Saturday, February 25, 2012

#MyFive Movies of 2011

So the Oscars are tomorrow night, and while I love a good award show, I just don't find many of this year's nominees all that inspiring. So I thought I'd blog MY favorite movies from 2011, many of which would never win an Academy Award, but definitely won a special lil place inside my heart (and dvd collection).

5) Super 8 - Most of the summer blockbusters were fun, but I didn't find many of them all that inspiring. Super 8, however, caught me by surprise. The characters were very like-able, the cinematography was gorgeous, and the plot was captivating and suspenseful. I was surprised at how little attention it actually got, as I thought it was the best 'blockbuster' of the year.

4) 50/50 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt has slowly become one of my favorite actors. Without much pomp and circumstance, he picks roles that really allow his talent to shine. 50/50 was incredibly moving, and managed to balance funny and irreverent with a very serious and emotional subject. Super heart-warming.

3) Bridesmaids - So funny I saw it twice, which marked the first time I ever saw a comedy film more than once in the theatre. Every single cast member was hilarious in their own way, and the movie as a whole was a consistent riot. And a Wilson freakin' Phillips' cameo? You had me at 'I know there's pain...'

2) The Help - Incredibly moving and inspiring in so many ways. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer moved me to tears more than any film ever has. I've seen it several times, and have forced various family  and friends to watch it with me. And anytime a witch like Hilly gets that kind of delicious karma, I'm sold.

1) Footloose - Judge me. I don't care. I didn't even want to see it. But I knew 10 minutes in it would change my life. Incredibly hot tough yet sensitive guy as lead? Check. A soundtrack so beautiful that I have worn it out in 4 months? Check. And a surprisingly fresh and realistic take on standing up to outdated ideas of fear and repression? I'm in. The DVD comes out on March 6th. Cut loose.

I'm pretty confident Octavia will win an Oscar for The Help, while Viola Davis should, but probably won't (damn Streep). But I'll be watching I guess. If only for a chance to see if Kenny Wormald got an invite. If not, no worries Kenny. You can come to MY awards show anytime :).

1 comment:

  1. Great list... I still need to see a few of them. (In particular, 50/50 and Super 8.)

    I'd probably have to add some Harry Potter love to my own personal list. :)

    Also, while fairly painful to watch, I have to say I really enjoyed The Descendants as well, and I'm not always a Clooney fan.

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