2011: Year of The Pursuit of Happiness (Movies)

By: Luke Florence

As 2010 turned into 2011 there was one song that I was listening to more than any other. It was Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness." I thoroughly enjoyed the beat, Cudi's rap style, and the message surrounding the song. So, when it came time to slap on a label for 2011, I figured Cudi's tune would be a perfect fit.

It's been a while since I've done a year-in-review post. To be exact, it's been three long years. In the past I've recapped the seasons for my six favorite teams (Bulls, Browns, Indians, Penguins, and the Irish) and then given awards for my favorite movie, favorite sporting event, etc. This year we will do things a little different.

In separate posts, I will discuss 2011 from differing angles. This first one will be my look back at movies, with subsequent posts covering television shows, books, my personal life, and of course, my sporting teams. All will lead to a more comprehensive and in-depth look at 2011 and my pursuit of happiness.

Seems fitting that we start with my 2011 review of movies due to the fact that I spent the last seven months on this blog recapping my favorite 100 films, we might as well keep that movie momentum moving. Will any film released in 2011 crack my top-100? What was my favorite film of the year? Or my favorite individual performances? Only one way to find out.

2011: Year of The Pursuit of Happiness - Movie Review

Instead of recapping all the films I watched in 2011 we are simply going to hand out some hardware. Let's start with the best older film I watched for the first time in 2011.

It should be noted that in order to qualify for these awards I had to actually watch the film in 2011. These are not my Oscar predictions, but rather, the best movies and performances I watched during the past 12 months.

2011 OLDIE BUT GOODIE AWARD

Nominees:

Black Swan

Leon: The Professional

The King's Speech

Swingers

Million Dollar Baby

Adam

310 to Yuma

The Sting

Winner: Million Dollar Baby

Never watched Million Dollar Baby because I knew how it ended thanks to countless spoofs (including one on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia). However, I finally succumbed in 2011 and it's a good thing I did. The script is brilliant, the acting is outstanding, and the emotions it generates are riveting. After watching it I'm really glad that Matt Barnes found a spot for it on his top 100 list, and there's a good chance it will be on mine when I re-do it towards the end of 2012.

2011 BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AWARD

Nominees:

Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Jessica Chastain (The Help)

Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March)

Bryce Dallas Howard (50/50)

Winner: Jessica Chastain (The Help)

Close call between Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer, but in the end I had to give the nod to Chastain for her portrayal of Celia Foote in The Help. It would have been easy for Chastain to be lost behind Spencer and Viola Davis, but instead she shines and steals nearly every scene she is in. The Help had the best acting ensemble of the films I saw in 2011, and Chastain is a big reason behind that. Here's to hoping she is awarded with an Oscar nomination.

2011 BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR AWARD

Nominees:

Albert Brooks (Drive)

Patton Oswalt (Young Adult)

Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)

Seth Rogen (50/50)

Winner: Albert Brooks (Drive)

Despite a strong effort by the former Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer), this award has to go to Albert Brooks. He plays Ryan Gosling's antagonist in Drive and is terrific in that role. Brooks was born to play Bernie Rose and spit out lines like, "my partner is a belligerent asshole with his back up against a wall, and now, so am I." Brooks has already taken home an award from the New York Film Critics and I would be absolutely stunned if the Academy doesn't recognize him as well.

2011 BEST ACTRESS AWARD

Nominees:

Viola Davis (The Help)

Anna Kendrick (50/50)

Charlize Theron (Young Adult)

Carey Mulligan (Drive)

Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau)

Amy Ryan (Win Win)

Winner: Viola Davis (The Help)

The Help was a powerful film and it's made possible with powerful performances like the one Viola Davis gives. The only time I had previously seen Davis was in her brief appearance in Doubt, so it's safe to say she came out of nowhere this year. There's nothing not to like about her portrayal of Aibileen Clark. She is strong yet vulnerable. She is stoic yet shows a softer side at times. It certainly wasn't an easy role, and Davis absolutely knocked it out of the park.

2011 BEST ACTOR AWARD

Nominees:

Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)

Ryan Gosling (Drive)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50)

Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March)

Paul Giamatti (Win Win)

Matt Damon (The Adjustment Bureau)

Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer)

Winner: Ryan Gosling (Drive)

How does someone who doesn't have a name and barely speaks command an entire film? I have very little idea but that's exactly what Ryan Gosling was able to accomplish in Drive. It was - without question - the best performance I viewed in 2011. It immediately vaulted Gosling as a pretty good actor to one of my favorites. After the first time I watched Drive all I wanted to be for Halloween was Gosling's character. After the second time I watched it, I found myself wanting to be more like Gosling's character in my day-to-day life. All the accolades and recognition Gosling received in 2011 was well deserved, and an Oscar nomination would be a fitting end to a superb year.

2011 BEST PICTURE AWARD

Nominees:

The Help

The Ides of March

Drive

50/50

Win Win

The Adjustment Bureau

Winner: 50/50

This was the toughest call to make out of all the categories. It was between 50/50 and Drive but at the end of the day the hardware was swung in the favor of 50/50. Credit goes to 50/50's script which weaves it's way beautifully from comedy to drama throughout the entire film. It also has another great performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who has been on an absolute roll the last two years. Throw in great work by Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen and it all adds up to my favorite film of the year. A film so good that after watching it, I immediately sent a text to Barnes, "just got done watching a top-twenty movie." I still stand by that sentiment today.

2011 ADDITIONS TO MY TOP 100

As I prefaced with my top-100 movie list, it will be in constant flux, constant change. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that at least five films I viewed in 2011 will crack my revised list (due to be released in December of '12). Here they are, in order that they will appear.

1) 50/50

2) Drive

3) Shutter Island - watched this film in the theatre back in 2010, but once I re-watched it this past summer I realized I completely missed the ending the first time around, which made a tremendous difference in how much I enjoyed it.

4) Million Dollar Baby

5) Swingers

The following films COULD make an appearance.

1) Win Win

2) Adam

3) 310 to Yuma

4) The Help

Well, that will do it for my 2011 movie review. We will be back soon with my 2011 book review.

Until then, "read it, roll it, hole it."