Films to See in 2011: July

So June went by with a deafening whimper, and as for how a whimper can be deafening, it's because you can't really hear anything. As May provided an excess of revitalizing filmmaking, not so much stunning as it was refreshing, June was the inevitable hangover. July is a spring of steady euphoria as we get back to some sense of sanity and stable thought. Transformers: Dark of the Moon switched months just after I posted my most anticipated films of June, so I'm tempted to rule July as an utterly depressing wreck starting out. Still, it will have that transforming robot heat going forward a few days ahead of time.

There are films that I am somewhat looking forward to, but don't quite break the top three. Horrible Bosses and Crazy, Stupid, Love both seem to go for the same sort of comedic demographic, with the latter having some sort of edge going for it, but both being general degradable. Friends with Benefits has more certain comedic spark, but I remain quietly skeptical. Captain America: The First Avenger seems to be on the same level of entertainment as Thor, so that's perhaps promising, but possibly disastrous. The biggest surprise omission is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, because even though I really loved Part 1, I expect a disappointing conclusion to the saga. That being said, I'm still very excited. So here are my picks, and you can comment below to tell me yours.

3. Tabloid

Directed by Errol Morris

The biggest barrier that modern moviegoers need to overcome is documentaries, because they're not always as depressing as Waiting for "Superman". Sometimes they're incredibly revealing and intense (The Cove), or spryly entertaining with a unique touch (Exit Through the Gift Shop). Tabloid looks like it's setting itself up in the ranks of the latter, looking at the true story of a woman who is either a monster or a victim, and I tend to believe the former. Then again, so little is told by the trailer that it's impossible to tell the eventual outcome of this film. I'm impressed when a doc tackles a little told and narrow subject only to reveal how fascinating it is.

2. Cowboys & Aliens

Directed by Jon Favreau

Of course there's got to be some sort of action film on this list, because what's life without a little excitement? Of course, I have waning interest in the redundant adventures of wizard boyhood or patronizingly patriotic superhero drivel, so why not aliens in the old west? Set aside that director Jon Favreau's last film was a bit of a misfire, but Cowboys & Aliens looks like quite a bit of fun. Cinematography Matthew Libatique is long overdue to take on a western, even if it is of a bit unorthodox style. Even now I remain cautious of this one, because there's still little telling of how it will end up, but it should be good fun.

1. Another Earth

Directed by Mike Cahill

Another indie drama that I'll have to go far out of my way to get a chance to see, this one seems to be delightfully unorthodox. Yes, it is preying on my love for the alternate universe dynamic of Fringe, but with the artful subtlety that the television series sadly lacks. Ignore the impossibility of the physics of the situation, and look at the emotional resonance of the story. It's quite possibly one of the best science fiction films, simply because it's not playing off that to the nth degree. It's a real human story of mistake and regret, and that really appeals to me.