Sunday, July 06, 2014
Top 10 of 2011
Now that it's the middle of 2014, why not look back at the top 10 movies of 2011? I feel like I have finally seen enough (thanks Netflix) to come up with a good top 10 list. And it was a strong year for movies. After not having any comedies on my 2010 list, there are several on here. So here's the list:
10. Water for Elephants
It's a pretty good adaptation of a very popular book. In this case I saw the movie before I read the book, so I didn't know what was going to happen. It's very compelling, and Reese Witherspoon's performance really stands out. Christoph Waltz elevates any movie he's in too. There is great tension in the scenes between the three lead characters.
9. Bridesmaids
The female equivalent of The Hangover, this isn't quite as funny but has as many laughs as any movie that came out in 2011. Kristen Wiig is very funny, and there are several memorable scenes, especially the sequence on the airplane and the sing-off to That's What Friends Are For.
8. 50/50
Another comedy, but one that has some real tragedy in it as well. It takes a serious subject like cancer and doesn't make fun of it but tries to find humorous situations that result. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great at playing someone who hates life (see: 500 Days of Summer) and he lets other people get the laughs (especially Seth Rogen).
7. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
This is the second adaptation of this excellent book that I have put in a Top 10 list. The American version is just as good as the Swedish one, with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara putting in great performances. There are scenes of great tension, and you can't help but get sucked into the plot. Plus it doesn't hurt to have David Fincher as the director.
6. Crazy, Stupid, Love
I first watched this on an airplane and it's one of those movies that whenever it's on TV I tend to watch for at least 10 or 15 minutes. There are several interesting storylines that are weaved together, and it's a legitimate surprise to see how they all relate to each other. Some scenes are very funny, and Steve Carell is in top form. One of the more memorable comedies I've seen in recent years.
5. Moneyball
Now we are getting into the Academy Award quality movies. Moneyball isn't a book that you would think would translate well to the big screen, but Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill pull it off. It's really interesting to see the inner workings of an MLB organization. Even if you have no affiliation with the Oakland A's, you root for them even if you know how the season turns out. One of the better sports movies in the last decade.
4. The Artist
This may not be quite deserving of the Best Picture that it won, but it is certainly a very enjoyable movie. You don't see movies like this anymore, silent (for the most part) and in black and white. Jean Dujardin is so charming that it's hard not to root for him. And at least the first half of the movie is really good.
3. Midnight in Paris
One of the best movies Woody Allen has made (and he's made a bunch). The scenes set in the 1920s with Hemingway and Fitzgerald and Picasso are captivating. And Marion Cotillard is one of the more memorable female leads I've seen in a while. The chemistry between her and Owen Wilson's character is the highlight.
2. The Descendants
Probably Alexander Payne's best movie, to me it felt more drama than comedy. George Clooney put in a great performance as a man whose world suddenly falls apart. I love that throughout you have no idea what he's going to do next. And this movie definitely made a star out of Shailene Woodley.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Unfortunately this is the last opportunity for me to have a Harry Potter movie at the top of a Top 10 list. This is the only movie I gave a 9/10 to from 2011. It does a great job of picking up where Part 1 left off, and staying true to the book but yet carving its own mold. I knew the scene where Harry reveals himself as still alive was going to be great, and it was. It's a fitting end to this wonderful series.
10. Water for Elephants
It's a pretty good adaptation of a very popular book. In this case I saw the movie before I read the book, so I didn't know what was going to happen. It's very compelling, and Reese Witherspoon's performance really stands out. Christoph Waltz elevates any movie he's in too. There is great tension in the scenes between the three lead characters.
9. Bridesmaids
The female equivalent of The Hangover, this isn't quite as funny but has as many laughs as any movie that came out in 2011. Kristen Wiig is very funny, and there are several memorable scenes, especially the sequence on the airplane and the sing-off to That's What Friends Are For.
8. 50/50
Another comedy, but one that has some real tragedy in it as well. It takes a serious subject like cancer and doesn't make fun of it but tries to find humorous situations that result. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great at playing someone who hates life (see: 500 Days of Summer) and he lets other people get the laughs (especially Seth Rogen).
7. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
This is the second adaptation of this excellent book that I have put in a Top 10 list. The American version is just as good as the Swedish one, with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara putting in great performances. There are scenes of great tension, and you can't help but get sucked into the plot. Plus it doesn't hurt to have David Fincher as the director.
6. Crazy, Stupid, Love
I first watched this on an airplane and it's one of those movies that whenever it's on TV I tend to watch for at least 10 or 15 minutes. There are several interesting storylines that are weaved together, and it's a legitimate surprise to see how they all relate to each other. Some scenes are very funny, and Steve Carell is in top form. One of the more memorable comedies I've seen in recent years.
5. Moneyball
Now we are getting into the Academy Award quality movies. Moneyball isn't a book that you would think would translate well to the big screen, but Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill pull it off. It's really interesting to see the inner workings of an MLB organization. Even if you have no affiliation with the Oakland A's, you root for them even if you know how the season turns out. One of the better sports movies in the last decade.
4. The Artist
This may not be quite deserving of the Best Picture that it won, but it is certainly a very enjoyable movie. You don't see movies like this anymore, silent (for the most part) and in black and white. Jean Dujardin is so charming that it's hard not to root for him. And at least the first half of the movie is really good.
3. Midnight in Paris
One of the best movies Woody Allen has made (and he's made a bunch). The scenes set in the 1920s with Hemingway and Fitzgerald and Picasso are captivating. And Marion Cotillard is one of the more memorable female leads I've seen in a while. The chemistry between her and Owen Wilson's character is the highlight.
2. The Descendants
Probably Alexander Payne's best movie, to me it felt more drama than comedy. George Clooney put in a great performance as a man whose world suddenly falls apart. I love that throughout you have no idea what he's going to do next. And this movie definitely made a star out of Shailene Woodley.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Unfortunately this is the last opportunity for me to have a Harry Potter movie at the top of a Top 10 list. This is the only movie I gave a 9/10 to from 2011. It does a great job of picking up where Part 1 left off, and staying true to the book but yet carving its own mold. I knew the scene where Harry reveals himself as still alive was going to be great, and it was. It's a fitting end to this wonderful series.
