Best Movies of 2011

Here is an interesting article from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/ about the best movies of 2011. This follows this post about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed. Go ahead and click each year and make sure that you've seen them. This follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch!


DebbieSchlussel.com Best Movies of 2011

By Debbie Schlussel



It’s the end of the year, which means that I give you the magical sack of golden nuggets at the movies after a year of spending hours of my life sifting through a lot of dirt–and sitting in a dark movie theater–to find them. For more recent readers, I stopped doing a Worst Movies of the Year list because it’s impossible to narrow down 50-plus equally horrid pieces of garbage to just ten. I’d probably include 75-80% of the movies I saw this year on that list, as is more and more the case in recent years. Some of the top movies on my list did not come out in 2011, but as a movie critic, I screened them this year, so if they’re among the best, they go on the list. Also, there were some movies that didn’t make my top ten but which I enjoyed nonetheless and were the best in their genre, in my view. I’ve linked to my complete original reviews on the title of each movie, and I’ve also provided a brief summary of each movie. (If you buy these movies through the Amazon ads below, it helps support this site. Thanks.)













1)  “Warrior“:  Former alchoholic father (Nick Nolte) finds Christianity, and he and his two estranged sons come together in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world.  Rocky for the 2010s.  Uplifting and patriotic.  Fun to watch and heartpounding every step of the way, once it gets going.


2)  “The Artist“: Magnificent movie filled with the style and glamor of old.  Don’t let the fact it’s a silent film keep you away.  It’s fun and charming like no other movie.  Bonus:  no filth or trash involved.




3) “Sarah’s Key“:  Terrific movie that spans multiple generations from the Holocaust to the present and goes from Europe to North America. It’s a thriller and a mystery solved in an interesting way. Sometimes who you think you are isn’t really who you are. You never really know from whence you came.




4)  “Winter in Wartime [Oorlogswinter]“:  Intense thriller depicting good versus evil in Nazi Europe.  Who are actually the spies for Hitler and who is working for the resistance?  A brave, precocious young boy learns for himself with devastating and shocking consequences.




5)“War Horse“:  I never thought I’d like a movie about a horse. But this terrific World War I film about redemption and good brings together several families and individuals touched by the war, in a moving, touching way.



6)“Limitless“:  Fun, exciting sci-fi thriller about a loser who discovers a magic pill (a sort of superfix for ADD) that changes his life for the better.  But will it last.  I was never a Bradley Cooper fan.  But he’s fantastic in this light, escapist movie.



7)  “The Way Back“:    Several men, including an American, escape from the Soviet gulag and survive harsh conditions to flee Communist hackles and make it to freedom. Based on a true story.




8)  “The Double Hour [La Doppia Ora]“:  Terrific thriller that even the most jaded moviegoer probably won’t figure out until the end. A former police officer meets a woman at a speed-dating event and begins seeing her. But as they are at the estate, where he now serves as a security guard, a robbery ensues, and he is killed. Soon strange things begin happening in the woman’s life, and to tell you more would spoil it. So many twists and turns.



9)  “Another Earth“:  Sci-fi drama thriller in which a brilliant high school student, destined for a great life on a college scholarship, kills a man’s family while drunk driving. When she gets out of prison, a new planet has been discovered that is coming close to earth. The new earth and the girl’s interaction with the father of the


10)  “Jane Eyre“:  This is the best film version of the novel that I’ve seen.  It’s well-paced, tight, and masterfully acted by Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.  A chick flick even the guys can enjoy.


* HONORABLE MENTION:



“Hugo“: Wonderful story about an orphan who lives in a French train station, fixing a robot. He soon learns that the bitter shop owner has a magnificent past, which he discovers with the man’s charming granddaughter. Excellent 3D and eye candy. Great for kids and adults alike, once it gets moving.



“The Thing“:  The prequel that is actually sort of a remake of the original is thrilling, well-told, and an enjoyable sci-fi action adventure.


“Love Crime [Crime D'Amour]“:  This French murder mystery is a fun and modern psychological thriller.



* BEST ENIGMA:



“Certified Copy“:  You don’t really know what is going on here until the end, and even then, it’s up to your mind to do the math.  Who are these people, really?  And how do they really know each other?  I think I know, but you have to watch and come to your own conclusions.



* BEST ANIMATION:



“The Illusionist [L'Illusionniste]“:  Terrific animated, charming movie about an older magician who travels around Europe doing his routine and trying to stay financially afloat, while he tries to keep the affection of a much younger girl who is looking to come up in the world.



GET YOURS . . .



* BEST ACTION/BEST SEQUEL:



“Fast Five“:  This is the best of the “Fast and Furious” movies. Lots of action and cool stunts, even if it glorifies car thieves. It’s fun and exciting. You’ll be on the edge of your seat the whole time.


* BEST DOCUMENTARY:



“Candyman:  The David Klein Story“:  Bert Klein, the son of the inventor of Jelly Belly, tells his father’s story.  We see how the delicious gourmet jelly beans were invented and made into a hit by a marketing genius, David Klein, and how he lost it all (multi-millions), after being strong-armed out of it.  A great lesson for entrepreneurs and an interesting piece of Americana you never knew about. And, above all, a story about a mensch.




* BEST COMEDY:



“30 Minutes or Less“:  Normally, this wouldn’t be my pick, but so many other comedies this year were such utter crap.  It’s raunchy and features some nudity, so it’s not for family viewing or kids (and it has its low-class moments).  Still, it’s a funny, semi-thriller about a pizza delivery man who must rob a bank or a bomb strapped to him will be set off by two losers in their get-rick-quick scheme.  If you are prudish or easily offended, this isn’t for you.


* BEST LEGAL THRILLER:



“The Lincoln Lawyer“:  Matthew McConaughey is the lawyer who works out of the back of a chauffeur-driven 1980′s Lincoln Continental and cuts corners. Now, he’s defending a rich kid accused of raping and killing women. Things are not always as they seem.