THE 2012 HOWIES

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2012 was not, for me, one of the better years for movies.  In fact, until Beasts of the Southern Wild came along, I was bemoaning, for the first time ever, whether I would be able to come up with a satisfactory list for movies of the year.  But things did start improving in the late summer until my fears started to abate a bit.

For my reviews on the following, please check out my blog at http://howardcasner.blogspot.com/

At any rate:

BEST FILM

Beasts of the Southern Wild

The remainder in alphabetical order:

Amour

Django Unchained

Holy Motors

Les Miserables

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Raid: The Redemption

The Road

Rust and Bone

Seven Psychopaths

Honorable mention:   First a special shout out for the best romantic comedy of the year Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same.  But also, I also enjoyed Dark Horse, Compliance, Bernie and The Innkeepers.

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Hanake – Amour

Remainder in alphabetical order:

Jacques Audiard – Rust and Bone

Leos Carax – Holy Motors

Gareth Evans – Raid: The Redemption

Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained

Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Honorable mention: Tom Hooper for Les Miserables; Sam Mendes for Skyfall; Martin McDonagh for Seven Psychopaths

BEST ACTOR

Denis Levant – Holy Motors

Remainder in alphabetical order:

John Hawkes – The Sessions

Mads Mikkelsen –  The Hunt and A Royal Affair

Matthias Schoenaerts – Rust and Bone

Jean-Louis Trintignant – Amour

Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

Honorable mention:  First, a note: I realize that Daniel Day-Lewis isn’t on the list.  I thought he did an excellent job as Lincoln, but I just didn’t find his performance and the movie that exciting, so I have him in honorable mention.  I also include here; Sam  Rockwell for Seven Psychopaths; Anthony Hopkins for Hitchcock; Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy for The Intouchables; Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables; Joaquin Phoenix for The Master; Toby Jones for Berberian Sound Studio.

BEST ACTRESS

Rachel Weisz – The Deep Blue Sea

Remainder in alphabetical order:

Marion Cottillard – Rust and Bone

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Helen Mirren – Hitchcock

Emmanuelle Riva – Amour

Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Honorable mention: Nina Hoss for Barbara

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin – Argo

Remainder in alphabetical order:

Roberto Benigni – To Rome With Love

Dwight Henry – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Leonardo DiCaprio – Django Unchained

Ezra Miller – The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln

Honorable mention:  Robert de Niro for Silver Linings Playbook; Javier Bardem for Skyfall; Richard Jenkins for Cabin in the Wood; Jason Clarke for Zero Dark Thirty.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Ann Dowd – Compliance

Remainder in alphabetical order:

Jeannie Berlin – Margaret

Pauline Collins – Quartet

Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

Edith Scob – Holy Motors

Maggie Smith – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel/Quartet

Honorable mention: Helen Hunt for The Sessions; Nicole Kidman for The Paperboy; Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook; Isabelle Huppert for Amour; Shirley McClaine for Bernie

BEST SCREENPLAY

Martin McDonagh – Seven Psychopaths

Remainder in alphabetical order:

Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild’

Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain – Rust and Bone

Leos Carax – Holy Motors

Stephen Chbosky – The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Michael Haneke – Amour

Honorable mention: Madeleine Olnek for Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same; Todd Solondz for Dark Horse; Skip Hollandsworth and Richard Linklater for Bernie 

Finally, I always do a set of awards for ensemble:

BEST ENSEMBLE

Seven Psychopaths

Remainder in alphabetic order:

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Hitchcock

The Perks of Being a Wall Flower

Quarter