vonDread (Level 24)

This criminally underrated fairy tale disguised as an espionage action thriller is Joe Wright's crowning achievement. Shot after shot of fantastic visuals not many other directors could even touch this year (see above), coupled with a fan-making score by The Chemical Brothers, a wonderfully outlandish supporting cast of memorable villains, all anchored by an incredibly strong lead performance by Saoirse Ronan as Cassandra Cain. I mean... X-23. Or is it River Tam? Okay, so the innocent young girl/killing machine concept isn't the most original one, but the execution was knocked out of the freaking park. I don't think anybody could hope for a better Batgirl movie. Also see Eric Bana kick ass in the best long take tracking shot fight scene this side of Oldboy.

Japanese film industry workhorse Takashi Miike is mostly known for his yakuza splatterfests and other obscure bits of bizarre horror, but he is a surprisingly diverse director in truth (see The Bird People in China). 13 Assassins is undeniably his most accessible work, and it’s also my favorite of his. It’s a classic samurai movie that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the resumé of Hiroshi Inagaki, Masaki Kobayashi, or even the immortal Akira Kurosawa. Maybe it borrows a bit too much from Seven Samurai, but you can tell it’s all done with the utmost respect and reverence. You won’t find a more pure celebration of classic Japanese cinema, and it’s a welcome respite from all the piss-poor manga and anime adaptations their industry is obsessed with cranking out these days.

Gothic horror mad scientist tale meets European art house cinema. I’m sold. Almodóvar’s work hasn’t exactly been the easiest for me to get into for whatever reason. But here he steps into a realm I’m all too familiar with and adds just a dash of cringeworthy psychological horror to his proven thematic formula of sexual exploration mixed with identity issues. The result is a true wonder which features what is easily the most effective and unnerving plot twist I’ve seen in years. My new favorite Spanish actress (sorry Penélope), Elena Anaya, excels in what is probably the most challenging lead role of the year for reasons best left unsaid. Just watch it.

Everything I could’ve hoped for and more. Chris Evans surpassed all my expectations, and I’m going to have a hard time ever saying anything bad about him again. Hugo Weaving did what he does best, Tommy Lee Jones worked wonders with a great script that gave him all the best lines, and I just can’t adequately express my gratitude to the costume, make-up, visual effects, and art departments for helping to make this the best superhero movie of 2011. And of course I have to acknowledge Joe Johnston, who managed to perfectly recapture and reapply the magic of The Rocketeer. Unquestionably the best hiring decision Marvel Studios has made so far. It resulted in a dream come true and the movie this character has always deserved. A pox on the Academy’s house for not even nominating “Star-Spangled Man” for the Best Original Song Oscar.

Like I mentioned in my review, there were a slew of great movies this past year that effectively incorporated elements of the horror genre, but weren't quite true horror movies (see above). This is just about 2011's only decent pure horror movie (The Awakening will have to wait for next year's list). It's pretty much an instant genre classic for reasons I've already mentioned, and cements Ti West as the best American horror filmmaker working today.

John Michael proves Martin isn't the only talented McDonagh by writing and directing the best crime comedy since... well, since his brother's movie. The strength of the truly priceless script and career-best performance by Brendan Gleeson is enough to put it on this list. It didn’t also need to be one of the best-looking movies of the year, but brilliant cinematography, costume design, and art direction held together by a pleasantly vibrant color palate ensures it is indeed that.

Like a Korean version of Drive, Na Hong-jin’s follow-up to his directorial debut The Chaser mixes a pulpy noir aesthetic with a modern take on cinematic violence to produce a compelling story about a down-on-his-luck cab driver who gets in way over his head. Things don’t end so well for him, as is the norm for Eastern storytelling. In a total role-reversal, Ha Jeong-woo is our protagonist this time around, with his Chaser co-star Kim Yoon-seok acting as the opposition. Both of them are equally engaging here, but in particular Kim’s mad dog gangster is easily the most memorable on-screen crime boss since Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges. The whole package is another reason to cite Korea’s film industry as one of the most viscerally magnetic in the world today.

I have a feeling this would be much much higher on the list if it was the first adaptation of the novel, because it’s always tough to live up to expectations when you’re playing catch-up. And of course, given people’s inherent competitive nature, comparisons are inevitable. I will say Fincher does the absolute best job he can given the circumstances, and the film visibly benefits from higher production values. There’s really only one change I can think of that would make it better. Salander's pursuit of a relationship with Blomkvist is downplayed in the Swedish production, and I think her character is stronger for it. We didn’t need that injection of vulnerability depicted at the end of Fincher’s version, even if it was originally written that way in the novel. Regardless, Rooney Mara lives up to the hype, and the title credits sequence set to the best Led Zeppelin cover I've ever heard is just fucking mindblowing.

If you have a problem with movies that switch gears halfway through and end up as completely different animals than what they started out as, you probably won’t like this. But I love movies that surprise me (even though there are clues sprinkled throughout). What we start off with is a crime drama about a couple of ex-military hitmen buddies (Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley in total breakout performances) that evolves into a powerful and terrifying chiller reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby or The Wicker Man. It was the last thing I expected, and I’m kind of spoiling it by saying even this much. Nonetheless the movie is incredibly affecting, and I was surprised by how much I actually felt for the characters when things went pear-shaped. Another total winner from Ben Wheatley.

Doesn’t quite crack the top 10 because of the script’s poor handling of its female characters, and some shoddy make-up and visual effects that betray the film’s rushed production. But all that is mostly forgiven thanks to James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. The relationship between Charles Xavier and Magneto (whose real name is actually Max Eisenhardt, which, if you know any German, is hilariously spot-on) is one of the most complex in comics history. This one nailed it better than any of the previous X-Men films. Watching the two leads work their magic was just wondrous to behold. And Magneto’s final confrontation with Shaw, where he says, “I’m going to count to three, and then I’m going to move the coin,” was my favorite scene in any film all year.

José Padilha’s original film from 2007 somewhat glorified (unintentionally I’m sure) the excessive and brutal tactics of Rio’s paramilitary police force, the BOPE. So it’s kind of fitting that the goal of the film’s sequel seems to be a complete dismantling of the unit’s public reputation. This time the depicted corruption spreads much farther into Brazil’s government than originally seen in the first film, and overall, this movie plays less as an action piece and more as a crime drama about a father struggling to set the right example for his son. Wagner Moura rises above the restrictions of his role in the first film to deliver a truly captivating portrayal as the lone principled man lost in a sea of malfeasance.

Hopefully this is the year the Academy finally realizes Gary Oldman is a brilliant actor and turns his nomination into a much deserved win. Not likely since he's squaring off against tag-team champions George Clooney and Jean Dujardin. The vote may just be split enough for Gary to sneak in for the win, but I'm not holding my breath. The reason he's my pick for Best Actor really boils down to one scene: the recounting of his character’s one-time meeting with his nemesis, the Soviet spymaster Karla. Everything else in the movie, even Benedict Cumberbatch’s breakthrough performance, kind of just revolves around that one utterly spellbinding monologue. It’s like Oldman’s signature on an entire career made of nothing but highlights, and it demands recognition.

The “found footage” stylistic choice is such a phenomenon now that pretty much anybody can slap one together and watch it rake in obscene amounts of money (see The Devil Inside for a perfect example). But regardless of how you choose to shoot your film, you can’t just ignore the fundamental building blocks, hoping some gimmick does all the work for you. Solid writing, directing, and acting still have to be your main focus, and it really helps if your effects are up to snuff too. Trollhunter really shows off what "found footage" movies are capable of when all of that is in place.

Bennett Miller and Co. have done the impossible this year by making me love a baseball movie. There are some expected sports movie clichés found herein (not as many as in say, Warrior), but impeccable directing, writing, acting, and editing add up to a work that transcends that tired genre and establishes itself as a truly moving human drama, the best take on the David vs. Goliath story in recent memory. And not without its share of humor. The trade deadline scene comes behind only the climax of X-Men: First Class as the best scene committed to film in 2011.

So it might not have crashed and burned as spectacularly as Green Lantern did, but by all accounts this was also a box office bomb. That shouldn’t matter. I have no doubt it’ll earn genuine cult status before long. Like a celluloid version of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible (minus actual superpowers), this is an indie darling among superhero movies. Maybe Sam Keith’s The Maxx would be a more appropriate analogy considering just how weird and darkly comic Super really is. Regardless, it showcases James Gunn’s most polished script work to date, and a fantastic performance by Ellen Page as our protagonist’s psychotically overeager sidekick. This movie does everything Kick-Ass tried to do, only 10 times better. Also featured is the most shockingly violent on-screen death of 2011 outside of Drive.

Bears a lot of similarity to Ramsay’s last feature, 2002’s Morvern Callar, in that it’s shot mostly from the point of view of a woman struggling to deal with tragedy. But whereas Samantha Morton’s character in that previous film is totally unsympathetic, exhibiting some pretty deplorable behavior, Tilda Swinton’s Eva is a mostly blameless victim of circumstance at the mercy of her figurative demonspawn offspring. I had my doubts when I first heard this book was being adapted, but the way Ramsay chose to shoot it, showing only the aftermath of the events at the center of the story and restricting the scenes depicted to Eva’s perspective as much as possible, was the most genius directorial decision of any this film year. In addition, we’re treated to the best female lead performance of 2011, and a star-making turn by Ezra Miller. Make no mistake, this is a bleak and exhausting film. Not for the faint of heart. But if you can stomach it, this exploration of the emotional turmoil brought about by confronting true evil is rewarding nonetheless.

I honestly don’t get the criticisms heaped upon this movie, and can only assume it’s leftover vitriol from the bad taste that Cop Out left in everyone’s mouth. Kevin Smith may not be the best director in the world, or even the most likable person sometimes, but being a comic geek I’ve always had a soft spot for the guy. He’s one of us done good, in much the same way Joss Whedon is. Smith’s writing has always surpassed his skill behind the camera, and has always been the main attraction to his movies for me. But with Red State I could really tell he’s sharpened up. There is some truly commendable directorial work on display here. He even manages to shoot an action sequence that rivals anything found in the best big budget studio actioners. While he may have been marketing it as a horror movie, it really isn’t that. It’s a dramatic thriller through and through, sprinkled here and there with effective black humor. The performances are decent all-around, even from the less experienced young leads. And its third act features the best WTF twist of the year, after only The Skin I Live In. It saddens me Smith is still set on retiring after Hit Somebody, especially when he’s just now starting to get a handle on this directing thing.

The best way to describe Snowtown would be as a cross between We Need to Talk About Kevin and 2010’s Australian hit, Animal Kingdom. It’s just as bleak and unsettling as the former, featuring performances that rival the talented cast of the latter. And this time it’s true, based on the burgeoning relationship between Australia’s worst serial killer John Bunting and his protégé Jamie Vlassakis. The biggest challenge filmmakers face when translating true crime stories into feature films has always been trying to make sure the subject matter is treated with the proper respect and the violence isn’t glorified. Snowtown’s creators struck the perfect balance between compelling drama and considerate realism. The movie isn’t gratuitously violent by any stretch, but it is damned disturbing. Daniel Henshall as Bunting fluidly transitions from charismatic father figure to depraved sadist with the skill of his best veteran thespian countrymen. I don’t think this one’s really gotten any attention in North America yet due to the lack of a proper release, but hopefully it will before long.