Castor’s Top 10 Movies of 2011
2011 has come to a conclusion and so must come the annual exercise of making a top ten list of my favorite movies. Personally, I felt the year didn’t produce a particularly high number of great films but yielded quite a few good ones.
Film is a powerful medium, one that at its core treat nothing but the theme of identity. Who am I? What values am I standing for and why? Good movies transcend and speak to the heart of our individual human experience. You never know what will stick with you and what won’t. I’m thankful for all the movies I have seen this year, from The Adjustment Bureau to Warrior, from the enchanting The Artist to the stupefyingly mediocre Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
As I sit back and reflect on the cinematic year that was, I must give the usual caveat that this top ten is a totally subjective list of the movies that connected and lingered with me the most. It’s likely that a few months from now, I will feel differently about many of the movies listed below. And so without further ado, here are the films that earned a place in my top 10 movies of 2011:
Honorable Mention: Warrior
It’s a damn shame that Warrior was pretty much an afterthought at the box office back in September. Lionsgate would have benefited from shelving this movie for another year or two as Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton look prime to be major movie stars down the road. However, the paltry $13 million box office doesn’t mean Gavin O’Connor’s MMA drama isn’t a compelling watch. Far from it.
While Warrior is very much formulaic in the sense that the narrative sticks to the beaten path, O’Connor realizes that the heart of the movie lies, not in the MMA fights but in the broken relationships of this family. Special mention must be made for Nick Nolte who delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as the formerly alcoholic father who knows full well he will never be fully forgiven for destroying his family.
10. Attack the Block
Joe Cornish’s first feature film, the hilarious alien invasion movie Attack the Block, can be summarized by its witty tagline: “Inner city versus outer space.” The director made the bold choice of choosing inner-city thugs as protagonists for his movie and has them do nothing less than mug a young woman to open the movie. Talk about a gutsy move!
But beyond its high-concept lies a socially conscious movie that is funny, witty and even a little scary thanks to the quite original-looking aliens. Cornish also extracts sympathetic performances from the young cast of non-actors and may have made a discovery in the charismatic John Boyega. Attack the Block is destined for cult classic glory.
9. The Muppets
Delightfully crafted and hilariously self-reverential, Disney’s The Muppets is a little bundle of unadulterated joy at the movies that will satisfy audiences of all age. Some things never change and this movie resonates with uplifting lessons about kindness, reveling in oneself and believing in others. It’s an honest-to-goodness family film that will appeal to nostalgic viewers who grew up watching the show while also pleasing a new generation that may have never heard of Kermit and his friends.
One of the underlying thread of the movie is the Muppets’ fear that time has passed them by, that they have become irrelevant in this cynical world of ours. Bobin and Segel prove with this lovable gem that the venerable cloth puppets have nothing to fear.
8. Beginners
Beginners is such a gentle and yet deeply affecting movie that it has really grown on me since I first saw it. Of all the films I have watched this year, Mike Mills’ movie may well be the most sincere and heartfelt look at what it means to live and to love. The director explores the loss of a father, an all-consuming romance, the inner introspection about one’s childhood and family with such honesty and truthfulness that the characters take on an universal quality.
This is a movie about being bold, about caring for what’s important in our lives, about living life to the fullest. I did feel that the quirky narrative structure intermittently got in the way of the story itself but this is more than compensated by excellent work from the cast. Ewan McGregor gives a wonderfully understated performance as the protagonist while Melanie Laurent did nothing less than melt my heart. As for Christopher Plummer, send him his Oscar already. It’s a done deal.
7. Jane Eyre
First, an admission: I usually have a strong aversion for British-set period films such as the various silver-screen incarnations of Charlotte Brontë’s famed novel Jane Eyre. The antiquated language and the seemingly stuffing formality of the proceedings are usually the equivalent of sleeping pills and soporific gas. So color me thoroughly impressed that Cary Fukunaga’s take on the beloved classic managed to sway me to such extent that the movie made this list.
Immersed in a Gothic atmosphere that would make many horror movies look drab in comparison, Jane Eyre is powered by marvelous performances from Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska. It’s a fiery, carnal and aching romantic tale of yearning, directed with rare elegance by Fukunaga and if you overlooked this movie so far, you really won’t regret giving it a chance.
6. Drive
Think about it, there is nothing terribly original or new about Drive and yet it feels thoroughly unique and hypnotic. From the 80′s synth-pop soundtrack to the hot pink title cards and Ryan Gosling’s scorpion jacket, this is essentially an exercise in style but director Nicolas Winding Refn managed to make an art-house throwback the coolest movie of the year.
Some folks have complained about the deliberate pacing or the occasional stillness of the narrative but this isn’t your explosion-a-minute car thriller, this is a retro film noir exploring the consequences of being a hero. Ryan Gosling is pitch-perfect as the Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver while Albert Brooks is terrifying and yet oddly sympathetic as the movie villain.
5. I Saw the Devil
The sadistic and extremely violent South Korean horror/revenge film I Saw the Devil revolves around a young secret agent’s (Lee Byung-hun) attempt to avenge the death of his beloved wife and unborn child by an unapologetic and depraved serial killer (Choi Min-sik). Unable to cope with his loss and never quite satisfied with the increasingly sick and twisted punishments he inflicts, the protagonist slowly but surely turns into a monster himself.
I Saw the Devil is a hard-hitting and absolutely relentless film that poses many questions about the nature of evil. Among others, how can you truly exact pain and revenge on pure evil itself? Many will squirm at the movie’s graphic violence but this is also taut, thrilling, captivating filmmaking at its best. Add Choi Min-sik giving another career-highlight performance as one of the scariest movie villain ever and this is an intensely unnerving cinematic experience that must be seen.
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Count me as a Potterhead. After all, this is the only movie I have seen three times in theater. With already seven installments in the books by that point, we already knew Harry Potter would turn out to be a saga to remember. The only question was whether director David Yates would be able to cap the franchise with a bang and the answer is a resounding yes! While I would have liked Deathly Hallows – Part 2 to have a few more of those priceless character moments we have come to cherish, this film is packed with spectacular action set-pieces while never losing sight of the emotional core of the story.
With finality comes the reward of looking back to the beginning. What began timidly as a whimsical kid’s fantasy 10 years ago has matured into a graceful and beloved odyssey about sacrifice, true friendship and perseverance in the face of adversity. It’s been a great ride, Harry Potter.
3. Midnight in Paris
Going into Midnight in Paris, I had no idea what to expect from Woody Allen. I never called myself a true fan of any of his film, not even the highly acclaimed one such as Annie Hall. So I’m not exaggerating when I say that Midnight in Paris was one of the most enchanting surprise of 2011. Funny, smart, magical, Allen’s whimsical ode to the City of Lights is a call to cherish the past while living the present to the fullest.
The film is bolstered by wonderful performances from the excellent ensemble cast as well as utterly dreamy set locations. And let’s not forget to give major kudos for the way Allen cut the trailer without giving away the most delightful twist of the story. It’s too bad many film critics weren’t nearly as wise.
2. The Artist
How could Michel Hazanavicius’ silent, black-and-white movie possibly be more compelling than nearly all the non-silent films that came out this past year? For one, this is a film that conveys so much without saying a word. The utterly charming The Artist is one of the most magical and affecting movie of the year, revolving around an impossibly proud silent-era movie star who has to come to grip with the fact that his star is quickly fading with the advent of the talkies.
While it could easily be dismissed as a stunt, The Artist really has it all: witty comedy, sweeping entertainment, heart-wrenching lows, blissful highs, a terrific love story and even dance numbers. Superb performances from French actors Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo (both locks for Oscar nominations) deliver fully fleshed-out characters that are rarely seen even in traditional ‘talkies’. I’m unconditionally in love with this movie.
1. The Tree of Life
On very rare occasions do you come across a film that etches itself within your very soul, that leaves you on the verge of tears for no obvious reasons. Terrence Malick’s highly polarizing and enigmatic feature The Tree of Life is one of those film. Beyond its overwhelmingly beautiful imagery lies a deeply spiritual experience that goes to the source of why we watch movies. Who am I? Why do I exist? What kind of person should I be? Does God even bear witness to my insignificant life in the vastness of the universe?
Malick does nothing less than to ask — perhaps to God himself — about the meaning of the human condition. I won’t deny that this is an uneven movie, intermittently inscrutable and bloated with incoherent scenes. However, nothing that hit the silver screen in recent memory has been remotely as ambitious or as unforgettable as The Tree of Life and this is why it tops my list of the top ten movies of the year.
Any thoughts? Voice your opinion in the comments!
85 Comments
Great list. I still haven’t gotten to see The Artist yet (nor Shame and The Skin I Live In) and therefore have not completed a list for myself yet. That will happen as soon as I finally see these films. AS for your list, I (of course) love your top choice. That is surely mine too (I do not see those aforementioned three topping it). Drive definitely makes my list too. Midnight in Paris might make the final cut as well. I love that you have Beginners in there as well. That film got sorely overlooked this past year and deserves some love. Again, great list. Mine will be coming soon (I hope).
Thanks Kevyn! Glad you are as enamored with The Tree of Life as I am. Looking forward to your list. Beginners certainly is getting overlooked these days but it’s not surprising given it’s late spring release date and its seeming quirkiness.
I will once again today go BAH to THE TREE OF LIFE…
actually I take that back… nice list, disagree here and there, but that’s the fun of movies.
glad to see more and more MUPPET love in people’s end of year lists
Yea The Muppets deserves a lot of love. I’m a bit shocked that it didn’t do all that well at the box office (it won’t even make it near $100 million).
Is it wrong of me to say that I’m not interested in seeing The Muppets? Not even on dvd. I guess I just never get their appeal even as a kid, sorry Cas!
Yes
Do you have a phobia of the Muppets? It’s great, I assure you!
Ahah, no I don’t have a Muppets phobia… Ok, ok, I might rent it at some point
Nice list Castor. I am yet to see I Saw the Devil or The Artist – the latter I can’t wait for. Great pick at #1. I was a little surprised to see Jane Eyre and Deathly Hallows here, but I know you’re a Potter fan, and it’s awesome how much you enjoyed the final one. Great picks in Attack the Block and The Muppets – those films were so much fun, and though they didn’t quite make my 10, they are certainly films to remember 2011 by.
You are in for a treat with both the Artist and I Saw the Devil, although they are two completely different movies ah! I’m also surprised that Jane Eyre is up there
As for HP, my fondness for the entire franchise probably justifies its place in the top 10.
Good list Castor – gotta catch the Muppets!
Tree of Life for me is a film I know will be okay I just did not have the desire to see it at the cinema. The same goes for Drive I think the more overtly praised a film is the longer I wait to see it.
The one film I am disappointed that I took for granted was Warrior. I feel like it was marketed oddly at least for my tastes. When I saw the trailer I did not take it very seriously. Definitely a Netflix catch …
Attack the Block – I cannot say enough about it. And I really liked Jane Eyre.
Let’s hope that there are a few more surprises in store for 2012!
Ahaha Iba, I sometimes feel the same way and have a slight negative stance before seeing wildly talked about movies. Nonetheless, give them a chance! As for Warrior, it definitely was completely overlooked by most but it’s now available on Netflix and seems to be making quite a lot of top 10s around the web.
Bloody good list Castor! I have minor quibbles about The Tree of Life, but this has been eclipsed by my joy that I Saw the Devil made the cut! Those crazy Koreans sure know how to make a good film. Hopefully 2012 will be as kind to us as 2011 was.
Indeed, what an incredibly relentless movie. I was shell-shocked after it was over lol. Happy new year Jim!
Have seen quite a few of these, but still haven’t seen The Artist and I’m going to be honest and say that I need to watch The Tree of Life again because I actually don’t understand it fully and that is causing it to be not as good in my head
Ahaha join the line Nicholas. I don’t anyone but Malick fully understands what he tried to do
You are in for a treat with The Artist.
I might rewatch Tree of Life at some point… not sure yet. I think I have the same reaction as Nick, but no I didn’t dislike it. In fact, I still put that on my Honorable Mentions.
Happy New Year Castor! I was waiting for this post! Yes!
I KNEW Tree of Life would be #1 on your list!
It’s #1 on a different list of mine own! ha!
a fantastic collection of lists here though, Castor! Glad to see Warrior, Midnight in Paris, The Artist, The Muppets all mentioned on the same listing!
Makes me interested to know your thoughts in 3, 6, 9, or 12 months!
Happy new year T!
I know we don’t see eye-to-eye with regards to The Tree of Life but glad you like the rest of the list
Like your list – we share a few on our top tens of 2011 (mine’s here: http://darkmatt.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-darkmatters-films-of-year-by-matt.html )
- do you wanna swap links to our sites?
Hi Matt. Great list! We don’t really “swap” links but return visits/comments with the regulars on our site.
I haven’t seen five movies from your list Castor, but I have a feeling you’d put Drive on your list. Jane Eyre actually fell a bit short for me despite my love for period dramas. I guess I’m still partial to Dalton’s Rochester and I felt like there wasn’t enough passion between Mia and Michael.
I’m quite surprised that you put Tree of Life as number one, but I totally get your rationale. It’s in my honorable mention as I appreciate it but not exactly in love with it, if you know what I mean. Glad to see Midnight in Paris and The Artist high on your list, Cas. Oh and I had to revise my list because of Terrence’s astute observation, ha! I think you’d be glad about my replacement
I liked Jane Eyre because there was so much unspoken tension. Haven’t seen the version you love so much though
And I see you replaced Tangled with Harry Potter. I don’t blame you for putting Tangled on your 2011 list though, it’s an awesome, awesome animation. I would put it on every year’s top list ahahah
I am such a spatz! Good thing Terrence noticed it, I really thought Tangled was released this year. I’m thrilled that you love it as much as I do, Castor.
The only films on your list that I haven’t seen are The Artist, Tree of Life and I Saw the Devil. I would have seen I Saw the Devil, but someone on campus stole the library’s copy.
Ahah no luck! I guess the movie left its mark and he/she had to keep it
Very nice list, Castor. I like that you put Jane Eyre in there. And yes, Beginners is one of the best movie with heart in 2011. so many have put Attack of The Block in their top movies, not my kind of movie but maybe I should check it out. The weird thing is, I put warrior in my #1 and Harry potter in honorable mention and yours a bit the opposite
Indeed Andina! That’s what make these kind of lists fun
Thanks for dropping by.
Great list, Castor. Attack the Block, Drive, and The Tree of Life were all on my list, and Harry Potter was an excellent conclusion. I actually just watched Beginners tonight and thought it was wonderful. I’ll have to think about it more, but it’s definitely going to end up somewhere in the top half of my top 10 when I lock it down for the Lambcast. I still need to check out a few of these, including The Artist. This is turning into a pretty great year for films.
Glad you are liking Beginners Dan, you are going to love The Artist
I agree that 2011 was a solid year for films. Hopefully, 2012 will be even better!
I only saw three of the films on your list, Drive, Harry Potter and Tree of Life. I’m planning to see Midnight in Paris, Attack the Block and Beginners; I think Mélanie Laurent is one of the most beautiful actresses working today, fell in love with her after saw her in Inglorious Basterds. Not sure if I have the stomach to watch I Saw The Devil though, the last few years I’ve been staying away from some of the more extreme violent films.
Great list!
Well, since you are a fan of Melanie Laurent, you are going to love her in Beginners. I highly recommend I Saw the Devil, despite the graphic violence. It’s a very good piece of filmmaking.
Great list, Castor! Some things I saw and loved, and others that are on my list to see. Thanks and Happy New Year.
Thanks Michael! Happy new year to you too!
OOh cool list. Potterheads FTW!
Jane Eyre and Beginners really sort of fought to be in my list. I think they are number 11 and 12. I really must see The Artist… it is sounding better everyday.
Also, A Very Happy New Year
Yes Nikhat, we win
Definitely check out The Artist. Happy new year!
I am so glad to see Warrior and Jane Eyre there, they were on my list, as well! Another number 1 to Tree of Life, but I am not surprised!
I don’t usually like to go back and re-watch movies, especially the recently released ones, but I might do that for the three above- the first two, just because I miss them, and the third…well, maybe I undertand better the second time
Have a great 2012 Castor!
The Tree of Life has to be seen at least twice before you can even begin to form an opinion on it IMO. Glad we agree on Jane Eyre and Warrior
Have a great 2012 yourself Aziza!
Cool list Castor! This makes me want to see the Muppets. I’ve also been avoiding Jane Eyre, as I assumed it was yet another boring adaptation but since you usually hate those types of films and still made your top 10, I will have to consider checking it out.
Thanks! The Muppets is loads of fun and Jane Eyre is definitely worth checking out.
Damn you for getting to see the artist, and then for saying its as good as everyone says it is! LOL
Attack the Block was a bubble movie for me. Very good flick. I wasn’t all THAT impressed with Beginners, but I can see how someone could be.
Meanwhile, the Tree of Life was astonishing, just crazy. Dont listen to Spider. LOL
The Artist is slowly expanding, hopefully it’s coming near you real soon! And Spider is just a tree-hater
Does that make us Tree Huggers?
Wow. So “The Artist” slipped in there at the end with the Towering Two? Very interesting. I have yet to type up my “Artist” review and while I liked it to some degree I didn’t like it as much as you. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I like personal sort of Top 10 lists and I think your personality shines through here, Castor. Well done.
Ahaha I love that you refer to The Tree of Life and Midnight in Paris as the “towering two”. Indeed, it did and I’m happy I made the effort to go check it out (by myself of all things). Thanks Nick, looking forward to your review as well as your top 10
As of right now, we only have 3 (or maybe 4) films that are in both of ours, which is fairly surprising considering that at the halfway point, our lists were almost identical. As much as it pains me to do so, I might have to hold off on my list until the 20th so that I can watch Shame, a movie that I fully expect to fall in love with.
But then again, I thought the same thing heading into The Artist. It was good and I enjoyed it, but nowhere near the level that I had anticipated.
LOVE seeing Beginners in this though. The only reason I watched it was so that I could get a good indication of how Plummer’s performance would stack up against the other supporting contenders. And with each passing day that separates me from my viewing, I want to re-visit it more and more. The depth behind the screenplay just keeps expanding and expanding in my head.
Oh, and Melanie Laurent melting your heart is the PERFECT description of her role. I loved her in Basterds, and now this. I think I might have a new crush. If I fall for yet another Frenchie, I might just have to move to Paris…
Wow really? Usually, our lists are very similar so that’s very surprising. That makes me want to see your top 10 even more now
I feel the same way about Beginners. The more I think back about it, the more I want to see it again (and it was only like 3 or 4 weeks ago…)
Ahaha yea Melanie Laurent is so ridiculously adorable in this I don’t blame you
Nice list, Castor! I am happy to see I Saw the Devil included. That seems to be getting overlooked far too often in these year end posts. Drive and Attack the Block will almost certainly be included on my upcoming list as well.
Yea it’s getting overlooked a lot, probably because it came out in 2010 in Korea but in 2011 in the US
Looking forward to your list Eric!
Solid list, Castor. Looks like I need to see Warrior, The Muppets (re-watched Muppets Take Manhattan this afternoon…oh the memories) , and Jane Eyre. While I enjoyed Beginners, Tree of Life, I Saw the Devil and Harry Potter they were all in the lower end of my top twenty. Agree completely with the remaining four though.
Thanks Courtney! Definitely check out Warrior, The Muppets and Jane Eyre, they are worth the watch and hopefully, you will really like those
Fantastic list Castor, particularly pleased to see you giving The Tree of Life the number one spot, I agree with your summary. I was wrong. I thought Drive would be your top film but I forgot your refusal to classify The Tree of Life. I suppose it’s just one of those films that uses the medium to its fullest capacity and yet manages to be bigger than the medium itself. A very rare thing in movies today and well deserving of the top spot. Good post! I think Drive would be my favourite soundtrack of the year, that would make an interesting list I think.
Oh great idea Ronan, I’m going to start that right now!
Cool, that saves me the trouble. Way to encourage my laziness Castor! [Joke]
Nice list! Can’t wait to see The Artist, The Muppets, Warrior, Drive and Jane Eyre. Loved Beginners, The Tree of Life and Midnight in Paris!
Ahah Stevee, that’s a lot of great movies you haven’t seen yet! You are in for many treats
Great choices and some movies I have not been able to see yet (Muppets will come out this year over here, The Artist doesn’t have a wide release and Jane Eyre doesn’t seem to be my kind of movie). A couple of movies were in my own top 10 list as well. Nice to see I Saw the Devil in there.
Thanks Nostra. I was very pleasantly surprised by Jane Eyre, usually not my kind of movie either!
Funn thing is Castor, I really thought Midnight was going to be at number one!! Shows I do not know you quite as well as I thought!!
Great list though. I so want to see The Muppets… makes me sad it is not here yet
I think I will catch it this week. I feel bad for not seeing it sooner.
Ahaha but you were close enough Scott
The wait is going to be worth it with the Muppets!
Interesting putting Warrior in the HM section but I think your idea of shelving it a bit longer is a pretty great idea actually. Funny that you and Hatter’s #1 and #2 are identical.
Funny to see Jane Eyre here, cinematography aside this really didn’t do anything unique or noteworthy but to each their own I guess. Still need to see a few of these, esp The Artist and Midnight in Paris. Really excited about I Saw the Devil…have a slew of Korean films ahead of it right now. I’ll get to it:P
Rejoice because you have a slate of great movies to see
I think Warrior came out too early and few people will go see a movie for Tom Hardy/Joel Edgerton at this point in time. It’s also not helping that The Fighter was a very similar movie last year.
I keep putting off seeing The Tree of Life…I feel like I have to be in the right mood for it. Great to see Beginners on the list…saw that one for the first time a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.
Just get with it already Dan
Just be patient with it.
Yeah ! It’s sort of .. you kind of can’t think it as a chore because then it will become one. I went in with a really good mood, opening of a film festival, but if I hadn’t .. I know what you’re afraid of. It’s kind of .. one has to blank slate it!
Nice list, Castor! I’m happy to see Midnight in Paris, Harry Potter, and The Muppets make your list. And OF COURSE The Artist. I just saw it a couple days ago and absolutely LOVED it! I feel like something must be wrong with me for not having seen Drive yet – that’s definitely on my must-see list. I’m almost a little stunned that your favorite movie is Tree of Life. I have yet to see it, but I don’t anticipate seeing it as much as I do several other movies. But then again, as you said, it’s movies that RESONATE with you. I’m sure people are going to be stupefied at me including “Something Borrowed,” a 15% RT reviewed movie, on my favorite list. Haha!
Also, I’m really looking forward to seeing Beginners. I keep seeing that movie pop up on lots of top 10 lists, and I feel like I NEED to see it now. Thanks for a good year at AM. I’m really happy and thankful to have found you guys; it’s great to have a place to discuss movies with other movie buffs.
Ahaha The Tree of Life is a bit of a controversial choice, but it’s a controversial movie. Definitely check it out as well as BeginnersGlad you like the rest of the list, the Artist was phenomenal indeed.
Happy new year and looking forward to your list Kristin!
We hit a lot of the same notes here, though I’ve yet to see Beginners and The Artist. Love that you gave some, uh, love to Attack the Block, which I frankly feel isn’t getting the credit it deserves from a huge number of people.
Tree of Life will always be a controversial choice, but it’s no way an unacceptable one. There’s no arguing that Malick has made high-art with this piece; it’s obtuse, convoluted, and non-traditional as a film, but it’s still a film and still worthy of any top ten list.
Yea Attack the Block needs more respect. Awesome movie! Looking forward to your thoughts on The Artist and Beginners Andrew.
I’m looking forward to catching The Artist when I get back to the UK this weekend, but I’m afraid I might find it too .. self-knowing .. hipstery.
It’s not Anna! I actually wished it had been a little more self-aware and made more fun of itself.
I haven’t had the chance to see either Beginners or Muppets yet and they are definitively on my to see list. Beginners I wasn’t that keen on until I read your thoughts about in here.
Drive is probably the number one international film of the year for me as of now but the Swedish action/WW2 film Gränsen (Beyond the Border) is the film I enjoyed most in the cinemas but then I’m a commercial blockbuster schlock. =)
I’m particularly intrigued by you watching Beginners. Hopefully you give it a chance and let me know what you think
And wow, the Muppets still hasn’t made it to Sweden!
Wow, I missed 4 of these–The sappiest (Muppets), the most sadistic (I Saw The Devil) and the two Brit flicks (Attack The Block & Jane Eyre). I don’t think I could stomach I Saw The Devil, but I’ll probably give the other three a chance at some point.
Get to work then
I’m in a similar boat, having missed Block, Eyre, Devil, Artist and Beginners (yeah, I didn’t see a lot this year). I will surely get to work in the coming months.
Anyway, interesting list, with a few surprises, most notably Eyre. Not too shocking, though, as Fukunaga’s debut was solid. Catch up with that one if you can.
The more I read and hear these top 10 lists, the more convinced I am that it was a pretty solid year. I don’t think there are all that many flicks meant for the Pantheon (sorry, we take separate paths on Tree of Life), but there are a ton of highly watchable, lauded films spanning all genres.
Yea, I’ve already seen Sin Nombre which I really liked and pushed me to see Jane Eyre. I definitely feel like it was a really solid year of movies. Nothing truly great but a lot of satisfying films indeed.
I can’t believe I miss your list Cas.
…but I honestly didn’t guess you will put tree in #1
Being away from home makes it difficult to catch up.
Nice list Cas, I know you would put Harry and tree of life in your list
I am really curious about Drive, it will be my 2012 watch
Ahaha yea I guess I was pretty obvious about my fancy for HP and The Tree of Life this year. Definitely check out Drive!
I am waiting for it to be in the cinema…but I guess there’s no sign it will be played in here. My cinema is now ONLY playing blockbuster movies…too bad I have lost interest to watch blockbuster movies.
I hope I can find it in DVD
Psh, everyone is nice to you when you say The Tree of Life is a great movie, where when I say it people are like “STUPID!”
Seriously though, we have a pretty similar list. We place The Tree of Life, Jane Eyre, The Muppets, Midnight in Paris, and Harry Potter all very close to the same. I have actually yet to see the others though :/
Ahaah really? It doesn’t matter. Great minds think alike
Glad we have very similar taste in movies!
Seen all these except “I Saw The Devil.” I now know to add it to my queue … it also made Anne Thompson’s top 10 on indieWIRE. Getting excited now.
I am astonished that Drive is lower on the list than Harry Potter. Potter was good but it wasn’t up to the standard of Drive which was simply brilliant.
Great top three though Castor…I don’t think they would be mine but they are definitely worthy of such high regard.
It’s funny how like four of the movies have a kissing pic
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