Best Films of 2011

I know this list is a bit tardy, but believe me when I say I've spent much of 2012 scrambling to see 2011 films that are just now getting a wider release. As a result, my Top 10 list has undergone some serious reshuffling in the past week, but I can finally say I've seen almost everything I intended to see, and can begin to shape them into some sort of order. First, here's a list of well-reviewed movies that I haven't had a chance to see yet, in case you feel their omission is a tragedy:


Shame
Take Shelter
The Skin I Live In
Uncle Bonmee
A Separation
Carnage
Margaret
The Guard
Attack the Block
War Horse
A Dangerous Method

Not too many, even though it looks like a lot on the page. I'm sure some of them are top-notch, but like I said, I had to play movie triage recently, and sadly, these didn't make the cut. Next, I have my most overrated film of the year. This film has been fawned over by critics much of the year, and pops up on a number "Best Of" lists, but didn't manage to stir up anything substantial for me:

With that out of the way, I'd like to move on to my honorable mentions. As I've whittled my list down to 10 movies, several fantastic films had to be snubbed, and I wanted to take a minute to give these second 10 their due. If you have a couple hours free, you could do a lot worse than choosing any of these.

Phew. So there's that. Now it's time for the Top 10. I'm going to spare you any commentary on the choices, as most of them have been analyzed to death, and I would scarcely have anything to add to the conversation. With that disclaimer, here goes:

10. Midnight In Paris

9. The Interrupters 

8. X-Men: First Class

7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

6. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

5. Drive

4. Buck

3. Margin Call

2. Warrior

1. The Tree of Life

And there you have it. My Top 10 (er, 20), of 2011. A good mix of genres represented, a good year for movies overall. It's no 2007, but I'll take it. If you haven't had a chance to see some of these, do your darndest to make time in your schedule. You'll be glad you did.