My top 10 films of 2011

I'm extremely late about this, but if I'm starting a film blog, it only makes sense to start with my top 10 films of the last year. It might just be the most unconventional top 10 list you'll see.

10. Super 8

An homage to the Steven Spielberg films of the 80's, JJ Abrams did a fantastic job of setting the tone for this film. Just like ET and The Goonies, this film involves children facing an extraordinary situation without the help of adults. While I have problems with the film's ending, I believe that everything leading up to it is fantastic. The train crash sequence alone is worth a viewing! With Abrams channeling Spielberg and Michael Giacchino's score channeling an earlier John Williams, the film is a great throwback to that awesome era of 80's adventure/sci-fi films.

9. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

It's fitting that Brad Bird's (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles) first live-action film would be the excellent fourth entry in the Mission Impossible series. I had mixed feelings going into this, but the movie exceeded all of my expectations by being the most straightforward of the four movies in the franchise. Tom Cruise, while still crazy in the real world, has 100% of my respect as an actor; he was excellent in this. I was also glad Simon Pegg received a larger role than the third film, even if it was strictly to provide comedic relief. Everything, from Brad Bird's slick directing style to Michael Giacchino's classy action score, was nearly pitch perfect--a fantastic moviegoing experience.

8. The Adventures of Tintin

The first positive word I read about this called it an animated Indiana Jones film, and I couldn't agree with that more. With Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson at the helm, and the first score by John Williams in years, my expectations were extraordinarily high. Turns out, the movie is a blast from beginning to end. I'm also glad that motion capture has come a long way from the creepiness of the Polar Express. The performances were all great, and the landscapes in this were so photorealistic, I was blown away. Watch out for the Moroccan action sequence that was filmed entirely in one take--it's awesome. It's a shame that this wasn't nominated for Best Animated Feature by the Academy (Oscar Snub No. 1).

7. War Horse

Two Spielberg films in a year is like a godsend. War Horse solidifies his place as one of the greatest storytellers of our generation. Told strictly from the horse's point of view, we follow him through his trials during World War I. While I think that Spielberg is being a tad bit emotionally manipulative with this film (ie, he wants you to cry), it sort of has a timeless feel to it. Plus, how many (good) World War I movies are in existence? The scene in No man's land is harrowing, and truly succeeds despite the fact that the film has a PG-13 rating. This film also gave us another classic John Williams score, his second in 2011, as well. I think he deserves the Oscar for this one.

6. Melancholia

Lars von Trier is known to make extremely divisive movies--you either love him or you hate him. I was lucky enough to catch this one On Demand (fo' free!), so I did NOT get the luxury of seeing this on a big screen. The film begins with a series of slow-motion shots of the characters' last moments on Earth set to Wagner's "Prelude to Tristan & Isolde"--it's hypnotizing in its eeriness, and the music fits quite well with the imagery. The film is told from two points of view: Justine (Dunst) and her sister's, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). While the film takes a while to settle down on a tone, once it finds it, it's quite hard to watch. Supposedly about von Trier's own battle with depression, Kirsten Dunst shocked me with her stripped-down performance; she literally lays it out for all to see. It's another shame she wasn't recognized by the Academy for her role (Oscar Snub No. 2).

5. The Descendants

I've been a huge fan of Alexander Payne since I saw Sideways, so I was looking forward to another quirky movie from him. The Descendants is somewhat of a tragic story set in what most of us would refer to as paradise (Hawaii), but George Clooney's character makes it clear from his opening narration that "Paradise can go fuck itself." I loved all of the performances in this film, which is largely humorous from the beginning, yet earns its emotional beats at the end. It's hard to believe that the standout of the film is Shailene Woodley, who was the lead in the awful series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." It's clear that she can act, and so let's chalk her performance up to Oscar Snub No. 3 of this list.

4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher is probably one of my favorite working directors today. After his serial killer movies Se7en and Zodiac, he seemed the perfect choice for this dark, DARK tale of crime, murder, and mystery. I was a huge fan of Stieg Larsson's book, but I never saw the original Swedish film. The opinions I heard were very mixed, so I just skipped it altogether. I really dug the look of the film with its chilly, icy settings (much like the characters), and Fincher directs everything with a cool, calculated hand. I also loved the way the film followed both of the leads separately until they finally met up--fantastic pacing. Rooney Mara was aptly nominated for best actress for her work as Lisbeth Salander; she is completely unrecognizable with her jet black hair, tattoos, and facial piercings. Definitely the "feel bad" movie of the year.

3. Hugo

Martin Scorcese directing his first children's film in 3D?! Hard to believe that the man who brought us the excellent crime films Gangs of New York and The Departed helmed this gentle, sweet tale of a boy just trying to find his place in the world. Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz are fantastic as the two child leads, and I loved the little vignettes that played out with all of the people who worked in the train station. This film features probably the most immersive, excellent use of 3D that I have ever seen; if you can catch it in 3D, please do. It's sort of a shame that the movie wasn't marketed a little better--it's certainly not a fantasy, as many of the trailers might have led you to believe. But it's fantastic that a modern master of cinema can pay homage to silent filmmaker George Melies. The movie is rightfully nominated for 11 Academy Awards; I hope we have a sweep come February.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

The end of an era. While I would've loved to see this all in one sitting, I can't deny that HP7.2 is the excellent payoff that I was waiting for. 10 years, 8 movies, 4 directors. After seeing this, I was truly taken aback that it was all over. The Statues sequence is outstanding, the battle of Hogwarts is fantastic, and The Prince's Tale gives Alan Rickman his well-deserved time to shine. All of the emotional payoffs are here. We now have all 7 books visualized for us, and probably the biggest criticism I have for this movie is that it still could've benefitted from just a little longer runtime, just like every HP movie in existence. Let's add this film to Oscar Snubs No. 4 & 5, mainly for leaving out Alan Rickman's fantastic work, and Alexandre Desplat's wonderfully composed score.

1. Drive

Drive was my favorite film of 2011. While the marketing may have led some to believe this was going to be an all out action film (hint: it's not), it IS unlike anything you've seen in a while. In fact, it's hard to classify this film, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. The film is also hyper-violent, something that truly catches you off-guard. Ryan Gosling's character has little dialogue, but his performance is great. Albert Brooks's performance however, is the standout, and so let us add his performance to Oscar Snub No. 6. The final snub (Oscar Snub No. 7) is for the film overall, which is an eclectic blending of the action and drama genres, with a little crime thrown in, leading to one of the most unique cinematic experiences I've had in a long time.

There we have it. My top 10 movies of the last year. I strongly recommending checking each one of these films out.