If you looked at the list of presumed Oscar nominees, you might have no idea what a fairly great year of film it happened to be. With their need to embrace the mediocre (The Help, War Horse) and sometimes plain bad (Albert Nobbs, J. Edgar) this year's best films will likely go unnoticed by the Academy and other awards bodies. Yet 2011 carried a number of gems, some you have surely heard of, others perhaps not, but all worthy of your attention.
This year was so good, in fact, that I don't even feel compelled to write about the worst the year had to offer. Mostly because I avoid that which seems obviously bad (no Jack & Jill reviews for me) but also because it's hardly worth talking about a piece of dreck like Green Lantern when focusing on the films that made this year so memorable seems far more important. I will have more to say when I write up my personal Oscar ballot as this year, more than any other, featured a number of great performers and technical achievements in less satisfying works. But for now, let's celebrate that which makes going to the movies my continued favorite past time, and the people who make that possible.
Over the year that was, I managed to see about 90 films and wrote about a great deal of them (not most, of course). Looking back on it, I had neglected to realize how difficult it would be to narrow that list down to my very favorite. 10 features made my final list, with a few honorable mentions, and a number of others that merit a note among this year's best. Before you is a mix of mainstream and independent, homemade and foreign, silent and talkie (okay, perhaps only one silent), but all films that stuck with me over the year that was 2011. Let me know if you agree, or just as intriguingly, if you don't.
RUNNERS-UP
BRIDESMAIDS
So much could have gone wrong with Bridesmaids. "The Female Hangover" didn't sound promising, the trailers were off, and many an SNL alum had failed to make the leap to the big screen. But Bridesmaids practically laughed at the doubters, becoming one of the most surprising successes of the year. Deftly mixing gross out comedy with a smartly attuned screenplay, and an unforgettable ensemble, everything about Bridesmaids worked far beyond expectations. Many continued to downplay its genius (that's right) as the year went on, but take satisfaction that these ladies are deservedly laughing all the way to the bank.
HUGO
Martin Scorcese's first 3D film actually landed on my least anticipated of the fall. The film is living proof that first impressions (a silly trailer) don't mean much and that, ultimately, what do I know? A brilliant exploration of the passion of its director and the history of the medium, Hugo is also one of the more thrilling family entertainments of the year. If we have to stick with 3D filmmaking, shouldn't all the efforts be this stunning?
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Dismissed by far too many for its relaxed pace, this incredibly atmospheric spy thriller managed to capture my attention from start to finish. The expertly cast ensemble, combined with Tomas Alfredson's assured sense of direction, make this film one of the more underpraised efforts of the year, especially considering the stoic lead performance by Gary Oldman at its center that stands as one of the year's best.
TREE OF LIFE
I've resisted Tree of Life more than many and I'm still not convinced it's god's gift to earth as so many others are, but it's hard to ignore the astonishing triumph of Terrence Malick's sprawling work. It's flaws are nearly imperceptible when you take in its pure scope, captured beautifully by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and the astonishing performances of the adult and children around it. How many other filmmakers could take on a project like this and make it feel so wholly authentic?
YOUNG ADULT
It seems like I've called every film so far a pleasant surprise, but perhaps none more than Young Adult. The film that could have gone wrong in so many ways, yet instead it went all right, thanks to Diablo Cody's committed screenplay and the icy performance by Charlize Theron at its center. Few films have captured the "going home" feel better than this one, and each meticulous character detail rings true even as the film heads into deeper terrain.
THE TOP TEN
10. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Woody Allen's latest film may not have reached the depths of his greatest features, but it stands firmly among the best of Allen's most recent work. One of the many films this year to play off the audience's nostalgia, Allen has rarely been so gleeful, and his films have scarcely been so beautifully captured. The ensemble cast handles the material so warmly, you wish you were along for the gloriously entertaining ride with them.
09. HANNA
The farthest from Oscar bait as this list has gotten, Hanna represents one of the more unfairly forgotten features of the year. A crisp thriller packed to the brim with excitement and weirdness, Joe Wright's film marked a hugely successful change of pace for the director and his reliable performers (Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett) who helped create one of the most thrilling action films of this year and beyond.
08. MONEYBALL
The thrill of the game infused with the behind-the-scenes drama that makes it all happen combined to make one of the more superbly crafted films of the year. Brad Pitt, making it look easy, and director Bennett Miller find the energy in the razor sharp screenplay (Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin) to create perhaps the best sports film in some years. A crowd pleaser with a level head and a big heart - it represents the kind of film I am more than happy to champion.
07. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
A difficult film, but a brave and unflinching one, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a horror film with none of the horror trappings but all of the dread. An assured debut by director Sean Durkin and one of the most startling breakthrough performances of the year (the stunning Elizabeth Olsen) make Martha an impossible film to shake off. It brings its viewers through an emotional roller coaster before abruptly leaving you at the peak without so much as a chance to catch your breath
06. WEEKEND
The smallest film here - both in scope and budget - but one of the more emotional journeys told in the movies this year. With a smooth screenplay and an impressive directorial debut by Andrew Haigh, Weekend is the kind of story that speaks to all kinds of audience members, as cliche as it sounds. And equipped with not one, but two, great lead performances that make the material speak to even greater volumes than you might imagine.
05. THE ARTIST
It's impossible to resist The Artist, as evidenced by the immense amount of love dumped upon it by critics and awards bodies, but why would you want to? A blissful, loving tribute to the films of the past, The Artist is the least likely crowd pleaser of the year. But its committed cast and visual flare make it well worth the ride. Regardless of its premise, more films could afford to make the audience fall head over heels, and that's precisely where The Artist finds its greatest success.
04. TAKE SHELTER
Take Shelter starts off with a premise you've heard before and turns it into something fresh and stunningly realized. Director Jeff Nichols and actor Michael Shannon (brilliantly as always) create a film both moving and frighteningly effective. The fear of mental and physical turmoil presented through the film is unbelievably felt, building up through its eventual conclusion, which embraces the ambiguity of its premise but finds the strong emotional roots of its core. To say it'll leave you thinking is an understatement.
03. BEGINNERS
On my mid-year list, Beginners actually placed behind Midnight in Paris on my list of favorite films. Upon rewatching it, I have only deepened my admiration for one of the most heartfelt and emotional films of the year. Precious without overdoing it and emotional without the schmaltz, Beginners is a gem of the film, one that embraces and examines life in a way that more films could afford.
02. MELANCHOLIA
Lars von Trier doesn't make films that appeal to everyone and Melancholia is no different. But something about the film's incredible scope and command of emotions has stuck with me since I first saw it. A lot of films this year toyed with the concept of the end of the world and life as we know it, but perhaps none as stunningly as Melancholia, which dared to embrace the beauty of Earth even as it threatened its existence. As for lead actress Kirsten Dunst, never has she been more in tune with a role, and between her and von Trier, we are engulfed by their eerily haunting journey.
01. DRIVE
One way to undersell Drive is to call it the coolest movie of the year. For all of its inherent skill, Drive does not skate along the premise of "being cool" but dares to go beyond that. From the moment I witnessed it's opening scenes during my first viewing, I knew I was powerless to Drive's spell. Director Nicolas Winding Refn has crafted an action film that takes risk after risk and always lands on its feet, never losing its calm demeanor along the way.
Anchored by Ryan Gosling's assured leading performance and capped by a deliciously villainous turn by Albert Brooks, Drive is popcorn entertainment with an art house kick. Perhaps that's why audiences were reluctant to embrace it, but what a shame that is, because Drive is electric in a way that few movies could be. Pulpy, violent, but emotionally grounded, Drive stands above and beyond the rest of the films of this year.
There you have it. 2011 boiled down to 15 essential films.
50/50
The Arbor
Arthur Christmas
Bellflower
Certified Copy
City of Life and Death
Contagion
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Jane Eyre
Meek's Cutoff
Rango
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Senna
Shame
Sleeping Beauty
The Skin I Live In
Submarine
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Win Win
This is probably one of the best top 10s for 2011 I've seen. Period.
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