whitebencantblog

The Top Ten Movies of 2011

This year I’m going with ten honorable mentions followed by my actual top ten.
With a one sentence review of each one. Just because.

Honorable Mentions

• Super – a much more gritty and interesting take on realistic superheroes than
  kickass could ever be
• Extremely loud and Incredibly Close – I know everyone hated this but I liked it
  quite a bit, Sandra Bullock sucks
• Rango – insane attention to detail, some crazy character designs with less than 1
  second of screen time
• The Adventures of Tintin – mo-cap is never going to look like the real thing but
  I thought this was really fun
• We Bought a Zoo – I’ll be the first to admit it! I almost shed a tear or two!
• Anonymous – very interesting revisionist history take on Shakespeare
• Attack the Block – This is a good movie bruv, believe it.
• Contagion – I saw this SLICK, EMOTIONLESS tale of biological horror during a
  thunderstorm at the drive-in
• Martha Marcy May Marlene – I think we can all agree that cults are bad, and John
  Hawkins is a creepy looking man
• Immortals – super cool action sequences between gods and men elevate this weak
  plot

Top Ten

• 10. Take Shelter – intense buildup throughout the entire movie helps reveal
  Michael Shannons sanity in the final scene
• 9. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – probably the best collection of action
  sequences I’ve ever seen, loses points for lack of Ving screen time
• 8. Win Win – fantastic characters and acting by Paul G. and Amy Ryan, awesome
  work by the child actor
• 7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – of the of the of the of the
• 6. Source Code – I swear this movie makes sense, I figured it out once I just
  forget now
• 5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – David Fincher has had a film in my top ten
  in 4 out of the last 5 years! He directs movies I like
• 4. 50/50 – this movie really hit home having gone through a similar experience, although any doctor who treated patients like that would be hit with a lawsuit faster than you can say “cracked my ten”
• 3. The Adjustment Bureau – i love everything about this movie, a great
  supernatural thriller until the final scene where it lets you apply your own
  personal philosophy to the ending, religious or otherwise
• 2. Hanna – a fantasic take on fairy tales and revenge thrillers starring Saoirse
  Ronan, one of my favorite up and comers
• 1. Hugo – the closest thing to a perfect film in a weak movie year for me, you
  can tell Scorsese poured his heart and soul into this

2010

1. Toy Story 3

   “Yeah, I knew Lotso. He was a good toy. A friend. We had the same owner, Daisy. I was there when Lotso got unwrapped. Daisy loved us all. But Lotso… Lotso was special. They did everything together. Never seen a kid and toy more in love. One day we took a drive, hit a rest stop, had a little playtime. After lunch, Daisy fell asleep. She never came back. So we waited. Lotso wouldn’t give up. It took forever, but we finally made it back to Daisy’s. But by then, it was too late. Something changed inside Lotso that day. Something snapped.”
   -Chuckles

   Incredible. The only movie I teared up at this year was about toys. I am an adult. Pixar works miracles. I was 9 years old when Toy Story came out and I like the franchise even more now, 24 years old with a masters degree. This is the most inspired movie I’ve ever seen, and it’s technically a kids movie. The third kids movie in a franchise about toys. I can’t name one thing Toy Story 3 could have done better, even the opening short film was mesmerizing. The best movie of the year. Alright, I’m off to see how much I’m going for on eBay.

   “Now Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember. He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what.”
   -Andy

2. The Fighter

   “I’m not a stepping stone anymore.”
   “I’m the one fighting… not you, not you and not you!”
   “This is my shot at the title, I won’t get another one after this.”

   The script is more conventional than you might think but the performances in this movie are why I love it. And I figured out all on my own that the title “The Fighter” has a secret double meaning! Not only is Micky Ward a literal fighter in the ring, but he also achieves success in life by fighting through tough circumstances, get it? Best performance of the year goes to Christian Bale as he transforms himself once again as Dickie, the drug addled half brother of Marky Mark. Bonus points for Conans sister.

   “That guy did not just get off the fuckin’ couch. If he did, I’m gonna get a couch like that.”
   -Micky Ward

3. The Social Network

   “I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try – but there’s no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention – you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing.”

   I became so absorbed with the way David Fincher put this movie together that I watched every special feature and the audio commenary on the blu-ray in practically one sitting. Best script of the year from Aaron Sorkin and best director of the year for Fincher. This list isn’t written in pencil, it’s written in ink.

   “Did I adequately answer your condescending question?”
   -Mark Zuckerberg

4. Inception

   “I wish. I wish more than anything. But I can’t imagine you with all your complexity, all you perfection, all your imperfection. Look at you. You are just a shade of my real wife. You’re the best I can do; but I’m sorry, you are just not good enough.”
   -Cobb

   Christopher Nolan’s near perfect track record is still intact, following The Dark Knight with a sprawling epic about dreams, ideas and the subconcious. No other director could have pulled off something so bold and imaginitive as this. Joseph Gordon Levitt’s antigravity hallway fight wins best fight sequence of the year. And the top falls at the end, you can hear it.

   “Don’t you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!”
   -Saito

5. 127 Hours

   “You know, I’ve been thinking. Everything is… just comes together. It’s me. I chose this. I chose all this. This rock… this rock has been waiting for me my entire life. It’s entire life, ever since it was a bit of meteorite a million, billion years ago. In space. It’s been waiting, to come here. Right, right here. I’ve been moving towards it my entire life. The minute I was born, every breath that I’ve taken, every action has been leading me to this crack on the out surface.”
   -Aron Ralston

   Great energy. Great soundtrack. Danny Boyles use of haunting sounds and imagery are perfect. Amazing that everyone already knows the story and the ending but I was still watching this on the edge of my seat. Worth it for “the scene” alone.

6. The Town

   “Driver’s name is Arthur Shea. Former Metro Police officer, fifty-seven years old. Soon as his partner leaves with the coal bag, Artie cracks a Herald, and he don’t look up ’til the guy gets back. Marty Maguire. Cummins Armored courier. Five-ten, two-twenty, fifty-two years old. Picks up every Wednesday and Friday at exactly 8:12, makes a hundred and ten dollars a day, carries a Sig nine. And he’s about to get robbed.”

   Some of the best heist sequences (bank heists, for dream heists see: #4 Inception) and car chases all but make up for the lame final beard scene.

   “You know, people get up everyday and do the same thing. And tell themselves they’re going to change their life one day and they never do. I’m going to change mine. Why don’t you do it with me?”
   -Doug MacRay

7. Tron: Legacy

   “The Grid.
   A digital frontier.
   I tried to picture clusters of information as they traveled through the computer.
   What do they look like? Ships, motorcycles.
   With the circuits like freeways.
   …I kept dreaming of a world I thought I’d never see.
   And then, one day… I got in.”
   -Kevin Flynn

   Daft Punk and awesome visuals carry a good enough plot for me to crave this movie on blu-ray. Fake Jeff Bridges looks really fake though.
   Best: Soundtrack

   “Change the scheme! Alter the mood! Electrify the boys and girls if you’d be so kind.”
   -Castor

8. Inside Job

   “This is no dry economics lesson; it is a vital wake-up call.”
   -Colin Covert

   Suck it Michael Moore, this is how you make a documentary. With actual facts that show you how things work and why things are the way they are. I feel like an expert on the mortgage crisis after seeing this. Filled with blame to go around on all sides of the political spectrum, you can’t write this off as a liberal rant or conservative dribble. The most important thing I learned: everyone is a scumbag. My blood is still boiling.
   Best: Documentary

   “Inside Job really is the movie of the decade, unfortunately.”
   -Stuart Klawans

9. True Grit

   “You give out very little sugar with your pronouncements. While I sat there watchin’ I gave some thought to stealin’ a kiss… though you are very young, and sick… and unattractive to boot. But now I have a mind to give you five or six good licks with my belt.”
   -LaBoeuf

   An impressive genre western by the bros Coen. Probably the best performance I’ve seen from Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges was awesome as usual, not much more to say.

   “Ground’s too hard. Them men wanted a decent burial, they should have got themselves killed in summer.”
   -Rooster Cogburn

10. Shutter Island

    “You’re as violent as they come. I know. because I’m as violent as they come. Don’t embarrass yourself by denying your own blood lust, son. Don’t embarrass me. If the constraints of society were removed, and I was all that stood between you and a meal, you’d crack my skull with a rock and eat my meaty parts.”
    -Warden

    The Marty/Leo combo scores again with this one. Not a ton of action but the slow build-up of the events that occur on the island pay off at the end. Duly-appointed federal marshalls CRACK MY TEN.

    “Which would be worse, to live as a monster or die as a good man?”
    -Teddy Daniels

11. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

    “You made me swallow my gum! That’s going to be in my digestive tract for seven years!”
    -Gideon Graves

    Most quotable movie of the year with a visually dazzling style. It’s a shame this movie had a disappointing script or it would have been much higher on the list. I want to play Ninja Ninja Revolution.

    “Your BF’s about to get eff’d in the b!”
    -Roxy Richter

12. Triangle

    Technically a 2009 release overseas, this hit the U.S. in February straight to DVD. And it is a gem. Does it make sense? Maybe not, but I think I love it regardless. I literally can’t say anything about the plot without major spoilers, so please see this movie now however you can. Just download it illegally, everyone does it.

13. The Book of Eli

    “In all these years I’ve been carrying it and reading it every day, I got so caught up in keeping it safe that I forgot to live by what I learned from it.”
    -Eli

    Manages to weave a spiritual journey into a post-apocalyptic action movie. A shocking surprise ending that probably doesn’t fit with the rest of the movie but I don’t care, it’s my list.

14. I Love You Phillip Morris

    Old Jim Carey is back. Not his funniest work ever but easily his best comedy since Liar Liar in 1997. If you want to see Jim Carey having gay sex with Ewan McGregor, SEE THIS MOVIE! I would list some favorite quotes but I think they’re too dirty for Facebook.
    Best: Comedy

15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

    I don’t read the books but this made me very excited for Part 2. Not as cool as Azkaban but I was entertained. For those who said it was a boring road trip movie, shut up you’re wrong.

16. The King’s Speech

    “If I am King, where is my power? Can I declare war? Form a government? Levy a tax? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority because they think that when I speak, I speak for them.”
    -King George VI

    I wasn’t expecting too much from this as speech impediments don’t sound like the most interesting topic for a movie. But the way it fuses King George’s personal problems with worldwide issues is fantastic and makes for a riveting history lesson.

I awkwardly made a top 16 last year, damn good list of movies besides a few things: The Kings Speech sucks but at least it was only my #16 pick. I ranked The Town and The Fighter way too high. Toy Story 3 is clearly the best movie of last year but followed closely by The Social Network and Inception. Good year for Fincher and Nolan.

2009

1. Inglourious Basterds
   Best dialogue of all time. Amazing how Quentin can make a simple conversation so tense that you’re on the edge of your seat for nothing but words. I’ll just say this was my favorite movie of the year and possibly my favorite Tarantino movie.
2. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
   Best animated movie ever, best Wes Anderson movie ever. Most quotable movie ever.
3. The Road
   Wins the “Only Movie Of The Year To Make Me Cry” Award. My favorite book in quite some time was actually made into an equally as good film. Perfect haunting atmosphere and cinematography. And even the ambiguous ending to the book is expertly executed on film.
4. Moon
   Is scientific advancement so great that it comes at the expense of humanity? Sam Rockwell deserves a lot of credit here, basically acting by himself and a HAL- like Kevin Spacey robot. An epic film, and an amazing debut by the son of David Bowie. A movie like this only comes once in a blue moon!!1
5. Watchmen – Ultimate Cut
   The unfilmable graphic novel, taken on by Zach Snyder so no one else would screw it up. The Ultimate Cut consolidates everything left out of the theatrical version, and the movie feels much more seamless and connected because of it. Malin Akerman sucks, but the rest of the casting choices were well done.
6. Up
   I call for the abolishment of all CGI movies by companies not named Pixar. How can anyone watch garbage like Shrek and Madagascar when Pixar is pumping these gems out? The level of storytelling mixed with quality of animation is off the charts with these movies. I didn’t enjoy Up as much as Wall-E, but it is still an instant classic.
7. Zombieland
   Best zombie comedy ever made, and Bill Murrays in it. Sucks for you if you haven’t seen it, that’s a huge spoiler.
8. Big Fan
   I relate to this movie the most out of all movies of 2009. Patton Oswalt gives the performance of the year as a damaged New York Giants fan, spending every waking moment obsessing about the team. Bonus points for having an unexpectedly dark ending featuring everyone’s favorite actor, Michael Rapaport (The War at Home, Boston Public).
9. Adventureland
   If I was a pretentious blowhard, I would say something like: “Adventureland is a melancholy voyage into the grey zone between adolescence and adulthood, school and career, lust and relationships and frivolity and responsibility.” But I’m not. Although, I did get to see where most of this movie was filmed at Kennywood amusement park in Pittsburgh, that was cool.
10. The Brothers Bloom
    A neat little heist movie that ends up being much more than the sum of it’s parts. This movie started towards the bottom of my list but the more I thought about it, the more I decided I liked it. Very nuanced performances by the three leads and Rinko Kikuchi does a hilarious job as Bang Bang, the brothers associate. This movie cracks my ten.
11. Duplicity
    A surprisingly awesome thriller/spy movie. As usual, Clive Owen steals the show and Julia Roberts actually doesn’t suck like she always does. A slick plot and fantastic supporting characters (Paul Giamatti/Tom Wilkinson) helped this movie just barely miss my top ten.
12. The Hangover
    I’ve been a Galifianakis fan since the days of Late World with Zach, so I’m glad to see this young man finally find his calling in the movie business. Is there anything else to say about The Hangover? Everyone likes this movie. Although I don’t think it holds up as well on repeat viewings.
13. I Love You Man
    Stands out uniquely in a sea of 2009 comedies. Love the supporting characters like Joe Lo Truglio, Andy Samberg, John Favrea etc. Best comedy from this group of people since Superbad. Also, it came out on my birthday.
14. State of Play
    Kind of a current All the Presidents Men and probably the last movie to ever be made about the newspaper industry.
15. Up in the Air
    Great script and performances, however the bleak subject matter given
    the economy and my lack of a job/huge student loan debt/terrible life made me depressed after leaving the theater.
16. District 9
    Cool story, Neil Blomkamp.
17. The Informant!
    Not the most exciting story of all time, but really well written and superbly acted by fat Matt Damon. The constant random narration by Damon’s other personality makes the film work even better.
18. A Perfect Getaway
    I honestly didn’t expect to like this movie but decided to check it out after hearing a glowing podcast review. It probably falls into every cliché the genre has to offer and you can spot the end twist a mile away if you’re clever enough. But it’s just really fun to watch from start to finish and the acting is surprisingly good from Steve Zahn and Timothy Olyphant.
19. The Hurt Locker
    Easily the best Iraq war movie made to date. However, I don’t think I was as blown away by it as most people were. Jeremy Renner definitely played his part brilliantly and the tension level throughout this film was off the charts. Not much more to say.
20. Where the Wild Things Are
    This Spike Jonze flick is more a movie about childhood made for adults than a childrens movie. I’m not sure how the little kid version of me would like it and I certainly don’t know what book the script came from, not any I’ve ever read. But there’s something about it that feels magical and stays with you a long time after viewing it. It beat out some big name titles for my 20 spot (Star Trek, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes), mostly because it had more imagination.

Twenty movies this year, I must have been ambitious. Solid list though, I still appreciate everything on here besides maybe The Hurt Locker which seems terribly overrated in hindsight and Up in the Air (ditto, Jason Reitman). Basterds probably doesn’t make the leap over Pulp Fiction like I thought it may have at the time but I’m still pretty sure it’s #2. The Road is still hauntingly good and Duncan Jones sophmore effort (see: 2011 top ten) proves Moon wasn’t just a fluke. Another good list in a solid film year.

2008

1. The Dark Knight

   -No other movie really had a chance to top this as my favorite of the year and being a Batman fanboy as a kid didn’t hurt. Walking through parts of the set of Rory’s First Kiss in 2007 in downtown Chicago made it even more memorable for me. Has anything else actually lived up to it’s own hype as well the The Dark Knight did?

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

   -Wins the “Only Movie Of The Year To Make Me Cry” Award. This and my number 3 pick were very close but the emotional punch of Ben Button gives it the edge. I don’t think such a simple idea has ever been executed so well in a movie. An old man grows in reverse, that’s pretty much all it was but it felt like a lot more.

3. Slumdog Millionaire

   -For me when it comes to watching movies, bigger is better. I stick to Tinseltown and stay away from Regal Interstate Park and their 62 inch screens. But I saw this movie in maybe the tiniest theater in existence, thrown at the end of a hallway at Cedar Lee and crammed with people. But I was so entranced by how upbeat and visually dazzling Slumdog was that it made me feel I was watching it in IMAX. One of the better tellings of the universal underdog story.

4. Wall-E

   -Honestly the best flat out love story I’ve ever seen done in a movie. You know something is special when you can physically feel the emotions of pain and joy experienced by inanimate objects. Also, some of the most realistic CGI ever created.

5. Speed Racer

   -Yeah it’s a kids movie and its up for a razzie but it was awesome. I’ve never seen anything so fun and colorful before. By the final race of the movie I almost felt like jumping up and down and pumping my fist in the air while crying tears of joy. Not my problem if it gave you a seizure.

6. Role Models

   -I’m not sure why I liked this so much, everything about it just comedically clicked with me. It wasn’t mean spirited or overly sexual like most of the raunchy comedies that come out these days and I really enjoyed how the final LAIR battle brought together every character in the movie for a final hurrah.

7. The Wrestler

   -Never saw much of Mickey Rourke until Sin City so I’m not big on the whole crazy comeback thing but it was a great performance nonetheless. Done just differently enough to keep it from falling into feel good sports movie cliche territory and has a great semi-cliffhanger ending.

8. Nothing But The Truth

   -One of the better thrillers of recent memory, great all around casting in this story of how far journalistic integrity can take you. Matt Dillon’s prosecutor makes you hate his guts for just doing his job at the same time you’re filled with pity for Beckinsale. Great twist ending I don’t think anyone could see coming.

9. City of Ember

   -The more I think about this movie the more I like it. A very cool fantasy tale along the lines of 1984. Is there a world outside of the City of Ember? The unique ending answers that question in satisfying fashion. Bill Murray and Tim Robbins bring some big names to the otherwise unknown cast.

10. Tropic Thunder

    -An all star cast of comedians making fun of the industry they work in by spoofing a war movie. Consistely hilarious and suprisingly intelligent with special mention of Tom Cruises foul mothed film exec Les Grossman. Is it a vanity project for Ben Stiller? Maybe, but who cares.

This is the year I grew up. I started to be able to string complete sentences together into mini reviews and I actually picked good movies. The Dark Knight and Wall-E and probably both in my top twenty or so all time. I might not be as high on Slumdog Millionaire anymore and I could probably do without The Wrestler, but the rest of these are outstanding picks. Good job by me.

2007

1. 3:10 to Yuma
2. Charlie Wilson’s War
3. Eastern Promises
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
5. Zodiac
6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
7. American Gangster
8. Ratatouille
9. Once
10. No Country for Old Men

Decent list. About half of these hold up well, I think. Don’t really care for No Country anymore and can’t remember much from a few others. Zodiac, Ratatouille and Asssassination are the standouts for me this year. Once was cute.

2006

1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. Babel
3. Bobby
4. The Prestige
5. The Departed
6. Children of Men
7. The Fountain
8. Mission: Impossible 3
9. Casino Royale
10. Rocky Balboa

Little Miss Sunshine #1? Really? Children of Men is clearly the gem of this year. I still like the rest of this list, although Bobby seems kind of forgettable at this point. Solid entries from Nolan, Scorsese and Aronofsky on this years list.

2005

1. Walk the Line
2. Batman Begins
3. Crash
4. Lord of War
5. King Kong
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
7. Cinderella Man
8. War of the Worlds
9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
10. Kung Fu Hustle

I hope this was a weak year for movies because this list is embarrassing. Batman Begins and Lord of War might be the only two respectable films on here. Oh wait, this was the Brokeback Mountain year, so yes, terrible year for movies.