I’m not going to get to see Mysteries of Lisbon, but by the end of next week I should have seen 9 out of that top 10, which is pretty good going for me.

and Indiewire also goes with The Lumber(ing) of Life; and Shannon and Paquin among the actors:

http://legacy.indiewire.com/survey/annual_critics_survey_2011/

The Lumber(ing) of Life

stretching, but we’ll allow it

ages since i saw boonmee, but re: good or great; i remember talking to a friend who wasn’t crazy about it & thinking that, perhaps if more films or all films were like weerasethakul’s, i’d be more critical, but that a big part of what makes them special is just that they are & exist and are treading that path, which makes me less critical about the specifics. it wasn’t as cohesive as a couple of others but i still think of a lot of it & think it’s a p unique, interesting achievement

think of it a lot, probably what i was shooting for there

also why the fuck did everyone like melancholia so much. did anyone here like it? it was vague & unfocused, took the wrong tone or pursued the wrong threads, & compensated with a kinda generic autopilot-grandiosity.

I quite liked Boonmee but I’ve accepted that I risk foolishness explaining what makes this man’s films worth watching.

ha, i think that’s part of it, that they’re somewhere slightly off radar or out of reach. (i remember coming out of syndromes, having seen it with a few others, & each having as broad & entirely disparate a set of opinions about it as you really could about a single text (i don’t think i’d even grasped it was about his family))

also why the fuck did everyone like melancholia so much. did anyone here like it?

I thought it was pretty great, but I’m no LvT fan.

I thought it was pretty great, but I’m no LvT fan.

ha, that’s a weird disclaimer. i like a bunch of von trier, i thought it was so confused though—maybe some of that is relative to how strongly he manages to embody a theme & stay on-point in dogville or whatever else. i was so surprised at how loose the first half was, & then how drably procedural & perfunctory the second half proceeded.

I really liked the end-of-the-world stuff, beginning and end; the wedding set-up (conceding they’re bound together) seemed ordinary to me.

I much preferred Antichrist.

I actually thought it was pretty straightforward. Messy, perhaps, but overall it had an emotional honesty I’ve never found in his work before.

Also it was really beautiful.

xpost

I’ve only seen LvT’s Breaking the Waves-and-after stuff, and I’ve only liked this, Antichrist, and The Five Obstructions.

Caught Young Adult this morning—admirably grim and, for Cody specifically, self-effacing. (Key scene near the end fails to deliver the goods, though.)

Want to see it but ugh Reitman

Yeah, i’m weirdly anticipating it despite hating all of Reitman and Cody’s previous work

fwiw it doesn’t resemble the other Reitman flicks much at all. it’s pretty close to a no-frills character study.

and appropriately it will probably earn fewer accolades than all his other flicks.

I liked the ‘prelude’ and the wow finish of Melancholia, but not a lot else. (so yeah it’s way better than Dogville)

finally saw The Help tonight, which should definitely be a ride at Disneyland.

The least they can do is offer a Terrible Awful at the concession stand

Liked Antichrist a good bit despite its legitimately questionable premise. Melancholia was mostly shit. The high-speed cam prologue was probably the worst part of the film. It was used effectively in Antichrist but it was pretty corny LOL Art Film in Melancholia.

And I’m glad The Tree of Life is on there even if I was one of 2 holdouts.

why exactly?

you know, Ambition, Pitt, Lubezki

(unless you mean why did I not think it was one of the 20 best?)

wow, was My Week With Marilyn vaporous — an irrelevant movie.

was it redeemed at all by MW?

The freckled lede is cute, and Williams had her moments, but Branagh wasn’t the least bit convincing.

*lead

Eddie Redmayne playing an unconvincing str8 again?

Kept wishing Branagh would “dear boy” him into bed.

Guess I’ll have to finally watch Savage Grace.

that kid was soooo creepy as Matt Damon’s son in The Good Shepherd

like, I never want to see him again creepy.

Chicago Film Critics Association (voters include Ebert and my Film Critic Friend):

Picture: The Tree of Life

Director: Terrence Malick — The Tree of Life

Actor: Michael Shannon — Take Shelter

Actress: Michelle Williams — My Week with Marilyn

Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks — Drive

Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain — The Tree of Life

Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius — The Artist

Best Adapted Screenplay: Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin — Moneyball

Best Cinematography: The Tree of Life — Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Original Score: Drive — Cliff Martinez

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation

Best Animated Film: Rango

Best Documentary: The Interrupters

Most Promising Performer: Elizabeth Olsen — Martha Marcy May Marlene

Most Promising Filmmaker: Sean Durkin — Martha Marcy May Marlene

dullsville ^ also steve saillian and sorkin is b.s.

Williams is cleaning up.

playing a dead celebrity = award bait

meryl streep—julia child

Marion Cotillard—edith Piaf

Cate Blanchett—Queen Elizabeth I

reese witherspoon—june carter

salma hayak—frida

and my confreres of the Florida Film Critics:

Alexander Payne’s The Descendants, the comic drama starring George Clooney as a man whose life is upended after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident, won three awards at the Florida Film Critics Circle’s year-end honors, include Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (for Shailene Woodley) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.)

Michael Fassbender was named Best Actor for his portrayal of a sex addict in the NC-17 drama Shame. Michelle Williams won Best Actress for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. Albert Brooks collected yet another Best Supporting Actor honor for his turn as a murderous gangster in Drive.

Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius — The Artist

“original”

The only one of the repeat winners I’m cool with is Brooks.

I really only loved Brooks in one scene in particular (that last one with Walter White).

The performance clicked once I imagined him as his nest egg whiner in Lost in America suddenly going homicidal.

drive winning the michael mann award this year for, you know, cool shots of action that are Art.

michael fassbender winning the gary oldman award for showing his Bidness grittily

descendents winning the peter greenaway award for movie that people with uppercrust aspirations talk about over tapas parties.

all goes to my theory that all most awards are bestowed on the most conspicuous, egregious display of capital T talent in the niche area of filmmaking (cinematography, editing, gender dynamic) that the organization/bestowing critic values the most highly, with not a helluvalot of concern about the actual movies

I dunno, remy: cinema would be vastly improved with more scenes at tapas parties.

I’ve yet to see any Greenaway films, good or bad, that seemed like The Descendants.

but yeah I prefer The Muppets to nearly all the award winners.

I prefer Muppets Take Manhattan.

more Serkis awards, pls.

pref Capt Haddock to Caesar

Nothing by Greenaway is anything like the Descendents – just discussed in similar wine-affecting circles

affectationing? ehh, screwit

Caught Young Adult this morning—admirably grim and, for Cody specifically, self-effacing. (Key scene near the end fails to deliver the goods, though.)

― Simon H., Sunday, December 18, 2011 2:07 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Permalink
fwiw it doesn’t resemble the other Reitman flicks much at all. it’s pretty close to a no-frills character study.

― Simon H., Sunday, December 18, 2011 4:00 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Permalink

and appropriately it will probably earn fewer accolades than all his other flicks.

― Simon H., Sunday, December 18, 2011 4:02 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Permalink

this is all otm and i will push and shove to the front of the line of previously despising reitman

http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/39591/oscarmetrics-the-case-for-brad-pitt-plus-six-questions-that-could-reshape-the-race

6. Does the fact that this wasn’t a great year for movies affect the race? I know the premise of this question is a fight-starter, but look at the films. To choose two recent points of comparison: 2011 is not 2009, which featured in its Best Picture contest a blockbuster that was also a groundbreaker (Avatar), an instant classic about war (The Hurt Locker), a high-water mark for Pixar (Up), a Sundance breakout that dwarfed any this year (Precious), a rare studio movie that tapped into the economic zeitgeist (Up In the Air) and a major Tarantino comeback (Inglorious Basterds). 2011 is also not 2007, a year in which There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, Into The Wild, and The Diving Bell and The Butterfly seemed to herald a renaissance of American directing.

This year was, relatively speaking, a tentative and uncertain one for American movies. What this Oscar contest offers is a series of choices between the good-but-not-great and the great-but-flawed. The reason that matters is that masterpieces raise our standards and sharpen our thinking. A year in which three or four all-out great movies are at the center of the race raises the bar in every category because they remind us that there’s a difference between the merely good and the truly outstanding.

2011 is a year with a different complexion—one in which voters will have to decide what matters to them most. Those who go for the just-good-enough (“I liked it,” “it made me smile,” “I thought it was sweet,” “It was nice to escape for a couple of hours,” and so on) have plenty from which to choose. But there are other voters who prefer to champion filmmakers who take bold leaps even if the results are imperfect. Those voters constitute enough of a coalition to defy, usually once a year, the predictions of those who say that a movie is too dark, arty or alienating to be recognized by the Academy. That’s one reason I think The Tree of Life is still in the hunt for a Best Picture nomination. But it’ll be interesting to see if that odd, loose voting bloc — which can include, at various times, New Yorkers, Brits, Europeans, writers and directors, younger members and recent inductees — is powerful enough to unite around any other film or performance. What will they champion? Drive? A Separation? Shame? Take Shelter? Or will 2011 go down in Oscar history as a year in which “good enough” was as good as it got?

guy is daft about ’09

and 2007...

Otherwise Harris’ essays have been as much a pleasure as Oscarbuzz crap can be.

Thought that would get a few scoffs. I will say all the movies in my top 4 right now would’ve been easy #1’s for the last two or three years running.

tis true for me, but I don’t think any of mine except Of Gods and Men, maybe, are eligible for the Best Picture Oscar.

Then they don’t exist.

Also, Certified Copy is eligible, et al.

not always sure what runs in LA

funniest top-10 critic pitch for Tree of Life, by Stephen Holden: “You couldn’t accuse Terrence Malick of having a sense of humor....”

I mean, I’ve only been to Texas once, but Texas is funny.

Not sure anyone besides Eric H. will care, but here’s the good old FCF’s* top 10:

1. The Tree of Life

2. Drive

3. Melancholia

4. The Descendants

5. Warrior

6. The Interrupters

7. Moneyball

8. The Artist

9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

10. Super 8

*I haven’t even seen this guy in a while; he’s probably more like an acquaintance than a friend at this point.

he really likes subtitles

FCA

Of what I’ve seen on the list, half really good, half mediocre. Is The Interrupters‘ presence a little residual Roger Ebert syndrome?

just watched Drive, about as expected, cept for the hilariously bad music.

The music roolz

yah sure

I thought I was back in fucking 1986

exactly

(speaking of the needledrops more than the Cliff Martinez score, which still wasnt as good as his Contagion stuff)

I assumed so. The Martinez score doesn’t really draw attention to itself whereas the songs are incredibly self-conscious. They’re a huge part of the movie though, it’s pretty close to turning into a musical at times

the dumbest musical since Lost Horizon.

I thought I was back in fucking 1986

..but back then you would have just called it “European”.

oh hey i saw ‘shame’ last night and it sucked

in all kinda of ways!

btw Albert Brooks was entertaining, but I didn’t believe a thing he did or said even on a dumbass thriller level bcz, u know, Albert fucking Brooks.

Scotty boy likes Albert Nobbs.

can anyone recommend any good essays on margaret? none of the reviews i’ve read really satisfied me. and also, your own thoughts? i saw it y’day and was kind of blown away

Is The Interrupters’ presence a little residual Roger Ebert syndrome?

Could be. Also a fair amount of Chicago pride.

Try Glenn Kenny’s review, lex.

thanks! yes, that is good.

http://www.villagevoice.com/filmpoll/

Comments
Critics elaborate on their votes, favorite movie moments of the year and OK OK WE GET IT YOU LIKE MARGARET

Morbs, your taste in music couldn’t be less relevant to me.

I thought this was an interesting comparison of Margaret and Bridesmaids, editing-wise:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2011/12/12/not-in-theaters-kenneth-lonergans-margaret

(The writer is the second-stringer at the Chicago Reader, a fairly sharp critic who apparently had a big crush on my wife years ago. She said he resembled Woody Allen.)

i’d also like to read any particularly good eviscerations of tree of life if you know any. god just remembering that film exists makes me angry.

Start with the Film Comment Cannes report by Amy Taubin.

And then get your mind right and start loving the film.

I’m off today. Should I watch Tintin or catch up on The Muppets?

I slept in the morning I was supposed to see Tintin. I’d still recommend it over the new Muppets.

Morbs, your taste in music couldn’t be less relevant to me.

I know; we’re past the point where you have to comfort me by saying so.

David Edelstein’s half-and-half review of Tree probably approximates my own feelings.

Tintin has many more ‘filmic’ qualities, but tho it’s uneven I think Muppets has a couple bigger laughs. I guess it depends what you want.

and I’m almost swayed by some of the praise for Young Adult...almost enough to forget the credits.

I will probably see that at some point for P Oswalt.

and I’m almost swayed by some of the praise for Young Adult...

I was too. Buuuut.... consider me a leeward wind blowing against the praise.

Hoberman’s top ten.

interested, hoberman is my reliable personal opposite, ordinarily

though p reasonable in this case

VV’s poll:

Best Actor: Michael Shannon

Best Actress: Anna Paquin

Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks

Supporting Actress: Jeannie Berlin

do i even bother watching melencholia at this point?

everyone seemed to love it?, like it seems as weirdly constant as anything, #3 in most polls or w/e. i thought it was p uninteresting

I think the final scene of Melancholia might be cued up on my TV for the New Years Eve countdown.

This is one of the reliably interesting elements of the VV poll:

The Passiondex™, is derived by multiplying a movie’s average score by a percentage of those voters who marked it first or second or, because passion cuts two ways, declared it the year’s worst movie. If the Passiondex™ is applied to the top 10 movies, Tree of Life drops to a temperate sixth place and A Separation to a reasonable 10th, with Melancholia (which garnered far more first- and second-place votes, as well as a nod for worst) the easy winner, followed by Mysteries of Lisbon, Certified Copy, Margaret, and Uncle Boonmee; if we open up the top 10 to the 20 highest vote-getters, Melancholia is displaced by The Artist (which boasts three worst votes), and Tree of Life falls to 10th as Hugo, Steve McQueen’s sex-addiction drama Shame (#18), and Jean-Luc Godard’s impenetrable Film Socialisme (#20) elbow their way into the top 10.

What happens when we open things up to the entire poll? The two Cannes laureates, Uncle Boonmee and Tree of Life, vanish — the latter actually outpointed by the Portuguese fado-drag opera To Die Like a Man (#27). Applying the Pash across the board yields a surprising result: Moving into first with every single one of its seven voters ranking it first or second to achieve an unprecedented perfect Passiondex™ ratio, the late Edward Yang’s 1991 epic youth drama A Brighter Summer Day (#23), which had its first local theatrical run at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in November, wins!

In 2011’s echo chamber of movies celebrating movies (The Artist, Hugo, My Week with Marilyn), only one of them fully functioned as a well-tooled thrill machine on its own terms, and that was Drive. You could pick out the ’80s homage stuck between your teeth, or simply savor the perfect action.“—Joshua Rothkopf

Patton Oswalt kicks no ass, in particular, in Young Adult. Instead, he plays a man that’s absorbed a lot of abuse.