Best film of 2011?

[bcholmes]

I was out to dinner with friends the other night and one frield asked me what my favourite movie of the year was. To be honest, nothing has really grabbed me. I have very clear contenders for the past few years, but this year, nothing really leaps out memorably.

I suppose a film like Winter's Bone or Incendies might qualify. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was really damn good. A Better Life was beautifully understated, and I liked the visual look of Hanna, even though I had high hopes for the film and ended up being a little bit disappointed. I was also slightly disappointed in The Debt (and I'm getting all sadface about all the movies I see that completely under-use Ciaran Hinds).

The Company Men was not bad. I haven't seen 50/50, which I think I might love. Same with Take Shelter. I'm pretty damn sure that I'd like The Whistleblower, but I haven't seen it yet. Beginners was an extended study of sadness and grief and Christopher Plummer was really good in it. I expected to hate both Crazy Stupid Love and Bridesmaids, but I laughed at each of them.

I have a pretty good idea about what some of the stinkers of the year are: The Green Hornet, The Tree of Life, Green Ryan Reynalds.

Films I won't see: The Help, Pirate of the Caribbean (annoying race issues in earlier films of the franchise), Transformers (ditto), The Hangover Part II (misbehavin' man-child movie), and Melancholia (I really despise Lars von Trier).

Granted, I didn't get to the festival this year -- I usually find a few really incredible films at the festival. But has it been a lacklustre year for film?