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P|M|W’s Favorite Films of 2011

Again, you’ll notice the use of “favorite” up there. I’m by no means an authority on this sort of thing and I’d hate to use “best” because it sounds like i’m being definitive, when I’m not. At this point, at the end of the year 2011, these were the films released in said year, that hit me and in turn left a mark. Are there films that I haven’t seen yet? Sure, but not much. I’ve managed to catch most everything that’s a major awards contender and most everything that I felt in my heart, that I might find something in which to celebrate. This is what stands out to me. 

1. Beginners (dir. Mike Mills) /// Without a doubt, no film stuck with me and brought up more personal connection that Mike Mills’ lovely, heartbreaking ode to memory and the decisions that we allow to define us. No couple had better on screen chemistry all year than Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent and Christopher Plummer gave the performance of his career as the dying father who’s only recently started to live. I connected with everyone on screen, but none more so than Ewan McGregor’s “Oliver”. He’s never been better and his sad eyes speak volumes before the film allows itself to open up and peel back the pages to his story. I haven’t rooted for a character this hard in ages, and in the end i found myself unable to speak about the film. I remember simply thinking that it was a really great film. Then I watched it again late one night recently and I found myself once again moved beyond words. It’s a masterpiece of small cinema. Full of incredibly beautiful moments and performances that deserve a million times more praise than they’ve already received, but will sadly be left for those to discover later on the small screen. 
2. The Descendants (dir. Alexander Payne) /// This movie lives and breathes with George Clooney’s brilliant performance. You can’t help but pull for the guy as his world crashes around him, and he does what any loving father/husband would do. He maintains as best as he can. It’s funny, and often sad, but it’s charm is real and not marred by unnecessary whimsy. It feels like the kind of adult dramadies that were made in the 70’s. It was a close call with my number 3 pick, but in the end, I went where there was a little bit of light. 
3. Shame (dir. Steve McQueen) /// Dark, tragic, beautifully acted stuff. Michael Fassbender gives the best performance of the year as the sex addict, Brandon. It’s a master class in acting and truth be told, it could have just been him on an empty stage and it would have still been a brilliant film, but luckily Steve McQueen shoots the living hell out of the film and the supporting cast are all top notch. I can’t imagine that I’ll be revisiting the film any time soon as it’s a difficult watch, but it’s a must see, solely for Michael Fassbender’s pitch perfect performance. 
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (dir. David Fincher) /// David Fincher is an artist and he just happens to paint his canvas with millions of dollars worth of acting talent, prime locations, and the some of the best music that can grace a film goer’s ears. Yes, this is Rooney Mara’s show, and she’s brilliant, but it’s the pulse of the movie that keeps your intrigued and eagerly awaiting every turn. The cast is great, the film pulses with a dark energy that Fincher is perfect for, and in the end a star is born out of Rooney Mara. It’s the perfect adult popcorn flick. 
5. Drive (dir. Nicholas Winding Refn) /// Ryan Gosling is brilliant here, but it’s Nicolas Winding Refn’s eye for visuals and knack for brilliant pacing that sells this film-noir-fairy-tale home. Gosling is great here (i’d argue he’s even better in Ides, but i might be wrong) and he’s never better than when he’s on the verge of losing control (which he luckily get to see a couple of times). The stylistic choices are golden and the violence never seems over the top. It’s a killer fucking flick. The coolest movie of the year, hands down. 
6. The Tree of Life (dir. Terrence Malick) /// What can I say about Terrence Malick’s latest tone poem that hasn’t already been said. It’s a gorgeous, somber exploration of loss and love through the eyes of a kid who can’t quite shake the ghosts of the past. Brad Pitt is excellent, but the kids are especially strong. I’m loving that I’m alive to finall see Malick get the creative juices flowing enough to be putting out movies on the regular. The next few years should be really exciting for us Malick fans. 
7. The Ides of March (dir. George Clooney) /// An elegantly crafted, expertly acted, haunting bit of filmmaking from Clooney. The position in which Gosling’s Stephen Meyers is put in is a chilling, scary place, but the layers that it unfolds opens up a big, curious world of politics and shows that no one is bullet proof without resorting to cramming a real “villain” into the mix. Everyone is dirty, and everyone has a reason to fight for the greater good. It’s smart, powerful filmmaking with a couple of scenes that are among the year’s best (the Gosling/Clooney faceoff, and “you’re my best friend” immediately come to mind)
8. Moneyball (dir. Bennett Miller) /// I never would have thought that this movie was going to be so damn good. Just a straight up excellently crafted drama that happens to exist in the sports world. You need not be a baseball fan to like this movie. Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt are top notch, but it’s Chris Pratt that really blew me away as the past his prime catcher thrown into the deep end to prove Hill’s theorem. Just solid filmmaking that doesn’t rely on crowd pleasing theatrics. It’s just a really great film. 
9. 50/50 (dir. Jonathan Levine) /// Touching and sweet. It gets some of the smaller moments very right, which is why I’ve chosen it for my top ten at all. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is wonderful as per usual and it’s nice to see Seth Rogen get a chance to branch out a smidge (not too far though). This film has one of my favorite moments of the year in the hospital scene when Adam tries to explain to his Alzheimer’s father that he loves him as the anesthesiologist cuts his time short with his mother, all while the absolutely heartbreaking song “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack” by Liars soundtracks the scene. 
10. We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay) /// Just a fucking gut punch. Tilda Swinton is incredible as the grieving mother trying to rectify her memories from reality of where and why her son turned into something bordering on pure evil. Lynne Ramsay is a world class filmmaker and I’ve loved her every move. This just further re-inforced that love. A heavy, dark film that’s challenging, but equally rewarding. 

There you have it. Nothing pretty to read or exciting for that matter. I’d just been asked by a few of you, and I thought I’d write up something resembling a list and give it a post. Hope you enjoy the reading. Let me know if I’ve forgotten anything major that you think i may not have seen. Give these a solid watch if you’re looking for something solid. Thanks for reading. Thanks for commenting. Thanks for just being good people. 

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SHAME /// Official Website Launch

Fox Searchlight has launched the website for Steve McQueen’s brilliant new film, “Shame” and it’s a gorgeous, atmospheric bit of design. Simple and effective, and with great use of the breathtaking score. It’s a stunning, heartbreaking, and powerful film that deserves every bit of praise that can be lavished upon it, so I’ll be excitedly praising it from my digital-milk-crate-pulpit until the Academy surely fucks up and hands “War Horse” the big prize. 

Check out the site. The film is released in select cities on the 2nd of December. It’s really that good. 

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How fucking great is this new poster for Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin”?