17 January 2012

Review of 2011: best and worst

I saw 158 films in 2011 -- fewer than I did in 2010, but enough to keep me busy.

Let me know what you thought of the movies below (I've just copied and pasted what I tweeted at the time). Is there anything good that I have missed?

Please be warned that some of these movies aren't to everyone's tastes. For every born-again Malick fan this summer, there was someone else walking out during The Tree of Life. It might be worth reading a fuller description of these movies before adding them to your own rental lists.

Best new films
The best fairly recent films that I saw in 2010:

1) The Tree of Life (2011)
"The Tree of Life (2011) deserves more than just a one-tweet review. Here goes: bit.ly/pztJo0"

2) Alamar (2009)
"Soon be separated from his young son, a fisherman makes the most of the time he has. Alamar (2009) is a spellbinding, beautiful film."

3) Senna (2010)
"Senna (2010)'s characters are fascinating, so the film would have been amazing even if Kapadia's film had been less than the triumph it is."

4) Chico & Rita (2010)
"Simple and sensuous, Chico & Rita (2010) lovingly renders the jazz world and era in ways no live action film ever could. Magnificent film."

5) True Grit (2010)
"Funny, beautiful True Grit (2010) is clearly the best Coen effort post-2001. The boys should cut their losses and just make westerns now."

Best old films
The best older films that I saw for the first time this year:

1) Ikiru (1952)
"Dying council worker decides it's time to cut through the red tape and actually do something for his community. Ikiru (1952): amazing film."

2) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
"Three cheers for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), a homecoming drama bursting with personality. Like Beautiful Girls but better."

3) 3 Women (1977)
"I'm loath to say it after just one viewing, but I think 3 Women (1977) qualifies as a work of genius. Persona came first, sure, but still..."

4) Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
"Simple, elegant visuals... Clever, poetic narrative... And there's much more to Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) than first meets the eye."

5) High Noon
"High Noon (1952) is more than just a crisp, clean, good-looking western. It's about society and responsibility, and the ending is supercool."

Worst films
The worst films that I saw this year:

1) Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
"Poor acting, weak humour, no actual nudity... Beyond the title itself, there is no fun to be had in watching Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)."

2) Jackboots on Whitehall
"Jackboots on Whitehall (2010) is Team America's feeble-minded cousin: all stereotypes, cliches and weak jokes repeated ad nauseam."

3) American Hot Babes (2009)
"The less said about American Hot Babes (2009), the better."

4) Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj (2006)
"Bad jokes, bad acting, outdated misguided stereotypes, no attention to detail... Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj (2006) is a waste of time."

5) The Box (2009)
"The Box (2009) poses a silly moral dilemma and then veers off in a number of silly directions without reaching any conclusions. Annoying."

Best rewatched
The best films that I rewatched this year:

1) Boogie Nights (1997)
"Rewatched Boogie Nights (1997), a fave. There's something charming about the naive, optimistic 1970s (but not the harsh, confusing 1980s)."

2) Back to the Future Part II (1989)
"Back to the Future Part II (1989) is my favourite: the one where they go to the past (again) to clean up the mess they made in the future."

3) The French Connection (1971)
"Rewatched The French Connection (1971). I love the way each scene just seems to happen naturally, rather than being staged. Still a fave."

4) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
"This weekend I rewatched Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997). Everyone should do that from time to time."

5) Knocked Up (2007)
"Rewatched Knocked Up (2007) on TV. Was pleased to see it again. There's plenty of nice, grown-up stuff behind its childish facade."