The Top 10 Films of 2011

And there we have it. Another year behind us and a new one about to begin. In retrospect 2011 was a pretty good year for moviegoers with plenty of surprise gems to feast our eyes upon while munching on popcorn and Goobers. Sure, there were some massive duds robbing us our hard-earned money out there too, but the best punishment for them is to forget those wasted hours and instead celebrate the films that made us laugh, cry, think, shriek, and gasp in awe.

Looking back at my notes (yes, I’m that anal retentive about this) I saw just under 60 films that were released in the calendar year 2011, which averages out to just over 1 a week. The following is a collection of ten of those that really knocked me out in some form or fashion. Their specific rank could easily change a day, a week, or a year from now so don’t start breaking things if your personal favorite isn’t as high as you’d like. These are all excellent films worthy of our time and there are many more that I still need to see which could easily rank right up there with them such as Warrior, 50/50, Margin Call, Take Shelter, A Separation, Weekend, The Iron Lady, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and Like Crazy.

But enough chatter. Let’s get to it.

10. The Ides of March – George Clooney returned to the director’s chair yet again to show us the seedier side of American politics. Granted, not many of us needed to be reminded how messed up our political system and its players are but Clooney gives it to us with a fine dose of surprises and a strong script. Performances are outstanding across the board with special notice to dreamboat of the year, Ryan Gosling who’s Michael Corleone-esque slide into darkness is a must-see.

9. Drive – Yep, it definitely became Ryan Gosling’s year with this amazing arthouse thriller that beautifully juxtaposed silent, character moments with some of the most extreme flashes of violence on screen in recent memory. Albert Brooks kills (literally) as a surprisingly vicious mob boss and selections from the soundtrack have given my iPod a workout from the moment I left the theater. Take a spin around Los Angeles at night while listening to ‘Nightcall’ by Kavinsky and tell me you don’t feel like the greatest badass on the planet Earth.

8. War Horse – When I first saw the trailer for this Steven Spielberg epic I wanted to roll my eyes at the overly sentimental schmaltz of it all but then I saw the movie and dammit – he made it work. This is a movie from another era and surely worthy of saying, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore!” for. The vistas are wide, the settings are real, John Williams’ score is sweeping, and the colors are breathtaking. To enjoy it you must surrender every ounce of cynicism in your body but the ride is worth it.

7. Hugo – Martin Scorsese is a director who can essentially do no wrong and in this film he gives us the the first of two films on this list that pay homage to the early days of cinema. But in embracing the primitive history of film Scorsese uses the most modern techniques to remind us how far we come but also how greatly movies touch our lives. His use of 3D in particular will probably be looked back on as saving the format from extinction when other filmmakers and studios merely took it for granted.

6. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – A fine example of pure, solid filmmaking that leaves no hair out of place and drips with tension, fear, and dread. Gary Oldman continues his legendary career with a performance of brilliant subtlety that perfectly matches the film’s low key but deadly effective approach.

5. Shame – The award for heaviest film of the year must surely go to this one, which tackles a man’s addiction to sex and the effect it has on his daily life. Michael Fassbender gives the performance of his career (and of the year) in what is often a very hard movie to watch. It is worth the pain but you’ll surely need a drink afterward.

4. Moneyball – The year in which a film written by Aaron Sorkin doesn’t make my Top 10 list will be a sad year indeed. I really believe the man is King Midas with a word processor for making me love a film about baseball this much. The characters played by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill have balls of steel and if you don’t find yourself wanting to cheer them on as the film plays out – you may very well not be human.

3. My Week With Marilyn – Some critics faulted this film for not being up to par with Michelle Williams’ brilliant portrayal of Marilyn Monroe within it, but I respectfully disagree! I fell in love with this flick as a movie about making movies and the true life struggles of one of cinema’s greatest stars. I cannot wait to have this on Blu Ray and have a personal double feature night with The Prince and the Showgirl.

2. The Artist – A silent film in black and white is probably the last thing that modern audiences want to shell out for but I assure you that a more enjoyable experience will be hard to come by. The laughs and the story are so universal and told with such charm that you would have to be a miserable bastard to hate it. Seriously. You’d be like the guy who says he doesn’t like ice cream. And let’s face it – nobody likes that guy.

1. Midnight in Paris – If I could spoon with a movie I would spoon with Midnight in Paris. That’s how much I love it. I walked into it with cautious optimism considering you really never know what you’re going to get with a Woody Allen film, but as soon as the film began with its French music and gorgeous shots around the City of Light I became transfixed. And when the film took a turn for the fantastical I fell in love. Allen has delivered his best film in decades and it is a swooning, magical treat for anyone who has ever been in love -  be it with a person, a city, a piece of art, a book, or with the thought of living in another time and place. I left the theater after seeing this in love with cinema and with life itself and if that doesn’t earn a movie a ‘Favorite Film of the Year’ title, I don’t know what does.

10 Honorable Mentions Also Worth Your Time: Martha Marcy May Marlene, Melancholia, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Young Adult, Crazy Stupid Love, The Descendants, Beginners, Win Win, X-Men: First Class, and Thor.

Here’s hoping for a stellar year of movies in 2012!

 

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures.