Subscribe RSS
Comment RSSTop 10 British Films Of 2011
17.12.11 # Top Ten # 8 Comments
Before we can delve into my top 10 British films of 2011, we really need to clarify what we mean by the term ‘British film’. A movie made in Britain, set in Britain, and/or with lots of Brits in it? That’ll do nicely. Anything to add? Just that Submarine and Wuthering Heights are not absent from this run-down through any oversight. They are absent because they were both knackers.
10. Ironclad
Okay, so hard to make much of a case for this medieval actioner as a great film, but equally it was not without merit. A decent supporting cast – Brian Cox, Paul Giamatti and Derek Jacobi – was enlisted in this fast ‘n’ loose retelling of the 1215 siege of Rochester Castle, and there was gore galore on display too in the myriad battle scenes.
9. Shame
2011 saw Michael Fassbender’s star only continue its ascent, and with the X-Men: First Class leading man having made an important breakthrough in 2008 with his turn in Steve McQueen’s Hunger, it was only fitting he reteam with the same director now fame has come his way. And this fresh collaboration with McQueen, in which Fassbender plays a sex addict, might yet help lift the actor’s career up to the next level still, as having been garlanded for his performance at the Venice Film Festival, he is now tipped to gain his first Oscar nomination.
8. The Inbetweeners Movie
A staggering UK box office smash in the summer, the antics of Will, Simon, Jay and Neil turned out to be rather less amusing when removed from their small screen roots and then spread over the course of 90 predictably-plotted minutes. But though it was largely left to the likeable cast to overcome a script lacking in wit, the cash yield means a sequel is now as certain as night following day following night.
7. Attack the Block
While not as strong a debut as many sought to claim, this first film from Radio 6 mainstay Joe Cornish still hit close enough to the audience sweet spot that it was a genuine disappointment that those Die Hard 5 director rumours proved to be nothing more than web-fuelled scuttlebutt.
6. Jane Eyre
An nth take on Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, this one could only muster a mediocre title figure, in the shape of Alice’s Mia Wasikowska. This shortcoming was, however, more than made up for by a terrific Rochester, played with dash and humour by that man Fassbender.
Top British Films 2011 – 5th to 1st >
Pages: 1 2
Harry Potter Part 7 Part 2 is bad. Bad bad. Like, incoherent editing, poor framing, pure exposition for dialog … that kinda bad. No WAY it should place after Attack the Block, which is an almost perfect film.
Other than that, sounds like it’s been a damn great year for British filmmaking. Cheers! Can’t wait to see Tyrannosaur!
I could not stand Attack the Block. That film was one of the worst ones I’ve ever seen. Seriously, ever. A group of hateful chavs as likeable protagonists? No. Just no.
That said, I enjoyed Potter simply for managing a big, ballsy ending (unlike the novel) and Tinker Tailor was my personal film of the year. Good list. There’s a few I’ll have to check out.
Attack the Block is great. It got a lot of illiogical criticism from genre fans.
Films are full of bad guys turned good. Cowboy films are full of that kind of thing, most crime films are, a lot of action films are too.
The reason I think it caught so much flak was unfortunite timing, mingling with lots of unsavoury racism and class fears.
I agree with the comment about bad guys turning good in attack the block. IT happens in life, too. You get your truly evil people now and then, totally gone from normal behavior, but most people have a reason for being a thug, offender, thief, etc… that involves more than just themselves, especially when they are young. It’s not that easy to just be boyscout good when you’ve been confused, or your life doesn’t seem to matter much. Attack the block was well-made, period. Doesn’t have anything to do with who you think is good or bad, if those cut and dry categories even exist. “Tinker…” with Gary Oldman is next on my list, since Oldman seems to be incapable of a poor performance.
Sad that I’ve only seen 2 of the films on this list. Attack the Block was good but also slightly disappointing, I wanted more originality from Cornish. The other one was HP7.2 a great battle film but, again, disappointed that they seemed to rush through important deaths of main characters.
It does mean lots of good films to put on my DVD watch list for 2012! I’ve heard a lot of good things about Tyrannosaur & Kill List.
I am an American fan of many british shows, including Richard Ayoade’s work. So when you said that Submarine was a “knacker”, the only thing I got out of that was that you called that movie a butcher. Is that good or bad?
I think he’s calling it a lemon curd, mate.
Bloody hell…
Leave A Comment
Author Notes
Post By Paul Martin
17th Dec
Recent Posts
Featured Posts
New Comments
Search
Sequel Updates
Remake Updates
Popular Posts
Popular Top Tens
...more
Theme by M.Hutagalung|Due to the amount of speculation and hearsay, site should be read for entertainment purposes only