BEST MOVIES OF 2010 -- so far

[oscar jubis]

[QUOTE=Chris Knipp;24683]Well I guess if your son liked TOY STORY 3 then it must be a masterpiece.
This reads as a sarcastic comment to me. Tell me I'm wrong because sarcasm would be an inappropriate response to my sharing Dylan's love for Toy Story 3 with the readers of this forum.The fact that he wants to watch it again and with me only means I'm going to have to wait until our schedules coincide to check it out.


My conclusion about Michael Winterbottom as a filmmaker: the whole is more than the sum of its parts. I'd like more directors like him, who move around so freely among genres and always stimulate.
He's so versatile I cannot figure out who he is. I have seen all his movies except the two most recent. The ones I liked are: BUTTERFLY KISS,WONDERLAND, A MIGHTY HEART and TRISTRAM SHANDY. Probably in that order of preference.

[Chris Knipp]

Sharing a film that he loves with your son is sacred. I'd never make fun of that. I'd like to discuss the film with him. Can you bring him on board? What I meant was that nobody will convince me TOY STORY 3 is a masterpiece, not even your son. But mine was purely a teasing remark, not sarcastic in the least. I'm impressed that the film appeals to a 17-year-old since Andy is that age. When I was 17 my tastes were very different. They haven't changed much, just new movies have come along. Back when I was your son's age, movies I liked were REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, PICNIC, MARTY, TO CATCH A THIEF, MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY (an all-time favorite,) RIFIFI (ditto) and THE LADYKILLERS. I did not want to see GUYS AND DOLLS or LADY AND THE TRAMP.

As for Winterbottom, that he can't be typecast is a virtue. Risk-taking is a common thread. Following his passions wherever they lead him. Obviously he is prolific and doesn't hesitate to dive into a new project. It's been noted that most people wouldn't have dared to take on the whole Manchester music scene 1976-1992 at one go. And obviously I think Anton Corbjin's CONTROL about Joy Division and Ian Curtis is a better film; but it does something different, more limited. Winterbottom doesn't fear failure. Tristram Shandy is an impossible book to film. THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO is a provocative and dangerous topic -- to Americans; less so to Brits since the Tipton Three did get out. It's flawed in that it smooths over gaps in the guy's stories.. 9 SONGS contains scene of actual sex so it's sure to be rejected from the mainstream.

I'm sure there is a common thread; several, two of which I've mentioned. but I haven't seen all his films. I see two of your favorites are ones's I've missed, WONDERLAND and BUTTERFLY KISS. A MIGHTY HEART uses documentary again, fictionally, yet seems to me more conventional, but again it's just a subject he came across and couldn't resist, that was important and some thing was Jolie's best performance. Or did that lead to GUANTAMO or vice versa? I forget.

The styles of TRISTRAM SHANDY and 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE are very similar; so is GUANTANAMO, really: self-referential, post-modern pseudo-documentary. BUTTERFLY KISS sounds risk-taking, lurid in the extreme, and unpleasant. Genre-bending. WONDERLAND sounds like it treads on Andrea Arnold territory. Metacritic WONDERLAND 71, BUTTERFLY KISS 61. So WONDERLAND is up there in the critical ratings, the other, not. The subjects may interest you especially. The other ones interest me more, TRISTRAM SHANDY (even though it disappoints me), GUANTANAMO (important to me), 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (obviously not urgent, since I waited a decade to see it, but I like music scene and band movies). He's out there trying things. A MIGHTY HEART is utterly conventional. Anybody could have done it. Not sure anybody else could have done SHANDY or PARTY PEOPLE. Not sure of course about the ones I haven't seen. Have you seen the ones I've mentioned and just not liked them? Or not seen some of them? I find it hard to catch up. The collective movie blog The Playlist has a recent rundown -- they call it an "appreciation" -- of Winterbottom's films that indicates several more I'd have to see to do a complete assessment. But I don't thik an assessment of somebody like this is possible. They say he's like Soderbergh, though with a bit less successful batting average. That's a possible analogy. Better batting average or no, Soderbergh has his share of misfires. But one of his great virtues is his willingness to try different things. One could twist around Salvador Dali's famous remark, "The only difference between a madman and myself is that I am not mad," and say the only difference between Winterbottom and Soderbergh and a hack is that they are not hacks.

Now it's become too late to watch 9 SONGS tonight. But I've enjoyed our exchanges today on this and I AM LOVE. I am stuck at home sick so it gave me pleasantly distracting to do.

[Johann]

I haven't seen too many movies in theatres this year, so I'm sorta out of the loop on what's good or great so far.
I'm jealous you guys get your butts into so many screenings...

As for INCEPTION, I'm really looking forward to it, as it's been two years in the making, and is the next picture for Nolan since The Dark Knight. (and the cinematography looks very very similar..coincidence? I think not). Wally Pfister is a Master director of photography. I love how he works too: he never knows what the shot is going to look like until they are about to do it- it's very loose, very free- it reminded me of Stanley Kubrick saying that he never knew where he would put his camera, that he would just "try and get the most interesting stuff going" and then the shots find themselves.

I think we're all looking for a "GOOD MOVIE" right now. Something with a good story and is told with some skill and impactful images.
Are those movies rarer and rarer or what?

[Chris Knipp]

I've added another title that I didn't think of at first:

Daddy Longlegs (Josh and Benny Safdie 2009)

I think these boys could turn out to be more interesting than the Duplass brothers. DADDY LONGLEGS is an obscure film you could probably only see if you were nearby the IFC Center in NYC at the right time, or LA, or Sundance, or BAM.

A unique film I'd like to draw people's attention to. Available via Video On Demand.

After so much discussion of I AM LOVE, I will add it to the list, even though it may not make the final cut of my "Best Foreign" films if what comes out in the fall is good.

[oscar jubis]

[QUOTE=Chris Knipp;24688] I'm impressed that the film appeals to a 17-year-old since Andy is that age. When I was 17 my tastes were very different. They haven't changed much, just new movies have come along. Back when I was your son's age, movies I liked were REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, PICNIC, MARTY, TO CATCH A THIEF, MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY (an all-time favorite,) RIFIFI (ditto) and THE LADYKILLERS. I did not want to see GUYS AND DOLLS or LADY AND THE TRAMP.
Dylan has fairly wide interest in movies. He absolutely loves GUYS AND DOLLS by the way, and appeared in a stage production of it. He loves the Harry Potter films almost as much as the books. He also loves well-made horror films. The last film he really liked was the very adult drama CHLOE. A film I found utterly absorbing. Something that might sneak into my 2010 list. It's by Egoyan so I am not surprised I like it more than most people.

I see two of your favorites are ones I've missed, WONDERLAND and BUTTERFLY KISS.
Dennis Lim aptly describes WONDERLAND as "a bruised romantic's wary valentine to London life" and compares it to WKW's "ravishing Hong Kong nocturnes". What is absolutely undeniable about BUTTERFLY KISS is Amanda Plummer's fierce performance.

Now it's become too late to watch 9 SONGS tonight. But I've enjoyed our exchanges today on this and I AM LOVE. I am stuck at home sick so it gave me pleasantly distracting to do.
I've enjoyed them too. And I hope you get well soon Chris.

*I missed chances to watch DADDY LONGLEGS. It's clear I wouldn't list I AM LOVE.

[Chris Knipp]

Thanks for your good wishes.

You didn't answer my question re Winterbottom:

Not sure of course about the ones I haven't seen. Have you seen the ones I've mentioned and just not liked them?

[oscar jubis]

Thanks for your good wishes.

You didn't answer my question re Winterbottom:

WELCOME TO SARAJEVO (1997) 72 :Good movie.

24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (2001) 85
A print-the-myth, self-aggrandizing approach to rock history but a lot of fun anyway.Dennis Lim was right to write: "As a historical document, 24 Hour Party People may be most meaningful to fans whose epiphanies were experienced at least one remove away -- at a different place or time."

9 SONGS (2004) 43
This movie plain doesn't work but I won't begrudge Winterbottom for experimenting a bit. Watched it in NYC with a sizable crowd who seemed bored by it.

ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (2006) 64
I found it disappointing.I went into detail about its flaws in this forum a few years ago.

TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY (2006) 80
A MIGHTY HEART (2007) 74
I liked these two. I remember defending A Mighty Heart here at Filmleaf. The search engine makes it difficult to find the precise post.

THE SHOCK DOCTRINE (2009) XX
THE KILLER INSIDE ME (2010) 53
I haven't seen them

[Michuk]

Oscar,

If you loved "The Milk of Sorrow" you should definitely see "ALTIPLANO" ( that I reviewed as part of the TOFIFEST coverage: http://www.filmleaf.net/showthread.p...n-Torun-Poland ) which is starring the same actress, also takes place in Peru, and shares equally unique cinematography, but discusses a completely different problem.

From other movies llisted,
- I loved "Fish Tank", "Eyes Wide Open", "Father of My Children, The" and "Ghost Writer, The"
- "Prophet, A" was interesting but I prefer previous Audiard's films
- " Lourdes" was interesting and discussion-provoking
- so was "Trush Humpers" but that's a film I would not safely recommend to anyone
- I liked "The Killer Inside Me" - a fair movie, very well-directed, but it's not a must-see
- "No one knows about Persian cats" was nice but I just could not ignore the fact it was such a low-budget film with no real actors (reviews it on Filmleaf earlier this year)
- "Alamar" bored me to death
- "Ajami" was way too long and had an amateurish feel I didn't like (think: poor man's Amores Perros but more political)

And from those not mentioned, I also recommend:
- Kynodontas (Dogtooth)
- Tetro
- "10 to 11" (Turkish film)
- Patrice Chéreau's "Persécution"

And I'm seeing INCEPTION tonight :)

[oscar jubis]

Thanks, I will make sure I watch ANTIPLANO when it opens in the US later this year.
Like you, I wasn't all that impressed by AJAMI but I understand why many are quite fond of it.
I liked TETRO but it opened here last year hence not listed in this thread.
I absolutely hated PERSECUTION, especially the protagonist as played by Roman Duris.

[Chris Knipp]

The hot end-of-year American releases are upon us and I've recently seen

The King's Speech
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
The Company Men

Coming: Joel and Ethan Coen's True Grit, Russell's The Fighter, and more

Here's my original list entered Sept. 19:

-Ajami (Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani 2009) DVD
-Alamar (Pedro Gonzalez Rubio 2010) DVD, some theaters*
-Animal Kingdom (David Michôd 2010), in theaters Aug. 14, 21 ff.
-Anton Chekhov's The Duel (Dover Kosashvili 2009) in theaters
-Daddy Longlegs (Josh and Benny Safdie 2009) VOD
-Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy 2010) in theaters
-Eyes Wide Open (Haim Tabakman 2009) First Run Features reportedly will release a DVD
-Father of My Children, The (Le père de mes enfants, Mia Hansen-Løve 2009) DVD
-Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold 2009) DVD coming
-Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (Michèle Hozner, Peter Raymont 2010) in theaters
-Ghost Writer, The (Roman Polanski 2010) DVD release August 3, 2010
-Greenberg (Noah Baumbach 2010) DVD release July 13, 2010
-I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino 2009) finishing in theaters
-Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Tamra Davis 2010) in theaters August 2010
-Life During Wartime (Todd Solondz 2010) DVD coming
-Mademoiselle Chambon (Stéphane Brizé 2009)
-Making Plans for Léna (Non, ma fille, tu n'iras pas danser, Christophe Honoré 2009)
-Prophet, A (Un prophète, Jacques Audiard 2009) DVD
-Social Network, The (David Fincher 2010) release coming Oct. 1, 2020
-Solitary Man (Brian Koppelman, David Levien 2010) DVD release September 7, 2010
-Terribly Happy (Henrik Ruben Genz 2010) DVD release July 13, 2010
-Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich 2010) in theaters
-Welcome (Philippe Lioret 2009) DVD release August 1, 2010
-Winter's Bone (Debra Granik 2010) in theaters

Here are some titles coming up on year-end lists that won't go in my top lists:

Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky 2010)
Inception (Christopher Nolan 2010)
Kids Are Alright, The (Lisa Cholodenko 2010)
Lourdes (Jessica Hausner 2009)
Marwencol (Jeff Malmberg 2010)
Please Give (Nicole Holofcener 2010)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Edgar Wright 2010)
Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese 2010)
Wild Grass (Alain Resnais 20

I see Bruno Dumont's Hadewijch and Benjamin Heisenberg's The Robber listed. If that means they are considered 2010 US releases, I might add them because I like both.

No top tens till I've seen all I can of the 2010 US releases.

[Chris Knipp]

The hot end-of-year American releases are upon us and I've recently seen

The King's Speech
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
Rabbit Hole
The Company Men

Coming: Joel and Ethan Coen's True Grit, Russell's The Fighter, and more

Here's my original list entered Sept. 19:

-Ajami (Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani 2009) DVD
-Alamar (Pedro Gonzalez Rubio 2010) DVD, some theaters*
-Animal Kingdom (David Michôd 2010), in theaters Aug. 14, 21 ff.
-Anton Chekhov's The Duel (Dover Kosashvili 2009) in theaters
-Daddy Longlegs (Josh and Benny Safdie 2009) VOD
-Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy 2010) in theaters
-Eyes Wide Open (Haim Tabakman 2009) First Run Features reportedly will release a DVD
-Father of My Children, The (Le père de mes enfants, Mia Hansen-Løve 2009) DVD
-Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold 2009) DVD coming
-Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (Michèle Hozner, Peter Raymont 2010) in theaters
-Ghost Writer, The (Roman Polanski 2010) DVD release August 3, 2010
-Greenberg (Noah Baumbach 2010) DVD release July 13, 2010
-I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino 2009) finishing in theaters
-Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Tamra Davis 2010) in theaters August 2010
-Life During Wartime (Todd Solondz 2010) DVD coming
-Mademoiselle Chambon (Stéphane Brizé 2009)
-Making Plans for Léna (Non, ma fille, tu n'iras pas danser, Christophe Honoré 2009)
-Prophet, A (Un prophète, Jacques Audiard 2009) DVD
-Social Network, The (David Fincher 2010) release coming Oct. 1, 2020
-Solitary Man (Brian Koppelman, David Levien 2010) DVD release September 7, 2010
-Terribly Happy (Henrik Ruben Genz 2010) DVD release July 13, 2010
-Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich 2010) in theaters
-Welcome (Philippe Lioret 2009) DVD release August 1, 2010
-Winter's Bone (Debra Granik 2010) in theaters

Here are some titles coming up on year-end lists that won't go in my top lists:

Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky 2010)
Inception (Christopher Nolan 2010)
Kids Are Alright, The (Lisa Cholodenko 2010)
Lourdes (Jessica Hausner 2009)
Marwencol (Jeff Malmberg 2010)
Please Give (Nicole Holofcener 2010)
Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese 2010)
Wild Grass (Alain Resnais 20

I see Bruno Dumont's Hadewijch and Benjamin Heisenberg's The Robber listed. If that means they are considered 2010 US releases, I might add them because I like both.

No top tens till I've seen all I can of the 2010 US releases.

[Chris Knipp]

FILM COMMENT ANNOUNCES ITS BEST LISTS FOR 2010

Here come the Film Comment lists from the Film Society of Lincoln Center where I report on the NYFF, the Rendez-Vous, and New Directors/New Films. They were announced today (Dec. 17, 2010). It's a compilation of votes from the magazine's staff and contributors and various others adding up to a total of 100, of whom only a dozen or so were named. Most of the unreleased films are NYFF selections this year and the top released choices had Film Comment articles and features. In other words, no surprises, though I find many of the rankings very surprising. Not the top ones, though I still do not think White Material is Claire Denis' best work, though I love her films, in general. Given the source, I've seen most of the films listed, for once. There are only half a dozen I have not seen, not counting a couple new or coming releases I'm about to see (True Grit, I Love You Philip Morris), and these titles bring back a lot of good 2010 movie-viewing memories.

This list announcement on the FSLC website is here.

I notice a movie listed in the top ten by some, Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, isn't mentioned. I might comment more on these lists later when I make my lists or see other lists.

THE COMPLETE FILM COMMENT 2010 BEST-OF FILMS LISTS

RELEASED 2010 [in the US]

1. Carlos Director: Olivier Assayas
2. The Social Network Director: David Fincher
3. White Material Director: Claire Denis
4. The Ghost Writer Director: Roman Polanski
5. A Prophet Director: Jacques Audiard
6. Winter's Bone Director: Debra Granik
7. Inside Job Director: Charles Ferguson
8. Wild Grass Director: Alain Resnais
9. Everyone Else Director: Maren Ade
10. Greenberg Director: Noah Baumbach

Rankings #11 - #20
11. Mother Director: Bong Joon-ho
12. Toy Story 3 Director: Lee Unkrich
13. Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl Director: Manoel de Oliveira
14. Another Year Director: Mike Leigh
15. The Strange Case of Angelica Director: Manoel de Oliveira
16. The Kids Are All Right Director: Lisa Cholodenko
17. Shutter Island Director: Martin Scorsese
18. Around a Small Mountain Director: Jacques Rivette
19. Our Beloved Month of August Director: Miguel Gomes
20. Ne change rien Director: Pedro Costa

Rankings #21 - #30
21. Dogtooth Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
22. I Am Love Director: Luca Guadagnino
23. Sweetgrass Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Ilisa Barbash
24. Black Swan Director: Darren Aronofsky
25. The Father of My Children Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
26. Boxing Gym Director: Frederick Wiseman
27. Secret Sunshine Director: Lee Chang-dong
28. Bluebeard Director: Catherine Breillat
29. Enter the Void Director: Gaspar Noé
30. Inception Director: Christopher Nolan

Rankings #31 - #40
31. Alamar Director: Pedro González-Rubio
32. The Oath Director: Laura Poitras
33. Exit Through the Gift Shop Director: Banksy
34. World on a Wire Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
35. Animal Kingdom Director: David Michôd
36. Vincere Director: Marco Bellocchio
37. Daddy Longlegs Directors: Ben & Joshua Safdie
38. Lourdes Director: Jessica Hausner
39. Life During Wartime Director: Todd Solondz
40. Fish Tank Director: Andrea Arnold

Rankings #41 - #50
41. Please Give Director: Nicole Holofcener
42. True Grit Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
43. Lebanon Director: Samuel Maoz
44. The King's Speech Director: Tom Hooper
45. I Love You Phillip Morris Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
46. Last Train Home Director: Lixin Fan
47. Blue Valentine Director: Derek Cianfrance
48. Hadewijch Director: Bruno Dumont
49. The Anchorage Directors: Anders Edström & C.W. Winter
50. Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno Directors: Serge Bromberg & Ruxandra Medrea


UNRELEASED 2010

1. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2. Film Socialisme Director:Jean-Luc Godard
3. Poetry Director:Lee Chang-dong
4. Meek's Cutoff Director:Kelly Reichardt
5. Aurora Director:Cristi Puiu
6. Mysteries of Lisbon Director: Raúl Ruiz
7. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu Director: Andrei Ujica
8. The Four Times Director: Michelangelo Frammartino
9. Certified Copy Director: Abbas Kiarostami
10. Tuesday, After Christmas Director: Radu Muntean
11. Oki's Movie Director: Hong Sang-soo
12. Ruhr Director: James Benning
13. I Wish I Knew Director: Jia Zhangke
14. My Joy Director: Sergei Loznitsa
15. Nostalgia for the Light Director: Patricio Guzmán,
16. Robinson in Ruins Director: Patrick Keiller
17. Black Venus Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
18. Of Gods and Men Director: Xavier Beauvois
19. Tabloid Director: Errol Morris
20. The Robber Director: Benjamin Heisenberg

[Chris Knipp]

DECEMBER 2010 U.S. MOVIE RELEASES:

As always, some of the best of the year here. Ones I've already reviewed are starred, ones I think I probably must see are in red.

Friday, December 3
The Warrior's Way 1,622 theaters
* All Good Things ( Andrew Jarecki) Limited
*Black Swan (Darren Arronofsky) 18 theaters
*I Love You Phillip Morris 6 theaters
*Night Catches Us (Tanya Hamilton)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Limited
The Assistants 1 theater

Friday, December 10
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3,555 theaters
* The Tourist (von Donnersmarck) 2,756 theaters
And Everything Is Going Fine (Steven Soderbergh) 1 theater --now seen
Hemingway's Garden of Eden 14 theaters
*The Fighter (David O. Russell) 4 theaters
*The Tempest 5 theaters

Friday, December 17
And Soon the Darkness Limited
*Casino Jack (George Hickenlooper) NY/LA
How Do You Know 2,483 theaters
Tron: Legacy (Joseph Kosinski) 3,451 theaters --now seen
Yogi Bear 3,515 theaters
*Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell) 5 theaters

Wednesday, December 22
Little Fockers 3,450 theaters
True Grit (Coen brothers) 3,000 theaters -- now seen and reviewed
Country Strong 2 theaters
Somewhere (Sofia Coppola) 7 theaters -- now seen and reviewed
Tees Maar Khan Limited

Friday, December 24
*Hadewijch (Bruno Dument)
* Secret Sunshine (Lee Chang-dong)

Saturday, December 25
Gulliver's Travels 2,400 theaters
The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet) Limited -- now seen and reviewed
The Rebound Limited
*The Company Men (John Wells)

Wednesday, December 29
*Another Year (Mike Leigh) Limited
Biutiful (Gonzales Iñáritu) Limited (LA/NY) -- now seen and reviewed

Saturday, December 31
Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance) -- seen, holding review for release date (now released)

Some of the foreign ones I reviewed quite a while ago as part of a festival. And Everything Is Going Fine is a documentary about the late monologist Spaulding Gray. I didn't know about it till I came back to NYC. The Illusionist by the animation maker of The Triplets of Belleville, I also didn't know about. It concerns Jacques Tati. Javier Bardem's performance in Iñáritu's Biutiful has been described as the best of the year by anyone. My review of Blue Valentine is written but I'm holding it for opening day. I'm not happy with the film, but the performances by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are amazing. Why see Tron? To see what millions of people are sitting through at the movies right now. These are all I'm aware of. There are probably some more I don't know about yet. And some of these dates may be wrong. The Company Men was originally listed for January 2011. I hope people get to watch Hadewijch, Secret Sunshine, and Another Year. They're great.

[Chris Knipp]

I've updated the recommended list for DVD availability and added a couple titles.

-Ajami (Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani 2009) DVD
-Alamar (Pedro Gonzalez Rubio 2010) DVD
-American, The (Anton Corbijn 2010) DVD
-Animal Kingdom (David Michôd 2010) DVD
-Anton Chekhov's The Duel (Dover Kosashvili 2009) No DVD yet
-Daddy Longlegs (Josh and Benny Safdie 2009) DVD 2011?
-Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy 2010) DVD
-Eyes Wide Open (Haim Tabakman 2009) DVD
-Father of My Children, The (Le père de mes enfants, Mia Hansen-Løve 2009) DVD
-Fighter, The (David O. Russell 2010) in theaters Dec. 2010
-Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (Michèle Hozner, Peter Raymont 2010) DVD in 2011
-Ghost Writer, The (Roman Polanski 2010) DVD
-Greenberg (Noah Baumbach 2010) DVD
-Mademoiselle Chambon (Stéphane Brizé 2009) DVD
-Making Plans for Léna (Non, ma fille, tu n'iras pas danser, Christophe Honoré 2009) no DVD yet
-Prophet, A (Un prophète, Jacques Audiard 2009) DVD
-Social Network, The (David Fincher 2020) DVD
-Solitary Man (Brian Koppelman, David Levien 2010) DVD
-Somewhere (Sofia Coppola 2010) in theaters Dec. 2010
-Terribly Happy (Henrik Ruben Genz 2010) DVD
-Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich 2010) DVD
-Welcome (Philippe Lioret 2009) DVD
-Winter's Bone (Debra Granik 2010) DVD

[Chris Knipp]

The NY Times's three film main film critics published their 2010 Best Lists today, Jan. 2, 2011.

Ten Best Movies, in order:

A.O. Scott
• 127 Hours
• Black Swan
• Carlos
• The Fighter
• Greenberg
• The Kids Are All Right
• Somewhere
• Toy Story 3
• Vincere
• Winter's Bone

Manohla Dargis
• Black Swan
• Boxing Gym
• Carlos
• The Ghost Writer
• Inception
• A Prophet
• The Social Network
• Sweetgrass
• True Grit
• Wild Grass

Stephen Holden
• Another Year
• Carlos
• Inception
• Inside Job
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech
• My Dog Tulip
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3
• Winter's Bone

I don't know why Scott went ape over 127 HOURS, but I like Boyle and Franco so I'm fine with it. I don't go along with the enthusiasm for BOXING GYM; Wiseman has his passionate advocates. MY DOG TULIP is a bit out of left field; maybe Holden's a canine fanatic, and loves hand-drawn animation. Otherwise these are very mainstream lists, though they include some items that the mainstream US audience has no chance to see, such as VINCERE, SWEERT GRASS, and CARLOS, which were all in the New York Film Festival in 2009 (the first two) and 2010 (CARLOS), as was ANOTHER YEAR. Mike Leigh's film has had a last-minute US theatrical release in NY and several Calif. locations. It will be rolling out to other parts of the country in Jan. and Feb. 2011. Mike Leigh is at the top of his game; I understand his inclusion here with this warm, humane, specific film. But I've explained my reservations about a certain patness in the construction of his films, particularly this one. CARLOS is the only movie all three critics list. Dargis was quite critical of it earlier but seem to have come around. A bit odd, calling a French TV miniseries a "best movie," but it will be something good to watch on your TV monitor when its US DVD edition comes out. IFC's theatrical releases in 3 and 5 1/2 hour forms has been limited. You can still see it in NYC.

For actors, the three gave their lists of five they think should be the Oscar nominees.

Best Actor: The three pundits choose 5 names, but all include Jesse Eisenberg Edgar Ramirez and James Franco.

Who the heck is Edgar Ramirez? Well, you'll have to see CARLOS and they you'll know, and you'll know why he's on the short list.

Best Actress? Natalie Portman, 3 mentions. Two mentions: Annette Benning & Isabelle Huppert.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, 3 mentions. Two mentions: Matt Damon and John Hawkes.

Best Supporting Actress: No consensus. Two mentions of Greta Gerwig (of GREENBERG), no other names repeated.



NOTE:

Some recent NYC releases (Dec. 2010-Jan. 2011):

Minoru Hoseda's Summer Wars (Sâma wôzu 2010)
Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine (2007; NYFF 2007)
Manoel de Oliveira's The Strange Case of Angelica (2010; NYFF 2010)
Mike Leigh's Another Year (2010; NYFF 2010)
Claire Denis' White Material (2009; NYFF 2010)