I’m a firm believer that good movies are relatively easy to find, and of the 108 movies I saw from 2011, I enjoyed quite a few of them.

I just didn’t love very many.

North Idaho has yet to receive late season standouts like “The Artist” or “A Separation.” Still, the calendar year hasn’t been marked by any significant benchmarks in cinema (although “The Tree of Life” could go down as this generation’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”).

Nevertheless, my top 20 films of 2011 definitely deserve your attention. A few you will love, some you’ll probably hate, but hopefully most are easy to enjoy.

Update: An updated article will be posted in the first part of February, which will (hopefully) include more late season titles.

1. Moneyball
On the surface, it’s a movie about baseball and statistics. It’s all the characters talk about, yet “Moneyball” tells a compelling and universal story about what it means to be the underdog.

Brad Pitt plays Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane as a man who learns that winning a little less than the big guys can be winning enough. It’s the most compelling performance of Pitt’s career, and you won’t find a snappier script this year than the one effortlessly crafted by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Available Tuesday on home video.

2. Super 8
The smartest and most entertaining blockbuster of the year, made by J.J. Abrams as a tribute to the science-fiction work of Steven Spielberg, who serves as a producer on the project. Stacked with a talented cast of young actors and a more-than-meets-the-eye monster, “Super 8” pays homage to all the best parts of “E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jaws” and “The Goonies” while also playing on its own terms. Available on home video.

3. The Descendants
George Clooney delivers another terrific performance as a man who must deal with a comatose wife, rebellious daughters and a land deal that will literally change the landscape of Hawaii. It’s another unique mix of comedy and drama from Alexander Payne, writer and director of “Sideways.” (more…)