This has been a year for daring movies, and the best of them have all been movies that I feel like I’ve never seen before. If someone had told me the best films this year would include a Martin Scorsese children’s movie and a comedy about cancer, I wouldn’t have believed either could even get made. Fortunately my instincts were wrong, and we have some new movies to treasure for years to come.

 

“The Tree of Life”

This year’s most bold and evocative movie comes from one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. Terrence Malick composes a beautiful epic poem that is as daring as it is touching, as elegant as it is piercing and provocative. It is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and this challenging film will remain at the top of my list for years to come.

 

“The Artist”

This movie just hit theatres at CinéArts, and it is not one to be missed. Beyond the fact that it is going to win a bucket of Oscars, it is also the most charming and joyous movie I have seen all year. It’s a black-and-white silent movie that follows a movie star during the silent film era, when talkies started to become popular. Don’t be afraid of the premise–it’s guaranteed to be the most magical night at the movies this year.

 

“50/50”

You will laugh, you will cry and you will love “50/50.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character is diagnosed with cancer, and he must negotiate life with his best friend (Seth Rogen), his extremely young therapist (Anna Kendrick), his obsessive mother (Anjelica Huston) and his wet-blanket girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard). Everyone gives a touching performance, and I challenge you not to cry during this hilarious and heart-warming tale.

 

“Super 8”

This alien monster movie was made on a relatively small budget, but it certainly packs the largest punch of any blockbuster I saw this year. A group of kids in a small town in the ‘70s stumbles across a train wreck while filming a student movie. The suspense and action are exhilarating, leaving you nostalgic for monster movies and pleasantly surprised at this charming yet thrilling film.

 

“Hugo”

This movie is just too difficult to put into a box. It’s a Martin Scorsese-directed children’s movie about a clock-fixing orphan in a train station, the limping train station security officer played by Sacha Baron Cohen, the disgruntled toy maker and his granddaughter. The train station is rendered with extravagant tones of gold and blue, and it will transport you to this foreign world where a love of going to the movies is all you need to join the club.

 

Honorable Mentions: “Horrible Bosses,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” “Midnight in Paris,” “The Muppets,” “Source Code”

 

 

Dishonorable Mentions:

 

“The Green Hornet”

Even though Seth Rogen lost all of that weight, he is unconvincing as a super hero, Chinese pop sensation Jay Chou is less interesting than cardboard and the once-terrifying Christoph Waltz looks like a clown. You know it’s truly a terrible movie when the best part about it is Cameron Diaz.

 

“Hop”

I was genuinely excited for this movie about the Easter Bunny’s son who just wants to be a rock-and-roll drummer. It was reductive and juvenile (although I should’ve guessed that), it forced un-cute animated chicks down your throat and the Easter Bunny world (on Easter Island, naturally) was so vile and tacky it made my eyes bleed.