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.
9. 50/50 directed by Jonathan Levine
Following up his much-acclaimed film, The Wackness, with his first big-time release, director Jonathan Levine chose to adapt Will Reiser's autobiographical script, 50/50, which deals primarily with his unexpected battle with cancer during his 20s. Though the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy stuff, Levine manages to let his young, talented cast shine and really deliver a powerful film.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is finally given a chance to lead on a big time scale and he does not fail here. He manages to capture the quiet despair of Will's protagonist, Adam Lerner, as it builds and builds, while the seriousness of his situation really sinks in. Anna Kendrick is fun to watch, as always, picking up right where she left off in her Oscar-nominated performance from Up in the Air. Bryce Dallas Howard plays a really great horrible bitch*. But honestly, the true star of the cast turns out to be Seth Rogen, as Adam's best friend, Kyle. Rogen not only provides the R-rated laughs and moments of levity, but also a subtle depth to his character that is actually pretty surprising. No matter what you're opinion of Rogen is going into this film, whether it's positive of negative, it will probably change in some way after watching 50/50.
In a year that really seemed to lack many well-made tearjerkers, 50/50 is definitely the closest thing we had in terms of a true emotional knock-out. It's honest and direct, both a little scary and a little uplifting. Last year, I talked about how we would likely be seeing the cast of The Social Network for years and years to come and one day we'd all look back and shake our heads in disbelief at what an all-star cast had once been assembled and how they all seemed to really jump off together in that one film. I still believe this to be true (look at the high profile gigs going to Rooney Mara and Armie Hammer this year and next). But for 2011, that film may just be 50/50. We all know that Seth Rogen is a movie star who can open movies as the headliner already, but like I said, I think this movie went along way to further developing him as an actor and will likely effect the types of roles he's offered. I think Joseph Gorden-Levitt and Anna Kendrick are future perennial Oscar nominees. 50/50's theatrical run may be over and it may already be out on DVD (if it's not, it will be soon), but I think it's still got sleeper potential for further down the road. We may be talking about this movie 5 or 10 years from now and there are not a whole lot of 2011 films I can say that about.
*Bryce Dallas Howard also played the racist "villain" in The Help, a really high profile movie. So in one calendar year, she plays someone that cheats on a significant other who has cancer and a racist who doesn't want "the help" using the same bathrooms as she does. I take my hat off to her and her bravery. She's truly someone who isn't afraid of roles ruining her image (something that a surprising amount of actors seem to struggle with). Obviously, she's probably nothing like the characters she played this year, but some dimwits will likely always associate her with these negative people. But I guess it's easier to take chances when Ron Howard is your dad.
8. Bridesmaids directed by Paul Feig
Every couple of years, an R-rated comedy erupts, becoming a commercial juggernaut. Old School, Wedding Crashers, 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, The Hangover, etc. These are big time success stories that can dramatically shift the power in both the world of comedy and Hollywood. Guys like Todd Phillips and Judd Apatow are given more and more creative control over their projects. Paychecks for performers like Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell and Zach Galifianakis suddenly skyrocket. This year, the game changer in comedy was undoubtedly Bridesmaids.
Universal pictures took a chance on a Kristen Wiig-penned script, investing a hefty $32.5 million into the project. This was most likely a result of Bridesmaids having Apatow as one of it's producers. Nevertheless, before the film was released, it seemed like a risky amount of cash to throw at an R-rated comedy that predominantly features women. In retrospect though, any fears or concerns seem completely ridiculous. Bridesmaids went on to earn close to $290 million, while receiving rave reviews and even a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical.
All of the accolades and success are well-deserved. Bridesmaids delivers in all ways imaginable, making a star of Melissa McCarthy, containing the funniest scene from any film all year and further cementing Kristin Wiig as one of the funniest people working in Hollywood today. Like all films that Apatow is involved with, it's a tad long. But that's a small complaint when held up against the numerous big time laughs. This is a film that is funny for both men and women, suggesting that there may not be such a gap between what each sex finds comical. It's one of only a couple of movies I actually saw twice in theaters in this year. The only real downside to Bridesmaids-mania is that there will likely be a slew of horrible knock-offs and potentially even a Kristen Wiig-less sequel (apparently she turned down an 8 figure offer from Universal already). But imitation is the highest form of flattery I guess.
7. The Ides of March directed by George Clooney
George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood and Phillip Seymour Hoffman headline an unbelievable cast that really delivers. I cannot find fault with any of the casting decisions. This is the big leagues, an arena where you really need some well-refined chops to survive. Political thrillers can often become too murky to transcend their subject matter, but thanks to Clooney and fellow writer Grant Heslov's script (an adaptation of the play by Beau Willimon), as well as the strength of the actors, The Ides of March is able to effortlessly navigate through tricky waters without being bogged down with jargon or minutia.
People may have gone into this film expecting an easy Best Picture winner, or, at the very least, a nominee. (I think it should get nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards, but if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world.) In some people's minds, the "failure" of this film is hard to define. They may not be able to find the words to describe their feelings of being let down. They liked the film, but didn't love it. Or they expected a bigger ending. Something along those lines, probably. But that's not quite it. I would guess that people expected something life-changing about this film, something new and shocking. But while waiting for the big time "gotcha" moment that never truly comes, they may have missed the simple brilliance of the narrative. And the film's strength, at least to me, is how simple it all really is, once you peel back the layers we've constructed for ourselves in this society. People are all, more or less, the same. We want the same things, we're motivated by the same things and we all do very similar things sometimes. The Ides of March actually is revelatory about mankind in a lot of ways. You just have to know what to look for.
6. Young Adult directed by Jason Reitman
Jason Reitman has quickly put together a resume of films that puts a lot of much more experienced filmmakers to shame. Two of his first three films (Juno and Up in the Air) were nominated for Best Picture Oscars, to go along with a bevy of other awards and nominations. Reitman seems to be establishing himself as a gifted storyteller, one who puts a lot of focus on developing interesting, thought-provoking characters. He is master at the specific and unique, which, in turn, makes him a master at showcasing the eccentricities that define us as humans. Whether he's adapting someone else's script (Juno, Young Adult) or writing the flick himself (Up in the Air), Reitman is one of the best young directors out there. Team him up with Diablo Cody, one of Hollywood's more distinct and original writers, and you've got something special.
Cody's script for Young Adult feels at least slightly autobiographical. With Charlize Theron as her avatar, Cody tells a tale of small town girl made good, returning home to capture the one thing she's missing, the one thing she feels that she needs to actually achieve happiness: an ex-boyfriend who has clearly moved on with his life. Theron delivers an incredible performance, worthy of Oscar consideration. She embodies Mavis Gary, a sad monument to loneliness and wasted potential. Mavis an alcoholic with obsessive tendencies, recently divorced and without an anchor. An e-mail announcing the arrival of an ex's child sends her into a tailspin that takes her back to her small town roots and into the most awkward circumstances imaginable.
Young Adult is somewhat comedic, but it's not a true comedy. It's real though, brutally so. There are moments that will make you squirm in your seat. And luckily, Theron isn't afraid to dive into a role. Patton Oswalt also brings a surprisingly convincing performance to the screen, playing Matt Freehauf, the victim of a hate crime in high school, who's also hanging around town, unable to escape alcoholism and depression. Matt and Mavis make an unlikely pair, but there's some palpable onscreen chemistry that makes their interactions believable. They're just two lost souls floating around rural Minnesota.
But I think the strongest part of Young Adult is that it's never black and white. Cody and Reitman tell a story from all sides. Gary does some reprehensible things and in a lot of ways is pathetic, but based on what we're shown in this film, she's not completely wrong. She may have been one of the mean girls in high school, but the way she's treated upon her return is equally as harsh in a lot of ways. She's just too caught up in her own schemes and issues to notice. Her public meltdown is nowhere near as satisfying as some of her haters were likely imagining it would be, because there's a tiny bit of truth her in her venom. Young Adult comes down hard on people like Mavis, high school heroes who peaked too soon in life, but it doesn't let the the townies off the hook completely. Sometimes people are either too content or too dumb to realize that they're lives are passing them by without accomplishing much of anything. There's a tiny bit of Jake LaMotta and Terry Malloy in Theron's Mavis. She's a tragic figure and the biggest tragedy of all is that she doesn't learn a thing.
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As promised, I wanted to also include some of my favorite performances of this past year. In this installment, I'm going to list the top 10 female performances of 2011 and then in the last installment of this endless series (with movies 5 - 1), I'll include the best male performances of the year. I'll try to keep this short, since I'm already asking a lot of the 3 people who might actually look at this... These are in no particular order. As far as I'm concerned, these actresses were all equally great.
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
A Star-is-born performance. Absolutely hilarious.
Elle Fanning - Super 8
The scene in which they're making their movie, right before the train crash, where Elle Fanning's character surprises everyone by being an unbelievable actress was amazing.
Viola Davis - The Help
She didn't win the Golden Globe, but I think she's gotta be the favorite to take home the Oscar. Great performance.
Elizabeth Olsen - Martha Marcy May Marlene
A subtle, startling performance.
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
A role that covers a wide range of emotions. I thought she was perfect in this film.
Saoirse Ronan - Hanna
I thought both this movie and Ronan's performance were criminally underrated.
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn
Maybe the best overall actress right now. This may not be the year she gets her Oscar, but it'll happen soon.
Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia
Who would have thought Kirsten had this in her? She's awesome in this flick.
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Rooney takes on this high profile role and makes it her own. She's on the verge of becoming a huge star.
Charlize Theron - Young Adult
Charlize reminds everyone why she's so highly regarded. Her best performance since 2003's Monster.
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