I'm thinking we do a countdown, so let's go.
7) The Descendants. I almost left this movie off of my list, but ended up throwing it in. I didn't love the movie; I liked the movie. But I loved the performances. The performances are why this movie made my top 7 list. George was great. The girl who played his daughter was great. Judy Greer stole the show in all of the 5 minutes she was on screen. And they brought back Matthew Lillard? C'mon?! The story was compelling, but I can't figure out if I like Alexander Payne. I loved Election, but didn't like Sideways or About Schmidt. And there was something that I just didn't connect with in this movie, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm gonna put the blame on Payne and his style of storytelling.
6) Moneyball. I love movies. I love baseball. A movie about baseball?! You don't have to do much selling there. I was late to the game watching this one for some reason. I really didn't expect it to have as much baseball as it did because everyone kept saying it's not really that much about baseball. Are you kidding me? It was all about baseball. They just made it interesting and told a great story, so people cared and could look past the baseball if it wasn't their cup of tea. Brad was good, but he usually is. He's not my favorite and I don't find him dreamy, but he's a solid actor and you can usually bank on a pretty good performance from him. Good, not great. I've yet to see greatness in him.
5) The Help. I was excited when I found out they were making this move, but a little scared that it would turn out too saccharin. Thankfully it didn't. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were phenomenal, and they both deserve Oscar gold. This movie also introduced me to Jessica Chastain who was in about every movie that came out this year. And that's ok by me. She was great as the outsider who couldn't fit in. I have a feeling she'll get her some Oscar gold, too, before her career's over, but not for this role. The spotlight belongs to Ms. Davis and Ms. Spencer.
4) Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Why this movie wasn't on more year end best lists is baffling. It was the best action movie I've seen in a long time. I'm a sucker for a good action movie, and I love the Mission: Impossible franchise. Save for #2, let's just forget about that one. I'll admit that I was a bit partial to this one because a good chunk of it took place in Dubai at the Burj Khalifa and came out the same time I got back from Dubai where I stayed overnight at said Burj Khalifa. But that connection aside, I still would have loved the movie. Tom Cruise may be a nut, but he's still a stud. Breaking out of prison, infiltrating the Kremlin, scaling the side of the tallest building in the world, a car chase through a dust storm, fighting til near death in a weird circular parking structure. There's nothing he can't do. If I'm ever in peril, I hope they send Ethan Hunt to save me.
3) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm surprised this film didn't get nominated. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to it. I'm not gaga about the books like some people, and I've seen the first two of the Swedish films which are alright. The trailer is what got me intrigued about the movie. It had the single greatest movie trailer I've ever seen. "The feel bad movie of the year." Brilliant. I love David Fincher's films, so the trailer got me hooked. I thought this version far exceeded the Swedish version and really captured the tone of the book and the title character. She's this fragile, yet incredibly tough and resourceful girl who's had an incredibly difficult life. The subject matter is intense, and I hated a couple of the scenes but I knew they were going to be there because they were lifted straight from the book. It was just beautifully shot, and I can't wait for the next one. Hopefully Fincher sticks around for part 2.
2) Take Shelter. My two favorite movies are probably two you've never even heard of, but don't let that stop you from seeing them. Although, I'll warn you. These aren't for the masses. If you like your stories neatly tied up by the time the credits roll, you'll want to avoid them. Take Shelter was my second favorite movie of the year. It was written and directed by fellow Arkansan, Jeff Nichols. It's also the second Jessica Chastain movie on my list (there was almost a third, but I left The Debt off at the last minute). The story is about a husband and father who starts having apocalyptic visions. The movie sucks you into his paranoia about whether these visions are real or whether he's succumbing to the mental illness that plagues his mother. Great story, great performances, great filmmaking. I can't wait until his next movie comes out, which he just so happened to film entirely on location in Arkansas and stars a couple of people you may have heard of...just Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey.
1) Martha Marcy May Marlene. This was hands down my favorite movie of the year. You may have heard of it only because it was the first major role for Elizabeth Olson, younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley, and that fact got it a lot of press. Smart move on the director's part casting her and bonus, she's amazing! The movie centers on a young girl who escapes from a cult and is trying to assimilate into her estranged sister's life. The film jumps back and forth between her time with the cult and her time with her sister. The movie develops the viewer's sense of paranoia along with the title character's as she becomes increasingly convinced that she can never escape the cult. Fair warning, this movie contains a couple of intense scenes that I wish they wouldn't have included, but I can understand why they did. Elizabeth Olson and Sarah Paulson gave two of the best performances of the year, and I'm kind of disappointed they didn't get more major awards season love. Although I think Elizabeth Olson did get an Independent Spirit Award nomination, which is much deserved. I realize that if you don't like to feel the character's paranoia, then you probably won't like either of my top two. But if you like a good psychological drama, then you should check them both out.
And there you have it. My 7 favorite movies of the years. What were yours?
