"I think I heard you singing, 'Oh poor sky, don't cry on me. Did somebody break your heart again? Oh poor sky, don't cry on me. Are you gonna fall apart again?' My head plays it over and over. All dolled-up in straps, all colored in. Now, love, where have you been? Dolled-up in straps, all colored in. Now, love, where have you been? Where have you been?" ~the national

My 15 favorite Movies of 2011

It's that time again, time to reflect on the previous year, and for this blog that means looking at what the entertainment industry had to offer. Today I'm focusing on movies. It's too difficult for me to rank them, so I'm simply listing my fifteen favorites in alphabetical order. Though if I were forced to choose my favorite film of the year, right now I'd probably go with a tie between The Descendants and Win Win (if you ask me tomorrow I'll probably have a different answer). Anyway, here are my favorites:

Bridesmaids - pure hilarity.
The Descendants - it just seemed so real. Incredibly affecting but also very funny. Beautifully acted and directed.
Drive - stylistically gorgeous, incredibly intense, captivating.
50/50 - a lovely blend of comedy and drama, and a realistic look at a tricky subject.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - fabulously acted, thrilling.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - a wonderful close to the series.
The Help - amazing acting, a solid adaptation of the novel.
Hugo - a loving tribute to the art of film, a faithful adaptation of the book.
The Ides of March - well-adapted from the play (Farragut North) and also very well-acted.
Martha Marcy May Marlene - clever, haunting, and featuring a brilliant debut from Elizabeth Olsen.
Midnight in Paris - absolutely lovely.
Moneyball - a beautifully made intelligent film about so much more than baseball.
My Week With Marilyn - an interesting portrait of an icon with a brilliant performance by Michelle Williams.
Win Win - I love everything about this movie.
Young Adult - sharp, hilarious, and uncomfortably realistic.

And an honorable mention goes to Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. So there you have it. There are a handful of movies I still need to see (The Artist, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Iron Lady, Shame, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Albert Nobbs, and more), so obviously my picks are based on what I've seen.