Best Films 2011

In the past year, I have watched almost as many movies as in the year I graduated and was largely unemployed, thanks to abundant movie releases in New York. Happy, I think that the state of cinema in the United States is healthy though their own films are not among the very best. Their motion picture creative force has been dispersed among other popular media such as TV and music videos. (See Best Music 2011.)

My favorites are all about breakups in its original sense and others such as getting away from political, artistic, financial, biological, or philosophical constraints. Statistic has it that, out of seven, three are about real breakups and, not so surprisingly, three are Iranian. No further ado.

1. A Separation
   
   
   
   
   Equivocal ethics. Equitable humanism. Read more.
   
   
2. The Turin Horse
   
   
   
   
   This “black-and-white piece of shit” was a totally new experience for me. Like a virgin, I embraced its perfect combination of visual and audio. Salute to the master’s last film. Read more.
   
   
3. Certified Copy
   
   
   
   
   Abbas Kiarostami has never ceased to amaze me. Read more.
   
   
4. Tuesday, After Christmas
   
   
   
   
   This may feel like A Separation minus religion and morality plus sex and midlife crisis but Tuesday, After Christmas is more personal, despite its predominant long shots, and more of an excellent character study. Read more.
   
   
5. Agrarian Utopia
   
   
   
   
   Politics is in the air. I wish politicians were reborn as fat mice and grilled by farmers. Read more.
   
   
6. This is not a Film
   
   
   
   
   Politics is in the face of Iranians. And Jafar Panahi put it in your face too. Read more.
   
   
7. The Artist
   
   
   
   
   Was it not so formalist, this would be my guilty pleasure because of its highly entertaining value. Read more.
   
   

Honorable mentions (in no particular order)

• Take Shelter
• Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Weekend
• The Skin I Live In
• Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
• Restless
• Three
• Potiche
• The Adventures of Tintin
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best non-2011 (in chronological order)

• Serie Noire (1979)
• Through The Olive Trees (1994)
• Antichrist (2009)
• Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

P.S. Best Films 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.