'Argo,' 'Dark Knight Rises,' 'Django Unchained' make AFI's top 10 American films list for 2012
The usual collection of studio and indie fare
Christian Bale in "The Dark Knight Rises"
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Adding another announcement to the stack this week is the American Film Institute. Remember, the Institute's annual list of the year's best films is limited to American cinema, so you won't see efforts like "Amour" or "Skyfall" pop up. Nevertheless, I think plenty of great American cinema is often avoided by this list in favor of the most obvious mixture of studio and indie fare.
Last year, for instance, standard awards-hunt comedies like "Bridesmaids" and "Midnight in Paris" that were threatening inclusion in the Best Picture field at the time made the cut, as well as those which clearly weren't, like Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar."
Be sure to circle back on Friday for the podcast where Anne and I will reveal our own top 10s for the year. For all my snarkiness about this lot's list, I'd be dishonest if I didn't admit a fair share of them made my own collective.
Check out the full AFI list below.
"Argo" 'The Artist' and 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' among those not eligible
Related
"Les Misérables"
"Lincoln"
Remember to keep track of all the ups and downs of the 2012-2013 film awards season via The Circuit.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupPaul Outlaw
December 10, 2012 at 3:54PM EST Reply to CommentThe Dark Knight Rises takes The Master's place?
PaulH2012 Yes, and your issue is?
December 11, 2012 at 1:41AM ESTPaul Outlaw Just making the observation. Does there have to be an issue?
December 11, 2012 at 4:10AM ESTGuy Lodge
December 10, 2012 at 3:59PM EST Reply to CommentI'm mildly surprised Django made the cut -- which I don't mean as any kind of value judgement -- but otherwise: zzzzzzz.
And not counting Les Mis and Zero Dark Thirty, both of which I'm seeing in the next 48 hours, The Master knocks this entire list into a cocked hat.
Brock Landers Did you like Django?
December 10, 2012 at 4:01PM ESTGuy Lodge Embargoed.
December 10, 2012 at 4:03PM ESTandrew Guy, I realize you've got heaps of screeners, and this isn't a criticism of your output on the site, but I hope we don't have to wait as long for reviews on ZDT and Les Mis as we have for Amour ;)
December 10, 2012 at 4:16PM ESTGautam I agree with Andrew here, Guy you need to post reviews a lot more. It's sheer pleasure reading them.
December 10, 2012 at 4:46PM ESTLadesh The Master is better than some films AFI picked but for reasons that have nothing to do with its inherent qualities. It most certainly does not "knock this entire list into a cocked hat".
December 10, 2012 at 5:37PM ESTAnd also, short of AFI going for literally ten random films, I don't think it's ever possible for Guy to find their selections not boring.
Maybe I'd enjoy reading Guy's reviews too if he wasn't such a constant presumptuous sourpuss.
carbo25 Guy's top 20 list will be 19 indie movies and 1 big budget, forgettable, mediocre-to-downright awful movie (e.g. Mirror Mirror)
December 10, 2012 at 5:55PM ESTGuy Lodge Nice to know you've been paying attention!
December 10, 2012 at 6:54PM ESTGuy Lodge And Ladesh, I shall try in future to emulate your goodwill and indefatigably sunny outlook. Do bear with me. I'm learning.
December 10, 2012 at 6:59PM ESTChecko That's right Carbo25, THAT'S WHY YEAR AFTER YEAR GUY'S LIST IS ONE OF THE MOST I LOVE, EVERY YEAR I DISCOVER AMAZING FILMS OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T, EVERY MOVIE HE LISTS IS A MUST SEE TO ME, even when he chooses some oddity like 'He's Just Not That Into You''. Very few lists have so brave picks & are snob-less to admit a guilty pleasure
December 10, 2012 at 7:15PM ESTBrock Landers
December 10, 2012 at 4:00PM EST Reply to CommentDjango!
Denny
December 10, 2012 at 4:01PM EST Reply to CommentI'm surprised Les Miserables was eligible.
Denny
December 10, 2012 at 4:02PM EST Reply to CommentI'm surpised Les Miserables was eligible
Kristopher Tapley Yeah I'm a little confused by that. Working Title. Hmm...
December 10, 2012 at 4:09PM EST/3rt
December 10, 2012 at 4:03PM EST Reply to CommentAll the Master doubters are why we can't have nice things.
Laura Stewart
December 10, 2012 at 4:13PM EST Reply to CommentThrilled to see TDKR but ummm, where is The Master? And why Les Miz? Agree with Guy's assessment that The Master knocks this entire list "into a cocked hat" I'm stealing that fyi! :)
How can you list the best AMERICAN films, and not include a film that is all about the American experience?!
daveylo The Master wouldn't even make my top 20 list.
December 10, 2012 at 6:16PM ESTanonymous The Master would go on my worst of the decade list.
December 10, 2012 at 10:18PM ESTAmericanRequiem
December 10, 2012 at 4:20PM EST Reply to Commenthonestly its a very solid top ten, Im just suprised and very happy that moonrise and beasts are really in the hunt for best pic noms
RichardZ
December 10, 2012 at 4:38PM EST Reply to CommentNo Pitch Perfect? No Magic Mike? No Bernie? No The Master? What kind of "America" are we talking about here?
PaulH2012 One that does include TDKR, which is eminently better than having any of those 4 in the top 10.
December 11, 2012 at 1:45AM ESTSomeone
December 10, 2012 at 6:31PM EST Reply to Comment"SkyFall" is British-American movie, isn't it, so it was surely under consideration.
Chris138 I'm sure if they really felt that strongly about it they would have found some way to honor it, like they did with The King's Speech and The Artist in the last couple of years.
December 10, 2012 at 6:55PM ESTJLPatt Except neither of those films were cited by AFI...
December 10, 2012 at 6:57PM ESTChris138 Except they were. The King's Speech and Waiting for Superman both received a special award in 2010, and The Artist as well as the Harry Potter series received the same thing the following year.
December 10, 2012 at 7:19PM ESTJLPatt Oh, "special" award. Thought you meant they were included in the Top 10.
December 10, 2012 at 8:20PM ESTChris138 Yeah, I figured Skyfall wouldn't be eligible as an American movie so it would have to get the special treatment that those other two movies did. Sorry for any confusion.
December 10, 2012 at 9:32PM ESTSomeone Yeah, but "SkyFall" IS an American movie: surely it is more "American" than "Les Miserables" which made the list. But I kinda agree with AFI: I also liked "The Dark Knight Rises" more.
December 11, 2012 at 6:21AM ESTChris138
December 10, 2012 at 7:14PM EST Reply to CommentPretty solid list (based on what I've seen). I don't love all of the movies mentioned but at least none are as bad as J. Edgar, which I still can't believe was recognized by this group last year.
PaulH2012
December 11, 2012 at 1:44AM EST Reply to CommentI have a slight problem with embargoing reviews; it doesn't show confidence in your finished product *coughHarveycough*. Django will have its cult fans but not much more, IMO.
Duffy Johnson
December 11, 2012 at 1:57PM EST Reply to CommentHow can movies not released yet make the cut?