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It’s a week of post-Oscars articles and so why not one more? Although many deride the Oscars for including “artsy” and “obscure” picks I must say that I disagree. In fact, there are many films that sort of went under the radar last year which deserve more attention and recognition. Thus, I am here to enlighten you!

1. Take Shelter (2011) – Take Shelter stars Michael Shannon in a very tense role as a blue-collar father living in a small Ohio town. He begins to have disturbing dreams and vivid hallucinations that begin taking a toll on his work and personal life. His wife (Jessica Chastain) is at a loss when he begins building a tornado shelter in the backyard and worries for her young, deaf child. Shannon delivers a stunning performance and it is a wonder how he didn’t receive a Best Actor nod.

2. Senna (2010) – Senna is a documentary about Ayrton Senna, a famous Formula One racer who died untimely at the age of 34. The story involves his life on the track and off. When last I checked, this powerful documentary was streaming on Netflix!

3. Warrior (2011) – Stars Tom Hardy as Tommy Conlon, an ex-marine who is rising rapidly in the MMA ranks. His troubled past emerges as he prepares to face his brother (Joel Edgerton) in a showdown. An unusually fine take on the fighting genre.

4. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) – Tilda Swinton gives an Oscar worthy performance in a masterful blend of horror and drama. Her son Kevin is going further down a frightening path of viciousness, leaving Swinton in fear and her husband (John C. Reilley) somehow oblivious.

5. Shame (2011) – Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a sex addict who is living out his addiction in his New York City abode quite comfortably until his sister (Carey Mulligan) arrives unexpectedly for an indefinite stay. Fassbender gives another performance which was strangely unappreciated come Oscar time.

6. Carnage (2011) – Roman Polanski directed this amusing drama between two sets of parents (John C. Reilley, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet) who hold meetings after their sons are involved in a fight. As the meeting wears on, they begin to behave quite like children themselves.

7. A Dangerous Method (2011) – An unusual film for David Cronenberg, which stars Fassbender (again), Keira Knightly and Viggo Mortenson. The film follows Sigmund Freud (Mortenson) and Carl Jung’s (Fassbender) relationship and the birth of psychoanalysis. Knightly plays Sabina Spielrein, one of the first female psychoanalysts.

Any films from last year that you think deserve to be checked out?