| Elizabeth's top ten movie list of 2011 |
 January 05, 2012 By Elizabeth Gross elizabethgross@geringcitizen.com |
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 Though the remake revolution continues in the movie industry, there were a few standouts that were a real joy to watch. Here are my picks for the 10 best films of 2011. Tree of Life This is hands down one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen. There is virtually no plot, yet the few scenes that do involve the actors craft a different story for different people. It contains elements of every situation we are faced with in life; the loss of innocence, the tragedy of death, and the glory of new life. The film poses different questions we have at one point or another asked ourselves. Why are we here? Why did this happen? And where were you? It is like watching a moving painting, so you let go of the fact there is no direct plot. You have to watch this film with an open mind. While at times it does drag, if you are not paying attention, you miss something important. Make sure that you have the volume turned up. Many voice-overs are delivered in a whispered voice, so again, you risk missing something important. I highly recommend this film. If you don’t understand it the first time, watch it again. And if you don’t create a story, you can still appreciate the beautiful filmmaking. Limitless The film opens with Eddie Mora (Bradley Cooper) standing on the ledge of a high story building, ready to jump. Cue in a voice over that kind of explains what in the world he is doing on a ledge. The film tells the story about down and out writer Eddie. His girlfriend has dumped him; he has a serious case of writer’s block, and has accepted the fact that he’s a loser. Until he gets his hands on a new pharmaceutical drug that helps a person use 100 percent of their brain. Suddenly, his world is turned upside down while he moves his way up the corporate ladder. The opening reminded me immediately of the movie ‘Fight Club.’ You are almost set up to think that this is going to be a twisted thriller. Every time Eddie takes a pill, you take it with him. The camera angles make you feel like you are on a drug trip. The whole time you start crafting in your mind about what this could really be about. Everything that happens to him is almost too good to be true. I will not say how it ends because you have to see the film for yourself. 30 Minutes or Less 30 minutes or less is the second film by director Ruben Fleischer. Fleischer, who burst onto the scene with the movie Zombieland, brings us a much darker comedy. The movie is about Dwayne and Travis, two guys who want to start a massage parlor. In order for them to get the money they get the brilliant idea of killing Dwayne’s father, The Major. (The Major is an ex-military man who hit it big when he won the lottery). Because they don’t have the guts to kill the Major themselves, they now must get 100, 000 dollars to hire an assassin. They have no way to get that kind of money, so they decide to kidnap a pizza delivery boy named Nick. Dwayne and Travis strap a bomb to Nick and tell him he has 10 hours to rob a bank or he dies. When you see a movie that stars Danny McBride and Nick Swandson you have some expectations. The film will have lots of drug references and naughty jokes. This film is no exception; however, it’s played up much nicer so the film doesn’t turn vulgar. It’s a black comedy, so a lot of the jokes fall flat if you are not into these kinds of films. The movie has a great balance of action and comedy which keeps the film moving at a good pace. In terms of storyline, this was probably the most original idea on my list. I look forward to more films from Ruben Fleischer. If you’re into something a little different this film is for you. Bridesmaids Hailed as the female version of the “Hangover,” Bridesmaids was one of the most risky comedies this year. It’s not very often we see a comedy with an all-female cast. If we do, it goes more along the lines of a chick flick; which if you’re like me, is an unfunny snore fest. Bridesmaids is about two best friends Lillian and Annie. When Lillian gets married she asks Annie to be her maid of honor. Annie is honored until she meets one of Lillian’s friends from college, Helen. Annie and Helen get into a battle royale to prove who the better friend is. A lot of people said this was a female version of “The Hangover.” I would have to agree to a point but “The Hangover” was something you just sort of expected from men. Bridesmaids was a very brash and in your face look at how some women really do treat each other. To quote Lillian from the movie, “Why can’t you be happy for me and then go home and talk about me behind my back like a normal person?” This is a great comedy for both men and women. It has a great balance of slapstick and tender moments. This is a movie you can watch with your significant other and not have him become embarrassed when they mention “female problems.” I hope we start to see more female leads in comedies. Fast Five Just when you thought they couldn’t possibly come up with anymore squeals for this franchise, “Fast Five” proved that they could. Turning away from its street racing roots, this sequel’s style was more along the lines of a heist film. The movie picks up right where the last one left off. Brian and Mia plan a heist to break Dominic out of jail. Afterwards they end up in Rio Janeiro, Brazil where they need money fast. They hook up with one of their old partners, Vince. The deal goes south and the gang now has to face the drug lord of Rio. To settle the score they plan a heist to take all of his money. This film was action-packed, the car scenes where phenomenal and it brought together all of your favorite characters from the franchise. If you are a fan of the Fast and the Furious films you will love this movie. Take Me Home Tonight Even though the film takes place the year I was born, this movie was very relatable. It tells the story of MIT graduate Matt. A guy that everyone feels has so much potential, yet has no idea what direction to take with his life. He works at Sun Coast Video in the mall, where he runs into his high school crush. She invites him to a party, where everything changes for Matt. What was great about this movie is that it’s your typical coming of age story. Everyone goes through that feeling after high school or college wondering what to do with their life. You have that diploma or degree; now what? Even though the timeline of the story is during one day, the characters are so well developed that you feel like you know every one of them. If you don’t relate with Matt, you relate with his sister or his friend. This film has a John Hughes sort of magic to it that makes it so memorable. Colombiana What Bridesmaids did for women in comedy, Colombiana does for action films. After witnessing her parents’ murder, Catelyea (Zoe Saldana) dedicates her life to avenging her family. This is a story line we’ve heard before. What makes it unique is that a woman is the fighting lead and it works. They used the physical body type of the actress and put her in situations that were believable. However, in terms of fight scenes, this didn’t work and the actress was tossed around like a rag doll. The pace of the movie was fast, which left no dead spots. While it could have used better character development, the film proved that there can be such a thing as a female action star. This is another genre I would love to see women have a bigger role in. Thor Comic book heroes are our modern mythology. As an avid Marvel comics fan, I wasn’t a big fan of the Thor comic books. It always seemed a little unoriginal to use a hero from mythology to create a comic book hero. The movie Thor however, made me second guess my original opinion. The fact that they had Shakespearean actor Kenneth Barnagh directing the film was kind of a shocker for me. The movie was pretty basic in terms of story. This is Thor and this is why he’s stuck on earth now. The simple storytelling was what made this film easy to follow. The casting was great because quite frankly, Chris Hemsworth just looks like a god. The film had a nice blend of CGI effects, unlike other films where the CGI effects overtake the storyline. Captain America: The First Avenger This is another Marvel comic hero I knew nothing about. Captain America was before my time so when I heard they were making this into a movie I wasn’t really excited about it. Captain America was a hero from WWII that we found in a block of ice. What kind of superhero gets trapped in a block of ice? Now if he was trapped in adamantium, that make more sense. Just like Thor, I ate my words when I saw Captain America. This was another film with a nice blend of CGI effects to go into the WWII back story. It has a lot of heart and you find yourself wanting the hero Steve Rogers to win. Again this film was great for anybody, not just comic book fans. X-Men: First Class This comic book film is more for the fans instead of everyone. I love the X-Men but I was a little leery about this film. X-Men: First Class tells the back story of Charles Xavier and Erick Lensherr (Magneto). When I first heard the premise of this story, I thought this was going to be completely boring. Again, I was surprised and this was a neat take on the X-Men universe. The story takes place during the Cuban missile crisis. Charles Xavier is enlisted by the military to get a team together to find out what the Russians are up to. The combination of history and action makes this movie interesting. While it does drag at times, the filmmakers make it up to you by adding a great fight scene. There were a lot of strong actors that made this movie. It is a good film for anyone who enjoys the X-Men. There you have it, my picks for the best films of 2011. Let’s hope 2012 will bring us some new and fresh ideas. Check these films out and you’re sure to find something for everybody. |
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