Top 15 of 2011: 15-11

Today is Jacob's Film Cabin's 1st Birthday! To celebrate this, I will post up my Top 15 of 2011 throughout the day, as well as the Top 12 upcoming films in 2012 and Golden Globe predictions. Big day for the Cabin. I encourage comments and feedback from all, and if you would like to get in touch, feel free to follow Jacob's Film Cabin or follow me on Twitter. Get involved!

A quick note - I am not including films from before March of last year, so as to disclude Oscar contenders. If a film was released in the UK from March 2011 to January 2012, it has a chance of appearing on my list. Similarly, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, War Horse,The Descendants and Take Shelter have not yet been seen by me, so will not be appearing on this list.

Happy reading, fellow film lovers.

15-11

Number 15:

Warrior

Family is worth fighting for

Release Date: 23rd September

Highest Box Office Position: 3

 Directed by Gavin O'Connor

Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison

A mixed martial arts film that sees two estranged brothers inexplicably drawn back to the sport they used to compete in, sees them both enter a tournament with a huge cash prize. It is no spoiler to say that it looks ever more likely the two are going to enter the cage and face off at some point - but can they put their deep issues aside? If it all sounds tired and cliched, give Warrior a chance and you will discover this could genuinely be one of the most moving films of the year, all aided by the casting of Joel Edgerton and superstar-in-the-making Tom Hardy as the brothers - not to mention Nick Nolte as the recovering-alcoholic and ex-abusive father who tore the family apart years previous. Like Black Swan and ballet, Warrior is not just for fans of MMA, but for film-fans worldwide.

Number 14:

Crazy, Stupid, Love

This is crazy. This is stupid. This is love

Release Date: 23rd September

Highest Box Office Position: 2

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore

A romantic comedy with splashes of drama that stars Steve Carell as a fresh divorcee who is taken under the wing of ladies man Ryan Gosling sounds like a pretty standard effort. But noticing that two relative unknowns have somehow managed to compile a cast that daren't be sniffed at may elevate your expectations. And so it is, half an hour into Crazy, Stupid, Love, you'll see just why that cast signed on the dotted line, for the touching script taps so well into the the ensemble ensuring the film can appeal to an older and younger generation. There may be one sub-plot too many and a polarizing convention-busting twist that see the film swerve towards an underwhelming climax, but the whole thing charms you into thinking that none of this matter. Hilariously touching.

Number 13:

Moneyball

  What are you really worth?

Release Date: 25th November

Highest Box Office Position: 10

Directed by Bennett Miller

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright

Brad Pitt saw something in Moneyball, the true-life story of Billy Beane - a former baseball player turned general manager of Oaklands Athletics, a team with a dire financial situation that prompts assistant general manager Peter Brand to throw an idea Beane's way: choose a team of players based on statistical success as opposed to fleeting match success. Pitt produces and stars as Beane and is truly on top form. Viewing this as a sports movie is unwise (considering the lack of sport action) but by focusing on Beane's loyal dedication to an underdog team he innately believes in and you will be deeply rewarded by something you probably didn't expect to find too many rewards in. On the Money/ball.

Moneyball reviewed here...

 Number 12:

Kill List

 The scariest hit man movie

Release Date: 2nd September

Highest Box Office Position: 17

Directed by Ben Wheatley

Starring: Neil Maskell, Harry Simpson, MyAnna Buring, Emma Fryer

  

There's a lot that can be said about Kill List, the British hitman film that is never quite what it seems. Frankly, the less said about this ridiculously disconcerting but thrilling ride the better - for here is a film that needs to be seen to be believed. It all sounds like fair game, with two ex-soldiers (played with brutal realism by Maskell and Simpson) embarking on one last job after being handed a kill list. But in an apparently leftfield genre veer (that becomes not so leftfield upon rewatch), and you will understand why Kill List requires a placement upon this list. At best, it's an experiment. At worst, a homage - but when a homage is produced as skillfully this, the whole thing becomes something else entirely. The words classic, modern and cult spring to mind.

Number 11:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

It all ends...

Release Date: 15th July

Highest Box Office Position: 1

  

Directed by David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman

No list compiling the best films of 2011 should be without the final installment of the ridiculously-popular adapted Harry Potter novels, which saw Harry and pals face off against Ralph Fiennes’ Lord Voldemort in one of the biggest and much-anticipated battles committed to screen. Watch on in awe, shock and excitement as the hugely loved landmarks at Hogwarts (everyone’s favourite school) are destructed in the largest scale possible. It's placement on this list is deserved for Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Professor Severus Snape alone – actors rarely match roles to the degree that Rickman matched his in this franchise, and hopefully will be recognised to some degree this coming awards season.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 reviewed here...

Jacob's Film Cabin's Harry Potter franchise retrospective

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Insidious

15, 2011, Directed by James Wan
Starring: Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins

From the director of mammoth horror franchise Saw and producer of on-its-way mammoth horror franchise Paranormal Activity, you would be forgiven for watching Insidious from behind your hands with a large amount of trepidation. The plot follows stereotypical hokum horror pokum, merging slamming doors with things that go bump in the night, but throws the haunted house idea to the side by focusing on… a haunted son. When Dalton slips into a comatose state, it becomes clear that some angry spirits are hanging around in the dead of night. For the first 45 minutes, Insidious provides not only mandatory jolts, but genuine scares; spooky set-pieces with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it imagery that will have viewers reaching for the rewind and pause buttons. Additionally, at times the scares are so well-constructed you have an overwhelming sense you could be watching the horror film of the decade. It’s a crying shame then that what the film descends into is something that the original Saw and Paranormal Activity both scored miles above. Predictable, if contrived plot twists harmed by clichéd performances from the unfortunate cast (who do all they can - especially Barbara Hershey in Black Swan mode for her second spooky supporting role of the year). Some fear-inducing creations aside, it is the unseen potential of the project, not to mention the gimmicky contrived climax, that heightens the disappointment. However, rest assured – you will never look at Darth Maul in the same way again.

2/5



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Friends with Benefits

2011, 15, Directed by Will Gluck
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Woody Harrelson, Patricia Clarkson

Natalie Portman made a pact with Ashton Kutcher early on in the year to have sex, as long as there were No String's Attached. Strangely, her Black Swan co-star finds herself in a similar predicament, only with Justin Timberlake. Here, we have a film truly based in the 21st century; not only does Friends with Benefits feature enough technical product placement to put You’ve Got Mail to shame, but asks the question: can two pals who decide to ‘play tennis’ between the sheets keep their emotions at bay? After impressing in The Social Network, Timberlake - surprisingly capable in a lead role and not afraid to make a fool of himself - teams up with sassy sweetheart Kunis to play Dylan and Jamie, the mates who put this to the test. Comedy ensues through the inevitably awkward circumstances the characters find themselves in and the comments by supporting players (Dylan tells his GQ workbuddy that Jamie is different to the other girls, to which he asks 'Does she have a penis where most girls have a vagina...? Then she's no different!'). The sex scenes themselves that seem more grounded in reality through the unflattering way in which they are filmed – a tough feat for a scene involving two desirable figures - are wittily played with help from the inclusion of previously mentioned aspects in the screenplay. One word: sneeze.

Will Gluck’s previous feature Easy A, which made a star out of Emma Stone (who politely cameos at the start as a John Mayer superfan), approached the rom-com in a fresh manner, the influence of 80s Brat Pack films apparent. The same is attempted in Friends with Benefits with postmodernist montage bluff sequences and self-referencing applied, as well as homages of the obvious: Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally... . But, as the film reaches its final third, Timberlake and Kunis seemingly intentionally re-enact the cliches that the screenplay explicitly mocks earlier on in the film. Destructive? No. Cheeky? Most certainly, but the film does suffer for it; what once was credible becomes a cop out. Moreover, an unnecessary sub-plot involving Dylan's father (an always welcome Richrd Jenkins) is introduced and dealt with shoddily. There's plenty of fun to be had though, with laughs through the relatable insightful script and offbeat support (Woody Harrelson hilariously cast against type as a gay workmate of Dylan's at GQ), not to mention Kunis' assured dialogue delivery; her timing is spot on, and it seems she is finally blossoming into the superstar she deserves to be.

For the least awkward viewing experience, avoid watching with friends of the opposite sex.

3/5



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Black Swan

2010, 15, Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey

Darren Aronofsky’s first film since The Wrestler follows a near-identical formula: a character cannot deny their addiction to a talent they pursue powerlessly. Whereas Mickey Rourke’s wrestler was the protagonist in which that film was based, Black Swan focuses on Natalie Portman’s ballerina, Nina. Her every moment is shaped by ballet and it is this obsession which shapes the film (the opening sequence is a dream of Nina dancing as the Swan Queen, the role all ballerinas covet). We are permitted an immediate glimpse into Nina’s sheltered life, which aptly starts how Black Swan means to go on. You will question what is grounded in reality or what is in the mind, largely due to the digital trickery Aronofsky revels in shaking-up his audience with. Vincent Cassel’s expedient director, Thomas, makes no secret about the fact that Nina plays the White Swan to perfection, but that she just cannot convey the seductive scarred sexuality necessary for the Black Swan. Together with the forceful pressure placed onto her by the presence of new ballerina on the block Lily (Mila Kunis), Nina begins to make a tantalising transition. The casting here is inspired, with Portman epitomising Nina’s fragility in a beautiful manner – 8 months of dedicated training for the role is strongly indicated, causing the ballet scenes to be as awe-inspiring to even somebody who has no interest in dance. Cassel and Kunis impress, each adapting to their character with relative ease, whilst Barbara Hershey as the suffocating Mom of Nina plays just the right amount of mental-cased menace necessary so as not to belittle, but to partly influence her daughter’s inevitable spiral. But extreme kudos to Portman – she lingers in almost every shot: a shadow here, a reflection there (highlighting the extreme importance of mirrors). The amount of screen time she occupies in a film as challenging as this is pretty unthinkable and deserves to be rewarded (pay attention, Oscar).

Vitally, Aronofsky’s insistence on focusing on the intricacy of what his cast are doing is completely present – the scintillating cinematography will enable you to witness Swan Lake closer-up than you ever thought possible, experiencing every crack of the toe or toe out of line that Nina experiences. The camerawork on display effuses naturalism and surrealism simultaneously, birthing an uneasy feeling throughout: the claustrophobic camera constantly breathing down Nina’s neck; the technical flair of the camera matching her actions; the ingenious ability of capturing the beautiful and not-so-nice elements of the performances. The film insists upon weaving genres, but this simply adds to the unsettling nature at play and sets you up in such a way that you will welcome the scenes that will embed Black Swan into cult status forever more (and trust me, there are some seriously out-there moments).

Suffice to say, Black Swan is not for everyone, yet love it or loathe it there is no denying its palatable power. This is serious artistic ingenuity and Aronofsky has certainly defined himself as a genre director. Black Swan is the most horrific psychologically charged thriller there is. Prepare to be mesmerised.

4/5

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