Valerie Coit’s Five Favorite Films of 2011

1) DRIVE

I knew walking out of the theater that nothing was going to top this for me. It was my favorite kind of movie: tense, dark, quiet and violent. Oh, and Ryan Gosling was dreamy.

2) X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

This seems a bit crazy to me when I see it in print. But when I think about what I loved most this year in movies, the obvious choice is Magneto hunting Nazis. Obviously.

3) MELANCHOLIA

I loved this movie so much, I continued to watch even though it made me seasick and I felt like I was going to puke for the last hour. You should see it.

4) SENNA

This movie was so good it almost made me want to become a fan of Formula 1 racing. Almost.

5) RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

My love of apes is what secures this in the top 5 for me. After all, you don’t see a movie called Rise of the Planet of the Polar Bears.