The 50 best movies of 2011

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1. Drive

The Movie: Ryan Gosling's nameless driver gets embroiled in romance (with Carey Mulligan) and headstomping violence (with everyone else). Nicolas Winding Refn's ice-cool 80s-styled retro-noir seduced Cannes (where Refn won Best Director) and became the year's cult classic when it arrived on our shores in September.

Impact: Hitherto staunchly heterosexual men going gay for Gosling, who basically became king of cinema this year. A rush on satin jackets and toothpicks. And expect Cliff Martinez's soundtrack to appear on every TV show for the next few years.

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