The 2011 411 Movie & TV Awards 1.10.12: The Movie Awards

Posted by Ben Piper on 01.10.2012

What movie will be named the very best? Best Comedy? Which actors and actresses will receive love? The 411 Staff weighs in on the best of the year for the 411 Movie Awards.


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Hello, and welcome back one and all to the second half of The 2011 411 Movie and TV Awards! Yes, indeed, this is the annual year-end kudo fest where many of the 411 staff shares their insights with regards to what the consensus felt was the very best entertainment to be had in pop culture in the year 2011. I am your host, Ben Piper.

The year in movies that we experienced found us inundated with sequels, prequels, comic book properties as well as a few original movies that came along and managed to make a name for themselves. Veteran character actors as well as major stars experienced career highpoints by being critically highlighted for star-making turns or showing a side of themselves we hadn't previously seen before.

Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, & Carey Mulligan all received enough nominating votes individually to warrant receiving serious consideration in their own right, but the fact that all these votes were split between performances from different films basically took each of them out of the equation in the end.

The nominations were determined by the 411 staff. Each writer was given the opportunity to nominate up to three choices in each of the categories. Top five vote getters received nominations, and in the cases of ties (which were several) more than five were permitted into the final tally.

The final voting process which determined the winners and runner's up was simple; each staffer got to vote for only one of the nominees in each of the categories. Based on that simple criteria, that is how we've arrived here.

I'd like to thank everyone on the staff that voted and took part in shaping this up to what it eventually became. I shall now list them for the record, in no discernable order;

Shawn S. Lealos; Jeremy Thomas; Mike Gorman; Porfirio Diaz; Trevor Snyder; Joseph Lee; Andy Critchell; Michael Weyer; Steve Gustafson; Arnold Furious; Al Norton; Rick Tym; George H. Sirois; Matt Arena; T.J. Hawke; Dimitri Dorlis; Sean Garmer; Chad Webb; Jeremy Wilson;Nolan Woodford; Chad Nevett; Larry Csonka; Bryan Kristopowitz & Dustin James.

And yes, I voted as well, but it would be kind of weird to thank myself for doing so.

So let's get started! We're now moving onto the Movie side of things. Here to introduce the first category is Jeremy Wilson!



Seemingly every year we feel the need to have the discussion with "what kind of year was it for women" in movies. And every year the majority seem to say the same thing. "There weren't that many great roles for women in movies this year." Some years that sentiment feels more spot-on than others, but not this year. If you don't think this was a great year for actresses, then you weren't looking very hard. I'm actually quite impressed with the nominees the staff here at 411 chose for Best Female Performance. It is a list comprised of diverse performers and challenging roles that stretch from dark, art-house films to massively successful multiplex comedies. The actresses chosen by 411 as the best of the year may not be the same as those recognized by the Oscars or some of the larger awards shows, but I'd be willing to pit our group of nominees with anyone – they are that strong of a group.

In fact, one of the great things about this year's group of selected nominees is that it fits with what 2011 was all about: Breakthroughs. There were veteran performers finding roles and films that shot them into the public consciousness and got them critical raves such as Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia or Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids.There were also plenty of newcomers that hit the scene and who gave performances that declared them ready for stardom. We've recognized a few of these young starlets such as Elisabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene and Saoirse Ronan in Hanna, both of whom headlined challenging films with material that actresses twice their age would struggle to do. And then there's Elle Fanning, who stepped out of the shadow of her famous sister Dakota, and delivered an astonishing performance for one so young, instilling a breath of life into Super 8 that resulted in one of that film's most notable aspects. All are performers and roles that made audiences sit up and take notice this year and will be remembered as the years go by as these ladies become bigger stars and (hopefully) go on to even better roles. -Jeremy Wilson

And The Nominees Are;

Kirsten Dunst- Melancholia
Elle Fanning- Super 8
Melissa McCarthy- Bridesmaids
Elizabeth Olson- Martha Marcy May Marlene
Saoirse Ronan- Hanna
Kristen Wiig- Bridesmaids

Runner Up- Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids: She may be the Runner-Up but is there really a bigger winner when it comes to female performances in 2011? Melissa McCarthy has been around for a long time, first catching our attention as the quirky Sookie on Gilmore Girls. But it was this past year that really put her on the map as a comedy force to be reckoned with. She took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance as the titular Molly in CBS's new hit, Mike and Molly, and then there was Bridesmaids.

If Bridesmaids is the movie that came out of nowhere to tackle the competition in this past year's comedy field, than Melissa McCarthy can only be described as that film's MVP. There was definitely the possibility that McCarthy's Megan would get lost in the sea of amazing female talent the film shepherded, including the hilarious Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Instead her quirky supporting role ended up stealing every scene she was in. Megan was brash, bold, larger than life (and no, that's not a fat joke) and when you least expected it, brought a voice of reason and care to the comedic chaos that had erupted.

McCarthy broke the mold this year with delight and a twinkle of brilliance in her eyes. She has proven herself a master of comic timing and certainly adept at crafting characters that make us laugh and remain solid in our memories when the films are gone. -Mike Gorman

Winner- Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia: It may seem a bit strange to label Kirsten Dunst's performance in Melancholia as perhaps her first true breakthrough performance. She has, after all, been at this acting thing for over twenty years now, achieving worldwide success from the Spider-Man franchise as well as featuring in a number of well regarded movies. But it's hard to describe her work in Lars von Trier's latest film as anything else, as she delivers arguably her greatest performance (by far). It becomes apparent rather quickly in Melancholia that we have never really seen Dunst take on anything approaching this kind of challenging role. In Justine, Dunst is tasked with portraying a woman so crippled by depression – emotionally, physically even spiritually – that the end of the world is nothing but a respite. To pull off depression of this magnitude and not make it seem melodramatic or disingenuously showy is not easy. Cinema is rife with depressed malcontents who make life hell for all those around them. However, Dunst instills such nuance to her performance in Melancholia that it leaves viewers no other choice but to totally buy it and be completely absorbed. This is not a big, showy role; smartly, Dunst plays it small, particularly in the first half of the picture where Justine is forced to navigate an excruciating wedding reception in which she wants no part, but must smile and play the part for as long as she can. We see the pain and discomfort building; by the beginning of "Part Two," we feel for her as she struggles in a state that can only be described as catatonic. There are many jaw-dropping scenes and powerful images from Melancholia; perhaps none more so than when Justine can't even raise her leg to get into the bathtub and her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) can do nothing but encourage her with the line that it is "practice for tomorrow."

Perhaps the biggest challenge of portraying a character with this level of depression is trying to overcome the natural inclination by most outsiders – viewers and even those characters in Melancholia expressing the same kind of frustrations – to simply "take your meds already!" However, as Melancholia plays out, we understand Justine and how those around her can't understand what she is going through – not even her new husband. As the film comes to its conclusion, we see Justine and her sister essentially flip roles. As the planet, Melancholia, continues on its inevitable collision with Earth, Justine perks up. For someone who imagines the worst, the end of the world is both a relief and confirmation of what she's been putting herself through. Freud described Melancholia as a disorder that results in "a profoundly painful dejection, cessation of interest in the outside world, loss of the capacity to love, inhibition of all activity, and a lowering of the self-regarding feelings to a degree that finds utterance in self-reproaches and self-revilings, and culminates in a delusional expectation of punishment." We see all of that and more in Justine and what Kirsten Dunst is able to show – in what we here at 411mania and other places see as the best female performance of the year in film – is as remarkable as the end of the world ends up being in Melancholia. -Jeremy Wilson





The day of the stereotypical leading man performance has clearly come and gone when one looks at the current state of affairs in Hollywood. It is not just a chiseled jaw, a stoic glance and a commanding screen presence that defines our strongest male actors anymore, and I want you to realize that this is a great thing!

The men that rise to the top now strike out as individuals delivering performances that are nuanced, full of heart, and are truly uniquely their own. Just look at the men who made the final cut as nominees in this category. Steve Carrell brought us a lot more than just jokes. George Clooney brought layers to a man who could have just be subsumed by anger. Joseph Gordon-Levitt made us believe that it is life that needs to be celebrated in the face of death. Brad Pitt portrayed a man who had to change the rules in order to finally win. And Andy Serkis, well, Andy drew more emotion and heart than we thought possible to the surface of a CGI ape.

Could there be a more diverse range of perfromances to select from? I don't think so and each one was a definite gift to the movie going audiences this year. Range is the key and the 2011 nominees truly delivered.-Mike Gorman

And The Nominees Are;

Steve Carell- Crazy Stupid Love
George Clooney- The Descendants
Joseph Gordon-Levitt- 50/50
Brad Pitt- Moneyball
Andy Serkis- Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Winner- (Tie) George Clooney, The Descendants:There is a certain level of stardom that poses an extra challenge for the biggest and brightest of Hollywood's leading actors. It is always going to be harder for George Clooney to overcome who he is than it would be for other, lesser-known actors. After all, Clooney is the closest thing the industry has had to Cary Grant in the last half-century. He is a superstar and one of the great all-time sex symbols for a generation that has watched his progression from TV sitcom guest stints to primetime leading man all the way to arguably the most famous leading man in Hollywood. We all know him and it can be a bigger challenge for audiences to accept Clooney playing a role rather than himself. For most of his career, Clooney has ably been able to hone his craft while at times remaining in a box that may have limited him to being the debonair charmer. As the years have gone by though, Clooney has sought to stretch his ability, whether it be through more challenging roles and films (Syriana, The American, Up in the Air) or behind the camera (Good Night, and Good Luck., The Ides of March). Thus, at this point in his career, it is rather marvelous to see someone of Clooney's stature strive to be a better actor and be in films that challenge him and audiences.

What Clooney is asked to do in Alexander Payne's wonderful new film, The Descendants, is different for the veteran actor. Gone is the oozing charm and sex appeal, replaced by a character that could easily be called "frumpy." There is some humor to be found in Clooney's performance as a man whose wife makes him a cuckold and then is left behind to pick up the pieces of their family as she lies comatose due to a jet-ski accident. Alexander Payne does dark comedy character pieces about as well as anyone in Hollywood. However, this is more than that; this is a complex and deep role for Clooney, one that requires a nuanced and restrained performance. As Matt King, Clooney is forced to juggle a lot of things, from the approaching decision regarding unplugging his wife's life support to his seemingly out-of-control kids to the monumental real estate deal he is entrusted to make. We see the obvious pain King is feeling being pushed down (except for one scene in particular as King lashes out at his comatose wife) as he struggles to comes to terms with how his life is changing and what the consequences involved will mean for them all. One thing remains the same for Clooney though: he still makes it look easy. -Jeremy Wilson



Winner (Tie) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50: was undoubtedly one of the best surprises of the year, a movie that was funny, tragic and above all, a real and moving depiction of a young man's battle with cancer. As good as the movie is it wouldn't be nearly as good if not for the work of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the main role. Gordon-Levitt has been building a reputation for a long time as one of the best guys working in film, particularly in terms of limited release films. While his name has stayed prominent in mainstream movie fans' minds with work in such films as Christopher Nolan's Inception and the forthcoming Dark Knight Rises, his performances in smaller films like (500) Days of Summer, Hesher and--further back--The Lookout and Brick has kept his indy critical darling roots going strong. His work as Adam in 50/50 puts all of those to shame however. He goes on a harrowing emotional journey as he's diagnosed with cancer, his girlfriend cheats on him, friends he meets at the hospital die and he gets closer to his own demise, yet somehow this journey isn't the melodramatic tale that it could be. Levitt establishes an immediate chemistry with the whole cast and thus makes their performances better by comparison. I predict that this performance will be ignored by the awards ceremonies and that will be utterly criminal, because in my mind there were few people whose acting work was in his league, if anyone. We can hope that his next fantastic indy acting performance--because I promise that another is coming--will be properly rewarded. -Jeremy Thomas





By "movie disappointment" standards, 2011 was a good year. For motion picture fans, not so much. For Hollywood studios, not so much-er. To say Hollywood wants to forget most about the previous year is an understatement. Movies projected to be sure hits turned out to be downright turds. These were the movies that took our trailer-teaser-leaked pictures-fed high expectations, spat on them, robbed our innocence at gunpoint (not to mention our ten dollars), and blah blah blah Green Lantern reference.

It's not that our nominees were stinky pieces of cow pie – at least in comparison to, say, Bucky Larson - but it's that we expected more from them. A great deal of more. To watch our cinematic excitement burned down by a poor script, inadequate casting, and/or CGI 3-D up the wazoo is a haunting cloud of frustration. That cloud would then follow us all the way home, only to be used as flame bait on the Internet because that's what we like to do. Well, that's what you like to do.

There are movies we love and movies we hate but nothing feels worse than when a movie doesn't meet our expectations, leaving us with a great sense of utter disappointment and dissatisfaction backwash. For the movies nominated below, these were our Philadelphia Eagles, our L.A. Noire, our Motorola Droid Bionic – max up to 11. -Porfirio Diaz

And The Nominees Are;

Cowboys & Aliens
The Green Hornet
Green Lantern
The Hangover Part 2
Sucker Punch

Runner Up- Green Lantern: Green Lantern was not supposed to be here at all. This was the film that was supposed to keep the gravy train created by X-Men: First Class and Thor going. Granted maybe it was not a film created for placement on many "Best of…" lists – the expectation for most superhero movies should be set at "dumb action flick", for which you can customize during the actual movie experience - but for Green Lantern to come out as one of the most disappointing films of 2011? No, it wasn't supposed to be this way at all.

There are a number of reasons why this film sucked so hard. For starters, the terrible CGI reduced the film into a green-and-yellow nausea mesh trip. Hey guys, it's Ryan Reynolds' head attached to a computer generated costume goofing around in backgrounds caused by billions of computer generated pixels while he creates giant green computer generated shapes as energy-based weapons. That's a lot of take in. The whole movie is head-on-a-stick Reynolds making faces while swimming in digital green-yellowish tar. He tried. Oh did Reynolds try. But you can only do so much when your head is lost in CGI purgatory. All he was given in trying to convey the story was a chart of artless facial expressions, with half of them listed as "sad".

Here's the thing – I can understand why the CGI was necessary. Look at what is shown on the pages of a Green Lantern comic book. Now, take what you see and try to translate them to a movie screen. CGI is a necessary evil for a story like the visually-based driven Green Lantern. But in this case, the glossy amounts of digital efforts left the movie a soulless entity, with no room for significant character progression or a logical plot. What resulted was an entire project attached to "meh" – meh action, meh characters, and meh everything else. What works well for beautiful desktop wallpaper did not translate well into a satisfactory 114 minutes.

Green Lantern is a faithful adaptation from the comics but that's all it has on it. I would not have minded if the movie switched from "faithful origin story, terrible movie" to the opposite of what was received. Green Lantern was supposed to be an introduction to a fresh wave of action, thrill, and exhilaration. What came out was none of the above.-Porfirio Diaz

Winner-The Hangover Part 2: I went to see The Hangover in 2009 and thought it was one of the funniest movies I had seen in years. It did not take long for it to surpass Beverly Hills Cop as the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. Sure, there were people who didn't like the movie, mainly Sunday School kids and people missing their funny bone, but it was one of the most original, dirty comedy movies in many years. I'd put it with Animal House as one of the best R-rated comedies ever made.

It was not a surprise that a sequel was green lit quite quickly. Of course, I had my doubts about it. Director Todd Phillips did not have the best track record. Outside of The Hangover and Old School, his movies were not that great. However, because of the great cast and impressive first movie, I held out some hope that he would find gold once again. That turned out to be the most disappointing thing of all. The anticipation of Phillips reaching the brilliance of the original was replaced with disappointment when he did little but remake the first movie, reset in a new location.

On its own, The Hangover Part II is a funny movie. The problem is that it cannot stand on its own. The movie continuously calls back to the first movie in the series, making mention of things that happened in that film and all that does is remind viewers of how great the first movie was. But, the biggest problem is that what made the first movie so brilliant was its originality. The originality plus the gross out humor equaled one of the best comedies of recent years. This movie lacked the originality and all that remained was humor already seen before in a movie that kept reminding us of how well it worked last time.

Bradley Cooper is back as the cool, collected Phil. Ed Helms is back and once again is the put-upon disfigured Stu. Zach Galifianakis is back as Alan, but this time his innocence has given way to a demented stalker vibe. Ken Jeong is back as Mr. Chow, but instead of being jaw droppingly nuts, he is just annoying. This time around, Mason Lee plays the lost individual the Wolf Pack has to find while Justin Bartha's Doug is who communicates with them on the phone. And there is a subplot with a gangster played by Paul Giamatti which serves as nothing more than a red herring.

What is most distressing is that The Hangover Part II broke the first movies box office records. The first movie was original and deserving. This sequel is a weak rehashing of what we have already seen and our Biggest Disappointment of 2011. -Shawn S. Lealos





The term blockbuster is pretty much ubiquitous in this day and age, as we all ostensibly know what that is entailed to mean specifically; the huge popcorn flick that will earn major bucks not only at the box office but in later DVD sales that will appeal to the biggest and broadest scope demographic wise audience across the board. In other words, the "event" movies that the masses will flock into theaters to check out and ‘ooh' and ‘ahh' over.

While these tend to not by any means be the very best movies that come out over the course of a given year, they no doubt represent the pulse of current pop culture in general, in terms of what the general public are truly interested in seeing presented to them on the big screen when they are looking to be mindlessly entertained.

This year's list of nominated films in this category represent not only a current trend of summer blockbuster fare from the past few years as well as a couple of new wrinkles into the mix; there are three different Marvel comics represented, two of which set up individual characters while continuing to build towards one of 2012's most anticipated movies, while the third took a prequel approach and as a result completely re-invigorated what had been considered a franchise on the downward slope. Another was a standalone movie from a fanboy favorite director that paid homage to one of his major influences (whom also served as one of the movie's producers). And then you have the prequel to a 40 year old antiquated concept that basically nobody was clamoring for, but it turned out to be a whole lot better than anyone expected beforehand. And then, there was the final installment of the most financially successful box office franchise of all time.

While none of these movies pretend in any way to be heady stuff, they did in fact succeed in what they each set out to accomplish, to entertain the masses. Each of them did just that. -Ben Piper

And The Nominees Are;

Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Part 2
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Super 8
Thor
X-Men: First Class

Runner Up: X-Men: First Class: It's safe to say that we live in a world filled with reboots, remakes and prequels. Whenever a franchise looks like it's hit a stumbling block, instead of working around it, studios today just start from scratch. Or when the story is complete, but there's still some potential money to be made, it's only inevitable that a prequel is on the horizon.

In the case of X-Men: First Class, you had both of those issues at once that needed to be dealt with. While the first two X-Men films were an excellent start to the franchise, the next two failed to live up to their potential. I personally believe that X-Men: The Last Stand was better than it had any right to be considering the behind the scenes issues, but I do agree with most that it was a missed opportunity. And X-Men Origins: Wolverine came off more as an excuse to stick as many mutants on the screen as possible. However, both films were financial successes, so something had to be done to get a quality X-Men film put together before the grosses started dropping.

As I watched X-Men: First Class with my father (he and I had a tradition of going to the movies for Father's Day weekend and I took him to see parts 1 & 2), I realized that this was everything this movie had to be to get this property back on track. It introduces the character of Erik Lensherr by taking us right back to where we were at the beginning of the first film, it introduces both Charles Xavier and Raven Darkholme in an unexpected but welcome fashion and, before long, we get to meet Sebastian Shaw and see his attempts to control Erik's anger.

Before long, we're off and running and we're treated to a very powerful story that examines the relationship between Erik and Charles Xavier. Two mutants working together despite their very different backgrounds and philosophies, these characters are brought to life wonderfully by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Kevin Bacon clearly enjoys the role of Sebastian Shaw and Jennifer Lawrence does a terrific job of showing the happier side of Mystique before the world turned her bitter.

Now, is X-Men: First Class perfect? No, there are times that despite the thankfully deliberate pace that the third film needed, the third act tended to drag a little bit. And while there are times when it seems to fit perfectly into the X-Men trilogy canon, certain key moments override the continuity that was already set in place. (Maybe some point, I'll bring up my own theories that solve some of the bigger problems.) But thankfully, the film has more than enough pluses to outweigh the minuses and I left the theater happy to see an X-Men on par with the first two films and likely the start of a whole new trilogy that I look forward to seeing unfold. -George H. Sirois

Winner- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: The end to one of the greatest cinematic franchises of all time came over the summer as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hit theaters. Of course, most already knew what was coming before they saw it. This entire series has been about destiny and this film marked the culmination in the boy wizard's fate as laid out by previous entries. It was always going to be Harry versus Voldemort, good versus evil. It isn't a stretch to say that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the most anticipated film of 2011 (hey, remember this?) and that it had a lot to live up to. Over the course of a decade, through seven books and eight films, the Harry Potter series has left an indelible mark on literature, cinema and the culture at large. The final film had to go out on top and it had to deliver. The verdict here at 411 and around the globe was that it did that and much more.

By any measure (be it critical or commercial), the final film in J.K. Rowling's fantasy saga, hit an absolute home run. Not only did Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 end up being the best reviewed film in the franchise's history, but also ended the year as one of the best reviewed films overall. It came in as the highest grossing entry in the series in every box office measure and was also the highest grossing film of the year overall (and it wasn't all that close). Beyond critical and commercial success, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 felt like the conclusion that everyone deserved. The Battle of Hogwarts added an element of action and scope we hadn't yet witnessed in the franchise, while director David Yates was able to deftly condense and adapt the huge amount of material into an awe-inspiring spectacle. Some have quibbled with supporting characters getting short-shrift and becoming marginalized in the transition from page to screen, but most understand film and books are different mediums and must accomplish different things. Others mocked the makeup worn by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in those last scenes – as if Yates had any other choice. We watched those three grow up in this series, going from raw child actors to accomplished and polished performers. They deserved that ending as much as fans did and it would have felt wrong to have other (older) actors fill their parts.

Finally, there was Alan Rickman. Those who read the books certainly knew it was coming and perhaps a few who only watched the films realized it too. It didn't matter; it couldn't lessen the power of his performance or his unique role in this final film and in the series as a whole. Severus Snape added an element to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 that is usually lacking in most blockbusters and spectacles. It also reminded us why this film – and franchise – hold such a special place in audiences' hearts and why we care so much for these characters. I wrote earlier that destiny was a major part of the Harry Potter series and that remains true. However, it is the power of love – whether it comes from Harry's parents, friends or through one lonely outcast's unrequited love – that defines Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and becomes the central tenet of a franchise that remains beloved around the world by all ages. There was no better or more satisfying blockbuster at the movies this year than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. -Jeremy Wilson





The comedy movie genre had several highs and many, many lows in 2011. Several big movies made money (The Hangover part II, The Muppets, and Bridesmaids, among others) and several movies that, based on past trends should have been money makers, didn't make much money or have that big of an impact on audiences or critics. The Farrelly Brothers showed up with Hall Pass and left quickly. The Dilemma had Kevin James and Vince Vaughn and a bunch of controversy surrounding it (remember the gay joke in the trailer that got everyone upset?) but wasn't a major hit (and James' family comedy The Zookeeper didn't matter much, either). The alien comedy Paul was a kind of hit, although I'd imagine that many people would have preferred a tighter movie than the one they got (that was my big complaint about it. It was fun seeing Simon and Nick back together again, but the movie just didn't work as well as it probably should have). And Jason Bateman had an up and down year, with the big hit Horrible Bosses and the flop The Change-Up. Martin Lawrence's Big Momma's House franchise likely died with the terrible Like Father, Like Son. 30 Minutes or Less, from the makers of Zombieland, didn't make a dime, despite some good reviews. Bad Teacher made quite a bit of money and was a decent enough hit, but the movie wasn't as good as it could have been (it's too long for one thing). The third Harold and Kumar movie probably made just enough money for all involved to consider making a part four. And Adam Sandler bored the hell out of a lot of people with Jack & Jill (what the heck happened to him?).

So what am I getting at here? Basically, 2011 was like every other movie year. There were some good movies, a bunch of bad movies, and a bunch of movies that people will probably discover in 2012 on home video and TV (30 Minutes or Less comes to mind). Everyone had a good laugh, though, right? I mean, that is the point of the comedy, isn't it?

Ha. -Bryan Kristopowitz

And The Nominees Are;

Bridesmaids
Horrible Bosses
The Muppets
Paul
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Runner Up- The Muppets: It's time to play the music / It's time to light the lights / It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight

When I was first getting excited about the new Muppets movie, it was all based on nostalgia plus a little bit of trusting Jason Segel to do right by the classic characters. Then I heard that some of the people from Henson were saying they did not like the movie and that it did not have the true spirit of the Muppets. Those people are idiots.

The Muppets is the best Muppets movie since the original and is one of the only sequels to get the spirit of the Muppets right. This wasn't about putting the Muppets in another story, like Treasure Island or A Christmas Carol. This was about putting them into their real world and letting them run free. It also is a movie about discovering who you are and where you belong, through the character of Walter.

And for the people at Fox News who say this movie is anti-American because it makes big business the enemy, all I have to say is for you to get a life and shut the hell up. Big business was not the enemy, a lying evil oil tycoon was. If you wanted to say that it was against corrupt business, that would make more sense. Maybe that is why Fox was so offended.

There is so much to like about The Muppets, from the characters getting to know each other again to the great story to the songs, no matter how over the top they were. I grew up watching The Muppets as a kid, when they first aired on television. This movie was perfect in my eyes as a re-introduction to the characters. Sometimes you don't need amazing CGI or 3D extravaganzas. You just need some puppets and a good story and the rest takes care of itself.

It's time to get things started / On the most sensational inspirational celebrational Muppetational / This is what we call the Muppet Show! -Shawn S. Lealos

Winner- Bridesmaids: Going into Bridesmaids the big pop culture question was "Would audiences go see a gross out comedy starring and essentially made by women?" (yes, the director was a man, Paul Feig, and Judd Apatow was one of the movie's producers, but it was written by women and had an all female cast). The movie had good buzz and, on paper at least, a decent enough cast, but would paying movie audiences go to see a movie where women fart, swear, throw up, and leave massive diarrhea dumps in the bathroom sink? After the movie's opening weekend the questioners found out that yes, movie going audiences would go see a gross out comedy starring and made by women.

In fact, audiences showed up in droves to see it.

The movie is very funny, laugh-out-loud-pissing-your-pants funny at times (the diarrhea in the sink thing is one such scene). Kristen Wiig, known for her outstanding work on Saturday Night Live, co-wrote the script, starred in the movie, and showed everyone that she could carry a movie if need be. Melissa McCarthy knocked it out of the park with her performance, and Maya Rudolph did decent work as Wiig's best friend. The movie also had a lot of heart, which helped the story move through its slow moments. McCarthy seems to be the one everyone is going to remember for the next while, but I imagine that the movie as a whole (meaning everyone involved in it) will get some notice in a year or two. I mean, Richard Riehle is in it as a guy named Bill Cozbi. That's goddamn brilliant.

The only bad thing about the success of Bridesmaids is that it's likely going to usher in a slew of incredibly bad "gross out" comedies featuring women because that's the lesson the Hollywood suits are going to take away from it. That's what audiences want to see. It doesn't have to be good, it just has to have women in it (I stole that observation from an old Non Sequitur cartoon about what Hollywood took away from the success of Titanic. People didn't want to watch a spectacular adventure and love story, they wanted to see more movies about boats).

So, yeah, thanks for everything, gals. -Bryan Kristopowitz





Let's face it – 2011 was not a particularly superb year for movies. Every fantastic cinematic achievement was countered twice fold with CGI, CGI sequels, tacked on 3-D, Taylor Lautner, and anything involving Happy Madison Productions. But much like how a lone piece of wood floats on a body of water, there were films that stuck out among a pool of terrible movie reels. Fantastic films even. Fantastic films such as Moneyball, Hugo, Super 8, X-Men: First Class, and The Descendants continued to restore our faith in the movie-going experience/humanity, and we here at 411 are more than happy to recognize their filmic triumph.

This is what this section is for – to acknowledge want we, the writers, determined was the best film of 2011. -Porfirio Diaz

And The Nominees Are;

The Descendants
Hugo
Moneyball
Super 8
X-Men: First Class

Runner Up- Hugo: We are all movie-lovers here. Let's face it, if we weren't then we wouldn't be either reading about or writing about film news, reviews, top 5/8/10 lists, Fact or Fiction and so on. This is why it's not a surprise to me that Martin Scorsese's Hugo placed in the top two of our list of films of the year. I know I'm not the only one who did a head scratch when I heard that Scorsese was tackling what was initially described in reports as a children's adventure novel for his next film; it's not the kind of thing that you would expect from the guy who made Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Shutter Island and so on. And to be fair, it's less of a children's adventure novel than it is a film about the love of classic movies that just happens to be family-friendly. The truth is that after seeing this film I can understand why Scorsese made it; it's exactly the kind of material you would expect Scorsese to be passionate about in that it reveres the origins of film. What's ingenious about it is that it does so in such a way as to make the love of silent film and the classic era of film-making infectious. Scorsese has long been an advocate for film preservation and this can be seen almost as a mission statement in that respect. But it's more than just a blaring advertisement for AFI and the Film Preservation Society; it's also a wonderful tale about a young man on a quest to connect with his lost father and an old man who finds himself on a course that will connect him with a past long-thought dead. The performances are uniformly excellent from the likes of Ben Kingsley, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Christopher Lee and Asa Butterfield; even Sasha Baron Cohen does well in his role. This is a film crafted with delicate care and powerful sentiment that yet manages to avoid being schmaltzy or sentimental and it certainly deserves to be in the top two of the year, if not the top spot. -Jeremy Thomas

Winner-X-Men First Class: What Matthew Vaughn did with this movie was not just reinvigorate a film franchise. It also served as a new template for how comic book movies can be more than just fancy CGI and inside jokes. Taking the simple premise of a prequel showing how Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Eric "Magneto" Lensherr (Michael Fassbander) met and forged a team of mutants, Vaughn and the screenwriters give the classic X-Men mythos a terrific spin. What makes it work is the inspired idea of setting the movie in 1962 and using the Cuban Missile Crisis as a key plot point. It's amazing how well the ‘60's vibe helps the film, giving it a retro feel and making these super-powered beings stand out even more. Plus, it has the layer of mirroring the civil rights movements that inspired the X-Men in the first place. But it's not just some homage, it stands on its own as a fantastic story where "good vs evil" is often mixed with grey.

Sure, you have references and appearances X-fans will love (especially the great cameo by Hugh Jackman as Wolverine) but if you've never seen the previous films or read any of the comics before, you'll feel the great emotion the film has. That's a credit to the cast, McAvoy giving Xavier a nice edge, showing that a guy who reads minds can't help but be a bit mischievous and arrogant yet wanting to help others. Fassbender (a huge breakout this year) imbues Eric with the pain of his youth (shown in the gripping 1944 opening sequence) and a desire for revenge that's softened by Xavier but still disagreeing on the man's dream of peace. Even more than Ian McKellen, Fassbender makes us see Magneto's point of view, convinced mutants will suffer the same fate as Jews under the Nazis and you understand why people would flock to him. But the standout is Jennifer Lawrence who gives Mystique more depth than ever before, the irony of a shape-changer afraid of being herself and the battle of her emotions is shown clearly by the actress and speaks for the plotline of the film. Sure, January Jones may be flat as Emma Frost but thankfully, Kevin Bacon more than makes up for it as the conniving Sebastian Shaw, determined to set off World War III in the belief it will aid mutantkind. Some of the others may be forgettable but Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) and his struggle to be "normal" (along with his romance with Mystique) does more with the character than the third movie ever did. Plus, Rose Byrne is a fun touch as the normal human Moria helping Xavier out.

The climax may be the team battling Shaw's flunkies while preventing the U.S. and Soviet navies from firing on each other. But the movie was built far better than just that from a spy flavor that's straight out of the era to seeing Xavier and Magneto try to teach these young mutants their gifts, all done to a tight and smart script that more than paid homage to the characters involved while allowing the non-fans to enjoy them as well. Rather than be a CGI-fest like so many other comic films, the creators took the time to really capture the feel of the comics and their world and transplanting that into something that feels like classic James Bond just makes it better. It replaces the first Superman and Batman films as the model of how to make a comic book movie work in a way to please fans and critics alike and its massive box office take proves it. The ending sets up the "later" films wonderfully but can also launch its own set of films to continue this wonderful vibe. Busting with sheer cool in every way imaginable, this was truly the film audiences loved and thus fittingly our pick for Best Movie of 2011. -Michael Weyer



And with that, so ends the 2011 411 Movie & TV Awards. I hope that you all had a good time, see you next year!
-BP



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