going off of this list...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_in_film
top grossing: deathly hallows, not because it made a bunch of money, simply because the rest of the top grossing movies were utter dogshit
in no particular order.
The Adjustment Bureau: It was kind unevenly paced, but when it comes to hollywood films a little originality goes a long way. To my knowledege it wasn't a re-make, re-boot, or a re-imagining of any kind it was just an original idea that somehow managed to become a movie.
Rango: For no other reason that Johnny Depp is a treat in just about anything he stars in. The quiet nods to Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas made me giggle too.
I Saw The Devil: Korea, as well as the French are making some of the best horror films out there today. and while it isn't hard to do, putting hollywood to shame, in the process
Kill The Irishman: i think this is on netflix, not really "the best" per se. but a gangster film that doesn't involve a hip hop artist trying to parlay his fame into movies.
Hobo With A Shotgun: nuff said?
Super 8: Imagine the Goonies fucked E.T. and didn't pull out in time. Super 8 was that coming of age tale that totally caught me off guard. Along with Planet of the Apes, a movie that stood out amongst a very tightly packed schedule of summer movies.
Contagion: Ever since I saw this one, I carry Purell with me wherever I go. right up until the final shot, a chilling movie. Along with Christopher Nolan and David Fincher; Stephen Soderbergh seem to be the only 3 guys who take film making seriously anymore.
Red State:
"people just do the strangest things when they believe they're entitled. but they do even stranger things when they just plain believe."
This Kevin Smith film holds a dear spot in my heart for me. If you consider yourself a child of the 90's chances are Kevin Smith's movie Clerks was your bible. Red State comes out of the gate a bit shaky and tends to pander a little, but a humble cast, weave a tale of religious fanaticism that makes it hard to tell just where it's taking you.
Michael Parks performance as a hate mongering preacher just thrilled me right the fuck out. (FUN FACT: all of Parks' singing is improvised) John Goodman plays an ATF agent faced with some tough decisions was equally as kick-ass. This is truly a movie with absolutely no redeeming characters at all. At a screening at the Vogue Theater in August a member of the audience called the film completely "condom-off" and I don't think there's any better way to describe it.
Meloncholia: Director Lars von Trier is an odd duck. That being said Meloncholia is the best movie of 2011. The film's star, Kirsten D
unst and her shitty teeth won best actress at Cannes for this film.
If you have a loved one who suffers from depression or bi-polar disorder watch this film. Not only will you get a better grasp on understanding what it is they're going through, von Trier also found a way to capture the world as it is from the eyes of someone who is deeply depressed. I found every frame of this movie was an intimate and very candid glance of what life for me is like when i'm at my absolute worst.
five worst bait and switch in 2011 (without the commentary)
Tree of Life
The Thing
The Rum Diary
Thor/Captain America
In Time
worse than over-time at the glory hole
Zoo-Keeper (or anything with kevin james for that matter)
honorable mention
Moneyball
the descendants
paul
sorce code
the devils double
