Films I Remember Watching In 2011
These are all worth seeing for various reasons, some for the cinematography, some for unquietness, and some for the story, except for one; Conan the Barbarian. Most I highly recommend. There are some movies I have re-watched to see if they stand up to the test of time. I can honestly say, one of the worst movies I have ever seen I watched this year, Conan the Barbarian (2011). A bunch that were highlights for me were: 13 Assassins, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Black Death, I Am Love, Ushpizin, Mammoth, Slueth, Eleanor's Secret, and The Illusionists.
List activity
1.1K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
49 titles
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsAnthony HopkinsNaomi WattsJosh BrolinSally's parents' marriage breaks up when her father undergoes a mid-life crisis and impulsively weds a prostitute. Meanwhile, Sally's own marriage also begins to disintegrate.Woody Allen at his best. High society, interesting and beautiful people and a tragic ending. What more could you want?
- DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsTilda SwintonFlavio ParentiEdoardo GabbrielliniEmma left Russia to live with her husband in Italy. Now a member of a powerful industrial family, she is the respected mother of three, but feels unfulfilled. One day, Antonio, a talented chef and her son's friend, makes her senses kindle.Bittersweet in every way.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKoji YakushoTakayuki YamadaYûsuke IseyaA group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.Great cinematography, great story about honour and the abuse of power. Action and artsy.
- DirectorGidi DarStarsShuli RandMichal Bat-Sheva RandShaul MizrahiAn Orthodox Jewish couple's faith is tested after praying to the Lord for a child on the Succoth holiday.A very well written story about a couple living out ones faith and pushing the boundaries of tradition for tradition sake. One of my all time favorites.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsMichael CaineJude LawHarold PinterOn his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.This film is like theatre. Two great actors from tow different generations duelling it out and riffing lines back and forth. A must see for any film critic.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsGael García BernalMichelle WilliamsMarife NecesitoWhen a father has to leave his family in New York, for a business trip to Thailand in the gaming industry, fatal destinies collid.A haunting social commentary film about a modern family, the sex trade, and trying to find each other in this crazy world.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsNatalie PortmanMila KunisVincent CasselNina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.Just great.
- DirectorChristopher SmithStarsEddie RedmayneSean BeanCarice van HoutenSet during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is given the task of learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.Yes, the story is a bit of a stretch, but what makes this film for me is how authentic this film presents sword fighting. In one of the action scenes all the fighters start to get tired after waving around their swords for 10 minutes. You just don't see this in hollywood action films. Our hero in Gladiator never gets tired. Let's face it, swinging around a sword is hard work. Also it shows how brutal hacking someones arm off is and doesn't cut away. It's true other films attempt to show the brutality of sword fighting with spraying blood and large scale massacres, but in my opinion come up sort compared to the humanness of Black Death. Others will rate this film with an overall 6, but because of the authentic presentation of wielding a sword at another human being, I give this a higher rating. This film also delves into the power of deception, religion, and what faith is. A quirky little film, but its originality won me over.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsBen AffleckRebecca HallJon HammA proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold an assistant manager hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members falls in love with her.A highly polished film. Not much to say about a film that simply crosses all of it's "t's".
- DirectorEd HarrisStarsEd HarrisMarcia Gay HardenRobert KnottA film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock.Just great acting here. Nothing fancy, no special affects. Just a good story about a man, a woman and his art.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.One of my new favourite comedies, right up there with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers.
- DirectorSylvain ChometStarsJean-Claude DondaEilidh RankinDuncan MacNeilA French illusionist finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever.Sad and beautiful. The line drawing and water colour style are lovely.
- DirectorDanis TanovicStarsColin FarrellJamie SivesPaz VegaThe wife of a photojournalist sets out to discover why he came home from a recent assignment without his colleague.Collin Farell in a different kind of role than his usual hero characters.
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsLothaire BluteauAden YoungSandrine HoltIn the 17th century, a Jesuit missionary nicknamed Black Robe by the natives and his small party of companions try reaching the Huron tribe in Canada all while facing mistrust, Iroquois warring parties and harsh winter conditions.An amazingly balanced depiction of "the new world", religion, and how Aboriginal tribes and colonizers clashed. What I like so much about this film is that it makes everyone look bad, or everyone look good. The English and French brought over some helpful things, but mostly brought destruction and deceit. The Aboriginal culture was both beautiful and brutal, though no less brutal than the "white man". Religion brought both forgiveness and judgement, disrupting an intricate tribal system. I think the film did well not to favour any one perspective, but presented all sides of a very harsh and convoluted time in history.
- DirectorRichard KellyStarsCameron DiazJames MarsdenFrank LangellaWith the press of a button, a wooden box bestows riches and death.
- DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsMorgan FreemanGene HackmanThomas JaneA wealthy attorney in San Juan comes to the police station for "10 minutes" of follow-up questions to finding a 12-year-old girl's body in a park. Another young girl was also raped and murdered weeks earlier and the evidence points to him.The ending is what redeems and makes this film. If it wasn't for the interesting ending, this film would get a lower rating from me. But saying that, you can't go wrong with two of the greats like Hackman and Freeman.
- DirectorDominique MonferyStarsRuy AbitbolPaul BandeyNatacha BodyNatanaël, seven, still doesn't know how to read. His eccentric old aunt bequeaths her house to his parents and her book collection to the young boy. Nat discovers that the books serve as a shelter for all the heroes found in children's literature. They are the original characters and are counting on him for protection. For if they leave the library, they will disappear along with their stories forever! When his parents start selling off the books, Nathanaël, who is shrunk by the evil witch Carabosse, braves everything to save his tiny friends.A beautiful little story with beautiful art. It mostly gets a high ranking from me because the art is so original and beautiful.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsGeorge ClooneyMeryl StreepBill MurrayAn urbane fox cannot resist returning to his farm raiding ways and then must help his community survive the farmers' retaliation.Anderson always amazes me.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsMarla OlmsteadLaura OlmsteadMark OlmsteadA look at the work and surprising success of a four-year-old girl whose paintings have been compared to the likes of Picasso and has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars.Debates one of the more controversial questions, what is and isn't art? Also an interesting look inside a family, the art world, and how to deal with and navigate a young child's fame.
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsChristina RicciSamuel L. JacksonJustin TimberlakeA God-fearing bluesman takes to a wild young woman who, as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, looks everywhere for love, never quite finding it.A simple man with troubles of his own, helps a girl get straight. It's true this film crosses some lines, but the story of one human genuinely helping another seems so honest, despite the other over-the-top cult classic feel of this film. The story is so endearing, it's definitely original, and it's definitely Samuel Jackson = high ranking.
- DirectorTod WilliamsStarsJeff BridgesKim BasingerJon FosterA writer's young assistant becomes both pawn and catalyst in his boss's disintegrating household.Painful characters to watch, but also very interesting characters to watch. A painful family melodrama, but a good one none-the-less.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsFreddie HighmoreMia FarrowMadonnaTen-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature.One of my favourite action animated movies. More creative than a Disney flick.
- DirectorPeter HewittStarsJohn GoodmanJim BroadbentMark WilliamsA secret family of four-inch people living inside the walls of a house must save their home from an evil real estate developer.Great fun for the whole family. The characters are great. Refreshing compared to the Disney formula.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsJohn KrasinskiMaya RudolphAllison JanneyA couple expecting their first child travels the U.S. seeking the perfect "family home." They have misadventures and find fresh connections with relatives and old friends who help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.Dead-pan humour and a sweet couple, make this film endearing. Though some might just find this boring or the couple too odd.
- DirectorM. CahillStarsMichael DouglasEvan Rachel WoodWillis Burks IIAn unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there's Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.A good family movie about a quirky father and daughter relationship.