At the movies: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

A vertiginous tale of IMAX trauma and an auspicious live-action debut for one of The Simpsons and Pixar's secret weapons...

2011 At the Movies.

So here it is. The Year in Film, 2011 Edition. One thing to make a note of- Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Meek's Cutoff were both on my 2010 list, because they thematically fit there. I don't want anyone to think I was slighting them in any way. 

01) MARGARET (US-Kenneth LONERGAN)

02) A SEPARATION (Iran-Asghar FARHADI)

03) THE MUPPETS (US-James BOBIN)

04) 

CERTIFIED COPY (Belgium/France/Italy-Abbas KIAROSTAMI)

A DANGEROUS METHOD (Canada/Germany/Switzerland/UK-David CRONENBERG)

05) MELANCHOLIA (Denmark/France/Germany/Sweden-Lars VON TRIER)

06) WEEKEND (UK-Andrew HAIGH)

07) BRIDESMAIDS (US-Paul FEIG)

08)

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (US-Sean DURKIN)

ROAD TO NOWHERE (US-Monte HELLMAN)

09) 

THE GUARD (Ireland-John Michael McDONAGH)

CODE BLUE (Germany/The Netherlands-Urszula ANTONIAK)

10) SUPER (US-James GUNN)

Honorable Mention:

Carnage, Drive, The Future, Hanna, Kaboom, Rise of The Planet of The Apes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Tree of Life, Tucker and Dale versus Evil, Tuesday After Christmas, We Need to Talk about Kevin, Young Adult

BEST ACTOR: Tom CULLEN, WEEKEND

Honorable Mention: 

Michael Fassbender (A DANGEROUS METHOD), Brendan Gleeson (THE GUARD), Peyman Moaadi (A SEPARATION), Chris New (WEEKEND), Gary Oldman (TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY), Rainn Wilson (SUPER), Jacob Wysocki (TERRI)

BEST ACTRESS: Anna PAQUIN, MARGARET

Honorable Mention:

Viola Davis (THE HELP), Kirsten Dunst (MELANCHOLIA), Keira Knightley (A DANGEROUS METHOD), Rooney Mara (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO), Bien de Moor (CODE BLUE), Elizabeth Olsen (MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE), Stephanie Sigman (MISS BALA), Shannyn Sossamon (ROAD TO NOWHERE), Tilda Swinton (WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN), Charlize Theron (YOUNG ADULT)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Patton OSWALT, YOUNG ADULT

Honorable Mention: 

Albert Brooks (DRIVE), Jan Cornet (THE SKIN I LIVE IN), Benedict Cumberbatch (TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY), Tom Hardy (TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY), Jonah Hill (MONEYBALL), Christopher Plummer (BEGINNERS), John C. Reilley (TERRI), Andy Serkis (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES), David Tennant (FRIGHT NIGHT)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: J. SMITH-CAMERON, MARGARET

Honorable Mention:

Jeannie Berlin (MARGARET), Kathy Burke (TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY), Jessica Chastain (everything), Elle Fanning (SUPER 8), Sarina Farhadi (A SEPARATION), Carey Mulligan (SHAME), Ellen Page (SUPER), Maya Rudolph (BRIDESMAIDS), Octavia Spencer (THE HELP), Kate Winslet (CARNAGE, CONTAGION) 

 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

(HD) Javier Aguirresarobe (FRIGHT NIGHT)

(Film) Seamus McGarvey (WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN)

Honorable Mention:

Mike Cahill (ANOTHER EARTH), Manuel Alberto Claro (MELANCHOLIA), Brendan Galvin (IMMORTALS), Alwin Kuchler (HANNA), Jody Lee Lipes (MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE), Emmanuel Lubezki (THE TREE OF LIFE), Jose David Montero (APOLLO 18), Urszula Pontikos (WEEKEND) 

 BEST DIRECTOR: Roman POLANSKI, CARNAGE

Honorable Mention:

David CRONENBERG (A DANGEROUS METHOD), Terrence MALICK (TREE OF LIFE), Lynne RAMSAY (WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN), Lars VON TRIER (MELANCHOLIA), Joe WRIGHT (HANNA) 

 BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: James GUNN, SUPER 

Honorable Mention: 

Asghar FARHADI (A SEPARATION), Andrew HAIGH (WEEKEND), Kenneth LONERGAN (MARGARET), Annie MUMOLO and Kristen WIIG (BRIDESMAIDS)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason SEGEL and Nicholas STOLLER, THE MUPPETS 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: ISHIOKA Eiko (IMMORTALS)

BEST DOCUMENTARY: PROJECT NIM 

Honorable Mention: 

BEING ELMO, EL BULLI: COOKING IN PROGRESS, THE INTERRUPTERS, NENETTE, WE WERE HERE 

 BEST 3D: HUGO

Honorable Mention:

FINAL DESTINATION 5, A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS 

SPECIAL AWARDS FOR NON-HUMAN PERFORMANCES:

Uggie (THE ARTIST), Wafflebot (A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS)

 BEST SCENE (in no particular order):

Opening Credits – The Adventures of Tintin, Making rounds - Code Blue, The Dinosaurs – Tree of Life, opening tracking shot - Hugo, Shadow Puppets/Opening Story – Kung Fu Panda 2, "Pictures in My Head" - The Muppets, crosstown jog - Shame, Press conference – Another Earth, Escape from Jerry's house – Fright Night, Picnic with Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn – The Catechism Cataclysm, Entering Karl's lair - The Sitter, Escaping the complex - Hanna, Monica & the Bus - Margaret, The Ecstasy of Tomatoes - We Need To Talk About Kevin, 'Look! Gypsies!' - The Turin Horse, Jim Henson's Funeral - Being Elmo, Chase through Bhaggar – The Adventures of Tintin, Dubai - Mission: Impossible  Ghost Protocol, Opening Sequence – Scream 4, At the Met - Margaret, Melies retrospectacle - Hugo, "Man or Muppet?" - The Muppets, The Robbery – Fast Five, Last Shot – Another Earth, Her Audition – Super 8, Battle in Heaven - Immortals, Last Shot - Martha Marcy May Marlene, Creation – Tree of Life

At the movies: Young Adult.

So here's the film that is going to cause many awkward conversations with a couple of dear, dear friends over the next few years...

Film 2011: The Fifteen Best Uses of Pre-Existing Songs

Here, in ascending order, are the best instances of a film taking a song we may or may not have known and granting it some new context...

15) AIRIEL featuring ULRICH SNAUSS - Sugar Crystals
(from KABOOM)


14) ENYA - Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)
(from THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO)


13) CHIC - I Want Your Love
(from SHAME)


12) TECHNOTRONIC - Pump Up The Jam
(from TUCKER & DALE VERSUS EVIL)


11) DIANA ROSS - When We Grow Up
(from YOUNG ADULT)


10) TRENTEMOLLER - Shades of Marble
(from THE SKIN I LIVE IN)


09) RIZ ORTOLANI featuring KATYNA RANIERI - Oh My Love
(from DRIVE)


08) JOHN R. BUTLER - Hand of the Almighty
(from THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM)


07) WHAM! - Last Christmas
(from WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN)


06) JULIO IGLESIAS - La Mer (a l'Olympia)
(from TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY)


05) THE STONE ROSES - I Wanna Be Adored
(from I MELT WITH YOU)


04) WILSON PHILLIPS - Hold On
(from BRIDESMAIDS)


03) LISA LOUGHEED - Run with Us
(from HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN)


02) JOHN DENVER - Leaving on a Jet Plane
(from THE GUARD)

(Please note- the film doesn't use this duet version, but I mean, if you're not intrigued by John Denver and Cass Elliot singing it, then I fear for your soul)

01) ERIC CARMEN - It Hurts Too Much
(from SUPER)

At the movies: Melancholia.

New Von Trier. In Nashville. On 35mm. Bigger than life and more insistent than death. Don't miss it.