Eric Kohn
Senior Editor / Chief Film Critic, Indiewire
Off the top off my head, I can think of two movies I neglected to put on my top 10 list for 2011, and they couldn't be more dissimilar. Federico Veiroj's paean to cinephilia, "A Useful Life," and the vibrant homage to '80's blockbusters and the power of the green screen, "Manborg." But these omissions are neither here nor there. I was lucky enough to sing the praises of both films at different times of the year. So: Let's get to the movies that made the cut.
My top 10 list provided an opportunity consider the movies I kept thinking about throughout the year, and that spoke to me at the precise moment when I chose to narrow down the candidates. "Melancholia" took the top spot partly because it allowed me to experience emotions as narrative in a way I had never encountered before (which is part of driving engine for the constant "Tree of Life" love), but I'll admit it also had something to do the climate surrounding the movie that routinely gave it a starring role in various conversations I've had with people since I saw the movie at Cannes in May. Maybe I've fallen for the marketplace pressures Karen Durbin touched on during last week's Critical Consensus column when she confessed to dropping "Punch-Drunk Love" from her list 10 years ago in favor of "Adaptation."
But if "Melancholia" is overrated, so are top 10 lists. Here are a two of mine: My conventional top 10 and a list of undistributed films.
Best Films of 2011
1. "Melancholia"
2. "Meek's Cutoff"
3. "Le Havre"
4. "Take Shelter"
5. "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives"
6. "Beginners"
7. "A Separation"
8. "Cold Weather"
9. "Le Quattro Volte"
10. "Nostalgia for the Light"
Best Undistributed Films
1. "Hanaan"
2. "You Hurt My Feelings"
3. "The Color Wheel"
4. "Without"
5. "Policeman"
6. "Oslo, August 31st"
7. "Seeking the Monkey King"
8. "How to Cheat"
9. "Best Intentions"
10. "Dark Horse"
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