I don't think there were enough greats to merit a Top 10 list, but here, in a very particular order, are my Top 5 in:
Film
Riveting and surprisingly frightening, TAKE SHELTER showcases Michael Shannon (best known for supporting roles in such films as REVOLUTIONARY ROAD) in a compelling performance as Curtis LaForche, a small-town family man whose haunting visions of impending disaster compel him to increasingly bizarre behaviour. 
And though he believes he may be going insane, the great tragedy at the heart of this story is that despite this awareness, he cannot help but obey his compulsions (among other things, installing a massive storm shelter in his backyard, at great expense). This is one of the great big-screen treats of 2011, and is bound to lose something in the translation to TV (or, God forbid, laptop monitor).
And though he believes he may be going insane, the great tragedy at the heart of this story is that despite this awareness, he cannot help but obey his compulsions (among other things, installing a massive storm shelter in his backyard, at great expense). This is one of the great big-screen treats of 2011, and is bound to lose something in the translation to TV (or, God forbid, laptop monitor). Do not let the religious theme of Xavier Beauvois's OF GODS AND MEN turn you away. An examination of the cruelty and meaninglessness of war, it tells the true story of a small group's devotion to protecting their community. 
Lambert Wilson is the lead, a French Trappist monk in a monastery in rural Algeria. As the country deteriorates into civil war, armed thugs (on both sides of the conflict) begin encroaching on the monks' sacred territory, and threatening the local Algerian community. Although the European monks are offered a peaceful exit, they must wrestle with their responsibility to not abandon the Algerian Muslims who have been their neighbours for so long. Insightful, profound, and intelligent, this is certainly the best foreign-language film of the year (though, sadly, it was not Oscar nominated in its original release year of 2010.)
Lambert Wilson is the lead, a French Trappist monk in a monastery in rural Algeria. As the country deteriorates into civil war, armed thugs (on both sides of the conflict) begin encroaching on the monks' sacred territory, and threatening the local Algerian community. Although the European monks are offered a peaceful exit, they must wrestle with their responsibility to not abandon the Algerian Muslims who have been their neighbours for so long. Insightful, profound, and intelligent, this is certainly the best foreign-language film of the year (though, sadly, it was not Oscar nominated in its original release year of 2010.) The latest adaptation of John Le Carré's TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is a complex, intellectual, Cold War tale: 
Gary Oldman (like Shannon, acclaimed for too long as merely a supporting actor) stars as George Smiley, ex-British Secret Service called back to duty to uncover the identity of a high-ranking Russian mole at the heart of the British intelligence establishment. The globe-spanning investigation delves into a botched Hungarian defection, a love affair between the wife of a Russian diplomat and agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy, excellent), and into Smiley's own broken personal life. Although the story is simultaneously slow-going and yet incredibly difficult to follow, the payoff is worth it, and the dénouement(s) sublime.
Gary Oldman (like Shannon, acclaimed for too long as merely a supporting actor) stars as George Smiley, ex-British Secret Service called back to duty to uncover the identity of a high-ranking Russian mole at the heart of the British intelligence establishment. The globe-spanning investigation delves into a botched Hungarian defection, a love affair between the wife of a Russian diplomat and agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy, excellent), and into Smiley's own broken personal life. Although the story is simultaneously slow-going and yet incredibly difficult to follow, the payoff is worth it, and the dénouement(s) sublime. Surely the most divisive film of 2011, Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE is a meditation on life, death, beginnings, The End, and a whole lot more. At its best, it takes audience on an audio-visual roller coaster through the history of time, and through the emotional roller coaster of a broken family in the American 1950's (with Brad Pitt at its head). At its worst, the meandering non-story, bizarre camera work, and voice over heavy dialogue are sure to turn some viewers completely off. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride (much more so than in Lars Von Triers's similar MELANCHOLIA), and I suggest the inquisitive viewer check this one out.
Although it has the most unnecessary use of 3D in a film this year, Wim Wenders's PINA is still an enthralling performance documentary. The conceit - intersperse late dance choreographer Pina Bausch's greatest pieces with commentary from dancers in her company - actually doesn't work that well: while the dance performances testify to Pina's brilliance, the interviewees are needless time-fillers, coming off as pretentious and fawning with nothing interesting to say. 
Still, as a performance film, it is nothing short of breathtaking, and the dances (which we get in tantalizing excerpts, some admittedly too short) cover a wide range of moods and styles. Highlights include: The lovers in a madhouse being controlled like puppets, Bausch's take on the Stravinsky Rite of Spring, the comical Robot-like one-man piece, and the disturbingly sexual poking and prodding of an elder female dancer by a large group of black-suited men. Not to be missed for anyone interested in the vanguard of contemporary art.
Still, as a performance film, it is nothing short of breathtaking, and the dances (which we get in tantalizing excerpts, some admittedly too short) cover a wide range of moods and styles. Highlights include: The lovers in a madhouse being controlled like puppets, Bausch's take on the Stravinsky Rite of Spring, the comical Robot-like one-man piece, and the disturbingly sexual poking and prodding of an elder female dancer by a large group of black-suited men. Not to be missed for anyone interested in the vanguard of contemporary art. And on a lighter note,
Video Games!:
The sequel to arguably the greatest video game of this generation, PORTAL 2 improves on the original with its better, funnier, and more subversive story. Also, with its wonderful characters, magnificently crafted universe, and, yes, the brain-tingling gameplay. For those unfamiliar with the series, it is based on a single gameplay mechanic: the eponymous gun that allows its user to "warp" from one destination to another by creating entry and exit portals at whim. Of course, it's not just a question of shooting one's way to an exit, but rather of solving increasingly complex - but never impa(o)ssible puzzles - while dealing with an hilariously idiotic robot sidekick (voiced by "The Office" and "Extras"'s Stephen Merchant) and his villainous counterpart, the infamous GLaDOS.
Although I am some distance from finishing the game's main storyline (let alone its hundreds of side quests), I believe I can safely rate BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY not just the greatest comic book video game ever created, but one of the best stealth games, ever. Taking everything cool about Batman (the gadgets, the Ninja-like stealth, and the Bathook/Batcape glide mechanic), adding in a healthy dose of comicdom's bizarrest villains (with Mark Hamill-voiced Joker at the very top), and one of the most satisfying combat systems around, B:AC is undoubtedly one of the coolest games this year. 
From the smoke bomb/grappling hook escapes, to the building ledge takedowns (reach up and pull a thug off a ledge and leave him on a rope, dangling), through the glide sessions across Gotham Arkham City, this game has probably the best stealth mechanics since Metal Gear's Cardboard Box.
From the smoke bomb/grappling hook escapes, to the building ledge takedowns (reach up and pull a thug off a ledge and leave him on a rope, dangling), through the glide sessions across Gotham Arkham City, this game has probably the best stealth mechanics since Metal Gear's Cardboard Box. While not as innovative as its predecessor Rez, CHILD OF EDEN is certainly the trippiest game of the year, taking players on a brief but memorable acid trip through the "internet" of tomorrow: a mindscape of strange organisms to "purify" with a weapon that activates in time to the soundtrack of the game. It's as bizarre as it sounds, but if you can handle the aesthetics, it's one of the most beautiful and original games of this generation.
Honourable Mentions:
The Pride of Toronto, SUPERBROTHERS: SWORD AND SWORCERY EP briefly burned up the iOS charts as the year's great point-and-click adventure game. Of course, it wouldn't be on this list just for bringing back a genre I love: like other favourites, its subversion of the genre is what won me over: in particular, its constant breaking of the fourth wall, use of the iPod/Phone/Pad's abilities, and fantastic soundtrack (also, coincidentally, tied to the action on screen). The game definitely requires patience - certain parts literally require the player to set the game down and walk away - but it's worth the effort.
And the best game I technically haven't played yet: ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3, for finally allowing me to create a team consisting of Nova (from Marvel Comics' New Warriors), King Arthur (from Ghosts 'n Goblins), and Amaterasu (from Okami).
