Best of 2011

2011 was a good cinematic year, we got films by Polanski, Almodóvar, Malick and von Trier, as well as some amazing surprises.

Here’s my best of the year list.

The Tree of Life. Terrence Malick offered a masterpiece that encompassed the whole existence of the universe from beginning to end with a view at a family microcosm representing the nature and grace dichotomy of life.

Melancholia. Lars von Trier gave us his version of the end of the world and how a person who is detached and completely immersed in depression is the only one who can face the end valiantly, helping those around her in the process.

Drive. Nicolas Winding Refn creates a brilliant retread of the redemption of a gunman, à la Jean Pierre Melville/Sergio Leone, filtered through an eighties lens.

Carnage. Polanski shows up again this year, with a portrait of human relations, squeezing the life out of his actors, and giving a master class on how to make a movie without the need of not much else.

La piel que habito. Almodóvar's pseudo adaptation of Mygalle is more a remake/mashup of Les yeux sans visage and a bevy of other classic horror films. He steals like an artist to demonstrate he can tackle any genre with the same degree of mastery.

The Artist. Michel Hazanavicius' ode to cinema proves that good filmmaking does not need 3D, special effects, color, nor even sound, just good old fashioned writing and acting.

Midnight in Paris. Woody Allen creates a love letter to Paris and its artistic mystique and seals it in a lovely romantic fantasy.

Beginners. Mike Mills teach us how to live and love again. Reinvent yourself up to your last minute.

Le Havre. Aki Kaurismaki applies his trademark deadpan comedy to create an emotional fable that champions human decency in the face of inhuman laws.

The Rum Diary. Bruce Robinson pits an unlikely crusader against the system. Johnny Depp is back in form for his homage to Hunter S. Thompson.

Rango. Gore Verbinski makes good use of his Pirates clout with this immensely entertaining film that references cinema, myth and a hero’s journey through a very funny and exciting adventure ride for young and old.

Lastly, a film that, to many, should never be mentioned in the company of the above.

Sucker Punch. Zack Snyder's somewhat original idea, an indictment of fanboy fantasies, disguised as female empowerment. A call to create your own reality, break the chains and finally become who you are. Not a bad idea for 2012.

Others worthy of note:

Our Idiot Brother, 50/50, Salvando al Soldado Pérez, Super, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Mientras Duermes, The Adventures of Tintin and The Muppets.