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December 26, 2011
Nerve's 15 Best Movies of 2011
Featuring gay romance, some surprisingly intelligent apes, and a murderous Albert Brooks.
by Phil Nugent and Andrew Osborne
People inclined to complain about the state of cinema didn't have to look very far in 2011, as all the ugly trends of recent years continued. Once again, endless CGI sequels, formulaic romantic comedies, and "origin stories" about guys in tights drifted into theaters, highlighting an ever-more-impressive gap between money spent and fucks given. Yet looking at the movies that crept in around the margins, it wasn't such a bad year at all. Our top fifteen don't seem to add up to a zeitgeist, but they're collective proof that interesting films are still out there if you know where to look.
15. Moneyball
Brad Pitt gives the best and most likable performance of his career as Billy Beane, the baseball manager who wears his love of the game like an albatross around his neck as he tries to figure out how to win in the major leagues without access to the fortunes his biggest rivals have in their coffers. In one of his last fat performances, Jonah Hill earns a special citation as sidekick of the year. — Phil Nugent
14. A Dangerous Method
David Cronenberg delves into the early history of psychoanalysis, and finds a very creepy professional triangle between the aging Sigmund Freud (a serenely authoritative Viggo Mortensen), his heir apparent, Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), and a patient-turned-analyst (Keira Knightley). A fascinating, illuminating historical drama, complete with spanking scenes. — P.N.
13. Melancholia
Even before Lars von Trier put both feet in his mouth while promoting the Cannes premiere of Melancholia, I was never exactly a fan of the scandal-baiting, misery-loving director. Yet the opening and closing minutes of his latest apocalyptic vision are breathtaking, and the story between those bookends (about a doomed bride embodied by an Oscar-worthy Kristen Dunst) works both as a chilling end-of-the-world drama and a haunting symbolic depiction of clinical depression. Sounds fun, right? But don't worry — it's nowhere near as dreary as that description makes it sound. — Andrew Osborne
12. Hugo
The first family film from a guy better known for taut violence, Hugo is surprisingly moving. Martin Scorsese channels his lonely childhood to tell a story of rescue that's also a loving tribute to the early days of cinema. — Rick Paulas
11. Weekend
British writer/director Andrew Haigh doesn't shy away from the gay sex (or the unique challenges faced by same-sex couples in a generally homophobic society) in this bittersweet tale of a weekend-long one-night stand. Yet the sexuality of the central couple (portrayed in star-making turns by Tom Cullen and Chris New) is secondary to the film's universally relatable take on giddy first attraction, intensified by time constraints. — A.O.
Commentarium (75 Comments)
from Netflix... Weekend and The Trip are on instant watch!
SO IS THAT JULIETTE BINOCHE MOVIE CERTIFIED COPY
Yes it is, zombie mofo. But I've rigged the VOLUME CONTROL SO THAT IT WILL ONLY PLAY WIDE OPEN, JUST FOR YOU. KTHXBAI
Holy shit... is this a Zodiac Motherfucker knock-off on Nerve? I feel like the internet is collapsing in on itself.
First I've seen of the twat, so unless it's a new trend, I'd say nope. Meaning, the term, not your name. So, no reason to get panicked about the internet collapsing on itself. Take a pill.
Surprised Glee 3D wasn't Nerve's best movie of the year
Hm yeah. At least some of your posts are funny, troll.
Actually, it's utterly impossible to tell the difference. My guess - same person, split personalities. Back onto the lithium, John Son.
Don't listen to Pellinore, John Son! Go off your meds! More comments, please! Your witty barbs and words of wisdom inspire all of us. I haven't read anything so funny ever in my life. Glee you say!? HAHAHA. Scamp.
Midnight in Paris sucked. It just did. It was terrible and painful to watch.
Also, The Green Lantern rocked. It was an explosive tour de force with impressive visuals and a decent plot. What's not to like? I recommend.
+1
+3
Uh, dude. You skipped +2. Moron.
+5
Midnight in Paris didn't suck it was just a little disappointing. Green Lantern was VERY disappointing.
Uh, yeah. Rj? I think you lost all cred with The Green Lantern, and calling it a 'tour de force' no less. You like roller coaster rides, not great cinema. So be it.
Waaaaah, I lost my cred with D. Caf - I'm all tears! I'm going to go bite my pillow now...
Melancholia was a movie that I just might have been too stupid to understand. I wasn't angry after I watched it - I didn't think it was a complete waste of time. It was beautifully shot but in the means of story, I thought it was really disjointed. Basically, I think it was overrated (along the same lines as Tree of Life).
There isn't really much to get. It's a long, slow movie about depression and the end of the world, you either like it or you don't.
Fuck. Given that you've couched it in such compelling terms, who could not like that, Steph?
Huge record-scratch moment at #3. The Artist was adorable, make no mistake, but it was complete kitsch; it definitely relied on gimmickry and nostalgia to cover up seriously unfunny physical comedy and dull characterization. Midnight in Paris was even more fluffy and mindless, with overly broad characters and the same "I'm making a reference and not a joke" kind of humor you see in Friedberg/Seltzer movies, just with higher brow material. And The Trip was really fun, but it was essentially a less funny version of the sitcom. If you really think that was better cinema than Certified Copy, The Skin I Live In, Hugo, The Interruptors, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Into the Abyss, House of Pleasures...
Well, it's your list, but holy shit, I think you are so, so wrong.
if you honestly don't appreciate the tree of life, it's because you honestly don't appreciate the value of film as a purely visual art form. this movie is as effective a summation of the raw experience of living as i have ever seen. the way malick treats time is, in my opinion, boldly transgressive, and at the least an unconventional way of viewing a person's life. have you ever seen a movie starring brad pitt that abused the viewer's perspective as effectively? have you ever seen a camera move through an office building that way? are you seriously just totally only concerned with the "entertainment" value of a movie? if so, u need 2 srsly reevalu8 yr perspectives on what is notable in the world of cinema.
I thought the nature and dinosaur parts of Tree of Life were really bad and hard to sit through (actually, I almost did leave the theater), but it got a lot better once actual people were in the movie. I thought the kid's struggle to understand the society, his parents' relationship and his relationship with his parents was touching and surprisingly universal.
Ugh. Hey everybody, there's a troll posting as me. I just want everyone to know that if the troll says something offensive, it's not from me. After all, I have my anonymous internet reputation to prote... ah, nevermind.
YoungTony is absolutely right and it's a damn shame that such an amazing film is being called 'overrated.' No film this year tried harder to speak to some of the most basic and elemental aspects of existence and it's just depressing to see it called 'overrated.' Bonus points for criticizing lazy cash-grabs at the beginning and then calling something truly revolutionary 'overrated.' You're literally what's wrong with the world and you're too dumb to see it. I'm not talking about you, Nerve Commentator 'Me,' because your critique is a lot more valid and well-reasoned than this article's petty little 'I don't get it.'
Thanks Myke. Myke is totally correct on this one. This was a cinematic masterpiece and warrants all the praise it gathers and none of the critique. The Nerve writer just completely misses the point altogether.
Thanks YoungTony. I totally hear what you're saying. I agree totally. U da man!
Thanks Myke. I really appreciate your support through these very trying times.
I love you, man.
quite a few times during the rise of planet of the apes i found myself thinking: 'this is REALLY bad', and then came the finale that turned a really bad movie into a movie so bad its embarassing to watch. i think i laughed the whole way home - what the f... did i just watch :D
its cringe factor was probably 'topped' by three musketeers though, judging by the trailer.
Dude, Apes raged it was so good. Sorry you can't appreciate a good flick. There hasn't been a bad Apes flick in the entire series. I guess maybe you should stick to your overrated 'Tree Of Life' crap going forwards.
I don't know... I just appreciate someone remembering Source Code and The Adjustment Bureau when putting together their Best of 2011 list. Now go buy your copy of The Interrupters from PBS.
I have to wonder, where is "Beginners?" Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer put together one of the most touching father/son stories I've ever seen, and as a parable about the purity and incorruptibility of love, it's the best thing I've seen in... ever.
I agree about "Beginners". A really beautiful story, full of emotion, and presented with such wonderful technique. One of my favorites of the year for sure.
Yes, that made me cry every tiem I watched it, rather similar to every time I read a Comment by profrobert, although for different reasons.
I'm not sure anything is going to get me to a Von Trier film. Too many bad past experiences.
Just a small mistake, but under "Overrated Movie" you put Tree of Life, not Drive.
Sorry if your tastes aren't sophisticated enough to enjoy a movie that doesn't have cars turning into robots. Go watch some Michael Bay or Christopher Nolan movies fanboy.
kthxbai
You figger? OK I'll just use your name for a while.
Why did Nerve suddenly turn into a dating site. Pretty random.
Well, my own personal theory - and gawk at me if you will - is that it wasn't random at all, but that it was a calculated change in strategy initiated by people in order to cause a net positive impact upon cashflow. BTW nope, you're kinda cute. Wanna go out for dinner with me?
Nerve has been a dating site for a while, they just decided to put more focus on it. Of course, 3:17, you're also right that it had something to do with the fact that dating sites make more money than the ad revenue from articles, but you should really check out why you have this attraction to letters; that's pretty fucked up.
So is that a nope on the dinner, nope?
nope. I mean, yep.
It's because I have a CABBAGE for a head, ISN'T IT?!
What about THe Help? It definitely deserves top 15
Noooooooooo it doesn't. It's just another Hollywood movie pandering to white guilt by crediting a box office friendly white person with the success of a black person (see: that pile of crap Sandra Bullock did last year) or group of black people (see: any movie about black civil rights or black people in sports teams).
Also movies in which a white teacher selflessly helps poor kids in crappy neighbourhoods, especially if it can claim it's based on a true story.
Oh please, save the White Guilt BS, it was a great movie with some fine acting and writing. You can't just claim white guilt because it was a movie about black people being helped by a lone white woman.
Not even an honourable mention for Warrior or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?
No ' we need to talk about kevin' or 'martha marcy may marlene' but lets not forget about Bridesmaids!!!! We need more movies aimed at gays and women.
... and Muppets!
I'm with you, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was amazing... drop Bridesmaids for that one in a hot minute.
And I'm right there with The Muppets, too. I laugh, I cry, I live.
The Muppets totally deserved to be on here.
+1
meloncholia was two films about the same characters mashed together with a really amazing montage at the beginning. it was only two hours long and i felt like i watched Birth of a nation uncut, then with the director commentary. it was so terrible in between really great moments and the beginning and the end, and if the dad hadnt been so charming i would have said the whole wedding half(which has almost nothing to do with the rest of the movie) would have been a waste too.
I have to say that Tree of Life was absolutely incredible, and I was really excited about seeing Melancholia and thought it was tremendously overrated.
I have to say that Tree of Life sucked unwashed balls.
As did you last night, big fella. I'll phone you soon. Promise.
Hey NERVE, watch more movies! Like Crazy should be far up on that list. Try watching that movie and not crying through most of it. And The Skin I Live In should replace a few of those jokes. The Descendants should be with Tree of Life for most overrated. Love Clooney, but there was NOTHING special about his acting. Warrior, a movie I thought would be terrible, remains one of my favorites. Midnight is when I should go to sleep, not a movie that puts me to sleep.
I agree with 'Like Crazy' very real and honest that nerve readers would enjoy.
you get my approval for putting Weekend on the list---a beautiful, honest, and subtle film with some very fine acting (if not a lot of gratuitous drug use).
which, by the way, I can completely relate to.
Good grief... you had me going for awhile there. I mean, I was slowly putting a lot of these on my "to see" list, until you thought Bridesmaids was one of the best movies of the year.
I'll admit, the movie had its moments, but for fuck's sake, it simply wasn't THAT funny of a movie. You can't simply jump up and down every time a movie written, directed, produced, or whatever by a woman comes up and call it the best ever simply because a woman was involved. Bridemaids was just OK at best, but it sagged at the end of the second act and it's third act was a mess. At best it was collection of funny bits tied together with a theme, at worst, it would have just been "better than it needed to be" if it showed up on Lifetime.
Also, Green Lantern, while certainly not the best movie of the year, it certainly wasn't the worst either. There were so many other horrible movies out this year, including two that you mentioned in that section, but Green Lantern wasn't one of them (in fact, I would have put Thor in that pile before Green Lantern, but not really, because it wasn't that bad either).
Well, baby, me so horny. Me so HORNY. Me love you long time. You party?
The folks wrote this articulate obviously haven't seen the new Sherlock Holmes. If they had, surely it would have warranted a spot on the "Worst" list. The story line, to the extent that there was one, was disjointed, incoherent and all over the place. Not only was it far and away worse than the last one, it was a total full-speed, pseudo- historical action bender but not in any enjoyable way. Think a faster paced Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
It's not as bad as The Green Lantern, that crapathon that the Rj asshat loves so much.
Art is subjective. Is there really any film that we can universally look at and say without any disagreement, "This was truly good?" Of course not! I think this discussion is for the most part good humoured, but I dont understand why people get so upset when someone else says they think their favorite movie is junk.
Moneyball showed Brad aka the moody, melancholic Billy better than the Robert Redford baseball character.
Re: your #1 pick compare and contrast it with "My Dinner with Andre'", Sideways, or the British TV show they swiped it from starring Top Gear UKs Hammond and the spunky wine critic.
Thank you for succinctly explaining why "Tree of Life" sucked. I'll cut and paste that from now on. Too bad you didn't feel the same way about "Melancholia", which was just as shitty.
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