favourite films from 2012.

I like to do a Top 15, just because. So without further ado...

1. Argo - Ben Affleck has done a masterful job crafting this film. It's riveting, humourous, engaging and suspenseful even when you know the outcome. If it wasn't based on a real situation,  no one would believe it.

2. Life of Pi -I couldn't help but smile when I watched this film. It's beautiful, gorgeous, stunning and any other synonyms to describe it's beauty. It's emotionally involving and I never thought I would get so involved with a CGI tiger but the tiger has so much personality and newcomer Suraj Sharma delivers a fantastic performance as does his older self Irrfan Khan. It's a story about the survival of the human spirit and a truly great one at that.

3. Safety Not Guaranteed - I've known about this ad posted in the paper thanks to YTMND but this film surprised me. It's not a one-note joke, but a character study and shows the kindness of people and illustrates what a little bit of belief can do. It's funny, heartfelt and features a great performance by Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass.

4. Skyfall - The best Bond movie ever? I'd say so. It features one of the best movie villains since The Joker and Javier Bardem's entrance as Silva is something to behold. I couldn't take my eyes off him and I didn't want to blink in case I missed something. Couple that with Roger Deakins cinematography and Sam Mendes directing and you have a mature, emotional, exciting film.

5. Django Unchained - Hilarious, bloody, character driven, ambitious, and all around great film. You'd expect nothing less from Quentin Tarantino who has done it again.

6. Lincoln - Spielberg. Day-Lewis. Lincoln. In any other hands, I am sure this would've been a by-the-numbers historical biopic but what they've done here is carve out the most important moment in his life - and quite possibly the United States' - and bring it to life in a way that is neither boring nor pedantic.

7. The Dark Knight Rises - Epic film making that has changed the way we define the superhero genre. That's what Christopher Nolan has done with his final installment in his Batman trilogy. The action, the music (Hans Zimmer does it again), the cinematography (IMAX adds depth and makes the experience better), and a story line that is all to close to reality (which can be a downer) but Batman rises, and we with him.

8. Zero Dark Thirty - A gripping political thriller that shows the struggle to catch the most wanted man in the world. Jessica Chastain is brilliant, and we see her break down, push through and say "I'm the motherfucker". Damn. Like 'Argo', even though we know the outcome, the final raid on Bin Laden's fortress is suspenseful and exhilarating.

9. Looper - A great twist on the time travel genre that is filled with great visuals and a great script.

10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - A welcome return to Middle Earth and while some were put off by the HFR, I was not and found the visual imagery to be beautiful and Peter Jackson has retained the humour and imagination he brought to his 'Lord of the Rings' films.

11. Moonrise Kingdom - Quirky, cute, funny, Wes Anderson, unique characters, well written, beautiful music, scenery and all around production design. I loved this film.

12.  ParaNorman - See my review. Wonderfully animated, well-written and an animated film with heart.

13. The Cabin in the Woods - It takes something special to pull of comedy and horror but this film does it and does so in a way that is original and very self-aware of the genre. I really enjoyed this film.

14. The Master - Joaquin Phoenix delivers the best performance of the year. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is equally engaging and malicious but it's Phoenix's movie. The camera gravitates toward him and he makes us uncomfortable but it draws us in and we see how flawed he is.

15. Wreck-It Ralph - A truly great animated film with wonderfully imaginative locations and characters.

16. Prometheus - Thought-provoking, divisive, but great film making. Ridley Scott returns to space and he strikes the mood with this beautiful 'search for life's origins' film.

17. The Avengers - Awesome. Awesome. I had so much fun with this film. The set pieces, the characters, Joss Whedon's writing and understanding of this universe are combine to make a great film.