My Favourite 10 Films of 2011
I’m not really big on lists, but sometimes it can be neat to look at a compilation in capsule form. This list is my favourite films of 2011 (so far) and may change if/when I see more flicks from 2011. I’ve narrowed the list down to 10 because I’m too lazy to do more, but there were a number of very good pictures from this year that deserve your consideration. Feel free to chime in with some of your favourites in the comments.
One of the better romantic comedies in recent years, Crazy, Stupid, Love. is one of those pictures that just makes you feel good. It packs some great performances, especially from Ryan Gosling, and has a heart that doesn’t force its characters into reams of humiliation for the edification of brainless audience members. It’s still got its fair share of clichés, but they work because of the sincerity of the actors and the sweetness of the production.
9. Jane Eyre
Cary Fukunaga’s film is a revelation of cinematography and lean storytelling. Its also a great excuse to see Mia Wasikowska at it again, along with my favourite actor of the year Michael Fassbender. The movie is, in many ways, a study of isolation and routine. Wasikowska’s Jane is soaked in atmosphere and is decidedly bleak thanks to Fukunaga’s ace direction and the wondrous, spellbinding camera work.
While many of my fellow critics cited Rango as the top animated feature of 2011, my pick was Kung Fu Panda 2. The movie excited from beginning to end, jumping and kicking and jump-kicking with vibrant colours and rapid-fire action sequences. The plot was a logical extension from the first film and the voice acting was immensely entertaining. Scenes ranged from the jaw-dropping to the surprisingly sweet, with the characters developing the whole way through into fully-realized visions.
7. Pariah
Dee Rees’ debut picture is a marvel because of its “uncommon sensitivity” and, of course, because of the unearthing of one Adepero Oduye. She has a good amount of award buzz, even though the damn Golden Globes didn’t appear to recognize her, and is a wondrous presence in this powerful film. At the same time, Pariah isn’t sanctimonious or preachy; it doesn’t slip into the ether of a “cause movie” and is a powerful human drama of weight and consequence.
6. Moneyball
This is as good a sports movie as I’ve seen in years. It features a whip-smart script from Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, for one thing, and Brad Pitt gives a stellar performance as Billy Beane, a baseball manager who has figured out sabermetrics and analyzes the game with a very unique course. Moneyball carves out ground against the traditional notions of baseball, but it also carves out ground against traditional notions of sports movies, focusing not on some “big game” scenario but on the inner workings of the game.
Alexander Payne is one of my favourite working directors and The Descendants may be my favourite of his films. George Clooney gives a winning performance as the patriarch of a family that is coming apart at the seams. They may live in paradise, but the Kings are far from royalty. They may even have a large swath of land to their respective names, but that doesn’t mean that things are running smoothly. Also worth a look here is Shailene Woodley.
Werner Herzog’s documentary is chilling, thoughtful and strangely humane. He explores the barbaric practice of capital punishment and presents his bias immediately, but nothing stops him from delving into the crime and chaos surrounding what looks to be a pretty open and shut case in Texas. Into the Abyss regards the situation with sadness, honing in sensitively on what some in Rick Perry’s world cheer with drooling glee.
3. Hanna
Joe Wright’s Hanna is an astounding action thriller that never lets up. It is stylish but not pretentious, uncorking a beautiful performance from one Saoirse Ronana and giving her a rival in Cate Blanchett. For a modern film to pack such powerful female characters (without sexualizing them incessantly) is a treat. It helps that the movie has a number of vivid, glorious action sequences to go with the very human relationships and characters.
2. Shame
This is an unflinching, remarkable piece of work from director Steve McQueen. It is about a man (Michael Fassbender) controlled entirely by his urges, imprisoned in sex addiction that brings him no real pleasure – only release. The film earned an NC-17 rating and does feature plenty of graphic content, but don’t let that deter you from what is a fundamental, essential motion picture about the nature of addiction. Sex addiction may still be a punchline in many circles, but this film humanizes it.
No other film this year impacted me more than Malick’s The Tree of Life. This is a work of art has been discarded by some as slow-moving or pretentious, but this is a picture of humanity, grace and spirituality. It is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, of course, but in this era of focus group movie-making it’s a divine experience that has remained with me since I first saw it. It is a gift and a challenge.
Thanks for the list. In South Africa we haven’t seen all these movies yet – still to be released, I hope.
Hope you get to see most, if not all, of these films. I think you’ll enjoy them.
Good shout on Tree of Life regarding focus group movie making, the film was definitely an artistic statement!
I haven’t seen Crazy, Stupid, Love yet but I really want to. Thanks for the recommendations.
It’s an old-fashioned flick that puts a smile on your face. That, to me, was worth a lot the night I saw it. I’m not convinced I’d stick it on a true BEST OF list, but hey, it was certainly a personal favourite.
I have been hearing a lot of good things about Pariah, I will definitely need to check that film out. Into the Abyss is up there for me as well, not quite in my top ten but close. As for Hanna, while I enjoyed it, the film did not grab me the same way it did others. In fact, the same can be said for The Tree of Life.
Thanks for the comment (and forgive the late reply, I hope). You should certainly check out Pariah. One of the year’s best AND one of my favourites. Now if that’s not a ringing endorsement…
An interesting Top Ten that is exceedingly well written. I disagree with your No.10 and No.1 picks, primarily as I thought the former was a rom-com that struggled to keep track of its decent opening and ended in a cliched morass, whilst the latter was Malick overdoing all the things that he has done best in his singular career (it was still better than von Trier’s similarly grandiose Melancholia however). Amongst the rest of your Top Ten I’m pleased to see both Jane Eyre and Moneyball make an appearance, as they were both excellent films. I’ve mentioned before that I can’t wait to see Shame and much like yourself I feel Fassbender has been the acting revelation of this year (something that will surely be confirmed with the likely box office super stardom to come in next year’s Prometheus release). I’d never come across Pariah and I’m now very intrigued indeed, whilst Hanna had slipped by me in the summer and will likewise need to get a DVD viewing in the New Year. Hope you have a good end of year celebration and look forward to keeping abreast of your excellent cinematic tastes come 2012.
I do hope you get to see Pariah, my friend. It was one of my favourite discoveries from the year and a truly great film about a subject that is often tackled in sanctimonious or hammy fashion. I think you’ll like it.
Happy New Year to you, too.
Nice list. It’s cool to see Hanna up so high, as I was really surprised by how much I liked it. The Descendants and Moneyball are also good choices, and Crazy Stupid Love was better than I expected. I do have the Tree of Life on my list, but it’s a bit lower. It’s a stunning visual film, but I was detached from it at certain points.
Thanks for the comment, Dan. I was surprised by how much The Tree of Life took me emotionally. I love Malick’s films from a number of standpoints, but Tree of Life had such a personal feel to it that I was captivated by every scene. It certainly is a visually lovely picture, but, more than that, it was, at least to me, a spiritual film that resonated and rattled around in my brain days after I finished watching it.
I’m happy to see “Kung Fu Panda 2″ on here. I can’t wait for the next installment.
“Hanna,” I think, is the movie that I need to see again. While I admired its elliptical storytelling and risks it took (combining coming-of-age elements in an assassin picture), I wanted to know more about Blanchett and Bana’s characters. Both wanted Hanna for their own reasons. Both needed to be more defined.
Looking forward to watching “Into the Abyss.” How did you like “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”?
Yeah, I’m really digging the whole Kung Fu Panda series. Such fun, so colourful and action-packed. The martial arts sequences are choreographed beautifully.
I liked the mystery that Hanna held. I think that there was a certain “maternal” aspect to Blanchett’s character, revealed in a number of critical scenes, that hold answers to some of the more obscure elements. I do hope you see it again because I think it’s one of the finer movies in recent years.
I didn’t get a chance to see Cave of Forgotten Dreams just yet. I was hoping it would pop up in theatres nearby because I really wanted to see it in 3D, but such was not to be. And my online screening room, which also held Into the Abyss, was having some technical difficulties. So it goes. I hope to see it soon.