The New Year is nearly upon us, and so to celebrate the denouement of what has been a fantastic 2011, CineVue’s top staff writers have provided a rundown of their unique personal Top 5 films of the year, as well as the most exceptional director and actor of the last twelve months of new releases. 2011 has undoubtedly been an exceptionally vintage year for British film, with Lynne Ramsay’s affecting We Need to Talk About Kevin, Tomas Alfredson’s wonderful Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Paddy Considine’s directorial debut Tyrannosaur showcasing the cream of UK cinema talent. But did they make our top 5 lists? And what was the worst film of the year? Why not read on and find out.

Daniel Green, Editor

Top 5 Films
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK) 
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (dir. Tomas Alfredson, Sweden)
The Artist (dir. Michel Hazanavicius, France) 
Animal Kingdom (dir. David Michôd, Australia) 
A Separation (dir. Asghar Farhadi, Iran)

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

Worst Film
The Thing (dir. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., US) 

Joe Walsh

Top 5 Films
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK) 
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (dir. Tomas Alfredson, Sweden)
A Separation (dir. Asghar Farhadi, Iran)
Hugo (dir. Martin Scorsese, US)
We Were Here (dir. David Weissman & Bill Weber, US)

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Worst Film
Captain America (dir. Joe Johnston, US)

Patrick Gamble 

Top 5 Films
The Artist (dir. Michel Hazanavicius, France)
The Tree of Life (dir. Terrence Malick, US)
Le Quattro Volte (dir. Michelangelo Frammartino, Italy)
How I Ended this Summer (dir. Aleksei Popogrebskiy, Russia)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK)

Best Director
Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Best Performance
Anna Paquin (Margaret)

Worst Film
Soul Surfer (Sean McNamara, US)

Russell Cook

Top 5 Films
Another Earth (dir. Mike Cahill, US)
Hanna (dir. Joe Wright, UK)
Black Swan (dir. Darren Aronofsky, US)
Super 8 (dir. J. J. Abrams, US)
The Guard (dir. John Michael McDonagh, Ireland)

Best Director
Mike Cahill (Another Earth)

Best Performance
Saoirse Ronan (Hanna)

Worst Film
The Mechanic (dir. Simon West, US)

Edward Frost

Top 5 Films
The Artist (dir. Michel Hazanavicius, France)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK)
Weekend (dir. Andrew Haigh, UK)
Blue Valentine (dir. Derek Cianfrance, US)
Midnight in Paris (dir. Woody Allen, US) 

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur)

Worst Film
Larry Crowne (dir. Tom Hanks, US)

Stephen Glass

Top 5 Films
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK)
A Separation (dir. Asghar Farhadi, Iran)
Kill List (dir. Ben Wheatley, UK)
Tyrannosaur (dir. Paddy Considine, UK)
Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, US)

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

Worst Film
X-Men: First Class (dir. Matthew Vaughn, US)

Daniel Gumble

Top 5 Films: 
Melancholia (dir. Lars von Trier, Denmark)
Super 8 (dir. J. J. Abrams, US)
X-Men: First Class (dir. Matthew Vaughn, US)
George Harrison: Living in the Material World (dir. Martin Scorsese, US)
Surviving Life (dir. Jan Švankmajer, Czech Republic)

Best Director
Lars von Trier (Melancholia)

Best Performance
Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)

Worst Film
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (dir. Tomas Alfredson, Sweden)

Cleaver Patterson

Top 5 Films
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (dir. Luc Besson, France)
Arriety (dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Gary Rydstrom, Japan)
The King’s Speech (dir. Tom Hooper, UK)
L’Amour Fou (dir. Pierre Thoretton, France)
Stake Land (dir. Jim Mickle, US)

Best Director
Luc Besson (The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec)

Best Performance
Louise Bourgoin (The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec)

Worst Film
Mother’s Day (dir. Darren Lynn Bousman, US)

Robert Savage

Top 5 Films
Snowtown (dir. Justin Kurzel, Australia)
Take Shelter (dir.  Jeff Nichols, US)
Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, US)
Meek’s Cutoff (dir. Kelly Reichardt, US)
Project Nim (dir. James Marsh, UK)

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur)

Worst Film
Sucker Punch (dir. Zack Snyder, US)

David Sugarman 

Top 5 Films
Source Code (dir. Duncan Jones, US)
The Tree of Life (dir. Terrence Malick, US)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK)
True Grit (dir. Ethan & Joel Coen, US)
Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, US)

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Worst Film
Wuthering Heights (dir. Andrea Arnold, UK) 

Sonia Zadurian 

Top 5 Films
Black Swan (dir. Darren Aronofsky, US)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK)
Midnight in Paris (dir. Woody Allen, US)
Another Earth (dir. Mike Cahill, US)
Bridesmaids (dir. Paul Feig, US)

Best Director
Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance
Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur)

Worst Film
The Hangover Part II (dir. Todd Phillips, US)

What are your favourite films of the year? Please feel free to leave your comments.