Stuart's Top Ten films of 2011
In a year full of high concept sequels with ridiculous punctuation (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Tron: Legacy, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), prequels and reboots (The Thing, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men: First Class, Paranormal Activity 3), and one incredibly horrid and shitty horror film (Kidnapped (Secuestrados)), it perhaps comes as no surprise nine of my top ten are original and standalone films.
There were some gems that only just missed out. Scream 4 proved there was life in the old dog yet with an opening that was truly jaw-dropping, even if the film failed to be scary; Norwegian Wood was a wonderful tale of heartache and grief, yet simply too darn depressing to make the grade; Arthur Christmas proved that not all movies about December 25th have to be crap; and Inside Job made it clear just how screwed up the American financial sector was and continues to be.
On a more personal note, Green Lantern failed to live up to the expectations generated by my 20 year wait (should have seen that coming, really) and I suspect the nine minutes extra in the 'Extended Edition' won't do much to remedy the situation.
I should also point out that The Reef managed to be the scariest shark movie since Jaws, and that Pixar finally made a stinker of a film with Cars 2, proving that nobody's perfect, not even John Lasseter.
Science fiction at its best. Its slow pacing might not be for everybody, but Brit Marling and Mike Cahill's film is a beautifully human tale of loss and redemption, and a truly powerful film.
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After making me better appreciate muscly men in spandex with The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky made sure I equated ballet with gory body horror with Black Swan. Natalie Portman certainly gave the performance of her career in this film, and that such kudos convinced a lot of mainstream cinema patrons to go and see a horror film makes it even better.
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Susanne Bier's film was a stunning analysis of impotent rage as two families try to deal with their own personal crises. In a film that could have been trite or middle of the road, In a Better World instead manages to be quite a profound experience.
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Though initially suspicious that this would be nothing more than an extended commercial for YouTube, this experiment in documentary montage actually turned out to be rather brilliant and - believe it or not - made me feel closer to my fellow Earthlings.
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Kevin Smith, please don't stop making movies. The rumour is you've only got one film left in you, and it's a shame for a director like yourself to call it quits just when you've made what might quite well be your most mature, challenging and outright crazy film ever. To everyone else: leave your preconceptions at the door, because this is Smith as you've never seen him before. Red State is a horror/satire/comedy that takes so many unexpected turns that it has to be seen to be believed.
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A deliciously gonzo found footage gem that is equal parts brilliant and hilarious. I can't wait to go out and buy the Blu-ray of this one just so I can show it to everyone I know. That it didn't get a proper cinema release in Australia is a travesty.
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Even the frustrating coda wasn't enough to ruin this film for me. The Coen Brothers don't always have me on side (I could tell them where to put Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers), but anyone that succeeds in making me enjoy a Western deserves props. Oh and Hailee Stanfield is awesome etcetera etcetera...
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Sure, it's a case of J.J. Abrams mimicking 80s Spielberg, but it's been a while since anyone did that (since the 80s, that is). There's been some criticism that the science fiction element doesn't blend too well with the human drama, and perhaps that's true. It is a genuinely engaging and touching family film, however. They don't make them like this anymore.
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Joe Cornish's action comedy about aliens invading a London block of council flats is genius in its execution. Filled with cackle-inducing dialogue, this film manages to outdo any of the recent attempts at breathing life into an old genre.
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Q: Who would have thought I'd like an enclosed-space thriller?
A: Anyone who knows me. Whilst I could take or leave Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle is on fire once more with a top-notch film that isn't the least bit hampered by the fact we all know how it ends.
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What were your favourite films of 2011? Least favourite? Did something surprise you and win your heart in spite of expectations? Did another film disappoint you? Comments are welcome - and encouraged - below!
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