The Top 10 of 2011
All right, kiddies, it's that time of year again... time for Kiernan's Top (and bottom) 10 of 2011! And the crowd. goes. wild. As with last year, this list reflects movies I saw in 2011 in the theater, not necessarily movies released in 2011. And, for good measure, I'll also list my top movie seen out of the theater... and the flip side, the worst. So, without further ado, here are my top and bottom ten (in descending order) of 2011.
Top 10
Honorable Mention: Cedar Rapids
- Just got cut off the list, but I did enjoy the hell out of it.
10.) Hugo
- I don't give a rat's ass that it was a kids' movie. It was beautifully shot, entertaining, and told a great story. Good enough for 10 no matter what genre it was.
9.) My Week With Marilyn
- Utterly charming. And with a world-class performance from Michelle Williams to boot.
8.) Super 8
- Just got swept up in it. I might end up a JJ Abrams fan yet.
7.) The Ides of March
- Gripping, absolutely gripping. Plus it featured an acting clinic given by Drs. Clooney, Gosling, and Hoffman.
6.) The Fighter
- Yeah, maybe we've seen this type of story before, but have we seen it done this well before? Let me answer that rhetorical question with another: have other versions of this type of story had Christian Bale in peak form? No, no they have not.
5.) 50/50
- Not just funny. Touching, earnest, full of heart. Another worthy showcase for Joseph Gordon Levitt's talent.
4.) The King's Speech
- I know there's a natural backlash because it's a typical Oscar bait movie that, indeed, won the Oscar for Best Picture. But let's not get carried away overlooking this gem.
3.) Blue Valentine
- It was absolutely criminal that this didn't snag a Best Picture nomination. Not only should it have been nominated (in my mind), it also should have won. Easily. Few movies stick with me more than this one did.
2.) The Descendants
- It hit all the right notes. Shailene Woodley was fantastic. And Clooney was again at the top of his game. This was a movie that showed you more than it told you- to great effect.
1.) Drive
- Holy. Shit. What a movie. One of the freshest I can remember seeing in a long time. Gosling was haunting and mesmerizing. Albert Brooks and Bryan Cranston were fantastic. The movie grabbed me...and still hasn't let go.
So, there you have it. The cream of the crop according to me. For what that's worth...
Ah, but where there are transcendent films, there are shitfests designed- it would seem- to make the great look greater. Here are my bottom 10.
The Bottom 10
10.) The Hangover, Part II
- It was clever the first time. Not so much on the second go around.
9.) In Time
-Hokey. Forced. Bad.
8.) Green Lantern
- Movies like the Dark Knight and Watchmen made it unacceptable to just through some superhuman dude on screen with a shit-ton of CGI. Green Lantern just further proves that point.
7.) Immortals
- It's almost as though the whole movie was cobbled together from stock sword and sandal footage.
6.) Bad Teacher
- Yeah... bad movie too. Shallow and crass. Why have you forsaken me, Jason Segel?
5.) Abduction
- In case you were wondering what would happen if John Singleton turned directing duties over to a pack of 10-14 year olds.
4.) Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- Yeah, I'm as surprised as anyone that this isn't the worst movie I saw in 2011. It wasn't for a lack of effort on its part though.
3.) Jack and Jill
- Whoa. The surprises just keep chugging along. Sandler barely missed the dreaded twofer on my shit-list. Just Go With It was the 11th worst movie I saw in 2011. (Justin Timberlake wasn't so lucky... but on the flip side, Ryan Gosling was featured in three of my top 10 movies, George Clooney and Michelle Williams in two each. Which proves, when you got it, you got it... and when you don't... you're either Justin Timberlake or Adam Sandler. Hey, at least Timberlake had a memorable turn in The Social Network. What do you have, Sandler? Other than a career arc that is plummeting faster than anyone else's... this side of De Niro... zing.)
2.) Larry Crowne
- For the better part of the year, I was certain this would end as the worst movie I saw last year. Dead certain. Instead, it will have to settle for the number 2 spot...along with being an irreparable stain on Tom Hanks' and Julia Roberts' otherwise solid careers.
1.) New Year's Eve
- As you can tell, I've seen quite a few horrid movies over the course of last year. But only one movie killed my desire to write this blog for over a month. I'm just lucky it didn't entirely kill my will to see movies. It tried, though, oh how it tried. On a related note, I think it's about time for Garry Marshall to hang 'em up. (Please don't dig up skeletons in my closet so I'll have to write a good review for your next feature... what is it... Memorial Day?...Mr. Marshall... I only call 'em as I see 'em)
So, while I never like to tell folks what to see and what not to see (unless asked) I would-perhaps- recommend holding off on these 10 until... I dunno... some manner of an apocalyptic event has wiped out nearly all the other movies on the planet. That is... unless you like being disappointed, disgusted, or just generally pissed off. In that case, these are right up your alley... you miserable ass.
Here's an unwanted bonus for you, the best and worst movies I saw out of the theater last year.
The Best
Winter's Bone
- A star is born in Jennifer Lawrence
Honorable Mention: Shaun of the Dead
- It, too, received an A+ grade. Just a hair below Winter's Bone on my list. And yes, it is kind of sad...and a bit shocking... that I hadn't seen it until last year. Shame on me.
The Worst
Your Highness
- Not only was this movie downright awful, it also cost an exorbitant amount of money to see it. My family and I rented it in a hotel room after mistakenly thinking it was part of the bargain order offerings. It wasn't. So not only did it kill a chunk of my soul, it cost (my mom) something like $7. The gift that kept on taking. Hard to remember a more costly mistake last year.
So, that'll do it. If anyone would like to share their best and worst of 2011, I'd love to see it. Otherwise, as always (ok... I never actually have said it before...but I've thought it...often), thanks for reading.
One More Thing
In case you were curious, here's how my grades broke down for last year (includes movies seen both in and out of the theater)
A+: 9
A: 7
A-: 8
B+: 11
B: 6
B-: 2
C+: 0
C: 4
C-: 4
D+: 1
D: 5
D-: 1
F+: 2
F: 3
F-: 0
Not sure that it means anything (other than maybe demonstrating that I'm not that critical), but there you have it.
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