I now present you with a list of my favorite movies from 2011. I do not believe that most of these films will win any awards, but I enjoyed them the most of all the things I saw this year. They were the movies that stuck in my head the most and made me want to watch them again as soon as I walked out of the theater. You may disagree, and that is fine, and I would invite you to share your favorite movies with me in the comments section below.
So now without further ado and in no particular order.....
Limitless I am a little Bradley Cooper-biased, but I actually really enjoyed this movie a lot. I especially liked that it was not presented as a science fiction movie but more as an exploration of the human mind. You think more about the moral implications of what it would mean to take a drug like NZT. How would it change the way you interact with other people and how you live your life. This movie was engaging and highly entertaining.
Bridesmaids This was the funniest movie I have seen in a really long time. I have been in six weddings, none were quite this hilarious, but I can definitely relate to many of the situations with which these ladies had to deal. The entire cast was great as an ensemble and even better in their individual roles. Each women adds a different level of hilarity throughout the entire movie. Also, I have said it before and I will say it again, I expect puppies to be given as favors at every bridal shower I go to from now on.
Brendan: Actually, I used to be one of those animals. I guess I forgot to put that down on my application. --------------------------
I have to say, I really enjoyed Warrior, a lot. It is getting good reviews, but I still went into the theater not sure if I was going to like it. I am not a huge fight fan but this was FANTASTIC.
The acting was great, the music by Mark Isham was moving and you cannot help but get into these fights. There were even a few ladies behind me in the theater that were cheering and clapping :o)
The story is about two brothers whose parents got divorced when they were teenagers and each boy chose to live with a different parent. Tommy chose his mother who he ended up taking care of when she gets sick. He is an ex-Marine who has just come home for the first time in fourteen years. Brendan chooses their alcoholic father so that he can stay near the girl he loves, with whom he ends up getting married and having two children. He is a former UFC fighter and is currently teaching Physics to high schoolers. Both brothers individually decide to start training for SPARTA, the biggest winner-takes-all, mixed-martial-arts tournament ever.
Warrior is about two brothers competing in a mixed martial arts tournament with a huge prize. One brother is an ex-marine who turns to his alcoholic father, a former coach, for training. The other brother is a former fighter and current teacher with money and family problems. It stars Tom Hardy, Joel Edgarton, Nick Nolte and Jennifer Morrison. This is also my pick for the weekend. It is getting great reviews and looks like a compelling story.
I have finally received my Entertainment Weekly Fall Movie Preview! As I did last year, and at the beginning of the summer, I will now list for you the movies that I am most looking forward to seeing this fall.
September 9 - Warrior (Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte) 16 - Drive (Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman) 23 - Moneyball (Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman) - Red State (Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo) 30 - 50/50 (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick)
Limitless
