1. The Tree of Life is released (finally!)
Terrence Malick's latest work - The Tree of Life - that became a cinematic event as every Malick movie (that are rare things we see being released). The movie won the Palme D'Or in Cannes and had a "not bad" box office performance for a so "art-house" movie, something so philosophical and "no mainstream". Famous names like Brad Pitt and Sean Penn bring even more pedigree to this unusual masterpiece at the same time that attract some people to the theatres, while delivering some great acting performances (Jessica Chastain is great too!). It's not a movie for all the audiences and some may not like it, but it can't make The Tree of Life less than the best movie of the year so far!
2. The charm of Midnight In Paris
Woody Allen's comeback to his more classic style which a movie that reminds the old school where he was the greatest teacher. Midnight In Paris was raved by critics, became Woody Allen's most profitable movie ever and has a time travelling experience! With a great cast that includes Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Tom Hiddleston and Carla Bruni and a Cannes Film Festival place in the official selection we start asking "What could we ask more from a Woody Allen comedy"?
3. Harry Potter says "Goodbye!" with a stylish (and bankable) BANG!
With a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score (with an average rating of 8.4 out of 10), a US box office of 169.2M in a worldwide total of almost 560M in the first week after the release, the Harry Potter franchise ends with a lot of style! 10 years passed after the release of the first movie (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) and the Muggles keep under the spell of the most compelling magical story and it seems that the movie also emerged as a potential Oscar contender in a big couple of categories, including Best Picture - can you imagine Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II a Best Picture nominee? It became possible recently! The franchise finished like it should be finished: with a BANG!
4. Kristin Wiig and Bridesmaids honour beginning of Summer season with a lot of fun
Female-driven comedies usually have crazy estrogen levels and they suck, but Bridesmaids' estrogen levels are high, but they are smart and controled and they have Kristin Wiig leading them! In fact, Bridesmaids is the surprise comedy of the year so far, being everything that a Sex and the City movie should be but it isn't. Wiig is so funny and charismatic, emerging as a possible future comedy royalty name in cinema, as a GOOD comedy star (I'm not talking about Jennifer Aniston). What a great surprise!...
5. Cannes Film Festival feels Melancholia and shows a great selection
Lars von Trier is a genius, but saying admiting that you understand Adolf Hitler isn't the smartest thing to say in a press conference... Anyway the mediatic director promoted his latest movie Melancholia (which featured a great great performance from Kirsten Dunst - finally a great great performance from such a past promise) between a big couple of great and very interesting movies that made part of this year's most famous film festival edition. Drive, The Tree of Life, The Artist, The Kid with a Bike, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Once Upon a Time In Anatolia, Midnight In Paris, Take Shelter, The Skin I Live In, Footnote, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Le Havre or Oslo, August 31st are other movies that made Cannes one of the biggest cinematic parties of the year.
6. Mia Wasikowska delivers the best Jane Eyre performance ever
The role of Jane Eyre was already played by a big couple of actresses who delivered good performances, but it seems that the rising star Mia Wasikowska delivered the best Jane Eyre performance ever in this years cinematical adaptation of Jane Eyre. Critics praised her so much and there is some serious buzz around her performance for the awards season, but the movie had a early March release and her amazing performance by not be remembered between that good/great performances that can be seen more in friendly months. Anyway, Mia Waskowska delivered one of the best performances of the year so far and no one can steal the merit from her, because what she did is done and it was amazing!
7. Sundance Film Festival's great selection
What a great year for Sundance 2011 was! The famous film festival known for the great independent productions that usually make part of its selection had another great year by taking movies like Martha Marcy May Marlene, Like Crazy, Silent House, Take Shelter or Submarine (just to name a few of the best) that became awards contenders, including Oscar (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Like Crazy and Take Shelter are the most AMPAS friendly movies of Sundance). The big winner was Like Crazy and I'm going crazy for wanting to see it so badly, the Sundance Film Festival winner is always one of the best winners of a whole year!
8. Chris Hemsworth's breakthrough performance in Thor
While the movie wasn't more than a bit above average super-hero movie with pure entertainment, the Australian actor Chris Hemsworth surprised with his charismatic presence and talent evidence, being more than just a pretty boy with blue eyes - this guy can act and made Thor looking as a character that was specially made for him, when most actors would fail to deliver a just "OK" performance! A cinematic promise that no one was expecting... A thunder of refreshing cinematic hope!
9. Super 8 and the memories of a classic Summer blockbuster
Better than some expectations, worse than others, but the fact is that Super 8 is the strongest Summer blockbuster following Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. Praised by critics and with a very good box office performance in USA, Super 8 isn't everywhere worldwide but it will be... Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring, between others, Elle Fanning (one of the most promising actresses alive and (one of) the best of her generation), the movie rocked and its Steven Spielberg classic blockbuster style was one of the keys for the movie's sucess. A shinning star in the dark night this Summer season is.
10. The announcement of a promising December cinema season
War Horse, The Adventures of Tintin: the Secret of the Unicorn, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, We Bought a Zoo, Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows, Coriolanus, The Iron Lady or Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol are some of the hotest movie titles that have a December release. Which ones will be "December champions"? Well, it seems we have to wait for the most exciting part of the cinematic year of 2011 in order to see it!
