I watched a total of 121 movies this year, making a decent average of about 2 films per week. You can see the complete list here.

It was a great year at the cinema and there were more than a dozen films that I really enjoyed, but as someone working in the visual effects industry I find myself drawn invariably towards movies with great cinematography, and that is no different this year.

Here are my 10 favourite films of 2011. ( actual release date of some films may not be 2011. )




1) The King’s Speech ( Director : Tom Hooper, DP : Danny Cohen )

Stellar performances all around from Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. The montage near the end of the film, with scenes of everyday folks tuning in to the speech as the camera glided through in slow motion was splendidly shot and composed.




2) Never Let Me Go ( Director : Mark Romanek, DP : Adam Kimmel )

This is my favourite of the year.  Films that affect you on a deep emotional level don’t come all that often, which I why I really treasure cinematic gems like this, as I did for Atonement and The Lives Of Others. Perhaps I should pick up Ishiguro’s original novel one of these days. In the meantime, I eagerly await Mark Romanek’s next project.




3) Hanna ( Director : Joe Wright, DP : Alwin Kuchler )

Director Joe Wright ( Pride and Prejudice, Atonement ) lends a fresh take on the action/thriller genre, accompanied by a an unconventional but fantastic soundtrack from the Chemical Brothers. I like how the film isn’t all banging and flashing all the way, but with a few well timed action sequences that erupts with jarring, explosive force.




4) The Princess of Montpensier ( Director : Bertrand Tavernier, DP : Bruno de Keyzer )

Forget the travesty that was Anderson’s Three Musketeers and watch this authentic French period film instead. The costume and set design is ornate and elaborate, the scenery breathtaking and the sword fights realistic and visceral. For two hours I was transported and drank this in completely.




5) Biutiful ( Director : Alejandro González Iñárritu, DP : Rodrigo Prieto )

I watched this on a long flight to Paris but the discomfort on board did little to lessen the impact of the film. DP Rodrigo Prieto’s haunting photography weaves a poetic visual tapestry that accentuates the surrealistic mood of the film, giving us a glimpse of the world through Uxbal’s (Javier Bardem ) tormented soul.




6) Drive ( Director : Nicolas Winding Refn, DP : Newton Thomas Sigel )

Watching this film is like getting your senses slammed by a sledgehammer. The heady mix of DP Newton Thomas Sigel’s atmospheric cinematography and the tension-enhancing sound and music design really kept me on the edge of my seat. Some scenes I had to look away momentarily because they were just too graphic for me.




7) Jane Eyre ( Director : Cary Fukunaga, DP : Adriano Goldman )

I’ve not read the book and so have no prior knowledge or bias to compare the film to, but man it is such a beautifully shot film ! Most of the scenes were lit with only available light ( sunlight in the day, candle light at night ), preserving the pristine and authentic look of that period. These days digital cameras like Red and Alexa are catching up bu I’m still blown away by the incredible quality of good old 35mm film.




8 ) The Tree Of Life ( Director : Terence Malick, DP : Emmanuel Lubezki )

This is one of those polarized films that you either love or hate, and I fall into the former camp. I did not read too much into any deep or profound meanings but merely allowed the film to take me on a mesmerizing journey of spectacular visuals and sound. I highly recommend the director’s earlier work, The New World, which was shot in a similar visual style (by the amazing DP Emmanuel Lubezki ), but with a more structured and linear narrative that should make for easier digestion.




9) Mildred Pierce ( HBO MINISERIES – Director : Todd Haynes, DP : Ed Lachman )

As Kate Winslet so aptly put it, there was nothing “mini” about this series. The costume and set design, art direction, cinematography ( shot by DP Ed Lachman on 16mm film ! ) were all top notch. It had its fair share of melodramatic moments ( and more than fair share of graphic sex scenes, ahem ), but is nonetheless a tour de force of recent Cinema.




10) Super 8 ( Director : JJ.Abrams, DP : Larry Fong )

A nod to the earlier films of Spielberg, the innocence of the young ensemble cast was breath of fresh air and made for a very rewarding and nostalgic cinematic experience. Great music, visual/creature effects and JJ Abrams approved lens flares.




Some other films that I highly enjoyed include The Borrowers ( Karigurashi No Arrietty ), Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, The Illusionist (animation), Real Steel, Thor and Melancholia.

I’ll love to hear what some of your favourite films of 2011 were. :]

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