10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2011

10. Hanna dir. Joe Wright

The Soloist wasn't what you'd call a train wreck but it was definitely a bump in the road for director Joe Wright who had been coming off the back-to-back triumphs with Atonement and his Pride and Prejudice adaptation. I'm hoping this story of a child-sized killing machine played by Atonement's Saoirse Ronan gets him his mojo back. The trailer shows a lot of promise with a frighteningly icy turn by Ronan backed up by such heavy-hitters as Blanchett, Bana, Olivia Williams, and personal favorite Tom Hollander.

09. Red State dir. Kevin Smith

The combination of a string of uneven efforts combined with an eager willingness to engage with his critics has made Kevin Smith a surprising figure of controversy in recent years. The trailer for Smith's new film Red State suggests that he is a man with something to prove, stepping outside his comfort zone for a horror/thriller with confrontationally religious subject matter. I'm always willing to give a chance to a guy swinging for the fences, and a juicy role for Kill Bill scene-stealer Michael Parks doesn't hurt either. I enjoy a passionate debate, even if debates over Smith's films tend to be dominated by the internet equivalent of football hooligans.

08. Take This Waltz dir. Sarah Polley

I'll say upfront that I don't know anything about this movie except for the fact that it's a romance starring Michelle Williams, Sarah Silverman, and Seth Rogen and that it is written and directed by Sarah Polley whose last film was the heartbreaking Away From Her. And you know what? That's good enough for me. I've got a feeling that Polley (last seen chasing monsters in Splice) is going to be a directorial force to be reckoned with, and until I see evidence to the contrary Take This Waltz is ticket that has me eager to plunk down twelve dollars.

07. Hugo Cabret dir. Martin Scorsese

Scorsese topped my list of the most anticipated films of 2010 and although Shutter Island was a minor letdown I don't think the day will arrive when I don't greet a new Scorsese film with anything less than antsy anticipation. I honestly have no idea what to make of this 3-D filmed story of an orphan in 1930's paris getting swept up in some kind of magical adventure except that it seems more suited to Jean-Pierre Jenuet than the director of Goodfellas. But remember that Marty has a greater range than he's generally credited for and he's scored in period pieces before be they Biblical of 19th Century New York.

06. The Ides of March dir. George Clooney

George Clooney has proven himself one of the best judges of material in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera, Leatherheads notwithstanding (nobody's perfect). Reuniting the creative team behind Good Night and Good Luck for another story about the intersection of politics and media, this adaptation of stage play Farragut North seems to have especially high odds of success. They've landed a killer cast lead by Ryan Gosling as an idealistic young staffer getting a close-up education in presidential politics. Hitting theaters just as the 2012 presidential campaign starts to heat up in earnest I'd be surprised if Ides wasn't a major topic of conversation throughout the Fall.

05. The Tree of Life dir. Terrence Malick

I think I'm actually looking forward to the discussion of the film as much as the film itself. Malick's film openings are one those rare birds - a major artistic event that anyone with even a passing interest in the cinema has to chime in on and be counted. The trailer depicting a family drama with epic scope, sort of This Boy's Life by way of The Fountain, suggests Malick's long awaited film isn't going to disappoint when it comes to providing heavy duty subject matter to chew on.

04. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy dir. Tomas Alfredson

I'm a sucker for a good spy movie and John Le Carre is the acknowledged king of the genre. He writes such movie-friendly novels that I'm surprised adaptations of his work aren't as ubiquitous as Jane Austen or Stephen King. Tinker has been done already as a well-regarded BBC miniseries starring Alec Guiness as master spy George Smiley, but I think it's a title ripe for rediscovery, this time with Gary Oldman slipping into the role of Smiley and Colin Firth, Cirian Hinds, and Mark Strong filling out the cast. For those not yet as excited as me maybe the fact Tomas Alfredson is in the director's chair for the first time following his unassailably brilliant work on Let the Right One In will do it for you.

03. The Skin That I Inhabit dir. Pedro Almodovar

Is Pedro Almodovar the best director in the world? The correct answer, of course, is that it's impossible to quantify such a thing, but if you were going to attempt it you would need some compelling reasons for ranking anyone ahead of him. Pedro's filmography is clearly indicates someone destined to be included in the upper echelon of directorial greatness. This time out he's reuniting with favorite star Antonio Banderas for a tale of a plastic surgeon seeking revenge for his daughter. Does that story and picture make anyone else think of The Eyes Without a Face?

02. A Dangerous Method dir. David Cronenberg

After the damn near perfect A History of Violence and the underrated Eastern Promises it looks likely that Cronenberg/Mortensen is going to be a director/actor pairing for the ages. In a choice of material no one guessed Mortensen plays Sigmund Freud in an adaptation of Christopher Hampton's play about the contentious relationship between Freud and Carl Jung. Method co-stars future biggest star in the world Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightly, and Easter Promises co-star and current Black Swan cad Vincent Cassel. My imagination fails to conceive of any way this project could be less than fascinating.

01. The Descendants dir. Alexander Payne

Forget 2011. This is my most anticipated film since No Country for Old Men. Why? Check out the name following "director". For whatever reason, after a five year run of films that positioned him as the comedic filmmaker of the generation, Payne decided to take a seven year sabbatical. As irritated as I am that he has decided to be comedy's answer to Stanley Kubrick all is forgiven if he delivers a new film anywhere near as good as Sideways or Election. Plot details are scarce. The Descendants stars George Clooney (who reportedly campaigned hard for Thomas Hayden Church's role in Sideways) as some sort of tycoon trying to reconnect with his daughters after their mother suffers an accident. Whatever. This film could star Carrot Top, Chuck Norris and the Great Gonzo on a quest to find Curly's gold and I would still show up on opening day, so happy am I to have Alexander Payne directing again.