Thank you very much! If my math is right, I got about 73% overall, and 89% in the top 8 categories. The first number is okay, but the second number may be my best in years; I would have done even better if I hadn't gone with my hunch about Hailee Steinfeld's category switch.
I can't take too much credit; it was kind of an easy season. This year's crop of films was pretty thin, so the fields were pretty simple in most categories. Even then, there were some serious head-scratcher snubs this year: Tron Legacy for Visual Effects, Nolan for Best Director, Garfield for Supporting Actor, and Inception for Editing of all things.
I actually really enjoy the dark lunacy of the whole thing. It is definitely silly, but I think it is self-aware enough for the campiness to be purposeful.
I loved at the end when the "Dark Prince" walks by, in costume, and just gives her a very casual "hey." I'm fairly certain that Aronofsky knew how melodramatic his story was, an infused it with some silliness to keep it from collapsing under itself.
I'm sorry to hear that you were disappointed with Black Swan . It's definitely one of my favorites of the year.
Seriously, how terribly undervalued is Scott Pilgrim ? I can't believe more people didn't see it, and I'm shocked that even less took it seriously as a film.
So, Hurt Locker is currently #6, but I'm still working on the right order for my top 6. This year was an embarrassment of riches for mainstream Hollywood/bigger "indie" movies.
The critic who called it "almost a perfect movie" summed it up pretty well. Maybe the most flawless American film since There Will Be Blood. My top 3 are all really struggling for dominance. Inglourious Basterds may end up back in the #1 slot, but this was a great year all-around for film, so this list is more solid than usual.
What I really like about this list is that is clearly illustrates that British film critics/writers aren't against honoring mainstream American comedies, unlike their critical counterparts in the States.
Look at the non-Oscar-nominated comedies on the list and you'll see what I mean. There are a couple that aren't too surprising; cuz it's by Linklater, I think we'll see School of Rock on a few US lists, same with Zwigoff and Bad Santa (which is also just genius anyway). But less prestigious stuff like Wedding Crashers and Anchorman aren't gonna get this kind of credit from American end-of-decade lists.
[When are the British gonna discover the films of David Wain? I would think that his surreal and subversive tone would really be more appreciated by non-US audiences. Well, their college students will find out about him eventually, and then they'll either love Wet Hot American Summer or hate it, I suppose. Like most people.]
Not a bad list. I think the choice of the 2nd and 3rd Bourne movies for #2 probably has a lot to do with Greengrass being such a hometown hero, but I think it's a logical choice otherwise. The Bourne trilogy are probably three of the most influential films of the decade.
[If Slumdog and Crash on a ton of these lists, I'm gonna get disheartened.]
House is on my shows to watch list. Too many people I respect have recommended it to me.
The only thing that's kept me away is my television-procedural-fatigue. In case you didn't notice, there are almost no shows about hospitals, law firms, or cops (minus The Wire, but that don't count) on my list. But I have heard that House is different, so I'll give it a shot.
I'm conflicted on District 9. I want to love it, but I can't get past the inherent contradiction between its message and its portrayal of Nigerians as cannibalistic, alien-humping criminals.
Fifth Element is a must-see, in my book. It's not a truly great film, but the design is the most groundbreaking sci-fi work since Bladerunner, and it's impossibly entertaining.
The story/mythology itself is mostly a decent-to-good pastiche of sci-fi cliches, but that matters very little when you can't stop gawking at every little thing that comes on screen.
Thank you very much! If my math is right, I got about 73% overall, and 89% in the top 8 categories. The first number is okay, but the second number may be my best in years; I would have done even better if I hadn't gone with my hunch about Hailee Steinfeld's category switch.
I can't take too much credit; it was kind of an easy season. This year's crop of films was pretty thin, so the fields were pretty simple in most categories. Even then, there were some serious head-scratcher snubs this year: Tron Legacy for Visual Effects, Nolan for Best Director, Garfield for Supporting Actor, and Inception for Editing of all things.
Hey, I missed this the first time through, but great list.
Ys is one of my personal favorites, and your brief write-up was the least pretentious positive thing I've ever seen written on the subject.
Ditto. Definitely one of my biggest surprises of the year.
Who would've thought a hardscrabble sports movie would have the best ensemble work of the year?
I actually really enjoy the dark lunacy of the whole thing. It is definitely silly, but I think it is self-aware enough for the campiness to be purposeful.
I loved at the end when the "Dark Prince" walks by, in costume, and just gives her a very casual "hey." I'm fairly certain that Aronofsky knew how melodramatic his story was, an infused it with some silliness to keep it from collapsing under itself.
I'm sorry to hear that you were disappointed with Black Swan . It's definitely one of my favorites of the year.
Seriously, how terribly undervalued is Scott Pilgrim ? I can't believe more people didn't see it, and I'm shocked that even less took it seriously as a film.
This is indeed a return. I've been catching up on films from this year, and I figured what better place to organize my thoughts.
I'm gonna put together a tentative top ten tonight.
God, movies are just so awesome.
So, Hurt Locker is currently #6, but I'm still working on the right order for my top 6. This year was an embarrassment of riches for mainstream Hollywood/bigger "indie" movies.
I have been waiting for that performance for almost a year. I gotta get on that.
Stunning, really.
The critic who called it "almost a perfect movie" summed it up pretty well. Maybe the most flawless American film since There Will Be Blood. My top 3 are all really struggling for dominance. Inglourious Basterds may end up back in the #1 slot, but this was a great year all-around for film, so this list is more solid than usual.
I haven't read the book, but the movie is pretty artful unto itself.
Viggo and the kid are great...as is the whole ensemble.
What I really like about this list is that is clearly illustrates that British film critics/writers aren't against honoring mainstream American comedies, unlike their critical counterparts in the States.
Look at the non-Oscar-nominated comedies on the list and you'll see what I mean. There are a couple that aren't too surprising; cuz it's by Linklater, I think we'll see School of Rock on a few US lists, same with Zwigoff and Bad Santa (which is also just genius anyway). But less prestigious stuff like Wedding Crashers and Anchorman aren't gonna get this kind of credit from American end-of-decade lists.
[When are the British gonna discover the films of David Wain? I would think that his surreal and subversive tone would really be more appreciated by non-US audiences. Well, their college students will find out about him eventually, and then they'll either love Wet Hot American Summer or hate it, I suppose. Like most people.]
Not a bad list. I think the choice of the 2nd and 3rd Bourne movies for #2 probably has a lot to do with Greengrass being such a hometown hero, but I think it's a logical choice otherwise. The Bourne trilogy are probably three of the most influential films of the decade.
[If Slumdog and Crash on a ton of these lists, I'm gonna get disheartened.]
House is on my shows to watch list. Too many people I respect have recommended it to me.
The only thing that's kept me away is my television-procedural-fatigue. In case you didn't notice, there are almost no shows about hospitals, law firms, or cops (minus The Wire, but that don't count) on my list. But I have heard that House is different, so I'll give it a shot.
I'm conflicted on District 9. I want to love it, but I can't get past the inherent contradiction between its message and its portrayal of Nigerians as cannibalistic, alien-humping criminals.
Fifth Element is a must-see, in my book. It's not a truly great film, but the design is the most groundbreaking sci-fi work since Bladerunner, and it's impossibly entertaining.
The story/mythology itself is mostly a decent-to-good pastiche of sci-fi cliches, but that matters very little when you can't stop gawking at every little thing that comes on screen.