The Best Movies of 2011
OK, here we go. Let's get things started with NUMBER 25.
25. 'Captain America: The First Avenger'
To some, this movie was just a speed bump on the way to the ultimate prize: next summer's superhero blockbuster, 'The Avengers.' But when we finally got a look at the All-American hero in action, we suddenly realized that this thing could stand on its own. And a lot of that is thanks to the Captain himself, played brilliantly by Chris Evans. We never thought we'd have higher expectations for 'The Avengers,' but, we do. -- Alex Suskind
24. 'Beginners'
Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor are father and son -- convincingly -- in this movie about coming to terms with and accepting who you really are (but not in a pandering sort of way). Plummer's character both comes out of the closet and announces that he has terminal cancer to his son at the same time, and we watch McGregor's shell-shocked reaction to the news. Heartfelt and genuine, this is the sleeper hit of the year, so far. -- Michael Hogan
23. 'Warrior'
You didn't see 'Warrior,' which is a shame since it was one of 2011's most emotionally satisfying bits of adult drama. The story of two estranged brothers (Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy) who meet inside the octagon-shaped ring of an ultimate fighting championship -- a log line which certainly provides ample opportunity for schmaltz -- 'Warrior' plays things with a close-to-the-vest honesty that few 2011 releases even attempted. Edgerton and Hardy are outstanding as two sides of the same coin, while Nick Nolte, as their alcoholic and formerly abusive father, steals his scenes with the gusto of a guy gunning for an Oscar nomination. In a just world, Nolte, Hardy and writer/director Gavin O'Connor would get some Academy recognition for 'Warrior'; unfortunately, as 'Warrior' proves in both content and reception, this isn't always a just world. -- Christopher Rosen
22. 'The Interrupters'
To call this documentary a real-life 'Wire' would be doing a disservice to how important it really is. Directed by Steve James, the man behind the award-winning 1994 film 'Hoop Dreams,' 'The Interrupters' follows a group of "violence interrupters," men and women who have served time in jail and are now looking to help kids stay away from gang life in inner-city Chicago. It's heart-wrenching, it's angry, and above all, it's honest. -- A.S.
21. 'Hanna'
We always knew there was something special about Saoirse Ronan, and in 'Hanna' this is proven 10 times over. Her icy glare and kickassery steal the movie -- she is absolutely riveting as the titular character. An honorable mention goes to the supporting Cate Blanchett, who shadows Hanna throughout. This tale of ultimate survival will have you on the edge of your seat. -- Chris Jancelewicz
20. 'Take Shelter'
Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain's performances carry this cerebral look at a man in the midst of a mental breakdown. Michael Shannon plays "disturbed" better than anyone in the business and, man, is he sure disturbed in 'Take Shelter.' Visions of an approaching storm lead Shannon's mild-mannered Curtis to risk everything -- his job, his marriage, his daughter's health -- in order to build a storm shelter. We root for Curtis to overcome his demons while, simultaneously, being scared shitless by Curtis' behavior. -- Mike Ryan
19. 'Ides of March'
Political movies aren't usually very riveting, but 'Ides' breaks the genre with a stellar cast (George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood) and an intelligent script. The film removes the polished sheen that normally covers campaigning for office and exposes the oft-ugly machinations spinning underneath. And c'mon, let's face it, we know this is just a preliminary taste of Clooney and politics, so we'd better get used to it. -- C.J.
18. 'Horrible Bosses'
The quietest $117 million grossing comedy of the summer was also the funniest. By far. Out 'Hangover'-ing 'The Hangover Part II,' 'Horrible Bosses' provided not only laughs, but legitimate break-out performances by Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis. (Somewhere, the casting directors from 'Going the Distance' are raising their fists to the sky in anger.) A wish-fulfillment fantasy about working-class stiffs plotting to murder their titular terrible taskmasters, the Seth Gordon-directed film is dirty, fast-paced and unbelievably enjoyable -- basically the opposite of 'Bad Teacher' and 'The Hangover Part II,' two R-rated comedies that seemed to get infinitely more press during this past Summer of Raunch. Bonus points for Kevin Spacey, who lives it up as the worst boss this side of 'Swimming with Sharks.' -- C.R.
17. 'Win Win'
If his diabolical performance in 'Ides of March' made you pine for the lovably schlumpy Paul Giammati of yore, pull up an iTunes search for this charming indie by Thomas McCarthy ('The Station Agent'). Giammati plays Mike Flaherty, a struggling lawyer/high-school wrestling coach who decides to make a little extra cash by assuming legal guardianship of Rocky's brother Paulie an elderly client (Burt Ward). When the old man's knucklehead grandson shows up in town, Flaherty reluctantly takes him in, only to discover that the kid's the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin of the cold-auditorium circuit. Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambour, and Bobby Canavale co-star, so we can stop typing, right? You're convinced? -- M.H.
16. 'Margin Call'
Is this the best Wall Street movie ever made? By refusing to demonize its subjects, director J.C. Chador's ultra-confident debut feature sidesteps Oliver Stone-style outrage to expose an even darker truth: the market is a leviathan with a mind of its own, and we're all just barnacles clinging to its scales. The bankers -- injected with varying levels of paranoia and arrogance by a murderers' row of actors (Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons) -- just happen to dwell closer to the mouth of the beast, for better and worse. -- M.H.
15. 'Crazy, Stupid, Love'
Without a doubt, the best romantic comedy of the year -- maybe even years. Buoyed by a winning cast (Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore), 'Crazy Stupid Love' doesn't try to reinvent the romcom wheel; instead, it revels in the cliches, and makes them feel new by remembering that people want to fall in love with characters when they go to the movies. The results are charming beyond belief. Credit for 'Crazy Stupid Love' goes to directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (for doing their best James L. Brooks impersonation), screenwriter Dan Fogelman (for doing his best Cameron Crowe impersonation), as well as the likable cast. For Gosling completists, this could be his ultimate performance -- a charm offensive that includes many scenes of The Gos sans shirt. Just sayin'. -- C.R.
14. 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
Elizabeth Olsen’s breakout performance comes as a former cult member who seeks out her older sister for help; help that’s not entirely related to escaping the cult itself -- and the cult’s sinister leader, played quite brilliantly by John Hawkes -- but more to escape the memories of a now past life that she’s still confused about. The tone of the film is a constant dread -- dread that eventually establishes itself in the guise of ambiguity. -- M.R.
13. 'Tree of Life'
Terrence Malick's unflinchingly ambitious meditation on childhood, family, spirituality, evolution and existence itself isn't for everybody -- it received angry boos and the Palme d'Or at Cannes, helped stoke a media debate about the value of "boring" movies, and prompted one theater to post a warning notice for unsuspecting Brad Pitt fans. But for those who believe that film is also an art form, 'Tree of Life' is a welcome respite from the never-ending onslaught of self-assembling robots and juiced-up action heroes (though, be warned, there are dinosaurs). Lovers of great acting, meanwhile, may prefer to focus on the revelatory performances by Jessica Chastain and young newcomers Hunter McCracken and Laramie Eppler. -- M.H.
12. 'Attack the Block'
In a year with a lot of mediocre-to-downright-awful "Earth vs. aliens" movies, it may seem like the concept is on its last legs. But fear not, because 'Attack the Block' has come along and flipped the sci-fi genre on its head. In 'Block,' inner-city youth delinquents from London head out for another night of criminal behavior, only to stumble upon an invasion from some freaky fang-bearing aliens. It's left up to these anything-but-heroes to save their neighborhood (and the world). 'Attack the Block' works so well because its young cast gets to live out every teenage boy’s bad-ass action hero fantasy; even when they’re running for their lives and fighting off blood-thirsty monsters with samurai swords, you’ll be jealous at how much fun they’re having. -- Eric Larnick
11. 'X-Men: First Class'
After the disaster that was 'Wolverine,' we were praying 'X-Men: First Class' would turn out OK. Thankfully, it exceeded our expectations. 'First Class' traces the origins of some of our favorite mutants, including Charles Xavier, Mystique, Magneto, Havok and Beast. As for the villain, you knew Sebastian Shaw (played brilliantly by Kevin Bacon) was the perfect pick after seeing the awful things he did during the opening sequence. Sure, the story line isn't that close to the comic books, but that doesn't matter. While watching the mutants take on the Cuban Missile Crisis, it's clear that 'First Class' injects this franchise with exactly what it needed: new life, new stars and a fresh energy to build on. Plus, there were some lovely ladies and hot hunks, which helped. -- A.S.
10. 'The Help'
There are a lot of reasons 'The Help' shouldn't work -- mostly because it puts Hollywood gloss on the civil rights movement and hedges a bit into white-savior myth territory. Social implications aside, though, this is just old-fashioned moviemaking of the highest order. Like 'Steel Magnolias,' but without out-of-left-field deaths. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer shine -- and have deserved Oscar buzz surrounding them -- as the two Alabama maids who decide to help young journalist Skeeter (Emma Stone) blow the lid off the conditions of "the help." Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious, 'The Help' is also notable because it features a villainous turn by Bryce Dallas Howard. Between this and '50/50,' it wouldn't be a surprise if Howard's next role involves kicking a puppy. -- C.R.
9. 'Rango'
In a year in which Johnny Depp appears in three movies, it’s remarkable that the best one -- by far -- is an animated film about a lizard. 'Rango' proved that just because something is animated, it doesn't have to be dumbed down into one of those "for the kids, but parents will find something they like" clichés that only Pixar seems to consistently avoid. 'Rango' is the opposite. 'Rango' is a PG-rated movie (that really does flirt with PG-13) that features smart, biting humor and even a cameo from an animated Hunter S. Thompson that no one under the age of 25 is likely to appreciate. -- M.R.
8. 'Super 8'
Our number one pick for the first half of the year ended up dropping a few places. But that doesn't mean we think any less of it, mainly because it correctly answered this question: How do you create a 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' for the iPod generation? You have J.J. Abrams direct it, bring in Steven Spielberg to produce it, get an incredibly talented young cast to act in it, and then throw in a freaky government conspiracy and an alien to tie it all together. 'Super 8' was a sci-fi movie and a nostalgic suburban flick all wrapped into one. -- A.S.
7. 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'
This one wasn't supposed to be any good. Based on the marketing campaign, it appeared that Fox even thought they had a stinker on their hands. Boy, were they wrong. In the biggest surprise of the summer movie season, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' didn’t just provide a serviceable movie experience -- which seems to be the ultimate goal with summer movies -- but, shockingly, turned out to be one of the best films of the year. Director Rupert Wyatt crafted, yes, a film with action, but also a film without a defined villain twirling his mustache screaming, "I’m the bad guy, let’s fight!" -- M.R.
6. 'Midnight in Paris'
Leave it to Woody Allen to make the movie of our times. Owen Wilson stars as Gil, a bored writer trapped with his in-laws on a joyless vacation in Paris; late at night, while roaming the streets alone, he magically stumbles backward in time to the 1920s and begins drinking, dancing and laughing along with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker. Along with the newfound burst of joy and inspiration, Gil also finds romance with a mysterious and beautiful muse (Marion Cotillard). What gives '‘Midnight in Paris' its meaning beyond simple wish fulfillment is the way it pokes fun at modern people's disappointment in how things are now and their longing for "older, better days." Bonus points to Owen Wilson for actually doing something other than a Woody Allen impression, and giving some real hilarious neurotic energy to his character. -- E.L.
5. 'Moneyball'
There was some debate at Moviefone HQ about whether 'Moneyball' should be this high on the list because of what some describe as a lackluster finale. Final answer: it should, especially since the finale -- which follows Michael Lewis's source book almost to the letter -- ties up the themes of 'Moneyball' even if it doesn't offer a traditional sports-movie ending. (That being: changing an industry is not usually met with a victory parade, but a stone wall.) Directed with an old-pro's hand by Bennett Miller (his first film since 'Capote' in 2005), 'Moneyball' is one of the best baseball movies ever simply because it stays true to the game itself: it's filled with tiny failures, small successes, and doesn't conclude with a World Series title. Brad Pitt gets the role of his life as Billy Beane -- his golden hair and skin recalls a younger Robert Redford -- but the real surprise of the cast is Jonah Hill as Pitt's onscreen apprentice. By dialing down his previously rambunctious nature, Hill succeeds in doing what most actors and major leaguers have difficulty accomplishing: reinvention in the face of age. -- C.R.
4. '50/50'
A comedy about cancer is a huge risk. Based liberally on writer Will Reiser’s own experience with the disease, '50/50' takes the viewer on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s wild ride of emotions that range anywhere from elation to desperation. Seth Rogen provides the comic relief to what, in essence, is a heartbreaking look at the very real horrors of a cancer diagnosis. -- M.R.
3. 'Drive'
Often silent, morose and straight-up gory, 'Drive' is nothing like we expected it to be. Rather than a gritty car-racing tale, it's the story of Driver (Ryan Gosling), who gets caught up with the wrong people after falling for a neighbor (Carey Mulligan). Featuring a couple of kick-ass car chase scenes, the more spellbinding feature of 'Drive' is Gosling's tour-de-force performance as the sullen, nearly mute protagonist. Bonus points go to Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks, the former for his foul-mouthed supporting role, the latter for channeling the murdering, knife-wielding badass we never knew he had in him. -- C.J.
2. 'Deathly Hallows, Part II'
Fin. Finito. Finished. The end. Whatever you want to call it, 'Deathly Hallows, Part II' was the swan song for our faithful Harry Potter and the Wizarding World we've come to know and love. And what a way to go out! For every fan of the series, this film was a two-hour-plus emotional roller-coaster ride filled with death, destruction, love and redemption. We still get goosebumps thinking about Alan Rickman's Oscar-worthy performance as Snape (seriously, we are officially on the Alan Rickman Academy Award bandwagon). And it all culminated in one humongous hair-raising duel at Hogwarts between good and evil. When the dust finally settled, our three heroes, Harry, Ron and Hermione, stood tall, having defeated the most badass dark wizard of all time. To quote Ron, it was wicked. -- A.S.
1. 'Bridesmaids'
Every other comedy that comes out between now and Dec. 31 will have to compete with 'Bridesmaids' for title of "Funniest Movie of the Year." Taking the usual Judd Apatow slacker-who-must-grow-up formula and pinning it to the manic 'SNL' all-star Kristen Wiig, 'Bridesmaids' is a nonstop escalation of hilariously awkward conversations, passive-aggressive bickering and neurotic breakdowns. Featuring a bevy of talented comedians as the most wacked-out bridal party in film history, 'Bridesmaids' proves that no joke is too raunchy and toilet humor knows no gender.
While critics were too busy talking about what this movie means for "women in comedy," 'Bridesmaids' simply did one thing: tell great jokes. Above and beyond everything else this year, this movie united its audience; man or woman, young or old, the overwhelming majority of viewers laughed their assess off at it, and turned it into a monster hit. Box office dollars aren’t the only reason to make it number one -- although in a year of slumping movie sales, 3D gimmickry and plots that are actually just commercials for toylines, it was refreshing to see America reward a movie written by and starring a breakout talent with a distinct voice. 'Bridesmaids' stands as both a highpoint of 2011 pop culture and a timeless example of great movie-making. -- E.L.