4 movies of 2011 you’ll hate to love
Vanessa Gillard
Arts Editor
Naturally, The Reflector has put together a best something of 2011, and luckily for you we aren’t slaves to our advertisers like most other publications.
Yeah! Well, kind of. However, we won’t insult you, the reader and tell you what will win which award or what you should go see this year or even what the best movies of the last year were.
In no particular order, here are four movies of 2011 that will probably never win any awards and will be completely forgotten by the time the Oscars are over. That being said, they’re still totally worth watching.
The Rum Diary
This film was a post-mortem gift to Hunter S. Thompson via Johnny Depp. A lot of people expected this film to be a raucous follow up to Depp’s first work with Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, through which the two bonded and became uber buddies. It wasn’t. It could be why the studio gave this film limited distribution and it wasn’t seen by many. However, it’s a great movie, with both Thompson-esqe wry humour and prolific questions being addressed — hijinks abound and truth, naturally, is the ultimate destination.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
When Conan O’Brien was disgraced by his network and shunned by the television world many thought it was the end. I didn’t leave my bed for like, eight hours. The film is a documentary of O‘Brien’s comedy tour throughout North America before his triumphant return to late night on TBS. The film shows a side of O’Brien that many may not have expected — the side that was the boss and kind of a jerk, otherwise known as his human, non-comedian side. If you like Conan then you’ll dig. If not you probably didn’t read this, so…
Hobo with a Shotgun
Um, I’m sorry did you not see the title of this movie? In a world gone mad the only one who can save us is a Hobo With A Shotgun. It’s 2012 everybody. You better make friends with that guy who steals the bottles off your porch. The premise of this movie doesn’t really matter as much as how gory and ridiculous it is. One of the main villains is a pedophile Santa. See it.
Young Adult
This film, from director Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody of Juno fame, showcases the best of the worst characters of 2011. This film takes a typical rom-com scenario and then blows its brains out. Mavis Gary, played by Charlize Theron, may be the most despicably funny character to date. She’s the popular girl everyone loved to hate, but having gone back to her hometown to steal her high school beau from domestic bliss, she’s now just a hated, alchoholic nutcase. This film screams heavy reality, but tempers it with hilarious half-realizations.
