(CNN) -- Movies are an especially fluid form of art. A person's feelings about a particular film are based on many factors, including his or her mood when watching. On a more cynical day, I might not have enjoyed Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo" as much as I did. Letting a film sink in over time can change things, too. For example, in a relatively short period, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" moved from No. 10 to No. 6 on my own personal list of the year's best films. However, I'm not going to rank this list in a strict one through 10 fashion. It's not fair to the films.
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Clooney has worked hard at overcoming his heartthrob image and expanding his range
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Jessica Chastain deserves special praise -- she was in seven films in 2011
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Shailene Woodley plays Clooney's rebellious daughter in "The Descendants"
@placeholder's performance is also my favorite by a male actor this year.
Which brings me to my favorite supporting role of the year: @placeholder in "The Descendants."