The Best Movies of 2011
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- 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.“Drive” is a tremendous modern crime-noir that not only showcases Nicolas Winding Refn’s skill as a brilliant filmmaker, but it also boosts fantastic performance from Ryan Gosling as stuntman/getaway driver-for-hire and Albert Brooks as a crime boss. The film also boosts an impressive soundtrack composed by Cliff Martinez and feature memorable songs that seems to come straight from the 80s like “A Real Hero” and possibly the best elevator scene in a movie since “The Departed”.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.It has been a while (aka 2007's "Pan's Labyrinth") since I have seen a perfect foreign langauge film and "A Separation" breaks that streak. The screenplay is brilliantly written with a mortality tale and flawed characters. It also sheds a light on Iranian culture for people who did not know about it. Asghar Farhadi's direction is outstanding and the performances from the ensemble are top-notch.
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonJessica ChastainShea WhighamPlagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.“Take Shelter”, which is the second collaboration between director Jeff Nichols and actor Michael Shannon, is a fascinating portrayal of mental illness and paranoia that features award-worthy performances from Shannon as man tortured by ominous visions and Jessica Chastain as his wife who is frightened by his behavior. Nichols does a great job to build the suspense throughout this movie as whether or not Shannon’s character has indeed inherent his mother’s schizophrenia.
- 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.
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsKirsten DunstCharlotte GainsbourgKiefer SutherlandTwo sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.Who would have thought that the end of the world could look so beautiful? Written and directed by Lars von Trier, “Melancholia” focuses on two sisters who deal with the impending apocalypse in their own different ways. This film is truly in the hands of a gifted filmmaker like von Trier as you can see with the opening sequence of “Melancholia” that foreshadows events in the movie and actually shows the end of the world. The performances from the ensemble (especially Kristen Dunst’s turn as a depressed bride) and von Trier’s keen eye for filmmaking make “Melancholia” a stark and haunting film that will stick with you for quite a while.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsAnna PaquinMatt DamonMark RuffaloA young woman witnesses a bus accident, and is caught up in the aftermath, where the question of whether or not it was intentional affects many people's lives.
- 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.“Moneyball” is more then not just another baseball movie as director Bennett Miller breaks away from just telling formulaic tale of the underdog (in this case, the 2002 Oakland A’s) rising against expectation. Featuring the best performances of their career from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill as a GM and his assistant who use sabermetrics to assemble a competitive team, the film also has a great script from the screenwriting team of Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zalian that is destined to win an Oscar this year.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsDaniel CraigRooney MaraChristopher PlummerJournalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is David Fincher’s version of the first part of Stieg Larsson’s story that has a great cast that is anchored by an unbelievable performance from Rooney Mara and a haunting score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Not to mention that the movie also has the best opening title sequence of the year featuring a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” done by Reznor and Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerBruce SinofskyStarsGary GitchellTodd MooreDana MooreA further followup of the case of the West Memphis Three and the decades long fight to exonerate them that finally gained traction with new DNA evidence.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasElena AnayaJan CornetA brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
- DirectorBrad BirdStarsTom CruiseJeremy RennerSimon PeggThe IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsNeve CampbellCourteney CoxDavid ArquetteTen years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
- DirectorDavid YatesStarsDaniel RadcliffeEmma WatsonRupert GrintHarry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.The best was certainly for last as “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2” is the epic and satisfying finale to the franchise that will satisfy Harry Potter fans and moviegoers with Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) going against Lord Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes) in the ultimate battle of good vs. evil. If anything, the film’s technical achievements certainly deserves attention at the upcoming Oscar ceremony.
- 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.There were two movies that came out this year that embodied the spirit of the 1920s and the love of silent movies: “The Artist” and “Hugo”. However, I feel that “Hugo” was a more enjoyable and enthralling movie-watching experience compared to “The Artist”. Based on the award-winning children’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabaret”, “Hugo” is not director Martin Scorsese’s first venture into 3D territory, but it is also love letter to cinema that not only recreates scenes from silent movies like George Melies’ “A Trip to the Moon” and Harold Lloyd’s “Safety Last”, but also invokes the importance of film preservation.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJamie BellAndy SerkisDaniel CraigIntrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsTom HardyNick NolteJoel EdgertonThe youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.
- DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsGary OldmanColin FirthTom HardyIn the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.
- DirectorSteven QualeStarsNicholas D'AgostoEmma BellArlen EscarpetaDeath returns to claim the lucky survivors of a deadly bridge collapse in this fifth frightening installment in the series.
- 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.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsTio HardimanAmeena MatthewsToya BateyA year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence.With "The Interrupters", writer Alex Kotlowitz and documentary filmmaker Steve James ("Hoop Dreams") captures the cycle of violence in such a complete way that you can finally start to see how it could in fact end. The documentary focuses on Chicago-based violence prevention group that largely consists of former convicts and people who have spent time in prison as they dedicate a large portion of their time to being present in the communities where violence strikes and stopping conflicts before they escalate into violence. "The Interrupters" explores the deepest depths and root causes of violence. This documentary is a wake-up call because unless the City of Chicago or the government does something about to end violence, no one individual could end this cycle of violence all by themselves.
- DirectorAsif KapadiaStarsAyrton SennaReginaldo LemeJohn BisignanoA documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.
- DirectorSean DurkinStarsElizabeth OlsenSarah PaulsonJohn HawkesHaunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.
- 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.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsGeorge ClooneyShailene WoodleyAmara MillerA land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.