25 Best Movies of 2011
A list of the 25 movies that I enjoyed the most this year.
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- 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.Had everything that makes a good movie, and I enjoyed it from begining to end more than any movie this year
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.The most uplifting movie of the year by far had standout performaces Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, and Bryce Dallas Howard, and was impossible not to like.
- DirectorSimon CurtisStarsMichelle WilliamsEddie RedmayneKenneth BranaghColin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier, documents the tense interactions between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).Michelle Williams gives, in my opinion, the best performance of the year as Marilyn Monroe working on the set of a film with Laurence Olivier, and the romance she develops with the young assistant director of the film.
- 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.Fun story of a man whos fantasys come alive in Paris. Woody Allen's love letter to the city is just plain fun to watch.
- 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.The most disturbing movie of the year takes us inside the world of a young woman who escapes a sexually and mentally abusive cult to reconnect with her family. However, she can't escape the clutch the cult has on her, and the line between reality and paranoia is slowly blurred.
- DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsPaul GiamattiGeorge ClooneyPhilip Seymour HoffmanAn idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.An extremely well written political thriller involving a young political upstart and a presidential candidate.
- 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.A story about two brothers fighting in the main event of an MMA tournament is an original idea, and while I didn't think it would work initially, I wa sproved wrong by this film. The acting is top-notch, especially from Nick Nolte as the brother's troubled father. Sports movie of the year.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.A fantastic tribute to old Hollywood and the era of silent filmmaking. Great performances by the leads and very well directed by Michael Hazanavicious.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJeremy IrvineEmily WatsonDavid ThewlisA young farm boy enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. His hopeful journey takes him out of England and onto the front lines as the war rages on.Visually stunning movie about the bond between a boy and his horse, and the lenghts one will go to claim what belongs to them.
- 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.One of the most well-written comedies I've seen, every performance in 50/50 is amazing to watch and a true study on love and friendship.
- DirectorRod LurieStarsJames MarsdenKate BosworthAlexander SkarsgårdLos Angeles screenwriter David Sumner relocates with his wife to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.Maybe it was cause I liked the original so much, but I thought that this was a great remake of one of the greatest films ever made.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsGeorge ClooneyShailene WoodleyAmara MillerA land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.George Clooney's performance is tremendous as a land baron struggling with life from every angle. At times it's hard to watch, but it's a realistic portrayl of how life isn't always paradise.
- 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.A hilarious screenplay and great performances all around make this one of the best comedies of the year.
- 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.An interesting look at how Billy Beane turned the Oakland A's baseball franchise around usin unorthodox methods. Great performances from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
- DirectorRupert WyattStarsJames FrancoAndy SerkisFreida PintoA substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.The most visually amazing movie of the year also had a great story, and served as another fine installment in the Apes franchise.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.Just hilarious.
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsZachary QuintoStanley TucciKevin SpaceyFollows the key people at an investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis.A thriller set in the early stages of the financial collapse at an investment bank. Standout performances by Kevin Spacey and Demi Moore.
- DirectorBruce RobinsonStarsJohnny DeppGiovanni RibisiAaron EckhartAmerican journalist Paul Kemp takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1960s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.The always great Johnny Depp plays an alcoholic journalist working for a newspaper in 50's Cuba.
- DirectorRodrigo GarcíaStarsGlenn CloseMia WasikowskaAaron Taylor-JohnsonAlbert Nobbs struggles to survive in late 19th-century Ireland, where women aren't encouraged to be independent. Posing as a man so she can work as a butler in Dublin's most elegant hotel, Albert meets a handsome painter and looks to escape the lie she has been living.A different film, but great nonetheless. Tells the story of a woman posing as a man to keep a job in 19th century Ireland.
- 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.The only animated film I saw this year that I would actually watch again. This is what an animated film should be.
- DirectorLynne RamsayStarsTilda SwintonJohn C. ReillyEzra MillerKevin's mother struggles to love her strange child despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.An uncomfortable film about a mother's realationship with her son,and hows that realationship plays a role in the school shooting perpatrated by the son.
- DirectorChris WeitzStarsDemián BichirJosé JuliánEddie 'Piolin' SoteloA gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.A story of a Mexican man and his son living in East L.A.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsRhys IfansVanessa RedgraveDavid ThewlisThe theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, who penned Shakespeare's plays. Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I and the Essex rebellion against her.Clever political thriller that questions the authenticity of the work of William Shakespeare.
- 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.Terrence Malick's ambitious project blends the story of a family in 1950's Texas with beautiful images of the Earth's creation.
- 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.OK, I grew up on Scream. I had to include the fourth installment of my favorite horror franchise ever. It was a really good movie, and lived up to the Scream name.