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Published: 29 December, 2011
by DAN CARRIER

Remakes, sequels, and the usual mix of groan-a-thon rom-com rubbish mixed with some of the worst action films ever made (yes, I am talking about you, The Expendables) – the list of terrible flicks of 2011 is rather hefty.

But hidden among the blockbuster nonsense and the big star vehicles are some absolute gems.

Here is a rundown of what worked this year, so if you missed them on the big screen, you can always grab them
on DVD.

The Big Picture

This French adaptation of a book set in America is pretty weird at times – but always watchable and enjoyable.
Devoted and successful husband Paul discovers his gorgeous wife Sarah is having an affair with his next-door neighbour, a hippy dropout photographer. He has to confront the Lothario – but things go disastrously wrong when he does. A story of identity, a thriller with glorious vistas and photography – the main protagonist is a photographer – and a strong ending means this is a well told story.

X Men First Class

A guilty pleasure, and a surprisingly enjoyable flick.
The X Men films seem to just keep coming, and I had X Men fatigue before I sat down to watch this. It soon lifted.
This instalment tells the story of how the whole X Men thing came about. Our story starts in Poland in 1944 when we see a young boy called Erik undergo some serious torture by a dastardly evil Nazi.
We also meet a spoilt American child called Charles in his New York mansion. We follow the pair as they grow up and see how the world of mutants came into being. The film uses historical events – the Cuban Missile Crisis is part of the plot – and it is simply a good action-adventure tale.

Attack the Block

Young people decked out in sportswear have not had the greatest of press this year. Attack The Block could help redress this imbalance.
A group of young people band together to defend their London housing estate from an alien invasion.
This is the best film of its kind since Batteries Not Included.

The Skin I Live In

What a superbly creepy film Pedro Almodóvar created. Dr Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) is a skilled surgeon who is doing his best to “improve” human DNA to create flawless humans beings. We discover he is keeping a woman in the attic of his home. He is clearly up to no good – and the viewer is led to watch first-hand quite how crazed this evil genius really is.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

John le Carré’s spy thriller gets a remake with Gary Oldman taking on the role of George Smiley, made famous in the 1970s by Alec Guinness. A big act to follow, Oldman does this so well.
Some of the best things about this film is the period sense in every shot. This is a grim-washed feature, with 1970s prints everywhere, hues of orange and browns, and a chilly Cold War feel to the proceedings.

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Tilda Swinton takes on the mantle of the mum who has some issues with her son.
This blood-curdling adaptation of Lionel Shrivers’ novel is pretty horrible – motifs of the gooiness of the human body are everywhere, from the jam sandwiches that seem to regularly be clasped between Kevin’s mitts, to the red paint she spends half her life scraping off the windscreen of her car.
This is a brilliant (and horrible) book, superbly transcribed for the screen, with great performances throughout.

A Separation

This is one of the best of the lot.
A Separation was an unlikely smash hit from Iran. It uses a divorce as the starting point for a true family drama – it is as if Mike Leigh, in his prime, was Iranian.
It also makes a change to see the country portrayed through the eyes of a well-educated middle class family instead of the country always seen in the UK as simply an oil-rich desert region run by religious fanatics.

The Fighter

Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale star as the Ward brothers who have poverty and drug addiction – as well as the other bloke in the ring – to overcome.
Based on a true story, this has a first-class back-up cast. The Wards, particularly the matriarchal sisters who grizzle their way through scenes, are exceptional.
But particular credit must be paid to Bale, who takes on the role of the wrong’un brother, addled by a crack cocaine addiction. It is an immense performance.

Snowtown

This true story of a series of grisly murders in Australia has haunted me since the credits rolled.
Its sheer brutality and realism is incredible – as is the story of how a series of murders could take place with the help of a series of people all involved.
It is riddled with great performances and its pared-down violence will give the heebie-jeebies to the most hardened horror watcher.

127 Hours

The gruesome, true story of back-packing thrill-seeker Aron Ralston, who went for a walk in the beautiful canyons of Utah and came back one limb down, was incredibly well made, brilliantly acted and gave everyone who saw it the chilling thought: what would you do? It’s not exactly a plot spoiler to say Aron falls down a chasm and then gets his arm squashed under a rock. Nor is it too much to tell you what he does to get out of this jam (though I won’t).
The trick is in Danny Boyle’s storytelling, the flashbacks and the way he gets into the mind of Aron.
Haunting and brilliant.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two

I have consistently hated the Harry Potter, films so why choose this? Partly the sense of relief felt by the fact that this is the final instalment – and partly because it is actually a hugely watchable children’s action film. As ‘i’s are dotted and ‘t’s crossed in the Potter story; incredible action sequences jolly things along.

Bridesmaids

This was not, to be honest, a total favourite, but is being included as it broke the mould. A slacker comedy by Judd Apatow that doesn’t star slobby men in baggy sweatshirts and stained trackie-bots.
No, this is a slacker comedy about a  maid of honour not exactly revelling
in her duties. And it has some grotesquely funny scenes, which I laughed long and hard at. Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has been asked for her hand in marriage and best mate Annie is (Kristen Wiig) is given a crucial role in making sure the nuptials go swimmingly.
But she has to contend with uber-cow Helen (Rose Byrne) who has some ideas of her own as to how to make the proceedings go with a crash, bang and wallop.

The Artist

A silent film that celebrates the teenage years of the cinema industry, The Artist is a genuine stand-out film.
George Valentin is a swoony star of the silver screen, a silent movie hero. One day he gives youngster Peppy Miller her big break in the film industry – and later in his career, as he is a washed up has-been as talkies replace the silents, she repays the favour. This has a wonderful story, with incredible acting, but perhaps best of all is the musical score: it is a celebration of jazz, and just extraordinary.