My Top 10 Movies of 2011

I watched nearly 30 films last year and liked almost all of them, so this was a difficult list to narrow down. You'll find some honourable mentions at the end, but here are the ones that made the cut... (Note: click on a movie title to see the full review.)

10. 30 Minutes or Less

I know this one bombed and people seem to have already forgotten about it, but I thought it was a lot of fun and the comedic cast made all of the jokes work.

9. Hanna

A very cool action thriller led by a talented young actress and  an experienced veteran. I think it does more for feminism when you have two female leads in an action movie and neither of them dress in skimpy clothing (I'm referring to you,  Sucker Punch.)

8. The Muppets
People of all ages can enjoy this movie thanks to a blend of heartfelt nostalgia and the wonder and silliness of childhood. Probably the warmest and sunniest movie of the year.

7. Moneyball
I'm not a sports fan, but I do enjoy the occasional sports movie, and I found this behind the scenes look at baseball drafting to be both fascinating and inspirational, and it almost made me appreciate baseball. Still not about to watch an actual game, though.

6. Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen is good at romanticizing a city, but here he also romanticizes a time period in this charming little time travel romance. It is a foible of human memory that many of us will always long for the past rather than appreciate where we are now.

5. A Separation
This gripping Iranian drama puts you right in the center of a conflict and challenges you to choose a side when it knows neither is more right than the other. Very thought-provoking and ripe for discussion.








4. Super 8
Mixing The Goonies with filmmaking, alien adventure, and a bunch of Spielberg films makes for a highly entertaining and enjoyable ride. I like movies where a group of kids goes on an adventure, because they don't have the capability of adults but they have twice the imagination and sense of excitement.

3. Melancholia
As the title suggests, it's not exactly a happy film, but it is a well executed and beautifully shot end of the world epic with great naturalistic performances from the cast. Too bad an unfortunate comment from the director ensured that it was snubbed at the Oscars.






2. Attack the Block
One of those insanely fun movies where, as you watch, you just keep thinking to yourself, "This is awesome." I really like the idea of a gang of thugs becoming heroes when they have to defend the city block from predatory aliens. From the trailer, I wasn't sure whether I would like it and almost didn't watch it; that would have been an enormous mistake.






1. Carnage
Unbelievably, I had even more fun watching this than Attack the Block. The cast is fantastic, the writing is strong and funny, and the final shot works as a hilarious punchline that undercuts the entire movie. And all shot in one apartment. Nice work, Polanski.



Honourable mentions: The Descendants, Another Earth, 50/50, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Rum Diary, Hugo

Click here for my 2010 list.