Tom's Films of 2011

Here it is again, my annual round-up of films of the year. There's not much to separate the first four. Any one of them really could fill the top spot, but just to make things neat and tidy I've given them all their own number.

I'd love to be a bit more insightful about them all, but I held off putting the list together for so long to actually craft some genuinely profound things to say about them all would have delayed it even longer. In fact I'm not going to say much about them at all. They all have strong scripts, direction and acting, some were funny, some sad, one in particular quite difficult to watch. If you want to know more about any of them you've not seen there's the links to their websites and trailers to view.

1. Submarine (UK release date 18th March)

Directed by Richard Ayoade

Screenplay by Richard Ayoade
Based on the novel 'Submarine' by Joe Dunthorne

Starring: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins



2. Animal Kingdom (UK release date 25th February)

Written and directed by David Michôd

Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton, James Frecheville



Here's a link to play or download former Creative Screenwriting editor Jeff Goldsmith's podcast with director David Michôd and stars James Frecheville and Jacki Weaver.

3. The Guard (UK release date 19th August)

Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh

Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Michael Og Lane, David Wilmot, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan



4. Drive (UK release date 23rd September)

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Screenplay by Hossein Amini
Based on the novel 'Drive' by James Sallis

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks



Here's Jeff Goldsmith's interview with director Nicolas Winding Refn.

5. Super 8 (UK release date 5th August)

Written and directed by J. J. Abrams

Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths



Play or download Jeff Goldsmith's interview with J. J. Abrams here.

6. Snowtown (UK release date 18th November)

Directed by Justin Kurzel
Screenplay by Shaun Grant
Story by Shaun Grant and Justin Kurzel



If you've already seen the film, you might want to watch the 55 minute documentary below about the real case.



7. Crazy, Stupid, Love (UK release date 23rd September)

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Written by Dan Fogelman

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, John Carroll Lynch, Marisa Tomei, Analeigh Tipton, Kevin Bacon



8. The King's Speech (UK release date 7th January)

Directed by Tom Hooper
Screenplay by David Seidler

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter



9. The Fighter (UK release date 2nd February)

Directed by David O. Russell
Screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams



10. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy (UK release date 16th September)

Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds



Jeff Goldsmith's interview with co-writer Peter Straughan is here.

11. The Ides of March (UK release date 28th October)

Directed by George Clooney

Screenplay by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Based on the play 'Farragut North' by Beau Willimon

Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood



12. Win Win (UK release date 20th May)

Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young,
Melanie Lynskey



Jeff Goldsmith interviews writer-director Thomas McCarthy and actors Jeffrey Tambor and Melanie Lynskey here.

13. Terri (No UK cinema release)

Directed by Azazel Jacobs
Written by Patrick DeWitt

Starring: John C. Reilly, Jacob Wysocki, Bridger Zadina, Creed Bratton



An interview with director Azazel Jacobs on Film School Rejects.

14. Bobby Fischer Against the World (UK release date 15th July)

Directed by Liz Garbus



15. Moneyball (UK release date 25th November)

Directed by Bennett Miller
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman



16. Barney's Version (UK release date 28th January)

Directed by Richard J. Lewis

Screenplay by Michael Konyves
Based on the novel 'Barney's Version' by Mordecai Richler

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Rachelle Lefevre, Scott Speedman, Dustin Hoffman



An mp3 of The Collider's interview with Paul Giamatti is here.

A short segment on the book's author Mordecai Richler is below.



17. Bridesmaids (UK release date 24th June)

Directed by Paul Feig
Screenplay by Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, Jill Clayburgh, Jon Hamm (uncredited)



Jeff Goldsmith's interview with co-writer/star Kristen Wiig and co-writer Annie Mumolo is here.

18. Page One: Inside the New York Times (UK release date 23rd September)

Directed by Andrew Rossi



19. Attack The Block (UK release date 13th May)

Written and directed by Joe Cornish

Starring: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Luke Treadaway, Jumayn Hunter, Nick Frost



Jeff Goldsmith's interview with Joe Cornish is here.

20. Fire in Babylon (UK release date 20th May)

Directed by Stevan Riley



If you want to see what made the list in 2004-2010 you can do so below.

Tom's Films of 2010

Tom's Films of 2009

Tom’s Films of 2008

Tom’s Films of 2007

Tom’s Films of 2006

Tom’s Films of 2005

Tom’s Films of 2004