My top 10 movies of 2012

This post may seem a bit past due since we are already almost to the halfway point of 2013. However I've finally seen the majority of the films that were released in 2012 to finalize my list of the top 10 movies of the year. Unlike some of the award shows, this is an honest list from a movie fan and critic and my number one film may surprise you. Without further delay lets start! Let me know what you guys think of my list.

10.) The Woman in Black - The year saw many fantastic movies released but this spooky little ghost story still remained near the top of the list for me. Daniel Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, a young widowed lawyer who's struggling to prove his worth at the office where he works. When he's assigned to travel to a remote village to settle estate and organize the affairs of a deceased woman. Upon his arrival, Arthur is keen to pick up on the mysterious aura the town and he's instantly met with residents who will do whatever they can to stop him from going to the estate where he must work. Arthur soon discovers the tragic and horrid history of the town as he finds that the woman still haunts the house and the town - searching for what she lost. "The Woman in Black" is really a solid film and one I thoroughly enjoyed. It provides scenes of fright and suspense and it just may make your own mind play tricks on you in the dark.

9.) The Sessions - The first thing I can say about this movie is that despite Helen Hunt receiving an Oscar nomination, it was horribly underrated. The film is based off the true story of Mark O'Brien. John Hawkes plays O'Brien, a 38 year old poet who, after getting polio at the age of six, is paralyzed from the neck down. In addition to his crippled spine, Mark can spend but only a few short hours outside of an iron lung in order to survive. When Mark searches for a way to finally know what it's like to be intimate with a woman, he searches for a professional sex surrogate. Helen Hunt plays Cheryl Cohen-Greene, Cheryl has never quite had a client in Mark's condition and welcomes the the task to help achieve his desires. Throughout the sessions between Cheryl and Mark, the two begin to learn more about each other and themselves then they had imagined. Fine performances by Hawkes, Hunt, and supporting role by William H. Macy make what would have been a good film ,solely based on content, into a great film. You'll laugh and want to cry in one of the very best films of 2012.

8.) Zero Dark Thirty - This was one of the heavy hitters of the year and Oscar buzz began to "buzz" the minute people heard this film was being made.  Jessica Chastain plays Maya, the devoted CIA agent who spent the better part of ten years searching for the worlds most wanted man, Osama Bi Laden. The film documents the real life events leading up to the CIA obtaining the information that helped them discover the location of the terrorist and the operation that occurred the night our climatic search concluded. "Zero Dark Thirty" didn't quite live up to the hype for me but it was still a great movie that deserves it's ranking among the best of 2012. Chastain's performance is wonderful at times and Jason Clarke and Kyle Chandler offer strong supporting performances.

7.) Butter - I've got to be honest, when I saw the title for this film I first thought - Paula Dean Biopic?? Then when I read the movie's plot I thought, wow that sounds dumb - a movie about butter carving? Well I couldn't have been more wrong and this was one of the most original films I've seen in years! When Bob (Ty Burrell), the champion at butter carving in at the Iowa State fair, is told by the judges he should refrain from entering this years competition to someone else a chance, his wife Laura (Jennifer Garner) is the one to take the news the worst. She then enters the contest herself, thinking she'd easily mow over anyone who tried to steal the place she feels someone in the family deserves. That is until young Destiny (Yara Shahidi) enters the spotlight and wows the judges with her sculpting skills. "Butter" is a very original comedy and one that provided me with a lot of laughs, especially from Olivia Wilde as Brooke - the outrageous stripper Bob mistakenly gets involved with one night.

6.) The Giant Mechanical Man - Writer and directer Lee Kirk reminds us why independent and low budget films are so enjoyable. Jenna Fischer plays Janice, a young woman struggling to find consistent work and is having trouble making ends meet. When she's forced to move in with her sister and brother-in-law, Janice is subjected to their harsh criticism and their relentless efforts to set Janice up with their friend Doug, self-help book author. When Janet finds work at a zoo, she meets the handsome and charming Tim (Chris Messina) who finds himself in very similar circumstances as Janice. Tim however leads somewhat of a double as he's a street performer who takes on the persona of a silver painted robotic man. Janice and Tim can't help but fall for each other but Janice's overbearing sister and her antics may keep the two apart. This offbeat romantic comedy is one of the hidden gems of 2012 and one I really think could have been a hit if more people knew about it.

5.) Trouble With the Curve - In "trouble with the curve", Clint Eastwood plays Gus - a baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. When Gus can no longer see as well as he use to, he refuses to acknowledge he has deteriorating vision. Many in the Braves organization begin to doubt Gus and his ability to scout useful players and decided to see him to North Carolina to scout a promising young player. Loyal to his friend Gus, Peter (John Goodman) advises his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to possibly accompany her father. Despite her busy schedule as a lawyer, Mickey decides to travel with her father in hopes to patch their somewhat rocky relationship. With help from a young former baseball phenom turned scout Johnny (Justin Timberlake), Mickey and Gus are able to see that the two share more in common than they may have thought. "Trouble with the Curve" is a great movie with one of the best feel good endings I've ever seen.

4.) Argo - The 2012 Oscar winner for best picture makes it's way to number four on my list. Director Ben Affleck also stars in this intense film about the secret mission to safely save Americans that were trapped in Iran. After the US embassy was invaded by rioters, a handful of workers were able to escape being held captivate and found refuge at the Canadian ambassador's home. Unable to leave the country without being noticed, they're trapped and it's only a matter of time before the Iranians find them. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) enters the country as a Canadian film maker looking for location to film a fictional sci-fi movie "Argo" and plans on creating fake identities for the the six as his film crew and leave the country before they're found. "Argo" is a high intensity film and one that will make your heart beat faster and your palm sweat as the dram unfolds. Out of all the films the academy awarded nominations for the best picture of 2012, "Argo" certainly rose above them all.

3.) Skyfall - The most famous spy in films, James Bond returns. A hard drive containing the identities of every NATO agent has just been stolen and James Bond (Daniel Craig) is believed to be KIA during an attempt to retrieve it. Now in the hands of an unknown terrorist, the leader of MI6 "M" (Judi Dench) is being haunted by her past and the safety of all her agents is in jeopardy. When Bond returns from the dead, it's up to her best agent to stop an enemy that she once trusted. "Skyfall" is by far the best James Bond film in my eyes. Daniel Craig owns the role as Bond and the the script of "Skyfall" is top notch. Why this film wasn't in the running for best picture is a mystery to me. Even if you're not a fan of past James Bond movies, I'd still recommend "Skyfall" to anyone looking for watch a well crafted and solid film.

2.) The Dark Knight Rises - Christopher Nolan's epic conclusion to his Dark Knight Trilogy was one of the years most anticipated films and it certainly didn't disappoint. Set eight years after the even of "The Dark Knight", the city still mourns the death of Harvey Dent and Batman is being framed for the death of Gotham's District attorney. Commissioner Jim Gordon is the only one who knows the truth and is waiting for the right time to tell the city that Dent was no better than the criminals he put in jail and that Batman is the true hero. His body feeling the affects of the years of fighting the scum of Gotham, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) goes into retreat and helplessly sees the city take steps backwards. When a terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy), comes to Gotham claiming to be the new leader of the league of shadows and takes the entire city hostage. With a new force of evil threatening the city, Batman resurfaces to save the city that has turned it's back on him. Anne Hathaway, Michael Cane, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, and Marion Cotillard compile an all star cast. This film is exciting, emotional, and a true masterpiece work of art.

1.) My favorite movie of 2012 was "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". Click here for my review and a recipe to accompany!