Top 10 Of 2011

Geez! I really need to spend more time keeping my blog up to date. We're halfway through February and I'm just now posting my Top 10 films of 2011. I apologize folks... this post is way overdue. Granted, I spent most of January catching up on films I didn't get to see when they first came out, but still that's not enough, especially since I missed more than I would have cared to. Here are a few I have yet to see... Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Melancholia, Shame, and a few others. Still, I got most of the year's supposed best offerings... at least enough to provide a reasonable top 10 list for 2011. Without further ado... here are my picks for my personal favorite movies of 2011.

10. Thor
By no means a perfect film, but a damn good summer blockbuster with enough of an edge to make this list. Marvel's depiction of the Norse God of Thunder ran for decades in comics, but this was his first live action feature. Thanks to creative direction from Kenneth Branagh, some sweet action scenes, solid performances from Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston, and an enjoyable story with intriguing characters and a fun sense of humor, we get one of the more enjoyable fantasy-themed action films in recent memory. Can't way to see Thor show up in the Avengers!

9. The Muppets
Just seeing the Muppets make their return to the silver screen was enough to get me excited, but seeing them in a movie considerably more hilarious than I could have expected was even better. Jim Henson's furry creations haven't lost one bit of their quirky sense of humor, mainly thanks an enjoyable script written by Jason Segal. Fourth wall jokes, celebrity cameos, well-timed slapstick, and catchy songs... it's good to have the Muppets back!

8. Captain America: The First Avenger
In the pantheon of the connected Marvel movies, Captain America is probably my favorite. Oh sure, the first Iron Man was great and the sequel wasn't bad, Thor was a lot of fun, and the Incredible Hulk was surprisingly solid. I don't know exactly why, but Captain America just connected with me more than the rest. Maybe it was the campy-retro vibes, the awesome costumes, the solid production design, the well-directed action scenes, or Chris Evans' performance as the titular Captain. Yeah... I dug the hell out of this movie!

7. X-Men: First Class
Okay I swear, this is the last comic book movie on this list! But honestly, how could I not put First Class up here. I dug most of the X-Men movies with the exception of Wolverine (yes, I even kind of liked X-Men 3... even if only somewhat), but I'll admit that all of them had a few notable flaws. While First Class is by no means perfect, it is easily the closest the series has come to achieving that state. Matthew Vaughn's stellar direction gave the film a sort of nostalgic vibe reminiscent of golden age 007 films, while the story's themes of prejudice and discrimination tied in well with the 1960s settings. Of course, there's also the benefit of great action, a fun team of characters, and mostly great performances with the standout being Michael Fassbender's excellent portrayal of Magneto. Mutant and Proud!

6. The Descendants
Any movie starring George Clooney should stand a good chance of being great. That's not just because Clooney is an awesome actor (though he is), it's mainly that he has a good eye for choosing scripts and working with talented directors. This comedy/drama directed by Sideways director Alexander Payne is no exception. It's a fairly predictable story, but the enjoyable characters, great performances, and an perfect balance of drama and humor more than make up for it. Plus it's a legitimately touching film that doesn't descend into melodrama or schmaltz. Not to mention it's beautifully shot as well.

5. Moneyball
Much like George Clooney, Brad Pitt has a good talent for spotting great scripts. This year he starred in two very well-made films, one being the Tree of Life (which while good, is not on this list) and the other being Moneyball. Based on a true story, Moneyball is about Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane and his ludicrous experiment drafting players through bizarre statistical means to accommodate the team's severe budget cuts. Brad Pitt is as great as always, along with a better-than-usual Jonah Hill making showing some promising dramatic ability. It's an inspiring movie, but not in the usual sappy or schmaltzy way so many sports films tend to descend into. It's a bit difficult to explain exactly why I like this movie so much, other than maybe that, it just works!

4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Maybe when I write a full review for this one, I'll delve more into how it compares with the book or the previous Swedish film version, but not here. Based strictly on it's own merits, David Fincher's adaption of Steig Larsson's thrilling novel is just about everything you could possibly want. Fincher's slick and stylish direction compliment the intriguing story and solid performances that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Though by far, the most memorable aspect of this film, is the amazingly dedicated performance from Rooney Mara as Lisbeth, not only erasing any memory of her bland performance from the Nightmare On Elm Street remake, but delivering one of the most compelling and disturbing performances in recent memory. If you can handle the film's intense content, definitely check this one out!

3. Hugo
The thought of Martin Scorsese directing a whimsical fantasy-themed family movie almost seems like a joke. After all, this is the director of notoriously violent thrillers including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. Despite all that, when watching Hugo, you suddenly find yourself reminded of just how good of a director Scorsese really is, seamlessly integrating two separate stories. The first of which (the main plot) is the aforementioned fantasy plot involving a young orphan boy named Hugo living in the walls of a 1930s Paris train station and the other being an fictionalized account of legendary filmmaker George Méliès. As crazy as that sounds, Scorsese is enough of a master to make it work. There's really not much to critique here... it's easily one of the best family movies I've seen in a long time. If you missed this one in theatres, definitely check it out!

2. Midnight In Paris
"Hey Chris! Is this a typo or are you really putting a romantic comedy in the number 2 spot?" It's true Midnight in Paris is my second favorite film of 2011. I admit that I'm often more than a little critical toward romantic comedies, but the Woody Allen-directed fantasy comedy just struck a chord with me. The concept is amazingly creative, the performances are fun to watch, and Allen's witty dialogue is just as appealing as ever. It's a unique and clever introspective into our nostalgia-obsessed society with a love story that develops the characters and supports the main plot without overshadowing it. What can I say? I just really enjoyed this one.

1. Drive
It may not be the most provocative film ever made, but Drive tops my list of films this year simply for it's stellar style and sheer awesomeness. While the violence may seem a bit excessive and the pacing may be a bit slow for some viewers, Drive blew me away thanks to it's compelling performances, top notch cinematography, stellar soundtrack, interesting characters, and inspired storyline. If you can handle some of the gratuitous violence in the third act, than definitely give this one a watch.

Those are my favorite films of 2011. If you haven't seen them, check em' out!