Entertainment
15 Years Later, These Are the 10 Best Movies of 2011
2011 might not have been a classic year in cinema history, but it marked an important twelve months of change for the industry. A battle began to emerge with the widespread move from film stock to digital, with the first online cries for classic cinema to return. Hollywood had long been skeptical about certain new technologies, and 2011 saw many of said skeptics finally adopt new practices.
As well as this, theatrical attendances began to drop significantly for the first time in a decade that would see audiences shift from attending across the theatrical line-up to saving their spending money for the burgeoning cinematic universes. So, in a year remembered as a transitional period, it’s worth reminding oneself of the genuinely great cinema we also received. With that in mind, here’s a look at the ten best movies of 2011.
10
‘Take Shelter’
Jeff Nichols‘ 2013 psychological disaster thriller Take Shelter might not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of 2011, but its place on this list is well-deserved. Starring Oscar nominee Michael Shannon and Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, the film follows one Ohio family man’s sudden visions of an apocalyptic future, and his efforts to save those closest to him.
In modern Hollywood, it feels as if suspense is built in a rush. For Nichols’ most underrated movie, Take Shelter, attention to detail is used to craft a meticulously ascending tension that explodes in a storm of both real and marital proportions. What might seem like an average disaster thriller is, in fact, a clever analysis of paranoia and community.
9
‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’
2011 was dominated by the more “serious” genres, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t receive some great comedy. The funniest film of 2011, and one that has aged like a fine wine since, is Crazy, Stupid, Love, which is best described as ancient Greek comedy meets four of the best modern actors: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone.
The twisting, turning romantic lives of Cal (Carell), Jacob (Gosling), Emily (Moore), Hannah (Stone), and more are explored in hilarious and heartwarming detail in Crazy Stupid, Love, all culminating in one of the most jaw-dropping, cathartic twists in 2010s Hollywood. Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, romantic comedies don’t get much better than this.
8
‘Oslo, August 31st’
Joachim Trier‘s most recent film, Sentimental Value, stole hearts, minds, and even an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. 15 years prior, he released only his second ever feature film, and the talent that would one day secure Oscars gold was clear for everyone to see.
Oslo, August 31 is a detailed and emotionally devastating story — something that will come as little surprise to anyone who has seen either Sentimental Value or The Worst Person in the World. A tender tale of a day-in-the-life of a young recovering drug addict, this profound achievement succeeds in being both bold and quiet.
7
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’
Rarely does the highest-grossing movie of the year also rank as one of the best in terms of quality. In 2011, the stars aligned for the final installment in the magical Harry Potter franchise. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the eighth film in the franchise, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson)’s mission to destroy the Horcruxes comes to an explosive end via one of the most satisfying cinematic battles ever.
For what it lacks in nuance and misses out on in a disappointing villain death, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 more than makes up for in sheer entertainment value. After two underwhelming previous installments, the pressure was on for director David Yates and co to nail the landing, and they did so with awe-inspiring visuals, a surprisingly emotional core, and some of the franchise’s best performances.
6
‘Submarine’
2011 was a strong year for British film, with Olivia Colman stunning in Tyrannosaur, John Boyega breaking onto the scene in Attack the Block, and Saoirse Ronan showcasing her early talent in Hanna. But the best of the bunch from across the pond actually comes from one of the two main characters in the beloved comedy The IT Crowd.
Richard Ayoade‘s coming-of-age drama Submarine follows the eccentric outcast Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts), who struggles to find romance in school whilst also attempting to repair his parents’ marriage. Hilariously awkward in all the best ways, Submarine taps into the genuine anxiety and confusion that surrounds understanding love and romance at a young age, in all its many ungainly facets.
5
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’
He might be best known as 007 or private detective Benoit Blanc, but one of Daniel Craig‘s best-ever performances came in this 2011 adaptation of author Stieg Larsson‘s 2005 novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Directed by the great David Fincher, just a year after delivering The Social Network, the film follows disgraced financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) as he attempts to redeem his career by solving a 40-year-old murder.
Craig’s pitch-perfect performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is only bettered by a jaw-dropping turn from Rooney Mara as hacker Lisbeth, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. This was one of five nominations the adaptation earned at the 84th edition of the biggest event in the cinema calendar, with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo winning for Best Film Editing.
4
‘Melancholia’
One of the most thought-provoking movies of 2011 is Melancholia, the 12th feature in the filmography of a man never afraid of symbolic ambiguity, Lars von Trier. The film tells the tale of two sisters, played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, as they live their final days before doomsday strikes and a planet collides with Earth.
An existential masterpiece that captures both the broad and the fine, Melancholia is satisfied with being indefinite, allowing a selection of top-tier performances and some unusual set pieces to capture an essence of humanity on the edge. Key to the film’s success is Dunst, whose turn as the depressed, enigmatic Justine is perhaps her very best.
3
‘The Tree of Life’
There’s no doubt that this pick will prove divisive, as plenty of audiences reacted poorly to Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life. However, others have labeled the film his magnum opus, as his many layers of meaning are peeled back through some of the finest cinematography of the year, in a film that will live long in your mind once the credits roll.
Compared by the great Roger Ebert to Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey — which is alone enough to put it on this list — The Tree of Life, to those who loved it, was regarded as the very best of 2011. A bold, visceral drama that is as emotionally diverse as it is visually stunning, The Tree of Life has aged like a fine wine.
2
‘Drive’
15 years before joining Rocky on a mission to save the universe in Project Hail Mary, Ryan Gosling‘s reputation as one of the best actors of his generation began with a simple Drive. It is this very simplicity that helps Nicolas Winding Refn‘s genius to shine through, as arthouse violence and stylish cinematography help frame one of the most stylish and oddly heartfelt crime dramas of the 2010s.
Following Gosling’s Hollywood action film stuntman turned getaway driver, as he spirals into criminal chaos. A neo-noir gem that blends romance, tragedy, and breathless tension, Drive even earned a nomination for an Academy Award in a year when the Academy seemed to get many decisions wrong.
1
‘A Separation’
2011 wasn’t a classic year for American cinema, but thankfully, plenty of international features stood out. One such stand-out, an Iranian production boasting the directorial talent of the genius Asghar Farhadi, is arguably the greatest movie of 2011 entirely. The winner of Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, A Separation is the most celebrated Iranian film of all time.
Never before have the complexities of marriage, divorce, and the chaos in between been explored in such devastating detail. A tour de force of suspense and intensity, this morally nuanced tale is as dynamic as an action thriller, with all the emotion of a tender drama. Boasting immersive performances and a masterclass in direction, A Separation is an utter triumph.
- Release Date
-
February 15, 2011
- Runtime
-
123 minutes
- Director
-
Asghar Farhadi
You must be logged in to post a comment Login