Midnight in Paris (2011)

A typically oddball Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris is a fantasy-romance that follows Gil, a Hollywood writer, and his fiancee, Inez, when they travel to Paris. Gil quickly falls in love with the city and wants to live there while Inez is largely immune to its charms. On a midnight stroll, he is transported to 1920s Paris and meets classic writers of the 'Lost Generation' such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Inez, ever the realist, dismisses these fantasies and the couple learn that they are more different than they thought. While the scenery and notion are charming, the music and name-dropping comes across as stuffy and largely unenlightening. Owen Wilson is tolerable in a more serious role than usual while Rachel McAdams is left with little to work with in her two-dimensional character. In the end it's only worth one watch - unless you're a francophile.

6.5/10

The Descendants (2011)

A somewhat dying breed, The Descendants is a pure drama about a hands-off father who is forced to step up as a solo parent after his wife is injured in a boating accident. Set in Hawaii, it takes an interesting look at the beauty and eccentricities of the island state and gives insight into Hawaiian lifestyle from a top-down perspective. Accompanied by endearing ukelele singer-songwriter tunes that reminded me of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, this is easily one of the more down-to-earth and accessible George Clooney films. However, the film has no real direction and lacks critical plot points to keep you wanting more. A lazy sunday kind of film that doesn't upset the waters and deserves a watch or two. 

7/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)

The curtain finally closes on the Harry Potter franchise as Hogwarts becomes the last bastion of hope against Voldemort and his overwhelming minions. HPATDH2 does a decent job of tying up the storylines and evoking hopelessness and I liked how academia becomes the refuge for all that is good. There's some feel-good scenes as house Slytherin finally get their just dessert and Severus Snape's true loyalties are finally revealed. Fantastic CGI is riddled throughout the film: magic golems, a Stargate Atlantis-esque defensive shield/bubble, the usual fireworks-like spells and a raging inferno. Unfortunately, the ending is a little pedestrian and I would've liked a bit more reflecting on past events for cohesion (if only the soundtracks of the prequels were more memorable). That said, the film is an enjoyable send-off and worthy of several watches.

8.5/10

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

An ensemble cast romantic comedy, Crazy Stupid Love is about a middle-aged man (Steve Carell) whose life is turned upside down when his wife (Julianne Moore) cheats on him with a work colleague (Kevin Bacon). Broken, he is taken under wing and reinvented by a suave player named Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who teaches him the art of picking up women. Meanwhile, a sharp and down-to-earth rebel (Emma Stone) disarms Jacob and he soon falls in love with her. Amongst all this are a few good laughs and it wraps up with an entertaining brawl between all the major characters as they all grow a little wiser. Beware though, for this one is a slow burner and it meanders constantly. Luckily, a mixed up soundtrack helps to stabilise the stories and for that it's worth a few looks.
7/10

Real Steel (2011)

A genre stew, Real Steel is set in a future where the top sport is robot boxing. It follows a dead-beat, robot-trainer father who reluctantly ends up taking care of his son, Max. Unfortunately, they continue to lose robot after robot and fight after fight until Max finds an abandoned robot in a junkyard and restores it. Reinvigorated, the pair start winning bouts and Max's father realises that his son was just what he needed to get his life back on track. It's armed with a soundtrack that's underwhelming but passable, while the father-son dynamic gives the film a little more substance and succeeds in not becoming too syrupy. Definitely a film that kids are sure to enjoy and want to watch again.

7/10

50/50 (2011)

50/50 centres on Adam, a 27 year old guy given a spinal cancer diagnosis that helps him to discern his true friends from the pretenders. Played deftly by the cool-headed Joseph Gordon Levitt, and an atypically likeable but still comic Seth Rogen, this becomes a buddy movie that bounces between being heart-breaking one second and hilarious the next. With fresh dialogue that reminded me of the good parts of Friends with Benefits, it is elevated by an excellent soundtrack full of both  golden oldies and a few more youthful tracks too. The only downside might be that there's nothing truly genre-breaking here but maybe that's not even necessary as I can imagine watching this over and over again over the years.

9/10

War Horse (2011)

A story about a stubborn horse and his rider who travel from England to German-occupied France in World War I, this film requires some open-mindedness: Steven Spielberg and Love Actually's Richard Curtis are involved. The horse, Joey, is made the focus which causes the story to meander through side stories which never quite come together over the 150 minute epic. Compounding this,  War Horse is clumsy due to sentiment and takes a good hour-plus to pick up any pace - quite a chore with only old-fashioned orchestra as accompaniment. Thankfully it improves and starts to pay-off further in but, on the whole, it only grazes film excellence a few times with scenes such as the unlikely co-operation of ally and axis troops. Disappointingly, this makes it hard to imagine seeing it more than twice without a fast forward button (for many: once may be the limit).

7.5/10

The Help (2011)

A heartfelt drama about the civil rights movement, The Help follows Skeeter, a headstrong, young, white woman who interviews several black maids in order to publish a book about their unjust experiences. Slow for the first half - even a little unravelled - the film eventually composes itself and finds its niche. From a modern day perspective, it becomes incredibly difficult not to simplify the characters as one of two types of people during this period: the empathetic good and the psychopathic evil. This is probably inevitable given the subject matter. The soundtrack is carefully chosen and while it is under-utilised this works as too much music would detract from the tone of the film. Definitely engaging by the time the curtain closes and worthy of a few viewings.

8.5/10

Drive (2011)

Two parts drama to one part action, Drive is an unusual film about a shy/awkward guy who's a part time mechanic and stuntman by day and a getaway driver by night. Packed with a new-age synthy soundtrack, it has a dream sequence feel to it for the first half and then takes a sudden swerve into vendettas and mob violence much like the change of pace in The Departed. The dialogue is terse, like our driver, as we meet his love interest, Irene, next door and unravel the pair's sets of problems.The soundtrack softens the film and is generally likeable, making the film more accessible for those less interested in the action side of things. It's a solid film yet it never fully connects with the viewer. Worth a few views all the same.

7.5/10

The Hangover Part II (2011)

This sequel re-hashes the same basic premise: a group of guys celebrate on a bachelor's night out before waking up the next day so hungover that none of them remember what happened. This time around, they're in Thailand which makes the back-tracking of events a lot more wild and foreign and leads to some darker jokes overall. There's a drug selling monkey, some awkward lady-boy scenes and another kingpin after them as they try to find the Bride's brother who's been 'lost to Bangkok'. The music is sparse and underutilised but does welcome in the key moments such as waking up the morning after. All in all, there's a few laughs here and there and plenty of "what the?" moments but it sacrifices any depth in the story for sheer entertainment value. Could be seen a few times as you channel surf over the years. 

6.5/10

The Caller (2011)

The Caller is a Butterfly Effect type movie with a horror twist. It follows Mary as she moves into a new apartment and receives calls from a mystery woman a few decades in the past. The mystery caller keeps altering events in the past and this in turn affects Mary's present. Unfortunately, it feels drawn for the first hour and then feels rushed for the last half hour and could have been balanced better. The soundtrack is sparse and forgettable and could have been used to help fix the slow start. The film gets bonus points for trying to add something cerebral to the horror genre (even tipping its hat to Star Trek) but I can't imagine anyone wanting to watch it more than twice.

6/10

Friends with Benefits (2011)

Friends with Benefits is a surprisingly sharp and modern take on Romantic Comedies. With worthy performances from both Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis as a couple, it examines the contemporary relationship and the expectations and idiosyncracies of men and women. The language is fresh and realistic and contributes to the quick-witted humour. The soundtrack is mostly well-chosen and keeps the movie on pace. It is only at the beginning and very end of the story where things veer towards the cliché and I felt particular distaste when Dylan's father had a lucid moment and explains his life's regrets which seemingly mirror the dilemma of the young couple. That aside, it's deserving of a couple of watches.
7.5/10