| Jan. 5th, 2012 @ 10:25 am Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2011, by Deven Science |
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I haven't seen every movie released in 2011. Hell, I haven't even seen every movie that I want to see that was released in 2011. But I did watch a good amount of movies. These are not the "best." These are "my favorite."
My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2011
10. Revenge of the Electric Car - I mainly loved this movie for the behind-the-scenes access to the companies (and one individual) who are trying to spearhead the roll out of electric cars. I had no idea by how thin a thread Tesla was holding on. No wonder I can't buy my Model S yet. Gadget, who converts regular cars (such as his beautiful Porsche 356) to electrics is a character standout.
9. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas - What? I laughed a lot, okay?
8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Fincher delivers, as always. The only thing that struck me as odd was how the two main characters almost never interacted together. The whole "you do your thing, and I'll do mine" probably works better in novelization than it does on the screen. Otherwise, an amazing movie, with many good performances.
7. Super 8 - This capitalized on the wonder of kids adventure movies of the 70's and 80's perfectly. The only downside was the creature itself, which was poor in design and originality.
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 2 - Yep. Good flick, which helped balance out the fact that Part 1 was a snoozefest.
5. Hanna - I actually wasn't sure what I thought of Hanna when I first saw it, but the more I pondered it, the more I liked it. Good soundtrack, intense plot, and great acting. Saoirse Ronan does a beautiful job of showing her sense of wonder at the outside world, which her character has never been exposed to.
4. Troll Hunter - When I decided to put on this Norwegian film, I thought it would be background noise while I chilled. What I got was a fun and tense found footage movie about a bunch of college kids who follow a mysterious hunter, who turns out to be Norway's one and only troll hunter. This grumpy old man is the only thing between the Norwegian people, and the large creatures and make up part of their Norse history and legends. It's great because it treats everything practically. I mean, what if trolls did exist, ranging from 20 feet to 200 feet tall? How would we keep them in their preserves? How would we hunt them when they got out? What natural disaster would get blamed when they cause damage? Was it silly at times? Totally. But it was an entertaining ride.
3. Captain America: The First Avenger - I loved Joe Johnston's other early American period piece, The Rocketeer, and so I knew he could do a great job with this material, since this seemed to call for similar themes and mood. I was right. He delivered. The technology is very dieselpunk, that is of that era, only bigger, and more advanced. And the people have an honest earnestness about them that captures the 1940's, or at least how we remember it as a culture, very well. Plus, it was just a great adventure movie. My favorite of the summer blockbusters.
2. Drive - Nicolas Winding Refn is a powerful director. I've seen two of his other movies, Bronson and Valhalla Rising, and with each one, I'm not sure I could say that I liked them, but I can say that I thought about them for days afterward. Hell, I still ponder The latter film, months later. With Drive, he still has that aloof distance, that cold beauty, but here, it works in a different way. Instead of just showing you, like an outsider, it feels like you're peeking in on the characters. It was very effective. To those that say they just don't get the hype, I can understand your view. But me? This one resonated with me.
1. Attack the Block - We were lucky enough to catch this movie in theater during its limited release, and I was floored. I then went and bought it when it came out of DVD, and watched it two or three more times in quick succession. The peek into the world of the South London kids, their infectious slang, the hard exteriors and soft centers of each character. And then the alien action starts up, and the aliens are possibly the best creature designs in a decade or more. Suddenly, Super 8's alien looked sloppy, and inelegant. That's a good word for them. The "male" creatures were elegant. Simple, striking, and most importantly, plausible. I can picture the world that they come from in my mind. I can see how they would evolve the way they have. And they are frightening. The kids in the film stand out from the adults, selling their parts as reality. They are a bunch of South London hoodlums, and this might be how they would react if a bunch of alien creatures dropped in on their neighborhood. It's got humor, action, good set design, and a great soundtrack. Attack the Block was my favorite movie of 2011, by a mile and a half. Go see it. Believe! |
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