Films To check Out This Year: A little Thing for everyone
by hectorgc | created - 01 Jun 2011 | updated - 01 Jun 2011 | PublicFilms that you should check out this year, from the arthouse enthusiast to the bluckbuster fanatic, here we have a little thing for everyone.
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1. Take Shelter (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Thriller
Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.
Director: Jeff Nichols | Stars: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Tova Stewart
Votes: 108,207 | Gross: $1.73M
Since this seems to be the year with everyone sets loose their own vision of the Apocalypse, it just seemed fair that a couple of arthouse films do the same. We kick off this list with Take Shelter, a pleasant Sundance surprise, featuring a Michael Shannon with tremendous acting guts.
2. Bellflower (2011)
R | 106 min | Action, Drama, Romance
Two friends spend all their free time building flame-throwers and weapons of mass destruction in hopes that a global apocalypse will occur and clear the runway for their imaginary gang "Mother Medusa".
Director: Evan Glodell | Stars: Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman, Rebekah Brandes
Votes: 8,090 | Gross: $0.17M
A Visually stunning movie, with a very indie feel, Bellflower is yet another unique look at the end of the world.
3. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
R | 110 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Despite being under heavy sedation, a young woman tries to make her way out of the Arboria Institute, a secluded, quasifuturistic commune.
Director: Panos Cosmatos | Stars: Eva Bourne, Michael J Rogers, Scott Hylands, Rondel Reynoldson
Votes: 16,922 | Gross: $0.06M
Channeling the classic 60s sci fi, Black Rainbow may not be for everyone, but is an absolute treat for the fans of the genre.
4. Melancholia (2011)
R | 135 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgård
Votes: 196,037 | Gross: $3.03M
Nazi jokes aside, Lars Von Trier knows how to manipulate his audience. Melancholia is filled with beautiful scenery, powerful performances, all surrounding a tragic story set in the end of the world. If that doesn't scream Awesome then I must be hearing things.
5. The Skin I Live In (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Votes: 166,000 | Gross: $3.19M
Almodóvar returns with a Psychological horror for the ages, while Antonio Banderas delivers his best performance yet.
6. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
R | 102 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.
Director: Sean Durkin | Stars: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Christopher Abbott
Votes: 55,839 | Gross: $2.98M
Powerful and disturbing, Marlene shows the talent of the youngest Olsen sister, and manages to surprise and provoke.
7. The Artist (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.
Director: Michel Hazanavicius | Stars: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell
Votes: 248,675 | Gross: $44.67M
In this day and age, a silent black-and-white movie seems like an alien object. And yet, The Artist got made, projected, and bought from over seas to debut in America. Only time will tell if people actually go see it, but just for being released it should be honored. Amazing performances and amazing story.
8. Drive (I) (2011)
R | 100 min | Action, Drama
A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Votes: 704,972 | Gross: $35.06M
A pleasant surprise at Cannes, delivering what might just be the Perfect B-Movie by Winding Refn.
9. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)
Not Rated | 157 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Stars: Muhammet Uzuner, Yilmaz Erdogan, Taner Birsel, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan
Votes: 50,335 | Gross: $0.14M
Slow as a mammoth, but way better on the visual side, Anatolia wowed audiences at Cannes, but is still looking for distribution elsewhere.
10. Miss Bala (2011)
R | 113 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After entering a beauty contest in Tijuana, a young woman witnesses drug-related murders and is forced to do the gang's bidding.
Director: Gerardo Naranjo | Stars: Stephanie Sigman, Noé Hernández, Irene Azuela, J.R. Yenque
Votes: 9,437
Gerardo Naranjo delivers pure cinema in Miss Bala, the only mexican entry in Cannes this year. The story about a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time, and how this gets her involved with organizaed crime; all based on actual events, manages to shock and awe.
11. X: First Class (2011)
PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Sci-Fi
In the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.
Director: Matthew Vaughn | Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon
Votes: 724,124 | Gross: $146.41M
Whatever happened to the X-men? The previous two films in the franchise were oblivious efforts. But the latest is in to save (and somehow kind of reboot) the franchise. First Class might just be the best Superhero movie to hit cinemas this year.
12. Hanna (2011)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps
Votes: 206,926 | Gross: $40.26M
Again the child super-assasin move, or so it seems at the beginning. Hanna is much more deep and stylish than the usual fare for the subgenre.
13. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
R | 99 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend believes that she has released creatures from a sealed ash pit in the basement of her new home.
Director: Troy Nixey | Stars: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Bruce Gleeson
Votes: 50,596 | Gross: $24.04M
Another of the countless Del Toro produced movies out these days, Afraid of the Dark promises an atmospheric horror story that should deliver its chills.
14. Fast Five (2011)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Dominic Toretto and his crew of street racers plan a massive heist to buy their freedom while in the sights of a powerful Brazilian drug lord and a dangerous federal agent.
Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster
Votes: 407,373 | Gross: $209.84M
Nothing to original, but nonetheless good. Fast Five proves the old saying "Five Time's the charm" wasn't so wrong after all. Top-Notch action.
15. Thor (2011)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Fantasy
The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Votes: 900,759 | Gross: $181.03M
Thor has its flaws, but manages to deflect most with its humor, action, and the evolution of Thor himself from a whiny b**ch to a hero on his own right.
16. Paul (2011)
R | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Two English comic book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.
Director: Greg Mottola | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Mia Stallard
Votes: 266,248 | Gross: $37.41M
Pegg and Frost reunite once again to set loose their geeky side. It may not be the best movie on the list-by far-but paul does what it sets out to do, deliver laughs and entertain.
17. Green Lantern (2011)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Reckless test pilot Hal Jordan is granted an alien ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers that inducts him into an intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps.
Director: Martin Campbell | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong
Votes: 296,224 | Gross: $116.60M
You know your movie is in danger when you are asked by the studio to improve the CGI within it. Green Lantern looks kind of good, but the trailer doesn't convince me.
18. Source Code (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 550,074 | Gross: $54.71M
Who would have thought David Bowie's son would end up making movies? Not me. His sophomore effort may be less personal and may not have the indie feel of Moon, but it still is a pretty good movie, with an interesting premise and great twists.
19. Unknown (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
When a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra | Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn
Votes: 269,410 | Gross: $63.69M
Predictable in its unpredictability, this Neeson vehicle manages to surprise sometimes, but most of all entertain.
20. Limitless (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.
Director: Neil Burger | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro
Votes: 612,714 | Gross: $79.25M
Visually stunning, and filled with kind of good performances, this take on the bestselling book is pretty well done and with an ending differente from the usual popcorn flick. Highly recommended.
21. Real Steel (2011)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In the near future, robot boxing is a top sport. A struggling ex-boxer feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot.
Director: Shawn Levy | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Anthony Mackie
Votes: 355,837 | Gross: $85.47M
Even though i can't buy into the whole "Boxing Robots" deal, i'm looking forward to this films. The trailer poses it as a typical underdog movie, but i hope i'm wrong, and this manages to surprise.
22. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
PG-13 | 154 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel
Votes: 432,231 | Gross: $352.39M
Third time's the charm. Probably not. But still, Michael Bay closes the trilogy with a bang, and promises a much more solid movie that the last one.
23. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A spaceship arrives in 1873 Arizona to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. All that stands in their way: a posse of cowboys and natives.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Abigail Spencer
Votes: 232,580 | Gross: $100.24M
A twist on two genres, a promising awesome-looking action flick that should deliver.
24. Super 8 (2011)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney
Votes: 367,665 | Gross: $127.00M
Sometime I feel nostalgia for a past i didn't leave. Super 8 evokes this nostalgia. "JJ" for the friends, tributes Spielberg's early work (E.T., Close Encounters) in his own way, making what might even become this generation's E.T.
25. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell
Votes: 897,335 | Gross: $176.65M
The other "anything can happen" superhero movie of the year, besides Green Lantern. I've always liked Captain America, so i'm actually looking forward for this movie, but it could still disappoint.
26. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
PG-13 | 129 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams
Votes: 480,715 | Gross: $186.85M
The First one was above average, featuring the signature Ritchie style, so lets hope the second one manages to surprise again. Even if it doesn't I'm pretty sure everyone wants to see Downey Jr. as Mr. Holmes at least one more time.
27. Troll Hunter (2010)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
A group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter.
Director: André Øvredal | Stars: Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, Knut Nærum, Glenn Erland Tosterud
Votes: 79,591 | Gross: $0.25M
Finally what seems like an original and creative take on the "Found Footage" genre. Beautiful style.
28. The Devil's Double (2011)
R | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller
A chilling vision of the house of Saddam. The world of Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was given a choice; either be the double for Saddam's sadistic son, or die.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast
Votes: 63,875 | Gross: $1.36M
A hard movie to do, and a hard movie to watch. The Devil's Double is a portrayal of the man that was forced to become Saddam Hussein's son's Double.
29. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
PG-13 | 130 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.
Director: David Yates | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon
Votes: 949,160 | Gross: $381.01M
What can i say? The end of a Phenomenon. Of a way of living. What will the world be without the eternal wait for the next Harry Potter movie? It will surely lose some of its shine. This last movie carries a tremendous weight on its shoulders, closing a 10 year series, that had its ups and downs (mostly ups). If it doesn't deliver, it could tarnish the series. But we must believe. It Will Deliver.
30. Another Earth (2011)
PG-13 | 92 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
On the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
Director: Mike Cahill | Stars: Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach, DJ Flava
Votes: 100,053 | Gross: $1.32M
A pleasant surprise at Sundance, it shows that emotionally-driven sci fi stories are still possible these days, following the Renaissance of Sci Fi cinema started two years ago.
31. Immortals (2011)
R | 110 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.
Director: Tarsem Singh | Stars: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff
Votes: 176,524 | Gross: $83.50M
In his follow-up to The Fall, Tarsem Singh attemps to tackle a subject that has been used to death in recent years since the genre revival by Gladiator. Many movies, but not a lot of good ones, so lets hope Immortals delivers.
32. The Descendants (2011)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Drama
A land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause
Votes: 251,887 | Gross: $82.58M
Alexander Payne know how to make a good comedy. Election, About Schmidt, and of course, Sideways, have shown us his talent. Can he keep his clean record?
33. Scream 4 (2011)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Lucy Hale
Votes: 171,297 | Gross: $38.18M
A decade later, Sidney Prescott and Dale Weathers return for what might be the last installment of the franchise. It captures the spirit of the original.
34. Kidnapped (2010)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Horror, Thriller
Three hooded Eastern-European criminals burst into a home in a Madrid gated community, holding the family hostage in its own home, and forcing the father to empty his credit cards.
Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas | Stars: Fernando Cayo, Manuela Vellés, Ana Wagener, Guillermo Barrientos
Votes: 8,480
Spanish cinema has had an explosion of horror and thriller films in the last few year. The latest is a powerful thriller by Miguel Angel Vivas, a director to watch.
35. 50/50 (2011)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
Director: Jonathan Levine | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 343,005 | Gross: $35.01M
JGL (Not JLG) delivers a good performance in a really emotional and funny story.
36. Beginners (2010)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer and that he has a young male lover.
Director: Mike Mills | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic
Votes: 94,832 | Gross: $5.79M
When your premise can be described as "the discovery of a young man that his father has cancer and a young male lover" you know you in to some good dark comedy.
37. Our Idiot Brother (2011)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
A comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters.
Director: Jesse Peretz | Stars: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Nick Sullivan
Votes: 90,587 | Gross: $24.81M
Paul Rudd is Our Idiot Brother in what seems to be the oddball comedy of the year.
38. Submarine (2010)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: to lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.
Director: Richard Ayoade | Stars: Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, Noah Taylor
Votes: 96,569 | Gross: $0.47M
From one of the actors of Britain's favorite cult-awkward-sitcom The It Crowd, comes a dark coming-of-age comedy. Incredibly original and funny, but with a heart, submarine is a beast of its own.
39. Win Win (2011)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
A struggling lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach's chicanery comes back to haunt him when the teenage grandson of the client he has double-crossed comes into his life.
Director: Tom McCarthy | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale
Votes: 55,272 | Gross: $10.18M
Paul Giamatti shouts for attention and gets it with this dramedy that delivers on every way.
40. The Hangover Part II (2011)
R | 102 min | Comedy
Two years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha
Votes: 535,012 | Gross: $254.46M
Same Characters, Same Formula, Same Jokes, Different Setting. Even though it might not bring anything new to the genre, Hangover Part 2 delivers the laughs.
41. Bridesmaids (I) (2011)
R | 125 min | Comedy
Competition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
Director: Paul Feig | Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Terry Crews
Votes: 309,356 | Gross: $169.11M
Hangover with women didn't sound like a good idea. And yet, Bridesmaids manages to surprise and delivers a fun and raunchy movie.
42. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
PG | 90 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Po and his friends fight to stop a peacock villain from conquering China with a deadly new weapon, but first the Dragon Warrior must come to terms with his past.
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Stars: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman
Votes: 321,299 | Gross: $165.25M
Po is back, and as good as ever. Dreamworks doesn't have a good history with sequels, but this time at least, they delivered.
43. Winnie the Pooh (2011)
G | 63 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
While searching for honey, Pooh and his friends embark on an adventure to find Eeyore's missing tail and rescue Christopher Robin from an unknown monster called The Backson.
Directors: Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall | Stars: Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, John Cleese, Bud Luckey
Votes: 28,380 | Gross: $26.69M
What to expect? A heart-filled story that takes us back to the good old days of animation. Or so i hope.
44. Rango (2011)
PG | 107 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 293,261 | Gross: $123.48M
What if Raoul Duke was a chameleon who is also a wannabe sheriff in the old west? Is your chance to find out. Truly original, truly epic, truly true, Rango is a must-see.
45. Cars 2 (2011)
G | 106 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
Directors: John Lasseter, Bradford Lewis | Stars: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer
Votes: 218,252 | Gross: $191.45M
The first one was good, it has a moderate critical praise and went on to make an awful lot of money. Pixar knows how to treat a sequel, so lets just hope we encounter a case of "Godfather: Part Two" in Cars 2.
46. The Muppets (2011)
PG | 103 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A Muppet fanatic with some help from his 2 human compatriots must regroup the Muppet gang to stop an avaricious oil mogul from taking down one of their precious life-longing treasures.
Director: James Bobin | Stars: Amy Adams, Jason Segel, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones
Votes: 96,898 | Gross: $88.63M
With the use of a clever marketing campaign, The Muppets have gotten me interested in their movie. Jason Segel + Kermit the frog = Winning.
47. The Tree of Life (2011)
PG-13 | 139 min | Drama, Fantasy
The story of a family in Waco, Texas in 1956. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence and struggles with his parents' conflicting teachings.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken
Votes: 184,184 | Gross: $13.30M
As dense or metaphoric, or kind of plotless this film might be, it is a gorge to look at, and a totally different experience for any moviegoer. Totally worth seeing.
48. Jane Eyre (2011)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he's hiding a terrible secret.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Su Elliot
Votes: 93,076 | Gross: $11.24M
Mia Wasikowska shows the world she really is the actress of the future. With just 22 years, Wasikowska delivers a really good performance, and probably the definitive portrayal of the character.
49. The Rum Diary (2011)
R | 119 min | Comedy, Drama
American journalist Paul Kemp takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1960s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.
Director: Bruce Robinson | Stars: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli
Votes: 108,039 | Gross: $13.10M
Contrary to popular belief (Rum + Johnny Depp=) this movie has nothing to do with pirates. It promises a good story about an outcast who writes for a Caribbean (There's the other element in common with POTC) newspaper. Johnny Depp should deliver his best performance of the year in this film.
50. The Whistleblower (2010)
R | 112 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and outed the U.N. for covering up a sex trafficking scandal.
Director: Larysa Kondracki | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn
Votes: 35,757 | Gross: $1.12M
It is a mystery how a movie this important and good didn't fine a distributor last year. Or Is it? A controversy filled movie with a gripping good performance by Rachel Weisz, The Whistleblower might just have enough Oscar Pedigree.
51. War Horse (2011)
PG-13 | 146 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young farm boy enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. His hopeful journey takes him out of England and onto the front lines as the war rages on.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch
Votes: 165,683 | Gross: $79.88M
Spielberg promises an emotional story about a horse and his boy. For his own sake lets hope it's good.
52. Hugo (2011)
PG | 126 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
In 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 336,925 | Gross: $73.86M
What might have lead Scorsese to this particular source material? Who knows, but when the man gets a hold of a script you can probably guess it is half-good. And when he directs it, then it will almost certainly be good, even when it is based on a children's book, no where near usual Scorsese fare.
53. Contagion (2011)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow
Votes: 316,115 | Gross: $75.66M
With five projects enlisted in the space of just two years, Soderbergh might not deliver this on time. With just enough Ocean's Elven, some Che, and drop of SLAV and Traffic, Soderbergh might actually make an amazing movie once again.
54. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
R | 158 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 495,098 | Gross: $102.52M
Fincher follows up The Social Network with an american remake of a Swedish film. After the success of Let Me In, and the great popularity of the books in america, it looks like Sweden may be the next gold mine for American remakes since Japan has gone dry. Lets just hope the movie is as compelling as the Swedish version and the soundtrack by Reznor and Ross matches his previous work.
55. We Bought a Zoo (2011)
PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning
Votes: 151,818 | Gross: $75.62M
You can never miss Cameron Crowe's latest, at least hoping it will be half as good as Almost Famous. It has to better than his previous film, and i hope it is his comeback.
56. Midnight in Paris (2011)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Kurt Fuller
Votes: 450,055 | Gross: $56.82M
Or "How Woody Allen Got His Groove Back", Wilson gives probably what is his best performance to date.
57. J. Edgar (2011)
R | 137 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
J. Edgar Hoover, powerful head of the F.B.I. for nearly fifty years, looks back on his professional and personal life.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Josh Hamilton
Votes: 133,667 | Gross: $37.31M
Good Old Clint delves into the controversy filled life of J Edgar Hoover, and directs Di Caprio into what just might be the role he's been looking for since Howard Hughes couldn't win him the Oscar,
58. My Week with Marilyn (2011)
R | 99 min | Biography, Drama
Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier, documents the tense interactions between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).
Director: Simon Curtis | Stars: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond
Votes: 89,614 | Gross: $14.60M
Simon Curtis steps out form the TV world into the big screen with an interesting depiction of Marilyn Monroe as played by the recently Oscar-nominated Michelle Williams and featuring the first post-Potter role for Emma Watson.
59. A Dangerous Method (2011)
R | 99 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel
Votes: 108,393 | Gross: $5.70M
Cronenberg continues his association with Mortensen with a drama about the relationship between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and a patient of theirs Sabina Spielrein (Played by Keira Knightley).
60. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A lawyer defending a wealthy man begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
Director: Brad Furman | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy
Votes: 253,897 | Gross: $58.01M
Matthew McConaughey's attempt at a comeback might not have been as explosive as first thought, but still manages to deliver a fine performance in an above-average movie.
61. Moneyball (2011)
PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 464,973 | Gross: $75.61M
It might not have generated as much buzz as other movies in this list, but it is Miller's first Post-Capote effort, and feature Brad Pitt in a leading role.
62. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
R | 112 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Kevin's mother struggles to love her strange child despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.
Director: Lynne Ramsay | Stars: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell
Votes: 167,860 | Gross: $1.74M
Based on the bestseller, an incredible performance by Swinton, and great critical praise, promise a powerful movie experience.
63. 13 Assassins (2010)
R | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Ikki Sawamura
Votes: 68,640 | Gross: $0.80M
As Epic as Epics go, brings ringings of Kurosawa's samurai flicks.
64. Red State (2011)
R | 88 min | Action, Crime, Horror
Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Michael Angarano
Votes: 67,272 | Gross: $1.10M
Kevin Smith's latest, filled with the controversy we were missing. Not for everyone, but a sign of his maturity (in a way) as a filmmaker.
65. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.
Director: Rupert Wyatt | Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Karin Konoval
Votes: 560,090 | Gross: $176.76M
For the sake of the franchise, that has already suffered a bad reboot, i hope this is a good movie. At least the CGI apes look kind of real.
66. Beautiful Boy (2010)
R | 100 min | Drama
A married couple on the verge of separation are leveled by the news their 18-year-old son committed a mass shooting at his college, then took his own life.
Director: Shawn Ku | Stars: Michael Sheen, Maria Bello, Kyle Gallner, Logan South
Votes: 6,952 | Gross: $0.08M
It seem the whole "teenager killing spree" is back long after Elephant hit theaters. With Beautiful Boy and We Need To talk About Kevin we're taken back to this incidents in a whole new way: watching the aftermath and its effect on the parents.
67. Restless (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 91 min | Drama, Romance
The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Ryô Kase, Schuyler Fisk
Votes: 18,409 | Gross: $0.16M
Even relegated to the Un Certein Regard section at Cannes, Van Sant leaves his mark once again.
68. Anonymous (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama, Thriller
The theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, who penned Shakespeare's plays. Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I and the Essex rebellion against her.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis, Sebastian Armesto
Votes: 42,138 | Gross: $4.46M
Can Emmerich really pull off a thriller without all the explosions and destruction he's used to? We'll see.
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