Awards season has begun and every year I am faced with the
same disappointment in seeing talented people overlooked and average people
being rewarded based on things other the merit of their work. So this year, I
present to you my picks for the best in movies for 2011. I’m sure I
missed some good stuff as I didn’t see every new movie—so let me know if you think I missed
something big for 2011. My top 5 movies, in no particular order:
Super 8
It seems there are only a handful of people in Hollywood
that really know the formula for making great films and Steven Spielberg and JJ
Abrams are two of them. Rolling
together several genres of film made it unique but the story had transcending
themes like many other great films, such as the value of childhood friends, the
excitement of a first crush, and struggling to relate to parents. The setting
of 1979 was close enough to my own childhood to resonate with me too. I felt
like the story moved along pretty quickly—no boring parts—and was not at all
predictable. The best part were the characters. The kids in particular all had
very unique personalities and were great together. This movie was just fun and
I would certainly watch it again.
Fast Five
First of all, I enjoyed the first four Fast and the Furious
movies, even Tokyo Drift, which most people thing is the lamest. They have discovered
the formula of hot cars + hot women = awesome—and with the fifth movie they
just kicked it up a notch. More
hot cars + more hot women + the beach + exotic cultures + more action + even
more clever (although really cheesy) humor = a place on my top 5. They brought
back characters from the other films and tied all the stories (previously
somewhat independent) together, Including Tyrese Gibson from #2, Sung Kang from
#3, Don Omar from #4, and Jordana Brewster from the first film. Also another
really fun film and maybe even my favorite of the series.
Midnight in Paris
I’m really interested in the theme of the Head vs. the Heart
and I love when Woody Allen does it, like last year with Vicky Christina
Barcelona. Add in the lovable Owen Wilson and you have yourself a movie. The
dialogue between the historic artists and writers was clever and it was kind of
fun to imagine what they would each be like in real life. I’m a sucker for a
happy ending, and this does not disappoint, although with a few turns along the
way.
The Help
It is difficult to make entertainment out of an epic
struggle like the civil rights movement but this movie did it, and did it well,
taking me on an emotional ride as I learned about each character’s unique point
of view through a complex and engaging story. This film hit me similar to the
way The Power of One did when I was a kid. I liked Emma Stone before this movie but up until now I feel
like I hadn’t seen her depth—becoming believably smart, strong and compassionate—not
just quirky or the sassy adolescent. And the rest of the cast took this story
to new levels and I hope that they all win awards, especially Jessica Chastain,
Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Viola Davis and Sissy Spacek.
50/50
This is the film that completely surprised me. I expect
pretty much anything with Seth Rogan to be completely stoner stupid. He still
managed to play the idiot friend, but by the end you found him strangely
lovable. The script was fantastic and had me laughing out loud, even in the
crudest of parts. I saw this movie with a friend who’s brother has battled
cancer and we agreed that they captured a lot of the feelings that go along
with facing death and spending a lot of time in hospitals and just reevaluating
your life. My favorite part was seeing Anna Kendrick in a bigger supporting
role with a character who had real personality. I never saw Up in the Air so I
was surprised by how much I enjoyed her in this movie. JGL is a man of many
talents and he hit another home run with this one after entertaining us me with
500 Days of Summer last year.
I'm going to give an Honorable Mention to Harry Potter for finishing strong and to Hugo for being really fun, especially in 3D. Up next... the top 5 albums of 2011.
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