2011 in film
I always like to have a top ten films for every year. The only problem is it’s sort of hard, unless you’re a critic, to see every film within a given year that’s worth a damn. And sometimes films you didn’t even think about seeing turn out to be wonderful. So I’ve waited until the last possible day to talk about last year’s films: Oscar night (well, day).
I believe that anytime before the Oscars it’s still okay to talk about last year’s films. Not all of these films are going to win or are even nominated (most aren’t). I’m not talking about who I think is going to actually win (because, I mean, the fucking Artist, right?). Instead, I’m talking about who I would give the awards to if I was some sort of award giving genie. And not just the films I think are objectively the best, but the films I personally liked the most.
To start off, there were a handful of 2011 films I did not get to see. The big ones I really wanted to catch were: Young Adult, Melancholia, Shame, and Carnage. Maybe they wouldn’t have ended up on here, but I feel like some (especially Young Adult) might have. There were a few other films I didn’t get to see either.
Now, here is a list of films from last year, not on my top ten, but that I enjoyed very much and that I think are worth seeing (in alphabetical order): the Adventures of Tintin, the Artist, Bridesmaids, Captain America: the First Avenger, Drive, the Future, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Moneyball, the Muppets, Paul, Rango (my pick for best animated film), Thor, the Tree of Life (which although not on my top ten, is my choice for cinematography), and Tucker and Dale vs Evil.
Now, my top ten:
10: Hanna
Hanna was a film I had little-to-no-interest in seeing until my friend Brett claimed it was his favorite film of last year. And while it didn’t climb that far up my list, I still think it’s a helluva of a fun film. It feels like it’s based on anime that doesn’t exist (in a good way), and has some awesome action pieces (including one really memorable one with Eric Bana towards the middle of the film).
9: Take Shelter
That Michael Shannon sure does act up… a storm in this. Ho-ho-ho. But honestly, how could he not have been at least nominated for an Oscar? And although Take Shelter has sort of a shitty cop-out ending (though I might feel differently if I watch it again), it’s a wonderfully eerie film.
8: Super 8
I know what a lot of people are saying right now: “Fuck you, Connor.” But hey, fuck you. I really loved Super 8. Weirdly, people downing on it has made me like it less over the year (peer pressure man). I admit, it has a lot of act three problems, but the characters and the always wonderful Giacchino score (which is tied for my favorite with another film higher up in this list) makes it a movie worth watching.
7: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Mmmmm… This film felt like the way coffee smells. That sounds insane, but it feels true. It’s not the most exciting spy film of the year, but it’s certainly the most cerebrally satisfying. Also, Gary Oldman is always fantastic.
6: Midnight in Paris
I admit I have a soft spot for Owen Wilson, but I think he’s a legitimately great actor, or he can be given the right material. Now, he isn’t as good in this as he is in the Darjeeling Limited, but he has a certain comic brilliance in this that I don’t think should go unnoticed (see: the scene where he’s trying to hide the necklace from Rachel McAdams and her parents). Also: Woody Allen. And this would be my pick for Screenplay too (this or my number one).
5: Beginners
Beginners is a movie that surprised me. I went in just because I was hearing buzz about Christopher Plummer. But I thought the film as a whole was so sincere that, though it has little-to-no real plot and not the greatest female lead character, that it ended up going really high up my list really quickly. And Plummer really is a shoe-in for that Oscar and deserves it.
4: Martha Marcy May Marlene
The scariest film of the year by far. And my favorite leading female performance from, of all people, and Olsen sister. As a friend of mine said after watching it, you can almost see why everything the cult is saying makes sense to these people. A lot of it does, which makes the film that much creepier. The film also contains a stellar performance by the always great John Hawkes, who has the shining moment of the film: the creepy and beautiful cover of Marcy’s Song he performs.
3: The Descendants
This is another film on this list that I know a few people will say, “Ugh,” to. There is always one film a year I hear a reaction like the following from a TON of people: “I know I’m the only one, but I hated it.” Well anyone reading and agreeing, know this: you aren’t the only one, so please PLEASE stop saying you are. As for me, I loved it. I saw it not knowing the reaction to the film or the fact that it was being considered for a shit load of awards. Something about the film really affected me. A great cast too, including my supporting actress pick Shailene Woodley.
2: Attack the Block
Both Attack the Block and my number one are, I think, future cult classics. Movies people will talk about for a long time. It’s a damn shame films like this don’t get recognized as much as they should. Joe Cornish would be my pick for best director, and this is the film whose score I would tie with Super 8 for best score. Weirdly enough, I heard a lot of comparisons to Super 8, which I think hurts the appreciation of both films as they are wildly different apart from, “Kids versus alien(s).” Sort of like comparing Tinker Tailor to MI4. But anyways, great, fun film.
1: Super
Oddly enough, I sort of hated Super the first time I saw it. But equally weird, I’ve watched it more times than any of these films this year. I think it’s a hilarious, fun and brutal film that has a lot to say (and not necessarily the nicest things). It’s also very polarizing, and I don’t think it’s for everyone. It is pretty rapey. It contains my favorite male leading performance of the year by Rainn Wilson, who sheds his Dwight persona so fully and is such a force of comedic chaos that I think it’s a damn shame he didn’t get more recognition for the role. Ellen Page and Kevin Bacon are great as well. A real blast that deserves a second watch if you were unsure what to think the first time.
So that’s it. I think only four of my picks are nominated for anything at all. I’m hoping that maybe the Descendants can snag the Oscar from the Artist. Unlikely.
