Best films of 2012

2012 was a fantastic film for films. The year saw work from accomplished filmmakers who continued to expand their palette, with particular highlight going for Paul Thomas Anderson, who created with "The Master" a film unlike any other this year. This was a true work of art - unique, challenging and simply stunning in every aspect of it's execution. For that alone this would be a phenomenal year for film, but every other feature on this list proves that there are unique artists still laboring in an increasingly commercialized art form.

The Master
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons

Zero Dark Thirty
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, James Gandolfini, Edgar Ramirez, Chris Pratt, Kyle Chandler, Harold Perrineau, Mark Duplass, John Barrowman, Stephen Dillane

Cloud Atlas
Directors: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw, Jim Sturgess, James D'Arcy

Killing Them Softly
Director: Andrew Dominik
Cast: Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Ray Liotta

Life of Pi
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Adil Hussain, Tabu

Silver Linings Playbook
Director: David O. Russell
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles, Shea Whigham, John Ortiz, Anupam Kher

Frankenweenie
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Winona Ryder, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell, Martin Landau

Django Unchained
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, David Steen

Looper
Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Pierce Gagnon

Special mentions should go for the following films. "The Impossible" from Juan Antonio Bayona, "Bernie" from Richard Linklater, "Paranorman" from Chris Butler and Sam Fell, "The Deep Blue Sea" from Terence Davies, and "Flight" from Robert Zemeckis.