Top 10 Films of 2011

There are still many films for me to see from this year, but of the ones I did see, these were my picks. Mostly I hope the list helps you see something in a film you didn’t, or introduces to a film you might want to see. They are all wonderful in their own way.

10. Fast Five

Don’t hate bro. There’s something you really need to accept about these Fast and the Furious films. At one point Tyrese Gibson exclaims, “Yes! This is big boy stuff!” You have to be able to handle that shit. The more these types of phrases occur the more people will brand the film ridiculous and lose interest in seeing Paul Walker leap from a train onto a 1966 Corvette Grand Sport (I looked it up) driven by Vin Diesel that they then drive off a canyon into a river.

Come on bro. I walked into the theater for this film and saw a preposterously diverse audience: Teens, young adults, middle aged adults, groups of boys, groups of women, a couple on a date where the woman seemed dressed for a slutty, fancy dinner. You don’t get to see that kind of widespread demographic interested in film. Not to mention that few films can make bold promises (Expendables) and deliver. The Dwayne Johnson Vin Diesl fight is awesome, and I can’t think of a franchise that attempts driving stunts quite like this. But Fast Five says “That’s how we roll. We roll like this.” And it means it.

9. The Adventures of Tintin

At around its fifth week in theatres I glanced at the domestic earnings of Tintin. $61 million – the movie’s budget was $135 million. I was afraid that the film wouldn’t make enough to warrant a sequel (it has with worldwide box office). But I’m really worried North American audiences are missing the allure of Tintin. I don’t care if you read the comics or watched the show and didn’t like it (the art repulsed me as a child) this is what Indiana Jones 4 should have been. Quick transitions, myriad locations, and some of the best animation you’ve ever seen.

In one scene Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) is walking in the desert with Tintin and recalls a history of his ancestor being attacked by pirates on the high seas. Water sweeps across the desert and a ship plunges over the sand ridges. Ship masts get twined, pirates board, the John Williams soundtrack increases in tempo, swashbuckling ensues, canons get fired at men, and amidst all the calamity the pirate captain slowly descends the mast surrounded by flames. It’s thrilling filmmaking. Fucking watch it.

8. Real Steel

While creating this list my friend scanned it and said, “Real Steel seems like a Sean movie. The film has a lot of heart, maybe too much.” Yes it does. As soon as I saw the previews I saw through the veil of a children’s movie something I needed to see. It’s not just about a kid and his Father working a futuristic robot boxing circuit, Real Steel is more interested in Charlie (Hugh Jackman), a failed boxer and absent Father. I saw Real Steel and Warrior (the other fighting movie this year) twice in theatres, I think. It’s easy to discuss the qualities of both films, but only in Real Steel did I feel palpable triumph from the audience.

7. Shame

Sissy Sullivan (Carey Mulligan) sings a melancholic cover of New York, New York that lasts 4 minutes and 57 seconds. It feels long. Director Steve McQueen lingers there. It’s what he likes to do with Shame – linger. Several scenes have no cuts. Brandon Sullivan (Sissy’s brother, played by the powerful Michael Fassbender) is our protagonist. He seeks out sexual gratification like people seek food. We often see the beginning or end of his conquests. Sometimes we see moments of the act. It comes across as painful, not sexual.

Sissy’s song frames the entire film. New York, New York is a happy song, right? New York is a great place to be? The zenith of working and living? With Shame McQueen suggests not. He’s not saying the wealthy working people of New York are all sex addicts, but he is using a harrowing caricature that says New York has an underbelly. It’s difficult to watch, and that’s precisely why you should watch it.

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) seems emotionless on the surface. But when we see her ferociously attack a thief with bare hands, or seduce a young woman in a club we glimpse her emotional depths. She’s unnaturally capable. A gifted hacker, a daring motorcyclist, and a tireless investigator – but she doesn’t look most people in the eye.

As I left the theater I heard others complaining of how the film lagged, but I can’t imagine getting tired of looking at the film’s visuals. The bleak palette, the bourgeois pristine settings contrasted to filthy, ragged ones – and the vile depictions of humanity.

This movie might not be for everyone the way director David Fincher’s Social Network was, but by God was it for me.

5. Attack the Block

The hoodlum protagonists in Attack the Block use a lot of quick, direct phrases. Get me? The film has a similar directness and intrigue. Believe. When aliens attack their apartment block the youths rush home to their individual apartments to get weapons to fight back: a small rusted machete, a chain, an aluminum baseball bat, fireworks, and a samurai sword. Of all the films I’ve seen this year Attack the Block is the one I will likely re-watch the most. Don’t be so surprised to see this movie at number five. Allow it.

4. Martha Marcy May Marlene

The film tells two stories about Martha in parallel. In one story she is called “Marcy May,” a member of a small cult that works subtly upon their members to accept their abusive practices. In the other story she is Martha. She has escaped the cult and is living with her Sister, but is constantly afraid the cult will find her. The transitions between stories transfer her paranoia into us. The creepier the cult’s actions become the more we fear they’ll come for Martha. The interludes where Martha is with her Sister and safe increase the tension until there is a scene where Martha heads out into the woods at night to confront her perceived pursuers. We’ve all seen movies about people alone in forests at night, but this is the first time I’ve watched with my arms wrapped around my chest, terrified at what might pop out, but unable to look away. I did not sleep that night.

3. 13 Assassins

13 Assassins takes a long time getting to its 40 minute-long sword fight. That time is spent investing us in the depths of the villain’s crimes and the personalities and abilities of our heroes. One character, Hirayama (Tsuyoshi Ihara), was so effectively developed that watching him inspired me to re-define what a “badass” character is. I dedicated a month-long project to it. Few films inspire, make us ask questions, and are fucking awesome at the same time.

2. Take Shelter

Curtis (Michael Shannon) has schizophrenia in his family. He’s a proud man who wants two things only: to be there for his family, and to work through his problems on his own terms. When he first sees a storm approaching in his dreams he tries to ignore it. Then he sees it during the day. He seeks out books and counseling privately – his wife (Jessica Chastain) is used to giving him space. Then he starts making a fallout shelter in his backyard. There’s a delicate touch in conveying the terror of mental instability and maintaining our ability to identify with characters. That’s Take Shelter‘s gift.

Sometimes I have powerful physical reactions to intensely psychological movies. As Curtis tried to hold himself together I did the same. I sat in the middle of that tiny theater, shoulder to shoulder, no leg room at all. It would have been extremely difficult to flee. Take Shelter was one of the most difficult and rewarding theater experiences I’ve ever had – Curtis and I worked through our demons together.

1. Drive

Every year there are good films, great films, and then there are films like Drive – films I worship. Beyond the joy of that initial experience, beyond the admiration for delicately constructed characters, and beyond an erection-inducing soundtrack, is a film that evokes child-like hero worship. As kids we choose all kinds of heroes for simple reasons (I wanted to be Michaelangelo because he was funny), but as adults we become so selective we rarely allows ourselves to indulge in hero fantasy. Director Nicolas Winding Refn simply opens the door, tells us to get in, and drives.

Honourable Mentions