As 2011 comes to a close, Jeremy looks back at the best that the film world had to offer for the year, first with those films that couldn’t quite crack the top ten, but still deserved recognition, followed by his top ten films of the year.

Of the 55 new films released in 2011 I saw, and of the 156 films total, here are those which were each very good and deserving, followed by my top ten. But first, it should be noted that there were eight films on my “must watch” list that I wasn’t able to get through in time for this list. Those films are: The Artist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Ides of March, Margaret, Moneyball, Take Shelter, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and We Need to Talk About Kevin. So now, without any further ado…

Honorable Mentions

#20 Senna, #19 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, #18 Warrior, #17 If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, #16 The Muppets, #15 Beginners, #14 Margin Call, #13 Like Crazy, #12 Rango, #11 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

#10 Melancholia

I came across Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia pretty late in the game, as I caught the film after it had hit DVD just a few weeks ago. Putting aside the controversy around remarks made by Von Trier at Cannes last year, this film deserves award consideration, plain and simple. Melancholia not only has fantastic visuals and performances, the ideas surrounding it are both deep and thought-provoking.

#9 Martha Marcy May Marlene

I’ll let my review speak for itself on this one:

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a magnificently conceived and executed film, with performances, direction, and a script that demands attention and discussion from its audience. The film is a difficult one to handle, as it is a deeply disturbing and uncomfortably haunting portrayal of emotion and psychological terror. While it is an absolute triumph of filmmaking, the cold and difficult manner of the film makes it hard to truly appreciate or be deemed enjoyable.

#8 The Tree of Life

Terrence Malick is one of the all-time greats in this writer’s opinion, and so seldom does he release a film that with each passing movie it becomes more of a spectacle event rather than a normal trip to the theater.
Visually, The Tree of Life towers above the rest of the field as Malick tells a deeply personal story the sweeps in a stunning manner throughout time. With some very solid performances from Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, and Hunter McCracken interspersed throughout the film, Malick and the cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s first and most important muse is nature.

#7 Midnight in Paris

What a delightful film! With Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen has crafted one of his greatest films in recent memory, as he creates a love-letter to the city of Paris and all the emotions that a great city evokes in those who walk its streets. Not only does the film feature Owen Wilson in one of the best roles of his career, a fantastic supporting cast delights at every turn. Midnight in Paris is a must-see!

#6 Another Earth

Here’s another film I didn’t catch until it hit Blu-Ray and was lucky enough to be sent a copy, but this time it has everything to do with the fact that it simply wasn’t given a theater count. Another Earth represents everything I appreciate and love to see in a film. Not only was it made from — quite literally — the ground-up, director Mike Cahill and writer-star Brit Marling created this film using the very little resources available to them, and made it possible. Not only is this film deeply emotional, but presents a very unique and fascinating sci-fi premise that will keep you thinking for weeks.

#5 Hanna

Talk about an electrifying movie! Hanna marks Joe Wright’s fourth directorial effort, each of which have been quite different, yet all of which have some truly great things to offer. With Hanna, Wright takes a stab at the “action” film, but puts a very unique and exciting spin on the genre. Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, and Tom Hollander are all terrific, as Wright cleverly directs action with an energy unmatched in 2011.

#4 50/50

50/50 is a remarkable film in the way it balances comedy with devastating drama. Here’s a bit of my review:

50/50 is an affecting film that perfectly balances and tightropes the line between comedy and drama, with a cast of characters written with humanity and honesty. With an excellent script, performances, and unique direction that works around Gordon-Levitt’s fantastic performance, which, along with Will Reiser’s screenplay, is oscar-worthy.

#3 Shame

Shame is an absolutely devastating character study, featuring two fantastic performances from Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. From my review:

Shame is an uncomfortably accurate portrayal of addiction, featuring two of the most complex and emotionally stirring performances in recent memory, that demand serious Oscar attention, regardless of the controversial NC-17 rating. This is a truly devastating and soul-wrenching film which, if one can stomach it, transcends this complex and paranoid world.

#2 Drive

Drive is a film brimming with life and style, thanks in large part to terrific direction from Nicolas Winding Refn. From my review:

Drive is a rarity in cinema. It’s a no-holds barred, shocking, adrenaline filled ride. The film is brimming with its own unique style of slow, brooding noir with splashes of brutal violence that with each additional scene becomes increasingly unsettling….Drive is pure cinema and impeccably created entertainment. No, it is not your average action movie, because it goes against the Hollywood grain. Perhaps it is channeling past classic films or styles, but really it is something entirely new.

#1 The Descendants

The Descendants is a film that has grown on me a lot over the past two months. It is unusual in that while the emotional beats of the film are so well balanced and presented, there are some unpolished aspects of the film as well. But what I’ve come to appreciate the most in this film is how much it speaks about humanity. Yes, this film offers some of the best in both comedy and drama from 2011; yes, this film features not one, but two Oscar-worthy performances from George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. But what is most important is that director Alexander Payne has found humanity and life within the film that shines brightest of all.

There you have it. As Hypable’s own Jimmy Bean put it, 2011 has been a year chock full of good movies, but lacking many great ones. As we look ahead at what’s to come in 2012, let us know what YOUR favorite films from 2011 are in the comments.