Best Films of 2011 Part 2

My top six came down to five distinct categories for me: the most poignant, the most effecting, the most provoking, the most moving and the more enjoyable. As I said before, it was exceptionally difficult to try and narrow these films into a list. In particular the top three are pretty much decimal points apart and I consider these films to share the number one spot, they are merely numbered for the purposes of listing the films. The only separation are which films I enjoyed more, but each has a strong case for being the best. I feel that this list should be approached with the mindset that all of these are great films, just some I felt worked better than the others. With much ado here are my top six films of 2011...

6. The Artist


The Artist was a very enjoyable film. It tells the story of a silent film actor (Jean Dujardin) who is trying to survive as "talkies," or films with sound, are becoming more popular. 


The Artist has a clear understanding of it's audience, and caters to their taste by providing rich commentary on Hollywood at the time. The sets are convincing, as is the cast, which was necessary to put on such a movie. I think the movie presents a more modern movie plot by using silent movie conventions, which could not have been an easy thing to do.


Dujardin is superb in his performance as George Valentin. He fills every frame with his emotions, whether it be his disarming smile, or his increasing depression toward the end of the film. 


The Artist was not the best picture this year, but it is an entertaining celebration of the world of film. It is tremendously entertaining and should be a joy for anyone to watch. 

5. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Full Review Here)


Overall I thought Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was very similar to Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation in its ability to cleverly keep an audience guessing. I don't think Soldier, Spy quite as strong of narrative, or as devastating of ending, as The Conversation but overall I thought it was a splendid film with an excellent cast. 


Gary Oldman gives maybe the best performance of his long, and distinguished, career here as George Smiley, a man trying to find a mole in his spy agency. Not a lot is explained, but nor is it necessary to explain a lot. This is an espionage film that actually feels like espionage. The twists and turns of this movie are splendid and keep the audience engaged until the end. 



I also thought the cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema is excellent and production designer Maria Djurkovic hits the right note with every scene she designs. Soldier Spy is a twisting labyrinth of a plot, but one that should leave the audience thoroughly entertained.

 

4. The Tree of Life


This was probably one of the more controversial movies to come out this year. Given it's unconventional narrative style and a 20 minute scene where the universe is created, I think The Tree of Life presented a lot of issue for audiences. However, generally I believe the film makes up for these with a tremendouse spiritual undertone and absolutely gorgeous visuals.


Personally, I thought the scene of the universe being created was one of the most visually impressive moments this year. A lot of the slow creation scenes were particularly eye-popping.


Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain were also very impressive in their performances. Representing opposite forces pulling on our main character, they portrayed the harsh realities of life clashing with whimsical nature of youth and I thought both of them pulled it off perfectly.


The main reason this film isn't higher, it could have even been #1, is that it drags. The film feels about five hours long despite it's relatively short 2 1/2 hour run time. Sean Penn's considerable talents are also wasted in this film, and while I realize director Terence Malick is famous for this, it makes no sense to me.


The Tree of Life had very high ambitions, to present a montage of life itself, and about 70% of the time it was dead on, it's just the other 30% that holds it back. 

3. Melancholia


If The Tree of Life represented an exploration of the ideas of life juxtaposed with death, Melancholia represents a study of depression and the way it alters our perception of death. 


Melancholia begins with an absolutely brilliant montage that is stunningly beautiful. In fact much of the strength of Melancholia is how incredible it's visuals are, the entire film takes place on one property, but that location feels impossibly long.


The performances are also very solid in Melancholia, Kirsten Dunst is very good, as is Charlotte Gainsborough. Kiefer Sutherland is also surprisingly effective in his role. These characters all have a lot of depth, a necessary element to a film that relies on building up a world, only to tear it apart.


I think director Lars Van Trier delivers an incredible film by actually scaling back his directing style. For a filmmaker famous for pictures like Antichrist and Dogville, Melancholia is surprisingly reserved. This is not to say, however, that the film is any less devastating, I am merely suggesting Melancholia doesn't rely as much on shocking visuals as other Van Trier projects. 


Melancholia is an astounding descent into the mind of the manically depressed and it delivers on every note. I thought the first half of the film, which largely takes place at Dunst's wedding, drug on a little bit— and at times it was frustratingly predicatable—but I think this is made up for in the film's second half, which is memorizing. Melancholia is one of the best films of the year, just give it some time at the beginning and you'll see why.

2. Drive (Full Review Here)

Drive is essentially the perfect blend of action and art house—I'll emphasize "art house" once more, so you don't end up like this poor woman. I thought this movie was fantastic, a stylized yet realistic film that grabs hold of your attention, then punctuates it with a thrilling climax. 

Gosling is excellent in this role and he certainly deserves more attention for the work he does here. Director Nicolas Winding Refn won the "Best Director" prize at Cannes, and deservedly so. Refn finds the right balance between his formalist impulses and the gritty nature of the world in Drive.

I don't think you'll find another movie more entertaining this year, and at least won't a film that successfully straddles two diverse genres. This year was a revelation for Gosling, and Drive represents his best performance. Hopefully there will be more from him and Winding Refn in the years to come.

1. Take Shelter (Full Review Here)


And finally we have number one. In a year that saw films comment on topics as broad as life and death, the number film on this list is a relatively reserved film. Take Shelter tells the story of a man named Curtis (Michael Shannon) who is having disturbing visions of disaster coming his way. The problem is that no one—including his wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain)—shares. 


Essentially I thought Take Shelter was the most emotionally affecting and poignant film released this year. Curtis is plagued by his fear to the point where he constructs a shelter in his backyard, taking a tremendous loan in order to do so. In a day and age where any person is assaulted daily on the news with  reasons to be afraid and "take shelter" for all of the evil lurking outside, I believe this film is as timely as ever. But this movie is as much about isolated suffering as it is a societal critique. Curtis suffers all by himself, with no one else to relate to, and awful fate for anyone to endure. 


The plot works like clockwork, the tension that builds to the climax of this film is nearly unbearable. There are scenes and segments that are so difficult to watch, but they still keep us engaged because we want to just help Curtis, but the film keeps us at arms length in its reserved nature. 


Another great element of Take Shelter are the performances. Michael Shannon is absolutely sublime, his speech near the end of the film is one of the most memorable acting performances since Sean Penn's portrayal of Harvey Milk. Shannon is disarming initially, yet is so intensely reserved that his performance is engrossing. Jessica Chastain is also terrific, she adds a feeling of urgency to the film as she grows concerned over her family's finances and Curtis' growing confusion. Her character also represents a kind of relationship that is completely honest, all of her reactions are justifiable and yet she still remains with Curtis. 


I thought the photography was also great. Long, spacious landscapes littler Take Shelter, adding to our feeling of isolation as Curtis continues to spiral downward. Take Shelter is one the most stressful films you will watch, but it also the best 2011 has to offer. There are so many great moments to choose to describe this film, but I will limit myself to one: Curtis is pulled off on a highway as his wife and child sleep in the backseat. He has pulled off to observe a storm raging in the distance. As the clouds crawl closer around him, and the thunder grows louder Curtis musters one sentence: "Is anyone else seeing this?" I'm sure there are many people who feel the same way Curtis, I can only hope that there is someone there to help them out.