My 2011 Best (And Worst) Pictures

I'm not watching the Oscars live. I'm recording it and plan to zoom through it, skipping over a lot of the stuff that I know won't hold my interest. If it weren't for Billy Crystal being the host I probably wouldn't watch at all. I only saw one of the Best Picture nominees, "Moneyball," and there are like 27 movies I saw that were better. At this link you'll find all the grades for the films I saw in 2011. I saw a lot fewer movies last year -- just 54 in all. A big reason for this is my schedule, with going back to work in mid-October cutting back on my free time. That, and a natural tendency for procrastination, is why this particular post is being done at the end of February.

If I should happen to see any more 2011 movies that are still in theaters, I'll update the list as needed. Until then, here are my rankings for my own personal 10 best and 5 worst movies. (Remember, if I didn't actually see it I can't include it no matter how good or bad it might be.)

My Top 10

Quick Review: Bad Teacher

I was sort of looking forward to "Bad Teacher," starring Cameron Diaz in the title role. It begins on the last day of the previous school year, when Diaz's Elizabeth Halsey -- foulmouthed, drinking, drug-using teacher that she is -- is leaving her job because she's getting married to her wealthy boyfriend. His mother helps put a stop to it, so Elizabeth is back in school in September, and so is a new substitute, Scott, (Justin Timberlake) who is earnest and squeaky clean. In the same way she rebuffs the gym teacher's (Jason Segel) interest, Elizabeth isn't interested in Scott, until she notices his expensive watch and learns his family owns the company. Elizabeth is interested. Very interested. (Now I ain't saying she a gold digger, but...okay, Kanye, take it from here.) There are lots of individual funny lines and scenes, and Elizabeth's turn from showing movies all day to taskmaster (taskmistress?) -- when she learns of a cash prize awarded to the teacher whose students score highest in the state's standardized testing -- is played for comedy and not serious, personal-improvement inspiration. It falls short of "Bridesmaids" in the R-rated comedy department, but it's not bad. My grade: B.

Quick Review: Bridesmaids

I'll make this simple: "Bridesmaids" is the best movie I've seen so far this year. Some have compared it to "The Hangover" but those comparisons aren't very valid. (For one thing, "The Hangover" left me thoroughly not entertained.) There's some R-rated raunch but it's not overwhelming. The story is as much concerned with the inner struggle of Annie (Kristen Wiig, brilliant) as it is with the wild situations the bridesmaids get into. She's middle-aged, in a dead-end sales job after her cake shop went under, in a dead-end relationship with a man who's only in it for the sex (Jon Hamm, hot), living with two strange roommates in an apartment, and now her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is engaged and asks her to be the maid of honor. Annie is trying to put together a bridal shower on a budget while another bridesmaid (Rose Byrne), a newer and wealthier friend of Lillian's, is ready to swoop in to take over the maid of honor's duties, which strains Annie even more. All of this doesn't help when a new, charming, decent guy (Chris O'Dowd, also hot) comes into Annie's life. There are both belly laughs and insightful, sensitive moments, both happy and sad. My grade: A-minus.