15. Moneyball (dir. Benett Miller)
It’s not a perfect film, but sometimes imperfection is what we look for in cinema. With a great thematic tale of how a man frustrated with the limitations he has to excel he decides to something unprecedented in a sport that’s as old as stories themselves and it ends up changing the way everyone in sports starts to think about club management. Brad Pitt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill all shine in their roles and manage to lift up a slightly clunky script to be a film I look forward to revisiting year in year out.
14. Crazy, Stupid, Love (dir. John Requa & Glenn Ficarra)
If there was a movie this year that had the right level of ability to surprise as it did to disappoint it would be this movie. I’ve watched this film at least four times so far this year and every time I’m still surprised when we get to the almost climactic scene in the garden. Gosling plays a character that I will adore for years to come and can’t wait for my chance to be that guy and start slapping my Steve Carell around for a bit.
13. Win Win (dir. Thomas McCarthy)
Paul Giamatti is one of those actors that if you gave him one scene, that one scene would be the best of the film. He makes use of a script in such a way that not many actors today do and he shines brilliantly in this story of a flawed man who makes a horrible decision in a desperate time in his life. The film’s characters do what they do and we watch as they orbit the world of Giamatti’s character and we just see his reactions which are stellar. Comedy and drama didn’t mix as well as they do in this film in many others.
12. Meek’s Cutoff (dir. Kelly Reichardt)
The west is a land that we glorify a bit. When you watch films starring Clint Eastwood and John Wayne we think of it as a somewhat manageable and enjoyable world. However, the truth is more likely the complete opposite. There’s a lot of untamed lands and not much to stand between you and death for the slightest of mistakes. So when a caravan of travelers are led astray and find themselves lost in the middle of these barren lands they are left with few choices as how to keep going.
The film is presented from the perspective of the three women of the caravan who’re generally left out of all decision making of how to proceed so we are literally passive travelers on this trip and are constantly looking for ways to try and better the caravan’s situation and at the same time dealing with our own inability to affect the outcome.
11. Hesher (dir. Spencer Susser)
Thanks to a coincidental meeting of T.J. (David Brochu) and Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) the tale of how a depressed family, having just lost T.J.’s mother, are given the wake-up call they need to realize that this isn’t the way to respond to their situation. What’s great about this movie is just the way the character of Hesher goes about this in the most insanely chaotic ways, this includes: car bombs, bon fires, squatting in their home without consent, threatening bodily harm a number of times to a child, and much more. The film is crazy and deserves remembering for its own uniqueness.
Only seen 5 of the 20.
Surprised that you have Contagion in it.
Which 5?
I love Contagion… it's calculated look at what would actually happen is mind blowingly crazy and just made me walk out of the theatre trying best not to make human contact…
Soderbergh is awesome :)
Hanna, Super, Midnight in Paris, The Guard & Contagion.
Drive is my next to see, been hearing great things from everyone.
"Contagion" is severely underrated. I'm glad to see it getting some love – it just missed my 10.
Strangely, I've seen most of the movies you list that you haven't … but haven't seen many of the ones that charted with you. I guess I must not have a soul because I found "Senna" to be very dull after the first 45 minutes.
glad to see someone else have some love for Soderbergh's viral film…
I'm also happy that you're willing to admit you have no soul, saves me the time of doing it for you. :P
Senna is awesome.
Which of my list have you yet to see?
Very interesting list Andrew! I haven't had a chance to see The Guard or Senna yet sadly. I liked 13 Assassins but felt it didn't spend enough effort/time to make us care more for most of the 13 assassins.
you totally need to see Senna… sad to hear you not that into 13 Assassins… I know it didn't develop 100% all of the assassins, but wow to action!
Thanks for mentioning The Ides of March. The film has been so overlooked recently even though it is easily one of the better films released this year. It does have a "noir-ish" feel at some points.
I really like the top of your list. Drive is a film that just missed my top 10 list and The Muppets is in my top 10. I definitely have to check out Senna now. I have heard nothing but raves.
Ides of March deserved being mentioned… struggled to get it higher on my list.
and yes see Senna now.
Opens List
Does Not See Transformers 3, Breaking Dawn Part 1, Evangelion 2.22, MI: Ghost Protocol
Silently Cries
But honestly, how shocking my number 1 pick isnt even one of the 20, let alone most that I saw this year (beyond Contagion) is listed.
Our movie tastes are not parallel.
different strokes for different folks.
Damn Andrew thats a big list of films. I picked a top 3 ;-) My favorite film hands down was the film you selected as #1 Drive. Head and shoulders above the rest of the films we reviewed this year.
as I kept working to widdle down the list for the end of year, I kept finding more and more movies I felt needed to be championed… and yes Drive is up there, but Senna came close to beating it… someday I'm sure I'm just going to call it a tie.
Your top 20 is making me sort of wish I'd just gone the extra mile and rounded up my usual 15. A quarter of the way through watching Senna, so far so good…!
http://www.collativelearning.com/ageronfilm/?p=51