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defrogI’m no Roger Ebert, but I do watch movies. And this year I made more of an effort to see more of them, all so you could have this fine Top Ten list.
Okay, I would have gone to see them anyway. But you get the idea.
DISCLAIMER: If yr favorite movie of 2011 isn’t here, it’s likely because (1) I didn’t get a chance to see it, (2) it hasn’t been released in Hong Kong yet (hence the lack of Muppets), or (3) I did see it but didn’t like it as much as you did. Also, if some of these seem kind of old, it’s because their release date was 2010 for yr country, but 2011 for Hong Kong.
TOP TEN DEF FILMS OF 2011
1. Source Code
2. Sucker Punch
3. Machete
4. The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito)
5. The Rum Diary
6. Super 8
7. True Grit
8. Apollo 18
9. Paul
10. Wu Xia
HONORABLE MENTION
Monsters
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
WORST FILM I SAW IN 2011
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night
TOP TEN DEF FILMS OF 2011 [EXTENDED PLAY]
1. Source Code
The science bits might throw some people off, but the story of a man reliving the last eight minutes of someone else’s life on a mysterious mission works really well within the premise it sets up for itself without lapsing into Groundhog Day or Matrix-style video-game pastiches.
2. Sucker Punch
A jarring juxtaposition between different realities and genres (girl committed to mental hospital finds escape in fantasy worlds alternating between brothel scenes and WW1 missions through dance) that’s almost like switching channels between different movies to find they’re all telling the same story. I wish more filmmakers were willing to take these kinds of chances.
3. Machete
It was just about everything I’d hoped for – a drive-in style Bronson tribute with a cast of memorable one-dimensional characters performing acts of OTT violence and gratuitous nudity. Good fun – depending, possibly on yr opinion on illegal immigration and whether you hate it when movies don’t take yr side on political issues.
4. The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito)
An obsessed plastic surgeon develops and tests artificial burn-proof skin on a captive patient. It’s the way Pedro Almodovar tells it that makes it compelling, as you eventually realize what yr really watching is one of the weirder and more twisted revenge plots ever filmed.
5. The Rum Diary
Taken at face value, it’s a good film about a writer seeking his own voice and purpose who is offered the Devil’s Bargain. Points for saying what needs to be said about the relationship between Big Money and Journalism, even if it could have been said a little better.
6. Super 8
A fairly obvious throwback to Spielberg-connected 80s young-adult sci-fi adventure films, but a pretty dead-on homage – and an entertaining one at that, especially for anyone who wished they had access to a home movie camera as a kid.
7. True Grit
Like most Coen films, it’s well crafted, gorgeously shot, well acted, well told, and true to the source material, although it doesn’t quite eclipse the icon of John Wayne that looms over the whole film.
8. Apollo 18
I’m not a big fan of the “found footage” subgenre (if only because we all know it isn’t, so stop pretending for the sake of verisimilitude), but this film of a secret 18th moon mission knocked me out, possibly because I have a fetish for conspiracy theories and NASA videos. Anyway, I was riveted throughout the film, even though I pretty much knew it was going to end badly for everyone.
9. Paul
SF/UFO nerds meet a dope smoking alien on the run. Mawkish at times, but otherwise very enjoyable and lots of fun, particularly for SF/comic fans who may appreciate the dozens of nerd references more than the average moviegoer.
10. Wu Xia
Borrowing a little heavily from A History Of Violence, The One Armed Swordsman and CSI, Wu Xia looks great and has lots of whiz-bang kung fu. Too bad the mystery of Donnie Yen’s secret past is solved a little prematurely, since that was the more interesting part of the film.
HONORABLE MENTION
Monsters
Essentially an indie romance/road trip with alien infestation as a backdrop rather than a problem to be solved. It’s a nice twist, and all the more impressive when considering the whole film was improvised and shot guerilla-style on a shoestring budget, with all of the special effects done by the director on a laptop. Points for craftsmanship and the genre twist, but deductions for a pedestrian and predictable romance storyline.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
Like the first film, it’s a lot of fun and hinges a lot on Robert Downey Jr’s uncanny take on Holmes. Unlike the first film, the evil plot Holmes must unravel isn’t as clever – which is only a big deal in that we’re talking about evil criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty here. Also, that bit with the train is pushing things.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Which I’m including largely because of Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar and his transformation from smart lab animal to leader of the ape revolution. That’s what mainly drives a film that would otherwise be a mediocre runaway-science story with stereotypes and average dialogue. As reboots go – and by “reboot” I mean “Why take a chance with original ideas when we can dust off a bankable brand and rework it for today’s teenagers?” – it’s a promising start.
WORST FILM I SAW IN 2011
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night
You’d think it would be Transformers: Dark Of The Moon. Which was bloody awful, but then I fully expected it to suck. I had higher hopes forDylan Dog, which had a great premise going for it (private investigator specializing in undead clients) and a wealth of material to work with (i.e. the comic book it’s based on). But it all adds up to one big squandered opportunity with recycled clichés, clumsy narration and a general lack of innovation. It may not be as bad as Transformers – the point is it didn’t have to be.
FUN FACT: This is the only Top Ten Best Films Of 2011 list on the entire Internet that has Sucker Punch and Apollo 18 on it.
Pushing the envelope,
This is dF
Okay, I would have gone to see them anyway. But you get the idea.
DISCLAIMER: If yr favorite movie of 2011 isn’t here, it’s likely because (1) I didn’t get a chance to see it, (2) it hasn’t been released in Hong Kong yet (hence the lack of Muppets), or (3) I did see it but didn’t like it as much as you did. Also, if some of these seem kind of old, it’s because their release date was 2010 for yr country, but 2011 for Hong Kong.
TOP TEN DEF FILMS OF 2011
1. Source Code
2. Sucker Punch
3. Machete
4. The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito)
5. The Rum Diary
6. Super 8
7. True Grit
8. Apollo 18
9. Paul
10. Wu Xia
HONORABLE MENTION
Monsters
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
WORST FILM I SAW IN 2011
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night
TOP TEN DEF FILMS OF 2011 [EXTENDED PLAY]
1. Source Code
The science bits might throw some people off, but the story of a man reliving the last eight minutes of someone else’s life on a mysterious mission works really well within the premise it sets up for itself without lapsing into Groundhog Day or Matrix-style video-game pastiches.
2. Sucker Punch
A jarring juxtaposition between different realities and genres (girl committed to mental hospital finds escape in fantasy worlds alternating between brothel scenes and WW1 missions through dance) that’s almost like switching channels between different movies to find they’re all telling the same story. I wish more filmmakers were willing to take these kinds of chances.
3. Machete
It was just about everything I’d hoped for – a drive-in style Bronson tribute with a cast of memorable one-dimensional characters performing acts of OTT violence and gratuitous nudity. Good fun – depending, possibly on yr opinion on illegal immigration and whether you hate it when movies don’t take yr side on political issues.
4. The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito)
An obsessed plastic surgeon develops and tests artificial burn-proof skin on a captive patient. It’s the way Pedro Almodovar tells it that makes it compelling, as you eventually realize what yr really watching is one of the weirder and more twisted revenge plots ever filmed.
5. The Rum Diary
Taken at face value, it’s a good film about a writer seeking his own voice and purpose who is offered the Devil’s Bargain. Points for saying what needs to be said about the relationship between Big Money and Journalism, even if it could have been said a little better.
6. Super 8
A fairly obvious throwback to Spielberg-connected 80s young-adult sci-fi adventure films, but a pretty dead-on homage – and an entertaining one at that, especially for anyone who wished they had access to a home movie camera as a kid.
7. True Grit
Like most Coen films, it’s well crafted, gorgeously shot, well acted, well told, and true to the source material, although it doesn’t quite eclipse the icon of John Wayne that looms over the whole film.
8. Apollo 18
I’m not a big fan of the “found footage” subgenre (if only because we all know it isn’t, so stop pretending for the sake of verisimilitude), but this film of a secret 18th moon mission knocked me out, possibly because I have a fetish for conspiracy theories and NASA videos. Anyway, I was riveted throughout the film, even though I pretty much knew it was going to end badly for everyone.
9. Paul
SF/UFO nerds meet a dope smoking alien on the run. Mawkish at times, but otherwise very enjoyable and lots of fun, particularly for SF/comic fans who may appreciate the dozens of nerd references more than the average moviegoer.
10. Wu Xia
Borrowing a little heavily from A History Of Violence, The One Armed Swordsman and CSI, Wu Xia looks great and has lots of whiz-bang kung fu. Too bad the mystery of Donnie Yen’s secret past is solved a little prematurely, since that was the more interesting part of the film.
HONORABLE MENTION
Monsters
Essentially an indie romance/road trip with alien infestation as a backdrop rather than a problem to be solved. It’s a nice twist, and all the more impressive when considering the whole film was improvised and shot guerilla-style on a shoestring budget, with all of the special effects done by the director on a laptop. Points for craftsmanship and the genre twist, but deductions for a pedestrian and predictable romance storyline.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
Like the first film, it’s a lot of fun and hinges a lot on Robert Downey Jr’s uncanny take on Holmes. Unlike the first film, the evil plot Holmes must unravel isn’t as clever – which is only a big deal in that we’re talking about evil criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty here. Also, that bit with the train is pushing things.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Which I’m including largely because of Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar and his transformation from smart lab animal to leader of the ape revolution. That’s what mainly drives a film that would otherwise be a mediocre runaway-science story with stereotypes and average dialogue. As reboots go – and by “reboot” I mean “Why take a chance with original ideas when we can dust off a bankable brand and rework it for today’s teenagers?” – it’s a promising start.
WORST FILM I SAW IN 2011
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night
You’d think it would be Transformers: Dark Of The Moon. Which was bloody awful, but then I fully expected it to suck. I had higher hopes forDylan Dog, which had a great premise going for it (private investigator specializing in undead clients) and a wealth of material to work with (i.e. the comic book it’s based on). But it all adds up to one big squandered opportunity with recycled clichés, clumsy narration and a general lack of innovation. It may not be as bad as Transformers – the point is it didn’t have to be.
FUN FACT: This is the only Top Ten Best Films Of 2011 list on the entire Internet that has Sucker Punch and Apollo 18 on it.
Pushing the envelope,
This is dF
