My Best/Worst 2012 Films, Oscar Rankings

Sure, it's 55 days into 2013 but why not take a trip back in time with me? Since I've finally seen all of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture, and I don't think there are any more 2012 releases that I'm going to see -- if any I haven't seen are even still in theaters -- it's time for my top ten of the sixty films (up by 6 from last year) I got to see. But first...

My Bottom 5 of 2012

5. Men in Black 3 -- An extremely tired sequel.
4. This Means War -- The worst rom-com and there's no Katherine Heigl or Gerard Butler in sight.
3. Silent House -- So bad I couldn't remember what it was about until I checked Wikipedia, and then it all came back to me.
2. Les Miserables -- I think I hated "Silent House" worse but I walked out of this one. But I did stay to the end of THE worst film of 2012...
1. Rock of Ages -- I will never understand why the film version, with the female lead's character named Sherrie, didn't bother to include the song "Oh Sherrie." Never. That song might have saved this from my only F of 2012...umm, probably not...

My Top 10 of 2012


10. Pitch Perfect -- More realistic than "Glee," but please let there not be a sequel to ruin things
9. ParaNorman -- Surprising, plus there's a gay teenager. In an animated film. And he's a jock!
8. Brave -- Pixar. Of course.
7. 21 Jump Street -- Another surprise: Channing Tatum. Better here than in "Magic Mike."
6. The Dark Knight Rises -- Only disappointing in comparison to the previous entry in the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale Batman trilogy.
5. Lincoln -- Speaks so well to today's mess in Washington.
4. The Avengers -- Setting the bar high for all future superhero movies.
3. Skyfall -- So brilliantly weaved in Bond nostalgia while still being realistic and modern. Also, Adele.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower -- This really should have been nominated for Best Picture.
1. Argo -- This is the only A-plus grade I've ever given. Somehow that doesn't seem right. Either I'm too generous here or not generous enough with other films. If someone can give me a good enough reason I'd be willing to drop the "plus."

If I happen to see any more 2012 films and need to adjust the top or bottom lists I will do so.

So, only two Oscar Best Picture contenders made my top 10 list. Here's how I'd rank the nine nominees:

1. Argo
2. Lincoln
3. Zero Dark Thirty
4. Silver Linings Playbook
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild
6. Life of Pi (I'd add "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and stop the nominations here, but...)
7. Amour
8. Django Unchained
59. Les Miserables (59 is NOT a typo.)