My best movies of 2011
by lammothsblog | created - 14 Dec 2011 | updated - 08 Jan 2012 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Artist (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.
Director: Michel Hazanavicius | Stars: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell
Votes: 248,271 | Gross: $44.67M
European arthouse cinema at its best. Lovely performances and stylish cinematography. It was about time someone to bring back the spirit of the 20's with its mute films. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone though.
2. Rango (2011)
PG | 107 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 292,006 | Gross: $123.48M
Colourful characters, original score, innovative animating - everything I could want from an animation.
3. The Ides of March (2011)
R | 101 min | Drama, Thriller
An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.
Director: George Clooney | Stars: Paul Giamatti, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling
Votes: 230,325 | Gross: $40.96M
The film with some very memorable lines: "I'm not a Christian or an Atheist. I'm not Jewish or Muslim. What I believe... My Religion is written on a piece of paper called The Constitution. Meaning, that I'd defend until my dying breath your right to worship in whatever God you believe in".
4. The Skin I Live In (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Votes: 165,231 | Gross: $3.19M
What a story! The writer of the book the movie is based on, Thierry Jonquet, deserves credit. Almodovar created another weird piece of cinema. And the actress....you can't forget these eyes. Not for everyone too.
5. Ronal the Barbarian (2011)
Not Rated | 89 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The 100 Barbarian Sons of Krull get attacked by a superior force and captured. It's up to the young, weak but smart Ronal to free them. 3 join his dangerous quest.
Directors: Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen, Thorbjørn Christoffersen, Philip Einstein Lipski | Stars: Anders Juul, Hadi Ka-Koush, Lærke Winther, Brian Lykke
Votes: 13,794
Absolutely hilarious! I have no wors to describe it. We have sexy Amazons with big sexual desires, barbarian girls who break skulls with their breasts, horseman who whips his bottom....Great fun if you are open minded!
6. The Devil's Double (2011)
R | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller
A chilling vision of the house of Saddam. The world of Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was given a choice; either be the double for Saddam's sadistic son, or die.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast
Votes: 63,785 | Gross: $1.36M
Good timing, considering what is happening in the Middle East right now. I must agree that viewers who are not interested in the topic may find it boring. To me, it was one of the best political films of the year
7. Red Dog (2011)
PG | 92 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Based on the legendary true story of the Red Dog who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long lost master.
Director: Kriv Stenders | Stars: Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, Rohan Nichol, Luke Ford
Votes: 19,358
I have a dog, it explains why I do like it, right? :p And it's my list at all.
8. Incendies (2010)
R | 131 min | Drama, Mystery, War
Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history and fulfill their mother's last wishes.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Mustafa Kamel
Votes: 198,306 | Gross: $6.86M
9. Sucker Punch (2011)
PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone
Votes: 252,140 | Gross: $36.39M
It looks stupid, but I enjoyed it. My guilty pleasure, I would say. I didn't find it that naive, in fact it is quite imaginative.
10. The Guard (2011)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an uptight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.
Director: John Michael McDonagh | Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Ronan Collins
Votes: 95,362 | Gross: $5.36M
Good little movie about big policeman who has his own view and understanding of life. Black comedy with strange humour.
11. Midnight in Paris (2011)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Kurt Fuller
Votes: 448,810 | Gross: $56.82M
12. Contagion (2011)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow
Votes: 315,279 | Gross: $75.66M
13. Essential Killing (2010)
R | 83 min | Action, Thriller, War
An Afghan POW attempts his escape.
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski | Stars: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner, Zach Cohen, Iftach Ophir
Votes: 8,148
The main protagonist didn't say even a word throughout the film - it's amazing how intensive and action-packed it was. Simple story, great directing.
14. Everything and Nothing (2001)
41 min | Documentary, Short
Everything and Nothing creates an intimate dialogue that weaves back and forth between representations of a figure (of resistance) and subject. The film features interviews with Soha ... See full summary »
Director: Jayce Salloum | Star: Soha Bechara
Votes: 17
15. The Last Lions (2011)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Family
Fifty years ago there were close to half-a-million lions in Africa. Today there are around 20,000. To make matters worse, lions, unlike elephants, which are far more numerous, have ... See full summary »
Director: Dereck Joubert | Star: Jeremy Irons
Votes: 4,370 | Gross: $0.64M
16. Super 8 (2011)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney
Votes: 366,860 | Gross: $127.00M
Spielberg and Abrams managed to remind us about these old adventurous films from our childhood that made us to dream and expect great things from life. I'm bit nostalgic here.
17. Margin Call (2011)
R | 107 min | Drama, Thriller
Follows the key people at an investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis.
Director: J.C. Chandor | Stars: Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany
Votes: 143,656 | Gross: $5.35M
18. Burke and Hare (2010)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Crime, History
A black comedy about two 19th-century grave robbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.
Director: John Landis | Stars: Bill Bailey, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Smiley, Tim Curry
Votes: 21,311 | Gross: $0.00M
Another black comedy with typical British humour, I really had good time with it. Underrated or maybe I'm not pretentious enough.
19. Nothing to Declare (2010)
Not Rated | 108 min | Comedy
A Belge-Francophobe customs officer is forced to team up with a Frenchman during the elimination of the Franco-Belge borders in the 90s.
Director: Dany Boon | Stars: Benoît Poelvoorde, Dany Boon, Christel Pedrinelli, Karin Viard
Votes: 15,213 | Gross: $0.18M
Why do I like such films? I have no answer to this, probably I like people who make fun with Frenchies. Joking :) Big fan of these Louis de Funes type of comedies.
20. Moneyball (2011)
PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 462,758 | Gross: $75.61M
21. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Horror
Affable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.
Director: Eli Craig | Stars: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss
Votes: 192,905 | Gross: $0.22M
22. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
R | 158 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 493,446 | Gross: $102.52M
23. Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough (2011 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 40 min | Documentary
Famous naturalist David Attenborough explains the rise and fall of pterosaurs, mistakenly known as flying dinosaurs. He also flies a glider to show how big the Quetzalcoatlus, at the time the largest known pterosaur species, really was.
Director: Matthew Dyas | Stars: David Attenborough, Douglas A. Lawson
Votes: 1,029 | Gross: $5.69M
24. Troll Hunter (2010)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter.
Director: André Øvredal | Stars: Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, Knut Nærum, Glenn Erland Tosterud
Votes: 79,274 | Gross: $0.25M
25. Deadheads (2011)
R | 96 min | Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Two inexplicably coherent zombies awake amidst a zombie attack, and decide to take a road trip to find the one's lost love, unaware they are being chased by the agents of a ruthless company with its own agenda.
Directors: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce | Stars: Michael McKiddy, Ross Kidder, Markus Taylor, Sebastian Galasso
Votes: 5,520
Ok,ok! With this zombie flick my list has hit new levels of stupidity and I'm not going to disagree. But hey, we can't be all smart people with pretentious and elite taste. DeadHeads may look like a cheap cr*p made by enthusiastic students, but come on...it was cool and fresh. Oh, fine, call me stupid then >:(
26. Source Code (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 548,150 | Gross: $54.71M
27. African Cats (2010)
G | 89 min | Documentary, Adventure
Meet Mara, an endearing lion cub striving to be like her mother; Sita, a cheetah and single mother of five; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion.
Directors: Keith Scholey, Alastair Fothergill | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Stewart
Votes: 6,717 | Gross: $15.42M
28. Rio (2011)
G | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with the bird of his dreams.
Director: Carlos Saldanha | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Karen Disher
Votes: 247,494 | Gross: $143.62M
Oh, no! Another animation in my list? Sooo childish from me, eh? :) Loved the characters again.
29. Drive (I) (2011)
R | 100 min | Action, Drama
A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Votes: 701,934 | Gross: $35.06M
Overrated, it lacks pace and the script is disappointing....but on the other hand it's stylish, with great synthpop soundtrack and brings back the spirit of the 80's and the smell of the neo-noir filmmaking
30. The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
PG-13 | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The affair between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.
Director: George Nolfi | Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Lisa Thoreson, Florence Kastriner
Votes: 269,694 | Gross: $62.50M
31. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.
Director: Rupert Wyatt | Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Karin Konoval
Votes: 556,132 | Gross: $176.76M
32. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A lawyer defending a wealthy man begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
Director: Brad Furman | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy
Votes: 253,114 | Gross: $58.01M
33. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
PG | 107 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Intrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg
Votes: 242,643 | Gross: $77.59M
Looking at my list you may conclude that I'm a kid, and I'm not. I just love films that make me feel like a kid, it's a great feeling. Tintin managed to do this for me. Another innovative animation.
34. Hanna (2011)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps
Votes: 206,530 | Gross: $40.26M
35. The Thing (I) (2011)
R | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.
Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. | Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen
Votes: 145,181 | Gross: $16.93M
36. 30 Minutes or Less (2011)
R | 83 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank or else...
Director: Ruben Fleischer | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, Aziz Ansari
Votes: 106,476 | Gross: $37.05M
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