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I'd much rather read a list that highlights gaps in my viewing habits than one that pats me on the back for keeping my local cineplex in business all year.

Good one Swo. Mills, you might feel more reassured with AVClub's list.

Everything on Slant's list is, in fact, a 2010 US theatrical release, which is obviously the rule they're playing by.

James Mills wrote:

Finch wrote:Slant's 2010 list

I haven't heard of a good portion of that list, and a lot aren't even from 2010. Looking at each of the critics' independent lists, most seem more like "look what I've seen!" lists than "I legitimately like these movies the most" lists.

A good rule to follow is never to claim to know things you cannot actually know, such as the motivations of other people, especially people you've never met.

Mr Sausage wrote:

James Mills wrote:

Finch wrote:Slant's 2010 list

I haven't heard of a good portion of that list, and a lot aren't even from 2010. Looking at each of the critics' independent lists, most seem more like "look what I've seen!" lists than "I legitimately like these movies the most" lists.

A good rule to follow is never to claim to know things you cannot actually know, such as the motivations of other people, especially people you've never met.

Read again. I said "it seems as if.." I never "claimed to know" anything. And I like most of the movies that I've seen on that list, I just have a hard time believing that most of them actually think even a third of those are better overall films than Winter's Bone or Social Network for instance. And where's 127 Hours?

Nothing wrong with that top 25, it's quite similar to my 2009 and 2010 lists combined.

I didn't put 127 Hours or Social Network on my list, so do you have a hard time believing my list?

It's great seeing films like Hadewijch, Lourdes and Wild Grass (even though I couldn't stand Wild Grass) on lists. These are wonderful films that will be rarely seen by most cinema goers. Just because you have not seen or heard of them does not mean anyone is trying to be cool or cleaver by listing them. Instead of being suspicious, you should be curious to track these films down and find out for yourself.

SAG Awards
John Hawkes for Winter's Bone

lacritfan wrote:SAG Awards
John Hawkes for Winter's Bone

NTM Winona Ryder for some TV movie I never heard of ...ahh, no wonder, it was on CBS...

knives wrote:Good one Swo. Mills, you might feel more reassured with AVClub's list.

I don't care much for the reviews at the AVClub but credit to them for including Shutter Island in their Best of Year list, and it's nice to see Mother on both Slant's and AV's lists.

edit: very pleased for John Hawkes: I haven't seen Winter's Bone yet (will get the AE Blu next month) but he was in the excellent cast of Deadwood.

knives wrote:Good one Swo. Mills, you might feel more reassured with AVClub's list.

I thought you were just being facetious, but I do believe that list more accurately portrays my favorites of the year. I wouldn't have Mother, Dogtooth, Inception, or Black Swan that high, but I like the rest. Oh, and A Prophet would be number one if I were to include it for 2010...

I also like the shout outs to Blue Valentine and Another Year (I love Mike Leigh, can't wait for it!).

Glenn Kenny's Top 20:

1) Carlos (Olivier Assayas)
2) The Social Network (David Fincher)
3) Everyone Else (Maren Ade)
4) Bluebeard (Catherine Breillat)
5) Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)
6) Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
7) Wild Grass (Alain Resnais)
8) Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold)
9) Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)
10) Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Edgar Wright)
11) Greenberg (Noah Baumbach)
12) White Material (Claire Denis)
13) Solitary Man (Brian Koppelman and David Levien)
14) Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)
15) Centurion (Neil Marshall)
16) Life During Wartime (Todd Solondz)
17) Inception (Christopher Nolan)
18) Ne Change Rien (Pedro Costa)
19) Hadjwich (Bruno Dumont)
20) The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski)

Very solid list except for Centurion (unless Kenny considers it a guilty pleasure)

James Mills wrote:

Mr Sausage wrote:

James Mills wrote:I haven't heard of a good portion of that list, and a lot aren't even from 2010. Looking at each of the critics' independent lists, most seem more like "look what I've seen!" lists than "I legitimately like these movies the most" lists.

A good rule to follow is never to claim to know things you cannot actually know, such as the motivations of other people, especially people you've never met.

Read again. I said "it seems as if.." I never "claimed to know" anything. And I like most of the movies that I've seen on that list, I just have a hard time believing that most of them actually think even a third of those are better overall films than Winter's Bone or Social Network for instance. And where's 127 Hours?

You are actually claiming to be able to judge the difference between a "look what I've seen" list and a genuine list, and that's a claim you cannot actually make, regardless of whether or not this or that particular list only "seems" like one of the categories or not. It is the categories themselves that you are in no position to discern, because they involve the motivations of people you do not know.

I did not claim that my thoughts were at all factual or even accurate, I just said that something "seemed" a certain way to me. It's a film forum and I wrote my thoughts on a film related subject. It's kind of that simple.

Anyways, swo nailed it when he said that this is better anyways because it supports indy and art house cinema, and I agree.

James Mills wrote:I did not claim that my thoughts were at all factual or even accurate, I just said that something "seemed" a certain way to me. It's a film forum and I wrote my thoughts on a film related subject. It's kind of that simple.

Anyways, swo nailed it when he said that this is better anyways because it supports indy and art house cinema, and I agree.

You also have to keep in mind that these are movie critics, who not only have the opportunity to see more new movies than the average person, but they get paid for it. As such they have the luxury to be more broad in their selection process.

James Mills wrote:I did not claim that my thoughts were at all factual or even accurate, I just said that something "seemed" a certain way to me. It's a film forum and I wrote my thoughts on a film related subject. It's kind of that simple.

The thing is, what makes this forum so valuable is an expectation that people contribute something more substantial than mere impressions. When you say something "seems" this way or that way, we want you to mean something by it. There are lots of places on the internet for "opening up," "expressing yourself," with which leads to a lot of blathering that people don't bother to read. It's to the moderators' considerable credit that here they've created a space that emphasizes communication and sharing rather than just expression.

The HFPA should have at least given some recognition to Jim Carrey and/or Ewan McGregor for I Love You Phillip Morris. The acting was impeccable.

I'm surprised this film hasn't been getting much recognition during awards season.

anvilscepe wrote: I'm surprised this film hasn't been getting much recognition during awards season.

Too gay, not enough Kramer.

IndieWire just finished their poll. The Social Network ran away with the top prize but Carlos made a big showing - both films claimed the top two spots for Best Film, Director and Lead Performance.

Geez, I don't think it hit home until just now what a juggernaut The Social Network really is. I don't know when the last time the critical community was this united around a single movie.

The two best films I've seen so far this year, Katalin Varga and Certified Copy, appear to have received zero mentions on 120+ critics' lists. Did I only dream seeing them? Were they considered somehow ineligible, or am I really just that much cooler than everyone else in the entire world?

Well, Katalin Varga came out last year in most countries, and Certified Copy made Geoff Andrew, Tom Charity, Mark Cousins, Adrian Martin and Jonathan Rosenbaum's best of the year lists in Sight and Sound this month - so not so bad.

swo17 wrote:The two best films I've seen so far this year, Katalin Varga and Certified Copy, appear to have received zero mentions on 120+ critics' lists. Did I only dream seeing them? Were they considered somehow ineligible, or am I really just that much cooler than everyone else in the entire world?

Neither film has been released commercially in the U.S., so most American critics won't consider them eligible yet. Certified Copy will be in theaters beginning in March, and will probably get a solid arthouse run. I'd also expect Criterion to release it around awards season next year. I'd look for it to show up on lots of 2011 lists. Katalin Varga doesn't have a U.S. distributor yet.

That's one thing I like a lot about Film Comment's year-end polls: they have a second list ranking the best films without current U.S. distribution.

Sight & Sound's DVDs of 2010.