Hmm...a top 15 Best of 2011 list, huh? That's pretty interesting here. Well, the best way to group quality motion pictures is to rank them. Number 1 is what should have won Best Picture, the following 8 films (to coincide with the Oscar nominations last year) would be what should have been nominated, and the 6 remaining pictures are simple guilty pleasures. With that said, here's my list:
1. Midnight in Paris: When 2011 ended, I assumed that Hugo would be carrying itself as the absolute best motion picture of the year. But once I saw this movie on cable, I knew it possessed everything Hugo had that made it great, only at 90 minutes long and with some good, clean, witty humor. I am leaning towards this as being my favorite Woody Allen film.
nominees:
2. Hugo: Gorgeous visuals, and a film that not only celebrates life, but is also the study of the lives of several people that work or live within the confines of a trainstation post WWII. Martin Scorsese proved with this picture that his legacy was simply no fluke, but that he is indeed a contender for greatest director alive, and is one of the few truly great family pictures ever made.
3. Oh, yeah. The controversial film that lacked any significant nominations that, as you all may know by now, this film probably deserved. Not just a lack of a nomination for Ryan Gosling or Al Brooks, but a Best Pic nomination too. A thrilling character study of a stunt driver by day, chauffer for criminals at night. Certainly not worth missing out, even if it isn't akin to something like Fast Five.
4. Moneyball: Okay, this was a very rare and unusual exception to my rule of thumb, because I actually went and saw this movie in theaters one week after I saw The Lion King in 3D. Terrific acting all around, and a unique, intelligent, and honest take on the sport of baseball and economics make this film a strong, firm recommendation for any hardcore movie buff.
5. A Dangerous Method: The essemble drama of the year that deals with hard-to-swallow issues and scenesm, but is all the same brutally deep, significant, and true in every sense of the word. Not for the faint of heart, but is definitely a film that can make the viewer a little wiser.
6. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Yet another film that makes you think. Just imagine if you took James Bond, changed focus from the action to the information, and delt with a complex plot full of conspiracy and intrigue. Gary Oldman was long overdue for an Oscar (which he should have won), but at least he was finally nominated.
7. The Descendents: I am not a big George clooney fan, but I think I fell for this movie much the same way that I did for Sideways; Alexander Payne is more than capable of taking any setting and any plot, and carefully weaving us a mixture of happiness and depression, comedy and drama, and constantly giving us something unexpected every time. In Sideways, it was in a vinyard. But here, it was in Hawaii which presented us the beauty of this film. Alexander Payne is slowly but surely turning into one of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers of the current generation.
8. Warriors: Okay, okay, I'm not too big a fan of this movie, but I can at least see the virtues of this picture. If you want a firm grip on what to expect of this movie, it is essentially the 2011 equivalent of The Wrestler, which was a great movie. This one isn't on par with The Wrestler, but I hope you get an idea on what to expect with this movie.
9. Shame: Okay, this movie is at the bottom of the list because the subject matter just bugs me. But it is an effective powerhouse picture that at least tries to tackle some legitamite issues.
And the important picture:
10.Atlas Shrugged, Part One: Hate me now, but I consider this to not just be a great movie, but possibly the most important film to have come out, perhaps ever. Sure, not as far as films are concerned (though one can only hope), but it is one of the most terrifyingly accurate works of Science Fiction ever made, and more than ever, it is astoundingly relevent today than it was when the book was published over 50 years ago.
And my fun films:
11.The Adventures of Tintin: One of the biggest blasts I had at the theaters, here's hoping this marks a return to form for Steven Spielberg as a director. A shame it wasn't even nominated for Best Animated Features.
12.Cowboys and Aliens: And it's played with a straight face. Personally, I will at least admit that Jon Favreau is an admirable director of blockbusters (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Elf?).
13.Winnie the Pooh: Okay, people. Stop snickering. I love Winnie the Pooh. I'm a guy, and I like Pooh Bear. Who couldn't? He's just so naive and innocent, and all the other characters are a delight (Owl and Rabbit were always my personal favorite characters).
14.Transformers: Dark of the Moon: In spite of how popular it is to crucify Michael Bay, one has to at least find the visual effects of his films to be admirable and extremely detailed. The one catch here? Well, while attempting to repair the damages done in Transformers 2, he decided to strip this third film of the life and energy that the third film had. It left this film feeling rather bitter, but I still enjoyed it in the end.
15.X-Men: First Class: Yes, this is at the bottom of my list. Sue me; it was a good year for movies, after all. Great action sequences, a fun origin story (feels more like a reboot though, but I digress), and a cast full of memorable characters with such likable personalities.
And here's my top 15 of the year. Thanks for listening in on the new guy. Hope I spend more time on these forums to discuss movies with you guys. Later.
PS: I actually came from another movie forum with a few friends of mine, but they were chased out along with me due to some unfair judgments. Is it alright if I invite them over to this site?
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