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)
5. Cedar Rapids directed by Miguel Arteta
Cedar Rapids is a perfect blend of wit, dry humor and pure, unadulterated awkwardness, a film that wins you over with it's good-naturedness and has your sides aching by the halfway point. Helms shows a lot of growth as a comedic actor in the film, despite playing someone who seems to be a lot similar to his real life persona than his character from The Hangover. You have to believe completely in his naivete in order to experience this film in the right way. It's a tough thing to pull off, but I think Helms was the right choice for the role. He's the perfect straight man in a film full of crazies, but he's also capable of delivering the laughs when called upon.
But like I said, the real star here, without question, is Reilly. I've always been a fan, both of his comedic roles and his more serious ones (he's really great in Carnage, too, by the way), but in this film, he takes it to another level. Every scene he's in is hilarious. Nearly everything he says is golden. Both Helms and Reilly were made for their parts and it would be difficult to imagine any other actors taking their places. Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Alia Shawkat round out a really like-able cast, one that makes me wish this convention and these people were real.
Unfortunately, this film didn't receive a lot of love. The reviews were good, but it seemed to come and go too quickly. In my opinion, it deserved a lot better treatment. Perhaps a Summer release would have helped. Either way, Cedar Rapids has the potential to stick around as a DVD favorite. A lot people will be really pleased with themselves for "discovering" this movie in 3 or 4 years.
4. Melancholia directed by Lars von Trier
When I first set about making this list, I had Melancholia at #16. Then, I bumped it to #14. Then, #10 and finally, #6. Or so I thought. I had a lot of my thoughts written for the film, ready to be positioned just outside the top 5, when I started having more second thoughts. Is it because other critics and writers and awards ceremonies are heaping so much praise on the film? Hardly. It's been pretty much ignored at most of the major American awards shows and the critics, though mostly positive, haven't exactly been propping it up as one of the year's best. No, it was a much more genuine reaction to it that caused me to move it yet again. I honestly can say that only 3 other films had more of an effect on me in 2011 than Melancholia did.
In a lot of ways, it is reminiscent of The Tree of Life. Personally, I think both films are brilliant. However, Melancholia succeeds on a grander scale because it a) is more accessible than Terrance Malick's film and b) is able to remain as poignant, artistic, thought-provoking and devastating while still being easier to relate to. Director Lars von Trier accomplishes this by tying his use of visual imagery closer to the action of the film than Malick does in The Tree of Life. With help from an incredible, emotional performance from his leading lady Kirsten Dunst (I picked her performance in Melancholia as one my ten best of of the year amongst actresses in the part 6 of this endless list), Trier connects depression and despair with much larger themes and ideas, adding an oppressive weight to an already overwhelming state of mind.
Dunst plays Justine, a newlywed who cannot (or will not) overcome her depression and anxiety, not even at her own wedding reception. Her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), is metaphorically opposed to her sister, afraid to accept her emotions, to really live within them. Their struggles are brought to life in the form of a rogue planet, appropriately named Melancholia, that is set to pass closely by Earth. As the planet approaches, the reactions of the characters reveal a lot about themselves and the truth in their emotional states.
Melancholia (as well as The Tree of Life) are artistic films that demand something from their audience. People content to just be entertained without having to put any thought whatsoever into something should just stay satisfied with Adam Sandler and Transformers. Melancholia is an intricate, complicated shot of emotion. The cinematography is exquisite; the dialogue nearly perfect. The acting - it should go without saying - is remarkable. I really loved this film and look forward to the many interesting thoughts, theories, essays, etc that will be written about it for years to come.
3. The Descendants directed by Alexander Payne
Few directors working today have the ability to cultivate as rich and vibrant of characters as Alexander Payne has been able to consistently, since his debut as a big league director in 1996. It seems like forever since Sideways took the world by storm (it has been) and thank God we got Payne back in the director's chair. His latest film, The Descendants, further illustrates Payne's remarkable gift for injecting his films with realism, humor and grace. Though this film is less comedic than Sideways or other Payne films, like Election, it manages to successfully swap out jokes for poignancy. But don't worry, there's plenty to laugh about, too. You see, that's the ultimate genius of what Payne is able to do with this film. His slice-of-life narrative captures all sides of life, the serious and the silly, the touching and the cynical.
The Descendants is carried by it's lead, George Clooney, who turns in the performance of a lifetime, one that has already earned him a Golden Globe and also puts him as a heavy favorite for the Oscar. Clooney was phenomenal in 2009's Up in the Air, and he was pretty great in The Ides of March from this year, too, but it's in this film that he takes it to another level. Clooney plays Matt, a workaholic in a rocky marriage. His wife is in a boating accident, which leaves her in a coma. While she remains in a hospital bed, Matt has to make a decision. He happens to be the sole trustee to a family trust that controls the last major chunk of virgin Hawaiian land - 25,000 acres on the island of Kaua'i. Facing a deadline (thanks to the rule against perpetuities), Matt must come to a decision as to what to do with the land. Since his wife was the primary parent, Matt is left alone to take care of his two daughters, 10-year-old Scottie and 17-year-old Alex. Both have unique sets of problems and issues that Matt is ill-equipped to deal with. As it becomes clear that his wife is not going to wake up and that she will be taken off of life support, Matt must deal with the pressure of his decision, his daughters, who are all but completely foreign to him, and the revelation that his wife had been having an affair right up until the accident.
It's role that calls for a wide range of complex emotions and Clooney delivers every time. As an audience member, you are able to feel what his character is feeling at every turn. Just like Matt, you feel like you're taking baby steps the whole way, unsure exactly of where to go or what to do, but too scared not to make decisions. Matt doesn't crumple when the world dumps all of this on him, but that doesn't mean he seamlessly transitions from a borderline absentee parent into Father of the Year.
Clooney is assisted by a precocious, young cast comprised of Shailene Woodley (Alex), Amara Miller (Scottie) and Nick Krause (Alex's "friend" Sid). Everyone holds their own, especially Woodley, who, like Clooney, must convey a wide range of complex emotions. The beauty of the script is it's realism. Nothing is simple. Every action, reaction, expression or bit of dialogue is a perfect blend of all parts of the human experience. Matt is simultaneously angry at his wife for her infidelity, guilty for possibly pushing her toward it and deeply melancholy at the idea of losing her permanently. Alex is angry at the world, her mother especially, as it was her who first found out about the affair. But she's also vulnerable and scared, not sure what how to process this loss. Scottie is young and kept in the dark about her mother's prognosis for much of the film, but that doesn't mean she isn't confused and unsure of herself as well. Each character is thoroughly mapped out, feeling more real than any other characters from any film I saw last year.
Out of the Top 5 films on this list, only The Descendants is nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I'm not going to pick through the nominees and criticize them - for the most part, they are good films - but The Descendants is the only one that truly deserves to win in my opinion. It has absolutely fantastic storytelling, acting and direction, putting it head and shoulders above most of it's 2011 peers.
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo directed by David Fincher
Like a frozen, frightening nightmare, David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo swirls around you, enveloping you in it's chill and frigid despair. With the task of delivering another cinematic version of a massively popular novel, Fincher manages to leave his imprint on the story, while still remaining true to the source material. There's quite a lot of content to mine out of Steig Larsson's novel and this film very deftly packs a large percentage of it onscreen. The film is massive, epic. The unbelievable cinematography unfurls the brutal tundra of a Swedish winter before you in crisp white snow and ice and jagged branches. The score - another team-up of Fincher with the duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - is as brilliant and haunting as the music for Fincher's last film, The Social Network, which claimed the Oscar in that category (Somehow, Reznor and Ross did not receive a nomination this year). The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the perfect cocktail of mystery, suspense and adrenaline - another near flawless film from Fincher, who has already delivered so many.
At the heart of the film is the mesmerizing performance of Rooney Mara, who takes on the role of Lisbeth Salander (a role seemingly every major actress in Hollywood under 30 was out to get). This is a career-defining role, one that will likely turn Mara into a household name. (She is already nominated for Best Actress in a leading role at this year's Academy Awards and will be appearing in films directed by Kathryn Bigelow and Terrance Malick in the coming months/years.) Mara completely embodies every part of Lisbeth, from her appearance to her posture and mannerisms to her facial expressions. After watching this film, it's hard to remember her as the clean-cut object of Mark Zuckerberg's affections in The Social Network. The rest of the cast is solid - Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard and Robin Wright among others - but the other performers must remain content with existing in Mara's impressive shadow. The film lives and breathes because of her commitment to this character and each frame of film without her pulses with the anticipation of her returning to the action. The anticipation for this film was monumental, both on personal level and also across the country and world. It was a daunting task to not only take on a role that a lot of big-name actresses coveted, but one that was already established by Noomi Rapace, who continues to grow in popularity stateside.
And of course, the subject matter is heavy. This is where Fincher comes in. People familiar with his resume as a director knew that this story had his name written all over it. It's difficult imagining many other American directors who would be able to establish a definitive American version of the film that not only rivals the Swedish version, but surpasses it in most ways (Darren Aronofsky, maybe?). The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is raw and squirming, gasping for air and fighting every step of the way. There are certain scenes that are certainly not for the squeamish or easily offended. And yet, it contains a subtlety as well, like a slow-roasting fire that smells delicious - until you realize the smell is human flesh. It's as if Fincher combined his approach to The Social Network with his approach to Fight Club, the best of cut-throat storytelling all rolled into one. Luckily, the source material is strong. I enjoyed the novel on it's own and the first sequel (The Girl Who Played with Fire) as well, so I'm remaining optimistic that Fincher will direct the follow-up to this film. Hopefully though, if he does both sequels, he will breathe some life into the third part of the story, as the novel lacked the intensity and direction of the first two.
At 2 hours and 40 minutes, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a throwback to a different time, when dramas were all over 2 hours and a lot were closer to 3. These days, most auteurs are not grant such freedoms and usually must sacrifice storytelling for studio-mandated time constraints. Thankfully, the success of The Social Network and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button buy you some filmmaking luxuries (although the original cut is said to be well over 3 hours. Hopefully we'll see that version on the blu-ray...). But I only bring up the running time to further illustrate how enjoyable the film is. Usually, my back starts aching as the 2 hour mark passes, sitting in the theater, but I was fine during this film. I didn't even notice and was kind of surprised when I realized we were reaching the end. Great movies never feel long.
1. Drive directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Every now and then a perfect storm of cool will descend upon you in the darkness of the theater and take you to a different world. You are no longer a citizen of Earth. Your boring life doesn't matter. For those 2 hours or so, you are a part of something you wish you could be a part of and something you wish did not have to end. This year, Drive was that perfect storm of cool. With an incredible cast, a hip soundtrack that stays in your brain for hours and hours, slick cinematography, explosions of breathtaking violence and some adrenaline-inducing sequences that truly deliver, this was, without a doubt, the best film that was released in 2011.
Ryan Gosling stars in a role that would have befit a young Clint Eastwood, a sort-of Man with No Name for the retro-chic generation, a quiet, contemplative hero for a modern, hipster age. He is a stunt man/mechanic who takes on jobs as a getaway driver. Naturally, a life of crime leads to complications and so do women. Carey Mulligan plays the love interest, a sad-eyed specter with some baggage of her own. Their onscreen interactions are realistic and awkward, but in a touching way. The slow pace to the dialogue will leave some viewers stranded, but the change-of-pace feel to the whole thing was actually pretty electrifying in an odd way. The film feels like it's from another era - in more ways than one.
In addition to the carefully manicured aesthetic of the film - from the electro-pop score that screams 80s to the Risky Business-inspired script of the main title to Gosling's vaguely retro wardrobe and manner of speech - there's also a dreamy, fairy tale vibe to the plot-line. Two doomed lovers with a bond forged by violence, destined to be ruined by that same double-edged sword. There's a delicate simplicity to their love, which works in the framework of the film, but it's never as easy as it should be. Gosling and Mulligan are brilliant in this film, instinctively knowing when to stay subtle and when to really come alive. Gosling especially shines, as Drive is predominately his project from the first frame until the last. 2011 was a star-making year for him, as the shine from Blue Valentine still clung to the early months of the year and over the summer, Crazy Stupid Love showed a range that some weren't sure he possessed. Fall would bring to heavy hitters with The Ides of March and, of course, the real jewel of the past year, Drive.
Director Nicholas Winding Refn wore his influences on his sleeve in making this picture. He has cited everything from Grimm's Fairy Tales to classic chase flicks from the 60s and 70s, like Point Blank, Two-Lane Blacktop and The Driver. I noticed some influence from Quentin Tarantino and Michael Mann as well. There is a touch of a grindhouse influence here, swirled around a bit with other European and stylistic touchstones. But this could potentially be Winding Refn's signature film. From here, his career could go in a multitude of directions, depending on where his interests lie. Perhaps, like Pulp Fiction was for Tarantino, Drive will be a springboard for Winding Refn, allowing him to really explore wild, genre-defying films. Hopefully, this is just the start of something big. I for one am looking forward to potential future partnerships between him and Gosling.
What is not surprising is that Drive has received little love during awards season. It is a difficult film for complacent viewers and, in my opinion, many of the powers that be who determine such things, like which films are worthy of awards, are in fact very complacent. Perhaps even more so than most. The Oscars are particularly guilty. Not even Albert Brooks, who was received a nomination at the Golden Globes for his work in Drive as a particularly ruthless villain, got a nod from the Academy. It just further illustrates that they are a neutered bunch, continually insisting upon rewarding films that are about as edgy as glasses of milk. Thankfully, a decent amount of progressive-thinking film critics (including myself haha) see the light and have put Drive at the top of their end of the year lists.
The best films are able to successfully transport you to a different setting, whether real or imaginary. I'm not sure whether the Los Angeles presented in Drive is supposed to be real or not, but it's dreamlike, hovering over the characters like a ghost from another era. The entire film is beautiful and surreal, dramatic and engrossing. This is certainly the most memorable piece of cinema I saw in 2011.
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So, finally, I'm done. You can check out the whole list now. 100 to 1. And I'm already off to another big year of going to the movies. I really wish that this hadn't taken nearly a month to post this list. Whatever. I started this post when the Oscar nominations were announced and I'm not posting it until now, almost a week later. Hey, I've got a different job. I don't have the luxury of being a full-time writer or critic. Anyway, as promised, here are my favorite performances from actors in 2011.
John C. Reilly - Cedar RapidsUnbelievably hilarious. The funniest performance I saw all year and the best of Reilly's career.
Paul Giamatti - Win WinReminding everyone he's still one of the top actors out there.
Mel Gibson - The BeaverSeriously. A really hard role to pull off and he does it perfectly. Too bad he screwed his career up by being himself...
Ryan Gosling - DriveHe was also great in The Ides of March and Crazy Stupid Love, but Drive stands out as being on another level.
Leonardo DiCaprio - J. EdgarHandicapped by a forgettable script and perhaps some other misplaced ideas, DiCaprio still manages to pull off a convincing portrayal of the late FBI chief.
George Clooney - The DescendantsThe favorite for the Best Actor Oscar and he certainly should be.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 50/50
Poised to become a big star in the coming year or two. Great performance showcasing a wide range of emotions.
So that does it. It's finally over. Will there ever be other posts to this blog? I don't know. Anyway, listen to the podcast here: http://www.fakepartyshow.com/ (we'll be doing an Oscar preview show soon!) and keep checking back for more action. You can also follow along on Twitter: @fakepartyshow
THE ENTIRE LIST!!
100. The Abduction
99. The Dilemma
98. Dream House
97. Conan the Barbarian
96. Drive Angry
95. The Rite
94. Friends with Benefits
93. Sanctum
92. 30 Minutes or Less
91. Apollo 18
90. The Darkest Hour
89. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, part I
88. Creature
87. Red Riding Hood
86. Unknown
85. Immortals
84. Take Me Home Tonight
83. The Mechanic
82. Straw Dogs
81. Fast Five
80. Hobo with a Shotgun*
79. What's Your Number?
78. I Am Number Four
77. Arthur*
76. Cowboys and Aliens
75. The Sitter
74. Your Highness
73. The Rum Diary
72. No Strings Attached
71. Warrior
70. The Green Hornet
69. Hall Pass
68. In Time
67. Fright Night
66. Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
65. Everything Must Go
64. A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas
63. Paranormal Activity 3
62. Battle: Los Angeles
61. The Lincoln Lawyer*
60. Footloose
59. The Adjustment Bureau
58. Super*
57. Sucker Punch
56. Captain America: The First Avenger
55. Source Code
54. The Change-Up
53. Final Destination 5
52. Thor
51. Tower Heist
50. The Hangover, pt 2
49. Insidious
48. J. Edgar
47. The Thing
46. Water for Elephants
45. Limitless
44. Anonymous
43. Red State
42. Real Steel
41. Arthur Christmas
40. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pt 2
39. Rango
38. The Adventures of Tintin
37. Hesher*
36. The Muppets
35. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
34. Scream 4
33. Contagion
32. Horrible Bosses
31. Bad Teacher
30. Paul
29. X-Men: First Class
28. Like Crazy
27. We Bought a Zoo
26. Our Idiot Brother
25. The Beaver
24. Midnight in Paris
23. My Week with Marilyn
22. The Tree of Life
21. Moneyball
20. War Horse
19. Hugo
18. Crazy Stupid Love
17. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
16. The Debt
15. Margin Call
14. Martha Marcy May Marlene
13. Super 8
12. Hanna
11. The Help
10. Win Win
9. 50/50
8. Bridesmaids
7. The Ides of March
6. Young Adult
5. Cedar Rapids
4. Melancholia
3. The Descendants
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
1. Drive
*Denotes a film I did not see in the theater, but am using to replace Blue Valentine, I Love You Phillip Morris, Rabbit Hole, Biutiful and The Company Men, which were all films I saw in 2011 in the theater, but are credited to 2010, in terms of awards eligibility. So, me being completely insane, thought it didn't make sense to weigh them against true 2011 films.
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