Yes, radio. Lady T lives in England and gets to listen to the BBC’s radio programs. How cool is that?
2011 inspired a lot of movie-related fangirling. I mean, how could we help ourselves? Michael Fassbender had FOUR movies this year. Oh, and there was some other awesome stuff, too. And 2011 TV wasn’t too shabby, either. Let’s talk about the audio-visual media that knocked our socks off in 2011.
Movies
TDF Pamela’s Picks
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class
I dig X-Men. I loved the first two movies, pretend the third never happened, and I even liked the Wolverine movie, if only for the man candy. I used to read the comics regularly, but I’m far too lazy to keep up with them anymore. When X-Men: First Class was announced, I was pretty wary. Lucky me, I ended up loving it. While it’s not really a reboot, it is the breath of fresh air that the X-Men movie franchise needed. I have problems with the movie, specifically in the fact that it didn’t explicitly deal with the 1960s’ casual sexism that it pretty faithfully portrayed. Oh, and I have a big problem with January Jones’s portrayal of Emma Frost (that was NOT Emma Frost, damn it). But the retro setting and the fantastic lead cast–James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence–came together to make a seriously entertaining movie. (“reviewed” here)
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger
This is the one I didn’t expect to like. I’ve never really been a Cap fan, mostly because I’m generally not fond of that type of superhero, the one who’s all good and all ready to lead the charge. I prefer heroes and antiheroes that live a little bit further in the grey area. But Captain America: The First Avenger looked very pretty, so I watched it. And OH EM GEE. I absolutely loved it. I adore how Chris Evans portrays Steve Rogers and his superhero alter ego, not as someone who wants to be a hero, but as someone who just can’t stand to see people being bullied. It was incredibly effective and has made me look at the comic book character in a new light. The casting was great (seriously, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark? BRILLIANT.), and the retro-futuristic look of the film is beautiful and exciting.
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre
And now for something completely different. Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of Jane Eyre makes my inner film studies student happy. It’s beautifully shot; some of the shots are actually breathtaking, they are so gorgeous. Fukunaga really has an artistic eye, and I’m very interested to see what he does in the future. And the cast. Oh, the cast. Mia Wasikowska plays a very understated Jane; she can come off as cold and emotionless, but if you really pay close attention to her, you can see the emotions roiling just below the surface. The supporting cast is great, too; I love Dame Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax, and Jamie Bell plays a coldly fanatical St. John. Oh, am I missing someone? That’s right. Michael Fassbender as Rochester. He’s far too handsome for the character, but he plays Rochester amazingly well, from his snarky good moods to his dark, near-violent lows. I still get weepy while watching this movie. It’s beautiful and brilliant.
Amanda’s Picks
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class
I was very happy to see that my expectations for this prequel were not only met, but also exceeded. Michael Fassbender really stole the show with his interpretation of Erik/Magneto. The way he and James McAvoy played off of each other was fantastic. Good chemistry between actors will always show through in their characters. The thing that bothered me about the movie was that I didn’t like the villains as much as I did in previous X-Men movies. It felt like the script shortchanged them somehow and January Jones’ Emma Frost just didn’t do anything for me, whereas the character development for the rest of the characters felt solid. I also got a kick out of Hugh Jackman’s cameo and comedic timing. Nicely done.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Somehow this sequel managed to out-gay the original. I’m not just talking Holmes in drag – no, there were some moments where one of Tumblr’s favorite relationships nearly became canon. Having Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry join the cast for this film was another great addition. The story was far more entertaining than in the first, though Ritchie did overuse the slow motion effects (not quite as bad as the slow-mo in 300, but it was getting there). I appreciated lack of romantic interaction between Rapace’s character, Sim, and Holmes in the final version. Too many times, the female lead character ends up falling into the male lead’s arms once all is said and done. In this case, she held her own as a lead and didn’t play the part of the Obvious Romantic Interest. Then again, Holmes and Watson were practically in their own little bromantic world, so perhaps they barely noticed her ;) Kate Beaton fans will get a kick out of Holmes’ mode of transportation in the film.
Lady T’s Pick
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Complex, convoluted and nothing at all like James Bond, this was spy drama for grown-ups. It had a cast list peppered with dramatic heavyweights and a sense of almost ineffable, placid cool. Gary Oldman donned Alec Guinness’ iconic horn-rimmed glasses for this adaptation by Tomas Alfredson, in a neatly condensed abridgement of John le Carré’s original novel. It swam in period detail and achingly understated tension, as much about the unrecognised personal sacrifices of the men involved as it was about the murky dealings of the country they were trying to protect. Not exactly a movie suitable for mindless popcorn viewing, but ultimately rewarding as long as you were paying attention. (reviewed here)
TV
Lady T’s Pick
Doctor Who (series 6)
Doctor Who
In a year of disappointing TV offerings, Doctor Who remains one of the few things I will always make a point of watching. This season brought us an almost impossibly unleashed Moffat and one of the most ridiculously convoluted plotlines imaginable, but in between the rampant WTFery were some really great moments. Neil Gaiman’s episode, the Doctor’s Wife, instantly comes to mind as one of my favourite adventures in a long time, and for those who’ve been puzzling over the enigmatic River Song there were finally a few answers to be had. Matt Smith continued to bring his own brand of manic intensity to the Eleventh Doctor, while Arthur Darvil’s Rory finally got his chance to really grow as a character, facing off against a series of impossible situations and making a couple of heartbreaking decisions along the way. It remains must-see family viewing.
Radio
Lady T’s Pick
Series 3 of Cabin Pressure (BBC Radio 4)
Cabin Pressure
The third series of Radio 4’s comedy series Cabin Pressure aired over the summer. Written by John Finnemore and starring Sherlock‘s Benedict Cumberbatch, the most recent series saw the crew of the world’s most inept charter airline stagger somehow from Newcastle to St Petersberg (via Qikiqtarjuaq) before eventually making a goose smoothie out of an engine. It’s one of those rare sitcoms that actually succeeds in balancing absurd comedy with a character-driven core, nicely sidestepping the most frequent pitfalls of overt sentimentality. This series expended on a number of lingering character developments, so there were great rewards for established listeners, but for those new to the show it also held all the delights of bad French accents, the origins of ‘Ottery St Mary’ and the rules for a rousing game of ‘Hunt The Lemon’. It’s also just been renewed for a fourth season so expect it to return some time in 2012.
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