This has got to get some discussion, no? Boy that Social Network must be something special if it’s better than Uncle Boonmee. Gimme a fucking break.
Well, I’ve seen two of them so far. Winter’s Bone was solid and Toy Story 3 was not. All the more interesting films from this year are still in my future it seems.
let me guess, this list is really depressing, right guys? :))
Toy Story 3 was awful indeed. I’m watching Winter’s Bone this weekend.
I think Uncle Boonmee, Film Socialisme, Poetry, and Enter the Void are all good choices. Prophet doesn’t belong on this year’s list or last year’s.
Toy Story 3 is a modern animated marvel
Meek’s Cutoff is a bold choice but they’re always late with undervalued directors. Same goes for the Romanian cinematography. For fuck’s sake, do we need another dictator’s tale to promote forgotten cinemas?
Yes, Toy Story 3, Social Network, BIG NO! Enter the Void and Prophete are 2009, how idiots can they be? Moreover, Prophete is great neo-noir stuff but not enough for a list which should be promoting hidden gems instead. One more Apichatpong doesn’t hurt though? I’ll be seeing it but I have more hopes for Aurora.
Where is Honey by Kaplanoglu by the way? Isn’t I Am Love 2009 AS WELL?
Toy Story 3 is a modern animated joke.
Yes, I was wondering why A Prophet was on there, I thought that came out last year. I missed I am Love, which was the best of the films I know of off hand from this year I’ve seen, and I’m shocked, shocked, not to see Inception on here since that was the film that had everyone abuzz earlier this summer. Certified Copy didn’t make the list? Hmm, that’s odd. It’s one of the three I am most interested in seeing, along with Uncle Boonme and Carlos.
I don’t know if Toy Story 3 was awful. I mean, it works as a kid’s film and even a little beyond that. I definitely wouldn’t have included it in a ‘best films of 2010’ list though…
I haven’t seen very many films from 2010 either…need to catch up.
From what I’ve seen Another Year and Enter the Void are both masterpieces, whilst Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is excellent and A Prophet really great. I liked Toy Story 3 quite a bit, but can understand the complaints.
re the dates: This is a UK publication. Any film that got a festival release or a public release in the UK this year qualifies.
re Social Network getting the top spot: this is an aggregate poll, not an individual’s opinion. Stuff like that is inevitable when you take the aggregate.
Dimmy – Enter the Void, A Prophet and I Am Love were all released in the UK this year, that’s why they’re included on the list.
Winter’s Bone shouldn’t be on there and I do not understand all the fuss about Social Network!
The only one’s I’m even interested in seeing are Winter’s Bone and the Illusionist. Social Network is something I may watch when it comes on cable and there isn’t a ballgame I’d rather watch.
“Certified Copy didn’t make the list? Hmm, that’s odd.”
You’re interested in seeing Inception too? :P
Certified Copy is pretty mediocre, high class aficionados chit-chatting.
(the full list included Kiarostami’s film, if I’m correct)
Ah, thanks Cat / Cecil although it still doesn’t make sense. I thought all critics were counting the ORIGINAL year’s release and NOT the release date in their homeland. Or at least I thought we had smarter critics abroad than my Greek ones. Anyhow, regardless of quality, I’m still VERY interested to see Boonmee and Enter the Void.
Winter’s Bone…that seems to be quite the trend, eh? One indie Americana per year AND FROM A WOMAN, hehe. I’ll be seeing that as well. I don’t mind indie flavor when it’s done right. It can’t be worse than Monster or Juno, heh.
I’m not surprised by the way a lot ignore the Romanian picks..given that underrepresented countries only get 1 out of 100 chances of making lists like these unless an Apichatpong or a Tsai represents them, it’s futile to even promote the past masterpieces. They’re WAY too late with Romania.
The only ones on the list I’ve seen are “Film socialisme” and “Aurora”. I don’t have enough perspective in comparison on the year but I’d call both those films interesting, not great. A step below good but not middling.
there are powerful scenes sprinkled throughout Toy Story 3, profound overwhelming sequences that left me shaken. I was startled by the intense empathy I felt for Woody when he would stare longingly at Andy, a towering owner-god so consumed with his own affairs that he neglects his most loyal servants. I was caught off guard at the flood of emotions I experienced when Andy’s toys, facing certain death, quietly accepted the inevitability of their fate in a serene moment of sobering silence.
The only one’s I’m even interested in seeing are Winter’s Bone and the Illusionist. Social Network is something I may watch when it comes on cable and there isn’t a ballgame I’d rather watch.
Come on, man, expand your horizons! :)
And by the way, I have a major bone to pick with the fart knockers at the BFI. Don’t ask. it’s personal. But I’ll be publishing my own top films of 2010 list in an online arts mag, (which I imagine will be read by maybe 6 people, haha) and I’m gonna do my best to embarrass these retards at the BFI. Bend over, British Film Institute, the custodian’s broom stick is going up your tight British arse.
I think A Prophet too is wonderfully crafted, it’s substantive thematic issues are no doubt the main attraction, but A Prophet is an exemplary film by every standard even outside its story. it is a film worthy of multiple viewings if only to gain a greater appreciation for all of its intricacies both on and off camera.
Uncle Boonmee is top spot worthy, and beats The Social Network any day. Quite honestly, I don’t understand Winter Bone’s ranking on the list- the film was extremely overrated. It was a good film, but there was so much hype especially after Sundance, and I was disappointed when I finally got to it.
Nice to see Poetry up here. Absolutely loved the film and director Lee chang-dong’s other works.
And to those who hated Toy Story 3- really? I’m surprised at the number of Armond White-wannabees on this website who despise anything of critical acclaim, regardless of the film’s purpose and target audience. Not every film has to be groundbreaking and/or philosophical. It’s a children’s film, but it accomplishes much more. Films are personal, and we are entitled to our own opinions. But if your reason for disliking Toy Story 3 was because it was a widely popular Hollywood blockbuster, and not a tight-budgeted European indie, then please understand that just because something is mainstream, doesn’t mean it’s automatically rubbish.
Persepolis was a children’s film too. Pixar is recycling itself. We can’t have a WALL-E every year.
“then please understand that just because something is mainstream, doesn’t mean it’s automatically rubbish.”
Sure thing, but when it seems that only Scott Pilgrim was enjoyable out of the mainstream / Hollywood bunch (much like Basterds last year), you can’t really say Social Network, Inception and Toy Story 3 are any better, particularly the latter. I also have a bad feeling about True Grit.
Why did they make their lists so early anyway? Didn’t they want to even consider films that were going to come out in December? I mean I don’t really care that something like Black Swan isn’t on there, but if people did take to it not having the option means it won’t be eligible for next years list either wouldn’t you think? Actually, Dimitris should be pretty happy with the list overall given the dearth of Hollywoodites other than Toy Story.
^ And Social Network. They’re inevitably a stronghold in any list per year. Are there hidden gems in Hollywood anymore? I mean Greg, Wyler must be turning upside down in his grave knowing the films of today’s Hollywood. I miss those b-movie bulks in 50’s and 60’s, from sci-fi to jungle adventures, where they should be re-named A-list films instead of b, more so than Sin Cities and Kingdom of Heavens.
Black Swan isn’t released in the UK until January 2011.
Toby, a tight-budgeted European indie that can only be found under a rock is the only criteria for good film here. :)))
I could go on and on about Toy Story 3. I haven’t even mentioned the lasting impact left by Pixar’s jaw dropping animation, the pitch perfect addition of Randy Newman’s music, the epic tone of Buzz and Woody’s third adventure, direcors impeccable pacing and rousing vision, how wonderfully the film’s ending works as both a closing and opening chapter in the toys’ lives, Arndt’s sharply penned dialogue and brisk storytelling, the returning voice cast’s electric performances or just how much the filmmakers prove another sequel was indeed an excellent idea .
Nothing epic in Toy Story, nothing profoundly moving, all recycled elements from the first MASTERFUL installment. They should have stopped thinking about sequels back in 1995.
“Toby, a tight-budgeted European indie that can only be found under a rock is the only criteria for good film here. :)))”
For the record, Bug’s Life, Ratatouille and WALL-E are all worthwhile and exceptional additions to the animated features released per year by the Pixar Studios and I can forgive one, even two minorities (Toy Story 3 and Cars) but that doesn’t mean America is the Goddess of Animation. FACE IT!
Sequels have become the same as remakes: a crude bore-fest.
And to those who hated Toy Story 3- really? I’m surprised at the number of Armond White-wannabees on this website who despise anything of critical acclaim, regardless of the film’s purpose and target audience. Not every film has to be groundbreaking and/or philosophical. It’s a children’s film, but it accomplishes much more. Films are personal, and we are entitled to our own opinions. But if your reason for disliking Toy Story 3 was because it was a widely popular Hollywood blockbuster, and not a tight-budgeted European indie, then please understand that just because something is mainstream, doesn’t mean it’s automatically rubbish.
Umm, who said I hate Toy Story 3 for the reasons you mentioned? It’s just a bad movie in my opinion. Very often, animated films, at least compared to the usual Hollywood fare, are more creative and less cliche. Unfortunately this film wasn’t very creative. Why don’t you ASK for people’s reason as to why they dislike a certain film before making assumptions?
Oh, duh, of course Social Network, how did I miss that one?
Well, even if Black Swan isn’t released there until next year they must have some new films coming out or that came out in December don’t they? I just can’t see the point of doing the list early other than, perhaps grab some early attention for the mag before everyone else does their lists. (Which if true could lead to an odd sort of listing race where different magazines try and get their lists out earlier and earlier to beat the competition, leading to best of the year lists coming out in June.)
Hidden gems in Hollywood? Sure, I imagine there are, depending on how Hollywood a movie has to be to count. Once the critics, and award organizations started taking genre films more seriously, that meant that Hollywood could sell former B movies as “prestige” films and treat them the same as they would have a film like Crash or whatever. the added “seriousness” added a burden on the filmmakers of course too so now there aren’t as many “hidden gems” in areas where they used to be present, now, I suppose, one would have to look to some of the films made without anticipation of big box office like films by people like Rebecca Miller or others making movies “for women” or some films aimed at other groups that they don’t expect to necessarily support a movie at the theaters. Films like Winter’s Bone and Meeks Cutoff tend to get more attention, possibly deservedly, than those kinds of films though and aren’t different enough in kind to really allow the others to get their own sort of “space”. It depends on where you draw the line I guess, I mean is Winter’s Bone even significantly different from The Private Lives of Pippa Lee other than in the cast and sort of “amorphous” feel to it? The big name directors lately often seem to be going off on their own more and making films that don’t necessarily fit any preconceived notion of award worthiness, which is in many ways good, so that tends to block from view, and possibly from being made, films that formerly could have garnered some support for their more subversive challenges to genre filmmaking I guess. More thought on the subject would probably lead to better thoughts on it though, but I think there has been some shifting going on in recent years.
“Well, even if Black Swan isn’t released there until next year they must have some new films coming out or that came out in December don’t they?”
The London film festival is in October. Pretty much anything worthwhile that will get a cinema release before the end of December will be shown at it.
as usual no case, Dimitris only talks rubbish and sounds like badly scripted lines from Triple H in WWE.
The last twenty minutes of the film are as devastating and moving as the heart-crushing, tear-jerking opening minutes of Up.
Most of the participants are from UK/US. US voters had Social Network well out in front. They need to get a proper international spread of participants for the next all-time poll in 2012, but thye ignored the list of pollable international directors i sent them last time, preferring 2nd and 3rd rate UK/US directors who picked mainly anglophone films. Still, i think this list has a reasonable spread geographically compared with many and there are some participants like Rosenbaum, Cousins, Geoff Andrew i respect; certainly many are far from mugs
ozufan
1 The Social Network
2 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
3 Another Year
4 Carlos
5 The Arbor
6 Winter’s Bone
6 I Am Love
8 The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
8 Film socialisme
8 Nostalgia for the Light
8 Poetry
8 A Prophet
13 Aurora
13 Enter the Void
13 The Illusionist
13 Meek’s Cutoff
13 Toy Story 3