2012 was a remarkable year for movies – not just financially, but artistically.
Even as The Hunger Games and The Avengers and Skyfall and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 broke records and brought in historic revenues, some of the industry’s most talented actors and filmmakers further solidified their place in the Hollywood firmament, even as newcomers introduced the world to artistic voices that deserve to be heard.
All of which made a Top Ten list that much more difficult to whittle down. Nevertheless, Celebuzz assembled an in-no-particular-order collection of films that deserve recognition at the end of year, and which we believe may stand the test of time long after their competition had disappeared from our collective memories.
As arbitrary as choosing Number Four from Number Five might be, we did elect a few titles for the top of our list, starting with The Master. Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film was a revelation – a challenging, unique work of art that came to the screen without compromise, and which reminded us what the word auteur truly means.
Meanwhile, Leos Carax’ Holy Motors and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained also ranked high as favorites, for their equally singular charms, and similar artistic integrity. On the other hand, films like 21 Jump Street and The Hunger Gamesalso unexpectedly joined their ranks as crowd-pleasers that don’t skimp on intelligence or emotional resonance as they engage our most primal instincts to be entertained.
Make sure you read through the gallery above for a full list of Celebuzz’ favorite films of 2012, where we mount a defense for each of them and challenge readers to check them out. In the meantime, check out our video recap of the year’s best and most memorable, and then let us know: what was your favorite film of 2012? Let the debate begin in the comments section!
