my films of 2011
now that the new year is well under way, i thought i’d take a quick look back at last year and list the movies that i enjoyed. i figure that everyone else is doing it, so why not me…!
i don’t like ranking films as such (although i do have a favourite), so this list is chronological. it is also divided into cinema releases and films i have caught up this year with either on dvd, tv or online. i find that watching films on the big screen is a vastly different experience to watching at home, so i feel the need to separate them!
so without further ado, here we go…
favourite cinema films —
written by debra granik & anne rosellini
this is a film that seems to have been made with me in mind! a beautifully balanced blend of my two favourite genres – social realism and film noir – it had me engrossed from minute one and refused to let go. this would be my personal film of the year!
written by mark heyman and andres heinz and john j. mclaughlin
a terrific mix of art film and exploitation, this was a treat for the eyes and the ears.
written by giorgos lanthimos & efthymis filippou
an intriguing and thought-provoking premise that sticks to its guns and pays off its set-up to great effect.
written by hossein amini
an intense and exciting film that helps to prove that a strong script is more than simply good dialogue.
written by joachim trier & eskil vogt
a terrific character study of a reformed drug addict trying to reconnect with his old friends and the city in which he lives.
written by anca damian
an engrossing animated documentary about a miscarriage of justice. certainly the most unusual cinema experience of the year, it was both enlightening and satisfying.
written by ben wheatley & amy jump
i thought this was a masterclass in how to build tension, and even though there are some narrative flaws, it was probably the most visceral experience of the year.
other notable films seen at the cinema this year —
cyrus (mark duplass & jay duplass) – the social network (aaron sorkin)
true grit (joel coen & ethan coen) – easy a (bert v. royal)
exit through the gift shop (no credited writer)
biggest disappointment of the year —
hanna, (written by seth lochhead and david farr), which i found to be cold and lacking in emotion – although you have to love that soundtrack!
favourite films seen in other formats —
written by lynn shelton
a funny and poignant film about friendship with some terrific character work.
written by michael haneke
a beautiful film where the visuals and the script work in perfect harmony to tell a powerful story.
written by cary fukunaga
what was so great about this film and its writing was that it tells such a small, simple story, whilst commenting on a vast social problem and the fragility of life.
written by christopher morris, jesse armstrong, sam bain and simon blackwell
the one film i was upset i missed at the cinema, it was everything i hoped for, and much, much more. the way this film balances its humour with the subject matter is simply masterful. the script is crisp and funny, but it also has some of the most touching scenes i have seen for some time.
written by paddy considine & shane meadows
it took me a while to catch up with this film, but it was worth the wait. an absolutely electric film, though not for the faint of heart!
written by stéphane aubier & vincent patar
this is my kind of animation! surreal and very, very funny. i was laughing so hard i had trouble breathing during parts of this film!
written by craig brewer
a provocative and highly charged study of two people at the end of their ropes and how they use and fight each other to save themselves. a great script, well-performed.
other notable films —
world’s greatest dad (bobcat goldthwait) – mary & max (adam elliot)
cloudy with a chance of meatballs (phil lord & christopher miller)
a single man (tom ford & david scearce) – senna (manish pandey)
valhalla rising (nicolas winding refn & roy jacobsen)
the disappearance of alice creed (j blakeson)
thirst (chan-wook park and seo-gyeong jeong)
irina palm (martin herron & philippe blasband and sam garbarski)
triangle (christopher smith) – black sheep (jonathan king)
the biggest disappointments —
slumdog millionaire (simon beaufoy)
shutter island (laeta kalogridis) – youth in revolt (gustin nash)
public enemies (ronan bennett and michael mann & ann biderman)
wanted (michael brandt & derek haas and chris morgan)
an inconvenient truth (no credited writer)
these films were my favourites because the stories and characters engaged me on an emotional level to a very high degree – and that is what i hope for every time the lights go down, or crack open a new script for that matter!
to catch my mini-reviews throughout the year you can join me on twitter and facebook.
i hope 2012 is your best year yet, so until next time…
happy writing
phil
scriptguyphil 
January 15, 2013 at 10:19 am
[…] as usual, i do have a favourite), and i don’t restrict the list to 10 films – last year there were only seven films, this year there were twelve that i […]