100 Movies, part VII: Who breaks 100 up into 7 parts? (5 - 1)

What a long, strange, downright horrible trip this has been... Who knew it would take a month to list the 100 movies I saw in theaters last year?  But it seems fitting that on the day I reveal my top 5, the Oscar nominations are announced.  Yes, as I just wrote that last sentence I realized that I more than likely will not be posting my finale on the same day that I start writing it.  Whatever.  Anyway, it struck me as kind of funny that only 1 of my top 5 films of 2011 is nominated for Best Picture.*  That's just the kind of year 2011 was though.  There were some great films, but nothing really stood out as being something ultra, once-in-a-lifetime-type special.  Maybe there's a film or two that will emerge in the coming years, as our perceptions of it (or them) evolve over time.  But who knows?  It's not surprising that 4 of the 5 films I chose as the best ones of the year do not match what the Academy has in mind.  I only occasionally share their views.  But anyway, without further ado, I give you my top 5 films of 2011...

*(Even though I've mentioned this is every single post thus far, I'll say it again - This top 100 only applies to the films I was able to see in theaters between January 1 and December 31 2011.  I live in Pittsburgh, so not everything gets released right away.  The Artist and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close were released into Pittsburgh area theaters in 2012)

100 Movies, part VI: I Can't Believe How Long This is Taking (10 - 6)

Let's get right into it.  Almost to the top of this mountain.


10. Win Win  directed by Thomas McCarthy

Win Win debuted at last year's Sundance film festival, was met with great reviews, came out in general release not all that long after the festival and then promptly disappeared.  Unfortunately, the film was mishandled (in my opinion) and a lot of people missed out on a well-crafted film with great performances, chiefly from it's star, Paul Giamatti.  If this film would have been positioned for a late fall release, we might be discussing Oscar possibilities.  Instead, I'm struggling with ways trying to remind people what this film was all about.  In a lot of ways, this film reminds me of Winter's Bone, another small film to debut at Sundance.  While Win Win is completely different in tone, aesthetic, feel, genre, etc, it is similar to the Best Picture-nominated film from last year in that it perfectly captures a story in a small, unassuming way, relying on strong storytelling and acting, rather than any of the other gimmicks we've grown accustomed to from Hollywood.  It's a funny and heartfelt film, one that keeps you laughing and emotionally invested throughout. 

100 Movies, part V: Pretty Damn Good (25 - 11)

And we're off... Finally to the top 25 of 2011.  As 2012 continues to roll on, Pittsburgh is finally seeing a lot of the hold overs from Oscar season, such as The Artist and The Iron Lady, however, as previously mentioned, the only movies in contention for this Top 100 list are ones I saw in the theater last year.  All limited releases that didn't make their way to Pittsburgh do not qualify.  OK, so here are the next batch...

25. The Beaver  directed by Jodie Foster

There's no way this film was going to be able to escape the baggage brought on by it's star's off-screen problems.  And, sure enough, it didn't.  Mel Gibson's erratic and unhinged behavior in his personal life may have overshadowed The Beaver, a film about a severely depressed man who begins to use a beaver puppet as a conduit between himself and the rest of society, but for those of us who managed to see it, I can't help but believe that Gibson's persona as a real-life whacko may have added to the appeal of the film. 

Obviously, I'm not condoning anything Gibson may have done, especially the violent things he is accused of, but I am trying to look past all of that in order to fully appreciate a unique and thought-provoking film that takes on depression and coping with it in a whole new way.  For something this odd to really work onscreen, you need an actor who not only possesses a great deal of talent, but one who you can believe in just enough.  This is a bizarre film and it's inevitable that some people may laugh at things that, at least in the context of the script, aren't supposed to be funny, but it really needed a fully committed lead to pull the audience through those murky waters of uncertainty toward a fuller payoff in the end. 

100 Movies, part IV: Almost Classics (35 - 26)

Shorter post today.  I'm writing this on Sunday (probably not going to post it until Monday though) and the NFL playoffs have started, so it's a little tough to stay focused...  I finally saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, so you can cross that off of the list of movies I mentioned in Part I (that I had yet to see, due to living in a small market), but I'm not going to adjust the list or anything.  Anyway, here's the next 10...


35.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes  directed by Rupert Wyatt

Similarly to Real Steel, the prequel to the Planet of the Apes movie was not something I was eagerly awaiting in 2011.  However, unlike Real Steel, my opinion did start to change before the film was released, thanks mostly to an awesome trailer.  Thankfully, the film itself managed to live up to that epic trailer and be pretty damn entertaining.  Even with a performance from James Franco that made it clear that he didn't really believe in the project at all, Rise of the Planet of the Apes managed to be interesting, surprising, remain true to the original while not being a slave to it and leave room for some sequels (Two things: 1.  What do you call a sequel to the prequel?  Is there a different name for this?  2. I want to be clear here - I'm not saying that sequels to this prequel would necessarily be a good thing.  In fact, I can almost guarantee they would not.)  Anyway, check it out.

100 Movies, part III: Almost Worth It (50 - 36)

Finally, we've reached the halfway point of this pathetic and annoying journey, as today we kick things off with #50 and work our way down from there.  As I inch closer to the #1 spot, hopefully, I'll have more to say about each film.  Remember, a * signifies a film that I didn't see in the theater (substituting for one that I did see, but was more or less considered a 2010 film due to awards eligibility.  Confused?  Check out Part I first, then.).  Also, I'm going to include a little breakdown of the theaters where all of this madness occurred for no other reason than I'm a complete loser.  So anyway, here we go again...

50. The Hangover, part 2  directed by Todd Phillips

To nobody's surprise, the second Hangover movie opened with a bang, smashing all R-rated comedy records for box office totals almost instantly.  The original cast was back (minus Heather Graham), with some new faces as well and a lot of pre-release rumors.  Without a doubt, this flick was one of the biggest of the year, at least in terms of buzz.  Unfortunately, it couldn't live up to it.  Admittedly, The Hangover, part 2 has it's moments, but it's really just a carbon copy of the original.  Literally.  Almost everything from the first one is repeated in some form or fashion in the sequel, except now that we know what to expect, all of the bliss is now absent.  This film should have waited until Summer 2013... and used a different script.

100 Movies, part II: Take 'em or Leave 'em (80 - 51)

The next part of my yearly cinematic countdown will consist of the middle of the road movies.  These were the films that weren't completely terrible, but weren't very memorable either.  For the sake of space and time, I'll just jump right into the list.  Later, as we inch closer to my picks for the top films of the year, I'll also be noting my favorite acting performances of the year and possibly some other lists, too.

80. Hobo With a Shotgun*  directed by Jason Eisener

Includes perhaps one of the more disgusting sequences I saw all year, as the heroine of the story has her arm severed by a lawnmower blade and then uses the remaining bone that is exposed to pry open a sewer grate.  So, um... yeah...

79. What's Your Number?  directed by Mark Mylod

78. I am Number Four  directed by DJ Caruso

77. Arthur*  directed by Jason Winer

File this one under unnecessary sequels

76. Cowboys and Aliens  directed by Jon Favreau

One of the bigger disappointments of the year.  I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let's just say that there is a plot twist that I described as "the dumbest thing I saw in film this year."

100 Movies, part I: Not One of My Better Ideas (100 - 81)

As 2010 came to a close, caught up in the frenzy of award season - still riding high on the memorable theater-going experiences of films like Black Swan, The Social Network, The Fighter and True Grit - I made the really awesome decision that I would see 100 different movies in the theaters during 2011.  I think my total for 2010 was somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 at year's end, so why not shoot higher?  It seemed like a pretty attainable goal.

For some people, 100 movies is not a big deal.  Film critics see well more than 100 each calendar year.  I'm also sure that big time film buffs also make it a point to see this many and more.  But for most of the population - including myself - this goal was a tad crazy.  First of all, unlike the critics, I was going to have to pay to see all of the films.  Since there couldn't possibly be 100 great films released within 12 months, that meant having to pay for a lot of shit.  Also, it's not like I have a ton of disposable income (although I often live like I do).  Second, would I be able to rope people into seeing all of them with me or would I be flying solo to a lot of them?  12 months ago, starting out with the Oscar leftovers receiving late releases in Pittsburgh, these questions didn't seem like major concerns.