1. “America’s not a country – it’s a business. Now fucking pay me.” – Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) – Killing Them Softly (Dir. Andrew Dominik) (Screenwriter: Andrew Dominik)
Pitt’s slick hitman Jackie Cogan ends the politically-minded Killing Them Softly with a punch, demanding he gets what he’s owed for services rendered because, hey, that’s capitalism.
2. “Big things have small beginnings.” – David (Michael Fassbender) – Prometheus (Dir. Ridley Scott) (Screenwriter: Jon Spaihts/Damon Lindelof)
Michael Fassbender’s morally ambiguous android ponders the origins of life – and knowingly reminds audiences that the tiny speck on the end of his finger might one day grow up to be something terrifying. Like, say, a Xenomorph.
3. “What a lovely, lovely voice!” – Bane (Tom Hardy) – The Dark Knight Rises (Dir. Christopher Nolan) (Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan)
Summing up the invariably mixed impression that Bane made upon audiences this year, this bizarre off-the-cuff comment from The Dark Knight Rises‘ idiosyncratic menace perfectly encapsulates what made the villain so equally unique and ripe for mockery.
