My Top 11 Films of '11

Happy new year to all my wonderful followers and readers!

At this time of year, critics tend to post their lists of their favourite films from the last year, and I thought I'd hop on this bandwagon now that I have an appropriate outlet for this. So without further ado, my top 11 films of 2011 (apparently also known as "films most overlooked in 2011").

11. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

As a Gary 'G-Man' Oldman lover, I was anticipating this film because his performance had been so hyped up in it, with many people calling this the role that will finally give him that long overdue Oscar nomination. Suffice to say, I was very impressed with him. He may not win the Academy Award, and possibly won't even be nominated (he's almost guaranteed to win the BAFTA though, because they are the most biased organisation I've seen in the film industry), but it was good. The cast was amazing, and I think actually Benedict Cumberbatch stole it for me, with his incredibly underrated performance. Overall, it was a little disappointing considering all the hype and anticipation, but definitely still worth a watch for anyone who hasn't already seen it.

10. Source Code

This could quite easily have gone either way in how I reacted to this film. A Groundhog Day-esque narrative with a female lead who I wasn't keen on wasn't getting me overly excited for this before I saw it, but damn was it good. Duncan 'Moon' Jones proves again that he is the sci-fi director of the moment, and Jake Gyllenhaal gives a wonderfully moving turn as a confused army pilot forced to ride the same exploding train over and over again to find the bomber. It's one of the smartest action sci-fi thrillers I've seen in a long time.

9. Thor

Easily the second-best superhero film offered this year (see number 7 for my favourite), Thor gave Chris Hemsworth his first proper leading man role, and he does it perfectly. The film blends comedy, action, family fueds and drama wonderfully, and the special effects are mesmerising. But really, the reason this made my top 11 films of this year is because of Tom Hiddleston's Loki, who steals the entire show, and is the loveliest, most misunderstood supervillain ever. The fact he is returning for The Avengers makes me so excited I could bounce around. And I think I did when I found that out. The odd choice of Kenneth Brannagh as director pays off, and I'm a little disappointed he isn't returning for the sequel. But still, enjoy this one, and watch as a very enjoyable prequel to The Avengers in the spring.

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Surely everyone's most anticipated film of 2011, there was so much pressure on this film to be good, and it mostly didn't disappoint. I've already written a lengthy blog post containing my thoughts on this, so just refer back to that to see what my verdict was. But still, having grown up with Harry, I couldn't wait for this film, and to use the much-overused-but-very-appropriate-phrase, it was the end of an era. There were tears. There were laughs. There was an unwanted amount of disbelief. But I think it would be doing it a discredit to say it wasn't a great way to say goodbye, and for that reason, it made my list.

7. X-Men: First Class

The number 1 superhero movie of the year goes to X-Men: First Class. Absolutely superb acting from the two leads, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender (we forgive the accent) made it compelling to watch, and it was lovely to see the return of strength to this franchise which had been diminshed somewhat by the previous two offerings. It earned my first five-star review on my blog, with good reason. The plot is engaging, Kevin Bacon clearly relishes in playing a hideous villain, but really it is the chemistry and bromance between McAvoy and Fassbender that seal the deal.

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I haven't done a blog post on this yet and I don't know whether I'll actually get around to doing it, so I'll put my general thoughts here now. Lots of people, including myself, were a bit skeptical when the Hollywood remake of the cult Swedish thriller was announced to be in production, but as more information came through I began to get a little optimistic that maybe it wouldn't be a remake that completely destroys the foreign original and gets completely slated. David Fincher is one of my favourite directors, so that was the first promising tidbit, and then the cast was announced, it was revealed that it was staying true to the books, and it was being filmed and set in Sweden, as the novels state. It's a very dark film that deals with subject matters that made me feel quite uncomfortable at times, and was clearly given an 18-rating here for a reason. But the whole cast are terrific, Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in particular, and the plot was very engaging. Yes, anyone who's read the book and/or seen the original film (which I must point out, I haven't yet done either) before knows the outcome of the mystery, and actually it was rather predictable once it got to a certain point within the film, but it was very stylish and I hope they do make the sequels, with the original cast and crew. The titles alone - which were very Bond-esque in the fact that they were put at the start of the film overlaid with a cracking song (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who actually deserve an Oscar for the soundtrack this time, did a great remix of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigration Song') and weird silhouettes of contortionists - deserve a place on the list.

5. True Grit

One of the most overlooked films of this year, especially when awards season approached last January, was this one. Like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I'd never seen the original, but as a big fan of the Coen brothers I was excited to see their latest offering, which was brilliant. Jeff Bridges was outstanding as Marshal Rooster Cogburn, and I actually think Hailee Steinfeld deserved the Best Supporting Actress awards over Melissa Leo, but hey, I seem to be one of the only people giving this film the attention it deserves. Unorthodox casting of Matt Damon was pulled off completely, and he was another one who didn't get the recognition he deserved this year, with The Adjustment Bureau also getting overlooked. It's definitely awarded my "Most Underrated Film of 2011" award (that I just made up. The King's Speech probably gets the most overrated award).

4. Black Swan

Yes, the "lesbian ballet film" earns a space in my top 11 this year. Watching it first time round, I was impressed, especially by Natalie Portman who completely deserved her awards for this, but it didn't strike me as being absolutely amazing. After watching it again (and again and again...) though, it was brilliant. Darren Aronofsky should have won all the best director awards for this. The cinematography and special effects are stunning, but really it's the engaging, original script of a mentally unstable athlete striving for glory, which Aronofsky of course has previous experience with, having directed The Wrestler, that really sells the film. It's dark, disturbing, but beautifully made and with an amazing score that I'm actually listening to as I write this. Just don't watch it with your family. Especially your mother.

3. The Fighter

Another film about an athlete striving to succeed! Except of course, this is completely different to Black Swan, and not just in terms of their athletic fields. This is much more of a drama focusing on the complexity of family life and the conflicts between the family members. Mark Wahlberg was snubbed after not getting nominated for this role, though I think his quiet voice of reason in this gets overshadowed by loud, brash but wonderful performances by the supporing cast of Christian 'Jesus' Bale, Amy Adams (in a career-best, I think) and Melissa Leo, with the former and latter of course walking away with many awards. Truly an amazing film to watch; if you haven't seen it yet, do it.

2. Water for Elephants

No, this was not the best film of the year, on my list or many other people's. But it makes number 2 on my list because it really was very special to me. It was based on one of my all-time favourite books, starring some of my all-time favourite actors, and subsequently containing one of my all-time favourite scores. It was my first ever review on this blog, and if that wasn't enough, I also got tickets to the premiere, to walk the red carpet and see it before anybody else. But aside from that, it's the most visually stylish film I've seen this year, and certainly my favourite period-piece. The acting was superb, with Robert Pattinson in particular shining in his first big role since Twilight began. It's no secret that I'm a fan of his, and I was so pleased that he was able to properly showcase his acting ability in this. Also, I think it has been overlooked in the 2012 awards season in terms of the technical side of it: the cinematography is beautiful and the costumes are splendid. I also think I felt every emotion it's possible to feel during a film during this, and I've never cried so much inexplicably watching a film before. I honestly can't even explain why, but the ending sets me off every time I watch this. Kathryn and I were weeping for about half an hour after it finished, and that isn't even an exaggeration; they were cleaning the theatre around us. So, because it was so personal to me, it's ranks as my number two film of the year.

And number one?

1. Super 8

It was the most flawless film of the year. I cannot fault it at all. The acting is amazing, the special effects are stunning, the banter between the young characters is a highlight, and it's so refreshing to have a truly brilliant original script from Hollywood. And what have they done? OVERLOOKED IT. I cannot comprehend how this isn't sweeping the boards. Everything about it is perfect. This is a prime example of the hatred that academies seem to have for sci-fi films. But you forget it's even catagorised as that, because for the most part it's a mystery, a suspense, and a comedy, with a side of tween love-triangle thrown in there. Writer/director JJ Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) is fast becoming one of my favourite directors, and his creativity and originality is incredible. Filled with fantastic one-liners as well, it's suitable for pretty much everyone over the age of 10, and everyone should see it. The fact that I cannot find a fault in it at all, and that it's one of my absolute favourite films ever now, is why it clinches the top spot on my list.

Do you agree? Drop me a comment below and share your thoughts.

See you in 12 months for this year's summary!

Mutant Fan And Proud!

It’s been eleven years since the first X-Men film, and therefore eleven years since the last decent one was seen on the big screen. Thankfully, First Class gives a breath of fresh air to a franchise that has seriously deteriorated since the start.

First Class is a prequel set in 1962 telling us the story of the origins of the X-Men, back when Charles Xavier (still with hair and the ability to walk!) was a charming post-graduate from Oxford and Erik Lehnsherr was a Bond-esque assassin intent on getting revenge on the man who killed his mother and experimented on him as a child in a concentration camp. They meet and discover what at first appears to be a kindred spirit in one another, becoming fast friends and uncovering a common enemy in the psychopathic and sadistic Sebastian Shaw, the man Erik had been seeking all his adult life. Gathering a group of young mutants, they set out with the government to stop Shaw and his Hellfire Club from starting World War Three during the Cuban Missile Crisis and killing pretty much every human alive in the process.

Firstly, it has to be said that the acting in this film is unmatched in any of the previous films. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan were Charles and Erik until James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender came along and made them look awful by comparison. McAvoy is incredible as the young Charles who makes the most of his telepathy to seduce women, going through life being quite smug about his ability. He is far cry from the asexual, consistently serious and borderline dull Charles we know from the first three films; in this he is much more fun to start off with, and then we begin to see McAvoy portray his serious side whilst remaining charming and interesting at the same time. McAvoy’s performance makes me laugh, admire, and even cry at one point (really, I did. You’ll understand when you see it, I won’t ruin anything), and I honestly didn’t believe that I could respect him as an actor more than I already did, but I certainly do after seeing this.

Fassbender also is excellent, playing the tortured soul, both physically and mentally, hellbent on seeking revenge on Shaw. He brings a vulnerability to Erik not seen in previous films, as he is still adjusting and developing his power and we see the real torment of his childhood only hinted at in the original film. Like McAvoy, Fassbender portrays Erik in an entirely different way to what we have already seen, not the calm but sinister Magneto in the original series but an angry man just determined to get revenge on those who hurt him as a child. He also, however, brings traces of the later series to his performance as the film progresses; towards the end, we can see some of the mindset that Magneto has in the first films, rather than just the personal vendetta that occupies his character for most of the film.

The other successful performance in this is the one by Kevin Bacon, because you absolutely hate his character, Shaw, from the very start. From experimenting on a young child prisoner to influencing the government to start a war with Russia, he is incredibly sinister from the outset, with no reasoning other that to ensure that only the more worthy mutants exist on earth. However, he completely steals every scene he is in by exuding such calm power over other characters.

Not a lot can be said for anyone else really. Other characters aren’t really that developed, which I suppose is a flaw in the film, though with strong rumours aplenty circulating about another two prequel-sequels after this then I am not too worried about this. I stated in a previous post that I was unsure about the female casting in the film, and this opinion didn’t really change a lot. However, despite what some critics are saying, I thought that January Jones was quite good as the cool Emma Frost/White Queen, the perfect sidekick I thought for Bacon’s Shaw. I actually look forward to seeing more of her in the next films. Jennifer Lawrence and Rose Byrne still failed to impress though. Lawrence’s Raven/Mystique just seemed moody and jealous of Charles’ relationships with others, and any romantic interest in Nicholas Hoult’s Hank McCoy/Beast completely disintegrates relatively quickly. Her one line that appears to be becoming a catchphrase (which I do not approve of) "Mutant and Proud" (see the blog title!) even gets annoying after a while because of the fact it's overused so much. The way she ended the film also annoyed me, but again I won’t ruin it by saying why – all I will say is that the audience won’t relate to her as a character and her motives aren’t really explained, which is frustrating at the end. Byrne, playing the only human main character, Moira McTaggart, seemed to spend most of the time being in awe of the mutants she is working with, and her romantic interest in Charles seems very unnecessary in the film. I know fans of the franchise would be disappointed that she is not Scottish as she is portrayed in the comic books and will miss that international aspect, but that really isn’t important when she isn’t really necessary in the film except for establishing a link between the mutants and the government. With so many other bigger characters in the mutants, she seems to be overshadowed and doesn’t really have a lot to do.

Other performances were acceptable. Nicholas Hoult, playing Beast, was very sweet, up until he completely insulted Raven, and then the audience kind of lose a bit of respect for him. However, his acting throughout is very good, and up until he makes that faux pas, we do feel quite sorry for him, being the one who is picked on all the time for his mutation. The other mutants, like I said, weren’t really explored very much and so there was quite limited screen time for them to prove themselves as worthy characters to the audience. However, most of what I saw I did like. Lucas Till’s Alex Summers/Havok and Caleb Landry-Jones’ Sean Cassidy/Banshee look like they could have a bromance going on in the next films, and their screen time together in certain scenes during the climactic battle are quite good – they seem to have good chemistry going on there.

The cameos in the film have to be applauded. Though they only last for a couple of seconds each, fans of the series will get a kick out of seeing them. Hugh Jackman’s seven seconds on screen was better acted than I have seen in the first four films of the series, and it genuinely made me laugh. He is also the first person to drop the F-bomb in the series, which was also amusing. Rebecca Romaijn also appears briefly, as Mystique tries to seduce Erik and, after being rejected for being too young, shape-shifts into her older self. No, their appearances didn’t bring anything to the story and their sole purpose was to give fans a kick, but they were definitely still worth having in there. The only thing I missed was Stan Lee’s signature cameo as some random member of the public, which we didn’t get this time and was therefore a little disappointing.

I honestly can’t write this review without mentioning the accents of the characters. It seemed like more than half of them were using a different accent to their normal one, which I didn’t mind for the most part – I doubt I would have even picked up on them if I didn’t already know about them. McAvoy did his posh British accent wonderfully, and Hoult was actually quite impressive in his American role. However, I have to comment on Michael Fassbender. He started off so well, quite convincing as a… European, I guess. I don’t really know what accent he’s meant to have, but Ian McKellan uses a British one despite Erik’s German origins, so we’ll go with that. However, it seemed that two-thirds of the way through he just gave up on trying to maintain it, which I really don’t understand. Surely they didn’t film it in chronological order, so I don’t understand why it appears on some days he could do an accent well, and on others he just casually reverted back to his natural Irish accent. Even in the trailers you can hear it, which I’m sure they would have wanted to avoid. What I also don’t understand is how no-one in the whole production seemed to notice and correct him. I have to say though, that instead of being annoying or distracting, it was actually rather amusing, as it seemed to come out during important, serious scenes. And actually, it was rather distracting, but it was thoroughly entertaining, so he is forgiven. Saying all that, I have to credit him for his multilingual skills – he speaks fluently in German and French several times – which he showed off during the film.

The special effects and action sequences are to be applauded too. There is some pretty impressive stuff, from Erik pulling a submarine from the ocean using his powers and Mystique changing her appearance regularly to Emma Frost transforming into diamond form and Azazel (a member of the Hellfire Club who happens to be red. And an alien, so therefore not really a mutant) teleporting rapidly whilst killing soldiers. The climactic battle is very well done, though with everyone fighting each other – it does get a little confusing, with mutants against humans, humans against mutants and mutants against mutants… - it’s a little too chaotic. One of the very few things that actually really got on my nerves though, was Beast after he changes into Beast form. With all the special effects which are very convincing, I couldn’t understand why Nicholas Hoult looked like he was wearing a child’s rubber Halloween mask and costume. It was thoroughly disappointing, and you would think that with all the money they put into special effects in this film they would be able to improve it a little, but no. I didn’t think I’d have to say this, but in this respect The Last Stand actually beats this, insofar as Kelsey Grammer’s Beast was a lot more realistic.

Basically, to sum up, despite it’s teeny tiny flaws, the film is brilliant, and it’s absolutely refreshing to see an X-Men film that is actually worth watching, repeatedly. The new cast and director (Matthew Vaughn, Stardust, Kick-Ass) are exactly what the franchise needed to pick itself up after the shambles of The Last Stand and the hideous Wolverine prequel. This earns my first five star review.

*****

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrbHykKUfTM