Our Top 5 Films of 2011

We’ve asked Picturehouse staff from all across the country to vote for their favourite films of 2011, in an attempt to try to pull together a definitive Picturehouse Top 5 of the year.

In the interest of fairness (and because it looks pretty cool) we’ve created a word cloud with the film choices of EVERYONE who took part in our vote represented (the bigger the film’s title the more votes it received). We had over 60 nominations in total, so our Top 5 of 2011 are merely the tip of a large and varied iceberg.

 No.5 – A SEPARATION (dir. Asghar Farhadi) 

“With great power and subtlety, Farhadi transforms this ugly quarrel into a contemporary tragedy.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

 No.4 – SUBMARINE (dir. Richard Ayoade) 

“Richard Ayoade reveals a distinctive cinematic talent with his debut” - Isabel Stevens, Sight & Sound

 No.3 – THE ARTIST (dir. Michel Hazanavicius) 

“It’s one of the most shamelessly joyous movies I’ve ever seen.” – Charlie, Lyne, Ultra Culture

 No.2 – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (dir. Lynne Ramsay)

“Tilda Swinton is mesmerising in a vital, visceral adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s bestseller.” – Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

 No.1 – DRIVE (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn) 

“When it lets rip, it really does let rip” – Mark Kermode, Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review

“Drive takes the tired heist-gone-bad genre out for a spin, delivering fresh guilty-pleasure thrills in the process.” - Peter Debruge, Variety

“A brilliant piece of business that races on a B-movie track until it switches to the dizzying fuel of undiluted creativity.” - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“Here is still another illustration of the old Hollywood noir principle that a movie lives its life not through its hero, but within its shadows.” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What have we missed? Leave a commet below or get in touch via Twitter and Facebook. 

Here is a selection of personal lists from members of staff here at Picturehouse towers:

Clare Binns, Director of Programming & Acquisitions

• A SEPARATION
• DRIVE
• BRIDESMAIDS
• LAS ACACIAS
• THE ARTIST

Jonothan Carpenter @ Abbeygate Picturehouse, Bury St. Edmunds

• THE TREE OF LIFE
• ARCHIPELAGO
• DRIVE
• RED STATE
• TINKER TAILER SOLDIER SPY

Micallar Walker, Events Co-Ordinator

• BRIDESMAIDS
• DRIVE
• I SAW THE DEVIL
• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
• BLUE VALENTINE

(Honorable mentions: ANIMAL KINGDOM, PINA, ATTACK THE BLOCK)

Deborah Alison, Cinema Programmer

• THE ARTIST
• CORMAN’S WORLD
• WE WERE HERE
• DRIVE
• BLACK SWAN

Alice Frain, Business Affairs Executive

• BLACK SWAN
• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
• HANNA
• TRUE GRIT
• BRIDESMAIDS

Jo Blair, Cinema Programmer

• BRIDESMAIDS
• A SEPARATION
• LAS ACACIAS
• POETRY
• DRIVE

(Honorable mentions: ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE TREE OF LIFE)

Duke of York’s Picturehouse, Brighton

• SUBMARINE
• BLACK SWAN
• ANIMAL KINGDOM
• PINA
• SENNA

(Honorable mentions: WEEKEND, CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, 13 ASSASSINS)

You can also listen to  the Duke of York’s Splendor Cinema Podcast also talk about their favourite films of 2011.

Thomas Roberts @ The Gate, Notting Hill

• MELANCHOLIA
• HUGO
• TROLL HUNTER
• RANGO
• 13 ASSASSINS

Pete Duggan @ City Screen Picturehouse, York

• MELANCHOLIA
• TAKE SHELTER
• DRIVE
• WARRIOR
• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Dom @ Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool

• DRIVE
• SENNA
• HUGO
• TRUE GRIT
• 13 ASSASSINS

James Turvey @ Stratford-Upon-Avon Picturehouse

• ATTACK THE BLOCK
• PAUL
• THOR
• CAPTAIN AMERICA
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Laura Brookes @ Stratford-Upon-Avon Picturehouse

• THE GUARD
• DRIVE
• THE IDES OF MARCH
• TYRANNOSAUR
• ATTACK THE BLOCK

Emma Lewis, Print Co-ordinator

• THE SKIN I LIVE IN
• DRIVE
• SUBMARINE
• MARGARET
• TYRANNOSAUR

Paul Ridd, Cinema Programmer & Acquisitions Assistant

• DRIVE
• MARGARET
• TOMBOY
• KABOOM
• SCREAM 4

(Honorable mentions: WEEKEND, POTICHE, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT)

Chloe Fellerman, Cinema Programmer

• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
• THE ARTIST
• I SAW THE DEVIL
• DRIVE
• RANGO

(Honorable mentions: TYRANNOSAUR, ANIMAL KINGDOM)

Chris Harris, Cinema Programmer

• CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
• DRIVE
• WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
• DREAMS OF A LIFE
• OSLO AUGUST 31st

Maya Nakamura, Communications Manager

• SENNA
• DRIVE
• CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
• NEVER LET ME GO
• BLUE VALENTINE

Sam Clements, Digital Marketing & Picturehouse Podcast host

• THE ARTIST
• SUBMARINE
• DRIVE
• MELANCHOLIA
• BRIDESMAIDS

Simon Renshaw, Picturehouse Podcast host 

• THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN
• THE ARTIST
• SUBMARINE
• TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
• A SEPARATION