Tuesday, June 02, 2026
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The 10 Best Movies of 2009: A Lucky 13 Retrospective & Re-Ranking
The 10 Best Movies of 2009
A Lucky 13 Retrospective & Re-Ranking
Friday, January 25, 2013
Best Films of 2012 - By Ray Manukay
By Ray Manukay
This Article first appeared on our legacy site PassMeThePopcorn (Now Defunct)
The Notable Films of 2012:
This year had some great films.
I honestly can’t think of a better year in recent memory, that featured so many impressive and genuinely enjoyable and thought-provoking films. Because of the sheer volume of excellent, quality movies this year it didn’t feel right that I leave some of them off my best films of the year list. So, in addition to my Top Ten Films of 2012, I’ve included some of my favorite films of the past year and separated them into different genres. (Yeah…this year was that good.)
Noteworthy Action Films of 2012:
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall
The Hobbit
Haywire
Looper
Noteworthy Dramatic films of 2012:
Argo
Lincoln
The Impossible
Lawless
Zero Dark Thirty
The Sessions
Life of Pi
Noteworthy Character Studies of 2012:
Flight
Arbitrage
The Grey
Bernie
Silver Linings Playbook
Noteworthy Comedies of 2012:
This is 40
Ted
To Rome with Love
21 Jump Street
Noteworthy Animated films of 2012:
Paranorman
Wreck-it-Ralph
Frankenweenie
The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
And now, without further ado…
My Top Ten Films of 2012:
10.The Dictator
directed by LARRY CHARLES
Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest comedy is arguably his best yet. Yes, The DICTATOR is scripted and it lacks the gonzo appeal, and dangerous, comedic energy of his previous films Borat and Bruno. But The Dictator still features his trademark mix of crude, inappropriate shocking moments of wit and pointed socio-political jabs. Take for example the final speech in the film:
“Why are you guys so anti-dictators? Imagine if America was a dictatorship. You could let 1 percent of the people have all the nation’s wealth. You could help your rich friends get richer by cutting their taxes and bailing them out when they gamble and lose. You could ignore the needs of the poor for health care and education. Your media would appear free, but would secretly be controlled by one person and his family. You could wiretap phones. You could torture foreign prisoners. You could have rigged elections. You could lie about why you go to war. You could fill your prisons with one particular racial group and no one would complain. You could use the media to scare the people into supporting policies that are against their interests.”
It’s both hilarious and painfully truthful. The essence of great comedy.
9. Les Miserables
directed by TOM HOOPER
Yes, the voices could be stronger. The cinematography is dizzying and unusual. But there’s a reason that Les Miserables is arguably the most popular musical of all-time. The music is great and the story is emotionally stirring. There are lots of ways this film could have gone bad. (Think Rock of Ages or The Producers). Instead, we got a solid and entertaining film adaptation that can be shared for years to come. The highlight of the film is Anne Hathaway’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream.” It’s an instant film scene classic.
8. Holy Motors
directed by LEOS CARAX
So what in the world is HOLY MOTORS about? Well…it’s about everything and anything. A smorgasbord of storytelling. The film is part David Lynch, part Ridley Scott, and part Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It defies categorization and simple synopsis. HOLY MOTORS also hints at the true potential of film and storytelling. Which is limitless. HOLY MOTORS defies convention.
7.The Perks of Being a Wallflower
directed by STEPHEN CHBOSKY
As far as coming of age stories go, there hasn’t been a more touching, honest and sensitive portrayal of youth on film since STAND BY ME. ThE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER succeeds in capturing the real-life angst, awkwardness, pain and even magic of growing up. The film features some impressive performances from the entire cast, which defies their youth. Perhaps a testament to the excellent script and thoughtful direction of Stephen Chbosky.
6. Safety Not Guaranteed
directed by COLIN TREVORROW
More of a character piece than a time travel yarn, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED is about human connection. Connecting, emotionally, and spirtually with the people in one’s past to advance one’s relationships in the present. It’s a film about examining who we are, faults and all to become the people we hope and wish to be. It’s about risking and investing in one’s self and also on others. No matter how scary or unlikely the connection may be. Because as terrifying or intimidating as time travel may be, it pales in comparison to exploring one’s own heart and soul.
5. Cloud Atlas
directed by LANA & ANDY WACHOWSKI, TOM TYKWER
Ambitious, sprawling, genre-bending, even epic. CLOUD ATLAS is alot of movie. Maybe too much movie for some people. Different stories, in different time periods, featuring the same actors, in different story-lines, all connected spiritually and emotionally. Yeah it’s a mouthful and definitely challenging storytelling. But it’s also great and fantastic movie magic. If one is looking for a can’t miss movie to check out. This is it. Because even if one isn’t crazy about the film as a whole. There is likely a storyline, genre or character in the film that will appeal to one looking for entertainment.
4. End of Watch
directed by DAVID AYER
I can’t think of a bigger challenge for a Hollywood film than to make LAPD street cops appear as heroes in a movie. With the history of well documented real-life corruption within the LAPD, and it’s often evil or general incompetent portrayal of the LAPD police force in film, it’s hard for audiences to feel anything but disdain for the Hollywood version of the LAPD. If anything LAPD street cops are often seen as obstructing clowns in films, not heroes. But END OF WATCH presents them as just that. The police officers in END OF WATCH are shown as working class, civil servants, not one-dimensional stereotypes. They have hopes,dreams, aspirations and human faults just like everyone else. But they also get paid to protect us. By the time the final Hollywood style shootout happens we are invested in these characters, almost like family. Amazing work and affable, effective performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena.
3. Killing Them Softly
directed by ANDREW DOMINIK
This little seen gem is on the surface a neo-noir crime drama with anti-violence overtones. But the reality is KILLING THEM SOFTLY is also a cautionary tale on capitalism. It’s a harsh criticism of American consumerism. It’s a critique of the kill or be killed, me first mentality that is crippling America’s economy. Pretty heady stuff for a crime thriller. Sad that the American audience didn’t embrace this film. But now’s your chance to check it out. Warning, however, it’s not for the faint of heart.
2. The Master
directed by PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
Paul Thomas Anderson’s film THE MASTER is an actor’s showcase. It is a character piece exploring two seemingly extreme personalities, played by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. These are characters who are actually more alike than different. It’s about trying to find direction in the meaninglessness of life. Critics got hung up on the similarities to Scientology and the lack of narrative through line. The real magic of the film is the performances of Hoffman and Phoenix as well as a surprisingly strong one from Amy Adams. With Paul Thomas Anderson at the helm, the film is a testament to these great artists exploring the human condition at the top of their collective games.
1. Django Unchained
directed by QUENTIN TARANTINO
Controversy aside DJANGO UNCHAINED is thrilling popcorn entertainment. Sure that’s an odd description for a film that uses pre-civil war, southern american slavery as a back-drop. But the trap of the film is to dig too deep into it’s meaning or message. Which… I honestly did on my initial viewing. After additional viewings and some consideration, I concluded that DJANGO UNCHAINED is truly and at it’s core a tribute to genre film-making. It’s escapist entertainment. It’s a spaghetti western wrapped in a southern black exploitation flick. If Tarantino were to neglect the more gruesome and disturbing elements of the black exploitation genre, the controversy would be his watering down of America’s dark history. Instead, viewers are discussing the subject of pre-civil war slavery. Even more than audiences of the overtly, anti-slavery, historical drama LINCOLN. DJANGO UNCHAINED is entertaining and thought provoking. While not being preachy or insulting. Exactly what great art is supposed to do.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
My Favorite Films of 2010
Honorable Mention: (In no particular order)
* The King's Speech
* The Ghost Writer
* Toy Story 3
* Macgruber
* The Green Zone
* Hot Tub Time Machine
* The Other Guys
* Machete
* The Black Swan
2010 was a good year for silly comedies for me. In retrospect, the movie year creeped up on me with some of the year's great films being released BEFORE awards season. I'm not sure how this year ranks in terms of past years. But I think there were some definite real gems out there this year. So without further ado... here are MY personal favorite films of 2010.
10. Shutter Island
Haunting, frightening and ultimately disturbing film from Martin Scorsese. The film is anchored by a fantastic underrated performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. Echoes of Stanley Kubrick in this greatly executed and unique film.
9. The Town
Great crime thriller with some unexpected humor and adult romance. Surprising understated performance and no-nonsense direction from Ben Affleck.
8. Kick Ass
The film made headlines for the controversial use of a gun wielding minor as a protagonist... yet the film is undeniably entertaining, with some great action and engaging visuals.
7. The American
I'm a big fan of minimalism in a film, obviously... since David Mamet is my favorite writer. But this bare to the bones drama and thriller is engrossing and hypnotic. Great and haunting performance by George Clooney.
6. The Fighter
As a fan of boxing it was a real no-brainer that I'd love this film. But what really stands out in this film is Christian Bale's amazing performance. Easily the best performance by an actor this year. Amy Addams is also fantastic in the film, as well as an affable and solid Mark Wahlberg.5. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I'm probably supposed to be too old to enjoy a film like this, but Edgar Wright's direction as well as the exciting visual concept and fantastic production design, combined with an affable cast make this truly one of the best, most original movies of 2010.4. Inception
Complex and non-traditional story telling aside, this film provided the best action and most enjoyable pure movie experience of 2010. The only thing holding it back from being my favorite film was the fact, that after repeat viewings, the film suffers from a bit too much pretension and no matter how one tries to justify it... the ending is just unsatisfying.
3. Winter's Bone
The biggest surprise of 2010 for me was this award winning independent film. I was engrossed from the very first frame. This movie takes us into a world not many movie going audiences have ever seen. What struck me the most was the authenticity and sincerity of the film's simple story and its rooted realistic characters. Excellent performances from Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes.
2. True Grit
Well... EVERYONE knows I LOVE a western and this was a Coen Brothers spun western no less. The film was destined to land on my top ten list. What I really enjoyed was the non-traditional take the Coen brothers took with the action pieces. Most of the movie's showdowns are viewed from a cliff side view from a distance. Unusual and unique considering western's notoriously use close-ups. But the Coen Brothers turned the convention on its head... which left a haunting, disturbing and uniquely helpless perspective of realistic violence. Fantastic performances by Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.And my Favorite Film of 2010 is...
1. The Social Network
A movie about Facebook? Well... obviously there's a lot more going on here than just that. Fantastic quotable dialogue, steady confident direction, sincere, affable as well as...not so affable characters and a fascinating (mostly) true story about a group of friends achieving the Modern American Dream... and the highs & lows of what that entails. This all makes this not only a great film for 2010, but truly one of the great social commentary films in modern film history.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
My Favorite Films of 2008
For every mildly enjoyable picture that I watched this year, I saw three horrible films. I'm not exactly sure why this year was different than most. I suspect the writer's strike played a part in it. Perhaps it might have been the current bleak political and world climate which have made films seem more frivolous and insignificant this past year.
In any case, until this past week, I couldn't even fill out a top ten list.
To be completely honest, some of these films I found deeply flawed and mediocre.
But I've started a tradition here, so I felt it necessary to keep it up for posterity.
I think it's important to note that I haven't been able to watch the four hour epic Che yet. Considering the subject matter and the presence of Benicio Del Toro, I can pretty much guarantee the film would land on this list. But since I haven't seen it. I can't put it on here....but when I do...I'll be sure to adjust accordingly.
So without further ado.
Honorable Mention: Slumdog Millionaire
This movie is overly sentimental, naively optimistic at points and to be completely honest extremely over-rated. But I did enjoy the sense of escapism and the film's desire to share with the audience a world that we weren't familiar with. I just wish the themes were a little more poignant then just "Love conquers all." Although I admit in this day and age it's not a horrible message to spread. It's just not realistic or believable. Speaking of unbelievable, the final question for the Who wants to be a millionaire? bit in the film...Give me a break. I don't care if the show is a version for the planet Mars and featured Martian contestants...that question was too friggin easy.
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This is a big old fashioned Hollywood film. In some ways it reminded me of the works of Tim Burton. It's refreshing to see David Fincher create a movie like this. Although it mostly works, the film happens to be strange, awkward and also unintentionally creepy in some points. But the twist on the experience of aging is creative and poignant, while the ending is heartbreaking and memorable.
9. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Fun, breezy and charming, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is both a return to form and a unique film for Woody Allen. I enjoyed the personality test of attraction that Woody Allen presented with the different female characters in the film. But what I found most enjoyable was Javier Bardem's return to romantic lead, which almost makes the viewer forget about his chilling performance in No Country For Old Men....almost.
8. Wall E
The adventures of a little robot and his longing for companionship set in the backdrop of a post apocalyptic earth touches and surprises me every time I watch it. That it can amuse my two children while my wife and I get a little break makes it even more impressive.
7. The Wrestler
The story itself is simple, as well as formulaic and in the end I'm not exactly sure what it wants to say and even if it's worth saying, but as a pure acting piece the movie is an impressive showcase for Mickey Rourke, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei. Rourke is fantastic, arguably the best overall performance of the year.
6. Taken
Imagine if Robert De Niro in Ronin or Val Kilmer in Spartan were after someone. Now imagine that the reason why they are after that person....is that they kidnapped his daughter to sell her as a sex slave.
Stand back and watch the fireworks fly.
This was my favorite pure action film of the year. Ironic, since I believe the film failed to earn an American release and most people don't even know it exists. I suspect it's because of the subject matter of sex trafficking and slavery. Pretty much box office poison in this day and age. But I found the movie thrilling, exciting and fulfilling in a way I wasn't expecting. Perhaps it's because I have a daughter now and I sympathized with Liam Neeson's character more than other traditional protagonist in other action films. I know it's an unusual choice but there's no denying I got sucked into the suspenseful story more than most films this year.
5. Revolutionary Road
Emotionally brutal and at times unbearable to watch, the film really captures the dynamics of a volatile marriage in a way which is rarely captured in film. Not only do the moments ring true, there is a strange sense of therapeutic enjoyment in watching the troubled characters naively stumble through their lives. I think this accounts for the comparisons to Sam Mendes previous work American Beauty. But I think this film is more raw than American Beauty and in the end more powerful. Fine performances all around. Kudos to Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet who carry a movie together with their excellent acting instead of with a sinking ship.
4. Milk
Extremely timely, politically charged and featuring a moving sympathetic portrayal by Sean Penn and a chilling, as well as strangely sympathetic performance from Josh Brolin. But what I was most impressed with was Gus Van Sant's excellent direction, which really painted a fascinating and human portrait of the visionary leader. The film also provides an interesting look at the complicated time period and the seeds which were planted that have carried over into the volatile political climate that we have today. Probably the most important film of the year, although I couldn't help thinking while watching the film that it might have been better served with more real gay actors in the film.
3. Gran Torino
This movie was one of the funniest and most thought provoking films of the year. Although the ending is pretentious and a bit out of place, I thought the themes of the film were powerful and moving in a way I wasn't expecting. Issues such as masculinity, family and community are some of the points that the film presents and Clint Eastwood explores them here better than any film has done in a long time. Did I mention how hilarious the film is? What can I say, I'm a sucker for inappropriate humor.
2. Nothing But the Truth
I admit I'm an unabashed Rod Lurie fan.
I just think that he's one of the most underrated writer/directors working today. Nobody is making well made character studies like this in Hollywood anymore and it's a real shame. This film features wonderful performances from the terrific ensemble cast. The movie's story is suspenseful and powerful, while taking the audience on an unpredictable roller coaster ride. It all leads to a thought provoking ending that will have one examining their personal beliefs and debating the themes of the work for days later.
And finally.....
1. The Dark Knight
What can I say....I'm a total geek.
This film had everything I want in a movie. Action, suspense, strong story, fascinating characters, great acting, and excellent direction. Even had a breathtaking IMAX presentation. The fact that the movie is about a guy who refers to himself as Batman shouldn't take away from the accomplishments of the cast, crew and director. Christopher Nolan created an excellent and superior follow up to an already fantastic film. I said this before and a lot of people have called me crazy. But the film was so good that I almost don't want to see a part 3. I honestly think it can't get any better. Why drum up another adventure and try? Besides Heath Ledger's well publicized great performance, I think Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman and my new favorite actor Christian Bale deserve equal credit for delivering my favorite film of 2008.
