Movies that entertained me in 2012

In no particular order, movies that entertained me in 2012:

This Means War
Beauty is Embarrassing
21 Jump Street
Friends with Kids
The Five Year Engagement
The Avengers
The Intouchables
Moonrise Kingdom
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Safety Not Guaranteed
Your Sister's Sister
The Dark Knight Rises
Ruby Sparks
Celeste and Jesse Forever
Pitch Perfect
Searching for Sugarman
End of Watch
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Argo
End of Watch
Looper
Silver Lining Playbook
A Late Quartet
This is 40
Django Unchained

Les Misérables

What I liked:

• It has a talented cast: Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, and Samantha Barks.
• The costume and set design was great.

Django Unchained

What I liked:

• Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz are just fantastic.
• It is written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.  It's your basic good vs. evil story but Tarantino always knows how to put an interesting spin on it.  If you liked his previous films, you will probably like this.
• Leonardo DiCaprio plays a wonderful evil plantation owner.
• It also stars Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Bruce Dern, M.C. Gainey, and Jonah Hill. 
• 1980's flashback with Johnson and The Dukes of Hazzard's Tom Wopat.
• LOST's Mr. Friendly!
• It has an interesting soundtrack.
• It's quirky, funny, and can make you squirm in your seat all at the same time.

The Guilt Trip

What I liked:

• Barbra Streisand was lovely and funny.
• Seth Rogen was his usual sarcastic and humorous self.
• The characters were believable as a mother and son.
• It also stars Kathy Najimy, Yvonne Strahovski, Colin Hanks, Brandon Keener, Brett Cullen, and Nora Dunn.
• Gilmore Girls reunion: Gypsy and Jackson!

This Is 40

What I liked:

• Leslie Mann is beautiful, funny, and she can act.
• Paul Rudd is always lovable.
• Maude and Iris Apatow are talented kids with great parents.  I think it makes the story a little more believable that their movie mom is their real mom.
• Fantastic supporting cast: Jason Segel, Annie Mumolo, Robert Smigel, Megan Fox, Charlyne Yi, Graham Parker, Michael Ian Black, Chris O'Dowd, Lena Dunham, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Billie Joe Armstrong, Ryan Adams, and Melissa McCarthy. 
• It was written and directed by Judd Apatow based of the same characters from Knocked Up.
• It is funny but it is also real, complicated, and serious.  It's a dramedy.
• I LOVED all of the LOST love.  
• A Mad Men shout out!
• Great soundtrack including an incredible new Fiona Apple song.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

What I liked:

• It was beautifully made.  Most everything looks real.  The special effects are great.  
• Hair, makeup, and costumes are excellent.
• It has a great cast: Iam McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Andy Serkis.

Parental Guidance

What I liked:

• Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei are all funny and fun.
• Tom Everette Scott!
• The kids are adorable and talented: Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf.
• The story is funny and smart.
• It's appropriate for all ages.
• Love all the baseball talk.

Hitchcock

What I liked:

• It is an interesting look at the making of Psycho and the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife.
• Anthony Hopkins played Alfred Hitchcock very well.
• Helen Mirren was great as Alma Reville.
•  Scarlet Johansson was a fantastic Janet Leigh.
• It also stars Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Jessica Biel,  James D'Arcy, Richard Portnow, and Kurtwood Smith.
• Michael Stuhlbarg was born to play characters from the past.  He just has that perfect look.
• The Karate Kid , Ralph Macchio?!
• There were beautiful flower arrangements everywhere!

Playing for Keeps

What I liked:

• Noah Lomax is super cute and a good actor.  
• Jessica Biel was ok.

Anna Karenina

What I liked:

• Amazing choreography.
• Beautiful set designs and costumes.
• Fantastic art direction.
• Great cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Emily Watson.

Barrymore

What I liked:

• Christopher Plummer is always wonderful.  He originally performed Barrymore on stage which goes to show you that his memory is still as sharp as ever for a man in his 80's.
•   It also stars John Plumpis.