Top Ten 2011

Top Ten of 2011

2011 was a mixed bag for film. While 2010 offered films like Inception, Black Swan and The Social Network, there were few films in 2011 which really compelled me to see them in the cinema more than once. At the same time however the year did have its fair share of great films, with prequels and sports movies, two types of film that have never really offered a modern classic being arguably at their best this year. If there was one theme throughout the films of 2011, or at least the films on my top ten, I would say it was acceptance. Whether it is accepting who or what you are and what you cannot mess with in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men: First Class (And arguably Drive), accepting the death of a loved one in Super 8, accepting the pressures of life and seeking the solace of loved ones in Take Shelter, or accepting a new way of doing things and what you have achieved in Moneyball. There are films in this top ten which have surprised me, grown on me, shocked me and moved me and that is why they are in my top ten. These are the films of this year that I believe I will revisit multiple times in the future and films that will stand the test of time. Every year with my top ten, there a few films I loved and then the rest. Last year it was the top three of Inception, Black Swan and The Social Network. This year it is probably my top 3 again. Certain films in this ten may survive better than others, this list could easily change as I catch up on more of the films from last year that I have missed. Ultimately the numbers that accompany the films are just numbers, the only films you can truly consider locked in place are my number one and two picks, the rest are fluid and interchangeable most likely depending on my mood at the time. I will never revisit this ten in order to change it but I will revisit these films.

10. The Beaver

A truly original screenplay and a lead performance that if given by anybody other than Mel Gibson would be in Oscar contention, The Beaver is an odd, unique, affecting piece of human drama. It could have been better in the hands of somebody like Darren Aronofsky, however Jodie Foster with this film suggests that her directorial efforts won’t be vanity pieces but instead different, interesting, character driven stories. Read my full review of The Beaver here.

9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The best cast of the year is on display in Tinker Tailor, a film that gathers the very best of British acting across numerous generations. Tomas Alfredson directs the film beautifully giving the film a bleak, chilly, yet attractive atmosphere. The design of the film is stunning and while the performances and the story may be too subtle and complex for some, Tinker Tailor has one of the best endings of the year and may be a film which will stand the test of time better than ones I have ranked above it. It burns slowly but explodes superbly, a film to be admired, studied and enjoyed by all fans of the craft of film.
Read my full review of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy here.

8. X-Men: First Class

One of the best prequels of all time, one of the best in its genre and easily the finest X-Men film to date. With the marvelous Michael Fassbender performance at its core, X-Men: First Class has sixties style, great character development especially through the Magneto/Professor X relationship and great action sequences. Matthew Vaughn continues to be one of the most underrated directors in the business as he shows that he can make big budget, action packed films, yet still have them be satisfying on a story and character level. The first film in 2011 that I saw twice at the cinema, summer superhero entertainment at its near best.
Read my full review of X-Men: First Class here.

7. Take Shelter

One of the years most unique, atmospheric and ambiguous films. Michael Shannon provides the thunder, Jessica Chastain the rain and Jeff Nichols the fog in this thunderstorm of a movie. The score is haunting; the ending perfectly polarizing yet satisfying and the final twenty minutes had my heart beating faster than it has watching any film this year. Like other films on my list, repeat viewings could see this be in much higher regard in the future. If Michael Shannon does not get an Oscar nomination for this film (Which he won’t) then a storm will come, unlike anything you have ever seen.
Read my full review of Take Shelter here.

6. Senna

One of my favourite sport movies and documentaries of all time, Senna is a stunning, revealing piece of work which can be enjoyed by both a formula one obsessive and those who like me, had no idea who Senna was before watching the film. The film is the editorial achievement of the year, as endless archive and news footage is cut together into this engaging, fast paced film with Goodfellas esque energy. Like a good documentary it should, it takes you on a journey and changed the way in which I view a world that I previously had little thought about.
Read my full review of Senna here.

5. Kill List

The strangest, most disturbing film of 2011 with a punch in the gut, love it or hate it ending. Kill List is a movie which got under my skin in a way few movies have in 2011, forcing me to watch it three times over the course of a week-end, once with directors commentary. Ben Wheatley creates a palpable, intimidating atmosphere of dread, across what seems like three different seemingly unconnected movies. The cast is superb and it is completely bonkers, nasty, crazy and genuinely unnerving in a way that few mainstream horrors are. The openness of the narrative means that this is a movie I can revisit every now and again, whether to dip into the conspiracy theories regarding its narrative or whether just to “enjoy” a short, different, effective piece of low budget horror filmmaking. Read my full review of Kill List here.

4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

the most surprising film of the year by far and one that has really grown on me over the course of it. The motion capture work done in this film is revolutionary and could change the landscape of future filmmaking much more than 3D would like to. Andy Serkis gives a tremendous performance which is a piece of true acting, conveying numerous emotions without saying a single world, until of course THAT scene, which manages to make the word no, the line of the year. The character arc of Caesar is what makes this movie and it is one that more than any other character and film, reflects and defines the social spirit of 2011. This is the film of 2011, this is the film that defines the year and its events, it is also a perfectly paced, hugely entertaining piece of summer filmmaking, yet one with genuine technical innovation and one of the best animal characters of all time to boot. Read my full review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes here. and why it would be a good Best Picture winner here.

3. Moneyball

Like Rise of the Apes, this is another film that grew on me throughout the year. This may be my favourite “sports movie” of all time and it is based around a sport I couldn’t care less about. Yet like all great movies it is not actually about what is on the surface. The idea behind the film is one I find inherently fascinating due to my interest in a different sport, yet it also one that lends itself to thematic ideas which extend way beyond the playing field. It has intelligence, heart and is poignant and profound in its own small way. Pitt and Hill work well together and both arguably provide us with performances they have not given before. This is a film I look forward to watching again and again, enjoying the story, the dialogue, the performances and the score...to reference the film, with Moneyball I may have seen a home run and not even realized it. Read my full review of Moneyball here.

2. Super 8

a charming, beautiful, moving film, which was in fact my number one film of 2011 going into 2012. J.J. Abrams gives us his most personal and best film to date, with a love letter to his filmmaking filled youth. This film more than any other I have seen, captures the joy and enthusiasm I have for film and filmmaking. It tells a moving, genuinely emotional family story, while also giving plenty of suspense and mystery, with the other side of its narrative. The film is rougher edged family fare than people give it credit for (Drug use, blood, the F bomb) and has what Arnaud Trouve rightly calls one of the best, most satisfying endings of all time. I look forward to one day showing this film to my children. Not just my second favourite film of 2011 but one of my favourite films of all time, one that captures the innocence and excitement of childhood. It is the only film this year that actually, properly moved me not once but twice. As Arnaud pointed out in his top ten, the track Letting Go which closes the film, deserves to go down as a classic piece of film music. Read my full review of Super 8 here.

1. Drive

what...a...film. Drive had me more enthused walking out of it than any other film in 2011, as soon as the credits started to roll, I could have stayed where I was and watched it again. This is a film, which like Super 8 makes me want to pick up a camera and start directing films. Ryan Gosling gives a subtle, stunning performance as the driver and it is one that deserves to be his star making performance. The rough edges, the emotions bubbling under his character and the blank canvas which conceals it is so fascinating to me. The romance that develops in the film is surprisingly effective, with it feeling so much more organic, pure and charming than the more forced, overt romances in other films. The soundtrack is scintillating and Nicolas Winding Refn directs the film immensely. There are sequences in this film, which are just perfect, the opening, the ending, the beach scene, the elevator scene, and the Real Hero scene. This is a film that flies by and I loved almost every bit of it. It is films like this, which is why I love going to the cinema. Read my full review of Drive here.

So that is that, if you want to see Minister for Foreign Affairs Arnaud's top ten (Which you do) click here. Give us your top ten films of 2011 in the Your Say section and tell me why I'm an idiot for including some of the films that I did.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister
Michael Dalton