It's that time of the year to look back on the last 6 months of cinema and what it as given us. Now, just so you're aware, all the films I have chosen I enjoyed thoroughly and respectfully understand if you were to disagree. Its been a fascinating 6 months where a great deal of films have been wrongfully subjected to criticism, undermined or even just written off. Thsi time last year, I had already found my favourite film of 2010 in the form of Christopher Nolan's Inception. Can we repeat that I wonder? Without any further ado, here we go.....
1. The Tree Of Life
Terrence Malik's return to the screen for his fifth film in a 40-year career is an inspiring tale chronicling the origins and meaning of life by the way of a middle-aged man's childhood memories of living in 1950s Texas. Featuring a stunning 30 minute sequence of imagery detailing the birth of life and the Earth (in which 5 people walked out of my screening), the film's ambition and epic scale is thrown into practice via the non-linear narrative and existential messages. Very similar to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Tree Of Life emobdies a life and soul that too few films wish to seize. Whilst it may be passed off as pretentious and boring, disappointing and enthralling people in equal measure, there's no doubt in my mind that this is a work of supreme art and Malik's ultimate masterpiece. Those who were uncomfortable when confronted with the film's messages are probably scared at the film's ability to do just that. Whatever your thoughts, The Tree Of Life is much more than your average cinema experience. It transcends anything you've ever seen before.
2. Blue Valentine
Dismissing all those soppy rom-coms and instead detailing the tragic and brutal breakdown of a marraige, Blue Valentine's honesty is what makes a sure-fire contender for a Top 5 finish come the end of the year. Sat in the Showroom, Sheffield's independant cinema, I was mesmerized by the raw power being generated on-screen. The constant switch between the past and present narratives demonstrate there is still something original about the technique, contrasting the once happy couple with the unhappy one. Director Derek Cianfrance's script works on one level as a stand-alone love story but it is propelled to something entirely different by Ryan Gosling & Michelle Williams as the main characters. The film's touch of genius is Cianfrance's decision to film the pre-marriage sequences in Super 16mm to give it a grainy quality; a distant memory whilst the post-marraige sequences are filmed in Red One to give it a crisp, sharp intensity. Never before have I been so overwhelmed by such a film.
3. Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's ballet drama is a technically brilliant descent into madness and obsession that are stripped down to the very core. Natalie Portman's troubled young ballerina longs to play the role of the White Swan but upon receiving the role must battle the demons inside her as she begins to channel the Black Swan. A metaphor for good and evil, the film's play on sexuality, evny and jealousy result in a deliciously destructive story going deep into the human psyche.
4. True Grit
The Coen Brothers reimagining of the original 1969 film is an entirely different altogether, combining gorgeous cinematography, stand-out performances from all involved (notably Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges) and the first straight up genre exercise by the Coens, True Grit genuinely feels like the first proper Western in years. The bleak story and bursts of violence only serve to excite the audience's love of what a Western is and it will be interesting to see how Mr. Tarantino tackles his own Western in 2013, Django Unchained.
5. 127 Hours
Based on the true story of Aron Ralston's climbing accident in 2003, where he became trapped by a boulder in Utah. Danny Boyle's surrealist take on the events prove to be a traumatising and somewhat darkly humourous exercise in survival as well as the ability to make a film based around one actor, in the form of one James Franco. Sure, everyone was waiting with baited breath for THAT moment, and when it arrives it is indeed uncomfortable viewing, but ultimately Ralston's hallucinations of family and his life re-inforce the film with a big heart. Life-affirming stuff.
6. Source Code
Director Duncan Jones, son of legendary rock star David Bowie, burst onto our cinema screens with his sci-fi debut Moon in 2009, easily being one of the best films of that particular year. In 2011, he returned for his second feature, Source Code; a sci-fi actioner set in the contemporary world as Jake Gyllenhal discovers a government project allows him to live the last 8 minutes of a man's life in order to stop a bomb detonating on a train. Proposterous and over-the-top but so much fun in the long run, you lose yourself in the film's gripping story and forget the abusrdity. Top performances with a even more brilliant script, Jones is one for the future and Source Code showcases his ever-increasing ability to direct a great film.
7. X-Men: First Class
One of the many superhero blockbusters due out in 2011, many desired a straight-up Magneto origin story. Granted, that would have made for excellent viewing especially if Michael Fassbender was still on-board. Instead though, we are given the origins of the X-Men. With the action taking a backseat and focusing on the fractured relationship between calm and collected Charles Xavier and hot-headed Erik Lensherr, X-Men: First Class proves to be a delightful treat. Not just a superhero film, it takes on a far grander scale. Like the previous installments, the mutants powers are used as metaphors for many real-world issues but First Class pushes them so much further as well as giving the fanboys something to be excited for in the near-future.
8. Thor
Slightly basking in the shadow of First Class but nonetheless a quality example of how to make a superhero movie, Kenneth Brannagh's Thor grips the audience with Shakespearean tragedy and a lead actor in Chris Hemsworth to create more bang for your buck. Like First Class, Brannagh prefers story over action, only using set-pieces when neccessary instead concentrating on the broken relationships between Thor and his father Odin and evil brother Loki as well as his banishment to Earth. A great piece of storytelling; the film is scattered with genuine natural humour that reminded me greatly of 2009's Star Trek and performances by Natalie Portman and Anythony Hopkins that help trascend Thor into something far more than a superhero movie. I look forward greatly to The Avengers in 2012, to see how my new favourite hero stands up against the like of Captain America and Iron Man.
9. The Adjustment Bureau
I must say, George Nolfi's take on Philip K. Dick's Adjustment Team had me divided at first. On first viewing, whilst enjoying it, I wasn't sure what to take from it. Letting the film simmer in my mind helped greatly to my overall perception. The Adjustment Bureau is a fantastic take on the concepts of free will and predestination as well as the idea of an omniscient/omnipotent God. Personally, I have never believed in a higher power but like The Tree Of Life (though not in the same way), the film made me question the idea of what's supposed and in what particular way. Fitted into a real-world context, the film is part love story, part theological exposition. Though not universally loved by critics but nonetheless enjoyed, I find The Adjustment Bureau to be the dark horse of 2011.
10. Paul
As a huge fan of the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost team, I was eager to see their take on the alien invasion story. Whilst it lacks Edgar Wright's kinectic energy showcased in their prior collaborations and last year's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, on individual merits, Paul is a very funny film. Even though a prior knowledge of sci-fi cinema may be needed to enjoy the film to the ultimate maximum (the film is full of references to Star Wars), there is still a great deal to enjoy. Seth Rogen's titular character being a source of humour, with his apparent love of marmite, pot-smoking ways and love of a good swear word being highlights. More interestingly, Paul has many tender moments too with Kristen Wiig's character's religion being questioned by Paul's knowledge of the world's creation and the love story between Pegg and Wiig's character is very sentimental. As a stand-alone film outside of the Pegg/Frost/Wright team though, Paul was an incredibly enjoyable film and delivered the goods.
So there you have it! That's my Top 10 films of 2011 thus far. let me know what yours! Follow me on Twitter at @IngloriousTward or leave message in the comments box. I'm eager to know!
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