Suspect's Top Films
10. Side By Side
Great insight from those in the industry about the process of working with photochemical film and the new wave of digital filmmaking. Both sides are given equal opportunity to give the pros and cons.
9. Wreck it Ralph & Looper
Wreck-It-Ralph and Looper tie for the 9th spot. Both films create a unique world, set up the rules and follow through with them. The second half of both feel a bit different than the initial set up, but deliver on what was promised.
8. Skyfall
James Bond is back and better than ever. Beautifully shot with great stakes given to the supporting characters. Bardem seems to be having a fun time with the villain role and the action set pieces are entertaining enough.
7. Moonrise Kingdom
A welcomed addition to the list of Wes Anderson films. Quirky and just the right amount of weird you'd expect from Anderson. It took me awhile to get into the style and story, but once I was in, I was enthralled till the end.
6. Les Miserables
A lot of people are hating on the directorial choices here, but I was game from the get-go. I think Hooper took a lot of chances with this film and while not all of them pay off, enough do it to make the #6 spot.
5. The Dark Knight Rises
Epic in scope and would never meet those expectations. Despite being an excellent film above and beyond, the problems seem more apparent than any other entry. Bane is a great villain, Bale gives his best Wayne performance and it was a fitting ending to the saga.
4. The Avengers
While The Dark Knight Rises is what comic book films could be, The Avengers is what comic book films should be. A fun wild ride that should have failed, but managed to blow many expectations away. Joss Whedon managed to capture every aspect he needed to. Bravo.
3. Argo
The Best Picture winner that is well deserved. Affleck brings the 70's back to the big screen with a tense thriller with next to no action. Solid performances, writing and direction make this film a must watch.
2. The Cabin in the Woods
The most fun I've had in the theatre in years. A thrill ride from start to finish. Im a huge fan of the genre and loved the winks and nods to other films. Joss Whedon had an excellent year.
1. Cloud Atlas
Beautifully messy. Cloud Atlas was unlike anything else I saw this year. It's not perfect, but that's what makes it perfect.
Honourable Mention:
Seven Psychopaths, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, The Imposter
The Worst Films of the Year
5. ATM
3 people get stuck in an ATM shelter by a crazed lunatic. What makes this film utter trash is all the convenient circumstance that had to take place for any of this to even remotely work. The ending is even more bizarre when you stop to actually think about it. Interesting concepts that are never fully realized make the worst horror films, since they have some interesting potential and fall flat on their face. ATM falls flat and never manages to get back up.
4. That's My Boy
Adam Sandler has fallen far from the tree, which was never really high to begin with. His last few films simply showcase Sander being himself, a regular guy with lots of money and a sense of humour. That's My Boy has Sandler channelling his 'character' side and unfortunately his audience has seem to grown up and left him behind. That's My Boy is painfully unfunny and throws in some sick twisted incest humour that never gets any laughs. Sandler doing weird voices is so 90's.
3. Resident Evil: Retribution
What number is this one? When your film has to take ten minutes to recap the previous films you know you're in trouble. Here is another useless entry and serves no purpose other than to make a few quick bucks. What story developments happen? None. Much like the last entry, the last 5 minutes manages to move the story a few feet in one direction. All that crap that came before it was a visual orgasm and an eyesore at the same time. The Resident Evil films are dead and unlike the characters, should have stayed dead.
2. Piranha 3DD
How the hell is this not number one? Why the hell did I go to see this trash? Reasonable questions. I really liked Aja's entry and this one is painfully lacking all the thrills, gore, humour and fun. Obscene amounts of nudity at a water park? Yawn. The film is about 70 minutes, with ten minutes of credits, ten minutes of underwater 'swim' moments and ten minutes of screams. Useless beyond imagination. Even if you're looking for a bad film to enjoy, skip this crap.
1. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Why is this number one and not Piranha 3DD? For the simple fact that this film has something going for it, Piranha had nothing. Ghost Rider stars Nic Cage in which he takes the character, makes him alien like and boring. The special effects are neat, but that's about it. This film is WEIRD, even by comic book standards. While the first was your typical hollywood fare, this entry is nothing of the sorts. It pains me to think about the scenes in this film. I usually give Cage a pass on the account that I'm a huge fan, but even I have my limits.