2011 was a pivotal year in a lot of ways...but not necessarily in a positive sense for me.
I was already dipping in terms of how much I was focusing on film as I have already addressed in the past. To reiterate, it was mostly just personal/life changes such as college/doing theatre/a new relationship/moving to NY...but I felt less invigorated by what I had seen in terms of cinematic output, and it was as if my passions were looking elsewhere.
This certainly isn't to say that a year like 2011 was void of good films. Truthfully no year for film is lacking good quality films...except for maybe the early days of "the talkies"...but I think a big thing is a lack of passion.
2011 does have a couple of films I think very highly of.
However, 2011 was a year in which I listed a few films and then thought "hmmm...how will I fill out the last couple of slots?"
This is a trend that will, spoiler alert, continue into 2012 as well.
There are no Honorable Mentions this time around; we will dive right into the list proper with one film that I do find very good but mostly makes the list with the help of its leading lady.
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#10 - THE DEEP BLUE SEA
Written & Directed by Terence Davies
I wasn't sure what film I was going to put in my #10 slot, and I will list a couple of "Honorable Mentions" at the end for what else I considered.
This isn't to say that The Deep Blue Sea is a weak film, but it is also a film that likely wouldn't even be on my top 10 in most years. However, it is a film made with great artistic flair by the late Terence Davies, who made my #1 film from 1992: The Long Day Closes.
Truthfully though, the biggest reason this film entered my top 10 was due to the exquisite work from the absolutely luminous Rachel Weisz. She plays Hester, the wife of Judge Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale) who begins an affair with the younger Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), a former RAF pilot during WWII. A lot of the themes deal with the thrill of having a sexual awakening at an older age but perhaps losing out on the affection one might've had in a previous relationship.
In some ways, you could see the film having a similar theme to that of The Baker's Wife, a 1938 French film which would become a very infamous musical in the 70s with a score by Stephen Schwartz that closed out-of-town before it ever made it to Broadway.
It flirts with being a bit pulpy, but the film is sumptuous to look at, and you have such a rapturous performance by Weisz to carry you through. She did manage to win a major critics' prize that year (New York) and netted a Golden Globe nod, but she joined a pretty strong list of superior performances snubbed for the Oscar that year. More on that later.
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#9 - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Directed by David Fincher
Written by Steven Zaillian
I have never been someone to overly praise David Fincher as a filmmaker. I do think he has a lot of style, but a lot of his films leave me at a distance in some ways.
His best works often deal with very captivating subject matters and strong scripts, those being Zodiac and The Social Network. I think what makes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a bit more interesting in his catalog is that is an English-language adaptation of a well-made Swedish film of the same name that was in turn based on a book by Stieg Larsson. There is that stigma of "Oh, well this film is not going to be on par with the original".
I would argue that this adaptation actually IS on par with the original. Both manage to do well at telling this story and it helps that Rooney Mara is on the same level of her Swedish counterpart Noomi Rapace.
In this version, we have Daniel Craig starring as a journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who is trying to find out what happened to a girl from a wealthy family who had disappeared 40 years prior. In order to dig further, he enlists Lisbeth (Mara), an anti-social, cool, emo hacker who is recovering from years of emotional and sexual abuse.
Spoiler alert of sorts in terms of what films will be featured on this list, but Rooney Mara is the only performance on this list that managed to get a Best Actress nomination. The category, as I alluded to when talking about Rachel Weisz, was an absolute joke that year and is not an accurate representation of the high caliber of performances done by the leading ladies of that year. When I get to the end of this post, I will single out all of these ladies (including some whose films won't make this list) in order for them to get the praise they deserve.
And as for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it manages to be a very slick and stylish affair that one might expect from Fincher, but it is greatly buoyed up by the work of Rooney Mara.
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#8 - LE HAVRE
Written & Directed by Aki Kaurismaki
There is something about
Le Havre that feels a bit different than other works by Kaurismaki. This isn't to say that I am an expert on his filmography, but of the few works I have seen (amongst them
The Match Factory Girl and
Fallen Leaves), there is an uplifting quality to it that feels a little more buoyant than some of his films typically have.
On top of that, the topic at hand feels very current for those of us here in the States with ICE running rampant.
Marcel (Andre Wilms) is an elderly man who had dabbled as an author but now works as a shoe shiner and lives a modest life with his wife Arletty (Kati Outinen, a frequent Kaurismaki muse who starred in his works such as the aforementioned Match Factory Girl and also Shadows in Paradise among others).
Arletty falls ill and amidst his worry, Marcel comes across an undocumented immigrant from Africa and with the help of other townspeople, they attempt to hide him from the police.
So yes, this is a very potent theme that is sadly resonating deeply. Le Havre is a very hopeful film in a lot of ways, certainly more so than a lot of Kaurismaki's works, which is likely why it is the one that got more widespread attention in the international market.
The idea of camaraderie and community is something that needs to be held dear, and in the face of vile bigotry, Le Havre is a wonderful glimpse into how those of us on the left need to fight against the right.
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#7 - THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975
Directed/Conceived by Goran Hugo Olsson
One of the more fascinating documentaries to come out in recent years, The Black Power Mixtape was essentially a lost project that spent decades locked away.
Swedish filmmaker Goran Hugo Olsson came across hours of 16mm film footage that had been shot by Swedish journalists back in the 60s & 70s that hoped to shine a light on the Black Power movement, even featuring such prominent figures of the cause such as MLK Jr, Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael, and several others.
There are 9 segments, each representing a year from 1967-1975 (hence the title) and also goes into various issues circling the cause such as the War on Drugs, the Vietnam War, and COINTELPRO.
The film especially gives real insight and renewed interest towards Angela Davis, who contributed present day commentary. She is one of the most fascinating women to have ever lived, and it is captivating to hear what she has to say in this footage and her thoughts in modern times.
A phenomenal documentary that sadly still feels so prescient today.
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#6 - OSLO, 31 AUGUST
Written & Directed by Joachim Trier
Co-written by Eskil Vogt
As of this writing in 2025, I have not yet seen Joachim Trier's latest film Sentimental Value. It is one of my most eagerly awaited film experiences of the year and a lot of that drive comes from his 2006 film Reprise, his 2021 masterpiece The Worst Person in the World and his 2011 outing Oslo, 31 August.
These films would comprise the Oslo Trilogy.
Trier has become the most prominent Norwegian filmmaker working today and I really love the genteel and quietly chaotic/messy voice he gives to the cinematic landscape. I also love how well he writes complex roles for women; something that we need for more of. However, in Olso, he gives a wonderful showcase to actor Anders Danielsen Lee.
Lee plays a character also named Anders, who is a recovering drug addict who is granted the opportunity to leave rehab for an overnight trip to visit his old girlfriend only to try committing suicide by drowning in a lake. When he can't go through with it, he returns back to rehab and keeps the suicide a secret unto himself.
On the 30th of August, Anders finds out he was accepted for a job interview and is allowed to leave for another day trip on the 31st...and in the process, he also utilizes the time to connect with his friends and his past.
In the end, this is a film dealing with a very gritty and unrelenting topic, but Trier handles it with such a gentle restraint and presents it in such an unassuming and honest manner. By the end, you can't help but feel the admiration and empathy, but you also feel like got put through the ringer at the same time.
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#5 - SHAME
Written & Directed by Steve McQueen
Co-written by Abi Morgan
Oh boy, here we go.
In another outing with the great duo of McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender, Shame delves into the life of a sex-addicted NY executive named Brandon Sullivan.
He frequently has dalliances with prostitutes, masturbates relentlessly to porn, and participates in public play...but things take a turn when Brandon's sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes into the picture. He had been avoiding her for a while, but one night, he goes to watch her sing in a club: a very somber rendition of Kander & Ebb's "Theme from New York, New York". He is there with his married boss David (James Badge Dale), who takes an interest in Sissy but can tell she has a tendency for self-harm.
Shame was, not surprisingly, treated with great hesitancy by the MPAA due to its graphic depictions of sexual addiction and therefore received the death knell NC-17 rating.
Honestly, that was a shame (no pun intended) as this film truly deserved to be seen by a lot more people...not that it was anywhere close to being a crowd-pleaser.
The fact that Fassbender and Mulligan didn't even receive nominations for their devastating work is only further proof that awards aren't always going to single out superior work. I would even argue that Mulligan should've WON in Supporting Actress that year...but if there is an actress who truly hasn't gotten her due yet, Carey Mulligan would be AT LEAST top 3.
Shame is a bold take on addiction and pain and anguish to a point where you find yourself staring at the screen with empathy, even if a character is doing something you might consider immoral. This is the kind of work that McQueen always excels at and frankly, I would love to see him return to these kinds of darkly brooding character studies.
McQueen and Fassbender should be as acclaimed as Scorsese/DeNiro or Kurosawa/Mifune.
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#4 - WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Written & Directed by Lynne Ramsey
Co-written by Rory Stewart Kinnear
One thing about this list that I really love is that a lot of these films contain magnificent performances from wonderful actresses. The sad truth, however, is that most of them didn't end up receiving Oscar nominations. Some of them had lesser or no chance, but I think the one that was the most painful snub wise was Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin mainly for two reasons:
1) She was win worthy. Quite possibly the finest performance of her career to date.
2) She actually got nominated for pretty much all the major precursors and still got overlooked.
It doesn't seem as surprising in hindsight, because We Need to Talk About Kevin is a film that is dark and subversive and dives into themes of psychological horror in a rather unrelenting way. It was never truly on the path to become a Best Picture contender, but I certainly would've loved to see it there.
Swinton and John C. Rielly (returning to his more dramatic roots after a decade of being prominent in Adam McKay comedies) play Eva and Franklin, a couple who have a child named Kevin (Ezra Miller while playing the present-day Kevin). Eva was a reluctant mother, and while raising Kevin, it seemed as though he was only more volatile and emotional around her rather than Franklin.
The film's setup is that we meet Eva in the aftermath. She lives alone, in a rundown house, works for a travel agency that is close to the prison where Kevin is at. He was convicted of a mass-murder of students at his high school, and she seems devoted to going to visit him despite the tense history they shared.
I often use the term "character study" and I will also admit that it is a term that might get used a bit too broadly by people...however, the amount of character depth that Ramsey is about to mine with Swinton is truly gripping and compelling to watch.
Admittedly, I might've had this film a couple slots lower, but I do find that Swinton alone was able to elevate this a little. In the end, it is such a compelling concept, and I do love what Ramsey is able to mine out of this material.
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#3 - MELANCHOLIA
Written & Directed by Lars von Trier
As apt a title for a film as I can possibly imagine, Melancholia manages to make depression and the end of the world look, in a word, exquisite...and that is all the more impressive considering it is Lars von Trier at the helm.
Lars von Trier is no stranger to darker subject matter. If anything, that is his bread & butter. However, Melancholia takes on such a glorious approach that it almost feels like an abstract painting come to life.
The film is split into two parts named after two sisters: Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). At first, everything is centered around Justine's wedding to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) but when her divorced parents (Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt) begin bickering and her boss Jack (Stellan Skarsgard) pushes a role on her she wasn't expecting to take on, her depression flares up. However, this isn't the end of it.
What if the impending doom of our existence was thrown into the mix by a rouge planet known as Melancholia is expected to strike Earth very soon?
Melancholia is a film, in its very basic synopsis, about depression. One could argue knowing what a sadist Lars von Trier is that the idea of Earth being destroyed is actually a great joy...but as it stands, this is a film that is simply glorious in how it engulfs you in its spell. Dunst and Gainsbourg were both royally robbed of Oscar nominations, and both could've easily been win competitive.
A truly divine and horrific piece of work from true piece of work of a filmmaker.
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#2 - THE TREE OF LIFE
Written & Directed by Terrence Malick
It is always interesting when you see a film that is met with such a rapturous response but still has a very strong minority who absolutely find it to be an obtuse bore.
I feel like I always saw that mentality attributed to 2001: A Space Odyssey, but if there is an example from recent years, that would undoubtedly be The Tree of Life.
When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, it managed to get hearty applause mixed with booing...but it was still enough to win the prestigious Palme d'Or.
Terrence Malick is a fascinating filmmaker, perhaps one of the more philosophical to ever exist considering he devoted a lot of his education to study the likes of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Wittgenstein; so much so that he wrote a thesis on them.
He is also fascinating in that he would go years, sometimes DECADES, without making a film and is known for being very protective of his private life and frequently declines interviews which gives him such an air of mystery.
I wouldn't say The Tree of Life is Malick's best film, but it does very much feel like the kind of film he had been building towards his entire career. This is a film that seems plotless in a lot of ways and yet it is about...well...LIFE.
How does one properly explain what exactly occurs in The Tree of Life?
If I were to reference the synopsis via its Letterboxd profile, it "follows the journey of Jack, through the innocence of his childhood up through his disillusioned adult years". We see his family life in the 50s with Jack played by Hunter McCracken and his parents played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. As an adult, he is portrayed by Sean Penn.
However - this is film, more than most, is a work of art. It feels like it is some kind of crazy exhibit brought to life and all you can do is sit and ponder about everything happening in front of you on the screen and going on around you.
In a lot of ways, very few films have truly left me at a loss for words quite like The Tree of Life and I still feel that power over a decade later. One could argue perhaps it may be pretentious to speak in such awe of this film, but I am not claiming to know everything that Malick is trying to convey here.
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#1 - A SEPARATION
Written & Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Dear readers, we have ourselves a doozy for the #1 selection.
Even within a year where I don't necessarily have as strong a passion for it compared to others, there can often be one film that manages to stand a cut above the rest.
A Separation is not just the best film of 2011, but one of the best films I have seen since 2000. It was an easy top 3 selection for "Best of the Decade", and I would even go as far to say it may be the best film to ever tackle the concept of divorce.
Leila Hatami & Peyman Moaadi star as Simin and Nader, they have been married for 14 years and have one daughter named Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). Simin is eager to leave Tehran and has the visas prepared, but Nader doesn't want to go; he wants to stay behind and care for his ailing father with Alzheimer's.
Simin decides to file for divorce but is denied the application as it is felt her reasons for divorce are "insufficient". With that, Simin moves back home with her parents and Termeh remains with Nader. In order to get help, Nader hires a poor and highly devout woman named Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to be his father's caregiver during the day.
However, things take an unexpected turn when Nader finds himself in the line of fire with Razieh and her hotheaded, unemployed husband Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini) ...and the film also becomes a witch hunt of sorts where morals are complex and grey areas are in abundance.
Everything about A Separation is first-rate. The cinematography takes on a handheld, immersive approach; the acting ensemble is stellar (Hatami, Moaadi, and Bayet definitely deserved nomination at the very least); the script is highly compelling; and it all makes for an experience that truly took me by surprise.
I fully suspect that if A Separation came out a decade later, we likely would've seen it slip into the Best Picture and Director races. The only major nomination it got (aside from winning International) was Best Original Screenplay which it lost to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris. That win occurred during the period when it seemed like everyone was embracing Woody Allen again before it all crashed and burned a few years later.
I have seen some comments about how A Separation was a precursor to Marriage Story, and while I do acknowledge that the latter was a good film anchored by a wonderful Adam Drive performance, I think A Separation still remains the best film centered around a divorce and it manages to make it so much more than just a "divorce film".
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FINAL THOUGHTS:
2011 was indeed a year where I got to slot #9 and thought "Hmmm...what will I put here?".
However, the smaller number of films proved to be pretty strong. This top 5 is pretty stellar in my opinion, with A Separation and The Tree of Life being among the best films made since the turn of this century.
There were a few films I did consider for my final two slots on this list, such as Take Shelter, The Skin I Live In, Drive, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. On top of that, I did say I would single out the amazing Lead Actresses who wiped the floor with the actual nominees. Aside from Rooney Mara, the sole strong nominee, you had the following:
Leila Hatami, A Separation
Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
I hope I didn't forget anybody, but the fact that I could name 7 better performances than the 4 of the 5 nominees is pretty damning thing...but that kind of thing does happen from time to time.
I have already made multiple comments about it, but we are now approaching 2012 and I feel like this will be one of my least favorite years we've discussed yet. We will see if something changes as I write about it, but for now, I am not expecting to be that excited.
