My Picks: Best Films Of 2011
Do yourself and your mind a favor, try to watch at least...all of these.
List activity
392 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
10 titles
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.As close to perfection as you can get in terms of overall film-making and performance. A hypnotic, engrossing film from start to finish. Quiet and reserved, with an undertow of brutality and darkness, not unlike the brilliant lead performance from Gosling. Its as if this is what it would be like if David Lynch were to make an action film.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsBrad PittRobin WrightJonah HillOakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.Brilliantly written and performed, this film is tender without being too sappy and informative without being dull. Never predictable and surprisingly funny for it's ilk. One of the best films on baseball ever made.
- DirectorTerrence MalickStarsBrad PittSean PennJessica ChastainThe story of a family in Waco, Texas in 1956. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence and struggles with his parents' conflicting teachings.Captures life like I have never seen before in a film, with honesty and love. Such simple elements of a family's existence are shown to piece together a story about life, death, sin, anger, fear and humanity. The last 15 minutes are about as beautiful as film-making gets.
- DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsElle FanningAJ MichalkaKyle ChandlerDuring the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.Terrific Spielbergian throw back. A science fiction summer blockbuster with a heart and a brain, with enough cinematic nostalgia to keep us young at heart.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.Woody Allen's best film in years is a love letter about many things, among them, creativity, art, writing, film, music, passion, nostalgia, and of course, Paris. A beautiful fantasy about all of those things, with just that specific Woody touch to it.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsGeorge ClooneyShailene WoodleyAmara MillerA land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.Alexander Payne's most dramatic work to date still has a handful of genuine laughs, but also tells a somber story about dealing with loss, while still trying to hold onto what's important from your past. Clooney has never been better in a role that will win him his second Oscar.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsTio HardimanAmeena MatthewsToya BateyA year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence.One of the best documentaries in years. Tells the story about living in gang-land life with a close, intimate and non-judgmental eye. This is what every documentary should strive to do: capture the moment and allow the audience to make it's conclusion. This film hits that mark time and time again.
- DirectorJonathan LevineStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittSeth RogenAnna KendrickInspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.Holds no punches and never sugar coats a single man's battle with cancer. Insanely funny at times, yet also truthful to it's core as a film about facing fears alone, and getting a grip on your own mortality.
- DirectorPaul FeigStarsKristen WiigMaya RudolphRose ByrneCompetition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.Hits the nail on the head scene after scene. A comedy that knows the formula, but has such great character depth helped by an awesome cast, (headed by Kristen Wiig) that the situations put upon them are all the more hilarious. A perfect example at how raunch comedy can work so well.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsAsa ButterfieldChloë Grace MoretzChristopher LeeIn 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.Lovingly made story that centers on the magic of films and the world they can create. Some beautiful scenes and images, a thin story-line. It could have been better if it was longer, which is rare to say about any film. A master-work from Scorsese.