Crosswalk.com's Top Movies of 2012

Why It's Here: Kathryn Bigelow's tense treatise on the hunt for Osama bin Laden is not so much "entertaining" as it is educational and grateful. It offers a rare insight into the world of intelligence and counter terrorism, one based in unpleasant realities rather than immediate vengeance and super-spydom. The questions it prompts about justice, mercy, sacrifice, and torture are its legacy.

8 The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros. Pictures
"The Dark Knight Rises is a heavy but rewarding movie-going experience... Anchored by solid performances, even cooler Bat gadgets than usual and a strong sense of mission, it’s one of those rare films that ends even more spectacularly than it began… If [Christopher] Nolan and his cohorts don’t get some Oscar love for this, they’ve been robbed" (from The Dark Knight Rises to the Occasion, by Christa Banister, 7/19/12).

Why It's Here: The first two installments of Nolan's Bat-trilogy made our lists in 2005 and 2008. While not as good a film as 2008's The Dark Knight, DKR is a fitting, satisfying way to complete the tale of this very human hero who is willing to do whatever it takes to save the people and the city he loves. Called by some the "most conservative" film of the year, Dark Knight Rises wraps up Nolan's vision in the best way possible.

7 Wreck-It Ralph, Walt Disney Pictures
"A ‘love letter to video games,’ …the beauty of this film is its broad-based appeal. Kids will love the fast action, underdog-makes-good storyline, and the peek inside the world of video games. Adults will enjoy revisiting the games of their youth and the cleverly realized universe the characters inhabit. The writing is extremely clever, especially the many pop culture references and groan-producing visual puns... The animation is as good as you’d expect from a Disney film" (from Wreck-It Ralph Simultaneously Fresh, Retro, by Susan Ellingburg, 11/2/12).

Why It's Here: As you'll see below, the majority of our panel felt this was the best of the 10 animated movies we reviewed on Crosswalk in 2012. Sarah Silverman's vocal work was phenomenal, as was the subtle pro-life message that her character, Vanellope von Schweetz, does indeed have a purpose despite being called a glitch who shouldn't have been allowed to exist. Lead character Ralph's own quest to prove that not all bad guys are "bad guys" is similarly admirable.

6 Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight
"Gritty Realism is nothing new in movies, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything that could be described as Gritty Surrealism—until now... Director Benh Zeitlin’s first feature is nothing short of stunning, and while his cinematic inspirations are easy to spot (from Terrence Malick’s elegiac tone to the dreamlike visions of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman) his eye is no less distinct. Beasts of the Southern Wild boasts a major new voice in American cinema, one that holds as much promise as any debut in memory" (from Beasts of the Southern Wild a Stunning Debut, by Jeffrey Huston, 6/29/12).

Why It's Here: In a word: strength. Director Zeitlin came strong in his debut feature film, with strong images that evoke a strong reaction. 6-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the value of strength to survive in a part of America that can hardly be believed to exist, and which could get washed away with the next big rain. This story is simultaneously (and paradoxically) unique and familiar, real and fantastical, local and universal.

CrosswalkMovies.com: Top 10 Movies of 2012 from crosswalkmovies on GodTube.

5 Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
"Scouting exists to prepare kids for life. While it does that well, its preparation is limited to what’s practical, tangible, can be comprehended and mastered, defined controlled, and rewarded. Young love is the opposite of all those things. It's difficult to understand, to articulate, or know what to do with, and there is no institution… that can fully prepare kids for all that adolescence opens… An absolutely gorgeous film to look at, earthy yet fantastical, an exaggerated form of reality that feels like a life-sized play set. It has the feel of a fairy tale, but for a mature audience" (from Artful Moonrise Kingdom a Story of First Love, by Jeffrey Huston, 6/22/12).

Why It's Here: Moonrise Kingdom was the favorite film of the year for three members of our panel. It's also not the first time a Wes Anderson movie has done well on our list: The Fantastic Mr. Fox won top honors in 2009. The no-win situation that is adolescent first love is put into a setting that is its own metaphor of impossiblity: running away together on a small island. There is a beautiful suggestion that the Innocent know more of love than the mature, experienced, and jaded adults who must track the youth down for their own good. But this is no annoying, bitter, kids-know-everything stick in the eye; it's a reminder of what once was for each of us, and still could be. The ending, which takes place atop a church in a storm, provides an unforgettable visual of how the generations learn to trust each other (and not let go) just in the nick of time.

4 Argo, Warner Bros. Pictures
"Unabashedly patriotic portrayals of government servants are rare, and Argo is an intelligent film about intelligence agents, minus the sanctimony and political score-settling of other recent films dealing with a similar subject... That makes Argo, in the middle of an endless political season, refreshingly unpolitical" (from Inspiring Argo Could Have Used More Intrigue, by Christian Hamaker, 10/12/12).

 Why It's Here: In Argo, Director Ben Affleck crafts an engaging thriller based on the true story of a group of American diplomats forced into hiding when an Islamic revolution erupts in 1970s Iran. Affleck also stars in the film as Tony Mendez, one of the CIA’s unknown heroes, who hatches the unlikely scheme of convincing the Iranians that these Americans are actually a Canadian film crew in Iran scouting a location for a science fiction film. Alternately touching and intense, with plenty of humorous moments too, Argo thoughtfully tells the story of a forgotten bit of history with style and skill.

Why It's Here: If you have to ask, you probably aren't familiar with any iteration of Victor Hugo's classic. This is a story tailor-made for an audience familiar with the concepts of grace vs. law, of how deep love and forgiveness go, of how alone the pursuit of justice can leave us. It may not be a perfect version (depending on how you feel about every line being sung and the actors doing the singing), as was the opinion of our reviewer (see: Les Miz Tries Hard but Peaks Too Soon, by Christa Banister, 12/24/12), but Anne Hathaway is expected to take home Oscar gold, and Hugh Jackman's sold-out, grueling performance brought even harder-hearted men to tears.

2Lincoln, Dreamworks Pictures
"Really about so much more than the man himself. Flashes of humor, whip-smart dialogue and arresting cinematography make it entertaining, but it’s the celebration of something even greater than Abraham Lincoln himself that makes the movie stick with you. Constantly pointing to the Source of the ideals Lincoln espoused - love, justice and equality for all - the audience learns even more about what made the President so committed to the cause, despite facing countless obstacles. No doubt, faith plays an essential role" (from Lincoln is One Stunning History Lesson, by Christa Banister, 11/15/12).

Why It's Here: Spielberg's portrait of America's beloved 16th president is the kind of history lesson you don't mind watching. Even though you know the whole time that Lincoln's bill will pass, and what the ultimate fate of the President is, you're captivated by the grit of the actors and the quiet strength of the script. This peek into Lincoln's personal life (especially his relationship with Mary, played commendably by Sally Field) makes you ponder the flawed hero in a new way. Daniel Day-Lewis brings the picture together with his committed, down-to-the-last-detail performance of the brooding but witty Lincoln. Without him, the movie might have been just another film to enjoy and move past. Day-Lewis's spark makes you remember Lincoln long after you leave the theater.

Why It's Here: As mentioned at the beginning of the article, we did indeed run a negative review of this film when it opened in December (see: Peter Jackson's The Hobbit Rings False, by Christian Hamaker, 12/13/12). But as it turned out, nearly every other person on our panel fell in love with it. Can any journey through Middle-Earth be all bad? Aside from romance, this movie had it all: beautiful settings, danger, intrigue, humor, innocence, a chance to see old beloved characters in action again, simple themes of the value of home, getting outside our comfort zones, saying no to greed, and more. An Unexpected Journey is a film that can be enjoyed by the entire family, and one which leaves you both exhausted and wanting more, which thankfully is to come this December.

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