Thursday, January 12, 2012

THE BEST LISTS of 2011

With so many end-of-the-year studio screenings, the number of MAKSQUIBS posts has suffered. So, as recompense, a small offering: a quick (if partial*) Check List on the best reviewed titles of last year. (TITLES listed alphabetically within their Category.)

WORTH ALL THE HYPE:

THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius

LE HAVRE - Aki Kaurismäki

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - Woody Allen

MONEYBALL - Bennett Miller

A SEPARATION - Asghar Farhadi

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tomas Alfredson

WORTH SOME OF THE HYPE:

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN - Steven Spielberg (a character challenged RAIDERS sequel)

A DANGEROUS METHOD - David Cronenberg

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Simon Curtis (though you won’t believe a moment)

RANGO - Gore Verbinski (a visual treat with an ADD plotline)

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - Rupert Wyatt

HARDLY WORTH THE HYPE:

THE DESCENDANTS - Alexander Payne (Ron Howard goes to Hawaii)

J. EDGAR - Clint Eastwood (a tepid response to a lip-smacking opportunity)

NOT WORTH THE HYPE:

HUGO - Martin Scorsese (it’s official, St. Marty is now critically untouchable, but the film is a bore & a lie)

MELANCHOLIA - Lars von Trier (for those who find late Tarkovsky too unpretentious)

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *"Partial’ in both its meanings, since our list is ‘partial,’ as in biased; and ‘partial,’ as in incomplete, missing such well-received pics as BRIDESMAIDS, TREE OF LIFE, THE HELP, DRIVER, et al. for various reasons of choice & opportunity. Some of them may appear in full MAKSQUIBS Write-Ups when they go to DVD. (Now, get off the couch and head to your favorite Bijou!)

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