The 10 Best (new) Movies I Saw in 2011

Not being a film critic and not being in New York or LA, I don't get a chance to see every Bulgarian or Congolese independent film and sometimes I don't even see some of the major (or minor) movies till the year after they're releases - so my 10-best list is not necessarily the 10 best films of 2011 but:

The Ten Best films (I saw) in 2011
Current or recent releases only, listed alphabetically:

Blue Valentine. Yes, a dark movie, but thoughtful and troubling and credible, with great lead performances - everything we expect of an American indie release but rarely get

Bridesmaids. Raunchy, sure; a bit of a fantasy, yes. But very funny, Wiig is terrific, and so is Rose Byrne as the evil friend.

The Descendants. Not Alexander Payne's best movie, but still one of the best movies of the year - and one of the few movies about adults. Payne works better than any other director at adapting novels, and not the obvious best-selling genre novels, either.

A Film Unfinished. A strange and haunting documentary using recovered footage from the Warsaw ghetto.

Fish Tank. Very dark movie about a young girl in the projects in Britain. Came and went, almost unnoticed. Andrea Arnold is another hugely daring and interesting director who has not received the attention she deserves.

The King's Speech. Yes it was a 2010 film, I saw it this year - and it certainly lived up to expectations. Screenplay among the best - including incredible scene when king "sings" to his therapist.

Midnight in Paris. Best Woody Allen movie in years - very well scripted, funny, tight story, moving - scenes with Hemingway are classic.

Of Gods and Men. Beautiful and unusual movie about a monastery on North Africa under siege - incredible concluding moments.

Poetry. Korean director Chang-dong Lee about the most interesting filmmaker in the world right now. Very strong movie about a woman struggling with Alzheimer's and with her life. His movies are like grand novels - rich with character and event.

Secret Sunshine. Another great movie from Lee, about a recently widowed woman trying to build a new life for herself and her son in small Korean city.

Within a few days will post on the 10 best (classic) movies I saw in 2011.