The second to last (or in fact last if I forget to post one more, which I may do) posts about the year just gone.

Here are the films I watched from July to December in 2011, excluding any films I had already seen before.

The Duchess (UK, 2008) – Based on Amanda Foreman’s biography of Georgiana, this is the story of an upper-class woman’s life as she lives in the spotlight in public, and in hell at home. Very harrowing and difficult to watch, but a must-see if only to learn further how bad conditions were for women of the period.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (UK, 2011) – The last instalment in the series, the end of an era. Very good, even if you’ve not seen the first part nor read all the series.

Jane Eyre (UK, 2011) – Based on the classic, the plot of which I have detailed here. A good adaptation, and certainly very funny, but missing in some information and leaves out the part with the fortune-teller. Incidentally, if anyone knows of an adaptation that leaves in that part and doesn’t alter it, let me know in the comments.

Just Like Heaven (USA, 2005) – When the spirit of Elizabeth starts visiting David’s new apartment, they both band together to try and find out what happened to her. I felt so strongly, I reviewed it. A brilliant film that is at once funny and poignant for our times.

One Day (UK/USA, 2011) – Based on the best-seller by David Nicholls, and much better than the book. The changes made work well and create a smoother climax than the choppy novel structure.

Possession (UK/USA, 2002) – Based on the book by A S Byatt, two scholars hunt for the truth about a Victorian poet. I’ve no idea how it is in conjunction with the book, but the film moves slowly, showing secrets in a sometimes shocking way. If you want something easy to watch while having depth, this is a good choice.

Pride And Prejudice (UK, 2005) – A review of the book, containing plot summary, is here. Considering the short length, the film does a good job at providing a brief introduction to the story, even if it’s not particularly accurate. It is very funny, yet broken up by unnecessary and unnecessarily moody musical interludes.

The Seven Year Itch (USA, 1955) – A man whose wife goes off on holiday becomes anxious that he might cheat on her despite the odds, so anxious that when a young woman moves in upstairs things seem to start going that way due to his over-thinking. Brilliant, funny, highly recommended piece on the mind. And for all that Monroe is touted for her blondness, that’s one very talented and educated woman.

Shaun Of The Dead (UK, 2004) – When things in space go awry, the dead start to arise, and those alive have to fend for themselves while the government tries to get a grip on things. So to Shaun that involves rounding up his friends and heading… to the local pub. Perfect example of British humour, here with a black coating.

Singin’ In The Rain (USA, 1952) – An actor helps a girl pursue her dream, while stripping the disguise of a graceless silent film star from her captive audience. I was all ready to pronounce this a 5/5 even though there was no plot and the film was quite obviously meant as a vehicle for the stars, but when that 15-20 minute boring routine came in…

Superman Returns (USA, 2006) – Clark Kent (or rather Superman – why no one can see through his one disguise of a pair of glasses is rather unrealistic) needs to save the world from Lex Luther. An infamous set-up by now, yet it can still have you on the edge of your seat.

Transformers: Dark Side Of The Moon (USA, 2011) – A new girlfriend for Sam and backup for the bad guys. A very strong edition to the franchise with a terrifically long ending scene.

Unknown (USA, 2011) – Martin lost consciousness and on waking can find no trace of his wife, who surely should be looking for him. Another man is pretending to be Martin, and everyone seems out to get him, but all Martin can remember is that he was there to present at a conference. A brilliant story well told.

I’m definitely starting to gain an interest in older films. I want to explore old Hollywood and watch the classics. And I’m finding that the wish to watch a sci-fi is stronger than the wish to not seem like a teenage boy. At this age who cares. Something that surprises me in the wrong way, however, is the fact that there are no foreign films on this list. That needs to be remedied in 2012. I watched 22 films that were new to me in 2011, and for someone who was down to watching only a few in recent years (since mid-2000s when I was watching many) I’m happy with that.