Category Archives: Best of the Year

First the performances. Then the highlights. Now… the films.

My Favorite Films of 2011

(in alphabetical order)

Beginners
In Mike Mills’s utterly charming, slightly autobiographical drama, Ewan McGregor plays a writer who – like many in this world – have relationship issues. He has a tough time committing with a woman. He’s kind of estranged from his father. He doesn’t have many friends. His best friend, in fact, is a dog. But when his father comes out of the closet and becomes ill, McGregor’s life snaps into focus. Warm performances and a fantastic script help make Beginners an incredibly funny and moving experience.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Amid polarizing buzz, I did not know what to expect from this drama when I sat down to watch it during one hot summer night. The lack of expectations allowed me to open my mind and embrace the film for what it really was: a parable about loss, mourning and acceptance. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a six-hankie tearjerker and unabashedly so; it’s also a gorgeously life-affirming one, a movie that clings so hard to hope. It’s a miracle this even worked at all. Under the wrong hands, this could have turned into a Patch Adams or a Simon Birch. But director Stephen Daldry and writer Eric Roth walked some very fine lines and achieved a thing of genuine beauty.

Hanna
In this fantastic thriller from Joe Wright, Saoirse Ronan plays a teenage girl who was raised by her father (Eric Bana) to become a ruthless killer. She’s completely isolated from society and her focus is razor-sharp and quick-witted. You would never want to cross her path. When Hanna is let loose, the film makes some charming observations on how a teenage girl processes modern-day culture. Part action thriller, part fish-out-of-water commentary, part father-daughter drama, and all parts awesome and thrilling, Hanna is an achievement in style and substance. A great ride.

Margin Call
Wall Street jargon tends to confuse me. All of this recession-speak makes my head spin. Margin Call, a corporate thriller about key strategists at an investment bank who make life-changing discoveries and decisions in a 24-hour period, made me feel like a smart person. I knew exactly what was happening; I understood the crisis, the dilemma, the stakes. JC Chandler’s script – which was nominated for an Oscar – was sparse, tight and utterly absorbing. And wow, what a cast! So good to see Kevin Spacey in a juicy role again. And Irons, Tucci, Bettany, Moore – incredible work from all of them.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Brian DePalma’s 1996 Mission: Impossible is one of my favorite movies. It’s one of the rare summer blockbusters that holds up well after repeated viewings. After the two lackluster sequels (III was pretty good, II was not), I had all but considered the franchise on its last legs. Boy, was I wrong! Ghost Protocol is the most fun movie-going experience I’ve had all year. Brad Bird’s fanciful direction, the delightfully clever set pieces, the familiar and rousing score, and an extraordinarily charismatic Tom Cruise at the top of his game — it all works. The surprise cameos and incredibly game supporting cast more than make up for the film’s sole weakness: an unmemorable villain. Still, it’s a huge adrenaline rush, just what the franchise — and the viewer — needed.

A Separation
An exquisite, crushing little film. A Separation is an intimate drama about a working stiff who is in over his head with his father’s illness, a demanding job, a conflicted daughter, a house helper he cannot trust, and a wife who wants to move away. He is forced to make choices that will affect his family’s entire future. Payman Maadi delivers a masterful performance in Asghar Farhadi’s deeply resonant film from Iran. My heart breaks for this family.

Source Code
You know me, I’m a sucker for time travel. But Source Code isn’t exactly time travel; the filmmakers like to call it “time displacement.” Hey, call it whatever you like; this stuff is right up my alley. The film involves our hero (the always great Jake Gyllenhaal) who helps the government catch a terrorist by “re-living” moments just before the previous terror attack. He’s not actually going back to stop the attack, but to gather information in order to prevent the killer from doing it again. Source Code is very tricky in its way of spelling out the narrative but it absolutely works. It’s a challenging film but hugely entertaining and very rewarding. Shout out must go to the lovely Vera Farmiga as a communications analyst who helps our hero save the world. After Moon and this one, director Duncan Jones has become a filmmaker you can get excited about.

Take Shelter
Michael Shannon, character actor extraordinaire, gives one of his very best performances as a working family man who lives a peaceful, respectful life. Until, that is, he is inflicted with the harrowing symptoms of a paranoid schizophrenic. First he is ashamed and hides it from his family and coworkers. But then he becomes frightened. Jessica Chastain, who had a marvelous year, is aces as his conflicted wife. Some folks were put off by the tricky ending but it made absolute sense to me. (The way I see it, it is not to be taken literally.) It’s a daring film, beautifully executed by relative newcomer Jeff Nichols.

The Trip
Michael Winterbottom’s improvisational The Trip is not just the funniest film of the year. It also happens to be a deeply moving travelogue in which two long-time friends reflect on life and its joys and miseries. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play variations of themselves as they eat and talk in one glorious location after another. Winterbottom originally filmed The Trip as a 6-part miniseries but whittled it down to a hilarious and heartfelt two-hour feature. It works like gangbusters. “Gentlemen, to bed! For we rise at daybreak… Or 8:30… ish.”

We Need To Talk About Kevin
The best film I’ve seen all year. It’s not exactly a title I’m eager to sit through time and time again, but We Need to Talk About Kevin is a film that truly shook me to my core. Harrowing is not a strong enough word. Tilda Swinton gave the best performance of anyone I’ve seen in 2011. She plays a mother who never really wanted a child. Eva was a free spirit and the new baby ended that lifestyle sooner than she had hoped. She resented the kid but after a while, she turned it around. She fell in love with her son and wanted to make the best of it. But unfortunately it was too late. The kid saw right through her. Kevin was a boy who never had his mother’s genuine love. Needless to say, that f’ed him up good. We Need to Talk About Kevin is less about what Kevin actually does in the film and more about Eva and her guilt. Either way, it’s a thrilling piece of filmmaking.

Honorary Mention

The Adjustment Bureau; The Adventures of Tintin; Being Elmo; Cedar Rapids; Drive; 50/50; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2; The Help; Higher Ground; Martha Marcy May Marlene; Moneyball; The Myth of the American Sleepover; Paul; Rampart; Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Shame; Warrior; Weekend; Win Win; Winnie the Pooh; Young Adult

What an awesome year in movies. Now, these are the titles I grew up with. They molded me into the film lover that I am today. I was 14 years old when these films came out, and I saw most of these in theaters. I also wore out my VHS copies of some of these titles as well. There are a lot of honorable mentions that almost made the “final cut” but this master list is already so stuffed with greatness.

My Picks of the Year

(in alphabetical order)

Barton Fink
One of the first Coen brothers movies I have seen, and one of the best. I was completely drawn into the absurdity of this delightfully dark and kooky tale about a writer who holes himself inside of a seedy hotel in an effort to hammer out a wrestling movie. What drew me to the film in the first place was John Goodman, who was making me laugh every week on Roseanne at the time. But what I got out of it was a glorious introduction to the electric filmmaking style of Joel and Ethan Coen.

Boyz N The Hood
John Singleton’s visceral drama disturbed me tremendously when I was a teenager. I’m not black and I didn’t grow up in the ghetto, so it’s not like the film was anything like my life while growing up. But I felt tremendous compassion for these guys. Tre, Ricky and Doughboy were real kids with bright futures who lived lives where the threat of danger lurked at every street corner. Only Tre’s father (played brilliantly by Laurence Fishburne) actively attempts to keep his son on the path of righteousness. It’s a sobering look of a society overrun by violence.

Dead Again
Kenneth Branagh has made some really great films in his career and Dead Again is arguably his moodiest, atmospheric best. In this crackling murder-mystery, Branagh is a private detective on the case of a woman who suffers from amnesia (the great Emma Thompson). Under hypnosis, the truth about both of their past lives begin to haunt them. Andy Garcia, Campbell Scott and Derek Jacobi are terrific in crucial supporting roles.

Defending Your Life
A sweet, almost perfect comedy about a man (Albert Brooks) who gets hit by a bus and dies. Should he go to heaven, or go back to Earth and start over again as a new life form? Well, that’s up to the judges to decide. Brooks wrote and directed this charming fantasy that features typically hilarious Brooks humor (“My god, my three percent is swimming!”) and also stars Meryl Streep, Rip Torn and Buck Henry in great supporting roles. Three words: Past Lives Pavillion.

Dutch
Ignored by audiences and a critical misfire, Dutch is a highly underrated road comedy that features some strong work from Ed O’Neill and Ethan Randall (who now goes by Ethan Embry). I personally think it’s one of John Hughes’s better films. It’s predictable, surely, but it’s funny, heartfelt and truthful. They went through a lot of hate before they found love.

Father of the Bride
Now that I have a daughter of my own, this film tugs the heart-strings a little bit more. This is a lightweight, loose comedy with an affecting performance from Steve Martin as a man who has to let go of his daughter on her wedding day. Even when I was younger, I got choked up by the prospect that my future, unborn kids would eventually leave the house and start lives of their own. Father of the Bride deals with these events with gentle humor and a warm spirit.

Grand Canyon
The best film of 1991, Grand Canyon is an ambitious, sprawling character piece from Lawrence Kasdan. Among other things, it’s about making connections in the most unlikeliest of places. One of the film’s biggest arcs has Kevin Kline, a Kasdan regular for many, many years, playing a wealthy accountant who winds up in the wrong side of town and befriends Danny Glover, a tow truck driver. The bond they share is something we rarely witness in movies – a deep, platonic connection that stirs the soul. One can argue that Grand Canyon serves as the inspiration for the ’99 masterpiece Magnolia and the ’04 Best Picture winner Crash.

JFK
A feverish, hyper-real conspiracy thriller that is easily my favorite Oliver Stone experience. I’m not a Stone fan by any means. Hated most of his other works, as a matter of fact. But this one struck a chord with me and really got into the nitty-gritty of the biggest political conspiracy we’ve ever witnessed. JFK features some thoroughly convincing portrayals of all of the players connected to the Kennedy assassination and alleged cover-up. So did Oswald act alone? I think he did, but Stone sure made one hell of a showy and entertaining film arguing otherwise.

The Last Boy Scout
The phenomenal script from Shane Black elevates this fun, funny and thrilling picture that stands to be one of Bruce Willis’s best movies in the high-octane action genre. Joe Hallenbeck ain’t John McClane, but he’s almost as cool. No one plays fallen heroes better than Willis. He’s joined by the always funny Damon Wayans, who teams up with Willis to solve a murder involving football and politics. One of Tony Scott’s most underappreciated gems.

Necessary Roughness
Another one of the many comedies this year that just never failed to make me laugh. Even to this very day, when this film shows up on cable, I leave it on and watch it all the way through. Scott Bakula plays a former football great who is asked to return to the field to play for the troubled Texas State Armadillos. He’s teamed up with a female place kicker (the luminous Kathy Ireland) and a band of misfits headed by coaches Hector Elizondo and Robert Loggia. It’s a clean, fun, good-hearted comedy that holds up very, very well after 20 years of repeated viewings.

Regarding Henry
J.J. Abrams wrote this deeply affecting and emotional soap opera that is deftly handled by the great director Mike Nichols. Harrison Ford, in a superb, underrated performance, plays an arrogant lawyer who is shot in the head by a random act of violence. During recovery, Ford learns how to be a nice guy. Thankfully, Nichols prevented the film from careening off to high saccharine levels. Regarding Henry is a feel-good TV movie elevated to high-quality soap.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Admittedly, the parts are better than the whole. This popular, rousing action picture features many great set pieces, a delicious villainous turn by Alan Rickman as Nottingham (“You. My room. 10:30 tonight…. and you, 10:45. Bring a friend.”), a fabulous all-star cast (including an awesome surprise cameo), and some really funny bits of dialogue (“Fine. You talk, I’ll drink!”). However, as a whole, the film is overlong and doesn’t make much sense. But I’ll be damned if it’s not fun!

The Silence of the Lambs
Believe it or not, but I was bored to tears when I saw The Silence of the Lambs in theaters. After giving it a second chance many years later, I recognized its subtlety and brilliant craftsmanship. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster were equals in generating masterful performances as a monster and the agent who must trust him. I love second chances!

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The best science-fiction thriller of the 90′s, bar none. James Cameron broke so much ground using his digital wizardry that showcased some of the finest action sequences I have ever seen. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Terminator, one of the most iconic roles in cinematic history, and this time around he’s the good guy. He must protect John Connor (Edward Furlong) from the T-1000, a dangerous cyborg who stops at nothing to make sure Connor is dead. This is movie magic.

29th Street
When Frank Pesce won the first New York Lottery jackpot in 1976, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. For Pesce, it was bad luck disguised as good luck, which is a curse he’s been battling with all of his life. George Gallo directed this sharp, funny and disarmingly sweet true story about luck and family. Anthony LaPaglia plays Pesce, and Danny Aiello (in a pitch perfect performance) is his father. The real-life Pesce plays his own brother, Vito. 29th Street is underrated and underappreciated in every possible way.

Honorable Mention

At Play in the Fields of the Lord; Bugsy; Crooked Hearts; Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare; The Man in the Moon; Mortal Thoughts; The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear; Point Break; Proof; Soapdish; Toy Soldiers; Truly Madly Deeply; What About Bob

And then there were 10.

At this point in the “Best of the Year” series on Flickers, I’m down to 10 remaining years to be covered. Since I’m trying to limit these lists to once or twice a month, I hope to be done by this summer. One year left in the 80′s, 4 in the 90′s, and 4 in the ‘aughts. Then to top it all off, I’ll finally be ready to send out 2011.  It’s been a fun ride, and I appreciate everyone’s comments. It’s a great way to gauge the taste of my readers, in addition for them to get a read on what I’m all about. If you want to look back, check the new tabs at the top of the blog. These “Best of the Year” posts list all of my yearly round-ups.

You’ll notice I don’t do Top 10s. I hate limiting myself to 10 films. If I see 11 great films in a year, why should I have to leave one of them out? There’s no point to it, really. And I like to list them alphabetically because I can’t bear to say that title #4 is somehow better than title #5. Yes, some films are better than others, but if they are on these lists, then they are all great in my eyes and all worthy of my attention and yours.

And now, 1988. What a trip down memory lane. I was so young, so impressionable. Granted, some of this stuff wasn’t seen by me until I was a little bit older (I was 11 when this year rolled around), but this is what I grew up with. Most of the titles on this list partially molded me into the film connoisseur that I am today.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

My Picks of the Year
(listed alphabetically)

Beetlejuice
A highly rewatchable, imminently quotable Tim Burton masterpiece, this comedy/horror flick features great sets, a fantastic Michael Keaton, and awesome creatures. It’s the quintessential Burton film because it masterfully combines all his great comedic and horrific imaginations into one wacky ride. Honestly, Burton hasn’t since done anything remotely as memorable as this one.

Big
“I just wanna be big.” How universal is this request? Just about every child wished he/she could be big, and Penny Marshall made one kid’s dream come true with hilarious and touching results. Tom Hanks, in one of his best performances, is exactly what he’s supposed to be — a big, lonely kid. Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Perkins and Jared Rushton (as Billy) lend strong, sensitive support. How could one not love this movie?

Coming to America
Eddie Murphy continued his hot 80′s streak with this romantic farce that boasts some hilarious riffs on cross-cultural mating habits. Arsenio Hall garnered a lot of laughs as Murphy’s best friend, and together, they are a comic duo sorely missed this day and age. Whenever this is on television – and it’s frequently - I never change the channel.

Die Hard
Not only was this movie a trendsetter in Hollywood (i.e. “Die Hard on a Bus”), but it also gave us Bruce Willis, the unshowiest, most unpretentious movie star in the business. He is one of the most chameleonic film legends of our generation, and every few years, he amazingly reinvents himself. It all started with Die Hard, a rock ‘em, sock ‘em, violent, bloody thriller. Alan Rickman memorably plays Hans Gruber, one of the best villains in the history of cinema. “Welcome to the party,” indeed.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Steve Martin, in his funniest-ever performance, plays Freddy, a con man who falls for the lovely Glenne Headley. Unfortunately, he has to fight for her with fellow con man Lawrence, played with equal menace and humor by Michael Caine. The scenes with Martin in the wheelchair evoke tears of laughter during each uproarious viewing.

Everybody’s All-American
Dennis Quaid is in top form in this sports/soap opera drama from the usually reliable director Taylor Hackford. Quaid is the young star quarterback who falls hard for Jessica Lange. Over the years, we watch their marriage grow, and then dissipate as he nears retirement. The story is epic in feel and scope, yet it’s the intimacy of its characters that makes it so winning.

A Fish Called Wanda
“Sing it, Ken! Sing it!” How can you forget the image of Kevin Kline shouting impatiently at a stuttering Michael Palin, trying, just trying, to reveal the name of the airport? This is a dark, dark comedy; so ruthless, so sexy, and so cunning. Kline deserved his Oscar as Otto, an insufferable louse, and I particularly enjoyed a memorably bosomed Jamie Lee Curtis as the title role. In a year filled with many great comedies, this one produces the hardest, deepest laughs.

Frantic
Harrison Ford in a serious French thriller? Yes. And it works! Roman Polanski directed Ford in his riskiest project since Blade Runner, and they create a very moody, low-key mystery in which Ford, an American doctor visiting France with his wife, watches his life turn upside down as the Mrs. suddenly vanishes. The good doctor discovers his dark side as he so desperately looks for answers. A few months later, Ford smartly counters this performance with a much lighter role in what turns out to be my favorite film of this year.

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka
“He started getting into drugs and stuff….and then he….he started wearing gold chains, Jack!” “Oh, God, No!” A hilarious blaxploitation satire from Keenan Ivory Wayans, this is a smart, dumb film. Not everything works here, but when things click, big laughs are produced. Wayans and his great cast of veterans of the genre do great work here, delivering tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek dialogue from Wayans’ own script.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Lt. Frank Drebin could very easily be one of the funniest movie characters ever created. Embodied by Leslie Neilsen, his facial expressions, mannerisms, slow-burn reactions, and never-quit attitude encapsulate the tone for the Zucker brand of comedy. The pacing is a little off, as are all of the Zucker comedies, but the laughs and smiles here are still non-stop.

Running on Empty
The year’s most riveting drama, by Sidney Lumet, features a career-topping performance by the late, great River Phoenix. Christine Lahti and Judd Hirsch are especially good too, as Phoenix’s parents who have been on the run from the FBI since they bombed a lab during the war. When is it time to stop running? When is it time to let go? Powerful, engrossing stuff.

Scrooged
One of the more underappreciated films of the 80′s. Bill Murray is perfectly cast as a modern day scrooge in Richard Donner’s fairly faithful adaptation of A Christmas Carol. With Murray attached, it was expected to be riotously funny, but it’s not. It’s a pretty dark film, but it can also lift you right up; you’ll be singing along with the cast and crew by the time the credits roll and long afterward. Come on. Put a little love in your heart, baby!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Robert Zemeckis is a genius, and I don’t care what anyone else says. His endless talent as a true filmmaker shines through as this “gimmick” turns into a cartoon/live-action dramedy with a big, big heart. Roger Rabbit is just as real and three-dimensional as Christopher Lloyd’s live-action (or is he?) Judge Doom, Kathleen Turner’s sultry Jessica Rabbit (“I’m not bad. I was just drawn that way.”) and Bob Hoskins’ gruff, lovable dick. Clever, seamless, ahead of its time and downright brilliant.

Working Girl
Mike Nichols has fashioned a robust, quirky, feel-good rags-to-riches story that has Melanie Griffith delivering her career’s most memorable performance as a working girl climbing, not sleeping, her way to the top. Smart casting in Sigourney Weaver, sublime as her ruthless boss, Joan Cusack as her amusing best friend, Alec Baldwin as her scoundrel of a boyfriend and Harrison Ford, in a humorous, light-as-a-feather supporting role (although top-billed) as Griffith’s love interest. Carly Simon’s Oscar-winning song gives the film an extra kick, and upon each viewing, your mood just soars when Tess McGill finally gets her due. No movie in 1988 makes me feel as good as this one.

Honorable Mentions
Dominick and Eugene; Funny Farm; Gorillas in the Mist; License to Drive; Midnight Run; Mississippi Burning; Poltergeist 3; Pulse; Rain Man

My Picks of the Year
(in alphabetical order)

Death Becomes Her
Filmmaking genius Robert Zemeckis crafted this dark comedy about two feuding best friends (Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn) and the loser who came between them (Bruce Willis, brilliantly cast). The story takes a few awkward turns, but still, the film looks great, the effects are generous and ingenious, and the high wattage cast is terrific fun to watch. Zemeckis pulls it off once and again.

A Few Good Men
A lean, scenery-chewer of a courtroom drama. Nicholson and Cruise, an imaginative pairing if there ever was one, create vivid characters who square off spectacularly in the memorable final scenes. The supporting cast of pros, including Bacon, Pollak, Sutherland, Moore, and the late, great Walsh, help alleviate the tension and guide us through Aaron Sorkin’s tightly polished screenplay. This is a fantastic movie, are we clear?

Glengarry Glen Ross
Who knew dialogue could be so powerful? David Mamet wrote this blistering, sobering account about the dog-eat-dog world of insurance salesmen. It may not sound thrilling as an idea, but this film has more chills, suspense and excitement than any Hollywood blockbuster. The script may be remarkable, but it is the actors that make this one compulsively watchable. Lemmon, Spacey, Harris, Pacino, Arkin, Baldwin and Pryce. That’s a lineup every director dreams of and James Foley lets them work their magic in every scene. Anyone who appreciates the power of the written word and the nuance of an actor’s delivery must seek out this film. A masterpiece of the highest order.

Hoffa
Jack Nicholson doesn’t usually do biopics. Every character he portrays is his own (he even made the Joker look like an original creation). Well, now, he took a popular political figure and made Jimmy Hoffa his own; his performance is exciting and moving. Danny DeVito, an amazing director with great visual style, shows his usual panache behind the camera and in front of it — and he’s not afraid to tell us who Hoffa was and how he disappeared. It’s a thrilling picture, masterfully executed.

Jennifer 8
Andy Garcia, the king of smoldering sexy actors, stars here as a cop who falls in love with a potential next victim of a twisted serial killer. Uma Thurman is the frightened blind woman, and John Malkovich, crackling here, is the investigator who fingers Garcia as a likely suspect. Jennifer 8 is a moody, well-scripted, tight thriller, enormously entertaining.

Leap of Faith
Steve Martin is a force to be reckoned with in this sweet, old-fashioned comedy-drama about a small town racked with problems. Martin is the evangelist who sweeps in, praises the Lord Almighty, pretends God is listening, and tells everyone that all is going to be OK. There’s no question that Martin is conning everyone, but also, there’s no doubt he’s making everyone feel alive again. Leap of Faith is by no means a great film and it doesn’t have a very original storyline, but it’s got spunk, is highly engaging and features a rousing performance by one of the funniest men alive.

A Midnight Clear
A genuine indie discovery. This is a quietly powerful war drama in which a few soldiers, German and American, share a bond on Christmas during WWII, before both sides are forced to fight one another to the death. Keith Gordon directed an awesome young cast, which includes Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Gary Sinise, John C. McGinley, Ethan Hawke, and Frank Whaley. It’s truly a unique situation, and this war film stands out among others because it effectively captures the fear and confusion of battle. Beautifully done!

Noises Off!
This could very well be one of the funniest films of all time. There are more laughs in this film than in the entire Zucker/Abrams/Zucker amalgam, and this one’s got a surefire cast and a great cynical undertone. Michael Caine leads the pack as an exhausted director who can’t seem to get his wacky cast together in time for their nonsensical play’s opening performance. The late John Ritter, in one of his best roles, appears alongside Christopher Reeve, Julie Hagerty, Mark Linn-Baker, and Carol Burnett, forming a witty, delightful, rambunctious ensemble.

Of Mice and Men
My first discovery of the brilliant acting skills of John Malkovich. I saw this film as we were reading the famous novel by John Steinbeck for class in high school, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Malkovich is Lenny, and Sinise is his cousin. The relationship is not unlike that of Raymond Babbitt and his brother from Rain Man; their bond is strong and true, despite one of their mental handicaps. It’s a quiet, lovely masterpiece.

Radio Flyer
Richard Donner, one of the better directors of the 80′s and early 90′s, created a shamefully underrated fantasy about two brothers who find a magical way to escape their abusive father. Some couldn’t see it as a children’s film, some couldn’t see it as an adult drama, but for those who are looking for a little bit of both will find that this is a very strong, sensitively acted piece of work. Elijah Wood (the best child actor of his time), Joseph Mazzello, Lorraine Bracco, and Tom Hanks make a beautiful ensemble, and it’s a crying shame the movie got blasted the way it did. It deserves so much more.

Red Rock West
Film noir is back, thanks to John Dahl and his superb craftsmanship. Nicolas Cage, in fine form, is a drifter who gets caught in a nasty mess as he swings by a small town in the middle of the desert. After a case of mistaken identity, things go severely wrong and the twists pile up. The cast is awesome, from Lara Flynn Boyle (before she got flaky) to Dennis Hopper to the late, great J.T. Walsh. Cool shit.

Sneakers
The only thing wrong with this film is the pacing – it feels overlong. But what would I cut from this supremely clever film? I wouldn’t want to take any screen time away from the amazing cast, especially from Sidney Poitier (adding much class), River Phoenix (a touch of edginess), Dan Aykroyd (heavy doses of humor), Mary McDonnell (some sexiness), David Strathairn (sophisticated wit), Ben Kingsley (just the right amount of menace) and Robert Redford (the truly dashing anchor). The script is hysterical as it is wild. I’d say leave it as it is and savor every nifty minute of it.

Honorable Mentions
Basic Instinct; Far and Away; Hero; A League of Their Own; El Mariachi; Memoirs of an Invisible Man; My Cousin Vinny; Prelude to a Kiss; Raising Cain; Strictly Ballroom

My Picks of the Year
(in alphabetical order)

Almost Famous
Almost Famous is a nostalgic road journey that hits all of the right notes. Patrick Fugit plays William Miller, a young lover of music who immerses himself in the industry of indulgence and free-spiritedness. Fugit generates a genuine sweetness and blends in nicely with the rest of the strong, prolific cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup and Jason Lee. Frances McDormand is the best supporting actress of this year (combined with her other great role in Wonder Boys); never have I seen an actress so flawlessly capture a mother’s tough love.

Cast Away
Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis’ second collaborative effort is a graceful, thoughtful film, a meditative, psychological journey into the mind of a man who is stripped of everything he ever owned. Broken down into three consistently amazing sequences, this film excels in the finale, where Hanks appears at the crossroads of life, a place where the future remains uncertain. Loaded with beautiful imagery, extraordinary acting (is there anyone alive better than Hanks?), and understated dialogue, Cast Away is one of Zemeckis’ best films.

Chuck & Buck
What starts out as a creepy, spider-tingling obsession flick turns into something of a revelation: a sweet, thoroughly moving drama about a man and his dark shadow. It was a stroke of genius to cast lesser-known actors (Lupe Ontiveros, Mike White and the Weitz brothers are natural born actors; the screen loves them). Chuck & Buck is a very daring film that so easily could have been appalling and dangerous. But it fell into the right hands and it’s a film that can be universally embraced.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Greatness usually comes in quiet and surprising ways for me, but this one is an exception. Ang Lee’s masterpiece comes forward in a fabulously extravagant way, stridently and assuredly entertaining the viewer with the best of tongue-in-cheek humor, exquisite romance, and mind-blowing action sequences. What makes this one, without a doubt, the most graceful action film I have ever seen, is the emotional resonance that vibrates throughout its entire backbone. This film cares about its characters as well as its audience, and that’s the balancing act found impossible by today’s standards in Hollywood. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon so gallantly recycles the best of movie-making and makes it fresh.

Final Destination
A genuinely clever and way-above-par teenage horror flick, one without a man with a left hook, razor-sharp fingers, or a Munch mask. Fate truly is the nastiest villain of them all. It doesn’t get scarier than facing an unknown, unstoppable life force. Final Destination left me laughing and cringing all at once, and that last shot had me gleefully walking out of the theater.

Frequency
This is a corny, melodramatic time-travel thriller about a son in the present day who communicates with his father… in 1969. And yet, I loved it anyway. This great story, terrifically involving and twisty, is filmed with stylish camera work and undeniable charm by its two leads, the inimitable Dennis Quaid (looking good as always) and the fine Jim Caviezel. Frequency stuck with me for awhile, not only because of its nifty premise, but also of its sheer sweet ol’American spirit.

The Legend of Drunken Master
Without a doubt, this is Jackie Chan’s best picture, one of the most fun, daring, thrilling action pictures I have ever seen. Chan’s facial expressions and comedic delivery have seriously never been better, and do I have to mention his stunt work? Usually, for this kind of picture, the plot is contrived and mechanical, and the characters are one-note and difficult to tell apart. What makes The Legend of Drunken Master really work is the clarity of the characters and story; from the get-go, we understand who’s who and what’s going on. The supporting cast is brilliantly refined and comedically gifted. This is a masterpiece of its genre.

Love & Basketball
Put together a love story in a sports setting, a predominantly African-American cast, and no big game in the finale — what do you get? Love & Basketball, a truly tender, fresh, emotional tale that treats all characters (and the audience) with respect and dignity. Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan (a star in the making) are exquisite as childhood friends-turned-lovers, with Alfre Woodard and Debbi Morgan standing out in a great, accomplished cast. Chalk this one up as a sleeper hit.

Nurse Betty
What a surprising little comedy! At every turn, with every twist, Neil LaBute manages to stray from the conventional and aim for something new. Renee Zellweger, justly earning the Golden Globe for her role as Betty Sizemore, is a breath of fresh air as an innocent, naive housewife who goes a little too far in her obsession for a soap opera character (played with finesse by Greg Kinnear). The terrific Allison Janney, Chris Rock, acerbic as ever, the never tiresome Pruitt Taylor Vince, the always wacky Crispin Glover, and the forever brilliant Morgan Freeman all play characters who, in one way or another, are after Betty. And of course, it is Betty who is after our hearts.

Requiem for a Dream
It doesn’t happen often. I’ll sit through a film in a movie theater that will make me forget about everything going on in my life. Not once will I check my watch or be distracted by audience members or take a bathroom trip. Requiem for a Dream took me in for 100 minutes, deep into its psyche, and spitted me out very shaken and very disturbed. It’s a harrowing experience, an absorbing trip into four minds spiralling out of control. Ellen Burstyn truly gets into her character, and creates a realistic, sympathetic addict. It’s an amazing performance. The rest of the cast more than hold their own in lesser developed stories, but combined, as a whole, this group of lost souls captures the true essence of helplessness. A masterpiece in sound, cinematography and editing.

Spring Forward
A very interesting experiment. In just seven scenes, for 100 minutes, we watch Ned Beatty and Liev Schrieber build a friendship in the span of one year. This conversational piece is a beautiful exercise in acting, and both stars embody these characters quite realistically. A very quiet film, like watching nature bloom and seasons change (hence the title), Spring Forward has surprising resonance.

Two Family House
There is so little that is wrong with this film. It’s nearly perfect. The biggest heart of any movie I’ve seen in years, Two Family House is the story of an Italian-American working class husband, circa 1958, whose dreams have been put down by his old-fashioned but well-meaning wife. When he meets a lonely pregnant woman, the man begins to see that his dreams can still be attainable without losing his dignity. Michael Rispoli delivers a career performance as Buddy Visaro, a singer extraordinaire and future bar owner. It’s a rich, beautiful portrait, one that will be impossible to forget. This kind of picture is precisely the reason I went to school to study movies.

Unbreakable
A perfectly moody comic book adventure that contains elements of serious drama and flights of fantasy. Bruce Willis adds more class to his resume as David Dunn, a seriously disturbed husband and father. The pacing is just right, and the absorbing story unfolds beautifully. I thought the final twist played out too jarringly, but the idea of it resonates strongly and makes Unbreakable as solid and wondrous as they come.

Wonder Boys
Quite possibly my favorite film of the year. Steve Kloves’s script deserves all kudos for his creation of refreshing dialogue, memorable characters, and a terrifically rambling story of an aging professor who finds himself at a crossroads in life. As he makes his life-altering decisions on one fateful weekend, all sorts of colorful, yet realistic, individuals attribute to his journey, including his daffy book editor (Robert Downey, Jr), his depressed but brilliant student (Tobey Maguire), his intelligent live-in admirer (Katie Holmes), and his married, yet loyal, girlfriend (Frances McDormand). Every actor who embodies these characters each deserve rich acclaim, and Michael Douglas, as our irascible, lovable hero, takes the top prize.

You Can Count on Me
This is a quiet, truly sincere drama about domestic strife in a small town in upstate New York. Laura Linney deserves Oscar notice as a single mother who tries to juggle an outcast brother (a wonderful find in Mark Ruffalo), a precocious son (another Culkin, no less), and a prickly boss (a smartly cast Matthew Broderick). Nicely paced, sharply written, and beautifully acted, this one makes you appreciate the important people in your life.

Honorable Mention
The Beach; Bring it On; The Cell; Charlie’s Angels; Cheaters; Erin Brockovich; Men of Honor; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Patriot; Reindeer Games; Space Cowboys; Tigerland; Time Code; Together; U-571; The Yards

My Picks of the Year
(in alphabetical order)

Aliens
As much as I loved Ridley Scott’s masterful 1979 space thriller Alien, it was refreshing and cathartic to witness James Cameron’s thrill ride of a sequel. Aliens takes place 57 years after the events of the first film. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the alien attacks on the Nostromo, awakens from her half-century hypersleep to discover that the planet has been colonized by the very company she worked for. Ripley heads back to the planet with a group of tough space marines to uncover the truth about what happened to her crew, only to relive her old nightmare as she witnesses the aliens terrorize everyone all over again. Aliens is a remarkable achievement on many levels. It’s also one of the most frightening films I have ever seen.

Big Trouble in Little China
Kurt Russell reteams with his frequent collaborator John Carpenter (Escape from NY, The Thing, Elvis) with the hilariously goofball adventure-comedy, Big Trouble in Little China. Russell is Jack Burton, a trucker and a real man’s man who gets caught up in a truly bizarre plot involving kidnapping girls with green eyes, a 1000-year-old magician who seeks mortality, and a supernatural war underneath Chinatown. Russell is a blast, displaying his versatility as an action star who can most certainly bring on the funny. This is easily my favorite from the legendary Mr. Carpenter.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
One of the most immensely likable films of the 80′s, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is about a charming free spirit who skips school to embark on a trip with his best buddy Cameron (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara). Why? Well, because he can. Ferris Bueller gets away with everything, much to the chagrin of his sister (Jennifer Grey, so good here) and Principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones, natch). Ferris Bueller’s Day Off made Matthew Broderick a star and it’s so easy to see why. “Are you suggesting that I’m not who I say I am?”

The Mosquito Coast
In The Mosquito Coast, you will see Harrison Ford’s most underrated performance. He plays Allie Fox, a driven inventor whose contempt for western civilization compels him to move his family to Central America to begin anew. Peter Weir, who directed Ford in Witness in the previous year, films this drama with startling authenticity. River Phoenix (who would go on to play young Indiana Jones three years later), in a terrific performance, plays his son who resists his family’s sudden move. The story is a bit out there (he builds an ice machine in the middle of the jungle, for cryin’ out loud) but the acting showcases between Ford, Phoenix, Helen Mirren and Martha Plimpton make The Mosquito Coast a thrilling, insightful experience. Also noted as Ford’s own personal favorite.

Stand By Me
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. In adapting Stephen King’s popular short story, Rob Reiner nails the tone of Stand By Me, a tale of innocence lost when a quartet of young teens discover a body near the railroad tracks. River Phoenix (yet again), Wil Wheaton, Jerry O’Connell and Corey Feldman are perfectly cast as boys who become men. Adding a touch of class is Richard Dreyfuss narrating the film as a man who looks back with fondness and sorrow.

Three Amigos!
“Would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?” In Three Amigos!, one of the funniest movies of the decade, Lucky Day (Steve Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase) and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) are a band of unemployed silent film actors who travel to Mexico in the hopes of scoring a gig. When they discover a cruel gang terrorizing a small village, the actors need to put their bravery to the test. John Landis directs this endlessly quotable (“Are gringos falling from the sky?” “Yes, El Guapo!”) and sweet natured comedy that I still hope, to this day, gets a bona-fide sequel. “Sew very old one, sew like the wind!”

Honorable Mention
The Adventures of Milo and Otis; Armed and Dangerous; At Close Range; Children of a Lesser God; The Color of Money; Crocodile Dundee; A Fine Mess; Flight of the Navigator; Hoosiers; Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Lucas; River’s Edge; Top Gun

My Picks of the Year
(in alphabetical order)

Amelie
This gloriously busy and surprisingly intimate French romance works thanks to the star-making turn by Audrey Tautou. She is a cinematic delight, a beautiful, unforgettable face. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a masterful visionary; not unlike the Zucker brothers in the Airplane! days, he knows how to keep the frames busy. Virtually every shot is a treasure, and the story, while slight, is certainly a charmer.

Donnie Darko
This is one kinky, twisted little movie, and I mean that in the most refreshing way. Donnie Darko cannot fit into one genre; it contains elements of teenage angst, time travel, sexual perversity, domestic horror, and mental illness – sometimes all in one scene. Jake Gyllenhaal, a discovery if there was one, is highly effective as a passive-aggressive high school student who tries to make sense of his fate. The story is extremely unconventional – the script does not spoon-feed the audience – therefore creating a very unique, challenging film, filled with surprises and rewards.

Happy Accidents
I’m a sucker for time travel movies, the kind of mindbenders that deal with the past and alters the future, distorting the line of reality. Back to the Future trilogy was the best of the kind, of course. This one is disguised as an old-fashioned New York love story. Marisa Tomei shines brightly as a neurotic single woman sick of dating freaks. In comes Vincent D’Onofrio, who charms and woos Tomei out of her freak streak…until he reveals that he is a time traveler from the year 2430. Writer-director Brad Anderson assembled a brilliant script, loaded with mind-opening ideas and unabashed romanticism. Whether or not you’re a science-fiction fan, you’ll find D’Onofrio and his tales charming, convincing and extremely delightful.

In the Bedroom
Powerful and elegiac, ranking up there with The Sweet Hereafter and The Ice Storm, In the Bedroom is a drama of a family marred by a horrific tragedy. Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkenson and Marisa Tomei are equally devastating as a trio of loved ones who lost aspiring architect Nick Stahl. My favorite scene: Wilkenson and Spacek are verbally duking it out with one another (Wilkenson whispers, “You’re bitter, Ruth,” reverberating quite loudly), only to be interrupted by a little girl selling chocolates. It is a priceless scene in a wrenching film.

Joy Ride
One of the most goose-bumpiest thrillers in recent years, Joy Ride is a delicious nail-biter so well-crafted by master of contemporary noir director, John Dahl. Paul Walker and Leelee Sobieski do just fine as teenagers in peril chased by a menacing truck driver, but it’s Steve Zahn who all but steals the show as Walker’s jailbait brother. He delivers the laughs, as expected, but when he’s scared, we’re scared with him. Even better – we’re terrified.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
It’s the most visual, ambitious, adventurous film of the year. It is literally a great sprawling novel come to life, and it was done so confidently that is not only inspiring but it reminds us all just precisely why we love the movies so much. Great special effects aside, it proves to us that story comes first in all elements of moviemaking. The characters come alive through the course of the adventure, and in the superb extended version on DVD, they are fleshed out and as multi-dimensional as they come. Two more magnificent episodes followed, creating one of the greatest trilogies of all time.

Monsters, Inc
A truly exciting and adorable children’s film brought to life by lively colorful animation, charming voice performances by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, and energetic camera work and effects by Pixar. The final chase scene is as rousing as anything I’ve seen all year. This one ranks among the best of all works from Pixar.

Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is neither a film nor a movie — it’s an experience. Baz Luhrmann dazzles us by juggling a simple, old-fashioned love story (the reason it is cliched is because it works), wall-to-wall contemporary pop songs, a historical setting, breathless cutting and hyperkinetic camera work — and delivers a boldly original party mix. Take his exuberantly euphoric Strictly Ballroom and mesh it with his wacky, heart-thumping romance, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, and you’ll get an idea of what he’s capable of. Nicole Kidman has seriously never been better, but it’s Ewan McGregor who will floor you. An absolute blast.

Mulholland Drive
Confounding, yes, but this David Lynch masterpiece is an absorbing and fascinating piece of work. Every scene works on its own as a short film, and astonishingly enough, they are aesthetically and emotionally clear and beautiful. As a whole, does it matter? It’s actually pretty easy to follow all the way up to the final reel. Even then, it’s an eerie juxtaposition of images, sounds and feelings. And, hey, if it looks like a dream, and it sounds like a dream, then….

Ocean’s Eleven
Ultra-hip and incredibly smooth, this Steven Soderbergh caper is a rousing good time. Not only do all of the stars do brilliantly by looking hot and exuding charm, but the story is fun to follow and Soderbergh’s camera is a thrill to behold. One of the final shots in the film — with the fountain in the background and the silhouettes of our Rat Pack walking away – is pure cinematic pornography.

The Pledge
Jack Nicholson is really one of our greats. He delivers one of his all-time best performances as Jerry Black, a retired cop who thinks his last case on the job closed too easily. The story, refreshingly, is not about the ongoing murder mystery of the little girl in the red dress. This is a film about Jerry Black, a man who simply cannot let go. Sean Penn surehandedly directs this meandering, almost lyrical, drama that is peppered by a cast of greats, old and new. The standout is Aaron Eckhart, who provides an original spin to the cliched character of a cocky, arrogant, younger partner. The Pledge also featured a finale that kept me guessing, though I should have known that what happened was completely inevitable.

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
This stunning documentary is among the best of its kind; a thorough, revealing perspective on one of the most reclusive movie artists of our time. And that’s what so refreshing – Kubrick isn’t exactly a recluse; he’s a methodical, loving man with a deep appreciation for life, his family and film. His brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, made A Life in Pictures and with his inside look at the real Kubrick, the public can view this and admire not only the films but also the individual.

Vanilla Sky
Some loved it. Most hated it. I really admired this remake of the brilliant, near-perfect Spanish thriller, Open Your Eyes. Tom Cruise bares his soul in his best performance since his days from Born on the 4th of July and Rain Man. Cameron Crowe’s spin on the story, which involves the fusion of pop culture music and images, alternate realities, and true romance, is a Hollywood remake done well. Even if it does slightly pale in comparison with Alejandro Amenabar’s vision, which is darker, ambiguous, and much sexier (Penelope in her own tongue is how Penelope should be), Vanilla Sky certainly stands on its own merits as an invigorating piece of work.

Honorable Mentions
A Beautiful Mind; Dinner With Friends; Iris; Lantana; Life as a House; Memento; Monster’s Ball; The Princess and the Warrior; The Shipping News; Shrek; Tape

Better late than never, right? While the rest of the blogosphere and the circle of critics dole out their Best of the Year lists in December and January, I barely scratch the surface in viewing everything I want to see that year. In fact, many of the titles I loved in 2010 was seen in 2011.

That’s OK. It’s not the first time I’ve been called slow.

It was a strong year. 2010 had a lot more very good films than great ones, and that’s a fair trade off. Great films are hard to come by but the great amount of honorable mentions listed below tells me that we’re not lacking in quality films and talented artists.

And on that note, allow me to present…

My Picks of the Year
(in alphabetical order)

Blue Valentine
Derek Cianfrance directed this achingly beautiful drama about a young couple approaching the end of a brief marriage. We’ve seen endless films about the dissolution of wedded bliss (ranging from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf to Kramer Vs Kramer to War of the Roses), but this one feels fresh. Blue Valentine is bittersweet because not only do we witness the cruel, difficult end of their relationship but also the hopeful, wistful beginning. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are nothing short of electrifying.

Buried
Ryan Reynolds delivers a tour-de-force in Buried, a high-concept thriller about a man trapped in a coffin and … well, that’s all you really need to know. This is the kind of film that benefits from the element of surprise. Director Rodrigo Cortes makes an impressively assured debut. It’s not an easy feat to turn a one-character film into an edge-of-your-seater. Nicely done.

Catfish
This one came out of nowhere. Catfish is a documentary that plays like a thriller. We follow a man named Ariel Schulman who chronicles his long-distance friendship with a very young fan. He becomes close to the girl’s older sister and friendly with their mother. When he decides it’s time to meet them all in person, things don’t exactly go as planned. Catfish as frightening as any horror film I’ve ever seen but the final act is the film’s biggest surprise. I was not expecting to be so moved and touched. Whether you believe all of this to be real or fake, Catfish is a beautiful story about expectations and loneliness.

Get Low
A quiet little charmer, Get Low is a drama about a man owning up to his guilt. A terrible thing happened 50 years ago and Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) has lived with it most of his life. His health was beginning to fail, so it was time to come clean. He arranges a funeral (with Bill Murray and Lucas Black) for himself to close this unnerving chapter of his life. Get Low has a big heart and enough supply of whimsy to last the whole year.

I Love You Phillip Morris
Not since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has Jim Carrey taken command of the screen as he does in I Love You Philip Morris. When Carrey stars in a film with big ideas and a larger than life role (i.e. The Truman Show), magical things happen. He plays a con man who leaves his wife for another man (Ewan MacGregor) and, together, they embark on a journey so twisted and crazy that it has to be true. The writers of Bad Santa have become masters of biting comedy and irreverent wit. By far and large, I Love You Philip Morris is the funniest movie of the year.

Mother and Child
I should never underestimate the power of Rodrigo Garcia. This guy continues to impress me with his pedigree and at this point in his young career, I’d put him in the same league as John Sayles. After having his hand in Six Feet Under and In Treatment, he wrote and directed Nine Lives and Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her. His latest, Mother and Child is exactly what you’d expect from him, a probing, insightful look at the unique relationships between adults and their offspring. Garcia elicited terrific performances from Annette Bening, Samuel L Jackson and Naomi Watts.

127 Hours
Danny Boyle’s emotionally charged drama 127 Hours feels like it shouldn’t have worked. I mean, the plot is paper thin: a man gets trapped on a mountaintop and reflects on his life while waiting for the inevitable. The suspense is ruined by the common knowledge that Aron Ralston survived this ordeal. But that being said, it’s a testament to Boyle’s gifts as a filmmaker that this film works at all. 127 Hours is as alive and life-affirming as anything I’ve seen all year.

The Social Network
Combining the talents of writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher was something that should have been done long ago. This pairing is akin to throwing a lit match into gasoline, the end result being The Social Network, a scorching, compulsively watchable high-stakes thriller about claiming ownership to a billion dollar enterprise. Everything about this movie flows beautifully – the score, the performances, the taut direction. It’s the only time when the terms “Facebook” and “emotionally satisfying” will ever work in the same sentence.

The Town
I don’t know about you but I’m really enjoying Ben Affleck’s career resurgence, this time as director. Gone Baby Gone impressed me, but The Town showed me that Affleck has what it takes to be a big time director in this business. He stars as Doug McRay, a bank robber whose attempts to start anew is foiled by pressure from a mob boss (the late, great Pete Postlethwaite) and a live wire partner (Jeremy Renner). It’s a crackling genre piece imbued with a quiet intensity.

Toy Story 3
My love affair with Pixar continues with this disarmingly sweet film about looking back at your childhood and growing up. After touching me deeply with the opening montage from Up, Pixar made me reach for the hankies yet again (and again) as the gang survives another great adventure and Andy says goodbye. No one touches the soul quite like Pixar.

You Don’t Know Jack
The best docudrama of the year and, no surprise, it came from HBO. After last year’s remarkable John Adams miniseries and Recount, and this year’s Temple Grandin, HBO is the go-to place for emotional, fact-based dramas with extraordinary pedigree. You Don’t Know Jack delves into the beliefs of Jack Kevorkian, a controversial doctor who spent many years of his career defending the right to assist sickly patients in suicide. Al Pacino delivers his best performance in 30 years. It’s uncanny how he gets inside Kevorkian’s skin and under ours. The film is also a remarkable achievement for long-time director Barry Levinson.

Honorable Mention
The American; Another Year; Barney’s Version; Black Swan; City Island; Conviction; Cyrus; Dogtooth; Fish Tank; Get Him To The Greek; The Ghost Writer; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One; Hereafter; Inception; The Kids Are All Right; The King’s Speech; Paranormal Activity 2; Please Give; Rabbit Hole; Salt; Temple Grandin; Tiny Furniture; True Grit; Unstoppable; Waiting for Superman