2011 (movies I watched this year)

This movie seems to be getting a lot of negative reviews, I think the main reason it being marketed to the wrong audience. The trailer suggests it's a "monster flick" like Alien, but it's really not even close. It's kind of a genre-bender, it has elements of a monster movie, it has a fair share of sci-fi, but it's really a drama. The director is not afraid to deal with disturbing subject matters which will turn away some viewers for sure.

An excellent neo-noir which is surprisingly little known. Gene Hackman is great (one of his best performances) as a washed-up PI who investigates a case that is way over his head. The story is told entirely from his point of view, so at times the audience is as confused as he is. The movie stays true to the noir genre all the way through the end, and the ending is quite bleak, which is probably one of the reasons it didn't receive the publicity it truly deserves.

I was expecting more from the creators of "Ghost World". I was laughing hard on quite a few occasions, but the same joke was repeated way too many times, and the last third of the story becomes too silly to even be funny. I get the "social commentary" part of the movie, but the entire product is just all over the place.

A character-driven sci-fi drama. Surprisingly good performance by Sam Rockwell. The plot unfortunately has some gaping holes and perhaps it could use a bit more depth, but otherwise it's a highly original and gripping movie.

The premise of this thriller is not very plausible, but if you suspend your disbelief, it's a well crafted and enjoyable thriller. Excellent cast and cinematography.

A "bitterly hilarious" black comedy pretty much sums it up.

One of the first Hal Hartley movies. Unfortunately he hasn't quite found his style yet, I recommend "Trust" instead, it was shot shortly after with a somewhat similar plot, but it's a much better movie.

I'm not a huge fan of this kind of ghost stories, but after seeing the good reviews, I decided to give it a chance. Unfortunately, the movie didn't work for me. The artificial "spooky" atmosphere (creepy music, weird camera angles) was rather annoying, and the ending was so implausible it just ruined whatever was left of the story.

The story seems deceptively simple, but there's so much subtlety in this movie. It's told in a very laid-back manner, and everything happens in a "as a matter of fact" manner, kind of like the life itself. Some will find it boring or shallow, but if you pay attention to little details, you will like this movie.

It was quite funny at times, but overall left me wanting more. Not sure if there was enough material for a full feature film, more like a short or a comedy sketch. Excellent visuals though, Vincenzo Natali never disappoints in that department.

The movie reminds me the situation at my job - you have a nice laid-back work environment with people happily doing what they are good at, and suddenly a new manager takes over who happens to be a nutcase and ruins the entire place. I've been in this situation more than once... but I digressed. This is only a part of the story - it goes much deeper, examining the other characters involved, and turning the tables in the end questions who's the hero and who's the villain. I don't entirely agree with the conclusion, but it's still a compelling story and acting is stellar. Unfortunately the age of this movie shows, it feels rather dated and could use a good remake.

Hilarious in a few spots, but overall is just too silly.

Definitely in the "style over substance" category, but I was entertained for 2 hrs.

Sometimes less is more - the special effects in this movie are simply amazing, given that it was made on a shoe-string budget. Unfortunately the movie suffers from the B-level cast (the supporting cast is especially bad), and the story could use a bit more depth.

The main story in itself is rather good, but the first-time director decides to go into so many directions it all becomes a complete mess. Basically he stretched his own short film to a feature-length, but it didn't work at all.

Another black comedy from Todd Solondz who's never afraid of controversy and is being as brutally honest as ever. It can also be considered either a self-parody or a direct response to his critics. It's quite hilarious at times, but be careful what you are laughing at - you may recognize yourself in one of the characters.

One way to describe this movie as "bizarre" (which is kind of funny as being French-language film, you actually hear the characters use the word on a few occasions). The story (if you can call it that) develops in a dream-like fashion, kind of like a David Lynch movie. Nothing really makes sense, but is it really supposed to, if it's a dream? The director masterfully misleads the view into thinking he's following a story as all of a sudden everything is thrown up in the air and nothing makes sense anymore. But somehow it's a mesmerizing experience - truly an art movie.

I love "Being John Malkovitch" and I had high hopes for this one. Well... I like weird movies, but this one is just way too weird. I get what Kauffman is trying to accomplish - just don't see much of entertaining value here. A lot of reviewers suggest seeing this movie multiple times to start liking it, but somehow I just don't feel the urge to watch it again.

The acting is solid, but unfortunately the story development is rushed, it felt like the events took place over several days rather than months or perhaps years. The sense of timeline just isn't there. As a result, the main character's "transformation" was not convincing. Also, it felt like he was declared KIA way too soon - just not how it happens in real life.

I was expecting a crime drama, but this is really a road movie. Very well acted, with a clever script that keeps the viewer wondering what's coming next. Even though it's from mid-80's, it has a '70's movie feel to it.

An offbeat comedy-drama is the best description for this movie. Quirky and slow moving, but I found it quite funny at times, and the cinematography is gorgeous.

A truly shocking movie about an everyday life of a serial killer. What makes it so shocking is how realistic it is. The events are presented in a matter-of-fact fashion, the director doesn't take sides or leads us to draw any conclusions.

Not a horror movie, despite what the cover suggests. I liked it better than "Suicide Club". Having said that, the story is still very confusing and perhaps a bit too long. Once gain, the director leaves the audience wondering what to make of what they just have seen.

Not the best of Hal Hartley. Some dialog was brilliant but overall the movie didn't work for me - it was rather boring and not really that funny.

The story is banal, but the movie is beautifully shot and the acting is superb.

Starts off great, but unfortunately it begins to lose steam towards the middle as it appears the director wasn't sure what kind of movie she was making. Or perhaps there was just too many subplots or the story was too complex for a first-time director to handle. It's a shame though, I really liked the concept and the cast is great, but the movie seems to be missing a soul (pardon the pun).

This movie can be best described as "southern gothic". It's quite stunning visually (you can almost feel the grit) and starts very promising, but as it moves along, the story becomes hard to follow and weirder by the minute.

A bleak story of disaffected youth which is a strange mix of drama, thriller, and black comedy - and at times you are not sure which one it is. The story is quite shocking, I kept thinking you must have a wild imagination to come up with a twisted plot like that, until I read the end end credits and realized it's based on a true story (!).

Similarly to Gigante (another movie from Uruguay), "less is more" approach works extremely well here. Not sure why it's labeled as comedy, to me it seemed more of a subtly humorous low-key drama. The story relies on the cast's wonderfully understated performances, and the simplicity is misleading: in the end it's left up to the viewer to draw conclusions, and this movie may stay in your head for days after you watch it.

It was watchable in the beginning and even funny (I was expecting a comedy-drama), but quickly deteriorated as it became less and less plausible and eventually just laughable. I think the directors were trying too hard to make a "mainstream" movie.

A compelling indie drama which also manages to be funny and suspenseful. It relies heavily on the acting from the not-so-well-known cast. Jeremy Sisto is surprisingly good and is almost unrecognizable in the lead role.

I didn't know what to expect of this movie, but was pleasantly surprised. It's a very original noir drama/mystery. The story is engaging and the acting is excellent.

A mildly entertaining comedy. Andy Garcia was trying way too hard to fake NY accent.

Love nonlinear storytelling, but this one seemed a bit heavy-handed.

Another "classic" Hal Hartley movie, featuring his trademark quirkiness and off-the-wall dialogue. Perhaps not as good as "Trust", but very close.

Unconventional use of flashbacks - the story is retold repeatedly, and each time you learn something new, until eventually the entire sequence of events is revealed. Excellent movie, but certainly not for the impatient.

I'm not big on romantic comedies, but this one has Parker Posey in the lead role... she is great as always ;)

A stylish neo-noir thriller that unfortunately lacks in plot development. All the ingredients for a great movie are here, but somehow they fail to add up.

Good acting, costumes and cinematography, but the movie was very difficult to follow and I found myself losing interest in the story. I love nonlinear storytelling, but it felt too choppy in this movie, and narrative within narrative was incoherent. Also it appears I watched the cut version, perhaps the original is more cohesive.

A zombie comedy set in candy-colored 50's suburbia. What could have been a very silly movie turned out to be quite clever and entertaining.

An OK comedy-drama, funny at times but a bit on a light side.

A horror flick with a good measure of dark humor. The visuals are great and the director has perfect sense of timing for spooky scenes. You're in for a wild ride - not much else though.

A genuinely terrifying horror film, shot in a pseudo-documentary style. Minimal special effects and natural acting, so much better than over-the-top horror flicks coming out of Hollywood.

A bleak movie about an existence of 2 people, one in Easter Europe, and one in Western. The depiction of post-communist Ukrainian life is spot on. The director doesn't patronize the viewer so it's entirely up to the audience to decide how to feel for the characters. The dialogue is completely improvised so it feels very natural. The movie unfortunately tends to drag at times, and also it maybe a bit difficult to follow if you don't understand either Russian or German.

Another misfire by Hal Hartley... I love his work up to and including Henry Fool, but unfortunately everything that followed is barely watchable and just plain not funny.

There are a few hilarious scenes, but overall this comedy falls flat. It's just all over the place, perhaps if the characters were not such obvious caricatures it would have worked.

A well acted and directed ensemble drama with some elements of mysticism. The story is a bit contrived at times but a captivating watch nonetheless.

I honestly had no clue what to expect from a movie with such a strange name, but was pleasantly surprised. The cinematography is amazing (right from the opening credits), and the story is captivating from start to finish, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack.

It's been some years since I saw the original "Bad Lieutenant" but that movie certainly left an impression. This one unfortunately didn't. The cast is great, but some actors are basically wasted in their tiny roles (like Michael Shannon or Fairuza Balk). And Nicholas Cage didn't seem quite as unhinged as I expected. The lieutenant isn't really that bad after all, in contrast with the original. And then the whole "positive" ending... that just made the whole thing even sillier than it already was.

An entertaining supernatural thriller. Great visuals and convincing acting that makes you care for the main characters. The story has some glaring holes but if you suspend your disbelieve the movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved the ending!

There's been a number of movies about mentally ill, what makes this movie unique is that it's told almost entirely from that man's point of view. As you see the world through his eyes, it makes watching this movie a harrowing experience, but well worth it if you like an intense drama.

More a drama than a murder mystery, this movie is telling a story of a veteran police detective investigating a murder in a small town. Along the way we learn dark secrets of everyone involved, including the detective. The story is carried for the most part by the dialogue and the characters.

Starts out quite hilarious and I loved the "sketches" in main character's imagination. Unfortunately it gets a bit too silly towards the end, and Martin Short is a major distraction. He acted like it was an SNL sketch rather than a movie role.

This movie practically screams "low-budget", the editing is awful and the acting is amateurish to say the least. But somehow it succeeds in creating creepy atmosphere.

A complex psychological thriller that also works as a horror movie. That was an understatement... this movie is a head-trip! It starts out like a rather ordinary family drama, but as it continues, things start to get weirder and weirder, and towards the end my head was practically spinning. It's certainly not for casual viewing and demands 100% attention to the detail, perhaps even multiple viewings.

A decent caper, never boring and will keep you glued to the screen. The plot unfortunately has major holes, but still a decent movie with a very 70's feel.

The story seemed promising, but unfortunately the movie felt heavy-handed, with obvious plot oversights and no chemistry whatsoever between the characters. Excellent cast was practically wasted in this dull movie.

Sometimes hilarious (like the Shaman scene), overall this comedy is a bit weak. Some jokes felt forced and and some characters tried too hard to be funny, also there were too many subplots.

This sci-fi thriller features fascinating visuals are the plot in the vein of Hitchcock. You will sense that nothing is what it seems right from the beginning and will be guessing until the end. The plot logic is not entirely believable, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

An rare hybrid of a documentary and a scripted movie, it captures live in Kazakh "steppe" with amazing realism. Everything looks and feels truly genuine. I have no idea how the director managed to get these long unedited cuts considering the conditions. Unfortunately the story itself leaves something to be desired, there's just not enough narrative for a full feature movie.

An un-glamorous look into daily lives in a city controlled by mafia, shot in a pseudo-documentary stile. It's a bit hard to follow in the beginning if you are unfamiliar with the premise.

Classic story, still relevant today. Excellent performances and stellar directing. I saw Valmont a few years back and this is a far superior movie.

This black comedy is hilarious at times, but I had a strange feeling some humor was lost in translation.

An un-glamorous spy story set in France against the backdrop of political upheavals of late 1930's. It's based on a real-life story of Nikolai Skoblin (look it up on Wikipedia if interested). The movie, while generating some suspense, relies on dialogue and long discussion of politics, don't expect anything like a James Bond movie.

This movie takes non-linear storytelling a step further - the screen images are literally fragmented. While it makes it a bit hard to watch and demands full attention, the end result is a rewarding experience as you see the story through the eyes of a dazed and confused 15-year old girl.

A character-driven crime drama featuring Christopher Walken in one of his more subtle roles. The performances are great but the story is on a mild side.

One of Hal Hartley's classics, this time it's not a romantic comedy set on Long Island but rather a thriller.. well sort of, more like an anti-thriller actually. As always in Hartley's movies, it's all about the dialogue.

Easily one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen, and that says a lot given that I'm not into feel-good movies to begin with. The desolate atmosphere is pitch-perfect, and the bleak images will stay in your head long after the movie is over. However, I found myself questioning the plausibility of basic plot elements... come on, can you really survive for some 10 years with no food?

A thought-provoking thriller set in Serbia. Makes you wonder, what would I do in a situation like this?

This movie just didn't work for me - it felt dated and rather dull, devoid of emotions. I'm not sure if it's due to poorly written dialogue or stiff acting, or perhaps the combination of the two. Cinematography is great but not enough to hold the movie together. This is certainly no Brazil or 1984.

A tense psychological thriller, albeit a bit uneven at times. WAY better than numerous haunted house movies released by Hollywood. I don't know why it's constantly being compared to Sixth Sense as they have very little in common.

A beautifully photographed film with very nuanced acting. Everything comes together just perfectly and sets the right mood. The snowy background conveys as much as the leads. The story is minimalist, we are just observing a few days in someone's life and just as in real life, it's not always exciting.

I was expecting a lot from the Antibodies director and was sorely disappointed. The visuals are great but that's where the good ends. The plot is full of inconsistencies, unoriginal, and boring. There's some tension in the beginning but it quickly dissipates, and it's not even a bit scary. The last minute twist comes way too late to save this mess.

A dark comedy that balances silly with serious perfectly well... I found it quite entertaining - unexpectedly so, given that I generally don't like British action comedies that have been so numerous lately.

Amazing performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Unfortunately, overall the movie is lacking in character development and the plot is rough around the edges.

One of the earlier Robert Altman movies, and drastically different from the kind of movies he became known for. It tells a story of a woman's descent into madness entirely from her point of view. I found the "spooky" soundtrack distracting and annoying, there are more subtle ways to freak out the viewer. Would have rated it higher otherwise.

Not an easy movie to watch, given how bleak and downbeat it is, let alone the extremely graphic torture scenes. The acting is solid as well as cinematography, and I liked the total absence of the soundtrack. The story development feels a bit weak though, I wish more screen time was spent getting acquainted with the lead character before the tragic turn of events. Also certain scenes could benefit from being a bit more subtle.

I had high expectations due to good reviews but somehow was underwhelmed by this movie. It's not bad per se, but it seemed too long and lacking dramatic tension. After watching the movie I realized it was actually a mini-series made for German TV, so that explains it.

A satire about the absurdity of war in the region formerly known as Yugoslavia.

I'm not even sure how to classify this movie as the intentions of the director are vague. It can be either a dark comedy, a psychological freak show, or an allegory of a totalitarian regime. Whatever it is, watching it is quite a bizarre experience, and people will either love it or hate it.

One of Hartley's early movies and is one of his best.

I'm not a big fan of anime, but this movie was simply stunning. It reminded me of Inception but it's much better. I think anime is a better medium to depict the world of dreams, and also the plot was less convoluted.

Loved the southern gothic atmosphere. The movie is watchable despite being on a weird side... but the story left something to be desired and the ending was kind of silly.

This movie is more or less a traditional Western. Not being a fan of the genre, I still found it very entertaining. The cinematography and acting are superb, the story is engaging, and Cohen brothers managed to infuse the characters and the dialogue with their trademark dark humor.

The noir tone of this movie is picture-perfect. The director uses his typical stripped down narrative, and I'm not sure it works in this movie as well as it did in Distant. Having said that, the characters are masterfully crafted and acting is impeccable.

Brittany Murphy was great in this movie, and for a change she doesn't play a junkie or a psycho. The story is actually kind of cute, but the editing feels choppy and rushed. Judging from the abundant deleted scenes, there were at least 2 major subplots that didn't make it into the final cut, which explains why the end result is so uneven.

A very original noir thriller where the lines are blurred between the reality and the fantasy world.

A beautifully filmed historical drama. This isn't a typical costume drama though, as the story is dark and sometimes disturbing. The cinematography is breathtaking, and Maria Bonnevie's performance is simply stunning.

The story is really good (based on real-life events nonetheless). It would have been a better movie if the acting wasn't so over the top.

A twisted tale about obsessive relationship. At times it's disturbing and provocative, some scenes can easily belong to a horror movie. I personally found it thought-provoking, there's so much more to this movie than meets the eye.

The story is actually not bad and the movie certainly had potential, but unfortunately it wasn't realized. The characters come off flat and annoying, and borderline caricatures. The director seemingly was playing it "safe" making sure not to go too far with certain plot developments. The end result is essentially a B-movie.

From a purely cinematic standpoint, this movie is a delight, one of the best uses of light and and darkness that I have ever seen on screen. The story, however, seemed a bit too pretentious to me. It appears the director was trying to make a social statement that I'm not quite getting, perhaps it makes more sense to French audience.

The movie succeeds thanks to excellent performance by Ellen Burstyn. I liked the religion vs. supernatural angle of the story, and how it's restrained from becoming too sentimental. Unfortunately it was a bit uneven at times.

Surreal, hypnotic, intoxicating... just some ways to describe this stylish romantic drama. The story is non-linear as it could be, as director playfully manipulates the reality, creating a Twilight Zone kind of experience.

I hunted down this movie thanks to overwhelmingly good reviews and Parker Posey being in it. Unfortunately Posey's performance was flat, and the movie really wasn't all that funny. Stanley Tucci was great though in a ridiculously small role.

I was expecting a mediocre melodrama, but was pleasantly surprised by excellent performances and the story line that was not quite what we've seen so many times before. Unfortunately there were some gaps in the narrative and the court scenes seemed a bit exaggerated, but a decent movie nonetheless.

I'm not big on romantic comedies, but this one is a real gem. The cinematography is simply surreal, the director has background in photography and it shows. It captures quite a bit of female beauty, and what could have been vulgar is done very tastefully. I realize the story is on a lightweight side and the ending is cheesy, but still it's a thoroughly enjoyable cinematic experience... not to mention it's quite hilarious at times.

While this may be a decent horror/action flick of its own, it doesn't live up to the expectations set by the original. The biggest problem is that the real-time first-person presentation just doesn't work here, as all of a sudden we have multiple cameras and several people filming. That in itself is a stretch too far, but adding elements to the story that are over the top and sometimes out of place ruins the premise that worked so well in the original.

This movie has some similarities to Repulsion, with elements of black humor mixed in. It's amazing visually, but the "transformation" of the main character seemed too abrupt and not very convincing. Perhaps some subtleties of the story were lost when adapting the book to screen.

The first 3/4 of the movie is great. The performances are stellar and the story is engaging, it's funny and tragic at the same time. Unfortunately, towards the end the movie feels rushed and heavy handed.

Absolutely mesmerizing visually, this is a kind of movie where the story takes backseat to the presentation. The acting is purposely over the top, but somehow Kar Wai Wong makes it all work.

Excellent performance by Mickey Rourke. Marisa Tomei was quite stunning in her role as well, it's a shame that her part was underwritten. The major letdown for me was that in the last third the movie became too corny and predictable. Darren Aronofsky did the best he could with the flawed script, I especially loved the ending.

Aside from Ben Kingsley saying a couple of hilarious lines with a straight face, not much else is funny in this comedy. I kinda get the humorous aspect of a high school graduate dealing with similar issues as his middle-aged shrink, but it tries too hard to be funny and an even bigger issue that the story is just bland and boring. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less what the characters kept mumbling about, and started dozing off about mid-point.

A strangely effective crime drama mislabeled as a horror movie. It's at times gruesome and at times satirical. The acting is over the top, perhaps intentionally, but oddly, it works.

While on the surface this appears to be a movie about immigrant's life, it's really more about the man coping with grief. The director uses minimalistic approach, we learn about the protagonist from the snippets of conversations, nothing is explicitly explained and in fact most of his story remains untold. What makes this movie worthwhile are nuanced performances and attention to the detail.

A bizarre psychedelic tale... it really got under my skin. I had nightmares after watching this movie.

A refreshing sci-fi with interesting dynamics between the main characters. I didn't care much for the "blame America for all the world's problems" theme, but it wasn't too distracting. The ending was thought-provoking.

The plot was decent and it could have been made into a hilarious comedy by a more experienced director with professional cast. Unfortunately, amateur acting and directing pretty much ruins it. It was "so bad it's funny" at times but I'm not sure it was intentional.

I'm not a fan of Westerns, but this is not a typical Western, anyway. Ever if you don't like the genre, you will still appreciate Pekinpah's work.

I'm not sure if this is a satire or a black comedy, but perhaps it doesn't matter. Set in Victorian times, the characters are dressed in outrageously exaggerated costumes and the dialogue is witty and razor-sharp. It's hilarious and worth watching for this alone, and then you realize there's a murder mystery. It's quite complex, and to be honest I didn't quite figure out who did it, but perhaps this is not important... it's really about arrogance, manipulation and failure to see what's in plain sight.

Shot in "metallic" shade of B&W, this is certainly a very stylish movie. The director uses bizarre and sometimes hallucinatory visuals to create intensity and it works quite well. Unfortunately a rather mundane story doesn't justify the way it was conveyed, so in the end it felt as if the movie was incomplete.

The idea of an indie movie taking aim at the fantasy genre is certainly original. It was a good attempt, but unfortunately it felt short. The fight scenes looked cheesy, acting was so-so, and the plot was a little thin. I was expecting much more emotional depth based on the reviews I've seen. The story became predictable about 2/3 into the movie and found myself losing interest towards the end.

A character-driven psychological drama/mystery/sci-fi. It moves at deliberately slow place, relying solely on performances to advance the story. Leary and Davis are absolutely superb. Despite the slow pace the movie never gets boring, and the emotional impact in he end was indescribable. Having said that, It feels very much like a stage play (and as I learned later, it is in fact based on a stage play). So if you are looking for an action packed sci-fi with special effects, this movie is not for you.