TIM KELLY’S TOP 10 OF 2011

You know what? This must have been an excellent year and I haven't noticed until I started seeing a bunch of lists with a bunch of different movies movies in them and I realized I could complain about any of them. 

Good call  Stelios,  some great lists this year.

I just can't get on board with seeing Bridesmaids in the top 5.  I've seen it there on a couple of lists now, and while it's a fun movie and a great showcase for its female ensemble, it just didn't strike me as Top Ten of the year material.

It's a weak year for comedy but Bridesmaids is a bright spot and terrific ensemble. Really enjoyed it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by stelios 

You know what? This must have been an excellent year and I haven't noticed until I started seeing a bunch of lists with a bunch of different movies movies in them and I realized I could complain about any of them.
 

I realized this while making my list. So much good stuff had to get left off it made me sad, and CHUD does Top 15 for godsake. 2011 was an unusually good showing for big budget genre films; I think that's what pushed its # of goodness so far.

BRIDESMAIDS forced me to draw a line in the sand -- does a comedy only need to be funny or does it also need to be a good movie? I laughed my ass off in parts during the film, the comedy definitely works, but at 125 minutes I walked about feeling like it should have been nearly 30 minutes shorter. But it is still a very funny film.

There might be better or worse years for mainstream Hollywood fare, but cinema never has a bad year.

I think the laughs are cemented in "Bridesmaids" by the dramatic weight of the class tension. Rose Byrne's character clearly fell ass-backwards into wealth, and Kristen Wiig's completely broke piemaker can never compete, and Wiig's depression in the role feels real, and it feels earned. I would argue that, a few comic digressions aside, it's a better Movie than it is a Comedy.

Man, you guys really liked "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." I thought it was pretty good, but isn't it kinda... I dunno, dumb? The ape stuff is great. The human stuff and plot machinations are largely substandard.

Also, someone's gotta explain to me how "Ides of March" indicts anyone or anything. Most obvious movie of the year.

Re: Ides. Like I said, I like it as a companion to Primary Colors, a film I've grown to appreciate more as it's gotten some years behind it. That film more or less takes a pass on its political adviser characters. Where in Ides it's Gosling holding the cards. By the time he's ready for his closeup he's already sold his soul. I wouldn't call the film obvious but it's not terribly elaborate either. 

Nice work Tim.

However, each of these lists just makes me more and more bummed out that more people didn't see The Guard.

Can't say it was on my radar, but it is now. I go hot and cold on Cheadle but this looks promising. Thanks for the recommendation. 

I google searched it and this is initially what came up. Thought you were fucking with me for a sec: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guard_(2001_film)