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BEST OF 2011 by Bryan Layne

13 ASSASSINS

Japanese film directed by horror/gore master Takashi Miike (AUDITION). This time around Miike tackles the historical epic with influences taken directly from Kurosawa’s SEVEN SAMURAI. In America, the epic has been replaced by mediocre (or less) summer and holiday blockbusters. Gone are the films of David Lean and Cecil B. DeMille. On occasion a film will be revered as an epic, but the look and feel of the classic money-busting, set-driven genre is different now. 13 ASSASSINS successfully captures all the elements required to fit in the genre known as the epic, both historically and visually. This fact is most apparent in the stunning conclusion of the last reel. Catch the version that has Japanese language with English subtitles. The dubbed version is unintentionally hilarious and distracting.

In the mid-1800’s, the samurai has become something of a relic. Because of family ties to Shogun warriors, Lord Naritsugu lives a life of untouchable atrocities. As a result, master samurai Shinzaemon is hired to put an end to Naritsugu’s tyranny. Along the way, twelve additional warriors are added to Shinzaemon’s roster, as thirteen assassins battle against an unplanned two hundred enemies. Body parts fly and sets get demolished, all while this film overtakes your full attention.

CEDAR RAPIDS

Independent corporation/work-place comedy with a great script, cast, and one likeable character after the next. This film gained popularity over a two-year period as one of the best unproduced screenplays floating around Hollywood.

Shielded insurance agent Tim Lippe is forced into representing his company at a regional conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There he befriends three fellow agents, among them the unsophisticated Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly). In the process, he begins to finally break out of his shell and learns to enjoy a lifestyle he never knew was available. There’s a lot to enjoy in CEDAR RAPIDS.

THE DESCENDANTS

Director Alexander Payne continues his streak of masterfully blending drama and humor with this appealing George Clooney vehicle. Every single film Payne has been attached to in his career has worked effortlessly for his fans and the result is character-driven situations that stay with the filmgoer days after viewing.

The title refers to Clooney’s character who is a trustee of family land in the excessively valuable Hawaiian islands of Kauai. A workaholic lawyer that put family last, he is forced into being a father when his wife suffers a boating accident. A noteworthy appearance from missing-in-action Beau Bridges as Cousin Hugh. Clooney was meant to play lead character Matt King.

DOCK ELLIS AND THE LSD NO-NO

Clocking in at under five minutes, I felt I had to mention this animated short that I caught at a film festival at the beginning of this year. Director and New York Times Magazine artist James Blagden’s film was an award-winner at the Sundance Film Festival for honorable mention. For its short running time, this title resulted in more smiles and laughs for myself than most of the full-length comedies I caught this year.

On June, 12 1970, Pittsburg Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres under the influence of LSD. With narration by Ellis himself from a 2008 radio interview, Blagden interprets what it must have been like with a trained eye for comedy.

EVERYTHING MUST GO

Based off the short story “Why Don’t You Dance” by Raymond Carver (Robert Altman’s SHORT CUTS), it was Will Ferrell’s performance that secured this title’s appearance for this article. The movie is not flawless, but the usually silly and over-the-top Ferrell is both heartbreaking and affable as a guy who just can’t seem to get his shit together. Carver was a master at storytelling and developing characters readers can’t help but care about and this short story provided material that demanded to be put to film.

Nick Halsey is losing everything due to a relapse with alcoholism. After being fired from his job, he returns home to find that his wife has changed the locks and put everything he owns outside. He befriends a couple of his neighbors, takes a stance of not leaving his front lawn, and goes on a bender for weeks. The decision is made to sell his belongings in a yard sale in order to start his life over anew. A nice performance from young Christopher Jordan Wallace (deceased hip-hop artist Biggie Smalls’ son) as Nick’s yard sale associate who only wants to be taught how to play baseball as payment for services rendered. An underrated film.

THE GUARD

My favorite film from 2011 was this dark comedy from Ireland that mixes the police procedurals and the buddy film. Director John Michael McDonagh (the brother of filmmaker Martin McDonagh [IN BRUGES]) has included some of the best dialogue in his screenplay and wisely kept the humor at a continuous pace. Irish actor Brendan Gleeson never fails to disappoint when he’s in cynic mode, as evident with his portrayal of Sergeant Gerry Boyle of the Irish Garda. Don Cheadle served as producer on this one and gives an invaluable straight-man performance against Gleeson’s unintentionally blunt and offensive demeanor. Make no mistake, this film is great and the humor never panders to one’s intelligence. The result is one well-deserved laugh after another.

Sergeant Gerry Boyle gets caught-up in an international drug smuggling ring in the outback area of Ireland’s Connemara. In between hookers, drugs, booze and a new partner, he’s forced to accommodate an FBI agent from Atlanta, GA as bodies begin to pile up on his home turf.

THE INNKEEPERS

Director Ti West continues to fashion horror films that are reminiscent of the classics I grew up with in the eighties and, unlike some of his contemporaries, he never needs to advertise his films as being such. West’s films continue to progressively get better and better. As far as the independent horror film goes in 2011, THE INNKEEPERS is the only film that matters.

The days of The Yankee Pedlar functioning as an operating hotel are coming to an end. Claire and Luke work the front desk and dabble with ghost hunting during down time from the few remaining guests left in the haunted establishment. Their goal is to capture evidence of recurring poltergeist Madeline O’ Malley. Full of just as many laughs as scares, THE INNKEEPERS failed to disappoint.

MONEYBALL

Non-sport fans may yawn at the synopsis of this film, but with the script by Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zailian, as well as the direction by Bennett Miller, I found this one to be fascinating from beginning to finish.

The true story of the Oakland Athletics and general manager Billy Beane’s decision to apply sabermetrics (the analysis of baseball through in-game statistics) in order to gain a winning team against opposing teams with unlimited financial resources. A Yale grad feeds stats into a computer to recruit undesirable athletes that none of the other teams care about. As a result, these players working together as a team should logically become a force to be reckoned with. Most of the facts are covered, including the A’s 2002 remarkable winning streak. One of the best films about baseball in years.

RED DOG

Family feature from Australia that centers around the real-life story of a kelpie/cattle dog cross breed that became world famous and an Australian national treasure due to his extensive independent travels throughout Australia’s Pilbara region in search of his deceased owner. Here is a dog that was so beloved that he spawned four books, was made a member of a trucker’s union, and was even given an account at The Bank of Wales. Although the film includes leading actor Josh Lucas and Australian character actor Noah Taylor, the star of this feature is Koko who is incredibly charismatic in the title role. In between scenes of sappiness, there are moments of brilliance throughout Red Dog’s story that may be too intense for children at a very young age. I doubt I will see a family feature as good as this one for many years to come.

A truck-driver drops a haul off at a desolate pub located on a massive construction site. As he approaches the bar, he believes he is witnessing a murder taking place in the back offices, only to discover four men are trying to put-down a sick dog. When no one is capable of going through with it, the bartender joins the truck driver for a drink at the bar. It seems that somebody has deliberately poisoned the cherished Red Dog with strychnine. As the canine slowly dies, the truck driver is treated to story-upon-story of how unique Red Dog is and how he changed everybody’s life he came into contact with.

TAKE SHELTER

An independent thriller that delivers on every aspect. I never knew what was going to happen next in this incredible film. The cast is solid, but leading actor Michael Shannon steals the show and should secure his appearance in more feature films.

Battling continuous nightmares revolving around catastrophic events, Curtis LaForche fears he is inheriting his mother’s schizophrenia. He becomes obsessed with completing a storm shelter in his backyard, all while trying not to explain himself to his immediate family.

THE THING

Fans of the Howard Hawks and John Carpenter films may consider including this one sacrilege, but I was such a fan of JOHN CARPENTER’S THE THING that any continuation of that story is welcomed. Is this as good as the previous films? Absolutely not, but I still enjoyed the entire feature. A prequel to Carpenter’s vision, it tells the story of the Norwegian camp that discovered the thing twenty-four hours before Kurt Russell. I loved how details from Carpenter’s film were explained away in this feature and lead actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is nice to look at as she does her best to match Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley from the ALIEN franchise. The CGI effects were well handled.

I also enjoyed HORRIBLE BOSSES, I SAW THE DEVIL, THE TREE OF LIFE, LIMITLESS, HUGO, DRIVE, and STRAW DOGS this year. I must point out I did not see WAR HORSE or THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO this year and if I had, I imagine those two would have made the list based on the material and the directors’ past films.

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