Ok, I decided to do a list after all. I considered not doing one this year because I felt like it was kind of a slow year and I was struggling with even coming up with my top 5. Two of the movies on my list (6&7) are technically from 2010, but they were released at the end of 2010 and I didn’t see them until 2011.
I also feel guilty saying this was a “slow year” for movies, because there are a lot of films that I have yet to see that probably would have made the list. There are some (Hugo) that I have no excuse for not seeing, and others that I’ve been dying to see (Take Shelter) that have still not been released.
I’m just writing a couple short sentences about each of my picks below simply explaining what it is about the film that impacted me enough to put it on my top 10 of 2011. We also recorded a podcast reviewing our best and worst picks. Look out for that, it should be up shortly. I realize I’m posting this a little late, but hey, if Quentin Tarantino can post his “best of” list in mid January than the rest of America should be able to as well.
And here are my picks:
10. THE FUTURE
The film is narrated by a cat. I loved it, and I’m not even a cat person.
9. TERRI
Azazel Jacobs dodges all the familiar cliches in his familiar genre and introduces us to some new, talented, young actors.
8. HOW TO DIE IN OREGON
Saw this at SXSW ’10 and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Powerful and controversial, this documentary sticks with you long after the credits roll.
7. BLUE VALENTINE
Great acting in a tragic story that is familiar to many. And I know it’s been said before, but seriously one of the best end credit sequences, maybe ever.
6. MARWENCOL
One of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. It’s on Netflix Instant and is a must-see.
5. MELANCHOLIA
Like a bad nightmare that feels too real to forget right away, so instead, you’re haunted by it all day. Not the most fun to watch, but a powerful piece of work.
4. MONEYBALL
A good story made into a GREAT story by superb writing, and brilliant direction from Bennett Miller.
3. DRIVE
This almost felt like one of Cronenberg’s later films, but with the fun, adventurous spirit of a film like True Romance.
2. BEGINNERS
Funny, sad, smart, and sincere. Mike Mills gives us a personal and original film, and takes some directorial risks that seem rare today. I feel like we haven’t seen an “independent” film like this in a while, and I miss that.
1. JUST GO WITH IT
What can I say? I just… went with it. I’m kidding. Adam Sandler, please stop making movies.
1. THE TREE OF LIFE
Critics went from loving it to calling it self-indulgent and pretentious to loving it again. Personally, I think it is an undeniable masterpiece. Not only the best film of the year, but maybe the decade. Just because more people are familiar with Terrence Malick and his signature style does not make him any less credible.
;
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
THE DESCENDANTS
SUPERHEROES (documentary)
HESHER
DRAGONSLAYER (documentary)
WORST:
WARRIOR (Overrated and chock-full of cliches.)
TV (BETTER THAN MOST MOVIES RELEASED THIS YEAR):
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
TREME
BREAKING BAD
LOUIE
GAME OF THRONES
MOVIES I HAVE YET TO SEE:
TAKE SHELTER
SHAME
THE INTERRUPTERS
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
A DANGEROUS METHOD
CERTIFIED COPY (Now on Netflix Instant. Really need to watch this.)
HUGO (Shameful, I know. Scorsese is one of my favorites and I have still not seen this.)
MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
WAR HORSE
50/50
THE ARTIST
A SEPARATION
TYRANNOSAUR
MARGARET
PARIAH
Welcome to DTTM’s first top ten! It’s a bit late, but, well… you know. Life.
As is the case every year, this list includes films that weren’t released in 2011. This is a list of my favorite film viewings, not the best films of the year. I do this for two reasons: It’s impossible for me to see all the critics’ pet and blockbuster films, and I really don’t think ten great films come out yearly.
2011 wasn’t the best year for movies. Off-the-assembly-line comic book movies and big-deal cookie cutter indie films defined the year. The good ones, though, were absolutely stellar. As you’ll see below, I called my top two films—both released in 2011—landmarks. For the first time in years, I feel there are directors out there pushing boundaries again. Too bad they aren’t new directors. Ah, well.
Anyways, here’s the list:
1. The Tree of Life – Either you think this film is overrated tripe, or you loved it. You know where I stand. This was the most written about film of the year, so I don’t have much to contribute. I do believe it’s one of the maybe top 25 best films ever made, and certainly in the all-time top 10 for color cinematography. It has Brad Pitt and dinosaurs.
2. Certified Copy – See this on Netflix now. Abbas Kiarostami’s two-person talkfest is the most creative independent film since Pulp Fiction. Both an homage and a creative riff on Kieslowski’s Three Colors films, Kiarostami takes Blue’s leading lady, Juliette Binoche, and provides her the role of a lifetime. I won’t spoil it. See it.
3. 13 Assassins – Takashi Miike’s action masterpiece is, without a doubt, right up there with The Dirty Dozen. One of the most satisfying straight action films in years.
4. Source Code – A true hard sci-fi sleeper, and a great example of fine sci-fi writing. The trailer indicated a Groundhog Day-ish political thriller, but what we got was an innovative story that went into some truly unpredictable—and human—directions. I foresee this film gaining a cult following in years to come.
5. Manhattan – This was a Woody Allen retrospective year for me, and it peaked with Woody Allen’s black and white masterpiece. A perfectly realized, slightly sick yuppie drama.
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two – This was the blockbuster film of the year, a special effects bonanza that delivered on all fronts.
7. Midnight in Paris – A complete surprise from Woody Allen, who’s pretty much sucked for about ten years. This one put him right back on the map, a heady fantasy with a cunning performance from Owen Wilson, who finally gets to play someone other than himself.
8. High Noon – I watched this one at just the right time, apparently. After probably half a dozen viewings, I appreciate this classic Western more deeply every time.
9. Interiors – The third Woody Allen on my list this year, and one I feel is his most underrated. This dark, literate drama deals with a fragmenting yuppie New York family. The performances are off the chain.
10. The Killing – Kubrick’s heist film is just as ecstatically rendered, ridiculously creative, and suspenseful as ever.
10. WAR HORSE
This looks like the type of epic-scale adventure film that Disney would have produced in the 80′s or 90′s. We don’t see too many of those anymore, at least not good ones. WAR HORSE has a promising trailer, and with Spielberg directing I’m sure it won’t disappoint. Basically, it looks like it will have the nostalgic value I was hoping to get from SUPER 8, but didn’t.
9. ESSENTIAL KILLING
Vincent Gallo as an action star? Seriously, did anyone see that coming? I’ll have to see it to believe it, but more than that, the trailer actually looks good. Now available on VOD.
8. HAYWIRE
The big question here is; can Soderbergh do for MMA star, Gina Carano, what he did for porn star, Sasha Grey? Hard to tell from the trailer, but Soderbergh could be pushing his luck. However, he has proven me wrong a few times before.
7. THE SITTER
David Gordon Green is continuing his streak of comedy films with THE SITTER. It looks like he’s doing another throwback to comedies of the late 70′s/early 80′s. I thought PINEAPPLE EXPRESS was hilarious and thought YOUR HIGHNESS was painfully bad. I’m hoping he’ll redeem himself with this one.
6. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Even though this is not much of a trailer, with most of the footage being from THE DARK KNIGHT, it still is enough to get us excited for Nolan’s final installment in The Dark Knight trilogy. A lot of disconcerting pictures have been released since this trailer came out (some of which show Batman fighting Bane on the beach) but Nolan has yet to make a bad film and I have a feeling he won’t be starting with this one.
5. A DANGEROUS METHOD
Cronenberg is back, and is continuing his partnership with Viggo Mortensen. Their last two films together were badass, so it’s definitely exciting to see them team up again. If that’s not enough, Michael Fassbender (one of the best actors working today), is also starring in the film. Even though DRIVE felt very similar to a Cronenberg film, it’s been too long since we’ve seen the real deal and I can’t wait to see his latest.
4. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
This film got a lot of buzz at Sundance because it stars the Olsen sister that wasn’t on Full House. It looks great though! The trailer is pitch-perfect. Eery and suspenseful. Really looking forward to this one.
3. MELANCHOLIA
The latest from Lars Von Trier. It was the talk of Cannes this year, mostly for the wrong reasons, but it still looks amazing. Love him or hate him, Von Trier is always doing exciting work. This is a fantastic trailer for what looks to be a very haunting film. Now available on VOD.
2. TAKE SHELTER
TAKE SHELTER has been on the festival circuit for over a year and just recently started playing in select cities. This is director Jeff Nichols’ follow-up to his impressive debut, SHOTGUN STORIES. Once again starring, Michael Shannon. One of the best trailers I’ve seen all year, this film is at the top of my list.
1. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Fincher is back! ZODIAC was easily one of my favorite Fincher films and then he followed that up with THE SOCIAL NETWORK (should have won BEST PICTURE) and now this. Let’s just forget that PANIC ROOM ever happened. This trailer is very inspired and it looks to have all of our favorite Fincher trademarks. It’s the “feel bad movie of Christmas!”
Honorable Mention:J. EDGAR
I’m not really a fan of Clint Eastwood as a director and I think we saw enough biopics in the early 00′s to last us a lifetime, but still, this film has a good trailer and makes me interested to see it.
A lot of people are unhappy with the changes Netflix has made, but I still think they offer the best service out there (mostly due to their Watch Instantly library). Here’s 10 reasons why:
1. All the Criterion films on Instant. New and old, there’s a lot and they keep adding more.
2. Every season of Mad Men is on Instant. The new season doesn’t start until 2012, you have plenty of time to catch up.
I’m going to go along with my counterparts here and also do my Top 10 List based off of films I saw in 2010, not necessarily films that came out in 2010 (although I think the majority of my picks do qualify as 2010 releases). However, unlike John and Susan’s lists I did not think this was the year that movies died ;). I did see quite a few films this year, and there were some good ones, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a pretty lackluster year for film. Luckily, the few that were good were really good. Ok, here we go:
10. SONS OF CUBA
I saw “Sons of Cuba” at the Palm Springs Film Festival and was really surprised it didn’t get better distribution. When I saw the film they were having problems with the projector and there were these large green lines that ran vertically across the screen, but this little film was so absorbing that within minutes no one in the the theater even remembered they were there. Five years ago this film would’ve been a hit, unfortunately documentaries aren’t as popular as they used to be since the general public has ended its fleeting love affair with Michael Moore.
This is one of those documentaries where the filmmakers turn their cameras on all the right people and capture all the right moments. Very heartwarming and uplifting–you want to stand up and cheer by the final scene.
9. REVANCHE
(trailer NSFW)
Subtle, but not at all boring. This film slowly draws you in and keeps you in with its beautiful cinematography. There’s enough time with every shot to really take in each frame and appreciate it. While the tone and photography are what I loved most about this film, it’s also a great spin on a familiar genre.
8. THE ROAD
Beautifully bleak. Bleak in its setting, but beautiful in its examination of a father-son-relationship. I really tried seeing this film in 2009, but finally ended up seeing it in early 2010. The acting in this film, all across the board, was just outstanding. I really like John Hillcoat’s direction and am excited to see what he does next. The fact that they don’t explain what caused the apocalypse in this film made it so much more real and relatable.
7. CHILDREN OF INVENTION
This is what independent film is all about: it’s a low-budget original story that is so well-told it seems effortless. I was really impressed with the all-around production of this film, Tze Chun did a great job and I can’t wait to see more from him. I also have to acknowledge the fantastic editing by Anna Boden. I think it really took this film to the next level.
6. COLLAPSE
Chris Smith, who directed my favorite documentary of all time, returns to making docs and introduces us to the brilliant mind of Michael Ruppert. I think this should be required viewing, after seeing this I contemplated joining the Amish community. I wouldn’t say it’s so much chilling as it is informative. Smith goes with an Errol Morris approach here (even down to the Phillip Glass-inspired soundtrack), but it works perfectly and was definitely the right choice.
5. AFTERSCHOOL
Antonio Campos has arrived. This film is daring, full realized, and absolutely horrifying. Probably one of the most disturbing film experiences I’ve had next to Fat Girl, Funny Games, and Irreversible. Yet I’m still recommending it. Why? Because I think it exposes us, while also warning us, of the next generation that we have created: a generation that is so desensitized at such a young age that the things they are capable of is unfathomable. Ezra Miller gives a brilliant performance and Campos makes sure every shot is inspired by the story. For instance, the final shot of the film is so haunting because you realize at that point that you are completely vulnerable and that the unexpected could happen at any moment, and that perfect last shot really epitomizes the film.
4. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
I was one of the first to say, “a Facebook movie? Really?”, but like many others I ended up eating those words. Once Fincher and Sorkin were attached and I found out more about the source material I was definitely less skeptical and suddenly this film became one of my most anticipated of the year. 2010 seemed like a year where most films didn’t live up to the hype, but I felt that “The Social Network” was one of the few that actually delivered. This is a definitive film of our generation and a story that is, as they say, stranger than fiction. Prime movie-making material. I also commend Fincher, who is usually really heavy on effects, for sort of taking a backseat and letting the great script by Aaron Sorkin tell the story.
3. HUNGER
I was first introduced to director Steve McQueen’s work (not the actor) at an art museum where I saw a video installation of his. So, going into “Hunger” I knew McQueen would probably take a more avant-garde approach. He did, but in a way that was totally fitting to the true story he was telling. This film just blew me away, from the powerful subject matter to the truly brilliant direction by McQueen to the physically demanding performance by Michael Fassbender and of course to the well known 20-minute-long, extremely impressive, single-shot take. Especially since it’s used in such a pivotal scene. I can not praise this film enough, just writing about it makes me want to watch it again.
2. SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS
This was my favorite film at SXSW 2010. Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick made an original and beautiful film and I really hope more people can see it. I saw some of McCormick’s short film work when I lived in Portland and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was always hoping he would do a feature, so I was very excited to see that he had his feature debut playing at SXSW. I had my fingers crossed while watching it, hoping his transition to features would be successful, and it absolutely was. With a cast of mostly musicians (The Shins James Mercer and Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein) McCormick subtly intertwines various stories that deal with human connection, loneliness, abandonment, death, and rebirth. I loved everything about this film, it’s currently still playing festivals but I hope it’s available soon.
1. EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
Banksy’s big prank and middle finger to the contemporary art world is both hilarious and significant. What I appreciate most about this film is that it defies genres, it was refreshing to see someone like Banksy come into the film world and give us something we’ve never seen before, just like he did with his artwork.
The first half of the film is a pretty straight forward documentary educating us on the history of the street art scene. The latter half of the film is a sort of mockery of everything that is wrong with the art scene and how it’s all become so overly commercialized. Banksy seemed like he was on a mission and that he had a lot to say, he wanted to shake things up a bit, as he’s been known to do. With “Exit Through The Gift Shop” Banksy did just that, and in a completely unconventional way. I also think this was the best title for a movie this year, with “My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done” being a close second. If you haven’t seen this yet make sure you check it out while it’s still on Netflix Instant. Mr. Brainwash thanks you.
Honorable Mentions:True Grit, The Fighter, and Black Swan. Three films that I saw and really enjoyed, but that I don’t think had enough time to resonate with me to make my list. This year seemed to be a year of expectations. True Grit and Black Swan were about as good as I hoped them to be, with The Fighter being a tad better than expected. Some films like The Social Network exceeded high expectations, while others like Inception were a bit of a letdown.
Yet to see:Toy Story 3, Animal Kingdom, I Am Love, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, Enter The Void.
death2themovies 2/21/12 @netflix pick: DARK DAYS. Excellent documentary about a community of homeless people that basically live underground. #netflix365
