things I've been meaning to blog about, watch it edition: 2011 movies

Today the 84th Academy Award Nominations were announced. Full of opinions, I went to write a blog post about my thoughts when I realized I had not done a full recap of the movies I had seen in 2011 and my overall rating of them (like I did for 2010). Better late than never, right? Especially since some of these have been nominated for an Oscar and a lot of them have or will be released on DVD soon. So, without further delay, today I'm posting about my favorite 2011 movies, and tomorrow I'll be discussing the Oscar nominations. Here we go!

My Top Movies of 2011*

(three instead of five because I saw

less movies this year than in 2010)

Source: imdb.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Bridesmaids - This movie will always be one of my all-time favorite films. It makes me laugh, cry, and cry from laughing no matter how many times I see it. It is an excellent story about female friendships, the ridiculousness of weddings, and believing in yourself. Awesome writing and amazing acting (my full review can be found here)!

Source: imdb.com via Kelly on Pinterest

The Help - First of all, if you haven't read The Help, then you need to stop what you're doing and start right now. Once you've finished reading it, you then need to watch the movie immediately. The acting in this film was truly outstanding. Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis certainly give the knockout performances, but Emma Stone, Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sissy Spacek, and Jessica Chastain are all superb. The film tells an important and compelling story that everyone needs to hear, and does so with both hilarity and dignity.

Source: imdb.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Super 8 - I feel as though this movie was highly praised when it was released and then quickly forgotten, and I can't understand why. It takes place in the 1970s and is presented in a way that it really does feel like a classic Steven Spielberg sci-fi adventure movie (the best comparison I can say is that Super 8 is like a higher-quality The Goonies). The young actors were wonderful and their adult counterparts provided the perfect balance. It has everything a movie should: suspense, humor, action, love, friendship, family, mystery, stretches of the imagination, etc. Definitely worth a viewing - or a few!

Close contenders: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, 50/50, and The Muppets

*All the 2011 Movies I Have Seen & My Ratings

(five star movies are in bold and were the only
consideration for the my top three movies of the year list)

No Strings Attached ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Take Me Home Tonight ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Your Highness ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Bridesmaids ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thor ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

X-Men: First Class ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Super 8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Bad Teacher ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Green Lantern ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Transformers: The Dark of the Moon ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Captain America: The First Avenger ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cowboys and Aliens ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Horrible Bosses ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Help ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

30 Minutes or Less ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

50/50 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Moneyball ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Muppets ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

What movies did you see in 2011, and which were your favorite?

*If for some reason you are having trouble leaving a comment, please e-mail me at beagleandbear@yahoo.com or leave me a comment on Beagle and Bear's Facebook page. Thanks for your help with this issue!