MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2011. I should say that there might be a couple of films made in 2010 but I have included them because I saw them this year. I didn't see everything of course. Also, assume they are all PG and up... yes, even RANGO.
(in no particular order)
SUPER 8. A pretty entertaining film about young teens trying to save their town from an alien and a heavy handed U.S. Army. 3/5
THE LINCOLN LAWYER. A slick defense attorney gets in over his head with a nasty client. 3/5
WARRIOR. Two brothers sharing a difficult childhood both sign up for a huge mixed martial arts tournament. 3/5
THE IDES OF MARCH. Political drama about loyalty and power. 3.5/5
MARGIN CALL. The story of the first financial institution to start selling its inventory before the crash of 2008. 3/5
RANGO. A cowboy parody with a lizard called RANGO. Beautiful graphics, and funny. 4/5
BRIDESMAIDS. A comedy about the pressures of being a maid of honor. I saw this on its opening day in a theater full of women; I will never forget it. 3.5/5
POINT BLANK. A French crime thriller about a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. 3/5
SOURCE CODE. A soldier wakes up in the cockpit of his crashed helicopter, and he seems to be having hallucinations about the past or maybe the future. An interesting film. 3/5
WIN WIN. A heartwarming and charming story about a guy trying to survive economic woes. 4/5
13 ASSASSINS. Outstanding action film set in medieval Japan. My favorite movie of the year. 5/5
RED DOG. Heartwarming tale about a dog, everyone's best friend. 4/5
THE GUARD. Unusual comedy /crime film about an unconventional policeman. 4.5/5
OUR IDIOT BROTHER. A comic film about a guy who loves and trusts people way too much. 3.5/5
FRIGHT NIGHT. A pretty entertaining vampire film. It pokes fun at itself and takes itself seriously at the same time, not bad. 3/5
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. The only watchable romantic comedy of the year. 3.5/5
CRAZY STUPID LOVE. An amusing and touching film about a guy who is forced to reassess himself and his life. 3.5/5
EVERYTHING MUST GO. A quiet drama about an executive who loses his job and his wife because of his drinking. Will Ferrell does a great job at keeping this film from becoming too morose. 3/5
FAST FIVE. The fifth "Fast and Furious" installment is full of clichés, but it's entertaining and fun too. 3/5
FOUR LIONS. A sharp and hilarious black comedy about would be jihadists. 4/5
THE DEBT. A suspenseful film about a Jewish snatch team sent behind the iron curtain to capture a NAZI war criminal. 3/5
LIMITLESS. A struggling writer runs into a high school friend working for drug company, and the friend offers him a sample of a new drug being developed, a drug that superchargers the mind. 3/5
POETRY. A beautiful Japanese drama about a grandmother raising her grandson as she tries to embrace life as fully as possible, including joining a poetry writing class. One of my favorite movies of the last five years. 5/5
THE TREE OF LIFE. This film is a fusion of cinema and poetry. It's quite slow but very beautiful too, presenting the story of a family juxtaposed with scenes of nature. 3.5/5
THE EAGLE. A historical /action film about a Roman legionnaire who goes on a quest to redeem his family's name. 3/5
THE COMPANY MEN. This drama follows several men from the same company who are fired from their jobs because of the economy. A survival tale. 3.5/5
THE BEAVER. This film is about a guy who has an psychological breakdown but finds himself by using a hand puppet in the shape of a beaver. A story of love and survival. 3.5/5
KILLER ELITE. Convoluted yet entertaining action film. 3/5
THE TRIP. Documentary/drama. Steve Coogan and his friend travel around England reviewing restaurants for a British magazine. Funny and touching. 4/5
UNKNOWN. Suspense /thriller. Liam Neeson wakes up in Berlin, and no one remembers who he is including his wife. 3/5
THE RITE. A film about exorcism and the supernatural starring Anthony Hopkins. 3/5
HEREAFTER. The intersecting stories of a man with real psychic powers, a young boy whose brother dies, and a young woman who dies and comes back. 3.5/5
THE CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS. An amazing documentary about the prehistoric caves in France whose walls are covered with pictographs painted by Early Man. Mind blowing. 5/5
THE WAR YOU DON'T SEE. A thought provoking documentary about the role of the media and propaganda in warfare. 5/5
SENNA: THE LIFE OF AYRTON SENNA. A beautiful documentary and biography of one of Formula One's golden boys. 5/5
