I always like to check in on the scores over at Metacritic at the end of the year, to temper the popularity vote that IMDb Top 250 list seems to have, but also because it's one place where I still find titles I've never heard before. The formatting and design have changed over at the site so the info I pulled is every so slightly different from last year, but overall it's more rather than less info. Interesting to see that 8 titles from 2010 made it to their all time list of best reviewed films, which now feels like it includes lots and lots of re-releases. Any way I look at it, I like it though because it gives me more films to add to my own lists!
2010 Movies on the Metacritic Top 200 as of Dec 31, 2010
24. The Social Network
33. Sita Sings the Blues
134. Inside Job
135. A Film Unfinished
150. 45365
151. The King's Speech
190. The Kids Are All Right
198. Last Train Home
Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2010 as of Dec 31, 2010
1. The Social Network
2. Sita Sings the Blues
3. Carlos
4. Toy Story 3
5. Children of Tokyo
6. A Prophet
7. Winter's Bone
8. Inside Job
9. A Film Unfinished
10. 45365
11. The King's Speech
12. The Tillman Story
13. The Kids Are All Right
14. Last Train Home
15. Lebanon
16. Exit Through the Gift Shop
17. Vincere
18. Restrepo
19. Secret Sunshine
20. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
21. Boxing Gym
22. Animal Kingdom
23. Neil Young Trunk Show
24. Mademoiselle Chambon
25. 127 Hours
26. Ajami
27. Marwencol
28. Change Nothing (Ne Change Rien)
29. White Material
30. The Secret in Their Eyes
31. The Secret of Kells
32. Fish Tank
33. The Illusionist
34. Waiting for 'Superman'
35. Blue Valentine
36. True Grit
37. From Selma to Soweto
38. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
39. Mother
40. IMAX: Hubble 3D
41. Let Me In
42. I Am Love
43. Hadewijch
44. The Fighter
45. Racing Dreams
46. Please Give
47. Waste Land
48. Black Swan
49. Teza
50. Another Year
51. Mugabe and the White African
52. Alamar (To the Sea)
53. Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983
54. In Search of Memory
55. The Ghost Writer
56. Father of My Children
57. Get Low
58. Still Bill
59. Undertow
60. The Army of Crime
61. Room and a Half
62. Vengeance
63. Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
64. Soul Kitchen
65. A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism
66. Greenberg
67. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
68. Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
69. The Art of the Steal
70. Anton Chekhov's The Duel
71. The Two Escobars
72. Oceans
73. The Square
74. Pranzo di ferragosto
75. Prodigal Sons
76. Terribly Happy
77. Go Get Some Rosemary
78. Rabbit Hole
79. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
80. Inception
81. Farewell
82. Stonewall Uprising
83. The Town
84. Cyrus
85. Ahead of Time
86. How to Train Your Dragon
87. Cropsey
88. See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary
89. Blue Beard
90. Tibet in Song
91. Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
92. Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suess
93. Amer
94. Easier with Practice
95. Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1
96. The Company Men
97. Let It Rain
98. Easy A
99. The Oath
100. The Lottery
Metacritic Top 200 films as of Dec 31, 2010
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Godfather
4. The Leopard (re-release)
5. The Conformist (re-release)
6. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
7. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
8. Superman II
9. Seven Samurai (re-release)
10. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
11. Army of Shadows
12. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
13. Pan's Labyrinth
14. Metropolis (re-release)
15. Rififi (re-release)
16. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
17. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
18. The Producers (re-release)
19. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
20. The French Connection (re-release)
21. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
22. Ratatouille
23. Modern Times (re-release)
24. The Social Network
25. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
26. Days of Heaven (re-release)
27. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
28. Spirited Away
29. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
30. Pulp Fiction
31. Killer of Sheep
32. The Hurt Locker
33. Sita Sings the Blues
34. WALL-E
35. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
36. Sideways
37. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
38. Carlos
39. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
40. Reversal of Fortune
41. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
42. Schindler's List
43. Taxi Driver (re-release)
44. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
45. Frantic
46. Amadeus
47. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
48. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
49. The Class
50. Raging Bull
51. 35 Shots of Rum
52. Umberto D (re-release)
53. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
54. There Will Be Blood
55. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
56. Toy Story
57. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
58. Werckmeister Harmonies
59. Toy Story 3
60. Moolaadé
61. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
62. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
63. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
64. The Triplets of Belleville
65. The Queen
66. Repulsion (re-release)
67. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
68. 68
69. Beau travail
70. Do the Right Thing
71. Waltz with Bashir
72. Secrets & Lies
73. Patton
74. No Country for Old Men
75. Raiders of the Lost Ark
76. After Hours
77. The Crying Game
78. Ran (re-release)
79. Saving Private Ryan
80. A Prophet
81. Winter's Bone
82. L.A. Confidential
83. Bloody Sunday
84. Apocalypse Now
85. My Voyage to Italy
86. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
87. La commune (Paris, 1871)
88. Solaris (re-release) (Tarkovsky)
89. The Sweet Hereafter
90. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
91. Topsy-Turvy
92. Being John Malkovich
93. Before Sunset
94. The Incredibles
95. American Splendor
96. Hannah and Her Sisters
97. Almost Famous
98. Gosford Park
99. United 93
100. Capturing the Friedmans
101. The Truman Show
102. The Passenger (re-release)
103. Persepolis
104. Lost in Translation
105. The Best of Youth
106. The Lives of Others
107. 4 Little Girls
108. House of Flying Daggers
109. Funny Girl (re-release)
110. Man on Wire
111. Still Walking
112. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
113. Finding Nemo
114. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
115. No End in Sight
116. Goodbye Solo
117. Stop Making Sense
118. In Cold Blood (re-release)
119. Goodfellas
120. The Piano
121. Quai des Orfèvres
122. Piccadilly
123. High Noon (re-release)
124. Letters from Iwo Jima
125. Once
126. The Last Waltz (re-release)
127. Superman
128. Ghost World
129. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
130. Brazil
131. Capote
132. Tulpan
133. Overlord
134. Inside Job
135. A Film Unfinished
136. The Blue Angel (re-release)
137. Time Out
138. Eyes Without a Face (re-release)
139. On the Waterfront (re-release)
140. Thelma & Louise
141. Band of Outsiders
142. Away from Her
143. Mafioso
144. The Fallen Idol (re-release)
145. Chicken Run
146. Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut
147. Blade Runner
148. Up
149. Y tu mamá también
150. 45365
151. The King's Speech
152. Toy Story 2
153. Nobody Knows
154. L'Enfant
155. Little Women
156. The Spirit of the Beehive
157. Shakespeare in Love
158. Gomorrah
159. I vitelloni
160. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
161. Quiz Show
162. Howards End
163. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
164. Crumb
165. Serpico (re-release)
166. Maria Full of Grace
167. Fateless
168. Tootsie
169. Brokeback Mountain
170. Shine
171. Tarnation
172. Murderball
173. Grizzly Man
174. The English Patient
175. All About My Mother
176. Aliens
177. Marooned in Iraq
178. Sex, Lies, and Videotape
179. To Die For
180. The Wind Will Carry Us
181. The Conversation
182. The Tillman Story
183. Slumdog Millionaire
184. Million Dollar Baby
185. 42: Forty Two Up
186. Say Anything...
187. To Be and to Have
188. The Straight Story
189. Rushmore
190. The Kids Are All Right
191. Dead Ringers
192. Boys Don't Cry
193. Easy Rider
194. Chinatown
195. Ten
196. In the Bedroom
197. Je rentre à la maison
198. Last Train Home
199. The Beaches of Agnès
200. Russian Ark
Tampilkan postingan dengan label 2010 Lists. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label 2010 Lists. Tampilkan semua postingan
Jumat, 31 Desember 2010
IMDB Top 250 in 2010
Time to look at how 2010 sized up on the IMDb Top 250 List, and I'm a little surprized that only 7 titles managed to land on the the hit the Top 250 list, although that is one more than 2009's list which had 6 titles.
I always find these entries interesting because it always seems to be a mix of fandom picks, acclaimed directors (usually with fanboy followings) and and exceptional films. This year that combination of films holds strong yet again. Side-note, am I the only person who *hasn't* seen Toy Story 3?
Looking for a more critical eye? Check out how Metacritic weighs in at the end of 2010.
2010 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
6. Inception
26. Toy Story 3
51. Black Swan
150. The Social Network
173. How to Train Your Dragon
199. True Grit
239. Kick-Ass
IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2010)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Inception (2010)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. 12 Angry Men (1957)
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
10. The Dark Knight (2008)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
13. Seven Samurai (1954)
14. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
15. Fight Club (1999)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Casablanca (1942)
18. City of God (2002)
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. Rear Window (1954)
22. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
23. Psycho (1960)
24. The Usual Suspects (1995)
25. The Matrix (1999)
26. Toy Story 3 (2010)
27. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
28. Se7en (1995)
29. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
30. Memento (2000)
31. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
32. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
33. Forrest Gump (1994)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Leon: The Professional (1994)
36. Apocalypse Now (1979)
37. Citizen Kane (1941)
38. North by Northwest (1959)
39. American Beauty (1999)
40. American History X (1998)
41. Taxi Driver (1976)
42. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
43. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
44. Vertigo (1958)
45. Amélie (2001)
46. Alien (1979)
47. WALL·E (2008)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
50. Spirited Away (2001)
51. Black Swan (2010)
52. Paths of Glory (1957)
53. Double Indemnity (1944)
54. The Pianist (2002)
55. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
56. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
57. The Lives of Others (2006)
58. M (1931)
59. The Departed (2006)
60. City Lights (1931)
61. Aliens (1986)
62. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Das Boot (1981)
65. The Third Man (1949)
66. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
67. L.A. Confidential (1997)
68. Chinatown (1974)
69. Modern Times (1936)
70. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
71. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
72. Back to the Future (1985)
73. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
74. The Prestige (2006)
75. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
76. Raging Bull (1980)
77. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
78. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
79. Some Like It Hot (1959)
80. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
81. Rashômon (1950)
82. All About Eve (1950)
83. Amadeus (1984)
84. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
85. The Green Mile (1999)
86. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
87. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
88. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
89. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
90. Braveheart (1995)
91. The Great Dictator (1940)
92. The Apartment (1960)
93. Downfall (2004)
94. Up (2009)
95. Gran Torino (2008)
96. Gladiator (2000)
97. Metropolis (1927)
98. The Sting (1973)
99. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
100. Unforgiven (1992)
101. The Elephant Man (1980)
102. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
103. Sin City (2005)
104. Oldboy (2003)
105. On the Waterfront (1954)
106. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
107. Rebecca (1940)
108. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
109. Die Hard (1988)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Batman Begins (2005)
112. Mononoke-hime (1997)
113. The Seventh Seal (1957)
114. Jaws (1975)
115. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
116. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
117. Blade Runner (1982)
118. Fargo (1996)
119. No Country for Old Men (2007)
120. The General (1926)
121. Heat (1995)
122. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
123. Touch of Evil (1958)
124. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
125. Yôjinbô (1961)
126. Ran (1985)
127. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
128. Smultronstället (1957)
129. Snatch. (2000)
130. The Sixth Sense (1999)
131. Hotaru no haka (1988)
132. District 9 (2009)
133. Annie Hall (1977)
134. Donnie Darko (2001)
135. The Deer Hunter (1978)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. Strangers on a Train (1951)
138. High Noon (1952)
139. The Big Lebowski (1998)
140. It Happened One Night (1934)
141. Avatar (2009)
142. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
143. The Lion King (1994)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. Into the Wild (2007)
146. There Will Be Blood (2007)
147. Notorious (1946)
148. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
149. Toy Story (1995)
150. The Social Network (2010)
151. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
152. Gone with the Wind (1939)
153. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
154. Trainspotting (1996)
155. The Gold Rush (1925)
156. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
157. The Wrestler (2008)
158. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
159. Scarface (1983)
160. Ben-Hur (1959)
161. The Big Sleep (1946)
162. Groundhog Day (1993)
163. The Graduate (1967)
164. Life of Brian (1979)
165. Amores perros (2000)
166. Finding Nemo (2003)
167. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
168. The Terminator (1984)
169. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
170. The Kid (1921)
171. Stand by Me (1986)
172. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
173. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
174. The Thing (1982)
175. Ikiru (1952)
176. Casino (1995)
177. V for Vendetta (2006)
178. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
179. The Wages of Fear (1953)
180. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
181. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
182. Ratatouille (2007)
183. Les diaboliques (1955)
184. Gandhi (1982)
185. Star Trek (2009)
186. 8½ (1963)
187. The Princess Bride (1987)
188. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
189. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
190. Tonari no Totoro (1988)
191. The Incredibles (2004)
192. The Hustler (1961)
193. The Killing (1956)
194. La strada (1954)
195. Good Will Hunting (1997)
196. Network (1976)
197. The 400 Blows (1959)
198. In Bruges (2008)
199. True Grit (2010)
200. The Wild Bunch (1969)
201. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
202. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
203. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
204. Stalag 17 (1953)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. Persona (1966)
207. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
208. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
209. Children of Men (2006)
210. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
211. Dial M for Murder (1954)
212. Ed Wood (1994)
213. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
214. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
215. Let the Right One In (2008)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Big Fish (2003)
218. Magnolia (1999)
219. Manhattan (1979)
220. Mary and Max (2009)
221. Mystic River (2003)
222. Barry Lyndon (1975)
223. Festen (1998)
224. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
225. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
226. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
227. Patton (1970)
228. Duck Soup (1933)
229. Roman Holiday (1953)
230. His Girl Friday (1940)
231. The Truman Show (1998)
232. Infernal Affairs (2002)
233. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
234. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
235. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
236. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
237. In the Mood for Love (2000)
238. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
239. Kick-Ass (2010)
240. Harvey (1950)
241. Sleuth (1972)
242. A Christmas Story (1983)
243. Crash (2004/I)
244. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
245. Three Colours: Red (1994)
246. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
249. Rope (1948)
250. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
I always find these entries interesting because it always seems to be a mix of fandom picks, acclaimed directors (usually with fanboy followings) and and exceptional films. This year that combination of films holds strong yet again. Side-note, am I the only person who *hasn't* seen Toy Story 3?
Looking for a more critical eye? Check out how Metacritic weighs in at the end of 2010.
2010 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
6. Inception
26. Toy Story 3
51. Black Swan
150. The Social Network
173. How to Train Your Dragon
199. True Grit
239. Kick-Ass
IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2010)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Inception (2010)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. 12 Angry Men (1957)
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
10. The Dark Knight (2008)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
13. Seven Samurai (1954)
14. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
15. Fight Club (1999)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Casablanca (1942)
18. City of God (2002)
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. Rear Window (1954)
22. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
23. Psycho (1960)
24. The Usual Suspects (1995)
25. The Matrix (1999)
26. Toy Story 3 (2010)
27. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
28. Se7en (1995)
29. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
30. Memento (2000)
31. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
32. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
33. Forrest Gump (1994)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Leon: The Professional (1994)
36. Apocalypse Now (1979)
37. Citizen Kane (1941)
38. North by Northwest (1959)
39. American Beauty (1999)
40. American History X (1998)
41. Taxi Driver (1976)
42. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
43. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
44. Vertigo (1958)
45. Amélie (2001)
46. Alien (1979)
47. WALL·E (2008)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
50. Spirited Away (2001)
51. Black Swan (2010)
52. Paths of Glory (1957)
53. Double Indemnity (1944)
54. The Pianist (2002)
55. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
56. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
57. The Lives of Others (2006)
58. M (1931)
59. The Departed (2006)
60. City Lights (1931)
61. Aliens (1986)
62. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Das Boot (1981)
65. The Third Man (1949)
66. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
67. L.A. Confidential (1997)
68. Chinatown (1974)
69. Modern Times (1936)
70. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
71. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
72. Back to the Future (1985)
73. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
74. The Prestige (2006)
75. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
76. Raging Bull (1980)
77. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
78. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
79. Some Like It Hot (1959)
80. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
81. Rashômon (1950)
82. All About Eve (1950)
83. Amadeus (1984)
84. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
85. The Green Mile (1999)
86. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
87. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
88. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
89. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
90. Braveheart (1995)
91. The Great Dictator (1940)
92. The Apartment (1960)
93. Downfall (2004)
94. Up (2009)
95. Gran Torino (2008)
96. Gladiator (2000)
97. Metropolis (1927)
98. The Sting (1973)
99. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
100. Unforgiven (1992)
101. The Elephant Man (1980)
102. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
103. Sin City (2005)
104. Oldboy (2003)
105. On the Waterfront (1954)
106. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
107. Rebecca (1940)
108. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
109. Die Hard (1988)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Batman Begins (2005)
112. Mononoke-hime (1997)
113. The Seventh Seal (1957)
114. Jaws (1975)
115. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
116. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
117. Blade Runner (1982)
118. Fargo (1996)
119. No Country for Old Men (2007)
120. The General (1926)
121. Heat (1995)
122. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
123. Touch of Evil (1958)
124. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
125. Yôjinbô (1961)
126. Ran (1985)
127. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
128. Smultronstället (1957)
129. Snatch. (2000)
130. The Sixth Sense (1999)
131. Hotaru no haka (1988)
132. District 9 (2009)
133. Annie Hall (1977)
134. Donnie Darko (2001)
135. The Deer Hunter (1978)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. Strangers on a Train (1951)
138. High Noon (1952)
139. The Big Lebowski (1998)
140. It Happened One Night (1934)
141. Avatar (2009)
142. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
143. The Lion King (1994)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. Into the Wild (2007)
146. There Will Be Blood (2007)
147. Notorious (1946)
148. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
149. Toy Story (1995)
150. The Social Network (2010)
151. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
152. Gone with the Wind (1939)
153. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
154. Trainspotting (1996)
155. The Gold Rush (1925)
156. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
157. The Wrestler (2008)
158. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
159. Scarface (1983)
160. Ben-Hur (1959)
161. The Big Sleep (1946)
162. Groundhog Day (1993)
163. The Graduate (1967)
164. Life of Brian (1979)
165. Amores perros (2000)
166. Finding Nemo (2003)
167. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
168. The Terminator (1984)
169. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
170. The Kid (1921)
171. Stand by Me (1986)
172. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
173. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
174. The Thing (1982)
175. Ikiru (1952)
176. Casino (1995)
177. V for Vendetta (2006)
178. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
179. The Wages of Fear (1953)
180. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
181. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
182. Ratatouille (2007)
183. Les diaboliques (1955)
184. Gandhi (1982)
185. Star Trek (2009)
186. 8½ (1963)
187. The Princess Bride (1987)
188. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
189. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
190. Tonari no Totoro (1988)
191. The Incredibles (2004)
192. The Hustler (1961)
193. The Killing (1956)
194. La strada (1954)
195. Good Will Hunting (1997)
196. Network (1976)
197. The 400 Blows (1959)
198. In Bruges (2008)
199. True Grit (2010)
200. The Wild Bunch (1969)
201. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
202. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
203. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
204. Stalag 17 (1953)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. Persona (1966)
207. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
208. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
209. Children of Men (2006)
210. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
211. Dial M for Murder (1954)
212. Ed Wood (1994)
213. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
214. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
215. Let the Right One In (2008)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Big Fish (2003)
218. Magnolia (1999)
219. Manhattan (1979)
220. Mary and Max (2009)
221. Mystic River (2003)
222. Barry Lyndon (1975)
223. Festen (1998)
224. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
225. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
226. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
227. Patton (1970)
228. Duck Soup (1933)
229. Roman Holiday (1953)
230. His Girl Friday (1940)
231. The Truman Show (1998)
232. Infernal Affairs (2002)
233. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
234. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
235. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
236. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
237. In the Mood for Love (2000)
238. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
239. Kick-Ass (2010)
240. Harvey (1950)
241. Sleuth (1972)
242. A Christmas Story (1983)
243. Crash (2004/I)
244. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
245. Three Colours: Red (1994)
246. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
249. Rope (1948)
250. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Kamis, 30 Desember 2010
The 2010 Perfect List
Okay, it's time for the end-all, be-all list for 2010 films. The Best Of 2010 list. I've done this list a few different ways since my first list in 2006, and I'm sticking to the parameters of it any regular Toronto theatrical release qualifies to be one the list (I've seen 146 of the 353 releases), but beyond that I'm doing something a bit different this year. So, this is not a list of 10 because we had more than 10 great films. This is not a ranked list because something weird happens when I try to do that for than 10 films (although I caved and I'll give you my top 5). So, what the heck is this list, if it isn't all these other things I mentioned.
It's the PERFECT list. It's the list of the films I saw this year that felt were perfect. The films where I never felt anything was off, unfinished, unclear, too clear, underdone or overdone. Everything about the film was perfect. It was not too long nor too short for the experience it needed to be. The acting was spot on, the story was compelling and complete. Beauty, vision, message, ideas and action were all exactly as they should have been.
How or why did I come up with this lists? Well, I don't rate, grade or score films when I review films because I like to align audiences to films through clear, direct recommendations ("If you like thrillers... you'll like..."). But, this year I did actual rate all the 2010 release I saw out of 10. Then while giving them a number out of 10, I realized I wanted to define in words what that number meant so it would be more definitive and less subjective number. For 10/10 I wrote "10 is perfection". That's pretty freaking definitive! It has one qualifier: perfection. So, not only are these films that enjoyed (because if I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't perfect), but I also thought they were well done, but it also meant there was was nothing 'off' and nothing I would change or want to see changed. They are also all films that not only met but often exceeded expectations, even when those expectations were high. The list is long clocking in at 37 titles, but by that clear a definition it just isn't right to omit any film that meets such high a standard.
Due to the fact that so many titles can be rather overwhelming I will give you my top 5 films, then list all 37 titles alphabetically.
Shannon the Movie Moxie's Top 5 Films of 2010
1. I Am Love
2. Frozen
3. Last Station, The
4. Wild Hunt, The
5. Grown Up Movie Star
The 37 PERFECT films from 2010
- Animal Kingdom: Pitch perfect, beautifully understated Australian crime/coming of age film.
- Best Worst Movie Hilarious documentary with a 'where are they now' vibe to the people involved with the 'worst movie ever' Troll 2 and the surrounding fandom. Troll 2 knowledge completely not required to enjoy this film.
- Burlesque This film is exactly what you would expect it to be from the trailer: firey, fun-spirited and fantastic.
- City Island Rarely has a comedy taken me in so completely. This is a real actor-centric/appreciative film that will have you laughing and crying and the amazing juxtaposition of belief and disbelief.
- Despicable Me Absolutely delightful family flick centred on evil guru and 3 of the cutest little girls, ever.
- Disappearance of Alice Creed, The Perfect thriller. Literally perfect. Perfect script, perfect acting from 3 of my faves: Eddie Marsan, Martin Compston & Gemma Arterton. Definitely has harsh content, but it's very much worth the journey. Don't find out anything about more about it, just see it.
- Donation, La / The Legacy A lovely completion of Bernard Émond's humanist trilogy exploring Faith (La neuvaine), Hope (Contre toute espérance) and now Charity with La Donation. Quietly beautiful and profound with a stellar performance from Élise Guilbault.
- Down Terrace UK family crime drama that reads equally as brilliant as a dark comedy as it does as a family crime film.
- Eclipse, The Understated Irish supernatural drama starring Ciarán Hinds that has a lovely everyday people feel to it.
- Fish Tank Amazing coming-of-age film set amongst gritty UK apartment complexes featuring fantastic performances by both Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender. It's a hands-down must-see.
- Frozen The total definition of a small horror film that could, and it not only coulds but it does. Simple premise, brilliant execution. Fantastic performances, real human drama & relationships amongst the horrors of the elements. Loved it.
- Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The / Män som hatar kvinnor Gains entry for if nothing else but by making me see that mystery films can be fantastic, and also for having a great double protagonist team. Slightly bittersweet entry considering the disappointment of Part 2 (Girl Who Played with Fire, The / Flickan som lekte med elden) and Part 3 (Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The / Luftslottet som sprängdes) of the trilogy, but still makes the list as Dragon Tattoo can been seen as a stand-alone film experience.
- Good, the Bad, the Weird, The I finally got to see this South Korean western after 2 years of waiting, and it was just as good as everyone said.
- Grown Up Movie Star Lovely East Coast Canadian coming of age film. I have to say it's so exciting to see so many great coming of age films this year telling girls stories from women directors, where the stories ring so true.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 I almost didn't even consider that this film could exceed my expectations considering it was my most anticipated film of the year, but I loved it, especially how they honoured the friendship of Harry, Hermione & Ron and are not rushing the story. I can't wait until Part II.
- How to Train Your Dragon Charming, positive, open-hearted and ... dragons.
- I Am Love This Italian drama starring Tilda Swinton is my#1 of the year for being an absolutely, truly beautiful film about love. Gets me verklempt just thinking about it.
- J'ai tué ma mère / I Killed My Mother Xavier Dolan's coming of age directorial debut is just as impressive as everyone said.
- Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work What an amazing documentary. Joan Rivers is an inspiration. Fearless, workaholic and hilarious woman.
- King's Speech, The Primed for being a big awards film this year, and thankfully completely deserving!
- Last Exorcism, The Plays like a faux doc yet wins you over with human drama. Brilliant.
- Last Station, The This Tolstoy biopic blindsided me on being actual about the beauty & power of love. Great performances from Helen Mirren, James McAvoy and Christopher Plummer.
- Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Still fresh on my mind from seeing it this week, I loved the emphasis on the power of story, belief and the animation is gorgeous to boot.
- Losers, The Easily my most re-watched film of the year with a fun-spirit, great ensemble cast and the fact that these losers are really heroes.
- Love at the Twilight Motel Powerful documentary exploring centred on the lives of people who frequent by the hour motels in Miami.
- Mao's Last Dancer Sensitive and emotional biopic on ballet dancer Li Cunxin, following his live from a very early age training in China through to travelling in the States in the early 80's.
- Misfortunates, The / De helaasheid der dingen Flemish mullets, inappropriate language and extreme drinking and just the tip of the iceberg of this Belgian beauty centred on finding the heart in the harshness of family drama.
- Mr. Nobody I call Mr. Nobody my Inception from 2010, a smart science fiction film that asks a lot of questions, and has a lot of heart.
- My Dear Enemy / Meotjin haruLovely unconventional South Korean road movie following two exes and collecting an old debt.
- Never Let Me Go I only believed in my wildest dreams that the adaptation of the Kazuo Ishiguro novel could actually work. But it does. This one I highly recommend reading the book first - a book which I'd widely and highly recommend, as I do with the film.
- Nowhere Boy This early days John Lennon biopic starring Aaron Johnson knocked it out of the park.
- Prophet, A Fascinating yet harsh crime drama following that aptly portrays power dynamics, resilience, organized crime and drive.
- Square, The This thriller is yet another entry in the awesome Australian films of the year.
- Trigger Great dual protagonist film as two women of rock catch up after many years of a strained but true friendship with the back drop of Toronto and a unique shared history.
- Trotsky, The Quintessentially Canadian film with Jay Baruchel portraying a Montreal high school student who is convinced he is the re-incarnation of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky.
- Unstoppable One of the happy surprizes of the year was the fun, high octane runaway train ride with Chris Pine and Denzel Washington.
- Wild Hunt, The When role playing and the real world collide we see the beauty in vulnerability, the brutality of restrain and above all else extremely powerful storytelling.
Trends I've noticed from the list are really embracing the love of great storytelling and the power of story, films about love, coming of age films and biopics. Thrilled at the high proportion of Canadian film, we really had a great run this year and also happy to see we are getting more and more great Australian film.
While the list is mostly limited releases over wide, I'm sure the wide release on my list are very different that other lists kicking around. I did see Black Swan, Inception and The Social Network, but none of them met the perfect criteria, although Inception was the closest. There are a few I've not yet seen (The Tempest, The Fighter, Rabbit Hole & 127 Hours), but it's a lot fewer that I've missed than previous years. I feel like I had a very different year in terms of film experiences from many of my friends & colleague, but I loved 2010 and think that any way you slice it, it's been a great year for film.
And a Few, Not-So-Perfect
I also had a few not so perfect film moments this year. Three films I went to theatrically had major problems with them. The White Ribbon stopped twice, The Man From Nowhere has subtitles that were unreadable if there were 2 lines of text and Resident Evil: Afterlife stopped 15 minutes shy of the ending. I also missed the end of The Other Guys as I watched it on the plane home from San Francisco but ran out of time. Because of all those oddities, none of those films I felt like I could review, which is too bad as I did quite enjoy each of them in very different ways.
Favourite Films Seen in 2010 that Weren't Quite 2010 Films:
Finally got to see The Fall and adored it, the campy goodness of Canadian vampire film Suck, the awesomeness of Michael Jai White in Blood & Bone, the sweet spirited Bandslam and Australian drama Somersault. Also enjoyed 101 viewings of Boondock Saints, Rebecca (1940) and Godzilla. DVD releases that wowed me include action flick Hunt to Kill, espionage drama Espion(s) / Spy(ies) and dark comedy Perrier’s Bounty. Festival films that are yet to be release that blew me away include Ip Man 2, Heartless, Strella: A Woman's Way and documentaries Freetime Machos, This Way of Life, Steam of Life / Miesten vuoro, Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls and Regretters.
Those were my perfect films of the year. What made your list?
Rabu, 29 Desember 2010
Movie Memories: 2010
Last year in anticipation of the turn of a new decade I did a series of "Movie Memories" by year, highlighting notable film watching experiences from 2000 - 2009 (you can see each year by clicking though the years here 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and as we come to the end of 2010 I though, why would I stop at this tradition? I mean, it was a lot of fun coming up with all of those this so I can eek out another list of 10 films that saw and had strong, positive film-going experiences in 2010.
My original parameters for the lists is films seen theatrically, no series included and films are listed in the chronological order in which I saw them. I was going to break a few rules, but decided against it although I did add some extra films at the end to include a film in a series, a straight-to-DVD and two festival-only films. Plus, remember this is a list of favourite movie memories not a best of list although there may be some crossover.
Dear JohnI'm feeling like a bit of a softy leading with a film 'based on a Nicolas Sparks novel'. But one of the reasons I saw this was because people use that term *all the time* and I wondered, why not see the films (and read the book) before always lumping them in that category and not looking further. And look what happened - I totally fell in love with the film. It was quite the stir too as I saw it on the same day as Shutter Island (which I didn't love) and was at a pub night that same day with my film buddies, whom didn't quite agree with me on those respects! But I stand by them.
The Kids Are All Right and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Birthday Double Bill)
I totally lucked out this year with my birthday falling on a Friday, therefore a primo day for heading out to the movies - twice! Well, I headed there just once, but stayed for two films. Started off the day with my buddy Danette having breakfast and tons and tons of coffee and then we say The Kids Are All Right together, which was so much fun! And then it was family time with my sister Jamie, her husband and my Mom as we watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice in the big AMC7 with extra pixels and all that jazz, and it was worth the extra pixels! Super fun day.
Step Up 3D and Street Dance 3D
Who knew my fave 3D films of the year would be 2 dance films? Okay, so that isn't really a stretch if you know my love of dance films. But this summer we had not 1 but 2 dance films, and they both have lovely ensemble casts, whole different-sides-of-the-tracks-working-together thing, and of course awesome dancing. Really, really enjoyed both of them.
The Last Exorcism
Okay, tonal shift time eh? This one kind of sneaks in as I saw it for the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, but it had it's theatrical release around the same time. So, first - I really enjoyed the film itself and it completely won me over with it's sort of tongue in cheek feel to it, but I also got to meet and interview actors Ashley Bell and Patrick Fabian and producer Eli Roth which was freaking amazing. I still smile with glee when I think about it, they were all so great and I had so much fun.
The Tooth FairyAnd now another tonal shift and one of the biggest surprizes of the year. I actually considered seeing this one in the theatre but ended up passing and then got it out of my local library on a lark because it was available. Turns out, it's totally awesome. I mean, it's The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and he has to be a Tooth Fairy to learn that being a meanie-realistic/dream quasher isn't nice thing. So, it's kind of about the power of dreaming. Yep. That's going to get me. Every time. Plus, it is really funny and The Rock is charming as always. Biggest surprize of the year.
BurlesqueI think out of all the films I saw this year, I had the most fun watching Burlesque. I went with my sister Jamie (we saw the preview during something earlier in the year and knew we had to go together!), and oh my - what fun. Cher. Glam. Music. Feathers. Dance. Dreams. Goodness. Optimism. Willing to do the work (most people miss that one!) and overall fun times. Love the movie, love the soundtrack, can't wait to see it again.
TRON: LegacyI'm a little surprized that this one is making the list, it was on my most anticipated films list and even though the hype waned just a little short of the release date I still was really looking forward to it and I ended up really, really enjoying it. One day I'll have to do a blue-movie-marathon, because I really have an odd love for films that have a lot of blue in them and we see that here. Even without the 3D ness, I loved watching the film because it understood and showcased 3D with a grander understanding of 3 dimensions conceptually than any other 2010 film I saw. And I really loved the characters and story. Plus, the soundtrack... oh my. Could be the best of the year and seeing it in AVX was worth it for the rumbling goodness.
Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'HooleAlthough this one came out earlier in the year it places at the end as I got it for Christmas! What a treat! It was pretty much the only film this year that I felt like "Aw.... I missed that one!" and then there it was for me to enjoy on Christmas Day (thank you Jamie!). It's also a beauty story, and highlights the power of story - which is something I've really been enjoying this year. I also loved that it's full of lovely accents (lots of familiar voice too!) and great characters. Plus, the animated owls are gorgeous! Another big surprized this year.
Bonus Films - Because I Couldn't Not Included These 4 (that didn't qualify by my own rules):
- The Woman with the 5 Elephants (Festival Film, seen at Hot Docs 2010) this film has really stuck with me throughout the year, mostly as the woman it follows who is a translatress, has been doing what she's been doing (translating) for so long and it's treated with value. The value of longevity of working on one thing was something I had pretty much dismissed given that we live in a world where people have several careers, vocations and entrepreneurship. But what if we didn't? What is there really was value in sticking with one thing? Wow. I think about it often.
- Rubber (Festival Films, seen at Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2010) nothing was like seeing this film about a killer tire with the crowd from Toronto After Dark. One of the funniest and most fascinating movies I've seen all year.
- Hunt to Kill (DVD Release) This action film was a huge, happy surprize under the radar hit for me. Steve Austin stars in a Texas-set but BC shot in the wilderness action with a fantastic supporting cast of Gil Bellows, Michael Ekland, Gary Daniels and Eric Roberts. Totally fun action film.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Series Film) This one will easily be one of my faves of the year but the experience of seeing it early in the morning, even after quite a kerfuffle, was extraordinary. I absolutely loved that they are taking their time with the last films and giving them the pace, tone, and attention they deserve. Love it.
Selasa, 28 Desember 2010
2010 CAST Awards
I'm excited to share the results of the 2010 CAST Awards (Cinema Appreciation Society of Toronto), and one of the reasons I'm excited is because I actually got to vote on them! James McNally of Toronto Screen Shots pulled together these results from asking many Toronto area film lovers and after 2 rounds of voting the results are now it.
Out of the results only 7 films I voted for ended up on the top 25, but I'm thrilled to see the love of films like Rubber, Never Let Me Go, Trigger and I Am Love. Overall, it's been a fantastic year for film and I'm loving reading all of the year-end lists.
See original post by James over at Toronto Screen Shots which includes link to a PDF of each of the individual voters lists.
Out of the results only 7 films I voted for ended up on the top 25, but I'm thrilled to see the love of films like Rubber, Never Let Me Go, Trigger and I Am Love. Overall, it's been a fantastic year for film and I'm loving reading all of the year-end lists.
See original post by James over at Toronto Screen Shots which includes link to a PDF of each of the individual voters lists.
| 1. Inception | 411 | 22 |
| 2. Toy Story 3 | 311 | 20 |
| 3. Black Swan | 307 | 16 |
| 4. Shutter Island | 297 | 19 |
| 5. The Social Network | 261 | 17 |
| 6. Scott Pilgrim | 254 | 17 |
| 7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | 231 | 16 |
| 8. Winter’s Bone | 180 | 11 |
| 9. I Am Love | 165 | 9 |
| 10.The King’s Speech | 149 | 11 |
| 11. Rubber | 149 | 9 |
| 12. Never Let Me Go | 147 | 11 |
| 13. Trigger | 140 | 9 |
| 14. Fish Tank | 134 | 9 |
| 15. Buried | 134 | 9 |
| 16. The White Ribbon | 130 | 7 |
| 17. True Grit | 127 | 9 |
| 18. Chloe | 124 | 8 |
| 19. Easy A | 121 | 10 |
| 20. Marwencol | 117 | 7 |
| 21. 127 Hours | 115 | 9 |
| 22. A Prophet | 114 | 8 |
| 23. Rabbit Hole | 112 | 7 |
| 24. Blue Valentine | 110 | 8 |
| 25. Heartbeats | 110 | 7 |
Participants:
- Joseph Belanger (@blacksheeprevs)
- Robert Bell
- Jay Clarke (@Horror_Section)
- Polly Esther
- Katarina Gligorijevic (@katarinag
- Sarah Gopaul (@)
- Kurt Halfyard (@triflic)
- Philip Hamilton
- Robert Harding
- Leora Heilbronn (@leoraheilbronn)
- Rick Iwasa (@tifftalk)
- Sasha James (@finalgirlproj)
- Jay Kerr (@bombippy)
- Mike Lippert
- Chris Magee
- James McNally (@toscreenshots)
- Ryan McNeil
- Andrew Parker (@andrewjparker)
- Elliott Pen (@tootighttoque)
- Matthew Price (@mattmovies)
- Kiva Reardon (@kiva_jane)
- Shannon Ridler
- Shelagh Rowan-Legg (@dorkshelf)
- Marc Saint-Cyr
- Courtney Small
- Brooke Smith
- Ian Stuart
- Bob Turnbull
- Donna @TOfilmfest (@TOfilmfest)
- Greg @TOfilmfest (@TOfilmfest)
- Jeff Wright (@jeffreyjeffrey)
Senin, 27 Desember 2010
New Faces & Ones to Watch from 2010
One of the wild things about oodles upon oodles of films over the year is getting to see actors grow and change over time. What's even more exciting is when you've actually been following that actor since the beginning and cheering them along the way. This year I've kept an eye out for for new faces gracing the screen, and here are those actors whose performances made me sit up a little straighter, get me curious and ask that important question of "Who *is* that?"
James Frecheville (J) in Animal Kingdom. Courtesy of eOne Films All copyrights Porchlight Films 2009
James Frecheville in Animal Kingdom
Newcomer James Frecheville blew me away in the crime-drama Animal Kingdom, as he adds an amazingly malleableness to character, whom we feel we literally are feeling molded throughout the film. He also has an amazing soft but also strong quality to him, that is very unusual to see.
Gemma Arterton
Gemma Arterton has certainly been busy with 2010 films including The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Clash of the Titans (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Tamara Drewe. But I first saw her in The Disappearance of Alice Creed last year and was thrilled to see the film get a 2010 theatrical release as even though it's a harsh film to sit through, it's absolutely amazing and she's got one of the most challenging roles in it. As she's been very busy on the screen this year, it's feels a little late in the game to have here, but her work is so good I wasn't going to let a little timing get in the way of someone whose been on my lists all freaking year!
Above: Ashley Bell in The Last Exorcism
Ashley Bell from The Last Exorcism
Ashley Bell gives us easily on of the most captivating and creepy physical performances of 2010, but more than she her character of Nell worms her way into you heart as well. Dancing that line of creepy and fragile is quite a feat and she pulls it off like no one else can. I can't wait to see more of here work. Check here to read or listen to my interview with Ashley Bell.
Ben Drew from Harry Brown
A.K.A. rapper/musician Plan B, Ben Drew totally won me over in his menacing role in Harry Brown, the performance itself is fantastic but he also gives a great interview on the DVD as well. Very strong performance, and really knows what he's talking about - I know this whole list is a 'one to watch' list, but believe you-me, he is one to watch. He's been busy too, with a role in the British film 4.3.2.1 and will be directing a film called Ill Manors.
Tiio Horn and Trevor Hayes from The Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is going to be cropping up on a lot of my lists for 2010, but in this particular list I was particularly taken by Tiio Horn as Princess Evlynia / Lyn and Trevor Hayes as charismatic shaman Murtagh in the film set where LARPing and the real world collide. Both do a great job in their layered roles as role players, showcasing a depth and range to their characters that was a joy to see on screen.
The Happy-to-See-Again, or Possibly For the First Time List Folks
There are several more new faces I found this year, but this section is all actors who you have probably seen before and I might be a little bit later to the game. Like Shawn Doyle whose performance as Ray in Grown Up Movie Star had me mystified that I'd never seen him before, but I'll be doing my homework on and checking out "Big Love" now. Also notable is Kevin McKidd, who this year played Poseidon in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which is one more glaring reason to watch Grey's Anatomy, because he is fantastic (although so far I'm working through Rome). Last up for this part of the list is a familiar face, but in a new snowy setting and that would be Shawn Ashmore who this year was in Frozen and "Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures", although lots of us I'm sure remember him as Iceman from the X-Men films I'm looking forward to seeing more and more of his work here on in.
And Finally, Just Deserts (aka I told you, I told you!)
There are 2 actors this year I am thrilled to see get more and more recognition because they are forces to be reckoned with and I can't wait to see more of them in the future (and we will!)
Andrew Garfield
I've been raving about him for years, ever since seeing Boy A at TIFF in 2006 - somewhere I have a ridiculously out of focus, dark picture from the very early morning Q&A. But he's been busy and getting more and more recognition this year, which is a great thing.
2010: The Social Network & Never Let Me Go
Previously Awesomeness: Boy A and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Upcoming: cast in the lead in Spider-man reboot (2012)
Tom Hardy
I've not made a secret that I didn't love Inception as much as most, but I do love it for nothing else than if it got people to see the amazingness of Tom Hardy. He's phenomenal, and I now know we will be seeing even more of him in the future.
2010: Inception
Previous awesomeness: Bronson and Star Trek: Nemesis
Upcoming: Warrior (2011), Mad Max Fury Road (2012) - lots of chatter on the casting including interviews on the new Mad Max, this he's not actually listed yet on IMDb page which is surprizing.
James Frecheville (J) in Animal Kingdom. Courtesy of eOne Films All copyrights Porchlight Films 2009James Frecheville in Animal Kingdom
Newcomer James Frecheville blew me away in the crime-drama Animal Kingdom, as he adds an amazingly malleableness to character, whom we feel we literally are feeling molded throughout the film. He also has an amazing soft but also strong quality to him, that is very unusual to see.
Gemma Arterton
Gemma Arterton has certainly been busy with 2010 films including The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Clash of the Titans (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Tamara Drewe. But I first saw her in The Disappearance of Alice Creed last year and was thrilled to see the film get a 2010 theatrical release as even though it's a harsh film to sit through, it's absolutely amazing and she's got one of the most challenging roles in it. As she's been very busy on the screen this year, it's feels a little late in the game to have here, but her work is so good I wasn't going to let a little timing get in the way of someone whose been on my lists all freaking year!
Above: Ashley Bell in The Last ExorcismAshley Bell from The Last Exorcism
Ashley Bell gives us easily on of the most captivating and creepy physical performances of 2010, but more than she her character of Nell worms her way into you heart as well. Dancing that line of creepy and fragile is quite a feat and she pulls it off like no one else can. I can't wait to see more of here work. Check here to read or listen to my interview with Ashley Bell.
Ben Drew from Harry Brown
A.K.A. rapper/musician Plan B, Ben Drew totally won me over in his menacing role in Harry Brown, the performance itself is fantastic but he also gives a great interview on the DVD as well. Very strong performance, and really knows what he's talking about - I know this whole list is a 'one to watch' list, but believe you-me, he is one to watch. He's been busy too, with a role in the British film 4.3.2.1 and will be directing a film called Ill Manors.
Tiio Horn and Trevor Hayes from The Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is going to be cropping up on a lot of my lists for 2010, but in this particular list I was particularly taken by Tiio Horn as Princess Evlynia / Lyn and Trevor Hayes as charismatic shaman Murtagh in the film set where LARPing and the real world collide. Both do a great job in their layered roles as role players, showcasing a depth and range to their characters that was a joy to see on screen.
FROZEN Shawn Ashmore Photo Credit Anchor Bay Entertainment
The Happy-to-See-Again, or Possibly For the First Time List Folks
There are several more new faces I found this year, but this section is all actors who you have probably seen before and I might be a little bit later to the game. Like Shawn Doyle whose performance as Ray in Grown Up Movie Star had me mystified that I'd never seen him before, but I'll be doing my homework on and checking out "Big Love" now. Also notable is Kevin McKidd, who this year played Poseidon in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which is one more glaring reason to watch Grey's Anatomy, because he is fantastic (although so far I'm working through Rome). Last up for this part of the list is a familiar face, but in a new snowy setting and that would be Shawn Ashmore who this year was in Frozen and "Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures", although lots of us I'm sure remember him as Iceman from the X-Men films I'm looking forward to seeing more and more of his work here on in.
And Finally, Just Deserts (aka I told you, I told you!)
There are 2 actors this year I am thrilled to see get more and more recognition because they are forces to be reckoned with and I can't wait to see more of them in the future (and we will!)
Andrew Garfield
I've been raving about him for years, ever since seeing Boy A at TIFF in 2006 - somewhere I have a ridiculously out of focus, dark picture from the very early morning Q&A. But he's been busy and getting more and more recognition this year, which is a great thing.
2010: The Social Network & Never Let Me Go
Previously Awesomeness: Boy A and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Upcoming: cast in the lead in Spider-man reboot (2012)
Tom Hardy
I've not made a secret that I didn't love Inception as much as most, but I do love it for nothing else than if it got people to see the amazingness of Tom Hardy. He's phenomenal, and I now know we will be seeing even more of him in the future.
2010: Inception
Previous awesomeness: Bronson and Star Trek: Nemesis
Upcoming: Warrior (2011), Mad Max Fury Road (2012) - lots of chatter on the casting including interviews on the new Mad Max, this he's not actually listed yet on IMDb page which is surprizing.
Selasa, 21 Desember 2010
2010 Checkin' In and Looking Back on Most Anticipated Films of the Year
It's getting to the end of the year, which means we are officially in list season. I love lists. LOVE them. I make them for everything. Although paper is preferable, I also like to make lists in Excel so I can A-Z sort them in terms of priority. True story. I'm a geek like that.
I find this time of a year a challenge because I want to write, share and celebrate lists but we still have 2 Fridays of releases and there are films in theatres I haven't seen yet, so I feel like I don't quite want to talk about things until I've 'seen' everything. But I can't hold the lists back anymore. I can't. I have too many to share that I have to start getting them out there while it's still 2010.
I thought the best way to start would be to look back at my Most Anticipated Lists from 2010 and how those films faired (see Most Anticipated Lists Part 1 & Part 2). I've seen all but 2 of those films (one comes out this week), so although there could be some shifting in the next 2 weeks, it's nominal.
Disqualified (1 Film)
Resident Evil: Afterlife (ranked #13 in Part 2)
Unfortunately the screening I went to had the audio cut out 20 minutes from the end of the film, and I didn't make it out to see the remainder of the film at any point. From what I saw, I actually quite enjoyed and it might even have made exceeded expectations, which could be the oddest film thing of 2010!
Haven't Seen Yet (2 Films)
The Tempest (ranked #5 in Part 2)
I'm chomping at the bit to see Julie Taymor's take on with this Shakespearean adaptation starring Helen Mirren as Prospera alongsite with such a spectacular cast: Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator, Blood Diamond), Ben Whishaw (Bright Star) Alfred Molina, Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, Alan Cummings and Felicity Jones. It was delayed a week and was released Dec 16 instead of 10, but I still hope to see it before the end of the year.
True Grit (ranked #17 in Part 2)
The Coen Brother's remake of the 1969 western True Grit with a casted including Jeff Bridges in the role of Cogburn (played in the original by John Wayne) Matt Damon as La Boeuf, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper and Hailee Steinfeld. Will be released December 22, 2010. Eventually seen - check out my review here.
Below Expectations (7 films)
Let Me In (ranked #16 in Part 2)
I went through a tidal wave of emotions on the release of this film, first being in the land of thinking it's crazy to remake the glorious 2008 Swedish Vampire film Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in, then being okay with the idea as it was suppose to be a book-to-film adaptation, not film-to-film adaptations and wanting to give it a chance. But I fell back into the first boat thinking it was a redundant remake, especially so soon after such a wonderful (and championed!) film. And it was a film-to-film remake, no question.
Splice (ranked #19 in Part 1)
I had really high hopes for this one, and stayed well away from the trailers and reviews to keep an open mind on this genetic splicing scifi thriller. But, the gender stuff made it unenjoyable, but not in the stereotypical way, in a whole new variety of ways. But, I loved how great (and stylish) Adrien Brody & Sarah Polley were in the film, and it is very slick. Just wasn't for me.
Buried (ranked #12 in Part 2)
I really love Ryan Reynolds and had no problem with the trapped in a coffin limited premise of the film, but out of all things I didn't expect not to *like* his character. That was bizarre. Plus, I laughed a few times at the wrong moments, it was pretty commentary-esque and American-ish, which I wasn't expecting either.
Crazy Heart (ranked #6 in Part 1)
It almost seems unfair to put this film here as Jeff Bridges won the Oscar for it, and he does a great job (although I was rooting for Jeremy Renner), but I just feel like it's a story we've heard many, many times before. Almost on last legs addict of some kind artist has one more chance. It can be a very inspiring story, which is why we get it a lot, but I wasn't connecting to it here. Great music though.
The Girl Who Played with Fire / Flickan som lekte med elden (ranked #8 in Part 2)
This is likely the biggest disappointment of the year, mostly because after the spectacular but harsh Swedish film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The / Män som hatar kvinnor completely blew me away. Only after the fact did I find out that this one (and part 3) were made for TV, not film, and they have not only very different tones and production values, the plots are less intricate and less engaging. The series overall is still one of the highlights of the year, but less that what it felt like it could have been.
Gunless (ranked #5 in Part 1)
This Canadian western was a lot of fun, but it was just that - a lot of *fun*. Very goofy comedy throughout was what took me by surprize and just made it not what I would have expected. I'm sure I'll enjoy it on repeat watching, but was expecting something a little less silly.
Micmacs (ranked #20 in Part 1)
Another film it pains me to put here, but in truth I wanted more. It really did feel like the whimsy of Amelie in a Delicatessen, with a modern spin. I still love and will see anything by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Not Quite Met Expectations, But Still Enjoyable (9 films)
A.K.A. I felt like I saw a different film than everyone else section...
Agora (no ranking as Canadian release date was TBD)
So, this is an odd one - because the film is phenomenal and I highly recommend it. It follows Hypatia (played wonderfully by Rachel Weisz), a philosopher, mathematician and non-Christian during the rise of Roman Egypt. Enter many kinds of intolerance, from religious to gender and beyond which made it really hard for me personally to watch, and I feel that intolerance is the root of so many awful things that happen. But the film is fantastic, and it's great to see such a strong female protagonist.
The A-Team
(ranked #18 in Part 1)I thought The A-Team was a lot of fun, but it was a little clunkier than I had expected, it felt a little too much set up and too little execution. I also was suprized at the nonchalant approach to very intentional violence. The cast is really great though, they made the film as fun as it possibly could be.
Centurion (no rank as no regular theatrical release)
I enjoyed this snow & sandals epic with a new feel from Neil Marshall, but I keep being suprized and dissapointed by gender crap in his films after seeing the amazingly femme-centric The Descent. Centurion was leaps and bounds above Doomsday, but I still wanted more. I did enjoy the film, especially Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham.
Clash of the Titans (2010) (ranked #4 in Part 1)
I did a whole Sword & Sandal Marathon in anticipation for Clash of the Titans redux, and although it had some shaky moments and a bit of a weird tone at times I still really enjoyed it.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (ranked #3 in Part 1 and #2 in Part 2)
Didn't quite have the magic of the first two films, lots of changes in the production side of things plus a focus on just 2 of the 4 Pevensie siblings. Still enjoyed it & will watch it again & again but hoped for more.
Inception (ranked #17 in Part 1 and #11 in Part 2)
I felt a bit of a loss at all the love for Inception. I get the visual stunning notations and score, but I'm a little mystified at how everyone felt it was so 'complex'. I really felt like what was going on was extremely clear, and I was almost bored and even looked at my watch several times during the film. But, if for nothing else I love that everyone is championing Tom Hardy (Bronson), and seeing him for the brilliant actor that he is.
Legion (ranked #8 in Part 1)
I keep joking that I'm in the 'Legion of 1' in favour of this film. I'm still not sure why people reacted so strongly against it. For a January horror-esque release, it was very entertaining!
A Nightmare on Elm Street (ranked #21 in Part 1)
This one actually kept me on my toes more than expected, which is why it makes the enjoyable list. I think they could have done a lot more, and not relied as much on the original, but it still was a fun horror flick.
The Wolfman (2010) (ranked #7 in Part 1)
Technically I would say that The Wolfman didn't quite meet my expectations overall, but it floored me with the art direction and cinematography which is why I'm ranking it a bit higher. Very innovated and surprizingly beautiful - 2 points for different happy surprizes!
Met Expectations (3 films)
The Crazies (ranked #10 in Part 1)
Loved the trailer for this one and quite enjoyed the film, although it was way gorier than anticipated. Joe Anderson really takes the cake here, and I'd recommend people see it just for his performance (if they can take the gore factor).
Machete (ranked #15 in Part 2)
This one really is an 'it-is-what-it-is" film. It's over the top on all cylinders, sometimes on cylinders. I'm a little surprized it even made my original list to be honest!
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (ranked #2 in Part 1)
Most people know I'm a huge Twilight fan (although New Moon was quite a disappointment), so was thrilled that I actually enjoyed Eclipse. It didn't blow me out of the water, but I did enjoy it and felt like it was a good film. So technically this would be that it didn't disappoint me, but I didn't want to make a category just for that! And for Twi-fans, I have a whole podcast about the Twilight universe.
Exceeded Expectations (4 films)
Alice in Wonderland (2010) (ranked #16 in Part 1)
Really enjoyed this one, a wonderous fantastical world and female protagonist to book (although all the marketing was very Johnny Depp-centric). Also loved Helen Bonham Carter. Loved her. Fun times.
Eat Pray Love (ranked #7 in Part 2)
I saw the film only after just recently finishing the book as a part of my 2010 Book to Film Challenge, and I loved experiencing them back-to-back because I resonated with different things in the book to different things in the film. I also think both the film and the book are a powerful statement about self-identity and self-fulfillment, and I believe that to be such an important concept that is not often expressed or addressed - especially not in film.
The Runaways (ranked #12 in Part 1)
I knew I would enjoy this biopic about the band The Runaways, but I ended up absolutely adoring it although it be fairer to say it's really about just Joan Jett (played by Kristen Stewart of Twilight) and Cherie Currie (played by Dakota Fanning), and the rest of the band isn't overly represented.
TRON: Legacy
The bias of recently could be playing a factor here, but I think the huge dive in hype recently got me questioning whether I'd be all woohoo about TRON: Legacy. Seems like all worry was for not as I really enjoyed this sequel to the 1982 TRON. And so much of the film is in the colour blue. And I LOVE films that are predominately blue.
Blew Me Away (8 films)
The Disappearance of Alice Creed (ranked #6 in Part 2)
This is a bit of a cheat as I saw the film at TIFF in 2009, but it wasn't released theatrically until 2010. It's one of those film that is a perfect storm of great concept, script and acting. I was with the characters at every moment in the film. It's a harsh one, so be aware of that, but it's a high recommend from me. I also love how people got all in on the not talking about it boat, and staying spoiler-free in their reviews. That warmed my heart.
Fish Tank (no rank as theatrical release was TBC)
This one totally blew me away. I was originally a little leery as Andrea Arnold's film felt so dark to me, but I was completely captivated by this coming-of-age film set amongst gritty UK apartment complexes. Fantastic performances by both Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender. It's a hands-down must-see.
Frozen (ranked #13 in Part 1)
Simple premise, brilliant execution. It's the total definition of a small horror film that could, and it not only coulds but it does. Fantastic performances, real human drama & relationships amongst the horrors of the elements. Love it. Will make my top 5 films of the year, easily.
Never Let Me Go (no rank as theatrical release was mostly TBD, but would have been top 5)
Based on the Kazuo Ishiguro novel (see book review here), which I'd highly recommend reading before seeing the film. It's hard to even say what it's about, it's one that I'd rather people just read the book or see it blind. Beautiful, haunting and heartbreaking. And a great cast including Carey Mulligan (An Education), Andrew Garfield (Boy A), Keira Knightly, Charlotte Rampling and Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) and is directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo). See it.
Mr. Nobody (ranked #10 in Part 2)
I like to say that Mr. Nobody was my Inception of 2010. This is a film that is that blur of scifi and art house, with wild ideas and fantastical styles. Jared Leto is spectacular in it. And it made me think. A lot.
Nowhere Boy (ranked #9 in Part 2)
Another film that I anticipated to enjoy but didn't except to absolutely adore as it had such a strong emotional core to it. A John Lennon biopic starring Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) in the title role and also Kristin Scott Thomas and Ann-Marie Duff and directed by Sam Taylor Wood who directed the brilliant and award winning short Love You More.
The Trotsky (ranked #9 in Part 1)
Possibly the most Canadian film of the year, although if you aren't Canadian you might not pick up on that, which I think is all the more funny. Jay Baruchel stars a teen who thinks he's the reincarnation of Trotsky. Yeah, it's a world of awesome.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (ranked #1 in Part 1 & Part 2)
I almost didn't even consider that this film could exceed my expectations considering it was my most anticipated film of the year. Last year I did a countdown in anticipation for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where I watched & reviewed the first 5 films and I re-read all the books this year in anticipation. It's fair to say this muggle is one heck of a fan. And I loved it. I loved it, especially how they honoured the friendship of Harry, Hermione and Ron. I can't wait until Part II.
This was the first year I've posted a Most Anticipated List, and after the dust has settled I'm a little struck by how it was mostly wide releases and how some of them didn't quite live up to the hype. So, I'm undecided if I should do another most anticipated list for 2011 and so many of my faves ended up being limited release gems that came our way. At least I have a few weeks to decide! Until then, here are a few that got away and a few that might end up on a 2011 list if I make one!
No Theatrical Releases (3 films)
44 Inch Chest (no theatrical Toronto release, although it's on DVD now)
Casting along has lured me in: Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane. Hesitation is it could be pretty freaking overly machismo. I still would love to see this one.
District 13: Ultimatum / Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum (no Toronto theatrical release, although it's on DVD now)
I actually got to see this one on DVD, it's a sequel to District B13 / Banlieue B13 and it was a lot of fun with more awesome parkour action
Dorian Gray (no Toronto theatrical release, although it's on DVD now)
I can't believe I still haven't seen this one yet! It's an new adaptation of the book this time starring Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray, Colin Firth as Henry and Ben Chaplin as Basil.
Until Next Time... the Release Dates Bumped List (4 films)
The Adjustment Bureau - bumped to 2011(ranked #4 in Part 2)
One of the few trailers this year that stopped me dead in my tracks, wanting to know more but not needing to know more because I knew I would see it. Stars Emily Blunt (The Wolfman (2010), The Devil Wears Prada) & Matt Damon (The Bourne Trilogy, Gerry) in a romance/sci-fi flick with a chance meeting of a politician & a ballerina lead to mysterious complications. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick and directed by George Nolfi. (release date September 17, 2010. Bumped to March 4, 2011). Finally seen, loved and reviewed.
Beastly - bumped to 2011(ranked #11 in Part 1)
A new interpretation of Beauty and the Beast, set in New York. That was really all I needed to know. (previous release dates: Friday July 30, 2010. Revised: March 18, 2011)
Priest - Now to be released March 4, 2011 (ranked #15 in Part 1)
1 of the 2 films in 2010 where Scott Stewart is directing, Paul Bettany is starring and the film is of a fantastical / religious nature. Doesn't 2010 rock already? This one is a vampire film where a priest decides not to hunt them. Aw, we just love our vampires now don't well? Add to the awesomeness: Karl Urban (Star Trek) and Cam Gigandet (Twilight) are among the cast. (release date: Friday August 20, 2010, revised released date: Jan 14, 2011)
Warrior - bumped to 2011 (ranked #14 in Part 2)
Tom Hardy (Bronson), Joel Edgerton (The Square), MMA, troubled home life & training for a tournament. Gets better and better after each comma there. Also stars Nick Nolte & Jennifer Morrison, directed by Gavin O'Connor (Pride & Glory).
(release date September 17, 2010. Bumped to October 7, 2011)
Still No Release Date (1 film)
Hamlet - directed by Catherine Hardwick (Twilight) starring Emile Hirsch (no release date)
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