Staff Picks: Best of 2011 so Far

“I cannot recommend Animal Kingdom enough – a smart, engrossing, captivating watch. Aussie newcomer Ben Mendelsohn is one to watch, and Guy Pearce once again proving he’s got a great eye for a cracking script.”

“Stop sniggering... Rosie Huntington-Whiteley can act.”

“Black Swan was sensational. A perfect and very clever metaphor for the story of Swan Lake. Just beautiful.”

"A plain-clothes guard gets trapped by a prison riot and must pretend to be an inmate to survive - Cell 211 is a brutal, intense Spanish thriller and it's so good there's already a US remake in the works.”

“I loved Kung Fu Panda 2's awesomeness.”

“Whilst the Kung Fu Panda sequel is clearly the best film of 2011 so far, Green Lantern is a surprise number 2. Great visuals, awesome action and it never takes itself too seriously."

“Super 8 premiered mid-June in Sweden, and it definitely makes this list! But who would have thought that a menacing tyre would make such an awesome bad guy?”

“Kung Fu Panda 2 was a highlight - it had more Kung-Fu.”

“X-Men: First Class and True Grit both exceeded my expectations - they're going to be really hard to top this year.”

“127 Hours was incredible, I was completely gripped throughout. Don't let the bleak plot put you off seeing it - everything Danny Boyle makes is beautiful. Brilliant use of the Sigur Rós track at the end too. My fave film this year by a long long way.”

“I loved everything about Richard Ayoade's Submarine. From the direction and the script, to the breakthrough performances and the soundtrack; it's a definite highlight of the year so far.”