For further background on the year in film, please refer to the Some Other Movies From 2011 entry.
And you know what I just noticed? My opinion on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift completely flipped. As of now it's my favorite movie in that series.
The following things happened in 2011:
- The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 began.
- The First Libyan Civil War started.
- A 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami which killed thousands of people in Japan.
- Files from Guantanamo Bay were leaked to the public.
- Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. military personnel.
- South Sudan seceded from Sudan.
- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Rover recovered evidence of liquid water on Mars.
- The Occupy Wall Street protests began in the U.S.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack.
- Elizabeth Taylor passed away.
An Excellent Movie I Never Want to See Again
1. We Need to Talk About Kevin
Ezra Miller is great in this movie.
Tilda Swinton stars in and co-produced this film about a mother attempting to raise a very, very troubled child. In terms of sheer moodiness it scores an 11 out of 10, and whoever oversaw the sound design did an amazing job. Director Lynne Ramsay's next movie, 2017's You Were Never Really Here, is also very good.
An Excellent Movie You'd THINK I Never Want to See Again, but Which I Found Surprisingly Interesting
1. Contagion
Life imitates art? Art imitates life? This movie seems prescient, but then again it was filmed not long after H1N1, and there are several epidemic movies which precede it. Whatever the case, director Steven Soderbergh did a masterful job detailing the spread of "MEV-1" from Hong Kong to the rest of the world, and many aspects of this movie ring just as true ten years later.
Fun Fact: While critically praised and financially successful, this movie was more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic than during its initial theatrical release.
Just Excellent
1. Shame
Michael Fassbender and his impressive johnson star as a sex addict stalking the streets of New York. Director Steve McQueen would continue his partnership with Fassbender on 12 Years a Slave the following year.
Some Good Ones
1. Like Crazy
Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones star as lovers separated by two countries and an expired student visa. It's well acted, but doesn't really go anywhere.
2. War Horse
Even by Spielberg standards this movie is very melodramatic. The two guys, one German and one British, pausing mid-battle to rescue an injured horse? Riiiiiiight... Aside from that it's about as interesting as a movie about a horse could be. It was nominated for Best Picture, but I don't think it deserved that honor.
3. No Strings Attached
I was surprised to learn that Ivan Reitman directed this. Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher star as two friends with benefits. Sure, it's formulaic, but it's also funny.
4. Just Go With It
One of Adam Sandler's funnier movies. In this one he has to choose between Jennifer Aniston and another woman who's probably half his age. It's predictable, it's dumb, but it's also funny. And not occasionally funny, either. It's funny all the way through. Critics hated it, but that's not surprising.
5. I am Number Four
An alien with super powers hides out in a local high school. Chronicle was in some ways similar, and in other ways much better. It's aimed squarely at young adults, and taken as an science fiction action movie it works well enough.
6. Midnight in Paris
If I say this is my favorite Woody Allen movie, don't take that as glowing praise. I've never been a fan of the director, and in this movie all the usual tropes are there. Middle-aged man with artistic ambitions, a frustrating romantic relationship, the "pure" (or at least unfamiliar) object of desire, it's all in evidence. But Midnight in Paris is at least a bit more subtle about these things, and the time travel motif adds a bit of freshness to ideas that Allen has done to death elsewhere. Owen Wilson is also good in the lead.
Fun Fact: William Faulkner's estate sued Allen after the release of this film, accusing him of plagiarism. Allen responded that his use of the quote was simply a literary allusion, included with an understanding of where the quote came from.
An Argument I'd Enjoy: Hemingway or Fitzgerald? I'd have to go with Fitzgerald. Faulkner above both, but Fitzgerald above Hemingway for sure.
Some Bad Ones
1. One Day
I'm guessing the book was better. As it is it's impossible to sympathize (or empathize) with any of the characters in this movie. There's Anne Hathaway as a doormat, her "best friend" as a self-centered substance abuser, and various other people lacking enough self respect to walk away from wives, husbands or lovers who'd rather be with someone else.
2. Season of the Witch
If movies like this led Nicolas Cage to Mandy, so be it.
As it is, Nicolas Cage + Ron Perlman + terrible cgi.+ American accents + witchery doesn't work. And who is this witch anyway? And why should we care?
3. Final Destination 5
A group of young adults cheat death and face the consequences. It's about as good as any of the other ones I guess. I've never been a fan of this series.
4. Detachment
I wanted to like this movie, it starts out well, but they lost me at the point where Adrien Brody invites the child prostitute to live with him. As a substitute teacher working in that kind of area he should know that YOU DON'T FUCKING DO THAT, and that doing so is going to result in a world of hurt. This movie has a great cast, but director Tony Kaye doesn't seem to understand what kind of world these characters are living in.
5. Johnny English Reborn
Mr. Bean (or in this case Johnny English) battles evil spies. People are going to think I'm weird for liking Just Go With It and not liking Johnny English Reborn, but it just wasn't doing anything for me.
So, So Bad, but So, So Good
1. Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings
Sure, let's take a snowmobile trip just as a storm is approaching, and sure, let's take a WRONG TURN to the cabin we were looking for, and sure, let's spend the night in an "abandoned" mental hospital, and sure, let's start having sex and partying in said mental hospital. What could go wrong?
In this movie's defense the "fondue" scene is genuinely creepy, but some of the gore looks super fake. This, and that has to be some of the sharpest barbed wire ever invented. Is there a Wrong Turn 5? And will I watch it? Of course I will!
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