2011 Roll Up the Rim Final Count

So, I just got back from a trip to Italy. I obviously have been neglecting this blog for a few months, and have very much toyed with the idea of getting rid of it. Jana and I are having a baby in September, and I just don't know how much time I'm going to have. But I think I'll keep it around, even if I only post something sporadically. What I will almost for sure do is change the URL of this blog for privacy's sake, so stay tuned for that.

Anyway, in the coming weeks/months, I will do a post about our trip, as well as the remaining posts in my Favourite Films of the Decade series.

Here are my final results from Roll Up the Rim for 2011:
58 Coffees Purchased
2 Winning Rims Revealed

Pretty pathetic. I won 2 donuts, one to make me 1/25, and one to make me 2/46. There were some long, long stretches without wins: 24, then a win, 20, then a win, and then 12 more without a win. Brutal. And now that I'm back from Italy where I got used to drinking espressos all day long, I find the coffee at Tim Horton's almost undrinkable.

83rd Academy Award Results

Wow, that was painful! Not the show, which I generally enjoyed, but watching my predictions be so completely wrong. My final score was 10/24, 2 less than my previous worst of 12. I did manage to get the big 5 all right (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Original Screenplay), but that felt like about it.

Inception did a fair bit better than I'd expected, winning 4 Oscars. And while The King's Speech was obviously the big winner, picking up Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture, that's all it won, just 4. I was also surprised by how Black Swan was completely shut out, with the exception of Natalie Portman's Best Actress win, and by how Alice in Wonderland won not one but two Oscars.

The film student from NYU winning an Oscar for his thesis project is such an incredible story. Hopefully he's able to take that and turn it into a successful career.

I thought James Franco and particularly Anne Hathaway were pretty good hosts. Hathaway definitely seemed more comfortable, but she seemed a little too starstruck, considering how big of a star she is herself. I thought Franco had some hilarious moments, and I liked the opening montage, but mostly he just stood there and squinted. I guess the lights must have been pretty bright or something.

83rd Academy Award Predictions

Okay, here it is, Oscar day. Jana and I did a pretty great job of getting out and seeing as many of the nominated films as we could, especially considering Jana went away to the Philippines for her brother's wedding. We saw 9 of the 10 Best Picture nominees, with 127 Hours being the only one we didn't make it to.

I'm trying to avoid discovering the consensus this year, so as much as possible I haven't read any Oscar predictions leading up to this post. Having said that, it's impossible to avoid the predictions of the big awards, and also impossible to avoid all the multitudes of awards given out over the last few weeks.

Best Actor - I think this is pretty much a lock for Colin Firth, and well-deserved. He's really developed into a great actor over the last few years. I've only seen 3 of these performances, but it honestly seems like a bit of a weak category (it's maybe a bit of a weak year, generally), so I think Colin Firth has this wrapped up.

Best Supporting Actor - I've seen all of these, and this is a stronger group than the Best Actor category. If I was solely choosing based on merit, and not making predictions, it would be a close call between Geoffrey Rush and John Hawkes. But I'm making predictions, and based on all the preceding awards, I think Christian Bale will win.

Best Actress - Again I only saw 3. I don't really understand why Annette Bening was nominated, to be honest. I thought Julianne Moore was far better. I thought Jennifer Lawrence was very excellent, but I'm predicting that the winner will be Natalie Portman.

Best Supporting Actress - I saw 4, but did not see Animal Kingdom. Hailee Steinfeld was really more of a lead actress, wasn't she? I don't think she'll win, though, her role was mostly just good writing. This is actually a tough call. Melissa Leo won the Golden Globe, but if a supporting actress from The Fighter is going to win, I think it should be Amy Adams. I was very impressed by her role. Could Helena Bonham-Carter pull it off? I don't quite think so. I think I'll go with my favourite, and choose Amy Adams.

Best Animated Feature - Well, the only one I've seen here is Toy Story 3, and I'm picking it as the winner. It was honestly one of my favourite movies of the year, and it's the only one of these three that was nominated for Best Picture. Plus, Pixar has won this the last 3 straight years.

Best Art Direction - This is one of those categories that a sweeping picture tends to pick up, but I don't think there will be a runaway winner this year. This could actually go to Alice in Wonderland, because it did have fantastic art direction, but the overall low quality of the film might be a serious detractor. I'm going to stand by my original prediction and go with Inception. (I saw all of these films, by the way).

Best Cinematography - Hmm, I saw all of these, too. True Grit did not impress me quite enough to steal this away from Black Swan, although it would come in second.

Best Costume Design - I did not see The Tempest or I Am Love, which makes this a really hard one to call. Rather than go out on a limb and pick something I didn't see (and probably a lot of Academy members didn't either) I'm going to play it safe and pick The King's Speech.

Best Director - Okay, I did see all of these. I'm going to make a bold move and pick a different winner for this category and for the Best Picture category. As much as I really liked Black Swan, I'm going to go with the director that took what could have been a bland pseudo-documentary and made it one of the most exciting films of the year: David Fincher for The Social Network.

Best Documentary - Now this is a wild stab in the dark, because I didn't see any of them. Based on the fact that it was recommended to me a few times when it was playing in Edmonton by friends whose taste I trust, I'm going to pick Inside Job.

Best Documentary Short - Okay, time to pick the most Oscar-worthy topic. Killing in the Name it is.

Best Film Editing - I am notoriously (in my own mind) terrible and predicting this category. And it doesn't help when I only saw 4 of the nominees. I'm just going to stick with my gut and predict Black Swan.

Best Foreign Language Film - Well, I saw Incendies, and was pretty impressed. Biutiful, on the other hand, has Javier Bardem, and he got a Best Actor nomination for it. I know nothing about the other 3. I'll root for the Canadians and pick Incendies.

Best Makeup - I did not see any of these 3 films. That's odd. None is nominated for anything else, either. I guess I'll go with Barney's Version.

Best Original Score - I saw 3 of these, and I'm having a hard time thinking of the music in each. It seems to me, though, that The King's Speech probably had a good score.

Best Original Song - I only saw Toy Story 3, and I can't think of this song. I really haven't heard any of them. I'll go with Coming Home from Country Strong.

Best Picture - Like I said, we got up to 9/10, only missing 127 Hours. This would be my personal ranking: 1 - Black Swan; 2 - Toy Story 3; 3 - The Social Network; 4 - Winter's Bone; 5 - The King's Speech; 6 - Inception; 7 - True Grit; 8 - The Fighter; 9 - The Kids Are All Right. That's not really fair, though, because I did like all of them. There were none I really disliked, but I think several of these will fade into oblivion. It's kind of a weak year. I think the winner will be The King's Speech. It's very formulaic (an adult version of The Karate Kid), but it's quite moving and well-acted.

Best Animated Short - I'll pick Day & Night, the only one I've seen.

Best Live Action Short - Here I will pick The Crush.

Best Sound Editing - I missed Tron and Unstoppable. My prediction is Inception.

Best Sound Mixing - I saw all of them except for Salt. I will choose True Grit.

Best Visual Effects - I didn't see Hereafter or Iron Man 2, but I think that the safe bet is Inception.

Best Adapted Screenplay - I saw 4/5, missing 127 Hours. This is a tough one for me. I think it's between Winter's Bone and The Social Network. I think I'll pick The Social Network. That was a good script.

Best Original Screenplay - Again, only 4/5, missing Another Year. I think I'll go with The King's Speech, since I'm predicting that it wins Best Picture.

So, here's my summary:

Best Actor: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale - The Fighter
Best Actress: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams - The Fighter
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Art Direction: Inception
Best Cinematography: Black Swan
Best Costume Design: The King's Speech
Best Director: David Fincher - The Social Network
Best Documentary: Inside Job
Best Documentary Short: Killing in the Name
Best Film Editing: Black Swan
Best Foreign Language Film: Incendies
Best Makeup: Barney's Version
Best Original Score: The King's Speech
Best Original Song: "Coming Home" - Country Strong
Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Short Film - Animated: Day & Night
Best Short Film - Live Action: The Crush
Best Sound Editing: Inception
Best Sound Mixing: True Grit
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech

The Organic Box

A few weeks ago, Jana and I signed up for home produce delivery from The Organic Box. Every week or two (we signed up for every other week), you get a whole box full of organic produce. They also try to buy local as much as possible, although in the middle of February, that's not very much. Even when it is isn't local, though, it is organic, and bought directly from the farmers.




As you can see, you get a huge amount of produce (and this was actually 3 apples less than we were supposed to get, as the shipment didn't arrive). This is why we opted for biweekly delivery. Pictured are lettuce, mushrooms, onions, shallots, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, beets, pears (2 kinds), apples, grapefruit, oranges (2 kinds), avocado, bok choi, bananas, tomatoes, sprouts, and a loaf of bread (we paid extra for the bread). It's pretty incredible. And the quality is amazing; it's a far bigger difference in flavour from the grocery store produce than we'd expected. And at $50 a box, I personally think it's a pretty good deal.

83rd Academy Award Nominations

Here we go again. As much as I know it's ridiculous, I really love the Oscars. I never get bored by the long show, nor do I mind the constant self-praise. I just really like movies, and the Oscars are a great chance to talk about the year in review. Most importantly, by trying to watch as many of the nominated films as possible, I always discover a movie that I might not have otherwise seen, but that becomes one of my favourites (I won't give examples, because that might just ruin by still-to-come Favourite Movies of the Decade posts).

Best Actor:
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours

I've seen only The Social Network and The King's Speech so far. Excellent acting jobs by both of those actors, with the edge to Colin Firth. I don't know if it's actually true, but it strikes me as unusual that a film that is nominated for Best Foreign Film (Biutiful) is also nominated for Best Actor. Also, I know that the Golden Globes does genre-specific awards, but it's weird to me that Paul Giamatti could win a Best Actor award (for Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes and not even be nominated at the Oscars.

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

I have seen The King's Speech and The Town. Between those two, it's an easy choice to select Geoffrey Rush.

Best Actress:
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

I've only seen Black Swan here. Interesting to note that Nicole Kidman is the only former winner on this list. Even more interesting is that Meryl Streep didn't get a nomination. I know she didn't make a movie this year, but still, I thought they'd figure out a way to fit her in. Maybe she'll get the Lifetime Achievement Award or something.

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Jackie Weaver - Animal Kingdom

Again, the only one I've seen is The King's Speech. I'm not sure I really saw anything Oscar-worthy in Helena Bonham Carter's performance. I have to be honest, I've never even heard of Animal Kingdom.

Best Animated Feature:
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Back down to 3 nominees this year. I've only seen Toy Story 3, but you're going to have a hard time convincing me that it shouldn't win.

Best Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Here's a category where I'm already at 4/5 (only True Grit left to see). If there was one thing I liked about Alice in Wonderland, it was the Art Direction. As far as the widest variety of different sets Harry Potter and Inception are tied. I predict an Inception win here.

Best Cinematography:
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Another 4/5 here. Black Swan for now, but I'll wait until I see the Coen Brother's film first.

Best Costume Design:
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

Nothing about Alice in Wonderland or The King's Speech deserves a Best Costume Oscar. I've never heard of I Am Love. This will be an interesting category.

Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
David Fincher - The Social Network
Joel and Ethan Coen - True Grit

I'm going to take the full 33 days (and see True Grit and The Fighter) before making this prediction.

Best Documentary:
Exit through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

I haven't seen any of these. I've heard a lot of good things about Exit through the Gift Shop, so it will be the highest priority one for me to see before the awards are given out. Plus, if it wins, Banksy will finally reveal his true identity! Ha.

Best Documentary Short:
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Guess how many of these I've seen.

Best Film Editing:
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

I've seen 3/5. I'm hesitant to make any prediction yet, but of the three I've seen, Black Swan is definitely the standout in terms of editing.

Best Foreign Language Film:
Mexico - Biutiful
Greece - Dogtooth
Denmark - In a Better World
Canada - Incendies
Algeria - Hors-la-loi (Outside the Law)

Have not seen any, but I've seen trailers for both Biutiful and Incendies, and I'm very curious about both of them. It's also interesting to see Canada nominated here.

Best Makeup:
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Interesting that for all three of these films, this is their only nomination. I haven't seen any of them, and in fact, have only heard of Barney's Version.

Best Original Score:
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

3/5. Not sure, the music didn't stick out for me in any of them. The movie this year with the best score is Black Swan, but, of course, that's not an original score.

Best Original Song:
Coming Home - Country Strong
I See the Light - Tangled
If I Rise - 127 Hours
We Belong Together - Toy Story 3

4 nominees? I've seen 3, 5, and 10, but never 4. The only movie I've seen is Toy Story 3, and I don't remember this song. It was probably over the credits.

Best Picture:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

At this point I've seen 5/10. I think seeing the remainder by the show is realistic. I can't really argue with this list, nor did I see anything else this year that deserves to be here and isn't. Whether that means the Oscars have it right, I didn't see enough 2010 movies, or it was just a year where the good movies all came out of the Hollywood system, I'm not sure.

Best Animated Short:
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

I saw Day & Night, of course, at the beginning of Toy Story 3. I love how Pixar does that. I really like Pixar. I haven't seen any of the rest.

Best Live Action Short:
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

I have not seen any of these films.

Best Sound Editing:
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

I've seen 2 of these. My guess is Inception.

Best Sound Mixing:
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

I've seen 3 of these. Greg P. Russell is nominated for Salt. That makes 2 years in a row where he's nominated without Kevin O'Connell. As a result, O'Connell is stuck at 20 nominations without a win, while Russell gets his 14th (and I'm guessing not a win).

Best Visual Effects:
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

I've seen 3 of these. Inception is probably the front runner. My guess is that Harry Potter will win for Part 2, next year.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

I've seen 2 of these. Every one of these is also nominated for Best Picture. What is Toy Story 3 adapted from? The first two Toy Stories?

Best Original Screenplay:
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

I've seen 2 of these. Notably, Another Year is not nominated for Best Picture, the only one of the 10 writing nominees that isn't (Mike Leigh has now been nominated for 5 original screenplays). As a result, Black Swan doesn't get a writing nomination, the only Best Picture nominee that doesn't. Is it adapted from Swan Lake, or original?

Here's the breakdown, less the shorts and documentaries:

12 - The King's Speech

10 - True Grit

8 - The Social Network
- Inception

7 - The Fighter

6 - 127 Hours

5 - Black Swan
- Toy Story 3

4 - Winter's Bone
- The Kids Are All Right

3 - Alice in Wonderland

2 - Biutiful
- How to Train Your Dragon
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 1

1 - The Town
- Rabbit Hole
- Blue Valentine
- Animal Kingdom
- The Illusionist
- I Am Love
- The Tempest
- Dogtooth
- In a Better World
- Incendies
- Hors-la-loi (Outside the Law)
- Barney's Version
- The Way Back
- The Wolfman
- Country Strong
- Tangled
- Tron: Legacy
- Unstoppable
- Salt
- Hereafter
- Iron Man 2
- Another Year

That is a lot of movies. Last year there were 38 (not including documentaries or shorts), and this year there are 36. Oh. That's not what I expected. But last year there were only 16 films with 1 nomination, and this year there are 22. That's what threw me off. I guess that's because last year Avatar and The Hurt Locker tied for the most nominations at 9, while this year both The King's Speech and True Grit have more than that.

Anything missing? Honestly, no. There was nothing I saw in 2010 and liked that isn't nominated here.

The priorities for me to see would be: True Grit, 127 Hours, Winter's Bone, The Kids Are All Right, The Fighter, Biutiful, Incendies, Exit through the Gift Shop, How to Train Your Dragon.

My Favourite Movies of 2000-2009 Part 1: The Runners-Up

As far as I can tell, I have seen 376 movies that were released in the decade spanning 2000-2009. That is a lot of movies. While it is far from being all of the movies of the decade, I think it is a wide-enough base for me to choose from that I feel comfortable making a list of my favourite films from the decade. The obvious disclaimer is that this is not a definitive best-of list, for two reasons. First, this is entirely subjective. You might hate some of my favourites, I might hate some of yours. Definitive is impossible. Secondly, I didn't see every film. I may not have seen your favourites.

Because I've spent all year on this list, I wanted to spread it out a bit. So here is Part 1: The Runners-up. These are movies that I really liked, but they didn't quite crack the top 15 for whatever reason (in some cases, just because it had been so long since I watched them that I feared my memory might be inaccurate). Really, the distinction between the Runners-up and the Top 15 is pretty arbitrary, as is the number 15 for that matter. Alright, here we go, in alphabetical order:

4 Luni, 3 Saptamani si 2 Zile - Cristian Mungiu
(4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days)

This Romanian film about obtaining an illegal abortion is very difficult to watch. It is really raw, and contains something in it to offend everyone. But this heartbreaking movie is probably the best Realist movie of the decade.

Los Abrazos Rotos - Pedro Almodovar
(Broken Embraces)

I love Almodovar's movies because, like Tarantino's movies, they are almost self-aware of the fact that they are movies. Almodovar just loves classic Hollywood so much, and it permeates this entire film. The only problem is that he just can't do a good ending. He's also in love with Penelope Cruz, and she is sensational in this movie, as always.

About Schmidt - Alexander Payne

In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated films of the decade. I also feel that this is one of Jack Nicholson's greatest performances. I've read a lot of books recently about growing old, but there haven't been a lot of movies made about it. This movie is one of them, and it's really great. I must warn you, though, the nudity in this film is not for the faint of heart. ;)

American Splendor - Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini

This is a joyful movie about being miserable, a celebration of mediocrity and depression. Part documentary about the making of the comic, part re-enactment of the making of the comic, part re-enactment of the comic itself, this movie is unlike anything else. Paul Giamatti must be frustrated knowing that he'll probably never get such a perfect role again.

Amores Perros - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

Okay, name a movie with Gael Garcia Bernal in it, and I loved it. This is one of those Magnolia-style interweaving stories movies (Inarritu also directed Babel), and it's superbly done.




Un Conte de Noel - Arnaud Desplechin
(A Christmas Tale)

There were several ensemble movies made in France about family reunions this decade, but this one is the standout. The list of great actors in this film is too long for this space, but Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric (one of my favourite actors of the decade) are the standouts.

Etre et Avoire - Nicolas Philibert
(To Be and To Have)

This documentary contains very little interference by the director. The teacher and his students in this one-room schoolhouse in rural France are the stars of this really cute, really touching movie. Every teacher or aspiring teacher should see this film.


Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain - Jean-Pierre Jeunet
(Amelie)

This is a fun, quirky movie about a psychopath. Seriously, if Amelie was a man, she'd be arrested. That said, how could anyone not thoroughly enjoy watching this very unique movie? I missed out on this one when it was hugely popular, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I finally saw the movie I knew a lot of people loved. It's hard not to be affected by something like that. But I loved it, too.



Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson

I enjoy Wes Anderson movies a lot. I don't get sick of the same themes and style, not one bit. But I was still surprised by how good this movie was. It was a labour of love for Anderson (pictured), and I hope he's proud of the finished product. Oh, and 3 Beach Boys songs in one movie always gets a thumbs-up from me.

Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse - Agnes Varda
(The Gleaners and I)

This is a brilliant documentary. Varda (pictured) is a kind of strange person, and her personality permeates this movie. She grabs the theme and runs with it in every direction imaginable, and touches on something at the core of what it means to be human. It's also a very political movie, but you barely even notice.


In Bruges - Martin McDonagh

This movie is really, really funny. I wouldn't have thought jokes about racist midgets and hating medieval architecture could ever be so funny, nor would I have thought I'd ever include a movie with Colin Farrell in this list. But they are, and here it is.






The Incredibles - Brad Bird

Pixar made a lot of really great movies this decade, and this was one of my favourites. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish.




El Laberinto del Fauno - Guillermo del Toro
(Pan's Labyrinth)

This is an extremely violent, gory children's movie for adults. Del Toro does such a fabulous job of mixing beautiful fantasy and harsh reality in this film that the shifts in tone (especially lighting) are as necessary for the audience as for the girl.


Lat den Ratte Komma In - Tomas Alfredson
(Let the Right One In)

I reviewed the Hollywood remake in this blog, and concluded that I preferred the original. I am no horror movie fan, but this one is just so good. Chilling and horrifying, of course, but so good.


Das Leben der Anderen - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
(The Lives of Others)

At first I was shocked that Pan's Labyrinth lost the Foreign Film Oscar, but then I saw this film. It's a voyeuristic film set in East Berlin, with one of the best endings of the decade.


Little Miss Sunshine - Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris

This movie about a dysfunctional family on a road trip to a beauty pagaent is completely ridiculous. It is definitely one of the funniest movies of the decade. What gets it on to this list, though, is its emotional power and great acting. Abigail Breslin was nominated and Alan Arkin won an Oscar, but I think Paul Dano should've been nominated, too.


Moartea Domnului Lazarescu - Cristi Puiu
(The Death of Mr. Lazarescu)

Another great Romanian film dealing with the shortcomings of the healthcare system. This one, however, is hilarious (in a black humour sort of way).


My Winnipeg - Guy Maddin

Guy Maddin, I think I can fairly say, is the most unique director out there right now. Part of this film's appeal is that I grew up just outside Winnipeg, but mostly it's just how strange and wonderful this movie is.



Paranoid Park - Gus Van Sant

A lot of people really liked Gus Van Sant's Elephant, but for me, Paranoid Park captures adolescence in this decade far more poignantly. My favourite skateboarding movie of all time.





The Squid and the Whale - Noah Baumbach

Dysfunctional families can make for some very interesting movies. This is a very personal film for Baumbach, and his feelings towards his father are not hidden. This film is full of great acting, particularly from Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney.



Synecdoche, New York - Charlie Kaufman

Kaufman, for me, is the only screenwriter whose every movie becomes a must-see. This is his mind-blowing directorial debut.




There Will Be Blood - P.T. Anderson

I know that for a lot of people this one would be in the Top 15, if not in competition for the top spot on that list. While I really enjoyed it and it will be winning some of my "Oscars", I've never been able to connect with it as much as the films that are in my Top 15. Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the best acting performances of all time.


Das Weisse Band - Michael Haneke
(The White Ribbon)

Now this is a disturbing movie. All of Haneke's best qualities (as frustrating as they may be) converge in this film about, arguably, the origins of the Nazis.


Wendy and Lucy - Kelly Reichardt

Reichardt makes very soft-spoken, understated movies that capture an incredible amount of emotion. I also enjoyed Old Joy a lot, but Wendy and Lucy, in spite of the fact that I'm not a dog person, is really amazing. Michelle Williams is really one of the best actresses out there right now.






The Wrestler - Darren Aronofsky

Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei give this movie everything they have in depicting two people who perform with their bodies. It is truly heartbreaking.




Y Tu Mama Tambien - Alfonso Cuaron

This is a movie about two young men discovering their sexual identity while out on a road trip. Gael Garcia Bernal is awesome, as usual.