2011 was a pretty great year for film. In most years, I doubt I'd have
much of a problem listing my ten favorite films, but this list took a
lot of thought and agonizing. Every single one of these films is a gem,
and comes highly recommended.
By Paco McCullough
10. The Last Circus - This twisted little film is like a bizarro Spanish version of Forrest Gump. Covering Spanish history from the Spanish Civil War through the end of the 70s, this is the story of two violent clowns and the acrobat they both love. Twisted and insane, this is the not to be missed. Though it flew under the radar when released here in the States, this one is destined to be a cult classic in a few years.
9. Attack The Block - Another film destined to be a cult classic, this horror/action/comedy about a group of inner-city delinquents fighting aliens was some of the most fun I had in a theater all year. Perhaps a little over-hyped, this movie is nonetheless a great time. A remake and TV show are both in the works, so better to see it now, before the studios run the franchise into the ground.
8. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - An antidote to James Bond, Ethan Hunt, and Jason Bourne, this methodical spy film requires you pay close attention to every detail. Instead of pandering to the lowest common denominator, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy throws details out so fast, you have to pay close attention to keep up. This Cold War film has little gunfire or kung-fu action. Suspense is built instead by the paranoia that is built by not knowing who to trust. Masterful direction by Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In) and uniformly great performances from a cast including Gary Oldman, Collin Firth, and Tom Hardy make this the greatest spy film in years.
7. Contagion - This movie turned me into a germaphobe. As a virus spirals out of control and decimates the population, we follow several different characters and their stories. All are pretty spellbinding, though Matt Damon as a protective father grows tiresome long before the overall film does. Watch this and you'll never want to touch a public surface again.
6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - How do you take a fairly by-the-numbers mystery tale and make it one of the best films of the year? Focus less on the mystery itself and more on the complex characters behind it. Rooney Mara is spellbinding as the eponymous character, Lisbeth Salander, a psychotic hacker with a good heart. David Fincher's direction, Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography, and Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor's score all contribute to a spellbinding, buttnumbing, terrific and demented thriller.
5. Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest - The best music documentary I've ever seen, Beats, Rhymes, and Life digs deep into the story of A Tribe Called Quest. More than a biography, we see firsthand the trials that Tribe goes through: everything from health issues to power struggles unfold naturally in front of the camera. Featuring performances of most of their best songs, including "Scenario" "Can I Kick It?" and "Left My Wallet in El Segundo." Not to miss for fans of the band or of musical documentaries in general.
4. Hugo - Martin Scorsese's best film in years, Hugo is startlingly good. Yes, at times it's trite and saccharine sweet like most kids movies, but this has something more. Not only does Scorsese seem passionate about his characters, he's passionate about the medium itself. His love letter to cinema features spellbinding recreations of some of Melies early work. As a huge film history nerd, this captivated me even more than the tragic story about an orphan fixing his last connection to his father.
3. Martha Marcy May Marlene - A meditation on insanity and brainwashing, this film is so chilling that I would almost classify it was psychological horror instead of drama. A rare dual narrative structure that isn't just a gimmick sucks you further and further into Martha's mindset. As you lose track of what's really going on, the ever present threat of John Hawkes' character becomes overwhelming. Elizabeth Olsen is spellbinding as the young woman trapped in a situation beyond her control. Writer/director Sean Durkin's debut feature has me convinced that he's gonna be someone to keep an eye out for in the years to come.
2. Drive - A beautiful and brilliant crime film, Drive stands against the typical Hollywood gangster film. Owing more to Le Samurai and other French New Wave films then it does to Fast Five, Drive isn't afraid to be quiet or methodical, much like it's lead character. Stellar performances from every member of the all-star cast absorb you, with Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks being particularly great.
1. 13 Assassins - 13 Assassins is the best samurai film since Akira Kurosawa's 1985 film, Ran. Director Takeshi Miike brings his trademark sick touch to this classic tale of a small band of heroes up against a much larger force. Miike expertly retains the classic feel of 60s samurai flicks but masterfully updates the breathtaking action sequences. I've watched this film countless times, and I'll watch it countless more.
Honorable Mentions: The Artist, Captain America, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Senna, I Saw the Devil
10. 50/50 – The touching story of a young man stricken with cancer. He tries to fight it with his best friend in one of the most poignant, funny, and heartbreaking films of the year. Starring Joseph
By Paco McCullough
10. The Last Circus - This twisted little film is like a bizarro Spanish version of Forrest Gump. Covering Spanish history from the Spanish Civil War through the end of the 70s, this is the story of two violent clowns and the acrobat they both love. Twisted and insane, this is the not to be missed. Though it flew under the radar when released here in the States, this one is destined to be a cult classic in a few years.
9. Attack The Block - Another film destined to be a cult classic, this horror/action/comedy about a group of inner-city delinquents fighting aliens was some of the most fun I had in a theater all year. Perhaps a little over-hyped, this movie is nonetheless a great time. A remake and TV show are both in the works, so better to see it now, before the studios run the franchise into the ground.
8. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - An antidote to James Bond, Ethan Hunt, and Jason Bourne, this methodical spy film requires you pay close attention to every detail. Instead of pandering to the lowest common denominator, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy throws details out so fast, you have to pay close attention to keep up. This Cold War film has little gunfire or kung-fu action. Suspense is built instead by the paranoia that is built by not knowing who to trust. Masterful direction by Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In) and uniformly great performances from a cast including Gary Oldman, Collin Firth, and Tom Hardy make this the greatest spy film in years.
7. Contagion - This movie turned me into a germaphobe. As a virus spirals out of control and decimates the population, we follow several different characters and their stories. All are pretty spellbinding, though Matt Damon as a protective father grows tiresome long before the overall film does. Watch this and you'll never want to touch a public surface again.
6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - How do you take a fairly by-the-numbers mystery tale and make it one of the best films of the year? Focus less on the mystery itself and more on the complex characters behind it. Rooney Mara is spellbinding as the eponymous character, Lisbeth Salander, a psychotic hacker with a good heart. David Fincher's direction, Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography, and Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor's score all contribute to a spellbinding, buttnumbing, terrific and demented thriller.
5. Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest - The best music documentary I've ever seen, Beats, Rhymes, and Life digs deep into the story of A Tribe Called Quest. More than a biography, we see firsthand the trials that Tribe goes through: everything from health issues to power struggles unfold naturally in front of the camera. Featuring performances of most of their best songs, including "Scenario" "Can I Kick It?" and "Left My Wallet in El Segundo." Not to miss for fans of the band or of musical documentaries in general.
4. Hugo - Martin Scorsese's best film in years, Hugo is startlingly good. Yes, at times it's trite and saccharine sweet like most kids movies, but this has something more. Not only does Scorsese seem passionate about his characters, he's passionate about the medium itself. His love letter to cinema features spellbinding recreations of some of Melies early work. As a huge film history nerd, this captivated me even more than the tragic story about an orphan fixing his last connection to his father.
3. Martha Marcy May Marlene - A meditation on insanity and brainwashing, this film is so chilling that I would almost classify it was psychological horror instead of drama. A rare dual narrative structure that isn't just a gimmick sucks you further and further into Martha's mindset. As you lose track of what's really going on, the ever present threat of John Hawkes' character becomes overwhelming. Elizabeth Olsen is spellbinding as the young woman trapped in a situation beyond her control. Writer/director Sean Durkin's debut feature has me convinced that he's gonna be someone to keep an eye out for in the years to come.
2. Drive - A beautiful and brilliant crime film, Drive stands against the typical Hollywood gangster film. Owing more to Le Samurai and other French New Wave films then it does to Fast Five, Drive isn't afraid to be quiet or methodical, much like it's lead character. Stellar performances from every member of the all-star cast absorb you, with Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks being particularly great.
1. 13 Assassins - 13 Assassins is the best samurai film since Akira Kurosawa's 1985 film, Ran. Director Takeshi Miike brings his trademark sick touch to this classic tale of a small band of heroes up against a much larger force. Miike expertly retains the classic feel of 60s samurai flicks but masterfully updates the breathtaking action sequences. I've watched this film countless times, and I'll watch it countless more.
Honorable Mentions: The Artist, Captain America, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Senna, I Saw the Devil
By Jason Haskins
10. 50/50 – The touching story of a young man stricken with cancer. He tries to fight it with his best friend in one of the most poignant, funny, and heartbreaking films of the year. Starring Joseph
Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, it didn’t make waves of money, but it definitely made waves of tears flow from these eyes.
9. The Descendants – Alexander Payne’s newest film examines the meaning of family in the face of tragedy, after a boating accident puts the mother of two daughters and wife to one husband on life
support. Equal parts darkly funny and sad, this is one of the best films George Clooney has been a part of in recent years and shows a different side to Hawaii that I found crazily fascinating.
8. Paul – This probably won’t show up on many peoples’ lists, but Paul, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (of Shaun of the Dead fame) was one of the funniest movies of the year. Two British nerds find an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) on their American road trip. Comic hijinks ensue, and not only was it clever, but it’s full of the nerdy humor we all know and love.
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Why this film didn’t make the money it should’ve given the insane popularity of the book series by Stieg Larsson is baffling, but we’re left with a David Fincher movie that doesn’t pull its cinematic punches. Mara Rooney is impeccable as the sexy and calculating hacker punk, Lisbeth Salander, and this is one murder mystery plot that is originally told and mindfully executed. Truly one of the most electric and feel bad movies of the year.
6. Super 8 – Sure, this is a popcorn movie with elements of Steven Spielberg and a large Goonies influence, but it was also a touching story of a father and son caught amidst an alien ‘menace’ tearing
9. The Descendants – Alexander Payne’s newest film examines the meaning of family in the face of tragedy, after a boating accident puts the mother of two daughters and wife to one husband on life
support. Equal parts darkly funny and sad, this is one of the best films George Clooney has been a part of in recent years and shows a different side to Hawaii that I found crazily fascinating.
8. Paul – This probably won’t show up on many peoples’ lists, but Paul, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (of Shaun of the Dead fame) was one of the funniest movies of the year. Two British nerds find an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) on their American road trip. Comic hijinks ensue, and not only was it clever, but it’s full of the nerdy humor we all know and love.
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Why this film didn’t make the money it should’ve given the insane popularity of the book series by Stieg Larsson is baffling, but we’re left with a David Fincher movie that doesn’t pull its cinematic punches. Mara Rooney is impeccable as the sexy and calculating hacker punk, Lisbeth Salander, and this is one murder mystery plot that is originally told and mindfully executed. Truly one of the most electric and feel bad movies of the year.
6. Super 8 – Sure, this is a popcorn movie with elements of Steven Spielberg and a large Goonies influence, but it was also a touching story of a father and son caught amidst an alien ‘menace’ tearing
apart their town. I loved the eighties look of the film, all of the performances by the main cast of adolescents, and the special effects that were pretty well done. This is just a plain fun movie with a good amount of heart behind it.
5. The Skin I Live In – Pedro Almodovar brought one of the bizarre and gutsy films of the year with The Skin I Live In. Expertly acted by Antonio Banderas, it’s about man hell-bent on testing this synthetic skin on a woman he’s kept prisoner in his house after the death of his wife to a fiery car crash. This has so many dark moments in it and all of Almodovar’s flair. There’s no way you can turn away from the sheer integrity of the piece.
4. The Tree of Life – Some called it pretentious, others called it plain stupid, but I call it one of the year’s most original and lovely films, experimental in ways that were gratifying. Deep down, this is a film about fifties American idealism and prospects juxtaposed against the greater emphasis of the universe and why we are human. On the surface is a film led by images and music—all done creatively and beautifully by Terrence Malick.
5. The Skin I Live In – Pedro Almodovar brought one of the bizarre and gutsy films of the year with The Skin I Live In. Expertly acted by Antonio Banderas, it’s about man hell-bent on testing this synthetic skin on a woman he’s kept prisoner in his house after the death of his wife to a fiery car crash. This has so many dark moments in it and all of Almodovar’s flair. There’s no way you can turn away from the sheer integrity of the piece.
4. The Tree of Life – Some called it pretentious, others called it plain stupid, but I call it one of the year’s most original and lovely films, experimental in ways that were gratifying. Deep down, this is a film about fifties American idealism and prospects juxtaposed against the greater emphasis of the universe and why we are human. On the surface is a film led by images and music—all done creatively and beautifully by Terrence Malick.
3. I Saw the Devil – This good one hit early 2011 and was one that I was quite proud of all year long- because of its disturbing subject matter and how fucking awesome it was. I Saw the Devil was hands down the best South Korean film of the year, about a secret agent trying to track down the serial killer who killed the agent's pregnant wife. Cinematically glorious and with performances by Min-sik Choi and Byung-hun Lee that positively racked me to attention, this film left me with my pulse racing—it’s just a shame that more people haven’t seen it.
2. Melancholia – Lars von Trier is possibly the most hated director in the world. He’s also made one of the best films of the year and of his career with Melancholia, about an unknown planet coming towards Earth around the time of a young woman’s marriage—and the peril involved with both. Beautifully acted by Kirsten Dunst in the performance of her career and full of staggering visuals that will astound you, I cannot think of a single film that left me breathless as I was exiting the theater in 2011.
1. Hugo – Martin Scorsese’s newest film, Hugo, was a tour de force of cinema about a young orphan who befriends an old movie star in a train station. It’s not only Scorsese’s love letter to cinema, but an epic treat for cine-philes who appreciate the history of our favorite pastime. It’s no wonder that Scorsese used 3D in a way that wasn’t a gimmick and actually extended the purpose and depth of such a practice. I wasn’t just floored by the visuals and special effects, but by the story involved and how genuinely touching it was. Hugo is truly one of Scorsese’s finest achievements.
2. Melancholia – Lars von Trier is possibly the most hated director in the world. He’s also made one of the best films of the year and of his career with Melancholia, about an unknown planet coming towards Earth around the time of a young woman’s marriage—and the peril involved with both. Beautifully acted by Kirsten Dunst in the performance of her career and full of staggering visuals that will astound you, I cannot think of a single film that left me breathless as I was exiting the theater in 2011.
1. Hugo – Martin Scorsese’s newest film, Hugo, was a tour de force of cinema about a young orphan who befriends an old movie star in a train station. It’s not only Scorsese’s love letter to cinema, but an epic treat for cine-philes who appreciate the history of our favorite pastime. It’s no wonder that Scorsese used 3D in a way that wasn’t a gimmick and actually extended the purpose and depth of such a practice. I wasn’t just floored by the visuals and special effects, but by the story involved and how genuinely touching it was. Hugo is truly one of Scorsese’s finest achievements.
Honorable Mentions: Attack the Block
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