2011 has been a mixed year so far with regards to the films (movies) that have been released. I’ve seen 10 films at the cinema so far and thought it would be good to pop them up on a post. Check out my short, personal reviews of the ones I’ve seen. I’ve rated them too – but remember, it’s my blog and it’s my opinion. Hahaha. You don’t have to agree – I challenge you to prove me wrong.

You can also keep up to date with my film reviews here.

I Am Number Four. (Starring Alex Pettyfer) – My rating 8/10.

I’m not a big Sci-Fi fan, but this one ticked all the right boxes for me. A great film with a gripping plot. I jumped out of my seat a couple of times (one serious jump almost had me over the back of the seat). Pettyfer, a Brit, played the role of Number Four really well – Good to look at too. It’s all about nine aliens hiding on Earth. They are being hunted by the Mogadorians, who destroyed their home planet (and they’re ugly things). Number Four, moves from place to place with his ‘protector’ and tries (not very well) to keep a low-profile. Add the ‘ah-factor’ to the film, a bit of action and it’s all round good entertainment. Apparently, the sequel is due out in the summer of 2011.

Hereafter. (Starring Matt Damon and Cécile de France) – My rating 5/10.

Two words sprang to mind after watching this film. Long and depressing. I’d seen the trailer for the film months ago and forgot what the main plot was – so had an awful shock when I sat watching the tsunami scene at the beginning (a bit too close to reality being the day after I’d watched news of the tsunami in Japan). The film had moments to shock and looked at the afterlife. All in all though, the 129 minutes seemed to drag on and on without real substance. The storyline involving 11-year old twins is devestating and the link to the London bombings of 2005 had me jumping in my seat. Uncomfortable viewing and not well executed.

No Strings Attached. (Starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher) – My rating 8/10.

I know – I know – I’ve scored it really quite well. It’s typical, clichéd rom-com stuff that has been done a thousand times before. But. There’s always a but. The ingredients work and this film works. The relationship between Portman and Kutcher is great. The film is believable. If you watch it and don’t think it could happen, well then, I think you’ve led a sheltered life. Haha. I laughed – I cried (only a little, but still the musical arrangement did its magic). I left the cinema feelings all warm and guey. Doesn’t that make you sick?

True Grit. (Starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon) – My rating 7/10.

Although Bridges and Damon are the ‘big names’ making the headline on the posters and bringing in the crowds, this film is made truly wonderful by the actress Hailee Steinfeld as the character Mattie Ross. True Grit is a story of revenge. The humour is brilliant! I laughed out loud so many times. Ross is a feisty character who knows her own mind (at 14 years of age) and will not stand for anyone treating her like a child. The relationship between Ross and U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn is heartwarming. I’m not a big fan of ‘Westerns’, but this one was a refreshing change. There are so many brilliant lines in this film…. Go see it!

127 hours. (Starring James Franco) – My rating 8/10.

This is wonderful. The opening sequence of the film is amazing. I love the split screen idea and the artwork. I was hooked straight away. James Franco plays Aron Ralston really well. The film is based on a true story about Ralston, a real-life mountain climber, who in 2003 finds himself trapped in the middle Utah. I watched parts of the film through my fingers (namely, the bit when he breaks his own arm and then cuts it off). It is emotional, graphic and psychologically traumatic. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be trapped by a boulder. The film depicts the emotions so well. This film will give ‘The King’s Speech’ a run for its money in the Academy Awards. It’s also amazing to note that the family (the first to meet him after his escape) were from Voorburg, The Netherlands (which is about 5 minutes from where I live). More about the film on Wikipedia here.

The King’s Speech. (Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter) – My rating 10/10.

An amazing film. This is a ‘must-see’. I was shocked and surprised by the film as it showed how little I knew about some aspects of history. There are moments that you can almost feel what it was like to be watching and listening to ‘Bertie’ giving a speech. The story is heart-warming and refreshing. By the end of the film the hairs on my arms were tingling. Award winning all the way!!! I blogged a little more about this film.

Season of the Witch. (Starring Nicholas Cage) – My rating 6/10.

The film promised so much more than it delivered. The start to the film was good, a real build up to the problems and suspicions of having a witch in the village. As the journey began there were some moments that I had to hide. (OK, I’m not the best one for handling ‘jumpy’ moments. This film had a few cliché moments that had been seen many times before. The ending was a bit too predictable. Hey ho. Light entertainment. 

The Dilemma. (Starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James) – My rating 4/10.

Oh, oh, oh. What a cringe-worthy film. I actually watched parts of this ‘comedy’ through my fingers. The film is based around two guys (best friends) who are partners in a car design firm. They’ve been best friends since their college years and then one day one of them sees the other’s girlfriend kissing another man. Should he say? Should he not? The dilemma begins…… The film includes possibly one of the most irritating scenes where one character has something crucial to say, yet is interrupted time after time. (That would never happen in real life!!). I left feeling suitably frustrated. The funny parts of the film were soon forgotten. Not worth watching until it makes it to TV in a few years time….. Even then I’d only watch it by accident.

The Tourist. (Starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp) – My rating 9/10.

I have to be honest and say that I never really rated Jolie as an actress, but since watching Salt and now this I may be a converted Jolie-fan. This film is fantastic! It has a great pace and I have to admit that I was hooked from the beginning. Again we return to Venice (It seems to have become the film-set for all action movies in recent years). The film centres around Jolie’s character being followed (not very subtly) and a series of traps being set. Who’s good and who’s bad? It’s one to work out. I don’t want my blog to be a spoiler but this is one film that is worth going to see.

Love and Other Drugs. (Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway) – My rating 7/10.

I went to the cinema expecting this to be an easy comedy-romance. It was actually pretty good. I was surprised by the twist in the storyline. The film touches on issues surrounding Parkinson’s disease and it’s done incredibly well. This is a film to make you think. I left it feeling quite warm inside.