Top Ten List: Best Films of 2011

Honorable Mention - The Ides of March, Bellflower, Young Adult, 50/50, The Help.

10. Warrior - If MMA had existed during Shakespeare's time, he would have written a play about it and this movie would have been based on that play. Warring brothers? Check. Sons with major daddy resentment issues? Check. Lots of melodrama and tragedy? Check. An epic final showdown between said brothers? Check. Just throw in some witches or something, and it's a Shakespeare play!

09. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I still think I prefer the original Swedish version and Noomi Rapace's performance as Lisbeth better, but that's not to take anything away from David Fincher's punk rock, edgy, anarchy filled remake. It's dark and brutal filled with amazing performances from Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig and Stellan Skarsgard.

08. Take Shelter - One of the quieter films of the year, Take Shelter is a fantastic take on one man's life. He starts having nightmares and then struggles to discover if he's seeing the end of the world or just going schizophrenic like his mommy. Would this movie work without Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain's Oscar worthy performances? Maybe not. So thank God we've got them!

07. Beginners - You know how all movies about parents dying of cancer and love stories about starting over and trying again are terribly cliched? Well, not this beautiful filmed based on director Mike Mills own experiences with his 70-something dying dad coming out of the closet and his thirst for life in his final months that influences him to seek love with a quirky adorable French actress. Plus, there's a dog that talks in subtitles!

06. Bridesmaids - The goddamn funniest movie of the year, hands down! Months later and Bridesmaids is still so far into the collective minds of society that it's being nominated for a well-deserved ton of awards! Kristen Wiig is outstanding (and her performance, I relate to, maybe, a bit too much) as a woman struggling with the feelings of her best friend getting married and getting her life together while she still hasn't figured anything out. Throw in Maya Rudolf and Melissa McCarthy and you will never laugh harder.

05. Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen is back! Although, he hasn't gone anywhere, really, Midnight in Paris is his most creative, most enjoyable movie in years. Owen Wilson stars as a writer engaged to a terrible woman (Rachel McAdams) who is obsessed with 1920s Paris. One night, he suddenly finds himself transported back there to hob nob with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and, of course, a very hilarious Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway. A delightful, fantastic film from my favorite director.

04. Drive - I remember when I was in the college and I swear every dorm room had a poster of either Fight Club or Dazed and Confused. Those were the cult masterpieces of my college days. I always wondered what movie poster kids these days would have on their walls. Well, thanks to Drive and it's gritty, violent, urgent storytelling and performances, plus it's generally too-cool vibe, I think it's safe to say everyone next fall will have a Drive poster on their wall.

03. The Tree of Life - What can you possibly say about such a flawed masterpiece? A movie that so many people love, but just as many people hate. Well, The Tree of Life is so big, so urgent, so beautiful, that it's really almost above film. Director Terrence Malick has made, yet again, a piece of art. And that you got to sit there and watch it, should make you grateful.

02. Moneyball - Maybe it's because I love baseball so very much but Bennett Miller's tale of an aging baseball star and current coach who breaks the rules and tries to create his very own system for picking players is a great movie. It's not just a baseball movie (although it's the best movie about baseball since Bull Durham), it's a movie about life, being the underdog and trying your hardest to win.

01. Hugo - When I heard that Martin Scorsese was directing a children's movie, I was shocked. After all, this is the man that made Raging Bull and Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. But it IS Martin Scorsese so I should have realized really quickly that his children's movie would be the best of the year. Hugo is enchanting and beautiful and a celebration of film and movie making with exquisite performances. Also, he finally made me think 3D wasn't such a waste of time and money.