THE BEST OF 2011 (Senses of Cinema 2011 World Poll article)

What a great way to end the cinematic year and to optimistically start a new one!

Here is my top ten films of 2011 as published in Senses of Cinema World Poll. (I've contributed four times already; and being the other Filipino writer on the list --- aside from Noel Vera --- it's a BIG DEAL.)

DUSTIN DASIG
Assistant professor, film critic, writer and training director.

My 10 best films of 2011 are categorised by theme, as follows:

The family in crisis (and the society in general)
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, 2011)
Le gamin au vélo (The Kid with a Bike, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2011)

Family secrets, secrets and lies
We Need To Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011)
Marţi, după Crăciun (Tuesday, After Christmas, Radu Montean, 2010)

The family in crisis (and the world as a stage)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011)
Another Year (Mike Leigh, 2010)
Hævnen (In A Better World, Susanne Bier, 2010)
Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows, Majid Majidi, 2009)

Life as a drama (and the world as a stage)
El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret In Her Eyes, Juan Jose Campanella, 2009)
Des Hommes et des dieux (Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois, 2010)

Outstanding performances
The cast of A Separation
Jessica Chastain in The Tree of Life and The Help (Tate Taylor, 2011)

Best directing
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best writing
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best visual design
Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematographer, The Tree of Life
Hayedeh Safiyari, editor, A Separation
L’illusioniste (The Illusionist, Sylvain Chomet, 2010) for the narrative

Best aural design
The Tree of Life and Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011), for the use of classical music
The Illusionist, for its original score