Looking Back: a Year in Film 2011

According to my records, I watched 121 films this past year. I write them ALL down in a little book-- something I've been doing for the past few years. I don't know if I can top that number in 2012. (In 2010, I saw 83 films.)

I could see everything currently playing in theaters if I wanted to, but life is too short to be spent watching crappy movies. I see films by filmmakers I admire or by those that truly inspire me. I see films that I really want to see, films I'm curious about, and films that have something to say.

There are exceptions, of course. The last film I logged for 2011 was on New Year's Eve. That film was The House Bunny (I'm ashamed to admit.) I didn't need to see it. I knew it wasn't going to be miraculous in any particular way or even well-written. I just thought it'd be a fun movie along the lines of the original Legally Blonde . Yes, it had heart, but even with the sparkling personality of Anna Faris and Emma Stone co-starring, it was pretty bad overall, circa 2008. I will say, however, that The Playboy Mansion looks better on-camera than it does in real life. [Note: That's probably true of most Playboy models, too.]

All that aside: As I look back, I've noticed that 2011 was not a bad year. Maybe that's why I saw more films. It also helps that there are so many ways to see films now: On the big screen, TV, Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and an increasingly diverse number of film streaming platforms [too numerous to mention.]

It would be difficult to choose a favorite from my 2011 list of movies, but I definitely have my favorite(s): the films that I'll remember, the films that spoke to me in some way, and the films I'm still thinking about.

From my 2011 list, I offer my recommends, in no particular order. [ Note: I viewed all of these films in the traditional sense-- by seeing them on the Big Screen.]

THE LUCKY 13

*WIN, WIN
*MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
*THE DESCENDANTS
*THE ARTIST
*HESHER
*ANOTHER EARTH
*CRAZY STUPID LOVE
*THE HELP
*MONEYBALL
*DRIVE
*50/50
*HESHER
*BRIDESMAIDS

For films I discovered (or viewed) via other means, I'd recommend:

~ Before & After (Meryl Streep/Liam Neeson)
~ I Knew It Was You (doc about character actor John Cazale)
~ Taking Woodstock (Dir: Ang Lee)
~ Two Lovers (Joaquin Phoenix/Gwyneth Paltrow)
~ Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (fun movie; innovative shooting style)
~ Mother And Child (Dir: Rodrigo Garcia)
~ The Pixar Story
~ Marvin's Room (classic)
~ Dandelion (independent film discovery; currently available for streaming on Netflix)
~ River's Edge (starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye)
~ The Fighter (Dir: David O'Russell)
~ Extract (Dir: Mike Judge)
~ Let The Right One In (Dir: Mike Reeves)
~ Keeping Up With The Joneses ( A great movie for the times, with Demi Moore & David Duchovny.)
~ Rabbithole (In a word: Excellent)
~ It (Clara Bow silent film from 1927-- as cute as can be.)
~ Tiny Furniture (Dir: Lena Dunham)-- unique & oddly compelling film that put this female director on the map back in 2010.
~ Martha Marcy May Marlene (Intense portrayal of cult society and the problems with trying to escape its seduction. Despite the critical reviews, I'm not convinced that it entirely pulled off what it was trying to convey, but it's an impressive first feature for director Sean Durkin and it certainly put actress Elizabeth Olsen on the map.)