Top Five Films of 2011
Courier Film section writers review 2011 with the five best films of the year.
1.) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Cold War spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was one of this year’s most hotly-anticipated films for numerous reasons. A stellar cast including Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong was one, as was the adoration it received at Cannes, but there was also the thorny issue of whether a two hour film could do justice to both the original John le Carré novel and the seminal BBC television adaptation starring Alec Guinness. It didn’t disappoint, delivering a brilliantly evocative depiction of a paranoia-saturated Cold War world. The condensation of le Carré’s delicately poised, intricate plotting is extremely well-managed, and a welcome reminder that thrillers can be thrilling and successful without kinetic explosions every eight seconds or so. However, towering over all these achievements is a superlative lead performance from Gary Oldman as Smiley. He disappears into the role, investing Smiley with as much intellect, authority and vulnerability as Guinness did, but also bringing a wiry intensity and tension which provides a mesmerising centre for the complex plot and the other excellent performances to revolve around. Above all, it’s brilliantly immersing, involving you in the mystery of finding the Soviet spy in the British Secret Service, and, come the climax, makes you kick yourself that you didn’t work it out sooner.
Tom Nicholson
2.) X – Men First Class
There’s no denying after we reached the new millennium superheroes became the dominating force in cinema. The genres popularity explosion exposed the inner geek hidden in everyone. However, only a handful ever really truly achieves critical acclimation. The X-men franchise is no exception. The entire franchise is a maelstrom of hit and miss attempts. The first two were fantastic, the next two (one a prequel) I would rather have Professor X wipe from my mind. But First Class was a delightful return to the franchise (if you can forgive the continuity faults) and one of the surprising hits of the year. What were given is something that fans have been curious about for years, the prologue story of Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr. Played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender with excellent ease, they manage to show the tropes and faults that each character possess that the previous films tended to neglect. This was before they were Professor X and Magneto, back when they were close friends. They enlist a heard of other mutants, in order to prevent a sinister dictator (Kevin Bacon) starting world war three. The film runs with great energy, doesn’t rely too heavily on thrills but runs more on character interaction, and has a very likeable ensemble group of characters. It’s not a perfect film, but in comparison to the other comic book adaptations this year had to offer, First Class by far surpassed them all.
Luke Hearfield
3.) Drive
Drive sort of slipped under the radar of many people in the UK. It was a big hit at most festivals, receiving a stand ovation at Cannes, and created a buzz upon American release but it seemed to slide in and out of UK cinemas like an expert getaway driver. And what little promo material was released made it look more like Fast & Furious rather than Bullitt. But it really is one of the more interesting films to be overlooked this year.
It’s yet another vehicle (no pun intended) from the man who has been everywhere in 2011, Ryan Gosling. He plays a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a very strict getaway driver but, after meeting his neighbour (Carey Mulligan) and taking on a job on behalf of her husband, things start to go very pear shaped with much blood and a lot of fast driving.
But Drive isn’t your typical action movie with car chases and huge shoot outs. Instead it’s very methodical and, to some people, could be seen as dull and slow. It focuses more on the slow burning emotions of the characters and a lot of tension to really give you the punches to the guts rather than a billion cars exploding at once. But this is standard of director Nicolas Winding Refn.With an 80s style soundtrack, an excellent supporting cast and some great moments, it’s one of this year’s greatest injustices seeing as it got looked over in the UK.
Chris Taylor
4.) Tree of Life
It really says something about a film when it is both a contender for film of the year and a point of division between those who have seen it. The Tree of Life could so easily be criticised as just an aimless collection of barely comprehensible scenes, but for this fragmented semi-narrative to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes really highlights its appeal to some people.This film is less a story than it is an experience. A half-hour sequence depicting what can only be imagined as the beginning of the universe epitomises this. Essentially a collection of images of matter in space, then the barren origins of a planet, simple organisms and so on, a description hardly justifies a scene that feels so engrossing while it’s on.
To look at only the mystical aspect of The Tree of Life, however, would fail to do justice to its more technical brilliance. Brad Pitt as the domineering father, Mr. O’Brien, is one of the performances of the year and cements Pitt’s shift from movie star to quality actor, while the ethereally beautiful Jessica Chastain far from detracts from the experience. The cinematography is subtle, yet at the same time noticeably fresh and precise, while the music is one of the best collections seen in film in a long time. With all this considered, it’s not hard to see why a film that is so dull to some, can at the same time be considered one of the finest of the year.
Patrick Mchugh
5.) Black Swan
A good film tells a good story. A great film integrates an (unexpected) ambiguity into the plot to make it thrive. An outstanding film does all of that while using a well-chosen popular motif as a metaphor to represent the ambiguity which is why Black Swan belongs to the best movies released this year. Sounds too complicated? As even the most unobservant viewer must have realised by now, Black Swan is not merely about two dancers competing for a role; director Darren Aronofsky‘s most succesful film to date deals with the psychological identity disorder of the aspiring ballerina Nina, portrayed by Natalie Portman, illustrated by the binary of the innocent White Swan and sensual Black Swan from Tschaikowsky‘s ballet Swan Lake. Despite its perplexing high density of symbolism, you don‘t have to be a ballet enthusiast or significantly knowledgeable to enjoy the film. The story is intriguing and full of twists, scenes of beauty and horror, giving the film its dynamic and the cast does an excellent job embodying the intense and somewhat difficult characters. Particular credit has to be given to the magnificient Natalie Portman who has finally won her first and more than deserved Oscar for starring as the mentally torn main role. If Black Swan’s hype has put you off watching it, be assured that is that good. But beware: It is NOT Billy Elliot!
Lisa Bernhardt
