Between festivals and theatrical releases, I saw over 100 new films this year.A Some were awful, some were good, and some were mediocre.A And then there were the movies that stayed with me, and more importantly, held up on repeat viewings.A In past years, I’ve usually only had one chance to watch a movie and sometimes the initial positive impression was enough to land it on my annual Top 10 list.A Then I looked back on the list six months later and realized some films shouldn’t have made the cut.A This year, I got to attend major festivals and received “For Your Consideration screeners, which made it easier to double-check movies I enjoyed.A If you’re wondering why movies that originally received an a high rating didn’t make the list, it’s because while I still liked them on a second viewing, their faults became more apparent.A The movies on my Top Ten list became better on repeat viewings and I look forward to watching them again and again over the years.Hit the jump to check out my picks for the Top 10 films of 2011.10.HOBO WITH A SHOTGUNReminder: this ismyTop 10 list.A If you want something closer to an “objective” list, pop over to Rotten Tomatoes.AHobo with a Shotgunfelt like it was made to appeal directly to my sick sense of humor.A The movie is nothing but sheer, unadulterated madness but directorJason Eisenerbrings a method to it.A There’s a surprisingly level of creativity in how tasteless it can be, and there’s an art to making a good bad movie.A Eisener also had the sense to provide some semblance of sanity to the picture by castingRutger Haueras the hobo.A Hauer brought a melancholy, angry justice to the story, and while it didn’t makeHoboa serious drama, it kept the balance required to make the movie a delightfully twisted and unhinged schlockfest.9.HORRIBLE BOSSESThis year saw more than its fair share of R-rated comedies, butHorrible Bosseswas the champion.A The movie held-up on repeat viewings because it has the off-handed one-liners that sneak through on the first go-round.AJason Bateman, Charlie Day, andJason Sudeikishad tremendous chemistry and watching them bounce lines off each other as their characters argued added so much to the movie.A A The flick also gaveColin FarrellandJennifer Anistona chance to play against throw in and both delivered in spades.A Great comedies keep delivering after the big jokes have been worn away.AHorrible Bossesis a great comedy.8.ATTACK THE BLOCK2011 also saw far too many alien-invasion flicks.A The best one didn’t have the big-name stars, a bloated special effects budget, or a fetish about hiding the design of its alien.A Instead,Attack the Blockgave a bunch of teenage hoodlums a chance not to save the world, but to save their apartment building and do so with whatever non-age-restricted weapons they had in their closets.A Once you fell into the rhythm of the characters' dialect, the dialogue positively sang and added another special flavor to the mix.A And while other alien invasion flicks built up to a whole lot of nothing with their alien designs, directorJoe Cornishcame up with a simple, iconic monster that audiences won’t soon forget.A Throw in a killer score, thrilling action scenes, the willingness to off major characters, andAttack the Blockisn’t just the best alien invasion movie of 2011.A It’s one of the best sci-fi action flicks in years.7.HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS a PART 2I debated whether or not this should land on my list since it only works as the last part in a series.A And then I remembered the same goes forReturn of the King, and people seem to appreciate that movie just fine.AHarry Potterreally is one major story with one central hero destined to battle with a single arch-nemesis.A The question withHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows a Part 2was whether or not director David Yates would stick the landing, and the answer turned out to be, “Hell, yes.
“A The movie is action-packed but it still finds time for the beautiful character moments that have put the series far above all imitators.A The final installment didn’t coast on what had come before.ADeathly Hallows a Part 2expertly delivered excitement, joy, and heartbreak.A It’s a grand finale that’s truly grand.6.HANNAAt first glance,Hannaseemed like it was a bit outside the wheelhouse of directorJoe Wrightwhose previous efforts were the Oscar-baiting dramasPride & Prejudice,Atonement, andThe Soloist.A But withHanna, Wright proved his brilliant and inventive direction could just as easily turn out a kick-ass action flick.A He used this long-take technique and created a brilliant set piece of Eric Bana taking down CIA agents.A His energetic editing and use of sound were right at home when applied to pulse-pounding fights scenes.A But the masterstroke was casting the story as a dystopian fairy tale, which turnedHannainto a strange, off-beat, and unforgettable flick that’s so much more than a simple action movie.5.BEGINNERSI didn’t much care for acclaimed relationship dramas likeBellflowerandLike Crazy.A I felt that they used one-dimensional characters to convey a single emotion and relied too heavily on the viewer bringing their own experience to the table in order for the film to work.ABeginnersblew these films away by drawing distinct characters going through complex emotions that translate into something every audience member can appreciate.A It earns the emotional payoff rather than stealing it from the viewer.A You don’t have to be a 75-year-old man who has just come out of the closet to relate to the character.A We can relate not only because ofChristopher Plummer’s tremendous performance, but because writer-directorMike Millsunderstood that love isn’t contained simply to resentment or longing.ABeginnersgoes far beyond by jumping around time, memories, tangents, relationships and the result is a movie that understands and appreciates love for the beautiful mess it is.4.RAMPARTThe Messengerwas no fluke.A Writer-directorOren Movermanonce again proves that he’s not only an amazing visual storyteller, but his stories shatter our expectations.A Just asThe Messengerwasnat the same tired “PTSD Soldier” story,Rampartturns the corrupt cop film inside out.A Officer Dave “Date Rape” Brown is a dirty cop, but he knows it and he believes his place in the universe is to soak up mankind’s sins and deal out the retribution we secretly want.ARampartholds a deeply cynical social critique and wraps it in a fascinating character study.AWoody Harrelson’s complex and captivating performance works hand-in-glove with Moverman’s thoughtful direction, and then the glove balls up into a fist and punches you in the solar plexus.3.PROJECT NIMChimpanzee Nim Chimpsky was taught sign language so he could “speak” with humans.AJames Marsh’s documentary about Nim speaks to our humanity.A It shows our selfishness and our selflessness, our ignorance and our intelligence, our indifference and our compassion.A Nim was taught how to sign so we could get inside his head, learn what he was thinking, and gain a greater understanding of language.AProject Nimingeniously bounces the experiment back onto Nim’s caretakers, and sends the audiences on an emotional roller coaster.A The film knows when to add stylistic flourishes, when to use a dramatization and most importantly, when the file footage or interview doesn’t need any embellishment.A Nim’s story could have made for an interesting magazine feature, but Marsh transformed it into an emotionally devastating and thought-provoking powerhouse.2.MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENEThe sentence, “I am a leader and a teacher,” will send a cold shiver up my spine for the rest of my life.A In his remarkable debut feature, writer-directorSean Durkindoesn’t miss a beat in trapping his audience in a razorblade cage that cuts beneath the skin with every creepy, horrifying, and all-too-real moment.AMartha Marcy May Marleneconvincingly terrifies us by showing the fragility of our sanity and how our minds can become warped not through brute force, but by pulling at the threads of our identity.AElizabeth Olsenfearlessly shows us a psyche that has been ripped to shreds,John Hawkesquietly shows us the disturbing power to destroy that psyche, and both actors do it with unwavering honesty.A A I sawMartha Marcy May Marlenein January.A It’s still under my skin.1.DRIVEDriveis a movie where you could analyze it frame-by-frame and find something new every time, but you’re free to still enjoy gliding across the slick, cool surface.Every single moment, from the flicker of a street light to the blast of a shotgun, holds our full attention.A DirectorNicolas Winding Refnprovides a master class in how to say everything with an actor’s glance, a well-placed shot, an inspired music cue, and a perfectly-timed cut.A There’s not a wasted frame and not once does it feel like Refn is showing off.A Rather than celebrate his own cleverness, Refn decides to entertain.A He allows the audience to revel in a taut car chase, the coolness of the 80s vibe, the shockingly gruesome violence, but none of it is shallow or overblown.A Everything is played to precision.The remarkable technical skill is all in service of a gritty, hard-boiled story that explores themes of solitude, heroism, nobility, and identity.ADrivereminds us that it’s not enough to simply be cool or detached or heroic.A There’s a price.A There’s a sacrifice.A This is the harsh lesson film noir provides, and it’s one of the reason I love the genre so much.A It says that good deeds won’t save you.A There is no bonus, no pat on the head, no riding off into the sunset with the girl.A The best film noir present a character with a simple choice that will test their souls, and through his or her actions we question our own limits when faced against people with less virtue and more power.A It’s the choice between what is easy and what is right.Driveis film noir at its best and it’s the best film of 2011.—Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):Captain America: The First Avenger,Midnight in Paris,Mission: Impossible a Ghost Protocol,Rango,Young Adult.Movies I’m Sorry I Missed (in alphabetical order):Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, Kill List, Margaret, The Raid, A Separation, Sound of My Voice—Monday:Top 10 Posters of 2011Tuesday:Top 10 Trailers of 2011Wednesday:Best Performances, Directing, and other Miscellany of 2011Thursday:Worst 5 of 2011Friday: Top 10 of 2011
