Page 24 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & IV • February 6, 2013 Best Films of 2012 (continued from Entertainment page) travels. Samuel L. Jackson co-stars as Stephen, Candie’s elderly slave, who not only witnesses but also encourages the abuse of his fellow slaves. The movie is extremely violent, but the dialogue is delightfully rich and witty. Tarantino elicits uniformly first-rate performances from his cast and holds viewers’ attention throughout. ‘Silver Linings Playbook.’ This film rises to the top primarily because of the terrific chemistry between its two stars. Pat (Bradley Cooper) has recently been hospitalized for anger issues after he found his wife with another man. Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), recently widowed, is considered the town tramp. Pat is desperate to reconcile with his wife and Tiffany agrees to help him provided he becomes her partner for an upcoming dance competition. This setup seems to forecast a typical Hollywood romantic comedy, but the movie is far better. Robert DeNiro, as Pat’s father, has his best role in many years and is thoroughly convincing as a dad both perplexed by his son’s issues and devoted to supporting him. Jackie Weaver is also excellent as Pat’s mother. Director David O. Russell does not race forward, skipping elements that might enrich characterization. He allows viewers to see Pat and Tiffany fight their respective demons, avoiding simplistic resolutions. ‘The Life of Pi.’ Director Ang Lee tackled the difficult task of adapting the best-selling novel by Yann Martel to create one of the most visually stunning films of the year. Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) and his family are aboard a freighter en route to Canada to open a zoo with the animals they are transporting with them. After a terrible storm, the ship founders and all aboard are killed with the exception of Pi and an assortment of animals, who share a lifeboat. As days go on, survival becomes increasingly difficult, with Pi constantly having to fend off a hungry tiger. The scenes aboard the boat with the amazing computer-generated tiger are the film’s best. Lee has crafted a captivating spiritual and metaphoric saga arguing that faith is essential to survival. Lee is masterful here at visual story telling. Dialogue is at a minimum, and viewers are held by the drama of Pi’s attempts -- some approaching genius, others foolhardy -- to stay alive despite an unforgiving sea, sun, hunger, and the tiger. ‘Lincoln.’ Steven Spielberg directs and a mesmerizing Daniel Day-Lewis stars in the title role of this drama covering the last four months of Lincoln’s life, when he was trying to persuade the House of Representatives to vote for the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery. Day-Lewis is easily the movie’s best attribute. He imbues the sixteenth president with dignity, humor, leadership, and determination. Sally Field, who gained 20 pounds for the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, dominates the screen in each of her scenes. Hardly a shrinking violet, she speaks her mind to friends and foes alike. The tone of “Lincoln” is somber. Tony Kushner’s script showcases Lincoln the politician more than Lincoln the president. Viewers see how methodical Lincoln was in judging the times and the Congress to overcome opposition to the amendment. Spielberg (continued on page 26)