Contagion is a 2011 American medical thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, and Bryan Cranston.[2] Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal indirect contact transmission virus (fomite transmission) that kills within days.[3] As the fast-moving pandemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than does the virus itself. As the virus spreads around the world, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.

I was excited to see this film as I had heard lots about it and I thought that the trailer looked good. The film has a huge cast that manage to deliver a film that feels very real and creepy. The film is thought provoking and keeps you gripped throughout. The films plot is strong and I have to say that I was very pleased that I went to see it.

Film Rating: 8/10

The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s. Skeeter is a journalist who decides to write a controversial book from the point of view of the maids (known as the Help), exposing the racism they are faced with as they work for white families. The film takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, and stars Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Sissy Spacek, Mike Vogel, Mary Steenburgen and Allison Janney. The Help opened to positive reviews and became a box office success with gross of $177.6 million against its budget of $25 million.

I went to see this film not knowing much about it. I have to say that I was fairly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I thought that the story was very absorbing and the cast gave some very strong performances. Emma Stone is very impressive and keeps you entertained throughout.

Film Rating: 8.5/10

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn[1], marketed simply as The Adventures of Tintin, is a 2011 American performance capture 3D film based on The Adventures of Tintin, a series of comic books created by Belgian artist Hergé (Georges Remi). Directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by Peter Jackson, and written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, the film is based on three of the original comic books: The Crab with the Golden Claws (1941), The Secret of the Unicorn (1943), and Red Rackham’s Treasure (1944).

I was so excited to see this film as I remember watching and reading the original stories when I was younger. This has been such a highly anticipated movie that was surrounded with a lot of hype. I have to say that this was fantastic and is one of my favourite films of the year. The special effects are stunning and the cast is very strong. The film stays true to the original and is perfect for the whole family. This is a must see!

Film Rating: 9/10

Real Steel is a 2011 American science fiction film starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. The film is based in part on the 1956 short story “Steel” by Richard Matheson, though Levy placed the film in U.S. state fairs and other “old-fashioned” Americana settings. Real Steel was in development for several years before production began on June 11, 2010. Filming took place primarily in the U.S. state of Michigan. Animatronic robots were built for the film, and motion capture technology was used to depict the brawling of computer-generated robots and animatronics. Real Steel was publicly released in Australia on October 6, 2011 and in the United States and Canada on October 7, 2011 to mixed to positive reviews. It was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters.

I was excited to see this film as I thought that the trailer looked really good and Im a fan of Hugh Jackman. I also really like going to see big blockbuster style type films. I was really pleased that I went to see this film. The film has a good but predictable plot. The film is full to the brim with action, adventure and fight scenes that keep you entertained. This is a good film that I recommend for the family.

Film Rating: 8/10

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a 2011 American horror film written by Matthew Robbins and Guillermo del Toro and directed by comic book artist Troy Nixey. The film stars Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, and Katie Holmes, as a man, his daughter, and his girlfriend moving into a 19th century Rhode Island mansion, where his withdrawn daughter begins to witness malevolent goblin-like tooth fairies that emerge from a sealed ash pit in the basement of the house. It is a remake of the 1973 ABC made-for-television horror film of the same name that starred Kim Darby.

Im a fan of Guillermo del Toro and was excited to see this film. I have to say that I was a little bit let down by this film which in my opinion didnt really deliver. I thought that Bailee gave a very good performance but I thought that the plot was a little weak. Its worth seeing if you are a fan of scary films with jumpy moments.

Film Rating: 6.5/10

Johnny English Reborn is a 2011 British spy comedy film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre and film franchise reboots. The film is the sequel to Johnny English (2003), and stars Rowan Atkinson reprising his role as the title character[5] and directed by Oliver Parker. The film has a slightly darker tone than the previous film but retains Atkinson’s signature humor.

Film Rating: 7/10

Drive is a 2011 American action-drama crime film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, and starring Ryan Gosling as the principal character, with Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, and Albert Brooks.

Like the book, the movie is about a Hollywood stunt performer (played by Gosling) who moonlights as a getaway driver.

This is one of my favourite movies of 2011 so far! It was so impressive. It stars Ryan Gosling in the lead role and he gives a very cold but brilliant performance. The story is absorbing and beautiful direction keeps you glued to the screen. It really reminded me of older film styles. For some reason I felt similarities to the film American Psycho. The style of the film is very unique and has good action scenes, drama and sometimes shocking violence. This really is a gem of a film!

Also has a cracking soundtrack! This is a MUST SEE!

Film Rating: 9/10

The Debt is a 2011 drama-thriller film directed by John Madden based on a screenplay written by Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Peter Straughan. The film is a remake of the 2007 Israeli film of the same name by Assaf Bernstein. It stars Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Wilkinson and Marton Csokas.

In 1966, Mossad agent Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain) arrives in East Berlin to meet with fellow agents David Peretz (Sam Worthington) and Stefan Gold (Marton Csokas). Their mission is to capture Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen) – infamously known as “The Surgeon of Birkenau” for his horrific pseudo-medical experiments on Jews during World War II

I hadnt heard much about this film before going to see it and I had only seen the trailer once. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a real gem! I would describe it as a spy/thriller. It kept me thoroughly entertained and absorbed from start to finish. The film has an impressive cast and very good story. I thought that Helen Mirren was very impressive.

Film Rating: 8/10

Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a 2011 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman, and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon and Analeigh Tipton. The film was released on July 29, 2011.

I loved this film so much! The cast was very impressive, the plot kept me entertained and I thought it was very funny. The film has a perfect blend of humour, romance and drama. I really like Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell and thought that they both gave good performances in this movie. This film is well worth going to see!

Film Rating: 8.5/10

I Don’t Know How She Does It is a 2011 American comedy film based on Allison Pearson’s novel of the same name. The film stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, and Greg Kinnear about Kate Reddy, a financial executive and the breadwinner of her family.

A comedy centered on the life of Kate Reddy, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids.

I went to see this film with my girlfriend after seeing the trailer. I thought that this film was okay- it was nothing original but we still enjoyed it and it had the odd funny moment here and there. The film is predictable and a little cheesy but it makes a good ‘date movie’.

Film Rating: 7/10