MovieChat Forums > Amour (2012) Discussion > Best Movie of 2012

Best Movie of 2012

posted 11 years ago by NiKoDay
9 replies | jump to latest

This is the best movie of 2012. It continues to both haunt and inspire me months after seeing it like no other movie I saw last year. No other actually comes close. It's a movie, that after I walked out of the theatre, I swore I would never see again.

I take that back. I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

Observations, dreams, and wisdom continue to be given to me like gifts from this movie. There's not many I can say that about. Period. I never expected it from Michael Haneke, but there is such sheer beauty, realism, dreams and empathy coupled together here that it is a complete work of art in every way. It's certainly not for everybody, and not for children, but for a certain group of people, adults who know what it is to face the mortaility of their partner and themselves, who can't imagine life without the one that they've spent their life with...but it's not just playing out all our deepest fears of age and death, it's making a poem out of them in the sense that one empathizes completely, if one allows themselves to, with the couple.

Thank you to all involved, you've done exactly what the greatest art is supposed to do: given a lttle lesson, in your own unique way, about how to live in this world, right up until the end.

[–] Ranke 11 years ago

I (revoltingly fit, but 73) concur, as does wife.

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 11 years ago

It's a bit overrated in my view. I give it a solid 8/10 but there were many 2012 films I would rate above it. Even if we limit the discussion to 2012 dramas, I would rank it below Rust and Bone, Lincoln, The Master, and maybe Flight although maybe not.

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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

[–] NiKoDay 11 years ago

I put it above all of them, well above most, the only one I would even talk about in the same context is "The Master," which will be watched for years to come along with Amour. The rest are utterly forgettable and already gone.

I walked out of Rust and Bone, and I loved the filmmaker's first film, A Prophet. But Rust and Bone was hokey melodrama dressed up as high brow, kitchen sink drama. It won't stand the test of time.

I'd put The Words, an underrated little gem that will be watched for years to come and Cloud Atlas, an enigmatic masterpiece, in my top five along with the master. Well, four.

I have trouble remembering too many others from last year, most were incredibly disappointing, or good little popcorn flicks worthy of a night of entertainment but nothing more. I liked Drive very much as well, it'll last, but not sure if that was the year before.

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 11 years ago

Surprisingly, I had never heard of The Words, but I see it gets terrible reviews (hence your describing it as "underrated"). You have my curiosity aroused now though.

I have been curious about Cloud Atlas as well, but deeply sceptical. I loved the Wachowskis' first two films (Bound and The Matrix); walked out of the second Matrix film (something I rarely ever do); watched all of V For Vendetta but disliked it. So the trend does not seem in the right direction.

Anyway, I don't know how well I'd do coming up with a list of 2012 movies off the top of my head. I rank movies as I see them on Flickchart, and used its chart-sorting widget to tell me which ones I ranked in what order for 2012. If we open it up to all films and not just dramas, I have Amour twelfth for the year. The top 11 are:

The Avengers
Prometheus
Rust & Bone
The Amazing Spider-Man
Lincoln
Safety Not Guaranteed
The Master
Ruby Sparks
Moonrise Kingdom
This Is 40
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
The Cabin in the Woods

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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

[–] brydels 11 years ago

I thought the director over reached.

[–] Keely 11 years ago

I'm with you, NikoDay, and your post illuminated the movie even more for me.

[–] kevin-166-337466 10 years ago

I agree, it is the best movie of 2012. However, I do not agree with this:" but for a certain group of people, adults who know what it is to face the mortaility of their partner and themselves, who can't imagine life without the one that they've spent their life with."
I loved it! I was touched to tears and I find myself thinking about it every day and I was only 17 when I watched it. Now I am 18 and I love it even more.

[–] knoxfan2008 10 years ago

Amour was greatly disappointing. It was the first Haneke film that didn't fully immerse and intrigue me. It was unfortunately exactly what I expected and was kind of one note. Don't get me wrong, it was good (7/10) but ultimately it was just good and not as poignant or devastating as it was going for. Haneke makes slow films, but this had too many superfluous shots. But then again, it was pretty much costumed made for critics. It wasn't really risky and it was very simple. Good acting, good cinematography, but definitely not best of 2012, I wouldn't even rank it in the top 5 Haneke Films.

[–] aatiya 10 years ago

It's the sort of movie that creeps on you, and doesn't let go for months.