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I'd Rather Not Be the One Behind the Wheel: The Best Movie You Saw Last Year

By Cindy Davis | Posted Under Comment Diversions | Comments (84)

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Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all a healthy, prosperous and adventuresome 2012; I’m also hopeful it will also be a better movie year. 2011 doesn’t seem to have been a notable year for film (at least, from what I’ve seen thus far). Quite a few of those I really want to see aren’t in theaters in my area yet—I’ll probably have to run from art-house to multiplex and back again over the next several weeks to try to catch them (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Shame, The Skin I Live In, Carnage, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Dangerous Methods). A couple others blew right by me and I’ll have to see them on Netflix or On Demand. So in the interest of helping me—and your fellow Pajibans—were there any movies that blew you away last year? All the world is putting out their top ten lists, but all I want from you is one. What was the best 2011 movie you saw?


Why yes, Cindy Davis does live in the boonies.









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Comments

I'd have to go with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Yes, it might not have been the most complex film, or one that challenges the viewer mentally in anyway, but DAMN was it fun. Movies are meant to entertain, and M.I.4 most certainly entertained me the most in 2011.

Posted by: darmatugan at January 1, 2012 2:06 PM

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.

It may have to do with the fact I saw it in the midst of finals week and it helped save my soul, but holy shit what an experience.

Posted by: Parker Jammstein at January 1, 2012 2:11 PM

Drive. and DanielC expressed what I felt brilliantly, "A single slap becomes a shocking act of violence; a gunshot sounds like a cannon blast; a car chase turns the world on its end."

Sure the 80s vibe may feel out of place if you're bent on hating the movie but it just added to the Driver's ridiculously cool persona.

and gun to my head, my only complaints would have been the bit where the Driver and Irene were smiling at each other (a tad too long) and when the Driver puts on the mask only, it never served any purpose.

Posted by: haplo at January 1, 2012 2:11 PM

It's a close tie between Shame and Sleeping Beauty. Both of them sad, beautiful, and thought provoking.

Posted by: Skyler Durden at January 1, 2012 2:17 PM

Drive. Without any question.
But I reeeeally want to see Shame, and I haven't yet. So keep that in mind.

Posted by: A-schaef at January 1, 2012 2:35 PM

Ghost Protocol was surprisingly fun even for somebody who really can't tolerate Tom Cruise. One of the best action movies I've seen since Casino Royal. However it fails the "best of the year" test in that, like the junior mints I enjoyed while watching it, it's quickly forgotten and not something I'll need to see again.

Drive had some flaws but it was a painfully haunting movie, tense, exciting, and sexy. Definitely memorable and something I'll watch again.

Posted by: Alexis at January 1, 2012 2:38 PM

Drive. Killer soundtrack to boot.

Posted by: The Fatling at January 1, 2012 2:39 PM

My opinions are skewed a bit because I see far more kids' movies than grown-up films, but my favorites were 50/50, The Muppets, and Arthur Christmas.

Posted by: idgiepug at January 1, 2012 2:39 PM

Is everyone just saying Drive because of the picture, or did that get thrown up there after the comments started?

Posted by: Pfft at January 1, 2012 2:51 PM

13 Assassins (US release in 2011).

Posted by: dorquemada at January 1, 2012 2:52 PM

I liked 13 Assassins as well, but I'd say my favourite was Hannah.

Posted by: TheOtherGreg at January 1, 2012 2:54 PM

I also see more kids movies than adult ones, so Arthur Christmas, Rango and The Muppets are on my list (I can't pick just one - it's unconsitutional). I drove for hours to see Drive, so that is also on the list, as is Horrible Bosses and Bridesmaids.

I am finally feeling the Baby Goose love just as the backlash sets in, always behind the times.

Posted by: llp at January 1, 2012 3:00 PM

Take Shelter was my #1; Warrior was also a movie I loved;

Posted by: Roland at January 1, 2012 3:21 PM

I hate questions like this. Not only do they force me to confront the amount of unmemorable media I consume, they also make me have to think about what came out when (that's what IMDB is for) and to sift through the dreck to make vapid value judgments.

So The Descendants, I guess.

Posted by: overcharge at January 1, 2012 3:26 PM

The Muppet Movie. And maybe(I can't believe I am saying this), Friends with Benefits.

Posted by: Sean at January 1, 2012 3:32 PM

Cowboys and Aliens.
O shut up.

Posted by: klingonfree at January 1, 2012 4:09 PM

50/50, by far. I have no idea why that film hasn't received more positive attention the last few months.

Posted by: Abe Froman at January 1, 2012 4:10 PM

THE DESCENDANTS!!! Boi!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: PG13 at January 1, 2012 4:18 PM

The Decendants, but honestly I don't think I've ever had a year I was as out of touch with the movies since I've been old enough to care. I haven't seen 50/50 or Drive yet, and I have a feeling those two films will jump to the front when I do.

Posted by: Freller at January 1, 2012 4:26 PM

I agree with Roland. Take Shelter was absolutely incredible. No other film this year even came close. I Saw the Devil is a distant second.

Posted by: Juicy Weatherbee at January 1, 2012 4:33 PM

Hugo. The only movie this year that I came out of wanting to see again

Posted by: DominaNefret at January 1, 2012 5:05 PM

Senna. Fascinating documentary, and I don't normally give a toss about Formula One racing any other day of the week.

Posted by: dlh at January 1, 2012 5:10 PM

50/50. Nothing else came close.

Posted by: Harborwolf at January 1, 2012 5:37 PM

Martha Marcy May Marlene
50/50
Drive

In that order.

Posted by: canaux at January 1, 2012 5:48 PM

I'm with you Sean. I loved Friends With Benefits. Mila was funny and adorable and she made Timberlake a better man.

Posted by: kirbyjay at January 1, 2012 6:02 PM

Honestly, Attack the Block. I loved Drive, 50/50, Friends With Benefits, X-Men First Class...but Attack the Block. It exceeded my expectations, and those expectations were high. Best movie of the year. Without a doubt.

Moses! Ninja!

Posted by: Littlejon2001 at January 1, 2012 6:10 PM

The Artist
The Skin I Live In
50/50

Posted by: henrythepenguin at January 1, 2012 6:16 PM

Oh, also the Winnie the Pooh movie - that was perfect.

Posted by: llp at January 1, 2012 6:17 PM

twilight breaking dawn part 1 it was the best movie ever

Posted by: Utah Dynamo at January 1, 2012 6:17 PM

I have to back up Littlejon2001 on Attack the Block, which was amazing. Also loved lots of the other films mentioned already, but I want to sent a special shout out to Tucker and Dale vs Evil (which I know was made in 2010, but took a crazy long time to be released). It's blimmin' awesome.

"Oh hidy ho officer, we've had a doozy of a day"

Posted by: Whatsyourbeef at January 1, 2012 6:18 PM

Tree of Life: For capturing what childhood felt like, or at least what it feels like run through memory; for how goddamn beautiful it is; and for how much Malick loves his mother.

Posted by: Kettle at January 1, 2012 6:23 PM

Attack the Block was the most enjoyable movie experience I've had this year - my viewing was a perfect storm of great movie and great crowd that made it just over the top.

Posted by: michaelceratops at January 1, 2012 6:36 PM

Hugo.

Posted by: mswas at January 1, 2012 6:49 PM

Attack the Block, no doubt. Most entertaining and the best quality.

Posted by: Pippa at January 1, 2012 7:22 PM

50/50 and Drive.

Posted by: Ashley at January 1, 2012 7:23 PM

ATTACK THE BLOCK:one of the 2 movies that i saw twice in a theater
POLISSE: a french movie
A SEPARATION:the 2nd movie that i saw twice in theater
SHAME for the 2 actors (especially Carey Mulligan)

Posted by: caro at January 1, 2012 7:27 PM

That's tough...Hanna, Super 8, Drive Angry, Apes, or MI4.

I'm going to have to go with Drive Angry just for the fun the entire cast seemed to be having with this insane plot.

Posted by: Adam C at January 1, 2012 7:50 PM

13 Assassins

Posted by: googergieger at January 1, 2012 8:18 PM

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Posted by: Azara at January 1, 2012 8:25 PM

Hugo in 3D. The only film I have ever seen in 3D that was worth the extra bucks to see in 3D. The kind of movie that makes you wish you were a filmmaker. Scorsese is a Genius

Posted by: Seto at January 1, 2012 8:32 PM

Captain America: The First Avenger.

Posted by: John W at January 1, 2012 9:06 PM

The Myth of the American Sleepover

Posted by: THRILLHO at January 1, 2012 9:12 PM

Beginners
50/50
The Muppets
Fright Night - as soon as I walked out of the theater, I said "I'm buying this on DVD as soon as I can." I rarely buy movies anymore, but that movie was a frickin' blast.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at January 1, 2012 9:19 PM

Also, it's on Netflix instant. I've watched it three times in the past month.

Posted by: THRILLHO at January 1, 2012 9:21 PM

Hannah. All day long.

Posted by: fimbulwinter at January 1, 2012 9:25 PM

I really enjoyed Drive and Bill Cunningham New York, but Senna was the most powerful piece of film making I saw last year.

Posted by: Brittany at January 1, 2012 9:26 PM

Drive was incredible, a film that left me mesmerized and analyzing its haunting images and themes of questionable morality for hours, like the Social Network did last year with vastly different material.
The Descendants did the same on a less grand scale, more intimate and earthy, a beautiful exercise in personal grief.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was no question as darkly stylish and just as menacing as Drive, a brilliant adaptation.
And Bridesmaids. For obvious reasons.

Posted by: futuredirect at January 1, 2012 9:33 PM

Cedar Rapids. Perhaps it just hit me the right way, but it was a small but perfect story that didn't try to be any more. It was just broad enough, but not really caricature. It seemed to talk to people not based in show business, not at them.

Posted by: Mrcreosote at January 1, 2012 9:55 PM

Drive
Hanna
City of Life and Death (Yes its from 2009 but was not released in NA this year.)

Guilty pleasures...

Crazy, Stupid, Love & Bridemaids

I haven't seen Shame yet so it's not on my list.

Posted by: reaperslogic at January 1, 2012 11:33 PM

Drive
Hanna
City of Life and Death (Yes its from 2009 but was not released in NA until this year.)

Guilty pleasures...

Crazy, Stupid, Love & Bridemaids

I haven't seen Shame yet so it's not on my list.

Posted by: reaperslogic at January 1, 2012 11:34 PM

X-Men: First Class

I watched superhero movies and Harry Potter in theaters. That's about it.

Posted by: figgy at January 1, 2012 11:36 PM

The Shawshank Redemption. I'd never seen it until two days ago.

What? The title says 'What is the best movie you saw last year?' not 'What was the best movie that came out last year'. You know that's right.

Also, Bridesmaids.

Posted by: TWoPFan at January 1, 2012 11:42 PM

DRIVE all the way. Or maybe Hugo, now that I think about that movie moved me in a way I didn't experience all year.

Posted by: junierizzle at January 1, 2012 11:44 PM

Attack The Block for sure, what a treat. Drive right behind it.

Posted by: Repo at January 2, 2012 12:28 AM

50/50 I had great expectations and it exceeded them

Also loved 'the muppets', 'cedar rapids', 'gnomeo and juliet', and although I was slightly disappointed with parts of 'bridesmaids' I know I will never turn down watching it in 5 yrs

Posted by: Atoz15 at January 2, 2012 12:56 AM

50/50 for reasons of emotions and hanna for reasons of awesome!

Posted by: norris at January 2, 2012 1:46 AM

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt II.

What? I'm a total fangirl. I even read fanfic.

Outside of the Potterverse, my personal best of 2011 are 50/50, The Descendants and Hugo -- if "the best" is the equivalent of "made me think so much, and moved me so, that I paid to see them in theatres more than once."

And Conan the Barbarian. Yes, I know, crappy film. But damn, Jason Momoa ... The New York Times review called him "a luxury cut of beef." Truer words were never written.

Posted by: PDamian at January 2, 2012 2:06 AM

Hugo.

It was visually stunning, had a great cast, and was a lovely nod to film history. Easily Scorsese's best movie in years.

Posted by: Snrub at January 2, 2012 2:23 AM

Drive.

Posted by: sailboat at January 2, 2012 3:37 AM

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
X-Men First Class
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Tin Tin
Real Steel (come on, it wasn't that bad.)

Posted by: Mr X at January 2, 2012 5:02 AM

The King's Speech /Friends With Benefits.

Posted by: funkyfacecat at January 2, 2012 5:55 AM

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was the best movie I've seen all year, and probably also the best movie I've seen in the past 5 years.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Warrior and Hanna.

Posted by: Brenda at January 2, 2012 7:55 AM

The Lincoln Lawyer

I thought wow Mccaugnehey can still act.

Posted by: Amanda at January 2, 2012 9:08 AM

Young Adult is number one on my Top 10 of 2011 list for three really big reasons: Diablo Cody's screenplay, Charlize Theron's performance, and Patton Oswalt's performance. I honestly think this and ...Dragon Tattoo should have switched marketing campaigns because Young Adult is the feel bad movie of 2011. Theron's character Mavis is awful in all the best ways. Mavis might be my new literary hero. She's drunk like Papa Hemingway but without the heart.

Posted by: Robert at January 2, 2012 9:20 AM

Melancholia, which was enough to send me into a fit of hysterics by the very end of the film. But I will say that Drive is the film from 2011 I know I will watch the most in the future, and it might move up from its #2 position, but I say Melancholia is the best because there were few films like it this year. Fuck it, I'm throwing The Tree of Life into the mix as well. Three films that are all fantastic, and I feel bad picking just one.

Posted by: Kamikaze Feminist at January 2, 2012 9:34 AM

The most entertaining movie I saw last year was The Guard.
Perfect cast.

Posted by: Arkansan at January 2, 2012 9:36 AM

1. Drive
2. Warrior
3. Tintin

Posted by: Qualtinger at January 2, 2012 10:15 AM

50/50.

The acting, writing, sentiment...all there. It was as close to perfect as 2011 delivered.

Posted by: The Pink Hulk at January 2, 2012 11:45 AM

Beginners
Winnie the Pooh
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Posted by: Three at January 2, 2012 11:47 AM

"Senna" and "We Need To Talk About Kevin"

Posted by: Krix at January 2, 2012 1:22 PM

Shame was INCREDIBLE. Beginners was also really sweet, I loved Christopher Plummer!
But I still haven't seen 50/50 or Drive yet, and when I do I think they may be my new favorites.

Posted by: BananaSam at January 2, 2012 2:07 PM

The Turin Horse by Bela Tarr. Dark, surreal and riveting. Find it and be amazed...
Drive and The Tree of Life were both glorious examples film making, absolutely wonderful, engaging and illuminating films.
And then there was Mandingo Massacre 2... just, wow.

Posted by: Chuck at January 2, 2012 5:00 PM

50/50, hands down. The sweetest, most emotional film of the year.

Posted by: kee at January 2, 2012 9:12 PM

Shame and Beginners probably tie as the best films I saw this past year. Drive, Tree of Life, and Take Shelter all tie for second.

Basically...lots of strong performances and lots of great directing to come out of 2011.

I also saw Sound of Noise, which I hope gets a release in the States, because holy fuck. Talk about joyful filmmaking.

Posted by: MidnightTea at January 2, 2012 11:13 PM

The Winnie the Pooh Movie and The Inbetweeners.
Attack the Block was pretty good as well.

Posted by: Michelle at January 3, 2012 3:41 AM

Although I enjoyed a few movies and I recommended them to whoever still listens to me, I wouldn't call either one of them actually GOOD. Guess I'll skip the Oscars this year.

Posted by: Irina at January 3, 2012 5:10 AM

I second Turin Horse and Shame, though Bela Tarr is pretty rough going for the uninitiated. If you're interested in other foreign films:
http://www.examiner.com/foreign-film-in-chicago/my-2011-foreign-film-top-ten

Posted by: periscope at January 3, 2012 1:02 PM

Jack and Jill.

This was a film where Adam really stretched himself as an actor and a comedian to provide the funniest film of 2011. The difficulties of not only playing 2 characters, but 2 different genders is not an easy task and one that Adam performs brilliantly. This movie shows how far Adam has matured as an actor from films like The Wedding Singer.

Posted by: Adam at January 3, 2012 2:23 PM

Definitely The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

But I just saw it, and Sherlock Holmes too. And before either one of those I think the last movie I saw at the theater was Captain America... So I've missed a couple in there somewhere.

Posted by: MRod at January 3, 2012 2:34 PM

Hey, Adam - thanks for contributing. When's Operaman coming out, by the way?

Seriosuly though, I think I saw a grand total of two movies in the theater this year. The first one was shitty, the second was 50/50. It was definitely the opposite of shitty.

Posted by: Bert at January 3, 2012 3:33 PM

50/50 really surprised me, but Attack the Block was my favorite movie of 2011. I had the biggest smile on my face throughout the entirety of it. So good.

Posted by: =DocDoom1= at January 3, 2012 5:21 PM

I didn't see too many movies in the theater this year...the best was The Debt.

Best newish rental...Horrible Bosses

Not nearly as bad as I'd heard...Green Lantern. But still you know...not great.

On second viewing, not nearly as good as I'd remembered...Captain America.

Posted by: dagnabbit at January 3, 2012 5:53 PM

Off the top of my head, I'd say Shame, Certified Copy, 13 Assassins, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 50/50 and Jane Eyre. Quite liked Drive and The Guard as well.

I really wanted to love Artist, Beginners and Submarine but either my expectations were too high or something just fizzled along the way. Submarine just got on my nerves to the point that I wanted to rip the DVD apart (I blame Oliver's love interest -- she was catatonically terrible).

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