Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Director-Benh Zeitlin

Rated-PG-13

Length-93 min.

This inspirational tale delves into a multitude of controversial issues ranging from poverty and alcoholism to global warming and the meaning of life. Through all the hardship, Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) provides audience members with an astonishing sense of strength and hope. This story takes place within the southernmost part of Louisiana, and depicts the poverties that Hushpuppy and her alcoholic father, Wink (Dwight Henry) face on a daily basis. The poverty line is strictly divided by the water levee that disallows ocean water into the coast, where the rest of society resides. When the "Bathtub" or their little slice of heaven floods because of the levee, reality truly sets in. The clash between reality and fiction is hard to distinguish in some cases, for we are often allowed inside the mind of young Hushpuppy and her dreams of enormous hogs making their way down south and memories of her long lost mother are scarcely defined. This distinction could be made more obvious if Director Benh Zeitlin was more definitive with what is real and what is not; for I am still unsure at the film's conclusion. The optimistic outcome of this film is unfortunately overshadowded by the reality of homelessness and abandonment. I think Quvenzhane did a fantastic job for an actress of her age, and was very deserving of her youngest ever nomination for Best Actress; however, it was still not quite enough to lift this film to its full potential. Beasts of the SouthernWild.

 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Rated: R
Length: 157 min.

I am beginning to think that this was yet another mediocre year for Best Picture nominees, for as I watched Zero Dark Thirty for the very first time this afternoon, I was once again disappointed. This action-thriller portrays a very realistic depiction of the events leading up to Osama Bin Laden's capture; however, it took a little too long to get to that point. With the vivacious acting skills of Jessica Chastain playing the role of the obsessive feminist CIA operative, this film was somewhat intriguing.  On the other hand, the dramatic elements of this film seemed to be underplayed and there was a need for more background information to support the placement of characters in the film. Not to mention the fact that every member of Al-Qaeda seemed to have a name that started with "Abu," and the majority of the rest were impossible to understand. This film could have been condensed to an hour and 45 minutes and reached the same conclusions. For one of this year's best, I was only mildly impressed, and I still think Django Unchained is highly under-appreciated in the world of film. Overall, not a bad film by any means, and most definitely patriotic; but hardly worthy of a Best Picture nomination in my eyes.

Argo (2012)

Director: Ben Affleck

Rated: R

Length: 120 min.

 

Taking home both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Picture, I expected more from this highly decorated film. Although this film displayed a very accurate depiction of the events that played out in history, it failed to reach me on a personal level. Now, I have a lot of respect for Ben Affleck as both an actor and filmmaker, but I feel as though The Town, was far superior to his most recent "juggernaut." The realistic qualities of this film weren't shown in a fashion that made it believable, even though I knew that this film depicted the historical events extremely well from the real-time photographs shown at film's end. Maybe it's the fact that I hold films to the highest standard these days, but in all honesty, this was just plain boring. The action sequences were premature, and the hostages didn't seem to be at all scared of their impending plight. I was not convinced. All in all, not a bad film, but definitely undeserving of Best Picture of the Year. Come on now Argo, you can do better than that.

Django Unchained (2012)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Rated: R
Length: 165 min.

Django Unchained made its premiere on Christmas Day, and was the best present a movie lover could ask for. Quentin Tarantino's unique style of direction was yet again on full display on this celebrated holiday. His incorporation of multiple music genres included songs from the likes of rap superstars Rick Ross and Tupac Shakur, whom of which gave this Western a much more modern feel to it. Christoph Waltz (Dr. King Schultz), who shined as the Nazi "Jew hunter" in Inglorious Basterds, once again stole the show with his wonderful depiction of a highly intelligent, fearless bounty hunter on a mission to provide equality for all. Jamie Foxx was a great lead for the role of Django, and his transformation of character made for a very interesting plot outcome. As to be expected, Leonardo DiCaprio (Calvin Candie) played the role of the villain to the tee, and was surprisingly easy to hate, which is hard to contemplate considering the role he usually plays of the archetypal hero. The extremity of gore and violence was all too familiar in this Tarantino picture, and sometimes seemed to take things too far. The explicit racism of this film was excessive and ridiculous, but probably fairly accurate to this pre-Civil War era film. Although the bigotry and violence was a bit much, it all came together so well at its conclusion. All in all, this was the best film I've seen this year. If this film doesn't win best picture, I have no hope for humanity. Go see it as soon as possible, but be ready for a blood bath.

End of Watch (2012)

Director: David Ayer

Rated: R

Length: 109 min

From the director of Traning Day, David Ayer brings to life yet another heroic tale of two cops who roam the streets of South Central, forced to face the harsh reality of this treacherous neighborhood. Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhall) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) are partners who play off of each other extremely well, providing a colorful commentary to follow throughout the film. However, this film is not all fun and games, the people they encounter on a daily basis have nothing to lose and are ready to kill at any moment. Taylor and Zavala play the role of a young, reckless, and courageous tandem who take down the hardened criminals of the most ruthless gangs in the entire country. The reality of this film is almost too much to handle in some cases, for it presents a very gruesome depiction of how the life of a police officer can truly be. The cinematography of this film is shown mostly through a hand held camera from the first person perspective, which adds to the excitement of every scene. But this film does also convey the familial side of police life, showing the sensitive side of these hardnosed cops, which they must keep hidden behind their day jobs. This very realistic and heartfelt story is a must-see for all action junkies, and might even spark the interest of a small portion of the female audience, especially with the studly antics of Jake Gyllenhall. End of Watch.

Skyfall (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes

Rated: PG-13

Length: 143 min.

 

In everything you would expect from a Bond film, director Sam Mendes adds a highly entertaining, but somewhat predictable chapter to the 007 legacy. From high intensity fight sequences to multiple love affairs with extremely attractive women; this film has all the pieces needed to create another Bond classic.  With amazing scenery that ranges from the towering skyscrapers of Shanghai to the immensely desolate foothills of Scotland; the variety in cinematography makes this a fun-filled adventure for all to enjoy. Although there may never be another Bond like the archetypal Sean Connery, Daniel Craig is a close second with his classy style and cool demeanor that he portrays with onscreen perfection. Javier Bardem (Silva) was a fantastic choice for the villain in this film, but that is to be expected from an actor of his caliber, who has proven himself to be amongst the elite with performances in such films as No Country for Old Men and Biutiful. However, with yet another unsurprising and outlandish plot, this film fails to reach the level of astonishment that I had expected from such a critically acclaimed motion picture. I hope the next Bond film will live up to its expectations. For the best films are those of which stimulate the mind, wouldn't you agree? Skyfall.

 

Flight (2012)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rated: R
Length: 138 min.
 

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be in a plane crash? How safe would you feel if your pilot was drunk? In Director Robert Zemeckis' film Flight, Whip Whittaker (Denzel Washington) plays the role of a drug/alcohol addicted pilot who can't seem to overcome the temptation of being intoxicated. In a very intense crash sequence in which the sense of panic and desperation can be felt immensely by the viewer, Whip is forced to make a crash landing in an abandoned field in order to save the lives of the 102 passengers on board. And even though he lands successfully and saves the lives of 96 on board, six lives were still lost. Due to his alcoholism, Whip was highly intoxicated when performing his duties, leaving a strong sense of negligence in the minds of families who'd lost loved ones. Was the crash attributed to his drinking problem? I leave that up to you to decide. With a star studded cast that includes the likes of Denver native Don Cheadle (Hugh Lang), the very talented Bruce Greenwood (Charlie Anderson), along with the hysterical antics of John Goodman (Harling Mays); this film soared. The hippie drug dealer that Goodman portrays provides a perfect sense of comic relief to a film that covers much more serious real life issues ranging from drug/alcohol abuse to moral ethics. Zemeckis, who also directed one of my all-time favorites in Forrest Gump, does another fantastic job with his choice of soundtrack; especially with the film's theme song played repeatedly throughout; the Rolling Stones' famous track, 'Gimme Shelter.' All in all, this film delivers a powerful message in how honesty conquers all. It may have been a little strung out at times, but in the end it left me with a sense of satisfaction by viewing the magnificent performance put on by the ever-so versitile Denzel Washington, in yet another transformative role.