It’s getting to that time of the year where people start constructing their Top 10 lists of the best films from the past twelve months. I will of course not be doing this. Hell, I still haven’t gotten around to doing my 2011 list yet. You might remember a list I made back in January where I named all the 2011 films I wanted to see before I finalized my Top 10. Well, I still have eight movies or so left on that one.
Still, that’s no reason to not look to the future, or present, or what have you. I’m fantastically behind in my 2012 watching as well, as you can imagine, due to a combination of delayed Swedish release dates, laziness, and an ongoing desire to catch up with not just the newest stuff, but also 100+ years of cinema. I don’t imagine I’ll ever be ahead of the pack, but I’ll continue doing what I can to keep up.
Without further ado, here are the films I want to see before I put out my Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2012 list. Maybe they won’t be great, and maybe there are others I’ll see that will be, but this is my current personal check list. It could change in the future, I should point out. In alphabetical order:
Amour – because I ought to watch more Michael Haneke anyway.
Argo – because there is no reason to abandon the Ben Affleck train yet, considering how great Gone Baby Gone and The Town were.
Bachelorette – because I like comedy.
Beasts of the Southern Wild – because of the image above.
The Campaign – because Will Ferrell is funny, and so is Zach Galifianakis.
Celeste and Jesse Forever – because it’s always interesting to see funny people branch out.
Cloud Atlas – because ambition should be rewarded.
Cockneys vs Zombies – because even if only a few people are talking about it, they all seem to love it.
Compliance – because the premise intrigues.
Cosmopolis – because a friend emphatically told me that it would be right up my alley.
Django Unchained – because it’s Quentin Tarantino. Duh.
End of Watch – because it somehow seems unfair to watch Rampart without seeing this one too.
Flight – because it’s Robert Zemeckis doing live action.
For a Good Time Call – because, much to my perplexity, someone told me I might possibly love it.
Frankenweenie – because in the middle of working on this blog post, I took a break to listen to the Oscar Talk podcast, and they had a lot of compelling praise for this one.
Hitchcock – because The Remains of the Day recently reminded me of what an amazing actor Anthony Hopkins is.
Holy Motors – because I have no idea what to expect from it.
Hyde Park on Hudson – because no matter how mediocre critical and public response has been, it’s still Bill Murray.
Killer Joe – because everyone seems to dig it.
Les Misérables – because big musicals need to bounce back from some critical duds the last few years, and being a fan of the genre, I will gladly support this endeavor.
Life of Pi – because the religious aspects seem to be something everyone likes, which is quite frankly insane. When have people ever agreed on anything religion-related before?
Magic Mike – because it’s Steven Soderbergh. And because Kevin Nash is in it.
The Master – because I was only missing Hard Eight to complete Paul Thomas Anderson‘s filmography, and I won’t let this one ruin my percentage.
The Paperboy – because there has to be something to all these award nominations Nicole Kidman keeps scoring, no?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – because I’ve been confusing it with On the Road for quite some time, and I’ve seen that one now.
Premium Rush – because someone made an off-hand comparison of it to Crank, which I fucking love.
Safety Not Guaranteed – because it’s time travel.
Savages – because it looks so vibrant and colorful.
Searching for Sugar Man – because it’s supposedly one of the best documentaries of the year, and I like good documentaries.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – because of the basic idea.
The Sessions – because the story sounds like something I’ve never seen before, and because it’s John Hawkes in a rare leading role.
Seven Psychopaths – because In Bruges was great, and the cast is promising indeed.
Silver Linings Playbook – because when awards bodies start paying attention to comedies, it’s usually a sign that I’ll love the movie in question.
Skyfall – because it’s Sam Mendes.
Take This Waltz – because 1) it’s Michelle Williams, and 2) see the note on Celeste and Jesse Forever.
This is 40 – because I’m not yet even remotely tired of Judd Apatow.
Wreck-It Ralph – because in addition to being a movie lover, I’m also a gamer.
A Swede Talks Movies 
Travis McClain
15 December, 2012 at 18:35
I really don’t have any recommendations to add to your list; as you know, I’ve largely taken a pass on 2012 releases in favor of seeing older movies. Your list reminds me, though, that there were more new releases that did catch my attention than I’ve realized. I’ve already seen all the ones that were high on my To See list (except the just-released This Is 40), but there are several on my Rent/Stream Later list.
Emil
15 December, 2012 at 18:42
I’m glad to be of help in the movie-remembering regard, then!
I sometimes wonder how people have time to be constantly up to date with all new films coming out. Then I remember that me getting into the game relatively recently means that I have way too much old stuff I “need” to watch as well. It’s like, yeah, I should watch Lincoln, sure, but is it really higher priority than 12 Angry Men in the grand scheme of things? I try to do a little bit from both columns. Lord knows I certainly watch more films from this side of the millenium shift, but even then, it’s not recent stuff most of the time. Eventually, it gets to the point where I realize that I’ll never get to see all the movies I want to see during my lifetime.
I forgot where I was going with this.
Travis McClain
15 December, 2012 at 19:11
I’ve been committed to movies a little while longer than you, but I’m still in very much the same position. For the longest time, I had a sense of shame that I’d gone to the theater to see Batman & Robin, Con Air and The Quest – twice apiece, mind you – without having made time for Casablanca, Citizen Kane or 8 1/2.
Eventually, I threw up my hands and decided that I’d get around to seeing whatever I see, whenever I see it. I think it’s turned out for the best that I saw those first three movies during their theatrical runs when I did, and that I didn’t get to the latter three until relatively recently. I think I needed to be at a certain stage of my own growth to appreciate and enjoy each of those six in the specific ways that I did. Contemporary me would have found Con Air tedious and younger me would have found Citizen Kane pretentious and contrived.
What the hell do either mes know about movies?
Emil
15 December, 2012 at 23:32
Like William Goldman said: “Nobody knows anything.” He was talking about Hollywood, but maybe it stretches out to the audience side of the world of film too.
That’s a valid point about how certain films work better when viewed at a particular time in one’s movie development. I devoured movies at a crazy pace when I first started getting into films, and looking back, there are quite that I just wasn’t ready for. Lost in Translation is an example you know about, but there are others too that I’m sure I’d respond more favorably to today. Likewise: some films that I saw back then and fell in love with might not be resonating so strongly with me today were I to see them for the first time now. I’ve seen more stuff now. More different stuff. More similar stuff.
Taste is always evolving. In this very moment, this seems like an indisputable fact to me. And now I can’t fathom – less so than usual – why some of our fellow Flickcharters are so rigid about their charts.
Travis McClain
15 December, 2012 at 23:59
We’re just a pair of Flickcharting Taoists, you and me! :P
Emil
16 December, 2012 at 08:52
That we are!
mettemk
16 December, 2012 at 16:55
Many of these are on my list too – I hope you’ll like Cosmopolis and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Loved both of them.
And in case you haven’t seen them, you should also definitely watch Liberal Arts, Moonrise Kingdom and of course The Hobbit.
Emil
16 December, 2012 at 17:47
Thank you for the suggestions! I have seen Monrise Kingdom, which I thought was okay, if perplexing at times. Liberal Arts is one I haven’t heard of before, but it’s going on the rental queue. The Hobbit is a film I’m not all that excited baout seeing, to be honest. I loved the LOTR films, love the book The Hobbit, and yet the prospect of spending three hours in Middle Earth doesn’t seem all that fun any more. Based on what people have been saying about it, I’m not getting the sense that I’ll love it. Still, odds are I’ll get dragged along to see it anyway.
Travis McClain @TravisSMcClain
16 December, 2012 at 22:34
I saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower earlier today. It definitely feels like your kinda movie.
Emil
16 December, 2012 at 22:47
That’s a positive sign. You tend to have a good read on my likings. Looking forward to seeing it.
Alex Withrow
18 December, 2012 at 22:44
I think I’m the only person whose favorite film of the year is Rust and Bone, but that would definitely be my top recommendation.
Emil
18 December, 2012 at 22:49
I’m always down for some Cotillard. Adding it to the eventual rental queue. Thanks for the recommendation!
Movies - Noir
19 December, 2012 at 22:14
Ok, I’ll start with the ones I’ve seen on your list with quick comments:
Amour – Wasn’t what I had hoped for, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Didn’t do it for me, but great acting.
The Campaign – Should be something you like. Gave enough laughs to be worth a watch, but not much else.
Cloud Atlas – Either you like it or you don’t. It’s well made and I thought it was worth a watch. Not great though.
Compliance – Nothing special, even though it’s an interesting watch mainly because it’s based on real events.
End of Watch – Starts out a bit slow and too “light”, but in the end a solid cop movie worth a look.
Flight – Denzel Washington gives a terrific performance, which makes it worth a look. Could’ve been even better, but it’s a good character study. Didn’t like John Goodman’s character though.
Killer Joe – Two thirds are nothing special, but one third makes it a must see.
The Master – Excellent performances, really good. But I didn’t like it, more than the first 30 or so. However, PTA fans should see it, no doubt.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – I had pretty high hopes on this one and I finally got to see it. One of the years best so far (even though it has been a really poor year, so far). You should enjoy it as well.
Safety Not Guaranteed – Not great, but has a nice feeling about it the longer you get. Not bad at all.
Savages – Didn’t really work in my opinion as it focused on the wrong things. Benicio Del Toro makes it somewhat worthwhile though.
Skyfall – It’s Bond, say no more. But it’s better than Quantum of Solace and it works for sure.
Wreck It Ralph – Enjoyable animated feature that I had a fun time watching. Not perfect, but one of the better Disney pictures for some time. Feels more like Pixar than Disney in many ways.
Now the ones I haven’t yet seen, but that I have something to say about:
Argo – I ‘should’ have seen it already, but for a couple of reasons I haven’t. I think it’s good.
Beasts of the Southern Wild – Don’t think this is something for me, so didn’t see it at SiFF.
Cosmopolis – I like Cronenberg (most of the time), but the bad reviews has left me cold. Will try and watch it some day though.
Django Unchained – Oh yes, I’m going to watch it as soon as I can.
Hitchcock – I don’t think it’s going to be as good as it should be when it’s a movie about the master, but I still want to see it.
Holy Motors – Didn’t see it at SiFF because I just don’t think I’d like it. I think I’m right about that, but might check it out just to see how strange it is.
Hyde Park on Hudson – Only reason I might see it is for Bill Murray, but not high priority right now.
Mes Miserables – Will probably win all the Oscars, but I’ll have a hard time getting around to watching it. Will probably see it since it’ll be getting the nominations…
Life of Pi – It looks just terrible, haha. I might be wrong, but from what I’ve seen it’s laughably bad. If it gets nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, I’ll have to see it though.
Premium Rush – Going to watch pretty soon, I think. Doesn’t look ‘that’ good though so I’m not having very high hopes.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – Have been meaning to see it, but hasn’t happened just yet. Probably just another, light comedy.
Seven Psychopaths – Wasn’t THAT impressed with In Bruges, but it was still good and entertaining (especially when Ralph Fiennes appeared in Bruges). Missed a chance to see it a month ago, will see it when I get a chance.
Silver Linings Playbook – I look forward to it. Don’t know all that much about the story, but one to watch for sure.
Not all that much to look forward to I’m afraid. Like I mentioned before, 2012 has been a poor year. I just hope that Argo, Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook will really be to my liking.
My list of 2012 movies I’ve seen can be found here.
PS: My 1992 list will (finally) be up tomorrow.
Emil
19 December, 2012 at 22:31
Thanks for chiming in with your opinions, MN! :)
I’ve heard nothing but great things about Life of Pi. The story is getting good words, but it’s also supposed to be a really gorgeous-looking film. Can’t wait to see it myself. If I had made this list in ranked order of how much I want to see the movies, it would be pretty high up.
I’d be happy to call myself a PTA fan. There Will Be Blood didn’t do much for me – not my cup of tea, is all – but I’ve really liked everyhting else I’ve seen from him. I’m not sure how much I’ll enjoy The Master, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
Hitchcock isn’t getting very good reviews, that’s true. Still, it’s always a treat to see Anthony Hopkins in action.
I also haven’t heard much good about Savages, but some films you just see anyway because there’s something intriguing about them. And every pic I see of that film intrigue me.
Movies - Noir
19 December, 2012 at 23:41
I hope you enjoy Life of Pi and that it lives up to your expectations. I just haven’t seen anything that exites me. But maybe the trailer was just poor, I don’t know.
Like There Will Be Blood, The Master doesn’t really have a soul and heart like Magnolia had. You’ll get terrific performances though and that’s what makes it worthwhile. I also liked the first 30 of it, but after that I had a hard time finding much, aside from the performances, that really was to my liking.
Savages is good looking, has good music and isn’t bad, but just doesn’t hit the mark, imho.
It’ll be interesting to see what you think of all those movies when you get around watching them.
Emil
20 December, 2012 at 10:17
If there’s one thing I’ve learned the past few years, it’s to never trust a trailer.
Henke
20 December, 2012 at 07:21
Saw Premium rush on the plane between Ottawa and Frankfurt the other day. It is so bad. Incredible. Really not worth your time.
No, doesn’t matter that Michael Shannon is in it. His evil cop is a joke.
Keep away!
Emil
20 December, 2012 at 10:18
I’ve heard mixed things about it, to the point where I need to find out for myself what it’s like. Thank you for the warning, though. If it is indeed a travesty, I’ll keep your words in mind. :)
Alex Thomas
23 December, 2012 at 05:52
Wow you’ve got a heap to catch up on!! I’ve seen majority of the ones you need to see, definitely recommend Argo, Frankenweenie and Searching for Sugar Man.
I had a bad time with a lot of the ones you are planning to see but I would still recommend you watch them as others have loved them. They include: Amour, This is 40, The Master, Holy Motors, Cosmopolis and Compliance.
My worst film of the year is Seeking a Friend for the end of the World, so if you have to start cutting films off your list, this is where to start! Haha.
I’m almost ready to do my Top 50 of 2012, waiting on a few films to be released in Australia first including: Wreck-It Ralph, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, Zero Dark Thirty, Jack Reacher and Flight. Apart from these the only film I think I still need to see is Celeste + Jesse Forever which I haven’t had the motivation to see yet.
Emil
23 December, 2012 at 17:31
Thank you for sharing your opinions. Nice to hear some more good things about Frankenweenie. That’s a movie that just came and vanished, it seems. Haven’t heard much talk about it one way or the other.
Doing a Top 50 sounds really ambitious. Is that something you do every year?
Alex Thomas
23 December, 2012 at 23:11
I’d been told it was a must see so had to eventually check it out.
Last year was my first Top 50 but I’d only seen 60 2011 movies. This year I’ve doubled that to 120 with the 10 or so movies above the main ones I still need to see.
Something fun I guess!
Emil
23 December, 2012 at 23:34
Nice going. I’m only at 28 films seen from 2012 so far myself. Looking forward to seeing how your list will turn out!