January is a strange month for movies. 2011 is over, but some films are just now getting a wide release for people to see. For people like me, this is the time when we scramble to catch those last few films before closing the book on the year in movies.
There were, of course, a number of films that I could not see for a variety of reasons (many others I avoided simply because they didn't appeal to me.) Notable misses included: Beginners, Bellflower, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, A Dangerous Method, The Guard, My Week with Marilyn, Shame, and The Skin I Live In. I will catch up with them eventually, but I don't want to put this off any longer.
I ended up seeing 68 films at the theater and about two dozen more at home from the over 200 officially released films of the year. Not bad for anyone who has a full-time job and pays for most movies out of his own pocket. I'd love to see more in 2012, but we'll see.
I'm going to keep it short and give you my fourteen runners-up and then my six favorite films from the year. Why six? Well, because ten is too many and five is too few. Here you go...
Runners-Up (Alphabetical order):
The Adventures of Tintin
Attack the Block
Bridesmaids
Contagion
The Debt
The Descendants
Hanna
Rango
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Source Code
Super 8
Tree of Life
War Horse
Warrior
And the rest in descending order:
#6 - Midnight in Paris - The first of three films on my list that draws inspiration from the past. I have not yet had the opportunity to revisit this picture since seeing it theatrically, but it sticks out as one of the most enjoyable films of the year. I was charmed by the fantasy world of 1920's Paris as Gil (Owen Wilson) meets early twentieth century artists like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Salvador Dali. It's completely amazing to me that we have so many filmmakers working into their seventies and eighties and Woody Allen is still in prime form.
Favorite scene: Gil's first meeting with Hemingway.
#5 - Melancholia - Lars von Trier's "disaster epic" about the effects of depression and anxiety is both haunting and beautiful. Kirsten Dunst is absolutely stunning and the rest of the cast, including John Hurt, Keifer Sutherland, Stellan Skarsgard, and Charlotte Gainsbourg are equally good. Surreal, operatic, and darkly funny - this one will captivate you.
Favorite scene: It's a tie. The entire first half (the reception) or the prologue.
#4 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - The spy world of John Le Carre's story is not a glamorous one. The characters don't drive the latest sports cars, dress in tuxedos, or swing from rooftops shooting uzis at the bad guy; they are professional secret-keepers, hiding in plain sight, walking down the same streets we do, unnoticed. The film is well acted, has great camerawork, and ends on my favorite final shot of any movie this year.
Favorite scene: The scene at the airstrip between George and Toby.
#3 - Hugo - I went into this one having never read the book and not knowing anything more than what was in the trailers. I'm glad that the mystery wasn't ruined for me and I would encourage you to avoid spoilers about where the story goes in the final act. I will say that HUGO is a lot of fun for everyone, but will hold special significance for those who love early cinema. This film should also get special recognition for being the best use of 3-D in any live-action movie to date.
Favorite scene: When the automaton draws something for Hugo and Isabelle.
#2 - The Artist - Speaking of early cinema, this film travels back to the moment when the most significant change to moviemaking occurred. Synchronized sound ruined the careers of many stars and set back the visual art of storytelling for years. This film lovingly recreates the period and (for the most part) stays within the conventions of silent filmmaking. It's a throwback, sure, but it's more than just a novelty; this is a story worth telling. It's funny, playful, romantic, sad, dark, dramatic and hopeful. Very few films are able to balance all those things as well as this one and a lot of the credit needs to go to its star, Jean Dujardin, who gets my vote for best performance of the year.
Favorite scene: It's a tie. George's dream sequence and the scene with Peppy in George's dressing room.
#1 - Drive - Some films just connect with you - stylistically, thematically, emotionally - for whatever reason. In the case of DRIVE, it's certainly the familiar elements of the 40's and 50's noir that draw me to it, but this is an example of a film that feels fresh because of its mastery of tone and its unflinching look at violence. The director, Nicholas Winding Refn, has had modest success with a few cult hits like BRONSON and VALHALLA RISING, both films that have heavy doses of savagery also. Although the action in DRIVE is stylized, the acts themselves are not glorified. Killing a man is dirty business, and some things you can't wash off. "Driver" may be committing these acts in order to help the young woman he loves, but it's the unattractive and disturbing nature of that brute force that may doom their relationship.
Favorite scene: At the stripclub, "Driver" threatens to hammer a bullet into Cook's head.
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