The End of Yearies
Here we are. The end of 2011. Me and Sol have decided to treat you lovely lot with a few end of year lists because there fun really. Be aware that they are our opinions and you may not agree with them. But ultimately, we’re right.
Under each category we will comment on the others list, what we agree with, disagree with etc. We’ve done our top 5 Animated films and Performances and our top 10 films. Have fun:
Animated Films
5. The Film: Tintin Directed by: Steven Spielberg
There was a mass amount of buzz surrounding Tintin when it arrived on our screens earlier this year. You’d expect nothing less from a film helmed by Spielberg and produced by Jackson. Did it live up to the hype? Kind of. Yes, the visuals were breathtaking and some of the action set pieces were mesmerizing. But, it was the story that lacked the depth that the visuals had in abundance. Without this, it lands itself at five in this list.
4. The Film: Arthur Christmas Directed by: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook
I’m not a fan of Aardman animation. I know that can warrant a lynching in this country due to it being as English as Tea and the Queen. I’m not a quintessentially British guy so I don’t really get it when it comes to Aardman. That being said, I loved Arthur Christmas. Gone were most of the British Gags about being British and in its place was just a lot of laugh out loud moments in what was a heart warming and internationally funny Christmas movie.
3. The Film: Puss in Boots Directed by: Chris Miller
This might not be my third favourite animated film. It may be my second. I have had a tussle between this and number 2 for a while, finally deciding on this being 3rd. I’ll probably change my mind another hundred times from now till forever, but hey they’re like this for now. I enjoyed Puss in Boots due to like many animated movies before it, Puss in Boots has an adult vibe. From the homage to westerns before it to the hilarious cats, although not Purrrrfect, Puss in Boots is alright in my book.
2. The Film: Kung Fu Panda 2 Directed by: Jennifer Yuh
Just beating Puss is Jack Blacks second Kung Fu and Fur flick from DreamWorks. I enjoyed the first Panda movie, but I didn’t love it. But, Black is back and better than ever. Panda 2 balances great comedy with great set pieces. By far my favourite thing about Panda 2 is Po himself. I’m not the biggest Jack Black fan, but Po is hilarious even when he’s not talking. Making Kung Fu Panda 2 the second best animated movie this year.
But, it wasn’t number one...
1. The Film: Rango Directed by: Gore Verbinski
That title goes to Gore Verbinski’s and Johnny Depp’s reptile western Rango. Like Puss in Boots I am of the firm belief that Rango is an adult animation movie. It’s chocked full of in Jokes surrounding Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, adult humour and a homage to the incredibly cult Django franchise. However, not being for kids doesn’t make it a bad animated movie. As it’s great. The movie is full of super smart dialogue. But, what makes Rango great is the complex world that Gore creates with such ease. This world makes Rango not the just the best animated film this year, but one of the best movies too.
Here's Sols list. Sol hasn't given you any explanation as he doesn't want to repeat himself and feels I may have covered it.
Sol's Top Five Animated Features of 2011
5. The Adventures of Tintin
4. Kung Fu Panda 2
3. Winnie the Pooh
2. Puss in Boots
1. Rango
4. Kung Fu Panda 2
3. Winnie the Pooh
2. Puss in Boots
1. Rango
Dan's Top 5 performances
5. The Actor: Evan Rachael Wood. The Character: Molly Stearns. The Film: The Ides of March
I love Evan Rachael Wood. She brings in so much emotion and hurt into any performance that requires it. She can make herself look so vulnerable so easily and really make you route for her. A trait that she does in abundance in The Ides of March. Molly Stearns is the films victim. She gets into hot water by not much fault of her own and her ultimate demise is definitely the heart wrenching moment of the movie. A credit to Evan’s ability to make you feel.
4. The Actor: Jude Law. The Character: Doctor Watson. The Film: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
Everybody loves Holmes? Yes. It comes as no surprise that Robert Downey Jnr is the one talked about when it comes to Sherlock Holmes. However, for me Jude Law is criminally overlooked as Doctor Watson. While Holmes is Superman-esque in his persona. Meaning he has very little weakness, Watson is completely the opposite as he’s an everyman. Someone we can invest in and ultimately route for.
3. The Actor: Ryan Gosling. The Character: Jacob Palmer. The Film: Crazy, Stupid, Love!
No one can deny that 2011 is the year of the Gosling. No one has had a better year this year or arguably any year than Mr Gosling. When you see my top ten films of this year, you will see the extent of how much I love the 'Gos' this year. However, my favourite performance by him has to come from underrated comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love!. Despite incredibly bad punctuation Love is a great film made better by Gosling’s ladies man, who oozes so much charm and charisma, it’s hard not to love him.
2. The Actor: Nick Nolte. The Character: Paddy Conlon. The Film: Warrior
Sometimes film companies get the marketing of a film completely wrong. None more so than Lionsgate productions, in their producing of Warrior. Labelled as a Rock Em, Sock Em sports movie, Warrior is a different beast all together. The key to Warrior’s grit and realism rests firmly in the hands of Nick Nolte’s Paddy Colon, who brings much heart and soul to the reformed alcoholic farther that you almost believe that it’s real.
1. The Actor: Christian Bale. The Character: Dicky Eklund. The Film: The Fighter
My greatest performance this year goes to one of my favourite actors. Maybe unbiased, but I don’t think so. Christian Bale is fantastic in all that he does. But, there is no performance so hard hitting as former boxer now heroin addict Dicky Eklund. Dicky is a remarkable character anyway, especially considering he’s based on a real person. But, Christian doesn’t imitate as he makes Dicky his own. Completely committed to the cause by losing as much weight as he does, Bale puts on a performance that through ally deserved his first Academy Award.
There ya go.
Sol's Top 5 Performances of 2011
5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50
Perhaps I’m somewhat biased given that I seem to have something of a man-crush on Joseph and that after ‘(500) Days of Summer’, I’ll probably see myself in every performance that he ever gives, but all the same, his performance in this film was believable, touching and full of heart.
4. Christian Bale in The Fighter
Christian Bale is a chameleon of a man. Yes, his bodily weight-acrobatics are amazing to behold, but that alone doesn’t constitute acting (which is why, whilst good, De Niro doesn’t give the greatest performance of all time in ‘Raging Bull’, despite what some people may try to have you believe). The thing is that Bale’s actual performance here is phenomenal. Without wanting to sound clichéd, it’s like watching a completely different person to Bale. His Oscar for the part was well-deserved.
3. Jessica Chastain in The Help
Jessica Chastain is my “breakout star of the year”. She’s popped up out of nowhere and I love her to pieces. I was particularly impressed by her in this film as she managed to steal the show from some other very talented actresses giving very good performances every time she was on-screen. But also because she took a role that could have been completely two dimensional and gave it a remarkable amount of depth.
2. James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class
I love Patrick Stewart. I love him to the point that going into ‘X-Men: First Class’, I kept saying that no matter how good James McAvoy was, I wouldn’t like him because he isn’t Patrick Stewart. How wrong I was. I now think that I actually prefer him in the role – a remarkable feat by McAvoy whose warmth and charisma shines out of him like light off of Patrick Stewart’s head.
There’s a scene in the film where he attempts to pick up a girl in a bar and as an audience member, I felt like I was that girl – captivated by every word coming out of his mouth and falling in love with him. You can take your “real” performances from actors in “real” films and stuff it. Especially given my choice for #1…
1. Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I hate to be that guy, but I honestly can’t think of a better performance this year than Serkis as a chimp, rendered by a computer. Caesar is the most engaging character in any film I’ve seen since The Joker way back in ‘The Dark Knight’ and he does it all without dialogue. The amount of emotional intricacies conveyed with each simple facial expression is just remarkable.
I’m not saying that Serkis’ Caesar is one of the all-time greatest performances; I’m just saying that I haven’t seen a better performance this year. And I suppose it’s possible that I’m biased towards chimps. I fucking love chimps. Who doesn’t?
Perhaps I’m somewhat biased given that I seem to have something of a man-crush on Joseph and that after ‘(500) Days of Summer’, I’ll probably see myself in every performance that he ever gives, but all the same, his performance in this film was believable, touching and full of heart.
4. Christian Bale in The Fighter
Christian Bale is a chameleon of a man. Yes, his bodily weight-acrobatics are amazing to behold, but that alone doesn’t constitute acting (which is why, whilst good, De Niro doesn’t give the greatest performance of all time in ‘Raging Bull’, despite what some people may try to have you believe). The thing is that Bale’s actual performance here is phenomenal. Without wanting to sound clichéd, it’s like watching a completely different person to Bale. His Oscar for the part was well-deserved.
3. Jessica Chastain in The Help
Jessica Chastain is my “breakout star of the year”. She’s popped up out of nowhere and I love her to pieces. I was particularly impressed by her in this film as she managed to steal the show from some other very talented actresses giving very good performances every time she was on-screen. But also because she took a role that could have been completely two dimensional and gave it a remarkable amount of depth.
2. James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class
I love Patrick Stewart. I love him to the point that going into ‘X-Men: First Class’, I kept saying that no matter how good James McAvoy was, I wouldn’t like him because he isn’t Patrick Stewart. How wrong I was. I now think that I actually prefer him in the role – a remarkable feat by McAvoy whose warmth and charisma shines out of him like light off of Patrick Stewart’s head.
There’s a scene in the film where he attempts to pick up a girl in a bar and as an audience member, I felt like I was that girl – captivated by every word coming out of his mouth and falling in love with him. You can take your “real” performances from actors in “real” films and stuff it. Especially given my choice for #1…
1. Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I hate to be that guy, but I honestly can’t think of a better performance this year than Serkis as a chimp, rendered by a computer. Caesar is the most engaging character in any film I’ve seen since The Joker way back in ‘The Dark Knight’ and he does it all without dialogue. The amount of emotional intricacies conveyed with each simple facial expression is just remarkable.
I’m not saying that Serkis’ Caesar is one of the all-time greatest performances; I’m just saying that I haven’t seen a better performance this year. And I suppose it’s possible that I’m biased towards chimps. I fucking love chimps. Who doesn’t?
So there's part one. Hope you enjoy. Another post will be up soon regarding our top 10 films of the year. Hope your excited. I am. But, thats for another reason entirely.
Dan and Sol
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