Best Films Of 2011
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- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.A highly creative marvel from Woody Allen. In my view, his best film in years. 8.5/10
- DirectorTony KayeStarsAdrien BrodyChristina HendricksMarcia Gay HardenA substitute teacher who drifts from classroom to classroom finds a connection to the students and teachers during his latest assignment.A unique and interesting film. 8.5/10
- DirectorNeil BurgerStarsBradley CooperAnna FrielAbbie CornishA mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.Highly entertaining and imaginative stuff. 8/10
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsBrad PittRobin WrightJonah HillOakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.A very well put together film. 8/10
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsChris HemsworthAnthony HopkinsNatalie PortmanThe powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.Wow, I was surprised. One of the very best 'superhero' films I've ever seen; Though it seemed like it was much more of a classic mythological tale, rather than a modern day comic book film. I love the way it weaved in the classic Norse mythology, awesome! Rarely ever do superhero films have this interesting of an origin story, and then they connect it to today's world so seamlessly, bravo! I never read the comics, but now I can fully appreciate why Thor has tons of fans. 8/10
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsEwan McGregorEva GreenLauren TempanyA chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions.A film that speaks to us something like a Bergman or Kubrick effort. Overall I'd say the film is about having a reverence for life, appreciation for what we have. A very good and interesting piece of work. 8/10
- DirectorRobb LeechStarsAnjem ChoudaryRichard DartLewis HerringtonTree surgeon turned film-maker Robb Leech is desperate to know why his white middle-class step-brother Rich became radical Islamist Salahuddin, who now associates with jihadist fundamentalists, and believes Britain should be ruled by Sharia law. MY BROTHER THE ISLAMIST charts the brothers' relationship, and Robb's attempt to understand why the person he'd once looked up to as a teenage role mode could so strongly reject all that his family and the Western world, believe in. As Robb spends time with Salahuddin, he witnesses a very particular phenomenon, the embrace of radical Islam by young men, many of them white.Interesting to say the least.
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsEddie VedderStone GossardJeff AmentA documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.Great stuff.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsBobby FischerDavid EdmondsAnthony Saidy'Bobby Fischer Against the World' is a documentary feature exploring the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer. The drama of Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable, from his troubled childhood, to his rock star status as World Champion and Cold War icon, to his life as a fugitive on the run. This film explores one of the most infamous and mysterious characters of the 20th century.
- DirectorAndrew NiccolStarsJustin TimberlakeAmanda SeyfriedCillian MurphyIn a future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth. Will Salas is accused of murder and on the run with a hostage.A fun sci-fi film that keeps you on the edge.
- DirectorBobcat GoldthwaitStarsJoel MurrayTara Lynne BarrMackenzie Brooke SmithOn a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens, terminally ill Frank makes an unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy.A film that could have been so much better, but still is a very good watch nonetheless. 7.5/10
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasElena AnayaJan CornetA brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.A very bizarre and engrossing film, at least the first time you see it. The re-watchability of this well made film however is likely not so good, as once you know the mysteries in the film, it becomes far less interesting. 7.5/10
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsMichael FassbenderKeira KnightleyViggo MortensenA look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.Freud and Jung duel in Cronenberg's psychosexy re-imagining. 7.5/10
- DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsElle FanningAJ MichalkaKyle ChandlerDuring the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.A good family film. 7.5/10
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJodie FosterKate WinsletChristoph WaltzTwo pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonDiane KrugerJanuary JonesWhen a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.In my view this is the best action film of the new millennium starring Liam Neeson. Far better than Taken or any of his others. 7.5/10
- DirectorLucky McKeeStarsPollyanna McIntoshBrandon Gerald FullerLauren Ashley CarterWhen a successful country lawyer captures and attempts to "civilize" the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast coast for decades, he puts the lives of his family in jeopardy.I loved the mix of upbeat music with the downbeat story. It's sort of like great jazz on film, but here it's rock and horror. This film captures some pretty unique craziness. If you love horror films, don't miss this! 7.5/10
- DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsMatt DamonEmily BluntLisa ThoresonThe affair between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.A pretty fun little sci-fi thriller. 7/10
- DirectorDerick MartiniStarsChloë Grace MoretzBlake LivelyRory CulkinA Nebraska teen gets more than she bargained for when she sets out for the bright lights of Las Vegas.I know a lot of people were lost regarding this film, but I actually found it to be easily relatable. 7/10
- DirectorMichael DowseStarsSeann William ScottJay BaruchelAlison PillLabeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.A solid comedy. 7/10
- DirectorPatrick LussierStarsNicolas CageAmber HeardWilliam FichtnerA vengeful father escapes from hell and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.This is one of those films where a sense of reality is not really present. However the film still worked for me because it didn't take itself so seriously, unlike other farce action movies such as Salt that do take themselves far too seriously. This has the feel of a comic book film with a slightly exploitive edge to it. It certainly doesn't challenge your brain at all, it's just a simple little action film designed to entertain, and in that respect I feel it worked pretty well. Drive Angry is the kind of film that lets you just forget about the real world for a while an escape into some crazy fun. 7/10
- DirectorJon HewittStarsViva BiancaHanna Mangan LawrencePeter DockerA veteran call girl and a runaway prostitute witness a murder and must evade the killer as he chases them through Sydney.An indie that worked for me. 7/10
- DirectorGabrielle ProvaasRob SchröderStarsLouise FokkensMartine FokkensA documentary on Louise and Martine Fokkens, 69-year-old twin sisters who have worked as prostitutes in the red-light district in Amsterdam for over 40 years.Interesting and funny. 7/10
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsBonoThe EdgeAdam ClaytonIn the terrain of rock bands, implosion or explosion is seemingly inevitable. U2 has defied the gravitational pull towards destruction; this band has endured and thrived. This documentary asks the question why.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsJake GyllenhaalMichelle MonaghanVera FarmigaA soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsMatt DamonKate WinsletJude LawHealthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.7/10
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsDanny McBrideNatalie PortmanJames FrancoWhen Prince Fabious's bride is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her... accompanied by his lazy useless brother Thadeous.If you don't mind some crude humor, this is worth watching. 7/10
- DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsGary OldmanColin FirthTom HardyIn the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.
- DirectorBruce RobinsonStarsJohnny DeppGiovanni RibisiAaron EckhartAmerican journalist Paul Kemp takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1960s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.Hunter S. Thompson lives again. 7/10
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsDaniel CraigRooney MaraChristopher PlummerJournalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.Solid execution from Fincher yet again. 7/10
- DirectorJaume BalagueróStarsLuis TosarMarta EturaAlberto San JuanCesar, a miserable man who works as an apartment concierge, takes a special interest in an attractive woman who lives there. He goes to great lengths to trouble her.
- DirectorSean DurkinStarsElizabeth OlsenSarah PaulsonJohn HawkesHaunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.
- DirectorJonathan HensleighStarsRay StevensonChristopher WalkenVincent D'OnofrioThe true story of Danny Greene, a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland during the 1970's.Definitely worth a watch. 7/10
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsRobert Downey Jr.Jude LawJared HarrisDetective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.Definitely not as amazing as the first outing by these guys, but it still worked pretty well. 7/10
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsMatthew McConaugheyEmile HirschJuno TempleWhen a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.
- DirectorOren MovermanStarsWoody HarrelsonBen FosterSigourney WeaverSet in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival.Another solid indie. Woody must be one of the most underrated actors in the entire world. 7/10
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsJack BlackShirley MacLaineMatthew McConaugheyIn small-town Texas, an affable mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when she starts to become controlling, he goes to great lengths to separate himself from her grasp.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsSaoirse RonanCate BlanchettEric BanaA sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.A pretty solid action flick. 7/10
- DirectorMike CahillStarsBrit MarlingWilliam MapotherMatthew-Lee ErlbachOn the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.7/10
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGina CaranoEwan McGregorMichael FassbenderA black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.6.5/10
- DirectorBrad FurmanStarsMatthew McConaugheyMarisa TomeiRyan PhillippeA lawyer defending a wealthy man begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsBradley CooperZach GalifianakisEd HelmsTwo years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.Some pretty funny moments. 6.5/10
- DirectorBrett RatnerStarsEddie MurphyBen StillerCasey AffleckWhen a group of hard-working guys find out they've fallen victim to their wealthy employer's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsTom HardyNick NolteJoel EdgertonThe youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.Who says men don't love soap operas? Checkout the overall rating on this one.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsEmily BrowningVanessa HudgensAbbie CornishA young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.I can see why many young people enjoyed this. It's a little edgy and visually it's impressive. The film however is mostly just overdone nonsense with basic and boring characters. Many of the fantasy style scenes are way too long as well, adding to the boredom. It's not a bad film I suppose, but it's certainly not a very good one either. 6.5/10
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsNeil MaskellMyAnna BuringHarry SimpsonNearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.Personally I feel this film is highly overrated by many. It's worth a watch, but it's really nothing special. 6.5/10
- DirectorElgin JamesStarsJuno TempleKay PanabakerLeslie MannLily and Alison face a life-changing event after they leave their Salton Sea home and follow the boys they meet back to Los Angeles.
- DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsAmanda SeyfriedLukas HaasGary OldmanSet in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.