Christopher Rosen's Favorite Movies of 2011: 'Harry Potter,' 'Midnight in Paris,' 'The Artist' and 'Moneyball'

From 50 to 1, the best movies of 2011.

The second-to-last installment of the record-breaking 'Twilight' franchise certainly ups the ante in terms of urgency. Edward, Bella and Jacob each grow exponentially in the movie, and we witness several rites of passage in under two hours: marriage, loss of virginity, the honeymoon, pregnancy, childbirth and (almost) death. Toss in some werewolf-on-vampire battle sequences and you've got yourself one dense film. -- Chris Jancelewicz

Calling this documentary "one of a kind" undersells the uniqueness of its cinematic experience. German director Werner Herzog, who has never shied from adventure, is granted rare access to document the 30,000-year-old cave paintings in the Chauvet Cave in France. The technical requirements needed to document one of mankind's earliest works of art, while still preserving its inviolability, is enough of an incredible story, but 'Dreams' also offers Herzog's philosophical musings on humans' inherent need for artistic expression. And if it wasn't enough to attempt to record the exploration of the soul at the dawn of civilization, Herzog made 'Dreams' in lush 3D to truly capture the cave's natural wonders. -- Eric Larnick

It should be a required prerequisite to watch 'J. Edgar' before watching 'The Iron Lady,' in an effort to really illustrate how the biopic of a political figure should not be done, as opposed to the way one should be done. While watching 'J. Edgar,' a viewer is led to think, Leonardo DiCaprio is doing a decent impression of Hoover, I suppose; in 'The Iron Lady,' it's uncanny how Meryl Streep just becomes Margaret Thatcher. Like 'J. Edgar,' 'The Iron Lady' jumps back and forth through time, but there's a life to Thatcher’s rise to power that, no matter what you think of her politics, is enthralling. -- Mike Ryan

This one's probably not going to wind up on too many "Best Of" lists because, well, it’s about a family that buys a zoo, and that’s corny. (And, yes, this is a corny movie.) But everyone in this movie is just so darn nice -- so much so that it’s nearly impossible not to be won over by a slightly pudgy Matt Damon trying to do something nice for, well, everyone. (There's also a very tall Patrick Fugit is in this movie, which is also nice.) Damon plays Benjamin Mee, who -- after the passing of his wife -- buys a partially deserted zoo in an effort to (A) help his troubled family and (B) help the zoo. Yes, this film is sap. But at least it’s tasty sap with an excellent soundtrack. -- M.R.

That title! What does it mean? It means things have gone so wrong for our Impossible Missions Force that the United States government has disavowed the entire organization. In terms of the four 'Mission: Impossible' films, 'Ghost Protocol' gives the Brian De Palma original a run for its self-destructing money. But in terms of movies from 2011, the sequence that takes place outside of the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai is the first to make my stomach queasy in quite some time. I mean this in the best possible way. -- M.R.

Remember those 1970s blockbusters like 'The Towering Inferno' and  'The Poseidon Adventure'?  Sprawling stories filled with a cavalcade of stars doing their best to cheat death in terrifying scenarios (and usually failing)? Steven Soderbergh has updated the disaster movie for modern audiences in 'Contagion,' the story of a global viral epidemic that kills off the population in mass quantities. But unlike those classic spectacles, 'Contagion' is a paranoia-filled worst-case-scenario; in an increasingly connected world where inaccurate information spreads as fast as germs, the idea of "running away to safety" becomes more impossible. 'Contagion' will probably never be turned into an attraction at Universal Studios, but it's still an adrenaline rush. -- E.L.

If his diabolical performance in 'Ides of March' made you pine for the lovably schlubby Paul Giammati of yore, pull up an iTunes search for this charming indie by Thomas McCarthy ('The Station Agent'). Giammati plays Mike Flaherty, a struggling lawyer/high-school wrestling coach who decides to make a little extra cash by assuming legal guardianship of Rocky's brother Paulie an elderly client (Burt Ward). When the old man's knucklehead grandson shows up in town, Flaherty reluctantly takes him in, only to discover that the kid's the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin of the cold-auditorium circuit. Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambour, and Bobby Canavale co-star, so we can stop typing, right? You're convinced? -- M.H.

We always knew there was something special about Saoirse Ronan, and in 'Hanna' this is proven 10 times over. Her icy glare and kickassery steal the movie -- she is absolutely riveting as the titular character. An honorable mention goes to the supporting Cate Blanchett, who shadows Hanna throughout. This tale of ultimate survival will have you on the edge of your seat. -- C.J.

Admittedly, a tough sell for a Christmas Day film. In other words: Not many people are going to find the imagery of Tom Hanks falling to his death on 9/11 a pleasant experience. Thomas Horn plays Oskar Schell, a boy who lost his father (Hanks) on, as Oskar calls it, "the worst day." A mysterious key in his late father’s closet leads young Oskar on a quest to find what it unlocks. At the very least, the key will probably open up an Oscar nomination for Max von Sydow (who does not speak one word in this film), whom Oskar meets along the way. -- M.R.

To call this documentary a real-life 'Wire' would be doing a disservice to how important it really is. Directed by Steve James, the man behind the award-winning 1994 film 'Hoop Dreams,' 'The Interrupters' follows a group of "violence interrupters," men and women who have served time in jail and are now looking to help kids stay away from gang life in inner-city Chicago. It's heart-wrenching, it's angry, and above all, it's honest. -- A.S.

Without a doubt, the best romantic comedy of the year -- maybe even years. Buoyed by a winning cast (Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore), 'Crazy Stupid Love' doesn't try to reinvent the romcom wheel; instead, it revels in the cliches, and makes them feel new by remembering that people want to fall in love with characters when they go to the movies. The results are charming beyond belief. Credit for 'Crazy Stupid Love' goes to directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (for doing their best James L. Brooks impersonation), screenwriter Dan Fogelman (for doing his best Cameron Crowe impersonation), as well as the likable cast. For Gosling completists, this could be his ultimate performance -- a charm offensive that includes many scenes of The Gos sans shirt. Just sayin'. -- C.R.

Chances are you haven’t seen 'The Guard.' Hell, I only saw it because I needed to kill two hours at the Tribeca Film Festival and it happened to be starting at an opportune moment. Brendan Gleeson plays an Irish cop who isn't too pleased to be taking orders from an American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) who's in the country investigating an international drug-smuggling ring. Gleeson gives perhaps the funniest performance of the year (in what is now the most financially successful Irish film of all time), as the slightly alcoholic and, at times, casually racist Boyle. Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Gleeson and Cheadle as an unlikely crime fighting team. -- M.R.

To some, this movie was just a speed bump on the way to the ultimate prize: next summer's superhero blockbuster, 'The Avengers.' But when we finally got a look at the All-American hero in action, we suddenly realized that this thing could stand on its own. And a lot of that is thanks to the Captain himself, played with plucky earnestness by Chris Evans. We never thought we'd have higher expectations for 'The Avengers,' but, we do. -- A.S.

Political movies aren't usually very riveting, but 'Ides' breaks the genre with a stellar cast (George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood) and an intelligent script. The film removes the polished sheen that normally covers campaigning for political office and exposes the oft-ugly machinations spinning underneath. And c'mon, let's face it, we know this is just a preliminary taste of Clooney and politics, so we'd better get used to it. -- C.J.

Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor are father and son -- convincingly -- in this movie about coming to terms with and accepting who you really are (but not in a pandering sort of way). Plummer's character both comes out of the closet and announces that he has terminal cancer to his son at the same time, and we watch McGregor's shell-shocked reaction to the news. Heartfelt and genuine, this is the sleeper hit of the year. -- M.H.

Elizabeth Olsen’s breakout performance comes as a former cult member who seeks out her older sister for help; help that’s not entirely related to escaping the cult itself -- and the cult’s sinister leader, played quite brilliantly by John Hawkes -- but more to escape the memories of a now past life that she’s still confused about. The tone of the film is a constant dread -- dread that eventually establishes itself in the guise of ambiguity. -- M.R.

All cerebral and a little kinky, David Cronenberg's latest film is an exercise in psychological discussion and analysis. Not content to paint the surface strokes of the lives of psychotherapy fathers Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, Cronenberg digs deeper into the mens' psyches and motivations, including the windstorm that was patient/guinea pig/rumored lover Sabina Spielrein. Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen are all in their element here as tortured souls on the path to enlightenment. -- C.J.

The most fun movie of the year? Perhaps. From the opening credits -- which are reminiscent of 'Catch Me If You Can,' right down to John Williams's jazzy score -- to the multiple chase scenes, director Steven Spielberg seems to be having a blast behind the camera of his first 3D outing. The motion-capture technology allows Spielberg to do things previously only possible in imagination. Never mind if the source material for 'Tintin' -- the Belgiam comic by Herge -- is Dutch to you; this is the movie 'Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull' should have been. Enjoy the ride. -- C.R.

For a certain breed of fashion-conscious New Yorker, there is no higher compliment than to be photographed by Bill Cunningham for his street-style and nightlife columns in the New York Times. In this affectionate (but never soft) documentary, director Richard Press examines the man behind the lens, reveling the dissonance between the fashion world's opulence and Cunningham's near-monastic modesty. If you see only one documentary about the paper of record this year, make it this one. -- M.H.

Hands-down one of the most visceral movies of the year, 'Kevin' may just be a motion-picture contraceptive. Without exaggeration, Kevin is the offspring from hell -- even as a toddler -- and the audience is forced to deal with an emotion one doesn't feel very often: absolute loathing of a child. Ezra Miller (Kevin) and Tilda Swinton (Kevin's mother, Eva) dial up the intensity with long stares, harsh soliloquies and aching back-and-forth exchanges. The eventual climax and the build-up to it are so acute, you'll leave the theater physically (and emotionally) exhausted. -- C.J.

Is this the best Wall Street movie ever made? By refusing to demonize its subjects, director J.C. Chador's ultra-confident debut feature sidesteps Oliver Stone-style outrage to expose an even darker truth: the market is a leviathan with a mind of its own, and we're all just barnacles clinging to its scales. The bankers -- injected with varying levels of paranoia and arrogance by a murderers' row of actors (Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons) -- just happen to dwell closer to the mouth of the beast, for better and worse. -- M.H.

In a year with a lot of mediocre-to-downright-awful "Earth vs. aliens" movies, it may seem like the concept is on its last legs. But fear not, because 'Attack the Block' has come along and flipped the sci-fi genre on its head. In 'Block,' inner-city youth delinquents from London head out for another night of criminal behavior, only to stumble upon an invasion from some freaky fang-bearing aliens. It's left up to these anything-but-heroes to save their neighborhood (and the world). 'Attack the Block' works so well because its young cast gets to live out every teenage boy’s bad-ass action hero fantasy; even when they’re running for their lives and fighting off blood-thirsty monsters with samurai swords, you’ll be jealous at how much fun they’re having. -- E.L.

Don't be fooled by the ostensible subject matter or the NC-17 rating: director Steve McQueen's sex-addiction movie is about as sexy as his last collaboration with star Michael Fassbender, the stomach-turning prison-starvation-strike film 'Hunger.' This time, at least, Fassbender maintains full fighting weight as Brandon, a man whose all-consuming appetite for porn and commercial sex blocks him off emotionally from his nutty sister (Carey Mulligan) and douche bag boss (James Badge Dale). If that all sounds too cold and repellent to endure, however, don't be so sure: Fassbender's Oscar-ready performance and McQueen's canvas-like compositions make this a fascinating journey into the soul of a badly hurting man. -- M.H.

'Super 8' is one of our favorites this year, mainly because it correctly answered this question: How do you create a 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' for the iPod generation? You have J.J. Abrams direct, bring in Steven Spielberg to produce, get an incredibly talented young cast to star, and then throw in a freaky government conspiracy and an alien to tie it all together. (Also, Coach Taylor.) 'Super 8' was a sci-fi movie and a nostalgic suburban flick all wrapped into one. -- A.S.

The Lars von Trier Nazi controversy threatened to derail this movie before it even began. Luckily, 'Melancholia' spoke for itself. Named after a planet that has been hiding behind the sun and now heading for Earth, 'Melancholia' explored the grim reality of depression, human emotion, and -- in general -- how one would act if they knew the world was about to come to an end. (Hint: Not well.) Kirsten Dunst's harrowing performance as a depressed newlywed should finally get her out of the 'Spider-man' bubble, and Kiefer Sutherland -- as her curious-but-cowardly brother-in-law -- should surprise fans of '24.' The visuals are stunning, the ending is dark, and von Trier, as always, makes it impossible to turn away. -- A.S.

Back in the '80s, there was no stopping these not-quite-puppets; they were a tour de force with both adults and children alike. Knowing the state of remakes and reboots today, 'The Muppets' turned into a surprising hit. Featuring slap-happy performances by humans Jason Segel (who co-wrote the film) and Amy Adams, the little felt protagonists (Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear) warmed hearts as they sang, danced and joked their way across the screen. Hey, a little nostalgia never hurt anyone (see: 'Super 8'). -- C.J.

This one wasn't supposed to be any good. Based on the marketing campaign, it appeared that Fox even thought they had a stinker on their hands. Boy, were they wrong. In the biggest surprise of the summer movie season, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' didn’t just provide a serviceable movie experience -- which seems to be the ultimate goal with summer movies -- but, shockingly, turned out to be one of the best films of the year. Director Rupert Wyatt crafted, yes, a film with action, but also a film without a defined villain twirling his mustache screaming, "I’m the bad guy, let’s fight!" -- M.R.

In a year in which Johnny Depp appears in three movies, it’s remarkable that the best one -- by far -- is an animated film about a lizard. 'Rango' proved that just because something is animated, it doesn't have to be dumbed down into one of those "for the kids, but parents will find something they like" clichés that only Pixar seems to consistently avoid. 'Rango' is the opposite. 'Rango' is a PG-rated movie (that really does flirt with PG-13) that features smart, biting humor and even a cameo from an animated Hunter S. Thompson that no one under the age of 25 is likely to appreciate. -- M.R.

There are a lot of reasons 'The Help' shouldn't work -- mostly because it puts Hollywood gloss on the civil rights movement and hedges a bit into white-savior myth territory. Social implications aside, though, this is just old-fashioned moviemaking of the highest order. Like 'Steel Magnolias,' but without out-of-left-field deaths. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer shine -- and have deserved Oscar buzz surrounding them -- as the two Alabama maids who decide to help young journalist Skeeter (Emma Stone) blow the lid off the conditions of "the help." Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious, 'The Help' is also notable because it features a villainous turn by Bryce Dallas Howard. Between this and '50/50,' it wouldn't be a surprise if Howard's next role involves kicking a puppy. -- C.R.

There was some debate at Moviefone HQ about whether 'Moneyball' should be this high on the list because of what some describe as a lackluster finale. Final answer: it should, especially since the finale -- which follows Michael Lewis's source book almost to the letter -- ties up the themes of 'Moneyball' even if it doesn't offer a traditional sports-movie ending. (That being: changing an industry is not usually met with a victory parade, but a stone wall.) Directed with an old-pro's hand by Bennett Miller (his first film since 'Capote' in 2005), 'Moneyball' is one of the best baseball movies ever simply because it stays true to the game itself: it's filled with tiny failures, small successes, and doesn't conclude with a World Series title. Brad Pitt gets the role of his life as Billy Beane -- his golden hair and skin recalls a younger Robert Redford -- but the real surprise of the cast is Jonah Hill as Pitt's onscreen apprentice. By dialing down his previously rambunctious nature, Hill succeeds in doing what most actors and major leaguers have difficulty accomplishing: reinvention in the face of age. -- C.R.

A comedy about cancer is a huge risk. Based liberally on writer Will Reiser’s own experience with the disease, '50/50' takes the viewer on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s wild ride of emotions that range anywhere from elation to desperation. Seth Rogen provides the comic relief to what, in essence, is a heartbreaking look at the very real horrors of a cancer diagnosis. -- M.R.

Often silent, morose and straight-up gory, 'Drive' is nothing like what you might have expected. Rather than a gritty car-racing tale, it's the story of Driver (Ryan Gosling), a man who gets caught up with the wrong people after falling for a neighbor (Carey Mulligan). Featuring a couple of kick-ass car chase scenes, the more spellbinding feature of 'Drive' is Gosling's tour-de-force performance as the sullen, nearly mute protagonist. Bonus points go to Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks, the former for his foul-mouthed supporting role, the latter for channeling the murdering, knife-wielding badass we never knew he had in him. -- C.J.

If you needed any proof about the importance of the director in the filmmaking process, cast your gaze toward 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,' which David Fincher transforms from a stock adult thriller into something so much more. Part of that is because of his success with actors. As the titular tattooed female, Rooney Mara becomes an instant star with an iconic performance as Lisbeth Salander, one that will likely be copied and discussed for years to come. As her cohort, disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, Daniel Craig provides needed stability, while having more fun than he ever seems to in the James Bond films. Buoyed by Fincher's expert technique, 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' is the mainstream movie of the year ... for adults. No small task, this one delivers on the hype. -- C.R.

Fin. Finito. Finished. The end. Whatever you want to call it, 'Deathly Hallows, Part II' was the swan song for Harry Potter and the Wizarding World you've come to know and love. And what a way to go out! For every fan of the series, this film was a two-hour-plus emotional roller-coaster ride filled with death, destruction, love and redemption. We still get goosebumps thinking about Alan Rickman's Oscar-worthy performance as Snape (seriously, we are officially on the Alan Rickman Academy Award bandwagon). And it all culminated in one humongous hair-raising duel at Hogwarts between good and evil. When the dust finally settled, our three heroes, Harry, Ron and Hermione, stood tall, having defeated the most dangerous dark wizard of all time. To quote Ron, it was wicked. -- A.S.

Leave it to Woody Allen to make the movie of our times. Owen Wilson stars as Gil, a bored writer trapped with his in-laws on a joyless vacation in Paris; late at night, while roaming the streets alone, he magically stumbles backward in time to the 1920s and begins drinking, dancing and laughing along with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker. Along with the newfound burst of joy and inspiration, Gil also finds romance with a mysterious and beautiful muse (Marion Cotillard).  What gives 'Midnight in Paris' its meaning beyond simple wish fulfillment is the way it pokes fun at modern people's disappointment in how things are now and their longing for "older, better days." Bonus points to Owen Wilson for actually doing something other than a Woody Allen impression, and giving some real hilarious neurotic energy to his character. -- E.L.

Taking the usual Judd Apatow slacker-who-must-grow-up formula and pinning it to the manic 'SNL' all-star Kristen Wiig, 'Bridesmaids' is a nonstop escalation of hilariously awkward conversations, passive-aggressive bickering and neurotic breakdowns. Featuring a bevy of talented comediennes as the most wacked-out bridal party in film history, 'Bridesmaids' proves that no joke is too raunchy and toilet humor knows no gender. While critics were too busy talking about what this movie means for "women in comedy," 'Bridesmaids' simply did one thing: tell great jokes. Above and beyond everything else this year, this movie united its audience; man or woman, young or old, the overwhelming majority of viewers laughed their assess off at it, and turned it into a monster hit.  -- E.L.

In a year of raunchy comedies, superhero epics and box-office disasters, it's an innocuous family film that ends up topping Moviefone's Top 50 list. When Martin Scorsese announced that he'd be adapting the legendary children's book, 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret,' to the big screen, people were likely scratching their heads. A mafia master like Scorsese doing a family film? No way this could work. (Plus, it's not like there's a good track record for this; Francis Ford Coppola's 'Jack,' anyone?) But between then and now, something improbable happened: Marty, the man behind the most violent, heart-stopping mob movies in history, turned a kids' story into the best film of 2011. 

'Hugo' was similar to 'The Artist,' in that it explored the art of the silent film. However, this was more than just an homage; it was a visually stunning adventure set in 1930s Paris. Taking viewers on a journey through the mind of the late Georges Melies (played with fire and sadness by Sir Ben Kingsley), a legendary filmmaker whom the orphaned Hugo (Asa Butterfield) discovers working at a toy shop in a train station, you can feel Scorsese's love of directing and his fascination with movie history throughout the entirety of 'Hugo.' (Marty may also be the only director alive to make a turn-of-the-20th-Century filmmaker seem interesting in 2011.) The performances are terrific, the story is engaging and the 3D -- a tool many of Scorsese's peers have written off -- is used in a completely engrossing, non-gimmicky way, that makes the audience feel like they're apart of the action instead of merely witnessing it: The opening shot, where the viewer wanders into the bustling scene of the Gare Monparnasse railway station, through the toy stores and cafes and even the clocks -- Hugo is the unofficial master clockmaker of the building -- is one of the most thrilling sequences of the year.

So, no: No one's head is thrown in a vice in this movie; there are no scenes where the characters boost cigarettes or walk through the Copacabana, nor does the end of the film feature a maniac cab driver gunning down everyone in his path. 'Hugo' is just an emotional, all-ages adventure that will leave you smiling as soon as the closing credits roll. It's also a film that will likely tell you more about Martin Scorsese than any gangster flick ever will. -- A.S.