The Ten Films of 2011

This is the first of twelve posts, discussing the top ten films of the last twelve years. The basis for this list is not the best films of the year, nor the most memorable films of the year, nor the films that were the most profitable  of each year. Instead it will be a combination of all three, forming a list of the top ten films that made the most impact of each year. This post will tackle the most recent year, 2011.

10. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol- The 4th Mission Impossible film reinvigorated a franchise that many considered to need a makeover. The studio even talked about Jeremy Renner taking the franchise over from Tom Cruise, however Ghost Protocol put those thoughts aside, and was one of the biggest and most acclaimed films of 2011. MI4 was released with all the Oscar bait movies, and was talked about more than any of them. 

9. Shame- Shame didn't make a dent at the box office, but was widely talked about due to its great performances, and graphic sexuality. Rising stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan both gave great performances, and also bared everything they had. Both were snubbed at the Oscars, but it didn't stop Shame from ending up on most critics top ten lists. It is one of only a few films to not cut scenes to get rid of the NC-17 rating, as everything in the film was necessary to its central plot. In addition, it had possibly the greatest score of any film in 2011, and I am talking about the music. 

8. Super 8- A summer blockbuster that was not a preexisting franchise, and was not a sequel, which is very rare. The film was from JJ Abrams, which got it much pre-release buzz, and in true Abrams fashion, was completely unique. The film had no huge stars, and mainly focused around terrific child actors, and made a dent with audiences and critics alike. 

7. XMen: First Class- The second XMen prequel in as many years focused on Professor X and Magneto when they were just Charles and Eric. The film made huge money, and was also a critical success, rare for comic book films not involving Batman. This was the first part of Fassbender's breakout year, followed later by the number 10 film on this list. 

6. Rise of the Planet of the Apes- A surprise hit in 2011. After Tim Burton practically destroyed the franchise a few years earlier, no one ever though the franchise would get back on its feet. However in relative newcomer Rupert Wyatt's hands, and including a terrific motion capture performance from Andy Serkis, the film made sure Planet of the Apes will be around for a long time to come. 

5. The Artist- The Best Picture winner at the Oscars, The Artist made pennies at the box office, but was famous because it was the first silent film in many, many years to get a major release. Jean Dujardin won Best Actor for a silent performance, and both he and Supporting Actress nominee Berenice Bejo are household names now. 

4. Drive- 2011 was the year of Ryan Gosling, and Drive is a big reason why. In a terrific dramatic film punctuated by scenes of disturbing violence, Gosling gave a great performance moving his mouth less than Dujardin did in The Artist. Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Carey Mulligan (again), and Bryan Cranston give terrific supporting performances. 

3. Bridesmaids- Comedies made a comeback in the second half of the decade, and in 2011 Bridesmaids made a huge mark on the film industry. It was the first major, successful comedy that focused on women, and made crazy amounts of money during a long run at the box office, punctuated by great word of mouth that made sure most everyone in America saw the film in theaters.

2. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- David Fincher made a name for himself directing violent, dark films like Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac. So when the film industry decided it needed to make its own version of the Swedish best seller by Stieg Larson, it turned to Fincher. The Swedish version a few years earlier was well received based off great performances, but was shot like a B movie and made little noise in America. Fincher's version focused on the dark, hard to watch portions of the dark, hard to read best seller, and was talked about for being one of the best films of the year, being completely disturbing, and getting Oscar worthy performances from Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. That is a rare trifecta. 

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- Notable not only for being the 8th and final film in a billion dollar, beloved franchise, but also for being really, really good. Things ended in amazing fashion, and the film series hit its stride with the last 3 films. 

Honorable Mentions: The Help, Warrior. 

Later we will go through each year of the 2000's, and rank movies the same way we did here.

-Maximus