Top 10 Films of 2011

Well as midnight strikes only one thing is certain to me. There will be absolutely no more films released in 2011. Which means I can crack on with my top 10 films released in the UK over the last 365 days.

10. Senna - The only documentary to feature in my top 10. I went into this film knowing absolutely nothing about Senna and came out wanting to know more. The whole film was put together brilliantly. Using no new footage whatsoever which helped you relive the moments. The story of Senna’s life was never slowed down and was kept entertaining and moving from beginning to end.

9. Bridesmaids - Easily the best comedy of the year. Kirsten Wiig was phenomenal and along with her co-stars, including the brilliant Mellissa McCarthy who stole the show with every appearance. This just proved that women can be equally as funny if not more funny than men. Basically the female Hangover, and I gotta say, I laughed a hell of a lot more in this than in either two of the Hangover films.

8. Warrior - Now most of you probably don’t think Warrior deserves a place in the top 10 but in my opinion it bloody well does! I don’t think I’ve ever been more emotional in a film than in this one. Maybe I’m a sucker for fighting/boxing films. It certainly seems that way. Either way I don’t care. All I know is that this film reduced me not only to tears but to sobs. 

7. True Grit - Well this was no hard choice to make. It’s got The Dude in it, it’s directed by the Coen Brothers and it’s got one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard. Although it is a remake I wouldn’t compare this to the original at all. Both are brilliant in their own way and the Coen Brothers’ brilliance is mostly due to the superb casting of Jeff Bridges, a man who spends the majority of the film mumbling incoherently and yet still manages to show that he is a brilliant actor. Because to be quite honest it doesn’t matter what he says, you can get the gist of it throughout just by his stance.

6. X-Men: First Class - this was so close to getting into the top 5 but just missed out. It still deserves a place in the top 10 however for two main reasons. Michael Fassbender. And James MacAvoy. Fassbender just completely and utterly steals the show throughout. He looks sounds and feels like Magneto crossed with James Bond and it works wonderfully. A brilliant reboot to an already brilliant series. Roll on with the sequel and more brilliant bromance with MacAvoy and Fass.

5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Well last year David Fincher created my favourite film of 2010, The Social Network. So when I found out he was going to be back again this year to say I was excited is an understatement. I was absolutely certain this would be my number 1. Unfortunately it isn’t. But it’s still good enough for the top 5. The opening credits alone made me put it in the list. But not just this. Fincher’s last film had my favourite actor of 2010, Jesse Eisenberg in it and this years film has my favourite actress of 2011 in it. If Rooney Mara doesn’t win an oscar for this brilliant performance I will fly to america slap every member of the academy until they see sense. It’s beyond me to think she won’t be nominated.

4. Hugo - What’s better than a magical kids film? A magical kids film directed by Martin Scorcese. He made this much more than just a kids film. He made it a love letter to film. With Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield’s brilliant chemistry not to mention the brilliant performances by Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen and Christopher Lee’s wonderful cameo all mixed together with Scorcese’s wonderful filmmaking this just makes me proud to be a movie geek. The only downside was the 3D which I was assured would be completely surreal and change my mind about the moneymaking technique. However once you get past the pointlessness of the stereoscopy you will watch yet another Scorcese masterpiece.

3. The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes - After watching all the original films practically back to back I was all geared up for what I was sure would be one of my favourite films of the year. And I was not disappointed. With Andy Serkis playing yet another cgi character (and leading me to believe he mustn’t like his face much) it is clear that he has progressed over the years. When he first started as Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy he was already good. Now, in RotPotA he proves that he can play anyone and anything. Surely he will finally get the appreciation he so rightly deserves at this years Oscars?

2. The Devil’s Double - 2011’s best actor by far. And we get to see him acting with himself! Only a truly gifted actor could play two complete opposites in the same film and Dominic Cooper has proved once and for all that he isn’t just eye candy for the ladies. I have therefore decided to forgive him for being in Mama Mia, a film which I haven’t even seen yet but still annoyed me with it’s constant screenings. More of this please Mr Cooper.

1. 127 Hours - I know it was released over a year ago in the States but over here it was released in January which means it can still be in my top 10. Easily the best film I’ve seen in the cinema, not just this year but of all time. James Franco has proved that he can carry a film pretty much all on his own and still leave me and the rest of the audience speechless. In all honesty it took me a good half an hour or so to finally be able to speak properly. So far this is the only film which has left me completely and utterly speechless even when the credits have finished rolling.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Well it’s been around two years since we were introduced to not only one of the greatest Guy Ritchie films ever but also the one of the greatest bromances ever to grace our screens.

Yes, Holmes and Watson are back in the sequel to 2009’s smash hit. And if you thought the first instalment was good, just you wait. Everything is turned up to 11 here, and rightly so, as we finally see Holmes come face to face with the man who is highly regarded in the world of literature and fiction as not only Holmes’ greatest nemesis but fiction’s greatest enemy.

In an action pieced opener which only makes you anticipate the rest of the film, Robert Downey Jr proves once again that he is the man to play Sherlock Holmes (at least in the films. For the TV Benedict Cuberbatch is doing just as fine a job). With Hans Zimmer returning with yet another brilliant soundtrack to push the film along and Sweden’s Noomi Rapace (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) joining the cast as French gypsy Madame Simsa.

With as much twists and turns as you can hope for and one of the greatest chess games ever witnessed in a film, not to mention Jared Harris’ brilliant performance as Professor James Moriarty, a role which will go down in history, this really is a masterpiece. Ritchie has struck gold once again, perhaps even more so than with the original, with a promising sequel and a fitting ending.

4/5

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

When it was announced a year or two ago that Hollywood was remaking the remarkably successful Swedish film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo it came as quite a shock to most people. Not that Hollywood were doing a remake. That seems to be the only thing the american film industry are capable of doing these days. No. It was a shock to find that the film was being remade so soon after the Swedish versions release.

Then came the hunt for the new Lisbeth Salander, the title character. As director David Fincher sorted through the hordes of women in his sight for the now infamous role, the eyes were all upon the big stars. Angelina Jolie. Emma Watson. These names and many others were being thrown about as possible answers to Finchers problem. And then, out of nowhere came Rooney Mara.

It’s been a good year or so since she was announced to be playing Lisbeth and finally she has shown that she is worthy of the role. Mara plays the troubled computer analyst so brilliantly it almost rolls off her seamlessly. Daniel Craig proves that he can still be more than just Bond with his portrayal of Mikael Blompkvist, a reporter hired to find the murderer of Harriet Vanger.

The opening sequence is simply superb, with Fincher creating a beautiful opening credits sequence not unlike the one he used with Fight Club. Special recognition must go to Trent Raznor and Atticus Ross for producing yet another brilliant soundtrack that tops their work for last years The Social Network.

However as the film continues the plot does begin to drag just a bit, and unless you’ve read the book it might be a bit hard to keep up with the storyline. The conclusion drifts slightly from the original novels but not so much that it is completely alienated by it.

Fincher has once again pulled off a masterpiece. Although it’s not better than The Social Network it certainly isn’t worse. Frankly it will be a surprise to hear that there is no planned sequel in the works. Same time next year?

4.5/5

New Years Eve

It doesn’t seem that long ago when the 1st film in this genre was released. When Valentine’s Day was released in February 2010, the amount of celebrities (ranging from Taylor Lautner (Twilight) to Kathy Bates (Misery) ) was hard to fathom. And yet it worked. The mix of storylines was so well thought out and the way in which they intertwined was so neatly done. The film did so well in fact (probably due to Twilight fans who wanted to see more of Topless Taylor) that nearly two years later we are treated to what may as well be a sequel.

It is Valentine’s Day in every single way apart from one major difference. Instead of being set on Valentine’s Day, it’s set on New Years Eve. With some returning actors from Valentine’s Day like Jessica Biel and Ashton Kutcher and even an appearance from Robert De Niro, we’re taken again to a busy day in America where another non-important ‘Holiday’ is taken up a few gears to make it seem like the biggest event of the year.

The storyline is not one main plot but rather a bunch of little plots which make up a sort of montage of film clichés mixed together. To explain each one in detail would take far too long but in short we have a ball dropping fiasco at the annual New Years Eve celebrations mixed with a dying man’s last wish, a teenager’s rebellion, a pregnancy battle, an aging woman’s mid life crisis, along with probably a couple more which I’ve missed out.

As each story has it’s designated screen time, the film moves along at a steady pace which is sure to keep you entertained. However it does begin to become annoying as just as one storyline starts to get a bit more interesting than usual we are thrown either into a new one or back into a continuing old one. And those who have seen the ‘original’ will no doubt find themselves trying to figure out whose paths will cross and at what point in the film. In a film like this any two characters can be related or interact with each other.

As the film reaches it’s end (climax is too strong a word for a film like this), your life won’t be changed but I’ll be damned if you won’t have had a good time. It just makes me wonder what we’ll see next. Maybe an Easter Sunday? Or perhaps a Halloween? Now THAT’S a film I’d like to be seen turned into a romantic comedy. Who wouldn’t want to see Michael Myers with a love interest?

Whatever the outcome I’ll be sure to look forward to it. It will take a good few sequels for this new found genre to become tedious. 

3/5

The Thing

Well apparently Hollywood just can’t stop with the remakes. What with Arthur, True Grit and Fright Night all making their returns to the big screen along with countless others, it was only a matter of time before The Thing was put through this hideous act. Although it is supposed to be a prequel and not a remake it felt more of the latter. 

The story is basically the same as the original. Explorers find an alien in the Antarctic and decide to do the clichéd human-in-a-sci-fi movie thing and screw things up by getting involved. Things go from bad to absolutely positively mind boggling crazy (as well as a bit deja vu for those who’ve seen the film) when it’s discovered that the alien has not only escaped but also has the very nifty party trick of being able to imitate everyone it comes into contact with. Cue uneasy tension as each of the cast is thrown into an untrusting hour or so. The cast is nothing fancy. Many unfamiliar faces save the two main stars, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) and Joel Edgerton (Warrior), who don’t stand out but try their hardest.

As the second act of the film begins the pace is brought up a notch. More scares are found in this than in any of the Paranormal Activity film (which, to be quite honest isn’t that hard to do) and serves as a great distraction from the harrowing fact that this is just John Carpenter’s version modernized for the next generation of ignorant kids who can’t be bothered to watch the original of a film because they have no respect (how I weep for humanity).

But I digress. The Thing isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be. It’s a good waste of 103 minutes just for the jumps alone. However if you want to watch a good Mary Elizabeth Winstead film watch Scott Pilgrim. And if you want a good Joel Edgerton film watch Warrior.

3/5

Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Hugo

It was probably a bit worrying for some to find out that Martin Scorcese, director of such films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas, had plans to do what looks like a children’s film with a bit of romance thrown in. But then again, it’s Scorcese. You can pretty much bet your entire life savings that he’ll do good and not expect to lose anything (unless you bet on Shutter Island, the less said about that the better…)

The fact is, although it is mostly aimed at children, what with the magical look and feel of it, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s comic relief he so perfectly provides. Even the two main stars, Asa Butterfield (The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas) and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) are children. But whilst there’s plenty for the kids to gasp and be amazed at, there’s plenty more for us big ‘uns.

Butterfield is the main star of the film, playing Hugo Caberet, a boy who lives in a paris train station and spends his days endlessly winding clocks around the station whilst desperately trying to fix his late fathers automaton, a clockwork robot basically. He holds the story together brilliantly and his on screen chemistry with Moretz is just outstanding. But the main thing that made this film less of a kids film and more of a Scorsese film was the romance. Yes there is a bit of romance between the two children but as the film continues on it becomes apparent that this was all a front. The real reason for Scorsese’s saunter into the kids film genre is to show his love for film.

Set in early 1920s France is the best way to do this it seems, as the story takes a frankly brilliant turn into the beginnings of film itself. With classic references starting to crop up towards the halfway mark (and by classic I don’t mean the ones you can spot every few seconds in any Tarantino movie, I mean references to the Lumiére brothers among many other pioneers of early film).

So fear not! Although this isn’t gritty and includes neither swear words, gangsters, or even Robert De Niro, Scorsese proves that at 69 years old he can still be a magician behind the camera. The only bad point about this film is the 3D. Although I have come to accept that 3D is good sometimes I must admit I found no use for it here. But hey, it’s a damn sight better than Shitter Island…

4.5/5

My Week With Marylin

As the year comes to a close there are a few gems that always end up being released in the run up to the Oscars. And My Week With Marylin is one of those films.

Thankfully this is not a full on biopic of the Hollywood legend. Any attempt at something so big would have to be a good few hours long. Instead My Week serves as the slightest of insights to the star’s life. Contrary to the title, the film doesn’t just take you through one week. It takes you through the production of Sir Laurence Olivier’s The Prince and the Showgirl, letting us have a glimpse into the movie godess on and off screen.

Taken from the perspective of Colin Clark, the third assistant director of the film, My Week shows the brief encounter Clark had with Monroe and his fleeting affair with her for, as you might have guessed, a week. But it is so much more than a love story. It is a love/hate story. As Clark falls head over heels for her, Olivier begins to get more and more frustrated over her constant unprofessional ways. Arriving late, forgetting lines and ‘playing the little lost girl act’ as Olivier so kindly puts it.

Michelle Williams’ performance as the troubled actress is spellbinding, Oscar worthy, and almost outshines the rest of the cast. However credit is due for Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. The film is a great piece of work. With plenty of laughs (but not too many) and beautiful set pieces which will make any classic movie fan just salivate in their seat. As well as a very thought provoking insight into Monroe. With mixed opinions being thrown about everywhere for the audience to ponder over.

4/5

Immortals - 2D

So way back in January it was revealed that Henry Cavill, best known for The Tudors, has been cast as Superman in Zack Snyder’s reboot. Seeing as the film won’t be out till 2013 this no doubt gave Cavill a chance to show the world he is the right man for the job. And so his first big screen outing in which he plays lead (He was in Red Riding Hood and Tristian + Isolde) is this.

The film quite ironically is produced by the same guys who produced Snyder’s biggest hit to date, 300, and follows the ‘story’ (if you could call it that) of Theseus (Cavill), a mortal man who is chosen by the Immortal God Zeus (previously seen in countless other films, Disney’s Hercules being quite a big one) to stop mean old King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke - yep, by old I mean OLD!) from trying to ruin mankind by releasing the Titans, enemies of the Immortals and basically bad news for us guys.

Now reading that you might be thinking it’s a bit of a meaty storyline but in all honesty it’s not. Which to be quite honest isn’t a bad thing. After the first fifteen minutes or so you will realise that this film isn’t meant to be thought provoking or looked back at as a classic. It is here for one reason and one reason alone. To promote Henry Cavill before he dons the big red S on his chest. Freida Pinto (Last seen helping Caesar rule earth in Rise of the Planet of the Apes) plays the obligatory eye candy, and John Hurt is shown wondering around every now and then narrating and basically being John Hurt.

I’m probably sounding really cynical and you’re expecting me to give this film a measly one star at best right? But no. In all honesty it was good fun. The fight scenes were more or less on par with 300 and believe me there are plenty of be-headings and bloodshed to please any action movie fanatic. And the film did show off Cavill’s six pack, as well as his brilliant fighting, often enough to have it imprinted into everyone’s memory in preparation for Man of Steel.

Although it wasn’t as good as 300, it was certainly good enough. It’s not a waste of time, nor is it a masterpiece to be admired for years to come. Instead it falls neatly in the middle section of a film to waste a boring Sunday afternoon with.

3/5