Best 2011 films
Films of 2011 I rated with 8 stars or more
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15 titles
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.A masterful piece, questioning choices and values within a complex Iranian social backdrop. A story so carefully interwoven yet so elegantly unravelled; a reminder that world cinema is worth exploring and gems like this one are worth recommending.
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.A film that truly seduces you; reals you in gently and then hits you like no tomorrow. Great work from Nicolas Winding Refn who neatly unfolds a love story with many layers through a masterful performance of Ryan Gosling. He plays a man who hardly utters a word, yet says so much...
- DirectorLynne RamsayStarsTilda SwintonJohn C. ReillyEzra MillerKevin's mother struggles to love her strange child despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.One of my favourite films of 2011, a powerful psychlogical thriller with remarkable performances all around not only from the usual suspect Tilda Swindon who has consistently been great but even more from Ezra Miller who will tie your stomach in a knot and deliver a performance that will haunt you for a long long time.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.It is refreshing to be able to watch something that feels fresh, a story that has not been told before. Midnight in Paris is based on great script and is brilliantly edited and directed. If the casting was different this could have been a masterpiece.
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsEwan McGregorEva GreenLauren TempanyA chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions.An original but oddly unexpected story of love, that tickles all your senses and challenges you to re-assess the connection between each one of them and our lives' experiences. The director does amazing job of conveying strong feelings though subtle metaphors and clever visual and audio tricks.
- DirectorPaddy ConsidineStarsPeter MullanArchie LalJag SangheraJoseph, a man plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction, earns a chance of redemption that appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker.A powerful and raw drama examining troubled, sick souls who cannot harness their abusive behaviour and therefore cannot find their much sought redemption. Olivia Colman brings a pitch perfect performance which is one of the best I have seen for a long time and together with Paddy Considine's directorial debut is definitely worth many accolades.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasElena AnayaJan CornetA brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.Stylistically perfect, a beautiful score, an even more beautiful lead actress. In contrast, a sick and twisted yet greatly woven script, borderline erotic but also dark and sinister. Almodovar is never shy to tell a different story and we are never tired of watching his films.
- DirectorNuri Bilge CeylanStarsMuhammet UzunerYilmaz ErdoganTaner BirselA group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.For those that can sit through a 157 minute film of slow pace they will be greatly rewarded with impressive cinematography across some stunning landscapes, superb actors, and a profound, understated script. A subtle allegory from an accomplished filmmaker well worthy of his Cannes award for Best Director.
- DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsGary OldmanColin FirthTom HardyIn the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a multilayered cold war spy drama, with amazingly atmospheric cinematography, brilliant cast and accordingly accomplished performances (including but not restricted to Academy nominated Oldman) and based on John le Carré's beloved 1974 spy novel. It might have a slow pace, but art needs to be given the time to appreciate it.
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonJessica ChastainShea WhighamPlagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.Shannon is once again a pleasure to watch: a very controlled performance of a guy on the brink of insanity, a person dealing with his demons, a person in dispair... A very unsettling story told brilliantly from a promising young director.
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsMia WasikowskaMichael FassbenderJamie BellA mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he's hiding a terrible secret.A truly exquisite cast, all giving pitch perfect delightful performances in this classic Emily Bronte novel. Most noteworthy the performance of Mia Wasikowska who is bringing splendid performances time after time. However the director left much undeveloped, from Jane's ghostly anxieties to Rochester's evolving complexity.
- DirectorGlenn FicarraJohn RequaStarsSteve CarellRyan GoslingJulianne MooreA middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars.This film is a bit like sex, it starts off slow and with a few awkward moments, but as you get into the swing of things you get a handful of spectacular twists that all culminate in a climatic finale leaving you wanting more!
- DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsMatt DamonEmily BluntLisa ThoresonThe affair between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.The movie industry is all about entertainment and this film thoroughly entertains with clever storyline based on the visionary Philip K. Dick and crisp direction from newcomer Nolfi.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsNeil MaskellMyAnna BuringHarry SimpsonNearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.Although I suspect this is not everyone's cup of tea, if you see it through the end, you will find it hard to forget. An ex marine becomes a hit man upon his return from war. On his last assignment something (we never find out) goes horribly wrong which puts his whole psychosynthesis in an emotional rollercoaster. These internal battles and externalised violence, climax in a horrific ending.
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppIsla FisherTimothy OlyphantRango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.Neither an artful Hayao Miyazaki nor a glossy Pixar production, however Rango stands on its own, with a bonkers of a story, great animation, intelligent directing and lots of fun!