2011 in Cinema

846   7.2   7.1 

Rank on Top 10 of 2011: No. 1.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a gem, pure and simple. It exists within a world of inherent ambiguity, pervasive cigarette smoke and non-existent personal lives. It's narrative is told from a purely subjective point-of-view and it shifts between perspectives of the characters. It may have been criticised for this but, this is where the film's assets lie. It's a reflection on the nature of subjectivity and the limited confines of human observation; this is the basis of the film's paranoia. Humans cannot even trust their own observation in such a cold and unforgiving bureaucracy.

Saw in January 2012.

sunset96's rating:

808   7.1   7.6 

Rank on my Top 10 of 2011: No. 2

Moneyball didn't make an impression initially. However, upon reflection, I can't help but re-evaluate this film's merits and realise the ideas of this film may surpass the complexity of the characters. Yet, that is the purpose of the film, and it executes these concepts with a detached authenticity. So much so that it provides the film with its own individual appeal.
I suspect many of the film's assets lie in the chemistry between the informal Billy Beane and the scholarly Peter Brand. Jonah Hill delivers a surprisingly restrained performance, which seems uncharacteristic of him considering his roots in comedy. Like almost every great film, I find Moneyball more effective upon reflection.

Saw in: November 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1688   7.8   7.9 

Rank on my top 10 of 2011: No. 3

Drive is one of the most explosive, intelligent and elegantly beautiful films of the year. It respects the audience's ability to infer from situations and dialogue in order to them to form their own conclusion and gain an insight into the characters' minds. It is the best two hours I've spent in a cinema this year.

Saw in: November 2011.

sunset96's rating:

728   7.4   7.5 

Rank on my Top 10 list of 2011: No. 5

What unexpected brilliance from this grim and unrelenting tale of ambiguous horror. We Need to Talk About Kevin features brilliant performances from every cast member, great direction and which proficiently tells a tragic story of responsibility and parental fear. I didn't know how to respond once the credits began to roll, I was struck with grief and awe simultaneously.

Saw in: December 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1548   7.6   7.7 

Rank on my Top 10 list of 2011: No. 6

A friend of mine couldn't have said it better himself, "Woody Allen has a light touch". Allen's Midnight in Paris is indescribably delightful. Although, It is not only escapism but a romantic portrait of Paris which simply roused me with joy. Perhaps it is because I identify with the protagonist, his plights and his doubts. Perhaps, it's because Allen is able to stir nostalgia into his audiences in order for us to share his romanticism.

Saw in: October 2011.

sunset96's rating:

561   7.4   7.3 

Rank on my Top 10 list of 2011: No. 7

I was expecting Jane Eyre to be a conventional Oscar-baiting costume drama. However, I think that this film is one of the most intelligent and emotional commentaries on social class I've seen this year. Such a refreshing experience!

Saw in: August 2011.

sunset96's rating:

670   7   7.2 

Rank on my Top 10 of 2011: No. 8

Only Spielberg could direct this visually eloquent piece of melodrama. Regardless of the lack of character development and the slow pace, this beautifully shot and unflinchingly sentimental film immersed me from the very first shot until the end.

Watched in: December 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1071   7.9   8.1 

The Artist is a charming homage to the silent era which also manages to make a comment on changing technology. However, it lacks the insight of such masterpieces as Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve. A homage should also make an insightful statement on the past, however, The Artist could have been made in the '20s. The Artist is ultimately a homage to a romanticised perception of the film industry. Nothing more; nothing less.

Watched in: February 2012.

sunset96's rating:

1379   7   7.3 

Rango is one of the best Popcorn films I've seen this year! One of the smartest and funniest animated films with a broad knowledge of the Western genre. It doesn't shamelessly parody films but does so with heart and affection.

Saw in: April 2011.

sunset96's rating:

433   7.3   7.2 

I could really identify with this coming of age story, even the smaller details (Reading the dictionary, reading The Catcher in the Rye, King Lear and Nietzsche) seem to be extracted from my adolescent experience. It is conventional and may be not be one of the best films of the year but I did certainly identify with it.

Watched in: September 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1032   6.5   6.8 

Bridesmaids is one of the funniest comedy of the year which has a genuine human interest, in contrast to the vulgar and heartless sequel to The Hangover.

Saw in: June 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1382   7.5   7.6 

I expected more from Martin Scorsese; although, the first half of the film was engaging and enchanting, the film descends into a manufactured and contrived homage to the beginning of cinema, which I'm not against, yet it seemed out of place and unbefitting of the first half. It's a shame because after hearing that this was a new masterpiece, I was excited.

Saw in: January 2012.

sunset96's rating:

1389   7.8   7.9 

I don't have a great deal to say about this film, besides commending the performances and criticising the plot driven narrative. I admire this film's energy but I cannot help but feel disappointed after Fincher's unexpected masterpiece The Social Network.

Watched in: January 2012.

sunset96's rating:

183   7.5   7.2 

Winnie the Pooh is an enchanting family film which bears an innocence that the majority of modern children films lacks. It chooses charm over derivative popular culture references which is precisely why I respect it.

Watched in: March 2012.

sunset96's rating:

1311   6.9   7.1 

I enjoyed this film as a nostalgic homage to Spielberg's early films, it is forgettable fun. However, it is forgettable. It didn't have a profound impact on me and I'm not going out of my way to watch it again any time soon.

Saw in: June 2011.

sunset96's rating:

47   7.7   7.3 

Red Dog is entertaining family fun, however; it isn't memorable in the least. It is a romanticised tale of the archetypical 'aussie battler' which didn't have a profound emotional effect on me.

Saw in: January 2012.

sunset96's rating:

766   6.9   6.9 

Good Spectacle and Visuals. The story is contrived and transparent and the chemistry is non-existent between the two leads. However, it was good, albeit forgettable, escapism.

Saw in: June 2011.

sunset96's rating:

856   7.1   7.4 

Although Clooney's performance differs from the charming Clooney archetype, I was underwhelmed. The Descendants descends--no pun intended--into a film that's uneven and nebulous. There is a scene in the end featuring Judy Greer that characterises the uneven nature of the film; she comes across as pathetic and almost laughable yet I assumed these scenes were meant to be tender as the one's preceding it were. There were some scenes of power, yet the uneven perception of the film's characters undermines what it attempts to communicate.

Saw in: January 2012.

sunset96's rating:

804   6.9   7.2 

The Ides of March was an unsatisfying film from which I expected great things. Clooney's film is an entertaining yet hollow examination of corruption which argues that both respective political parties are corrupt and nothing more. The brilliant cast and characters are done a disservice in the third act, in which the film reduces them to unambiguously corrupt. Its pessimistic conclusion considers itself more relevant than it actually is. However, Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance slightly elevates the film.

Saw in: November 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1285   6.9   6.8 

Although I praised it upon release, I've realized just how flawed The Tree of Life really is. It's a sensory experience, but I don't feel that I could identify with it on a personal level. In addition, there was no coherent narrative for me to follow. I found it ambitious, but I also found it very self-indulgent. I could argue that the only reason I gave it such an overwhelming review in the first place was to appear intellectual and cultured. Frankly, I don't care whether I come across as 'unenlightened'.

Saw in: July 2011.

sunset96's rating:

41   7.3   6.9 

A Generic manipulative drama which is neither interesting nor engaging. It seems to have been made perfunctorily, without effort or insight. Yet, there are some rare moving moments. Nevertheles, I suggest you avoid this film.

Saw in: July 2011.

sunset96's rating:

964   7.1   7.4 

Tintin is purely a soulless spectacle over substance, the plot is a transparent excuse to string together action sequences. Not even Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thompson and Thomson could save this film.

Saw in: January 2012.

sunset96's rating:

456   6.8   6.6 

A poorly paced thriller/comedy/social commentary that is ambitious to the extent that it fails to be an engaging film. I wanted to enjoy this film, however, it lacks what a good comedy should have: Fun.
This film seems to be too camp to be taken seriously and too solemn to be fun.

Saw in: December 2011.

sunset96's rating:

91   6.4   6.7 

A film that had a lot of potential, however, this potential is squandered on a transparent and contrived screenplay. I'm glad I watched it, yet I wouldn't watch it again. It suffers from a lack of character dimension and a lack of interest in the characters' and their plights.

Saw in: November 2011.

sunset96's rating:

919   7   7.3 

This was the second most disappointing film I saw this year.
After Thor and Kung Fu Panda 2 received positive reviews, I expected more, but I was disappointed. The film doesn't seem to be interested in the characters at all, the emotion seems manufactured and hollow. Kung Fu Panda 2 feels like it was designed as a product, a brand, which it ultimately is.

Saw in: July 2011.

sunset96's rating:

1376   6.2   6.5 

I don't despise this film. However, I'm indifferent towards it. It reiterates the same story from the original film and amplifies the scatological humour. Why Bother? Save your money, the original is far better.

Saw in: June 2011.

sunset96's rating:

2005   6.9   7 

Thor is a film that left me with my ears ringing and my emotions deadened. It is a film that is an absolute assault on the senses that thinly disguises its lack of substance with bright visuals. I felt empty soon after watching it. The fish-out-of-water humour didn't translate well and the characters were transparent. I am disappointed in Kenneth Brangah, who directed this film.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hated this film, Roger Ebert posted a scathing review soon after I saw Thor. I'm not alone.

Saw in: April 2011.

sunset96's rating:

815   6.1   6.3 

Another forgettable Adam Sandler comedy lacking both substance and wit. Although I don't hate this film with a passion as I do The Green Hornet; it was barely watchable, but I find solace in the fact that I will soon forget about this film's existence.

Saw in: April 2011.

sunset96's rating:

962   5.7   5.9 

The Green Hornet is a loud, insufferable bore. I fail to understand how anyone can be entertained by this trite. The combination of unengaging dialogue, kinetic action with no purpose and buddy comedy cliches do not form an engaging film.

Saw in: January 2011.

sunset96's rating: