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We Are Not So Very Different, You and I: The Best Movies of 2011

Full disclosure: I decided to be super lazy and not do any write-ups for these.  But look at the pretty pictures!  Moving on…

I saw 126 movies with 2011 US release dates this year and here are the best twenty of that enormous bunch.  There are a few that have really grown on me over time that didn’t make the list but are totally worthy of your attention.  But these are the best, for sure.  I think.

20.

- There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat.

19.

- Our good fortune allowed us to feel a sadness our parents never had time for.

18.

- If you’ve ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around… this is where they’re made.

17.

- No man can walk out of his own story.

16.

- My mother is worried I have mental problems. I found a book about teenage paranoid delusions during a routine search of my parents’ bedroom.

15.

14.

- Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?

13.

- That new baby of his is just darling.
— Have you seen it? Up close?

12.

- We’re not bad people. We just come from a bad place.

11.

- I’ve made some terrible mistakes and I’ve probably alienated everybody who was close to me, but I did that because I love you.

10.

- We are not so very different, you and I. We’ve both spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another.

9.

- What is wrong is wrong, no matter who said it or where it’s written.

8.

7.

6.

- Hold still. I’ve never done this before.

5.

- There’s a storm coming like nothing you’ve ever seen, and not a one of you is prepared for it.

4.

3.

- I could get back into disco.

2.

- The only way to be happy is to love. Unless you love, your life will flash by. Do good to them. Wonder. Hope.

1.

- Can I talk to you? I won’t keep you long. I have to go somewhere and I don’t think I can come back.

Here are some individual awards:

Best Director: Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

Best Actor: Ryan Gosling, Drive

Best Actress: Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Best Supporting Actor: Idris Elba, Thor

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life

The five worst movies of the year were Every Day, Daydream Nation, Arthur, A Little Help, and Green Lantern.  Just fucking terrible.

Another year, another set of reminders of the incredible power of the movies.  I love it.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Fincher, 2011)

Now here is a movie.  A mystery.  Both an exercise in pulp suspense and a careful, honest construction of character and relationships.  I haven’t read Stieg Larsson’s book and I didn’t care for the 2009 Swedish film version, but with his adaptation David Fincher injects the story with an emotional gravity and fills the screen with an energy and verve that are wholly gripping, unnerving, and fascinating.  Fincher has taken the plodding, unwieldy story and turned it into something that moves with deadly precision and purpose.  Even knowing the outcome, each twist of fate, every new scrap of evidence awaiting the unlikely pair of detectives, I was completely absorbed.

Rooney Mara gives an incredible performance.  She’s weird and strong and dangerous, and yet fragile, hiding an inner hope that she has no good reason to harbor.  It’s a physical transformation and emotional commitment on par with anything DeNiro ever did.  Daniel Craig is no less impressive.  He’s weary and frightened, worn down and suspicious and each emotion is right there in his eyes, peering out through his stony, stubble-covered (and ultimately scar-riddled) face.  The two of them are perfect, really.

Either the Swedish version did Larsson’s story a disservice, or Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian have found the inner truth of these proceedings beneath the crazy serial killer hokum. Their The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is about more than the mystery.  It’s about the dread of not knowing who to trust, the scars of a sinister history that refuse to fade, the helplessness of the individual against the greatest evils of society, the moral concessions we make in the name of doing the right thing, and, above all, the value of a friend. 

Grade: 9.5/10

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 2011

Directed by David Fincher

Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; novel by Stieg Larsson

Starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård

I Ain’t Living in the Dark No More: The Best Music of 2011

After a year of great music and a week and a half of doggedly trying to re-listen to everything and pick up some things I missed, I’ve arrived at a list of 15 albums that I think are all spectacular.  Here they are, followed by a link to a Spotify playlist featuring most of the records (Some were self-released and as such aren’t on Spotify; I’ll try to embed some samples of each).

15. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra

Ocean’s self-released debut (and his subsequent appearances on countless other records this year) positions him as the R&B crooner to keep an eye on in the future. Slick, confident, strong. Key Tracks: “Strawberry Swing”, “American Wedding”

14. The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck

There’s a creeping sense of fear and dread and anger simmering under the surface of John Darnielle’s latest effort that shows through in brief outbursts, only to bury itself and once more to wait, and build, and escape again. But there’s an optimism at its heart. Key Tracks: “Damn These Vampires”, “High Hawk Season”

13. M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

If it weren’t so damn long and prone to the occasional filler track, this would be much higher on the list. The high points are endlessly satisfying crowd-movers, synth magnum opuses filled with a hope and freeing-energy. Plus it’s one of the key participants in my much beloved resurgence of saxophone solos that’s somehow become a thing this year. Key Tracks: “Midnight City”, “Intro”

12. Wilco - The Whole Love

A return to form from the Chicago masters, The Whole Love kicks off with the thunderous, defiant statement of purpose that is “Art of Almost”. The record makes the list on the strength of that song alone, though the rest of it is fantastic as well. Key Tracks: “Art of Almost”, “One Sunday Morning”

11. Feist - Metals

Leslie Feist returns with a more soulful, stripped down record than her breakout hit The Reminder but there’s no less emotion, especially in the heartbreaking opener “The Bad in Each Other”, sadly perhaps the truest love song of the year. Key Tracks: “The Bad in Each Other”, “How Come You Never Go There”

10. Destroyer - Kaputt

Jazzier and poppy-er than the usual Destroyer record, Kaputt gives Dan Bejar a quiet yet vivid outlet for his customary avalanche of lyrics. Also, more saxophone. Key Tracks: “Chinatown”, “Song For America”

9. Drake - Take Care

A smooth and low-key record bursting with the ache of lost love, Take Care finds Drake truly coming into his own as a confident and ready to truly become the superstar he’s been lauded as for a few years. Key Tracks: “Over My Dead Body”, “Headlines”

8. Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials

Grand and operatic pop-rock with expansive soundscapes and a killer, killer lead singer. Key Tracks: “Only If For a Night”, “Never Let Me Go”

7. The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

The best flat-out rock record of the year and a late discovery and addition to the list. Big and loud and awesome. Key Tracks: “Whirring”, “I Don’t Want to See You Like This”

6. The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Druggy, dingy, and altogether catchy, The Weeknd’s mysterious debut tells the gripping story of a party scene going through an apocalypse of the worst kind. Key Tracks: “House of Balloons/Glass Table”, “High For This”

5. Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots

The Truckers continue their decade-plus-long streak of brilliance with another winning set of odes to disappointment, missed-opportunities, murder, betrayal, and pride in small town America. Key Tracks: “Where’s Eddie”, “Used to Be a Cop”

4. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne

Alternating huge, bombastic displays of excess, hubris, and obscene wealth with at least a modicum of introspection, Jigga and Yeezy have made the most arena-rock friendly rap record of all time. That shit is cray. Key Tracks: “Niggas in Paris”, “Otis”

3. Adele - 21

THE voice of 2011. Jilted lover Adele sings her heart out remembering and trying to rise above the tatters of a collapsed relationship. Her heartache is our gain as 21 features track after track of big-voiced ballads with an unparalleled emotional honesty. There’s something to be said about “Rolling in the Deep” being played over and over everywhere you go and never getting old. Key Tracks: “Rolling in the Deep”, “Turning Tables”

2. The Decemberists - The King is Dead

From the opening harmonica blast to the closing slide guitar solo, The King is Dead is a modern country-rock masterpiece. Familiar tales of battles and burdens and love and death spring forth from the indie darlings in such a natural way that it seems that this is the record they’ve been working towards for years. It’s a tight set of perfectly crafted songs. Key Tracks: “Don’t Carry it All”, “This is Why We Fight”

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Haunting, ethereal, and hopeful, Justin Vernon’s second album is a treasure of beautiful songwriting. I’m still moved with each successive listen and I haven’t listened to any other record near as often as I have this one. Plus, another check-mark in the saxophone column. Key Tracks: “Perth”, “Beth/Rest”

So there you go, my two cents.  Here’s a Spotify playlist with each record, minus the Frank Ocean and Weeknd albums, which can be found for free on the artists’ respective websites.  Take a listen:

gzv’s Top 15 Albums of 2011

Also, here’s a playlist of about 40 songs that I thought were the best of the year, including quite a few that didn’t make the album list:

gzv’s Top Songs of 2011

Happy music listening!

The Best Television of 2011

I don’t usually write about television (or much of anything) on this blog, but it’s close enough to movies that I figure it would be ok (just wait until later in the week when I post about music.  Shocking!). 

First: a disclaimer.  I missed the boat on Breaking Bad and have yet to catch up so I know right out of the gate the list is probably irrelevant.  Nevertheless, here are the ten shows that I thought excelled the most in 2011.

10. It’s not necessarily breaking any new ground, but Happy Endings features one of the most likable casts on television and the thing is just funny as all hell. I’m so glad this got picked up for a second season because Damon Wayans III’s talents would be utterly and completely wasted if he’d had to stay on New Girl. His rapport with Eliza Coupe is priceless. Best Episode: “Spooky Endings”

9. Beautifully crafted, Julian Fellowe’s eloquent tale of class and societal pressures in 1912 England is a solid upstairs-downstairs soap opera that never fails to intrigue and enthrall. It’s hard to pick a standout cast member because they’re all so damn good, though Maggie Smith gets all the (rightful) accolades. And that theme music has got to be one of the all-time best. Best Episode: “Episode 6” I guess. The season is remarkably consistent, so it’s hard to pick a favorite.

8. Hands down the best looking show on TV, Boardwalk Empire matched its substantial technical achievements with a storyline that proved to be much more involving than its debut season. Though still rather slow-moving and deliberate, I was drawn in by Michael Pitt’s tragic portrayal of Jimmy Darmody, Kelly MacDonald’s continued struggle between security for her family and her conscience, and of course Steve Buscemi’s titanic turn as Nucky Thomson, grasping for any means to hold onto his collapsing empire. With some sobering twists towards the end of the season and a renewed sense of energy, I’m very much looking forward to the third season. Best Episode: “To the Lost”

7. David Simon’s examination of the malaise and sorrow and persistent survival in post-Katrina New Orleans continues to be a fascinating portrayal of people as their true selves, doggedly clawing their way back from catastrophe, struggling to make peace with the loss. As with The Wire, Simon gives us an indelible portrait of a place and a time and a people and the results are beautiful and terrible. And no one has ever said the word “motherfucker” better than Wendell Pierce. Best Episode: Sigh, I really can’t choose one.

6. Good on HBO for taking on the gargantuan task of turning George R. R. Martin’s sprawling epic into a TV series. To those familiar with the books, the season seemed to get off to a slow start, falling into the trap of the early Harry Potter movies, just hitting the by-the-numbers plot points of the books without any sense of its own personality. But once the writers and actors had a chance to settle in, the series became a potent and thrilling political drama in its own right. With fantastic production design, stellar performances, and whip-smart dialogue, Game of Thrones is poised to one of the strongest series on TV for years to come. Best Episode: “Baelor”

5. Deftly, written, directed, produced, edited, and acted by Louis C.K., “Louie” is a major labor of love and an explosion of personal storytelling. Its perceptive looks at middle age, fatherhood, dating, and countless other challenges of modern life are unparalleled in their simplicity and pathos. The ultra-low budget allows C.K. to tell his stories that get to their comedy and emotional truth in perhaps the most unconventional way possible. If there’s such a thing as auteurism in TV, here’s your best example. Best Episode: “Duckling”

4. Bizarro to the core, Dan Harmon’s embattled show hasn’t met a television trope or cliché it didn’t love and want to tear completely to shreds. Season Three has brought fewer “stunt” episodes and has instead focused more on character moments, delving deeper into the hearts and souls of Greendale’s most unlikely study group and how their time together has changed and enriched their lives. Sure it’s a madcap, often ridiculous comedy, but there’s an emotional core to Community that shines through all the paintball fights and fake clip shows. Here is a group of people who, despite their burdens and idiosyncrasies, are becoming a family right before our eyes. I just hope we get a chance to see their journey continue. #sixseasonsandamovie Best Episode: “Paradigms of Human Memory”

3. While Community may be the most ambitious comedy on TV, Parks and Recreation slips in just ahead by being the most consistently flat-out funny show on TV. Showrunner Michael Schur and company have done a fantastic job of cultivating a comedic universe that rightly draws comparisons to “The Simpsons”. The characters are strong and we want to see each and every one of them happy. While their flaws are often on full display, the all deeply care for each other (even for Jerry) and the unselfish and un-ironic friendships that permeate this crew public servants is refreshing and heartening. And it’s funny as hell. Best Episode: “The Flu”

2. Gosh, none of these people are at all nice to each other, are they? Todd Haynes’ miniseries is the epitome of melodrama and its tale of the titular divorcee’s fall, rise, and fall is gripping throughout every scene. Especially THE SCENE, which, if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about. I’m not sure so much menace and betrayal have ever been embodied in one shot, one walk, one look on an actress’ face. Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce, and Evan Rachel Wood deserve any and all honors coming their way, as does Haynes for crafting such an engrossing piece. Best Episode: “Parts 4 and 5”

1. One of the greatest achievements in television history, Friday Night Lights wrapped up its run this year with a suitably bittersweet final season that was both endlessly satisfying and heartbreaking. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are nothing short of stunning as the Taylors, truly one of the most natural and affecting husband and wife characterizations in any medium, ever. But beyond that pair, the entire cast is fantastic and showrunner Jason Katims’ hands-off, fluid shooting style allows the actors to truly inhabit the scenes and evolve into real characters. The story of Dillon, Texas and the football teams that are at the root of everything that goes on there is one of true humanism, compassion, love, loss, and perseverance. I’ll miss it. Texas forever. Best Episode: “Always”

Honorable Mentions: Childrens’ Hospital, Homeland, Justified, Luther, South Park

Senna (Asif Kapadia, 2011)

I didn’t know much about Ayrton Senna before tonight. I knew he was a great racing driver and a bit of a rebel, cut down too soon as many of the great racing drivers are. But tonight I saw Asif Kapadia’s film Senna. And tonight I am in awe of Ayrton Senna.

Senna’s talent and skill behind the wheel were monumental. Kapadia constructs his film entirely of archival footage and there is nothing more thrilling on the screen this summer than the view from Senna’s cockpit as he surges through the impossibly narrow streets of Monaco or the serpentine corners of Suzuka and Interlagos.

Senna’s vision and passion for competition radiated off the track as well, as Kapadia takes us inside the often contentious and political world of Formula One racing, an arena where Senna fought for respect and fairness and safety for himself and his fellow drivers. In an electrifying scene, taken from footage of a pre-race drivers’ meeting, Senna challenges the dictatorial FIA President Jean-Marie Balestre on an issue of track safety. Balestre pounds on his desk, asserting that the best decision will always be his decision. But Senna’s charisma and concern win out. The drama is simply riveting.

But then again, so is the entire film. Senna’s on and off-track battle with teammate Alain Prost couldn’t be played better. They snipe at each other in interviews and race each other to the point of destruction through many a corner. Neither man gives the other an inch. But the last time we see them together, they embrace and smile, full of respect for that quality in each other that brings out the best in themselves. Such is the stuff of the greatest rivalries.

Senna’s face is a beacon of pure emotion and Kapadia places it front and center. The sheer physical pain of muscle spasms from driving the car beyond its limits is right there. The heartbreak of being unjustly disqualified from a race is right there. The burden of the pressure to succeed, the joy of achieving a lifelong goal, the ache of a friend’s tragic death. Ayrton Senna held nothing back. 

If there is anything to critique, perhaps Senna is a bit too easy on the man himself. I don’t know enough about his story to point to any potentially damning omissions in Kapadia’s narrative. All I know is that the ability to create a true, deep emotional response within the audience is the currency of great films and Senna certainly has that.

Senna’s story is like all great sports stories. In fact, it is like all great stories of any kind. It tells of a man who gave his all, his mind, body and soul to compete with ferocity and tenacity and bravery and achieve legendary heights. To hold nothing back. To push beyond the established physical and mental limits, to expand the idea of what the human body and spirit are capable of reaching. To open the eyes of those lucky enough to bear witness wider than they had ever been opened. And to buoy the hearts of his brothers and sisters on this harsh, cruel world.  This was a man who could do those things.  And did.

Grade: 9.5/10

Senna, 2010

Directed by Asif Kapadia

Screenplay by Manish Pandey

Starring Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis