The Movie List from A Film Look for 2011.

For other years click: Movies 2012; Movies 2013

Back towards the end of 2011 I realized I had seen so many first run movies that year that I could compile an interesting list which would even pique curiosity among my friends and followers. It is an interesting list, and yet it does not include all films I saw that year, some classics (including memorable first timers: The Apartment, Gaslight and Repulsion — these and other must sees)  and some unmentioned forgettables.

There are some films I have NOT yet seen and released in 2011.  Since this list was created, back in December 2011, I added about thirty movies as of the original date of this post and will continue to do so, changing the list as I add them, making it a reference for that year.  Among the most notable of the unseen are Iron Lady, 50/50, Incendies, perhaps Cars II, maybe Young Adult, others.  In you comments you may add to the list, yet there are some movies that I will simply not see (except by accident on one of those sleepless nights), and which will go unnamed but may shine in the sunlight of their absence.

Again, the list is for movies released in 2011, sometimes watched in theaters, sometimes DVD, sometimes cable.  It is categorized into five simple genres: Drama, Comedy, Action, Horror and Animated.  For each category the IMDB link for the top five is added.  Additionally the top 25 in the full list also have their IMDB link.

So, as my guideline for those who do not necessarily make as much time for movies as we (my wife and I) do, here it is.

Top Ten (okay, 11), all genres for 103 movies.

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
1	Comedy	The Artist	10	A
1	Drama	The Descendants	10	A
3	Drama	My Week with Marilyn	10	A
4	Comedy	Crazy, Stupid, Love	9	A-
5	Action	Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol	9	A-
6	Drama	Hugo	9	A-
7	Comedy	Bridesmaids	8	B+
8	Action	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	8	B+
9	Action	Fast Five	8	B+
10	Drama	Margin Call	8	B+

———–

By genre.  Categories listed by amount of movies seen in that category.

DRAMA (43 movies) – Many inspiring, 17 out of the top 25 in my list are in this category.

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
1	Drama	The Descendants	10	A
3	Drama	My Week with Marilyn	10	A
6	Drama	Hugo	9	A-
10	Drama	Margin Call	8	B+
11	Drama	The Ides of March	8	B+
12	Drama	The Help	8	B+
13	Drama	We Bought A Zoo	8	B+
14	Drama	Straw Dogs (2011)	8	B+
16	Drama	Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy	8	B+
17	Drama	The Eagle	8	B+
18	Drama	A Better Life	8	B+
19	Drama	Deathly Hallows (Part II)	8	B+
20	Drama	The Company Men	8	B+
21	Drama	Martha Marcy May Marlene	8	B+
22	Drama	Limitless	8	B+
22	Drama	Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close	8	B+
25	Drama	The Lincoln Lawyer	7	B
26	Drama	J. Edgar	7	B
29	Drama	The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo	7	B
35	Drama	Water for Elephants	7	B
37	Drama	Barney’s Version (U.S.only)	7	B
39	Drama	Drive	7	B
40	Drama	Contagion	7	B
41	Drama	Dolphin Tale	7	B
43	Drama	Trespass (2011)	7	B
44	Drama	The Devil’s Double	6	B-
49	Drama	Trust (2011)	6	B-
52	Drama	Larry Crowne	6	B-
57	Drama	Moneyball	6	B-
58	Drama	The Resident	6	B-
62	Drama	Biutiful	6	B-
63	Drama	Beautiful Boy	6	B-
64	Drama	Anonymous	6	B-
71	Drama	Another Earth	5	B-
73	Drama	Beginners	5	C+
82	Drama	The Conspirator	5	C+
84	Drama	Exporting Raymond	5	C+
86	Drama	Sanctum	4	C
87	Drama	In Time	4	C
92	Drama	The Skin I Live In	4	C
95	Drama	The Beaver	4	C
99	Drama	Soul Surfer	3	C-
101	Drama	Win Win	3	C-

———–

COMEDY (31 movies) – Always looking for that original story or twist that tickles the funny bone, is uplifting and feels good,.  Execution is what bogs many of these down.  It was hard to rank the #1 movie of the year, so there was a tie with the #1 in my Drama genre category.

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
1	Comedy	The Artist	10	A
4	Comedy	Crazy, Stupid, Love	9	A-
7	Comedy	Bridesmaids	8	B+
15	Comedy	The Big Year	8	B+
24	Comedy	Friends with Benefits	7	B
42	Comedy	Our Idiot Brother	7	B
45	Comedy	Your Highness	6	B-
46	Comedy	New Year’s Eve	6	B-
50	Comedy	Midnight in Paris	6	B-
54	Comedy	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides	6	B-
55	Comedy	Arthur (2011)	6	B-
56	Comedy	Paul	6	B-
60	Comedy	Tower Heist	6	B-
61	Comedy	Horrible Bosses	6	B-
65	Comedy	Bad Teacher	6	B-
66	Comedy	A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas	6	B-
67	Comedy	Jumping the Broom	6	B-
68	Comedy	Something Borrowed	6	B-
69	Comedy	The Change-Up	6	B-
70	Comedy	30 Minutes or Less	6	B-
74	Comedy	The Dilemma	5	C+
75	Comedy	No Strings Attached	5	C+
76	Comedy	Hall Pass	5	C+
80	Comedy	Just Go With It	5	C+
81	Comedy	Zookeeper	5	C+
90	Comedy	The Hangover Part II	4	C
91	Comedy	Cedar Rapids	4	C
96	Comedy	Everything Must Go	4	C
97	Comedy	Mr. Popper’s Penguins	3	C-
98	Comedy	Jack & Jill	3	C-
102	Comedy	Lucky (2011)	3	C-

———–

ACTION (16 movies) – Hey, I’m a guy.

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
5	Action	Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol	9	A-
8	Action	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	8	B+
9	Action	Fast Five	8	B+
23	Action	Source Code	8	B+
32	Action	The Adjustment Bureau	7	B
33	Action	Super 8	7	B
36	Action	Transformers: Dark of the Moon	7	B
38	Action	X-Men-First Class	7	B
47	Action	Limitless	6	B-
48	Action	I Am Number Four	6	B-
51	Action	Hanna	6	B-
72	Action	Battle: Los Angeles	6	C+
78	Action	Colombiana	5	C+
79	Action	Cowboys & Aliens	5	C+
89	Action	The Green Lantern	4	C
100	Action	Unknown	3	C-

———–

HOROR (10 movies) – I don’t see many of these and do not go for torture porn, the big thing in horror nowadays.  But still, these were fun.

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
28	Horror	Fright Night	7	B
31	Horror	Scream 4	7	B
34	Horror	Attack The Block	7	B
53	Horror	The Rite	6	B-
59	Horror	Insidious *	6	B-
83	Horror	Red Riding Hood	5	C+
85	Horror	The Roommate	5	C+
88	Horror	Dream House	4	C
93	Horror	Drive Angry	4	C
94	Horror	Final Destination 5	4	C

* IMDB lists this one as 2010, but I go by Box Office Mojo, which lists it as 2011

———–

ANIMATED (3 movies) – I don’t see many of these either, but Rango by far was outstanding in this category.  All time favorites: Beauty and the Beast and How to Train Your Dragon.

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
27	Animated	Rango	7	B
30	Animated	Arthur Christmas	7	B
77	Animated	Puss in Boots	5	C+

———–

THE FULL LIST

Rank	Genre	Title	Score	Grade
1	Comedy	The Artist	10	A
1	Drama	The Descendants	10	A
3	Drama	My Week with Marilyn	10	A
4	Comedy	Crazy, Stupid, Love	9	A-
5	Action	Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol	9	A-
6	Drama	Hugo	9	A-
7	Comedy	Bridesmaids	8	B+
8	Action	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	8	B+
9	Action	Fast Five	8	B+
10	Drama	Margin Call	8	B+
11	Drama	The Ides of March	8	B+
12	Drama	The Help	8	B+
13	Drama	We Bought A Zoo	8	B+
14	Drama	Straw Dogs (2011)	8	B+
15	Comedy	The Big Year	8	B+
16	Drama	Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy	8	B+
17	Drama	The Eagle	8	B+
18	Drama	A Better Life	8	B+
19	Drama	Deathly Hallows (Part II)	8	B+
20	Drama	The Company Men	8	B+
21	Drama	Martha Marcy May Marlene	8	B+
22	Drama	Limitless	8	B+
22	Drama	Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close	8	B+
23	Action	Source Code	8	B+
24	Comedy	Friends with Benefits	7	B
25	Drama	The Lincoln Lawyer	7	B
26	Drama	J. Edgar	7	B
27	Animated	Rango	7	B
28	Horror	Fright Night	7	B
29	Drama	The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo	7	B
30	Animated	Arthur Christmas	7	B
31	Horror	Scream 4	7	B
32	Action	The Adjustment Bureau	7	B
33	Action	Super 8	7	B
34	Horror	Attack The Block	7	B
35	Drama	Water for Elephants	7	B
36	Action	Transformers: Dark of the Moon	7	B
37	Drama	Barney’s Version (U.S.only)	7	B
38	Action	X-Men-First Class	7	B
39	Drama	Drive	7	B
40	Drama	Contagion	7	B
41	Drama	Dolphin Tale	7	B
42	Comedy	Our Idiot Brother	7	B
43	Drama	Trespass (2011)	7	B
44	Drama	The Devil’s Double	6	B-
45	Comedy	Your Highness	6	B-
46	Comedy	New Year’s Eve	6	B-
47	Action	Limitless	6	B-
48	Action	I Am Number Four	6	B-
49	Drama	Trust (2011)	6	B-
50	Comedy	Midnight in Paris	6	B-
51	Action	Hanna	6	B-
52	Drama	Larry Crowne	6	B-
53	Horror	The Rite	6	B-
54	Comedy	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides	6	B-
55	Comedy	Arthur (2011)	6	B-
56	Comedy	Paul	6	B-
57	Drama	Moneyball	6	B-
58	Drama	The Resident	6	B-
59	Horror	Insidious	6	B-
60	Comedy	Tower Heist	6	B-
61	Comedy	Horrible Bosses	6	B-
62	Drama	Biutiful	6	B-
63	Drama	Beautiful Boy	6	B-
64	Drama	Anonymous	6	B-
65	Comedy	Bad Teacher	6	B-
66	Comedy	A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas	6	B-
67	Comedy	Jumping the Broom	6	B-
68	Comedy	Something Borrowed	6	B-
69	Comedy	The Change-Up	6	B-
70	Comedy	30 Minutes or Less	6	B-
71	Drama	Another Earth	5	B-
72	Action	Battle: Los Angeles	6	C+
73	Drama	Beginners	5	C+
74	Comedy	The Dilemma	5	C+
75	Comedy	No Strings Attached	5	C+
76	Comedy	Hall Pass	5	C+
77	Animated	Puss in Boots	5	C+
78	Action	Colombiana	5	C+
79	Action	Cowboys & Aliens	5	C+
80	Comedy	Just Go With It	5	C+
81	Comedy	Zookeeper	5	C+
82	Drama	The Conspirator	5	C+
83	Horror	Red Riding Hood	5	C+
84	Drama	Exporting Raymond	5	C+
85	Horror	The Roommate	5	C+
86	Drama	Sanctum	4	C
87	Drama	In Time	4	C
88	Horror	Dream House	4	C
89	Action	The Green Lantern	4	C
90	Comedy	The Hangover Part II	4	C
91	Comedy	Cedar Rapids	4	C
92	Drama	The Skin I Live In	4	C
93	Horror	Drive Angry	4	C
94	Horror	Final Destination 5	4	C
95	Drama	The Beaver	4	C
96	Comedy	Everything Must Go	4	C
97	Comedy	Mr. Popper’s Penguins	3	C-
98	Comedy	Jack & Jill	3	C-
99	Drama	Soul Surfer	3	C-
100	Action	Unknown	3	C-
101	Drama	Win Win	3	C-
102	Comedy	Lucky (2011)	3	C-