Hey all! It’s that time of the year again! It has been a big year for films, and I haven’t had a chance to see everything I wanted to! As in previous years I am gonna run you down my favourites of the year 2011 including my worst film, some others that you should still see and others that I havent seen that i’m still keen to watch!
10) Hanna – Yeah! Hanna is a girl who grew up with her dad in the cold with no school or friends in sight. This is best though, I guess, if you are being trained to be the worlds best assassin. You don’t want to accidentally kill your friends do you?
Inspite of her small frame Hanna kicks ass, well, and entertainingly so to a pounding Chemical Brothers soundtrack. Im not fully convinced that Hanna is as hardcore as the film makes out, she is a 14 year old girl after all! Im sure I could take her! She does have some skills though. Hanna contains one of my favourite outfits for a villain. Look out!!
9) Black Swan – Freaky psycho thriller based on the ballet Swan Lake. A ballet obsessed young lady slowly turns insane under the pressure of performing in a top flight ballet company. This pressure is magnified by the arrival of a new girl who instantly sparks up as the competition. This competition, performance anxiety and stress from a seemingly overprotective mother manifests in the form of hallucinations that leave the viewer unsure of what is is real.
Freaky Styley
I know a fair few people that we truly freaked out by the claustrophobia and intensity of the Black Swan. Its not surprising it has to be said! It transpired that Natalie Portman didn’t do nearly as much of the dancing as was made out by the publicists What is certain is that she did work her ass off to get into the shape so she still deserves kudos!
8) Bridesmaids – Guys don’t be put off! It should come with the disclosure, “this aint a chick flick”. I think I wanted to watch this more than Red did. This was produced by Judd Apatow, of Superbad and Knocked Up fame. Telling the story of a Lady who has having a slightly bad time of things with men and work, but always relies on her bestest friend to get her through. That is until the best friend decides to get married and becomes better friends with one of the other bridesmaids. Then things go really wrong, hilariously and sometimes disgustingly so! A bit too long methinks tho!
7) Horrible Bosses – He he he! Silly, silly film! I loved it. The premise is that three friends hate their jobs because of their bosses and decide to have them killed off to make their lives easier! You laughing yet? OK so its a bit dark but hey, so is life. The film is big for me as i’m a big fan of all the actors involved, apart from Jennifer Aniston outside of friends, but in this she is brilliant and hot! Biggest shout out goes to Jamie Foxx as “Motherfucker Jones” and Charlie Day from one of the most overlooked US sitcoms “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia”.
6) 50/50 – Its a comedy about cancer! Yay! Sorry.. but it is. How else are you supposed to deal with the tough times in life? You have to laugh. Not to say that 50/50 is an easy film to watch. The lighter moments are often quickly replaced by the harder times. It really is an emotional and sensitive film telling the story of a healthy guy in his mid thirties who is diagnosed with “stage four back cancer” and isn’t sure who he has around him as support network. His friend uses his illness as a way to pull ladies, his girlfriend is a dick and he doesn’t want his mum to worry. I’m not gonna tell you what happens but some scenes are heart-wrenching so bring a tissue if you like a bit of a blub at films!
Fiddy Fiddy!
The Also Rans – The films that didn’t quite make the grade but should still be seen!!
Attack the Block – Not what I expected from Joe off of “Adam and Joe” fame! A comedy horror set in urban london about the aftermath of an alien attack. Ace but and surprisingly grim in places.
The Fighter – Relegated from the top 10 as girls from work say he has a funny voice, which i dont get! Its a good film mainly due to your man Christian Bale as a the crack addled former boxer who struggles to train his brother, who has a genuine title chance. Look out for the mother and sister of the family. Hahaha!
The Guard – A lazy and slightly racist and xenophobic Irish copper suddenly has to deal with a drug smuggling ring and some deaths in the local area. Worse for him, he has to deal with a black American FBI Agent who makes him do work. Damn him!
The Inbetweeners – This didnt make the top 10 out of spite. The film is hilarious but I really wanted a final series of the guys together so I feel slightly short changed. Has done big things in the Box Office this year so maybe they knee what they were doing!
He he he.. look at them dance!!
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – In my opinion a better retelling of the book than the Swedish version. That said that I don’t think that it needed to be done. The Americans should just learn how to read so they can watch films with subtitles! You should make sure you get to watch the title sequence for the music and the graphics and know that it has nothing to do with the rest of the film!
Super 8 – An ode to Steven Spielberg films sees the creator of “Lost” make a film with kids making zombie movies and chasing monsters in the 80’s! Gets a bit silly at the end and is a bit too long but is worth a shout!
Hugo – A lovely lovely film, I can’t believe that it was directed by Martin Scorsese. Telling the story of a young orphan lad who lives in a train station on Paris and is good at fixing machinery and clocks and stuff. Initially labeled as a thief and chased around the station by Ali G and his dog before befriending the god daughter of one of cinemas greatest directors at the time.
Worth a Peek! – Go on I won’t Tell!
Puss in Boots – ahh look at his eyes, again! No Shrek or Donkey in sight!
Ahhhhhhhhh
My Week with Marylin – she used to be in Dawsons Creek! Great premise for a film and and give an insight into a part of cinema history that I know sod all about
X-Men First Class – So thats how the Cuban Missile crisis was resolved!
Adjustment Bureau – Lots of hats! And the top of the Rockefeller centre where i recently did a cartwheel!
Captain America – better than ok. The final piece in the Jigsaw before the MASSIVE avengers film comes out next year. Including the chance to see Scarlett Jo in a catsuit. Yay!
Friends with Benefits -Hey this was really better than good, and doesnt go too soppy at the end!
Sherlock Holmes 2 – Looks great but let down by a weird story line that doesn’t make any sense at the end. Keep it simple next time eh?
Rango – yeah, why not? Its Johnny Depp after all!
The Green Hornet – Not great but not bad enough to go in the bad films list!
Alright Folks! Thats how for now – Im gonna step back in the next few days with the second part and my worst films of the year!
