MrMovieETC's TOP 10 FILMS of 2011

While it might not be made incredibly apparent by this Top 10 list, I've often referred to 2011 as the "Year of the Comedy". I suppose I could have called it "Another Year of Terrible Remakes", but that gets redundant after a while.

Seriously, does anyone even remember that they released a remake of "Straw Dogs" in 2011? I thought not.

Anyway, after a careful process of elimination, only a small handful of said comedies made it onto this list, because while I spent most of time in the theater or at home that year laughing my ass off to "Horrible Bosses", "Our Idiot Brother", "Friends with Benefits", "Paul", etc., that doesn't necessarily equate to being a Top 10 choice, in my mind. I felt it would be a disservice to the films that did make the cut to exclude them all together only for the sake of what made me laugh. I'm far too picky not to have variety.

So, before I ramble on, here is my Top 10 list of 2011!:





10. CEDAR RAPIDS

This is the sort of raunchy, yet sweet low budget comedy that cannot help but stand out because of its seemingly oddball premise and the experience of Ed Helms and John C. Reilly. The premise surrounds an insurance award convention at an upscale Motel 6 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the unexpected shenanigans that ensue. Again, a majority of the laughs stem from low-brow vulgarity, but the jokes connect nearly every time and all the main cast bring their own contributions of heart to a story that speaks to the bonds that are formed after allowing one's self to live a little outside of the box. I've watched this one a few times now and I feel it gets better with each viewing.





9. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE

I know, I never would have thought that I would have a romantic comedy mentioned in the same breath as "Personal Favorites of the Year". However, I must give this film its due praise. The all-star cast doesn't phone it in with likable and characters that can be related to , the story strays enough away from cliche that it stays engaging, and the humor is on point situation-wise instead of relying on obnoxious one-liners to carry all the weight. The pace of the plot and editing were tied together smoothly which comes in handy for a film that has multiple story lines.

The downside is that it is difficult to speak at length about comedies, especially ones like this. "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a great one, though, and I definitely recommend giving it a shot.





8. DRIVE

2011 was good year for comedies, and it also didn't treat Ryan Gosling too poorly either. I can assume that "Drive" drew a lot of attention because of Gosling's return to the spotlight with "Crazy, Stupid, Love", you know, "Dirty Dancing" reenactment and stomach veins, etc. I'm also fairly certain that those expecting the same cute womanizer in this film received a hefty dose of reality - Gosling's character in "Drive" says a lot without saying much of anything, especially since his form of communication is driving places in a short amount of time and, oh yeah, bashing peoples' faces in. I've yet to see a movie since "Drive" that turned such a gut-wrenching 180 so quickly. The film does a great job of building the suspense subtly if you pay attention to it with Gosling (his character's name is unknown) quietly starting to lose his patience for the scum-driven brutality surrounding him and decides to take matters into his own hands. The result - brain crushing beauty. This is a lean thriller that will likely continue to leave fists and jaws simultaneously tightened for years to come.





7. WIN WIN

You'll have to pardon me on this one as I've only seen it once and that was back when it was new; however, I do have enough fond memories of how much I enjoyed that it still felt completely safe to put it on my Top 10. A financially down-on-his-luck wrestling coach (Paul Giamatti) mentors a rising wrestling superstar (newcomer Alex Shaffer) that comes from a nonsupporting home life. Fair enough, we've all heard plot parallels similar to that, but this is one of those dramedies loaded with passion from a cast and crew that sell that hell out of it. This is coming from a guy that has never enjoyed wrestling on any level, yet when I saw the previews for the film (prior to "Cedar Rapids", as it were) I knew that I had to see it and was glad that I did. I'll watch more than one film about the underdogs of life as long as they are done tastefully well. "Win Win" does that and much more, in my opinion, It is, for a lack of a better term, a win-win.





6. HUGO

This film is another that unfortunately falls into the same water as "Win Win" as I'm basing it off of one viewing over 3 years ago. Scorsese's adventure feature may not hold up steadily story-wise throughout its entire duration, but considering what he is commonly known for, this is a delightful film that should be given credit for its ambition alone. Truthfully, I'd find it hard to believe that any big movie fanatic would turn down a story that pays homage to one of the top silent film masterminds in history. Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz do a fine job of carrying a bulk of the film's load as the two young leads, and Sasha Baron Cohen adds a colorful effect to his character, Inspector Daste. I've been meaning to look back at some of these 2011 gems, this one included, if only to revisit one of the more awe-inspiring contributions to that year.





5. THE DESCENDANTS

A family drama set in Hawaii. A family drama set in Hawaii starring George Clooney. The only other selling point I can think of is making sure to get it on blu-ray because it's a family drama set in Hawaii and the setting is expectantly gorgeous. Seriously, though, I expected to go into this film and see a good movie with an honest performance from Clooney at a minimum; what I ended up seeing was an excellent drama about the pain of loss, power struggles created by the loss, and finding redemption again through those around you that were the ones that mattered in the first place. This film felt like one of those that slipped under the radar, and I cannot recommend "The Descendants" enough.





4. THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Based on a statistic that I completely made up just now, it seems like about 90% of series reboots fail to actually gain any tread  and make an impact on current moviegoers. I wasn't joking about the making it up part, but that's the sense that I'm getting over recent years when trying to turn old classics into something new - it hardly ever seems to work. Not so much the case for "Planet of the Apes", however. To say the series could have used a face-lift from its Charlton Heston glory days isn't as much a negative connotation as it is an honest observation. Be that as it may, an undertaking such as this is risky business due to the justifiable expectations of the fan base. All I can say to that is, thank goodness for Andy Serkis! The man's motion capture acting abilities are second-to-none, and this is true and all the more apparent with his work portraying Caesar. Oh, and the rebooted origins story isn't half bad either. The film knew what it wanted to be and did the best possible job bringing that vision to light. I hope the series doesn't hit a creative ceiling because the ride feels like it's only getting started.






3. 50/50

For the comedies that did end up making this list, I have already spoken in volumes about the importance of the care each story received, the comic veterans that lead them, and that they have more soul than just silly laughter. Each one of this has lived up to my particular criteria, although "50/50" I felt was the absolute epitome from 2011. I don't care what anyone says, it takes some brass to try to make cancer humorous, even though that is the motto society tends to lend out about such things. If anything, it's a fine line; make it funny without being impersonal, and don't make it overly dour with a few chuckles to lighten the mood. A lot of credit obviously goes to the gifted chemistry between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, but equally as much should go to director Jonathan Levine and writer Will Reiser for walking that fine line without wavering. The end result is the colorful sense of humor we have come to expect from the lead cast, but also a more sentimental side that is pulled off with a graceful wit.






2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PT. 2

I realize that this looks like an overly safe pick, and it a lot of ways it is. If we're being honest though, to have a book series this big and influential on popular media turned into an exceptionally successful film adaptation series that spanned nearly a decade and managed to keep the same cast (mostly) throughout to a legitimately satisfying finale has to count towards honorable mentions. Granted, this is the series that spearheaded Hollywood's new annoying fascination with giving book adaptions unnecessary split finales, but in this case, I'm willing to forgive. All 8 films do feel like the best possible sum to a whole that could be made at this time, and while I would have been perfectly fine with a more drawn out battle of Good and Evil at Hogwarts, this version still fit the bill well enough to be enjoyed until the reboot.

Yes, I say that definitively because Warner Bros. is not above milking the cash cow.





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And finally, my Number One film for 2011 is . . .






1. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Oh yes. Ironic, isn't it? I take a jab at all the terrible remakes served cold and lifeless to the general cinema public on what seems like a monthly basis nowadays, and I go and choose a remake as my top film of 2011. You know what, though? I do not feel remotely guilty for doing so, because while my fan-crush on David Fincher is no secret by now, this was a film that was made with an abundance of style and panache that is custom to Fincher and makes "Dragon Tattoo" feel like a brand new film rather than something that was made in Sweden only a few years before. I've put it on my agenda to watch the original trilogy in the near future, especially since this version did not fare too well financially in the U.S. and the other two films are a mystery as far as any type of future. That being the case, I hope that doesn't lessen the value of this American take on the Stieg Larsson series because from the cinematography to the score, a sincere effort was put into this release and deserves more than the typical shunning a majority of remakes receive. For not having much prior experience, Rooney Mara completely owns the title role of Lisbeth, and Daniel Craig shows that he's more diverse than being just the new face of James Bond. In the end, even if its apples and oranges between the two trilogies, I do hope the American version gets rounded out because I feel these characters and the talented actors that play them have more to offer before all is said and done.




Thank you for reading, and see you next week for my Top 10 Films of 2010!

MrMovieETC's TOP 10 FILMS of 2012

Greetings, and welcome to Week 2 of my Top 10 movie countdown for the last 30 years!

2012 brings another list that I could have easily shrugged off for the sake of pure laziness due to having already created a list in January of 2013 on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me86bOJbh0Y). However, 2012 also brought a full slate of tough decisions and I thought it only right to give the list a fresh look and see if I would have honestly kept it the same, or if some changes were in order.

After scratching down all the films I enjoyed from that year, I began the process of narrowing down as anyone would, and I found that, yes, indeed it was a little different. The influences include the obvious introduction of films that I didn't see right away that I felt deserved a place, and films that were previously on the list that did not quite hold up to their original placement after multiple viewings. All in all, I feel that I like this Top 10 above the original and was happy to have taken the time to restructure.

The new 2012 Top 10 is as follows!:




10. THE RAID: REDEMPTION

I had heard about "The Raid" throughout the majority of its release, however I did not pay it close attention due to the frustration from having recently viewed "Dredd" and brushed it off as one was a copy of the other and I don't need to see both. "Dredd", on one hand, was a fun popcorn flick and was greatly unappreciated with the type of visual style it flaunted; "The Raid", on the other, kind of kicks the Judge's ass - it's really not fair. The claustrophobia of the close hand-to-hand combat from "The Raid" is some of the best I have seen since the Bruce Lee heydays, and it adds buckets of brutality to make the viewers hurt in places they didn't know they could, and for that, not only does this film deserve to be in the Top 10 of the year, but one of the best choreographed action flicks in a year that was loaded with big budget action flicks. Big seal of approval on this one!





9. ROBOT & FRANK

Picture a live action version of "Big Hero 6" before the Disney platform had been set in motion, and instead of whiz kids turning themselves and a care-taking robot into superheroes, it's a retired jewel thief that trains his care-taking robot into assisting with a few "jobs" to relive his glory days. Also, keep in mind that this film is damn good and well worth tracking down. Frank Langella is spectacular as the film's main lead and thief in question. Truthfully, it's his vessel all the way as the supporting cast only drops in from time to time when the plot needs them to. Whether or not you buy into a robot developing concern for his human counterpart through A.I. will determine a lot if you end caring for this film or not, but sometimes a good story and a little sci-fi go a long ways.





8. LOOPER

Speaking of sci-fi, "Looper" might be one of the best I've seen in recent years and still has yet to be topped. I'm not saying it's the best ever made, and of course the film has those pesky time travel loopholes that need to be allowed to slide, yet it is a product of what can be done with genuinely good film making and dedicated actors willing to sell it. "Looper" succeeds in all of the above. Bruce Willis gives an *actual* performance for the first time in God knows how long, Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a heck of a job being a young Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt gets to reveal her inner asskicker. Oh yeah, and a little boy using his kinetic mind abilities to make bad guys explode - yes, that's also worth the price admission.





7. WRECK-IT RALPH

I assume I wouldn't blame some hopefuls for this film to feel a little disappointed as Disney did make it seem like many of the classic video game characters would be making a splash in "Wreck-It Ralph". It's not that they weren't there, they just weren't important for the most part. Although, while I admittedly would not blame them for feeling let down, that is not to say I necessarily understand why; I mean, how anyone would expect a cohesive story to be built around multiple video game characters from vastly different platforms and worlds is beyond me. Giving the film its due credit, it does manage to squeeze plenty of diverse characters into a story that is true to Disney - full of action, heart, and humor. Top that with fine voice offerings from John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, and Jane Lynch, and the finished result is, in my opinion, still the best non-Pixar release from Disney in the 2010's.





6. LIFE OF PI

I felt the only necessary reason to include this film in the Top 10 was for having some of the most awe-inspiring visual effects that I've seen since I can't even remember when. Only on extremely rare occasion do I seek out to see a movie in 3D and "Life of Pi" was one of those. Honestly, the scene where the luminescent humpback whale leaps out of the ocean nearly brought a tear to my nerdtastic eye. Nevertheless, I would not consider a film for the Top 10 based solely on eye candy. If that were true, all the Underworld movies and anything with Emily Blunt would make the list every time. No, "Life of Pi" is also lifted by a spirited on-screen rendition of Pi by Suraj Sharma, because as with "Robot & Frank", the story is all his and couldn't be upheld without a convincing lead. The story works just fine, though it may not be as deeply thought-provoking as it may think itself to be. I would be lying if I wasn't initially concerned with Ang Lee at the helm; not that I have anything against him, and he's made some great movies, though I also can't pretend "Hulk" never happened. Anyone can make a mistake, though, and "Life of Pi" adequately redeems.





5. MOONRISE KINGDOM

For all the Wes Anderson purists that to this day worship the ground that "Rushmore!" walks on, I may catch some flack for saying this, but oh well: In my mind, "Moonrise Kingdom" is hands down the best Anderson film to date. While the characters have the same quirkiness that one comes to expect, I felt they were utilized the best in this project, and the plot about young misfits using love to conquer their worlds was engaging beginning to end. In my summary of "Looper", I mentioned that it felt good seeing Bruce Willis put some stock into his character. As it turns out, 2012 was a great year for him as I'm sure Anderson would not have brought him on the set if he was going to merely "phone it in". Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward make their on-screen debut as the two young leads. I'm not sure if I'll be seeing them again in this capacity anytime soon, but they were certainly suitable for what this film asked of them. It's a great watch that I plan to revisit soon.





4. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Yes, I know it's the weakest in the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Yes, I know the message of the plot unravels a little more with each viewing. Yes, I know Christian Bale's "Batman" voice is somewhat obnoxious. Yes, I know one had to strain their ears occasionally to understand Bane. Yes, I knew it wasn't going to reach the heights of its predecessor, and if you honestly thought so, then you might have to Riddle Me That because I have no idea how the hell it could have. What I also know is that it was one of my favorite blockbusters of that summer, I thought Hans Zimmer laid a fine, suspenseful score, and with all the ways it could have screwed up big time, I felt "Rises" had a respectful finish to an otherwise outstanding trilogy that raised the Dark Knight from its own ashes. The popular joke is that this was the Batman movie without Batman, and while it's true that Batman didn't make nearly as many appearances, I was under the impression that was sort of the point and it was supposed to be more about Bruce Wayne - the man beneath the mask. Who knows? In the cinematic world, and especially in the comic cinematic world, there will always be conflicting viewpoints. What matters most to me is I enjoyed "The Dark Knight Rises" and fail to see where that will cease to be the case anytime soon.





3. ARGO

Ben Affleck may not *yet* be on my list of favorite directors but he's definitely making his case, and I would love nothing more than to see him keep swinging for the fences and knocking it out of the park, because so far, he's a perfect 3 for 3. While "Argo" may not rely as much on action as did "The Town", he creates a fantastic ensemble of characters and actors for this film based on true events, and after watching this movie a time or two, one would almost think he's been mastering suspense for years. The main downside to a story such as this, especially one about a hostage situation in hostile foreign territory, is that it can be slightly predictable and that's where the main challenge for Affleck would lie. That being case, as aforementioned, he still managed to completely draw every baited breath from the audience as they grip whatever their seat of choice is for dear life. I don't know if Affleck will be able to keep a perfect streak running, but "Argo" does not leave much for skepticism.





2. THE AVENGERS

Needless to say, MARVEL has had me on its hook since the first "Iron Man", so for a studio to finally take the leap of faith and make a live action version of this superhero combo against lofty expectations, it could have easily been a detrimental disaster that would have laid MARVEL Studios under a stone that read "Here Lies..." The sci-fi genre also seems to put a lot of faith in Joss Whedon, and while there's nothing that stands out that he was completely undeserving of such praise, his visions have not always connected ("Firefly"), so to say that "The Avengers" would be an automatic success because Whedon was behind the lens would be naive to a degree. That being said, Whedon may have taken a somewhat safe path, although in the end, it was the right path because he did "The Avengers" justice and then some. He could have easily made it boil over with convolution, yet instead he took already well-developed characters and let them do what they do best for 2 hours. "The Avengers" gave pure dazzling entertainment that satisfied but left just enough hunger for Phase 2.





And now, my Top Film from 2012:

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1. DJANGO UNCHAINED

After looking this list over about every way I could possibly look it, there was still no contest for the #1 spot; "Django Unchained" was my original pick for the top slot, and so it shall remain. Paying homage to the spaghetti westerns of the past, Tarantino brings his trademark flair to a 3-hour epic with a cast of greats that could not be contended with in 2012. Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson all bring their A+ games that make said 3 hours feel like 90 minutes of over-the-top action violence, gore, and black comedy that has made Tarantino famous. I could honestly go on for pages about "Django", breaking down each scene and what I loved about it. Instead, I'll spare you the full afternoon and just tell you to go see it. Though, if you haven't already, I'm not sure I can really help you at this point.



See you next week for my Top 10 of 2011!