Unlike other years where many of my picks were Oscar contenders or winners, that won’t be the case this year. Most of the films getting award buzz this year are overrated and typical Oscar-baiting traditional films, just like last year’s The King’s Speech.
Once again, Steve Carell is in the #1 film on my list (Despicable Me was my previous #1). It was also a very good year for Ryan Gosling who starred in a couple of my top 10 films. And it was a good year for movies with the word crazy in the title:
1. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE - Most romantic comedies kind of suck nowadays. They should all take note of this one which got it right. It’s a movie that both men and women can enjoy equally.
2. LIKE CRAZY - This was no romantic comedy, more of a romantic drama. But it felt more real than any other film this year. A lot of the script was improvised which helped give it that authentic feel.
3. WARRIOR - This was “Rocky” for mixed martial arts. A film about 2 brothers who enter the same fighting tournament, it packs an emotional punch – and this is coming from someone who’s not exactly a fan of the sport.
4. HORRIBLE BOSSES - The funniest movie of the year hands down. It also shows a whole other side of Jennifer Aniston we’ve never seen before.
5. DRIVE - One of the most violent films of the year, but it finds a great balance between violence and helping others in need. This was one of the more unique films to come out in 2011.
6. THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU - Sort of a sci-fi romance. It’s never dull for a moment though.
7. THE LINCOLN LAWYER - A good old legal thriller. It was also Matthew McConaughey’s first really good film in 10 years.
8. SOURCE CODE - In addition to the action and explosions, this was sci-fi that really made you think.
9. TRUST - Directed by David Schwimmer, best known as “Ross” from Friends, it tells the story of a teenage girl targeted by an online sexual predator. But in non-typical fashion, this shows how the victim may not always feel victimized.
10. 50/50 - Not the most complete film, but a well-meaning one. It had more heart than the majority of films that came out over the past year.
Honorable mentions go to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Paranormal Activity 3, and Thor for being good “genre” films that were better than their action, horror, and superhero counterparts.
Comments