Favorite Things 2012 - Movie Edition, Part One

I watch a lot of movies. A lot. And all types of movies. Kid movies, blockbusters, art house...just love movies. So I don't think I can pick one as my favorite. It just wouldn't be fair. Instead, I'll give you a list of my favorites from this year, in no particular order. I know, I know, it's pretty wishy-washy of me, but it's my list and so there!

"Argo" - So much talk has been made of how amazing the turn-around of Ben Affleck's career has been. First there was "Gone Baby Gone", but maybe that was a fluke. Then came "The Town", but hey, looks like he can only make movies based in Boston. Now, there's "Argo", a movie that Hollywood loves because it's about Hollywood. Even though the ultimate escape scene is a little enhanced from what really happened, it takes nothing away from the truth of this amazing story. Bennifer is long gone and Ben Affleck has a loooong career ahead of him.

"Moonrise Kingdom" - Wes Anderson is a genius. Straight-up, stone-cold genius. This is such a sweetly funny, nostalgic film. I don't think it is as good as "Rushmore" or "Bottle Rocket", but it is still a fantastic movie experience. Such an amazing cast also - Bill Murray + Wes Anderson = SOLID GOLD. And I have always been a fan of Bruce Willis. He is so much more than just an action star. This is a first-love story, but has that Wes Anderson edge to it. Visually stunning (as always) and of course, a great soundtrack.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" - This one blew me away. To think that the little girl who is the star of this film was younger than my 6-year old daughter when filming happened leaves me in awe of her. Entirely made by amateurs, this is a film that 7/8 of the Hollywood establishment wishes they could make. Such power in every single performance. And it all has such a dream-like quality to it; this is the way a little child would alter reality to make it less scary. I hope this wins lots and lots of awards.

"Silver Linings Playbook" - This will go down as the movie that showed Bradley Cooper can act. Sure he was funny in "The Hangover", but people often overlook comedy as throwaway performances (even though comedy can actually be harder to pull off than drama). In this fantastic film that deserves every single accolade it is receiving, Bradley Cooper plays "crazy" in a non-stereotypical manner. You really cannot take your eyes away from him as you see his mind working, his mind trying to make sense of the world around him. And of course Jennifer Lawrence was wonderful, as was DeNiro and Jacki Weaver, but we knew they would be. The real silver lining (sorry, couldn't resist) in this movie is Bradley Cooper.

"The Hunger Games" - Was it as good as the book? No, but it did come pretty darn close. There were some moments from the book left out that I would have loved to have seen on the big screen, but I still loved this adaptation. I thought the casting was great (Lenny Kravitz!) and of course cannot wait for the next one.