Top 10 Films of 2011

Sorry this is being posted so late but the end of 2011 saw the release of so many great films that it became difficult (and expensive) to keep up with everything. To this day there are still a dozen films I would've loved to have seen before creating my list but that would've put this release somewhere in mid to late February, something for my own sake I wanted to avoid. 2011 for me is the year of Cannes as 6 out of the 10 films came out of the festival (1 being not from this past year's festial but 2010's). Many people criticize festival president Gilles Jacobs for his selections but I think the success of this year's selection shows that he has a true eye for wonderful cinema. But enough of that, onto the list:

10. Midnight In Paris

Simply put, Allen's best work. The film is so unlike any other film that you never know what's around each corner but there in lies the joy of the film. You never want Owen Wilson's character to leave and to explore every alleyway in Allen's Paris.

9. Abel

Actor Diego Luna's first foray into directing was vastly overlooked by audiences. Young Christopher Ruiz-Esparza's portrayal of a psychologically damaged boy who wakes up believing that he is his mother's middle aged husband is both hilarious and heartbreaking and his ability to flip the switch on an instant shows that he has a successful acting career ahead of him.

8. Melancholia

There is no director out there like Lars Von Trier and each of his films is an absolute treat. Each frame of "Melancholia" could be frozen and sold as a beautiful photograph. The cast, including the usually dull Dunst, is on top of their game and Trier's opening slow motion sequence even outdoes his previous work in the supurb "Anti-Christ."

7. The Muppets

"The Muppets" shows that just like Pixar's recent work that just because a film is mainly for children that it doesn't have to be devoid of life and heart. Like a fine win "The Muppets" is a complex work where with each sip (on in this case scene) just gets better and better. The Muppets might have been out of the limelight for some time now, but for the first time they are showing that beneath the felt is something they've hidden all these years: heart.

6. Moneyball

To call this film a baseball movie isn't doing it justice. This exquisitely crafted underdog story is raised up even higher from wonderful performances by Pitt and Hoffman and surprisingly strong performances by both Hill and "Parks and Recreation" star Chris Pratt.

5. Hugo

Only Scorsese would use a children's film as his grand opus on the birth of cinema and the need for its preservation. Seeing some of cinema's earliest masterpieces in stunning clarity on the big screen is a treat and truly moving. The fact that Scorsese is exposing so many young viewers, and surely their parents, to these timeless moments in cinema for the first time demands recognition and praise.

4. The Artist

Michel Hazanavicius' love story to the silver screen and Hollywood during it's biggest revolution is nothing short of a masterpiece. The fact that a near-silent black and white foreign film was able to get as strong of a release as this got in 2011 is a testament to just how wonderful "The Artist" truly is.

3. The Skin I Live In

Almodovar's modern Frankenstein is a triller in it's purist form with an unforgettable twist. Antonio Banderas' performance as a doctor working on a breakthrough skin treatment is haunting as is the beautiful Elena Anaya's as his patient. Almodovar throws you into his world and he doesn't let you come up for air until the credits roll.

2. Martha Marcy May Marlene

"Martha" is one of those films that will leave you speechless. It's difficult to express it's power over the audience. John Hawkes performance as a charismatic leader of a cult is so believable that one could believe that at times this film is more of a documentary than a work of fiction. Elizabeth Olsen's breakout performance as one of the cult's followers is chilling at times and sympathetic at others.

1. Shame

Michael Fassbender' as a man struggling with his sex addiction is haunting and this year's best performance. With just a glance into the camera the audience can feel his guilt and his helplessness. Harry Escott's score compliments the stunning visuals and creates a perfect storm of fear, hopelessness, and, yet above all else, beauty.

And there you go. I hope you liked it and as always, I'm always up to hear your thoughts on these and other films that might not have made my list.