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Written by Guest Writer Marcus Kaye

How the hell have we already made it to the end of 2011?  I hope it was as fantastic for you as it was for myself, Adam Sass, and movies.  As you may know, I love lists.  My walls are covered with them.  My work desk.  My computer.  My phone.  All buried under lists.  And so, without fail-  my list of the best movies of 2011…

10. Best Popcorn Fare - Crazy Stupid Love

Who have had better years than Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone?  And in this romantic comedy written by Dan Fogelman, they’re at their finest (not to mention the added bonus of Marissa Tomei, Steve Carrel and THE Julianne Moore.)  Crazy Stupid Love was everything the trailer promised and one of the few movies of the year to genuinely take me by surprise.  Full of heart and love, the interlocking stories of these fine actors is perfect popcorn fare for 2011.

9. Best Action- Hanna

Speaking of surprises!  Joe Wright’s action thriller starring Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (I really wanted to say that) wasn’t something even on my radar to see.  My interns took me to see it, and props to them! I’d give them all raises if they were getting anything to begin with.  Fast paced and set to a Chemical Brothers soundtrack, Hanna is a music video action movie on steroids with a menacing supporting turn from Cate Blanchett and a hysterical teenager played with striking accuracy by newcomer Jessica Barden, who stole the show with her one-liners.

8. Best Family Film - The Muppets

Was there any movie this year I was more excited to see than The Muppets?  I anticipated it more than Twihards anticipate the next Taylor Lautner shirtless scene (which is a lot, let me tell you).  The perfect balance of the old and the new, The Muppets reunited the gang to put on a show.  Predictable?  Of course, but more fun than you can imagine.  I’ll spend two hours with Kermit any day, and I don’t many people who argue otherwise (except for Statler and Waldorf, perhaps).

7. Best Tear Jerker - 50/50

I expected this comedy to be emotional sure, but I did not expect the waterworks that followed from this Seth Rogan/Joseph Gordon Levitt collaboration.  JGL nails the pain and hopelessness of a cancer stricken twenty something year old.  I laughed more than I expected to, and I cried even more.  Come on, how do you not when JGL is saying goodbye to his mom before surgery?  You didn’t?  You’re a monster.  More important than the comedy and the tears was the realness of this movie.  It hit home for me, and everyone else I know that’s seen it.

6. Best Science Fiction - Another Earth

This Sundance hit was a thought provoking look into a parallel universe that asks the question:  Would another me make the same mistakes I’ve made?  Following a car crash, an aspiring astronomer’s life is thrown off course – but there might be hope for her on Earth 2.  Uncomfortable and emotional, Another Earth takes everything you love about the philosophy of science fiction without the special effects (outside of the view of Earth 2 which is stunning).  A definite thinker, the ending of this movie is the best of any this year.

5. Best Foreign Language – Heartbeats

More often than not, you root for the protagonist of a movie because you relate with him.  It’s not very often that you literally see yourself in the young hero.  This film – written, directed, and starring 22 year old Xavier Dolan (I hate my life already) is a glimpse into a painful love triangle. The painful, funny, awkward story is interrupted periodically by candid interviews with twenty somethings in love or lust – and the narration enhances the narrative without beating it over the head.  In all of these characters, I see pieces of myself, and I’m not alone in that.

4. Best Thriller – Drive

It was the year of Ryan Gosling! Could he have played two more different characters in this and Crazy Stupid Love?  As the unnamed “Driver,” his subtle unspoken performance said more than pages of dialogues could.  His chemistry with Carey Mulligan was palpable, and Albert Brooks was wonderfully menacing as a mob boss who controls their fates.  With added bonus:  Bryan Cranston!  Christina Hendricks!  And another killer soundtrack.  From the first getaway drive to the last tense minutes, this thriller is slow and painful look into the LA crime scene and the painful deaths that come with it.

3. Best Comedy – Bridesmaids

Well, this is a no brainer.  The Kristen Wiig comedy was the surprise hit of the summer, and that’ll be the last time anyone doubts her.  As the maid of honor putting together the wedding of the best friend she’s losing, Wiig nails the awkward performance that gives the comedy heart, as well as humor.  With an all-star (no “star”) supporting cast (featuring the ever talented Melissa McCarthy in a scene stealing turn), I haven’t laughed as hard as I have in Bridesmaids in a long time.

2. Best “Oscar” Picture - The Artist

This movie knew exactly what it was and delivered on that.  A self-aware, silent and black-and-white movie about the rise of “talkies,” The Artist tells a somewhat predictable story in a new (albeit VERY old) and exciting way.  With phenomenal performances and the CUTEST dog on screen, this comedy (yes, it’s a comedy) had my audience laughing like it was Bridesmaids.  A careful look into the old Hollywood studio system and the glorious golden age of cinema, this movie reminds any who see it why we love movies to begin with.

1. Best Horror - We Need to Talk About Kevin

My favorite movie of the year is coincidentally a horror movie.  Not in any traditional sense, but take a view of this Tilda Swinton drama and tell me it’s anything but horrifying.  As the mother of a sociopath, Tilda pulls out all the stops and delivers a harrowing performance under the skillful direction of Lynne Ramsey whose close-ups and sound design amped up the terror.  I wonder myself why something so scary is at the top of my list, but I simply can’t shake it.  It’s a must!