A Year to Remember

At the end of every year the talk centers around the the best that the year had to offer. This applies to many different aspects of life including films. Everyone wants to know what was the best movie, the best performance and so on. With the scope and size of Hollywood, and the seemingly infinite number of movies that are released in any given year, I think many people forget the amount of time, personel and money that it takes to write, film, produce and market a movie. It can take a full year (sometimes multiple years) of work by an individual director, actor or producer to make one movie. Sometimes lightning strikes and an individual is able to be a part of multiple movies in a given year. This post is an acknowledgement of the people of Hollywood who went over and beyond for 2011 and gave us both quality and quantity. Here is a top 5 list of men and women who gave exceptional performances in multiple movies for 2011.

THE MEN:

George Clooney: Clooney proved once again in 2011 that he is a man of many talents. The year saw him give two great performances as well as showcased his talents in the writing, directing and producing roles.

The Descendants (Acting)- A man who seems to have everything in the paradise of Hawaii has to face the difficulties of a family on the brink as Hawaiian land owner Matt King. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Actor)

The Ides of March(Acting, Writing, Directing, Producing)- Helped write the screenplay while also stepping behind the camera to direct and produce. Also showed up in front of the camera playing Presidential hopeful Mike Morris. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture)

Michael Fassbender: Say hello to a soon to be superstar in Hollywood. 2011 was the coming out party for one of the most talented young actors in the business. Relegated to supporting roles and independent movies in previous years, Fassbender was finally given a chance to shine in the spotlight in 2011 and he definitly made the most of it.

Jane Eyre (Acting)- Playing the high class love interest Edward Rochester.

X-Men: First Class(Acting)- An integral part of breathing new life into the franchise by capturing the humanity and consuming hatred of Erik Lehnsherr that resulted in the creation of Magneto.

A Dangerous Method(have not seen) (Acting)- Played the contemporary to Sigmund Frued and founder of Analytical Psychology Carl Jung. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Actor)

Shame (Acting)- Courageous and heartbreaking depiction of the lonliness and depression of a sex addict as Brandon Sullivan. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Actor)

Ryan Gosling: Continues to prove he is in the top echelon of young Hollywood. Gosling proved in 2011 that he can play the cool anti-hero, as well as showcased his comedic chops.

Crazy,Stupid,Love (Acting)- Showed he has a funny side as the slick womanizer trying to change his ways Jacob Palmer.

The Ides of March (Acting)- The lynchpin to showcasing the dirty side of politics, as campaign manager Stephen Meyers. (Possible Oscar nominee- Best Actor)

Drive (Acting)- Showed he has the cool confidence to be this generation's Paul Newman. A slick, violent turn as a wheelman caught up in the mob known only as The Driver. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Actor)

Brad Pitt: So often, people consider Brad Pitt as a good looks movie star that they forget he is one of the more talented actors in Tinseltown. 2011 showcased those talents in two very different yet effective roles.

Tree of Life (Acting)- Shined in a difficult role as a hard working disciplinarian father Mr. O'Brien, who during the 1960s wanted the best for his family but was not always able to effectively communicate that desire. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actor)

Moneyball (Acting)- Infused life and entertainment into the numbers behind the business of baseball as the charismatic leader and GM of the Oakland A's Billy Beane. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Actor)

Steven Spielberg: Arguably the greatest movie making director of all time burst back onto the scene in 2011. What is even more interesting is he did it following the same recipe that he created by making heartwarming, epic movies that bridge the gap between critical success and entertainment value. Not only did he direct 2 movies in 2011, in his "spare time" he produced 6 movies and 2 successful TV series.

War Horse (Director and Producer)- Brought his classic approach of epic visuals and sweeping scores to WWI seen from the eyes of a horse who touches the lives of countless people on both sides of the war. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Director and Best Picture)

The Adventures of TinTin (have not seen) (Director and Producer)- One of Spielberg's greatest accomplishments is his ability to make movies that cross generation gaps. In the same year he directs a movie about WWI, he also is able to direct an animated adventure story that appeals to all generations. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Animated Picture)

Super 8/ Transformers:Dark Side of the Moon/ Cowboys and Aliens/ Real Steel (Executive Producer)

TV- Falling Skies and Terranova (Executive Producer)

THE WOMEN:

Jessica Chastain: Talk about a coming out party. Chastain may have had one of the greatest years in acting history. Not only did she set the bar with 6 movies released in 2011, she was outstanding in all of them while taking on very different roles and characters.

The Debt (Acting)- Showcased her action talent as a member of Israeli special forces sent to capture a Nazi war criminal following WWII.

Take Shelter (have not seen)(Acting)- Played Samantha, a mother and wife trying to understand her husband as he prepares the family for his perceived coming of dooomsday. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actress)

Coriolanus (have not seen) (Acting)- Plays Coriolanus's wife Virgilia in the modern take on the play of the same name by Shakespeare.

Texas Killing Fields (have not seen) (Acting)- Plays Detective Pam Stall as part of the team investigating unsolved murders in the bayous of East Texas.

Tree of Life (Acting)- Provided the contrast to Pitt's disciplinarian parent as the ethereal version of a soft spoken, loving and nurturing mother figure. She was able to speak volumes despite saying very little as Mrs. O'Brien. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actress)

The Help (Acting)- In my opinion, the best part of the movie. Plays the secluded outcast of high society Celia Foote, who is trying desperately to fit in. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actress)

Viola Davis: Another example of a talented actress who has served her time playing small character roles only to finally be given the opportunity to shine as the star.

Trust (Acting)- Small but pivotal role as the compassionate social worker Gail Friedman who is trying to break through to a damaged young girl.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Acting)- Another small but impactful role as Abby Black who holds the key to a young boy's search for answers following his father's death on 9/11.

The Help (Acting)- Gave the performance of a lifetime as Aibileen Clark who is the central voice in the expose of the relationship between the white aristocracy of the deep south and the black maids who worked in their homes and raised their children. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Actress)

Jennifer Lawrence: A young actress who burst onto the scene last year with her Oscar nominated performance in the little seen movie Winter's Bone, took that momentum and really capitalized on it. She had a successful follow up year by giving two strong supporting roles, as well as contributing to the ensemble of the franchise reboot X-Men. Her biggest moment of 2011 however is undoubtedly landing the role of Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming Hunger Games series which will undoubtedly turn her into a household name the same way the Twilight series did for Kristen Stewart, with the only difference being that Lawrence can actually act.

The Beaver (Acting)- A successful role as the high school valedictorian with a rebelious side Norah.

Like Crazy (Acting)- Her second movie acting opposite Anton Yelchin, however this time she gives a heartbreaking performance as the "replacement" girlfriend Sam, who just isn't enough.

X-Men: First Class (Acting)- One of the central characters to the reboot was the blossoming of the insecure and self consious Raven into the alluring and sensuous Mystique.

Carey Mulligan: Ever since she emerged with her Oscar nominated turn in An Education, Mulligan has proven that she can play the naive, innocent role. This year she succesfully broadened her acting chops with more risque and vulnerable roles that proved she will be at the top of a lot of director's list when looking to cast dramatic female characters. She will get her first shot this year with the role of Daisy in The Great Gatsby opposite Leonardo DiCaprio (Be sure to put that one on the Must See List).

Drive (Acting)- Irene is a lonely mother who is longing and desparate for meaning and security in life both for herself and her child as she allows herself to become more vulnerable with the enigmatic Driver. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actress)

Shame (Acting)- As Sissy Sullivan she captivates as the lonely sister searching for acceptance and meaning by reaching out to her sex addicted brother. A raw and deep performance of sadness and despair, with a haunting scene in which she sings New York, New York which is one of the most touching scenes of the year. (Possible Oscar Nominee- Best Supporting Actress)

Emma Watson: Cast as a young girl for the role of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, no one could have imagined the actress she would turn out to be. She constantly matured with the character taking on bigger challenges along the way, and now is positioned to parlay what could have become a classic child actor fading into obscurity into a successful film career.

Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (Acting)- Brought a stubborn yet adoring know-it-all likeability to the character of Hermione Granger that became one of the best parts about the series.

My Week with Marilyn (Acting)- Watson's first foray into the world beyond Harry Potter and she showed that she can hold her own outside of the series. She takes a simple role as the costume tech Lucy and makes it memorable.

Coming Soon:

-Tuesday morning is the official announcement of this years Oscar nominees. My predictions as well as the 2011 Cinematic Courier Awards will be posted tomorrow evening.