2011: The Retrospect: Top 15 Best Movies of 2011

And now, the payoff!

Let us, before we go any further, have a quick toast to 2011 and all the cinematic things is gave us. To action. To romance. To drama. To comedy. To horror. To silence and loudness. To homages to the greats. To the creation of the world. To the end of the world. To romanticized pastimes. To gods and mortals. To aliens and humans. To superheroes and their villains. To the God of the Thunder. To the first avenger. To Optimus Prime and women with inked skin. To drivers. To You-Know-Who and The Boy Who Lived. To dysfunctional families. To loving families. To epidemics. To cures. To beating cancer. To apes who rise and dark lords who fall. To the first class. To time traveling parisians. To brides and their bridesmaids. To spys who run and gun. To spys who walk and talk. To addicts, and the people who help them. To wild nights and wilder mornings. To swords and chivalry. To seriousness and parody. To politicians, corrupt and on the level. To the laughter. To the tears. To the screams. To the thrills. To the sadness. To the happiness. To everything and more that the films and filmmakers gave us in 2011. All is welcome. None is forgotten.

2011: The Retrospect: Top 5 Best Lines

Let's start off with a fun one.

Line delivery is one of the oft overlooked pieces of performance. A script can be a big pile of nothing, but a talented actor can hide that with a well done line. So, with that in mind, here are the top 5 lines of 2011, as decided by me and my committee of one here at the black hole! These are the best of line delivery and script writing

5. "No subject is terrible if the story is true, if the prose is clean and honest, and if it affirms courage and grace under pressure." (Corey Stoll from Midnight In Paris)

Well, yeah. Not every line on this list needs to be a witty punch line or some verbally clever use of the english (or otherwise) language. This line makes the cut because it, quite simply, true. And the best ones are the ones that speak truth about an aspect of human life. Props to Woody Allen and Stoll's blunt, honest delivery. 

*This clip doesn't have that line, but that blunt, honest delivery? Yeah, that's still there. 

4. "I have a demon in me." (Ed Helms from The Hangover: Part II)

The Hangover: Part II will be making another appearance in this retrospective, though not in any praise worthy position. I can't however deny the dry wit and absurdity of these six words, dry wit and absurdity that the rest of the movie desperately needed. 

3. "No one likes putting a dick in their mouth." (Seth Rogen from 50/50)

Rogen is a master of line delivery, and even though 50/50 was a little lighter on the laughs than I think most people expected, the humor was still prevalent thanks to winners like this. 

2. "I drive." (Ryan Gosling in Drive)

So cool. So calculated. Everything about this line just oozes steely sociopathy. Wonderful. Just wonderful. 

1. "I need a horse." (Chris Hemsworth in Thor)

Well said!

Tune in tomorrow for the best posters of the year, and be sure to hit up 2011: The Retrospect for all your 2011 memory jogging. See y'all tomorrow!

2011 Review Roundup

This is a spot for me to throw quick thoughts on the movies I've seen or will be seeing over the next few days that I don't have time to write full on reviews for. Just something I can link to in the lists that will be coming fast and furious at the start of the new year. Full reviews of all these movies will follow, but for now, you'll have to make do with this.

Warning: There's a lot of raving in this post!

The Muppets

The world is full of cynicism, so much so that you start to have trouble finding the simple pleasures in life. Thankfully, the Muppets have returned, and none of that cynicism seems to have affected them. The only thing they are still interested in is bringing joy to the audiences. Boy, do they succeed!

Green Lantern

If I had a power ring like the one's featured in this movie, I would imagine a cross, and then I would crucify this piece of garbage! This film is one of the worst thing to happen to the superhero genre since Batman and Robin!

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

In an age dominated by the Bonds and the Mission Impossibles, seeing a spy film that eschews whiz-bang action in favor of tense espionage and investigation is a real treat. Though it starts off slow, it really delivers, and God Damn! Can someone please just give Gary Oldman and Oscar already? Please?

Midnight In Paris

I've never been a big fan of Woody Allen. Haven't seen Annie Hall or Manhattan, and I haven't dug his last few films, but Midnight in Paris was a joy to watch. Biting humor, a good message, and superb acting from the gifted ensemble is all excellent, but Marion Cotillard... Marion... sorry, what?

The Adventures of Tintin

It's the Indiana Jones movie that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should have been! Superb action! Great humor! Beautiful to look at! Spielberg has proven that he still has it when it comes to big, exciting, blockbuster entertainment.

The Artist

ONE!!! OF!!! THE!!! BEST!!! DAMN!!! THINGS!!! OF!!! THE!!! YEAR!!!

ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!!!


Shame

I don't know. I really don't. It's very good, and Michael Fassbender is fantastic in it. But I have no desire to see this film ever again. It's that depressing. I don't even know what grade I should give it. Decisions, decisions.

???

Still to come, War Horse, The Descendants, and whatever else I feel like.