Best Films of 2011...

So here's my 2011 list. Some of them came out earlier. Some of them will come out later. Both Shit Year (on DVD early next year) and 3 Backyards (on DVD now) were on my 2010 list but were released this year. They are still just as amazing as they were last year. I still have not seen a few movies from this year, but I'm not expecting them to make my list (except maybe Margaret).

#1. Lotus Eaters

Bright young things behaving badly. Not sure when it'll get a release, but you can watch the trailer now.

#2. Silver Tongues

Absolutely devastating with two of the most horrifying performances you'll ever see. It's the cruelest movie ever made. This should be on DVD in March 2012. Watch the trailer now.

#3. Burning Bright

This is the actual plot description: A thriller centered on a young woman and her autistic little brother who are trapped in a house with a ravenous tiger during a hurricane. Somehow Carlos Brooks (also director of Quid Pro Quo) turns this comically terrible idea into something special.

#4. Kaboom

After the unwatchable Smiley Face, it's good to see Gregg Araki back in fine form. My mouth hurt from grinning the entire time.

#5. Last Night

Another movie where pretty people do things to hurt each other. It's my favorite genre.

#6. Dirty Girl

Very funny with incredible performances all around. Juno Temple owns.

#7. The Trip

There really aren't any words to describe this. It's a masterpiece.

#8. Bridesmaids

Impressive not only because it's incredibly funny, but also incredibly sad and true.

And in no particular order...

Beginners

Ceremony

Good Neighbors

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Martyrs

Shame

Source Code

The Myth of the American Sleepover

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Another Happy Day

Jess + Moss

Mildred Pierce

Scream 4

Sleeping Beauty

The Perfect Host

Turn Me On, Godammit!

Domaine

Man at Bath

The Roommate

Hanna

Road To Nowhere

No Strings Attached

Red State

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Adjustment Bureau

The Muppets

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (The Other Woman)

Insidious

Bad Teacher 

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Drive

Contagion

Windows

Stuck Between Stations

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Daydream Nation

L'Avventura

Immortals

Jade

Submarine

Another Earth

The Entitled

The Green

Tabloid

The Woman

The Innkeepers

The Last of Sheila

Trespass

Undocumented

Wendigo

The Resident

X-Men: First Class

Worst of the Year:

Sucker Punch or Battle: Los Angeles or You Again or Apollo 18

All of these films are incoherent. Sucker Punch has some really messed up views on women. Battle: Los Angeles is just dull. You Again is annoying and I couldn't get through 5 minutes and I really wish we'd stop trying to make Kristen Bell happen. It's not happening. Apollo 18 was surprisingly gorgeous at times. I liked the premise. It probably would've made a great short film. It made a terrible feature.

Most Disappointing:

Weekend

I'm genuinely baffled by the praise. I love Andrew Haigh's first film (Greek Pete), but this just did nothing for me. My only guess is that the praise is more about a positive not-completely-disgusting gay characters rather than the two-dimensional stereotypes we usually see in film. But two dull gay men do not a movie make. It's a gorgeous film and it means well, but I couldn't wait for it to end so I could clean my room.