10) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and David Fincher is the classic match made in heaven. When I heard of the American remake to the excellent Swedish version based off of Steig Larrson's brilliant book, I was very apprehensive about the film, as I thought Hollywood would hand the idea over to Len Wiseman (who actually happens to be remaking Total Recall) to fuck up the project for all the huge fans of the book and film. I was therefore thrilled to hear they had handed it over to one of the best directors of the past 20 years and the dream man for the job, David Fincher. And a beautiful move it was, as Fincher's film is just as brutal and disturbing as its source novel, featuring many great performances from the cast, particularly from Christopher Plummer and Rooney Mara. This is the disturbing and captivating film is definitely worth a trip to the cinema; however, I believe it's almost too faithful to the book. I came out of the movie feeling like I had just seen an exact replication of the book, and while it is certainly worthy of my rating of 10 (remember, this is a weak year) I can't help but feeling that if Fincher had added a bit more of his own flair and personality to the film it would've been not just a masterpiece, but Fincher's masterpiece.

9) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The End to this film was actually pretty awesome. I was quite annoyed when I found out about 2 years ago that they would be splitting the last Harry Potter book into 2 films, I saw this as an unnecessary cash-in from the studio (which it obviously is). However cash-in or not, the result is 2 very well rounded and entertaining films that perfectly fit the plot of the book, something that one film would have great trouble with. While the first film was a relatively slow burning film (a nice change of pace compared to most blockbusters), this film is action from the word go, and it manages to fit in a shed of emotion amidst the fighting. The acting in this film is superb, especially that of Alan Rickman portraying the character of Snape. It is also fair to say that this film is visually beautiful and, in my opinion, featured the best use of 3D since, well, ever. It didn't have random objects flying out at you; the reason behind Harry Potter’s brilliant use of 3D was to create a chilling, provoking mood that perfectly accompanied the plot of this film. For example: as Voldermort dies, the ashes slowly coming off his face were not flying at you but floating off the screen and upwards, it was fairly unnoticeable yet beautiful and perfectly added to the magic (pun intentional) of the cinematography and visual effects. While this wasn't a masterpiece, it is certainly one of the best family films of the past 20 years and a great way to end a great series.

8) Horrible Bosses
2011 featured many R-rated comedies, the good (Bridesmaids), the bad (The Hangover Part 2), the ugly (The Sitter), the unintentional (The Green Lantern), and the FUCKING HILARIOUS (Horrible Bosses). This film was definitely in the laugh a minute region, one of my most enjoyable cinema experiences of the year. Much of its success lies on a brilliant cast, in my opinion one of the best ensemble cast performances of the year; with Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell (in an iconic role) and Jennifer Anniston all giving extremely unique yet viable performances. The plot is reasonably ridiculous and full of improbabilities, impossibilities and stupidities, but quite frankly it is hilarious and this is most certainly one of my favorite comedies in years. Some critics (the easily offended) have labelled the plot and script as misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. I can see where they are coming from with this criticism, however if you are considering watching this I would strongly urge you not to listen to those critics, if you do you'll be missing out on not just a good film, but a great comedy.

7) Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
A brilliant film that oozes mystery and suspense, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the definitive slow-burning thriller based on John le Care's excellent novel. It’s London in the early 70s and a recently retired spy (Oldman) is tasked with finding which of his former colleagues still in British intelligence is a Soviet spy. This detective/spy story is extremely tense, and much of its brilliance is owed to the superb cast, particularly Gary Oldman as Smiley. The brilliance of this film is its realism, the characters don't have invisible cars and playboy girlfriends, they are not sexy 30 year olds who spent their time playing poker and drinking, they are proper spies dealing with a real situation. Because of this realism that is achieved through Tomas Alfredson perfectly capturing the mood of this period, the end result is a very good film.

6) X-Men: First Class
Matthew Vaughn once again proves he is an excellent director to carry a superhero film. After 2010's absurdly brilliant Kick Ass he is back with another humorous, exhilarating, and character driven superhero extravaganza. First Class is an origins story for many of the main players from the original X-Men trilogy. Vaughn successfully juggles various different origin stories that are bound to be enjoyable for fans, critics, or haters of the franchise. The best of the origin stories is most certainly Magneto's; played impeccably by the brilliant Michael Fassbender, who is steadily becoming one of the best mainstream and indie actors around today. Magneto's character and Fassbender's performance result in one of the most well rounded and three-dimensional superhero villains of all time. This film also features a brilliant cameo from one of the Franchises' best loved mutants, and some cracking action set pieces that establish Vaughn as one of the best directors working in superhero movies today. Get X-Men: First Class on DVD now, and I can guarantee you will have a fun time and a rewarding cinematic experience.

5) The Descendants
Alexander Payne, the genius behind the hilarious yet moving Sideways, has finally released an even better film, The Descendants. The Descendants is based on the novel of the same name by Kau Hart Hemming; it follows a land baron in Hawaii who is trying to reconnect with his daughters. The film successfully wavers between humor and drama, with George Clooney giving a great performance as a father struggling to connect with his children (Clooney received a well-deserved Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination). However, in my opinion, the best performance in this film came from young actress Shailene Woodley, who gives a fantastic performance as Clooney’s young, rebellious daughter. The Descendants is an extremely touching yet hilarious film, perfectly portraying a hopeless, divided family. The Descendants is one of the most touching, realistic, and hilarious family comedy/dramas in a long time.

4) Shame
Shame is brilliant in its depressing depiction of a man's (Michael Fassbender) addiction and consequences to that addiction. At the heart of this film is Michael Fassbender's powerhouse performance as Brandon, a sex addict whose life is turned upside-down by his sister temporarily crashing at his place. Fassbender gives his all and is stripped bare both emotionally and physically, Carey Mulligan also gives a great supporting performance as his sister who is in many ways as depressed as him. It pulls no punches in showing the disturbing acts that Brandon does as part of his addiction, yet it doesn't make them seem overly dramatic. Actually, this film brilliantly empathizes how normal these acts are. For example: Brandon frequently masturbates in the toilet at work. This act isn't made to seem very special or out of the ordinary, making it all the more shocking. Shame also features one of the best movie endings of not just 2011, but possibly of all time. Shame is definitely the most powerful film of 2011, and one of the most expounding in recent memory.

3) The Tree of Life
This, while not my favorite Malick film, (it’s a close second behind one of my all-time faves The Thin Red Line) is certainly Malick's most Malick-esque film, and as a result it will divide audiences everywhere. It’s a classic marmite film, I personally found it excellent. The film follows the life journey of Jack as he reflects on his troubled childhood, his relationship with his father, and his views on faith and the meaning of life. It is a powerful film that features great performances by both Brad Pitt and Sean Penn; however, the best performance in the film comes from 2012's wonder-woman, Jessica Chastain. The film features some of the best cinematography I've ever seen, and while Malick's ponderous nature can become a bit pretentious at times, it is of the few films this year that wasn't just a movie, but an experience.

2) 50/50
This film is a cancer comedy. While this doesn't sound like a winning formula at all, this film doesn't find its humor in actual cancer but rather in the funny situations that arise from one man's horrible situation. The screenplay is based on Seth Rogen's best friend’s Will Reiser) experience of having cancer, with Seth Rogen playing himself in the movie. The plot follows Adam (Joseph Gordan-Levitt) who is diagnosed with a rare form of back cancer. When Googling the survival results for this cancer he sees that he has a 50/50 chance of survival (hence 50/50). He is supported by Kyle (Seth Rogen), who cares for him yet at the same time humorously uses his friend’s problem to pull girls. The screenplay is brilliant and painfully honest, as Rogen pulls no punches in detailing this emotional and revealing experience. This film also benefits from great performances from the entire cast, but in particular from JGL, Seth Rogen, Anjelica Huston, and Anna Kendrick. 50/50 is a film that will have you crying with laughter one minute and genuinely crying the next.

1) Drive
The only masterpiece of 2011 came from the reasonably unknown Nicolas Winding Refn and the man of the moment, Ryan Gosling. Drive follows the Driver, (Gosling) who works for small-time thug Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), as he balances his driving career with helping the “damsel in distress”, Irene (Carey Mulligan). This movie must be in strong contention for one of the coolest movies of all time: Gosling as the Driver is simply iconic, as is Albert Brooks as Bernie Rose. The elevator scene in this film is easily one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. The film benefits from a stunning visual art-house style and superb direction from Refn. Drive is brilliant in its steady buildup of tension; for the first 50 minutes not much happens until suddenly it explodes into glorious ultra-violence and mayhem. This is by far the best film of the year, and its soundtrack is one of my favorites of all time. This film was majorly overlooked by Oscars and you can understand why, its way too cool for the Academy.

Best Director:
Matthew Vaughn - X-Men: First Class
Nicolas Winding - Drive
Steve McQueen - Shame
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life
Tomas Alfredson - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Actor:
George Clooney - The Descendants
Joseph Gordon Letvitt - 50/50
Jean DuJardin - The Artist
Michael Fassbender - Shame
Ryan Gosling - Drive

Best Actress:
Emma Watson - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Kristen Wiig - Bridesmaids
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin
Viola Davis - The Help

Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Rickman - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Albert Brooks - Drive
Andy Serkis - Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Colin Farrell - Horrible Bosses
Seth Rogen - 50/50

Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain - The Tree of Life
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
Carey Mulligan - Shame

Best Scene:
Bridesmaids - Diarrhea in the Wedding Dress Shop Scene
Drive - Elevator Scene
Fast Five - Vault on the Back of Car Scene
The Tree of Life - The Worlds Origins Scene
X-Men: First Class - Cameo Scene

Best Original Screenplay:
Horrible Bosses
Midnight in Paris
Shame
The Tree of Life
50/50

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants
Drive
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
X-Men: First Class

Best Ensemble Cast:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Help
Horrible Bosses
Midnight in Paris
X-Men: First Class