2010 New Release Database

[Rowland]

Yeah, I remembered you were fairly lukewarm when you first saw it. Aside from the performances, I really can't see what the big deal is here. Most of the first half is fairly mechanical as she goes from house to house asking questions. There was never anything particularly engrossing about her search and every stop seemed like an obvious attempt to show a touch of local color, but it was often forced and unnatural. And I agree with Irish's reservations about the ending, which actually renders much of the rest of the film rather moot. Overall, it plays a bit too much like a Sundance workshop product. Yeah, Fernando Croce nails it on the head by describing it as "ostentatious ameriendie squalidness." Between the in-your-face inbred redneck milieu and the smooth-faced, seemingly virtuous heroine, I found the whole thing rather difficult to buy into, especially since Granick shoots it from a crisp but otherwise formally indifferent remove, presumably to lend its narrative naturalistic credence.

I was also disappointed that most of the film seemed uninterested in exploring its chosen milieu beyond its aesthetic texture and sensational properties, which is why the scene that lingers the most for me in retrospect is probably the recruitment interview, being the most sensitive, humane, and unexpected in the film. My mild yay is largely attributable to that scene, the intense, miltifaceted turn by Hawkes, the deterministic drive of the narrative (though the momentum peters out before the curious fizzle of a climax), and the palpable tension derived from the threat of violence that hangs over the many confrontational scenes.

[Boner M]

Do they watch movies together? That would be weird.
Yeah, all the time. And they always stay through the end credits in silence together.

[Boner M]

I think the only aspect of the Winter's Bone praise that mystifies me is for Jennifer Lawrence's performance. It's a great character, but not one that requires a great deal of acting, just the ability to keep a steely composure as the more animated supporting players orbit around her.

I think I owe the film a repeat too; part of my positive reaction might've been that didn't turn out to be another Frozen River.

[Rowland]

Oceans - yay

[TripZone]

Yeah, all the time. And they always stay through the end credits in silence together.

Actually, that's kinda cute. Pity she's so reactionary and he's so much an Academy voter.

But then, it's not like Adrian Martin could ever have his own show.

[Boner M]

Actually, that's kinda cute. Pity she's so reactionary and he's so much an Academy voter.
I still have a soft spot for Margaret, esp. for her ballsy moves; eg, 5 stars for Last Days, 4.5 for 2 Fast 2 Furious. They both seem to be more swayed by hype in recent years, and coupled with their non-existent critical faculties, it makes for deadly viewing.

Still, better either of 'em than Jim Schembri, I 'spose.

[TripZone]

I still have a soft spot for Margaret, esp. for her ballsy moves; eg, 5 stars for Last Days, 4.5 for 2 Fast 2 Furious. They both seem to be more swayed by hype in recent years, and coupled with their non-existent critical faculties, it makes for deadly viewing.

Still, better either of 'em than Jim Schembri, I 'spose.

I used to like her outrageous reactions, if only for their outrageousness. Haven't seen that from her in ages, though, like you said.

Schembri... *shudder*
He spoke in a lecture of mine once, and praised Cars as the best thing Pixar has done, and basically considered it God. This was before it was released. And he was generally a douche and looked like he needed a shower.

[NickGlass]

I think I owe the film a repeat too; part of my positive reaction might've been that didn't turn out to be another Frozen River.

This is pretty much the truth. Oddly enough, it reminded me a bit of Brick.

[Eleven]

Didn't see David and Margaret at this one, but I usually do.

So these are who I've been hearing on Sirius XM Radio Australia.

[baby doll]

I think I owe the film a repeat too; part of my positive reaction might've been that didn't turn out to be another Frozen River.Wait, isn't it another Frozen River?

[Ezee E]

This is pretty much the truth. Oddly enough, it reminded me a bit of Brick.
Same here. I asked someone that since Brick was the film noir in high school, and Winter's Bone being the film noir in the boonies, where's the next one going to be?

[Pop Trash]

Same here. I asked someone that since Brick was the film noir in high school, and Winter's Bone being the film noir in the boonies, where's the next one going to be?

Film Noir ON A BUS WITH A BOMB!

[eternity]

I think the only aspect of the Winter's Bone praise that mystifies me is for Jennifer Lawrence's performance. It's a great character, but not one that requires a great deal of acting, just the ability to keep a steely composure as the more animated supporting players orbit around her.

I think I owe the film a repeat too; part of my positive reaction might've been that didn't turn out to be another Frozen River.
Yeah, I don't really get the praise either. She plays the part perfectly, but there's nothing really to compare her performance to. Seems like plenty of other actresses could have played it just as well.

[Derek]

Wait, isn't it another Frozen River?

It's more similar to that than Brick IMO, except that it didn't completely suck.

[Boner M]

Forgot to add this...

Monsters - mild yay

The highest praise is that it reminded me Voyage to Italy in places, which is high praise indeed. But ultimately there's just too many essentials pared away here (ie, interesting characters).

[soitgoes...]

Films that didn't get tallied:

Easy A - yay
Harry Potter - yay
Hadewijch - yay

Also other stuff I've seen:

Restrepo - mild yay
Resident Evil - nay

[Weeping_Guitar]

Restrepo - yay

[Stay Puft]

Countdown to Zero - nay

A conflict of interest here, as sure, who's going to argue with the conclusions the film is trying to draw. But then, and I hate to always bang on this drum, but seriously, this thing is sensationalistic to a ridiculous degree. I'm sorry, movie, but I'm not scared out of my fucking mind, and that's not going to change regardless of how many times you show me that map of New York with a superimposed blast radius, or how much time you devote to footage of New York citizens celebrating the new year while random experts describe how much they'll suffer and how terribly they'll die in a nuclear explosion. The most insulting part is the film's introduction, which shows horrifying footage of a series of terrorist attacks, completely out of context, basically amounting to a montage of fear.

Somebody recommend a documentary that came out this year that doesn't blatantly sensationalize, because I've obviously been choosing poorly so far. Besides Restrepo, since I've already added that to my list.

[Rowland]

Restrepo - mild yay
My response as well. I'm puzzled by the unanimous high praise, considering that The Hurt Locker said almost everything it had to say and more with greater artistry. I can't fault the film for its obvious humanism, and besides slipping in a few ambiguous observations pertaining to the methods and mindset of the troops in what is otherwise a firmly pro-troop portrayal (the film was financed by the military after all), I admired to an extent that, in spite of critical appraisals of heart-pounding, visceral action, most of the film presents a quagmire of confusion and tedium, even during the firefights. Unfortunately, this POV proved a bit too restricted for my taste, and not just visually (too many talking heads), but also ethically, politically, and conceptually, playing a bit too closely like agitprop.

[Stay Puft]

And now I don't even want to watch Restrepo. You guys aren't helping.

[soitgoes...]

My response as well. I'm puzzled by the unanimous high praise, considering that The Hurt Locker said almost everything it had to say and more with greater artistry. I can't fault the film for its obvious humanism, and besides slipping in a few ambiguous observations pertaining to the methods and mindset of the troops in what is otherwise a firmly pro-troop portrayal (the film was financed by the military after all), I admired to an extent that, in spite of critical appraisals of heart-pounding, visceral action, most of the film presents a quagmire of confusion and tedium, even during the firefights. Unfortunately, this POV proved a bit too restricted for my taste, and not just visually (too many talking heads), but also ethically, politically, and conceptually, playing a bit too closely like agitprop for my taste.Here's what I had to say:

Restrepo is good, but not as solid as some of the other documentaries I've seen so far this year. It most amazing feature is that the filmmakers lived through the hell the soldiers were experiencing, and that they put themselves very much in harm's way. I'm not sure that the actual subject matter brought anything new to light for me. War is hell. Soldiers, while a completely different and baffling breed, are human just like me. The film did hit on some touching moments, showing how individual soldiers dealt with and were continuing to deal with the death of a friend. I guess it's nice to watch a war documentary based in Afghanistan as opposed to Iraq. Iraq is crazy shit happens in a desert, and it is hell. Afghanistan is crazy shit happens in the mountains, and it is hell.

The way Restrepo was made, how it was pieced together was good, but in the end what are we left with? A well made documentary about something that really isn't surprising or eye-opening at all.

[soitgoes...]

And now I don't even want to watch Restrepo. You guys aren't helping.
It Came from Kuchar. GasLand was good too. The narrator/filmmaker's voice has an annoying inflection though.

[Rowland]

How about...

The Oath - Yay

The best documentary I've yet seen on the war on terror, a subject you'd think should have just about run its course by now. On the contrary, this film fascinates, challenges, troubles, and illuminates in equal measure, proving in the end to be the first post-9/11-themed doc that I find myself actively anxious to revisit.

[MacGuffin]

How about...

The Oath - Yay

The best documentary I've yet seen on the war on terror, a subject you'd think should have just about run its course by now. On the contrary, this film fascinates, challenges, troubles, and illuminates in equal measure, proving in the end to be the first post-9/11-themed doc that I find myself actively anxious to revisit.

Yeah, I've heard nothing but good things about this one (well, Mike Sicinski loves it but still!) Your recommendation has only sealed the deal: I'm watching this soon.

[Derek]

Yeah, I've heard nothing but good things about this one (well, Mike Sicinski loves it but still!) Your recommendation has only sealed the deal: I'm watching this soon.

It's on instant watch, nice.

[MacGuffin]

It's on instant watch, nice.

Nice. So is the first movie in her so-called "New American Century" trilogy, My Country, My Country.

[baby doll]

Somebody recommend a documentary that came out this year that doesn't blatantly sensationalize, because I've obviously been choosing poorly so far.Exit Through the Gift Shop, A Film Unfinished, Inside Job, L'Enfer d'Henri-Georges Clouzot.

[Spinal]

Everyone Else - heck yeah

[Rowland]

As for other documentary recommendations, Prodigal Sons is pretty great, It Came From Kuchar is lots of fun, and Oceans is spectacular at its best. I've also seen enough praise for The Art of the Steal, Sweetgrass, Winnebago Man, October Country, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, and the aforementioned Exit Through the Gift Shop that I hope to see them all before year's end.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Marwencol is the best doc of the year.

[Rowland]

How to Train Your Dragon - yay

[Eleven]

Devil - nay

Chock full of the usual nonsense theological Shyamalaninanity. But it looked a helluva lot better than it had any right to, Tak Fujimoto for MVP.

[baby doll]

Winnebago Man, Joan Rivers: A Piece of WorkYeah, these were okay too.

[Stay Puft]

Ip Man - yay

[Stay Puft]

And thanks for the recommendations everyone. I've already seen Exit Through the Gift Shop and it's one of my favorites so far this year, I'm adding the rest to my list.

[soitgoes...]

Despicable Me - nay

[soitgoes...]

Waking Sleeping Beauty - yay
The Town - yay

[Spinal]

I'm Still Here - Nay

[Rowland]

Amer - Yay

[soitgoes...]

I'm Still Here - Nay
At least you didn't hate it.

[B-side]

Easy A - perfectly adequate yay

[Mysterious Dude]

127 Hours - yay
Alice in Wonderland - yay
Boy - yay
Mother - yay
Shutter Island - yay

The Runaways - nay

I must be softening in my old age.

Seems my vote for Alice has already been counted. How did you do that?!

[NickGlass]

Someone try to persuade me to vote "yay" or "nay" on 127 Hours. I can't decide.

[Watashi]

Someone try to persuade me to vote "yay" or "nay" on 127 Hours. I can't decide.
Did you like it or not?

It's not that difficult people.

[NickGlass]

Did you like it or not?

I don't know. I never have opinions.

[Ezee E]

I don't know. I never have opinions.
Your review seems more negative then positive.

[B-side]

I Love You Phillip Morris - yay

[B-side]

You have me listed as a nay on Monsters and I've never seen it.

[NickGlass]

I Love You, Phillip Morris: yay
127 Hours: a nary nay

[StanleyK]

The Social Network - yay

[Rowland]

Valhalla Rising - mild yay

Pretty disappointing, I had this pegged in advance as a lock for likely year-end consideration. Just seemed like my kinda thing, but too much of it felt overly ponderous, portentous, and obvious. It's still eminently watchable in large part, even hypnotic at its best, but the first act disappointingly remains its most compelling stretch.

[Ezee E]

Agreed Rowland. Only I ended up not liking it for that reason.

[MacGuffin]

Essential Killing - yay

[lovejuice]

Nay to Harry Potter.

[B-side]

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - nay

[EyesWideOpen]

I yay'ed both Best Worst Movie and Monsters.

[eternity]

I'm pretty sure Heavy Rain should count as a film, and if it did, I would give it a yay. Pretty much the best crime thriller since Zodiac.

[Lazlo]

Harry Brown - Yay

[TripZone]

Watch out, Lazlo Panaflex!

[Philosophe_rouge]

THe Kids are All Right - nay

[soitgoes...]

Legend of the Guardians - Nay
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Yay

[Mysterious Dude]

Everyone else - yay
Centurion - nay

[Spinal]

I'm pretty sure Heavy Rain should count as a film, and if it did, I would give it a yay. Pretty much the best crime thriller since Zodiac.

It's much better if viewed as a video game. As a film, it's utterly ludicrous.

[Stay Puft]

As a game, Heavy Rain is utterly ludicrous. Terrible writing. Dramatically incompetent. Bad gameplay. And so on.

You can put me down for a NAY.

[eternity]

As a game, Heavy Rain is utterly ludicrous. Terrible writing. Dramatically incompetent. Bad gameplay. And so on.

You can put me down for a NAY.
Other than the children, the writing is as good as it would ever need to be. I'm still shaken up over it; I would have never expected the gameplay to be as intense and strong as it was in the action/driving sequences, even after playing and loving Indigo Prophecy. It's the first 'wow' game to be released in a long time, considering how the medium has deteriorated quite a bit in the age of Modern Warfare.

[MacGuffin]

It's the first 'wow' game to be released in a long time, considering how the medium has deteriorated quite a bit in the age of Modern Warfare.

What in God's name are you talking about? Video games aren't movies, dude.

[eternity]

What in God's name are you talking about? Video games aren't movies, dude.
They're equally capable artistic mediums. Plus, it's hard to consider Heavy Rain to be much of a game, as it's basically a glorified slideshow.

[MacGuffin]

They're equally capable artistic mediums. Plus, it's hard to consider Heavy Rain to be much of a game, as it's basically a glorified slideshow.

I never said they weren't equally capable. But a) this is a thread about movies, not video games and b) Just because a video game has a large-scale but shallow plot doesn't mean it should be considered a movie. I'm willing to guess most of what you like about the video game stemmed from the gameplay and not from aspects that would be considered cinematic. People said the same thing about Grand Theft Auto IV when it came out and it made even less sense then.

[eternity]

I never said they weren't equally capable. But a) this is a thread about movies, not video games and b) Just because a video game has a large-scale but shallow plot doesn't mean it should be considered a movie. I'm willing to guess most of what you like about the video game stemmed from the gameplay and not from aspects that would be considered cinematic. People said the same thing about Grand Theft Auto IV when it came out and it made even less sense then.
Other than one or two "levels", the gameplay was kind of an annoyance. I just wanted the story to move along.

I view it more as a movie than a game, which is why I brought it up. But yes, I know, it's a game.

[MacGuffin]

Other than one or two "levels", the gameplay was kind of an annoyance. I just wanted the story to move along.

My point is that it's the gameplay that keeps the story going.

[Boner M]

Red Hill - nay

[Derek]

Please Give - nay
Black Swan - yay

[Sycophant]

Social Network: yaysville

[baby doll]

Other than one or two "levels", the gameplay was kind of an annoyance. I just wanted the story to move along.

I view it more as a movie than a game, which is why I brought it up. But yes, I know, it's a game.I fucked a fat chick on an elevator. It was wrong on so many levels.

[Weeping_Guitar]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1 - yay

[Ezee E]

Please Give - nay


Huzzah for that. What a stupid movie.

[TripZone]

Red Hill - nay

:(

Will wait for blu, then.

[dmk]

Please Give - nay
Bizarre is that. What a stupid Derek.

[Stay Puft]

It Came From Kuchar - yay

Off to a good start with the recommended documentaries. Unlike a film like Harlan, here's a documentary that utilizies a series of interviews to create personal and political contexts and explore the relationships between those dimensions of the Kuchar brothers's work.

[Derek]

I fucked a fat chick on an elevator. It was wrong on so many levels.

Please include your "yay" or "nay" in case your memory of the experience is similar to watching a movie inside your own head.


Huzzah for that. What a stupid movie.

I'm not as down on it as that, but it's very slight and forgettable. I like that it's so focused on the ways that money play into every relationship, but those relationships themselves weren't particularly interesting or well-handled. To quote Rowland, *shrug*.

[Pop Trash]

127 Hours - nay

[NickGlass]

Black Swan: Yay
Eat Pray Love: Nay

[Pop Trash]

127 Hours - nay

After more contemplation, I changed this. I was a bit like Nick: on the fence about it. I'll admit, when I was watching it, I was caught up in the emotions of the moment, particularly during the final sequence (due in no small part to the awesomeness of Sigur Ros). But it's not sitting well in my mind after the fact. I just think this type of film has been done quite a few times in recent years (Gerry, Touching the Void, Grizzly Man, and Into the Wild, to name a few) and all of those previous filmmakers approached the subject with more intrigue and poetry than Danny Boyle.

[Philosophe_rouge]

the exploding girl - mild yay

[Rowland]

Vengeance - yay

The plot and its underlying philosophical ramifications are iffy, but the grace notes and visual lyricism make up for it, as do some of the year's most vividly imagined and strikingly realized set pieces.

[Boner M]

Vengeance - yay

The plot and its underlying philosophical ramifications are iffy, but the grace notes and visual lyricism make up for it, as do some of the year's most vividly imagined and strikingly realized set pieces.
yay from me too.

btw stop editing your posts so much Rowland, I'm sure they're beautiful just the way they are.

[B-side]

If we're counting Vengeance, it's a mild yay from me.

[Eleven]

Vengeance did get a US limited release this year, so mild yay from me.

Getting Sparrow in the mail from Amazon yesterday - much bigger yay.

[dmk]

cyrus - yay

That moment when Tomei emerges out of the night, casually spouting “nice penis” on the urinating Reilly was the moment I knew I’d like the film. I also like how the Duplasses have made three of the most polar-dissimilar films but in the exact same style. I also don’t care what people say about the zooms, I love them and I hope it initiates a dada-esque art revolution, why not.

[NickGlass]

Animal Kingdom: nay

Well, unless the protagonist was supposed to be autistic. Then perhaps the slightest yay possible.

[Raiders]

Animal Kingdom: nay

Well, unless the protagonist was supposed to be autistic. Then perhaps the slightest yay possible.

:pritch:

[Mysterious Dude]

The more I think about Animal Kingdom, the more I wonder why I liked it. Maybe I was influenced by the curiously high tomatometer score (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/animal_kingdom/).

[Boner M]

I think it's let down by its central character/lead actor and the portentous style, but the basic narrative thrust and the supporting characters are enough for a solid yay from me.

[NickGlass]

The more I think about Animal Kingdom, the more I wonder why I liked it. Maybe I was influenced by the curiously high tomatometer score (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/animal_kingdom/).

Perhaps its because the film is quite simple, yet dresses itself up in some sort of moral complexity it never thematically matches. It's all set-up and little exploration. I found the first 20 minutes unbearably stupid, then I was intrigued by the slight twist of unfortunate coincidence and nihilism, and then I phased out once the girlfriend subplot played out. Shockingly, I didn't even find Jacki Weaver that impressive. Is she getting accolades for being able to stare people down without flinching or blinking?

[Raiders]

Perhaps its because the film is quite simple, yet dresses itself up in some sort of moral complexity it never thematically matches. It's all set-up and little exploration. I found the first 20 minutes unbearably stupid, then I was intrigued by the slight twist of unfortunate coincidence and nihilism, and then I phased out once the girlfriend subplot played out.

I don't always agree with you, but this is a beautiful thing. It's a very simple, and dare I say insipid film. I found a lot of it uninspired and character motivations sort of taken for granted (particularly the central villain and Guy Pearce's cop). I think it would have been more passable though if Michod didn't emphasize everything like it was a frakkin' dramatic masterpiece. Portentous is putting it nicely.


Shockingly, I didn't even find Jacki Weaver that impressive. Is she getting accolades for being able to stare people down without flinching or blinking?

Do disagree here. She did a little more than that; well, I should say, she conveyed more than that while not doing much more than that. She's both frightening, maternal and uneasily close to her family and Weaver seems to intuit that her character has no moral compass, she just blindingly looks at her "beautiful boys" and ignores consequence.

[Boner M]

Ben Mendelsohn is the film's MVP imo.

[Raiders]

Ben Mendelsohn is the film's MVP imo.

The film completely throws him under the bus, though. I thought for a while he was going to be an interesting character, morally off but somewhat paternal until he inevitably snaps (think Stephen Graham in This is England)... but it never happened and once he commits the late-film murder I realized that the film had no greater aspirations for him than to be evil and shockingly uncharismatic, unsympathetic, un-anything interesting... just evil. Just boringly evil.

[NickGlass]

Do disagree here. She did a little more than that; well, I should say, she conveyed more than that while not doing much more than that. She's both frightening, maternal and uneasily close to her family and Weaver seems to intuit that her character has no moral compass, she just blindingly looks at her "beautiful boys" and ignores consequence.

She's fine, but I had heard far too much about the performance being a revelation of sorts. She nicely conveys the determined yet casual manipulation of her Mama Grizzly character, but the film takes her down because it's so uncertain who should be the anchor of the denouement.

Oh, and I agree with you on Mendelsohn, as well. You can tell he's trying to add layers to a character that the screenplay doesn't allow to have. Pity.

[MacGuffin]

Frozen - yay

[soitgoes...]

Vengeance - nay
Sparrow - yay
Cyrus - yay

[Boner M]

Trash Humpers - yay it, yay it, don't say it

[B-side]

Trash Humpers - yay it, yay it, don't say it

Thoughts?

[Watashi]

Unstoppable - Goddamnit Tony Scott. Never again.

[B-side]

Unstoppable - Goddamnit Tony Scott. Never again.

Now I know I'll like it.:D

I kid, but Tony Scott is an under-appreciated auteur.

[TripZone]

Unstoppable - Goddamnit Tony Scott. Never again.

Want to see.

[Watashi]

Want to see.
Chris Pine is shirtless in a few scenes.

[baby doll]

I kid, but Tony Scott is an under-appreciated auteur.This one's no Domino. In fact, it's up there with Top Gun as one of his most blandly normal.

[baby doll]

Chris Pine is shirtless in a few scenes.But he isn't playing volleyball.

[B-side]

This one's no Domino. In fact, it's up there with Top Gun as one of his most blandly normal.

That's disappointing to hear. Top Gun has some gorgeous photography, though.

[Ezee E]

Match Cut recommends you attempt to see as many of these as you can before finishing your top ten:


Alamar
The American
Animal Kingdom
A Prophet
Black Swan
Bluebeard
Blue Valentine
Brooklyn's Finest
Buried
Carlos
Certified Copy
The Crazies
Cyrus
Dogtooth
Everyone Else
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Fish Tank
From Paris With Love
The Ghost Writer
Harry Potter
How to Train Your Dragon
I am Love
I Killed My Mother
I Love You Philip Morris
Inception
IP Man
It came from Kuchar
Jackass 3D
Love Exposure
Mother
Monsters
Night Mayor
Red Riding Trilogy
Scott Pilgrim VS. The World
Social Network
The Square
The Town
Toy Story 3
Trash Humpers
Uncle Boonmee
Valhalla Rising
Venceance
Winter's Bone
Wild Grass

[Ezee E]

Black Swan and True Grit will probably get in, but as of right now, here's what I think Match Cut's picks for Best Picture would be:

Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inception
Mother
Scott Pilgrim VS. The World
The Social Network

With The Town, Everyone Else, Toy Story 3, and The Ghost Writer getting strong chances too.

[Rowland]

The Secret of Kells - Yay
October Country - Yay

Great night.

[B-side]

I Wish I Knew - yay

[TripZone]

Of Gods and Men was nice and mosaic but inspired little in me, nay.

[Spinal]

Match Cut recommends you attempt to see as many of these as you can before finishing your top ten:

Harry Potter
Jackass 3D


Not doing it, Match Cut.

[NickGlass]

Certified Copy


Even though this isn't a 2010 release--and neither is Uncle Boonme for that matter, but I rated that--I suppose you can throw up a YAY for me since it's, you know, absolutely brilliant and delightful and stuff.

[dreamdead]

Mother - yay

[Philosophe_rouge]

Even though this isn't a 2010 release--and neither is Uncle Boonme for that matter, but I rated that--I suppose you can throw up a YAY for me since it's, you know, absolutely brilliant and delightful and stuff.
Uncle Boonme isn't? IT's playing in theatres right now in my citay.

[MacGuffin]

Uncle Boonme isn't? IT's playing in theatres right now in my citay.

Technically Strand is releasing it next year in America.

[Ivan Drago]

Tangled - Yay

[Rowland]

Trash Humpers - nay

[baby doll]

Uncle Boonme isn't? IT's playing in theatres right now in my citay.Man I wish I was in Montreal. I could have some Korean barbecue at Bulgogi House on St. Catherine, and then walk over to AMC (or ride the metro to Cinéma du Parc--well, I'd have to get off at Places des Arts, and walk five minutes along Avenue du Parc) to watch Uncle Boonmee a second time.

[Lazlo]

127 Hours - Yay

[Sycophant]

Inception's so gonna sweep the Matchies this year.

[Bosco B Thug]

How to Train Your Dragon - Yay

The first third of the film is pretty terrible, but allegory and flying sequences suddenly kick into overdrive and you can't help but be appreciative of it.

[TripZone]

America...FUCK YEAH

[Stay Puft]

The Oath - YAY

Invigorating and engaging portrait of one of Osama bin Laden's former bodyguards, a jihadist reformed through The Dialogue Committee but no less committed to his understanding of the principles of jihad, now a taxi driver in Yemen and sharing his message with those around him. The film juxtaposes this portrait with one of his comrades, imprisoned in Guantanamo and standing trial for terrorism, and the film takes this opportunity to explore the injustices and political machinations on this side. As the filmmaker developers her arguments, and the multiple functions of the title come into play, I was left reeling and shaking. One of the best of the year.

(But, okay, I have to point out that I could have done without some of the music. It made some scenes seem overly or unnecessarily portentous. The film would have been fine without all of that.)

[Lazlo]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Yay!

[Weeping_Guitar]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - yay

[Watashi]

Valhalla Rising - so much yay

[Adam]

The Kids Are All Right - nay
Toy Story 3 - yay

[Mysterious Dude]

The Ghost Writer - yay
Vincere - yay

Mild yays all around.

[Derek]

The Ghost Writer - yay

Mild yay

Yay!


We (1921, Yevgeny Zamyatin) ****

Double yay!

[balmakboor]

Megamind - nay
I'm Still Here - yay

[soitgoes...]

Yays all around for The Oath, The American & Detective Dee.

[Rowland]

The Oath - YAY
One of the best of the year.


The Oath (Poitras 10) ***½
Awesome.

[Rowland]

Sweetgrass - Yay

Turning out to be a very strong year for documentaries.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Restrepo - Yay

Unfortunately, what was at first a pretty raw, fascinating documentary, one that could have been among the best I've seen dealing with war, soon turned into an emptier experience than I would have thought possible. It seemed to go through the motions after a while, and didn't land on a distinct voice until the very end, which was interesting, though nothing revelatory.

[Weeping_Guitar]

Milk of Sorrow - nay

[Stay Puft]

The Father of My Children - yay

A nicely observed film, the minutia of detail surprisingly engaging, and with keen dramatic payoff in the film's second half. It lingers a bit more than necessary, perhaps, and one subplot wasn't doing anything for me conceptually, even though it was fine dramatically, so whatever.

I was pretty sure the oldest daughter was the girl from Summer Hours, and this after something else in the film already made me think of Summer Hours, and it turns out she was the daughter from Summer Hours, and wait... there's Olivier Assayas in the credits, and I guess he and Mia are romantically involved and... now I want to watch Summer Hours again.

[Boner M]

I guess he and Mia are romantically involved and.
They're married. [/hot cinephile gossip]

[Stay Puft]

I got that info while looking for Cannes reviews. Their profiles on imdb indicate that they are engaged. Where do you get your info so that I may also be up to date on the details of the romantic relationships of international arthouse filmmakers.

[baby doll]

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? - nay
Plastic Bag - yay

[soitgoes...]

Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suess - Yay (the mild variety)

[B-side]

Rabbit Hole - mild yay

[soitgoes...]

The Blue Light (Riefenstahl, 1932)Was it at least pretty? If nothing else her films are a treat for prettiness. Have you seen any of her other films?

[B-side]

Was it at least pretty? If nothing else her films are a treat for prettiness. Have you seen any of her other films?

This was my first, and yes, it was pretty. An utter mess beyond that, but definitely pretty.

[soitgoes...]

This was my first, and yes, it was pretty. An utter mess beyond that, but definitely pretty.
Cool, at least it'll be watchable (I have this too).

[B-side]

Cool, at least it'll be watchable (I have this too).

I'm incredibly curious to see if you find it as woefully disjointed as I did.

[soitgoes...]

I'm incredibly curious to see if you find it as woefully disjointed as I did.
Well for my sake I hope I'm oblivious.

Don't let it discourage you from her Nazi work. Triumph and Olympia are pretty great, propaganda be damned!

Also, am I the only one who finds her attractive? She gets naked in Olympia! For the Fatherland!

[B-side]

Well for my sake I hope I'm oblivious.

Don't let it discourage you from her Nazi work. Triumph and Olympia are pretty great, propaganda be damned!

Not at all. She's probably better suited for the documentary field.:P

[Rowland]

Alamar - yay

Not quite a mild yay, but definitely too conflicted for a *** rating. In short, the rift between the documented and the staged exerts a certain tension that is never satisfactorily addressed or enveloped into the material, either emotionally or thematically, despite plenty of potential for doing so. Also, I know it's probably a moot point, but talk about short-changing the Mom. That epilogue with the preservation intertitles, the popping bubble, and the end credits laced with animated Blanquitas filling the screen felt off to me. Otherwise, there's plenty to admire here.

[Boner M]

Also, I know it's probably a moot point, but talk about short-changing the Mom.
Damn straight it's a moot point.


never satisfactorily addressedSpeak for yourself, Rowland! ;) I jest, but it definitely feels like we watched a different film. I thought the doco/fiction hybridity was so fully realised that it almost feels insulting to bestow the film with such academic terms as 'hybridity' or 'ontology' or whatever. It's a film built on simple but effective conceits, like the way the thin veneer of melancholic, photo-established backstory haunts the becalmed mood like the stormclouds on the horizon, how the film's unfeigned reality - posited as respite from the artifice of narrative - is both synonymous with and rendering palpable a harmony with nature. It reminds me a lot of A-Weer's Blissfully Yours (a perfect alternate title for Gonzalez-Rubio's film), where that film's pretense of narrative eventually gave way to a complete surrender to the forces of nature, allowing reality to works its magic on the fictional thread and expressing the psychology of its human subjects better than any dramatic tropes ever could.

I think this is the kind of film that's liable to suffer from raised expectations and I'm prepared for an onslaught of more underwhelmed reactions, but I found it nothing short of elixir-like.

[Rowland]

Exit Through the Gift Shop - Yay

[Stay Puft]

Samson & Delilah - nay

Stop huffin' those fumes, kids.

[Henry Gale]

Devil - nay
Knight and Nay - nope
Winter's Bone - also a nay

[Irish]

Tiny Furniture: So overdone and narcissistic, this one of those movies where I give up and stare at the theater ceiling during the runtime and pray for the sweet release of death.

So: Nay.

[kopello]

Toy Story 3 - mild yay

I think that's the only thing I've seen since my last post. I thought the first half of this was pretty boring, all the jokes fell flat and it was pretty predictable. Once the Great Escape scene kicks it gets better; decent light entertainment, not Pixar's best.

[NickGlass]

Tiny Furniture: So overdone and narcissistic, this one of those movies where I give up and stare at the theater ceiling during the runtime and pray for the sweet release of death.

So: Nay.

Ha. I don't completely blame Dunham since the narcissism is self-effacing enough (reverse narcissism?) to find it moderately endearing. However, the amount of blatant entitlement on display--even the idea that when you get what you want you're not happy, and, Dunham, as a filmmaker, implausibly gives her protagonist more than she would plausibly get--was quite suffocating (especially considering the audience I saw this with, who looked like they were either Oberlin grads or friends of Lena Dunham's parents). Even though the dialogue swaps from natural to a bit overwritten, I was also pleased that there wasn't a scene where the title was weaved into some metaphor-laden monologue that I recall seeing in every film I used to watch past 1am on IFC.

[Lazlo]

Winter's Bone - Yay

[Irish]

Ha. I don't completely blame Dunham since the narcissism is self-effacing enough (reverse narcissism?) to find it moderately endearing. However, the amount of blatant entitlement on display--even the idea that when you get what you want you're not happy, and, Dunham, as a filmmaker, implausibly gives her protagonist more than she would plausibly get--was quite suffocating (especially considering the audience I saw this with, who looked like they were either Oberlin grads or friends of Lena Dunham's parents). Even though the dialogue swaps from natural to a bit overwritten, I was also pleased that there wasn't a scene where the title was weaved into some metaphor-laden monologue that I recall seeing in every film I used to watch past 1am on IFC.

It sounds like I saw this with the same audience you did. I swear, there was some crazy lady in the corner of the theater who would cackle loudly with every slight attempt of humor on the screen.

I can't really disagree with anything you've said, but watching this movie because such an interminable chore.

You can do a story with an unlikeable, or least narcissistic and neurotic protagonist (Woody Allen movies, Greenberg, etc). But I think if you're doing that, everything else has to be top drawer. The unlikeable character has to do interesting (or at least funny) things in every scene in order to keep the audience invested. There's got to be some kind of arc. Dialogue scenes need to move. The editing and shots need to be smooth.

With this one though .. man, everything was just bad. There was no real arc, either thematically or narratively. Horrific acting. Individual scenes played badly (I lost count of how many dialogue scenes quickly broke down to a series of quick question/answer style interviews, with Lena as the interviewer). Mismatched shots, terrible editing, no clue how to use mid-shots and close ups (did she really study film in college? She should demand a refund. She learned nothing).

Up until the final scene, and the final shot, the close up of Lena's trembling face, there wasn't anything in this that was remotely human or true.

And it bugged the hell out of me that it took her 90 minutes to get to one genuine moment.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Four Lions - yay

[TripZone]

South Solitary -yay

[dmk]

The Town - mild yay
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole - mild yay
Devil - nay
Rabbit Hole - mild yay



South Solitary -yay
So good.

[TripZone]

So good.

Very literary. But, some stunning shots. Mirando Otto turns out one of the year's best performances to my mind. Even though I admire the dry humour of Love Serenade, I didn't expect it in this too, but it was! Though less bizarre. Nice, decent movie.

[Rowland]

Catfish - mild nay

[Lazlo]

Mother - Yay

[Stay Puft]

E, you didn't add my nay for Samson & Delilah! Mark it down! Let it be recorded for posterity that I think this movie sucks ass.

[Boner M]

Jackass 3D - yay

[Henry Gale]

Black Swan - Absoluteyay

[eternity]

Tron Legacy - oh my fucking god yay

[Raiders]

Night Catches Us - I'm going to say 'yay,' but that could easily change. Love the simple, almost-too-serene style and Mackie and Washington are great; but I think Hamilton was so invested in creating this post-Panther movement milieu she never really grasped where she wanted to go with the characters or how to best incorporate the backstory into the here-and-now (well, 1976 anyway). The style of using still photographs to map the Panther movement is effective in creating a running document but not in fleshing out some of the necessary dramatic shifts.

Still, there's enough positive here (including The Roots' terrific score) to mildly recommend it.

[soitgoes...]

Devil - nay (better than expected)

[Lazlo]

The Kids Are All Right - Yay!

[eternity]

Exit Through the Gift Shop - yay

[Philosophe_rouge]

Copie Conforme - yay
Black Swan - yay
True Grit - yay

[MacGuffin]

Exit Through the Gift Shop - yay

[Briare]

yay- Fair Game, Harry Potter
mild yay - love and other drugs
nay- the tourist. this is probably the worst movie of the year.

[Rowland]

Human Centipede - yay

[TripZone]

Human Centipede - yay

> Alamar

[Bosco B Thug]

Human Centipede - yay
- Yay

[soitgoes...]

> Alamar:crazy:

[TripZone]

:crazy:

I think it's more disconcerting than crazy.

[Weeping_Guitar]

The Kids Are All Right - yay

[B-side]

The Oath - yay

[StanleyK]

Megamind - nay.

Fun, and the skewering of hero worship is actually pretty interesting, but overall the message is trite, and a particularly egregious example of treating the audience like idiots with theme-spouting and expository voice-over.

[B-side]

Buried - yay

[Rowland]

The Kids Are All Right - nay

Started to kinda hate this pretty early on, wound up liking it more than those early moments led me to anticipate, but it's wildly inconsistent, with the wise, finely observed notes outnumbered by frequently glib humor, overly schematic plotting, and mixed political messages.

[MacGuffin]

Greenberg - nay

Despicable, shallow characters whose miseries generate the artificial appeal of this disaster, which wallows in the excess of a loser's mid-life crisis. There's nothing to "get" from the movie--if you find Ben Stiller channeling the archetypical frustrated intelligent failure for almost two hours, along the way meeting aging Jennifer Jason Leigh playing the same character she's played for the past two decades and awful, awful "mumblecore" "actress" Greta Gerwig who is nails on a chalkboard here, then you'll have a great time. For others, this is bitter and obnoxious. I don't think I'll need to bother with Noah Baumbach unless his next film has some ingenious prescence. I'm convinced The Squid and the Whale was a fluke.

[MadMan]

Heh I see I'm already counted as a "Yay" for A Prophet. However I did also post a "Yay" for The Expendables.

[soitgoes...]

The Social Network - mild yay

[eternity]

Breaking Upwards - nay

[Pop Trash]

I neg-rep your face MacGuffin.

[Lazlo]

Restrepo - Yay

[Derek]

Carlos - hell yay

[Raiders]

Carlos - hell yay

I gotta start this, but tomorrow night is Jaws. Damn Spielberg project.

[Briare]

true grit, 127 hours, let me in - yay

[Melville]

The Social Network - mild nay. A lot of bravura whiz-bang dramatics that blow up the importance of every event in a narrative that didn't interest me. The Rosebud-like ending was a great moment, but it didn't seem to follow what preceded it in a meaningful way.

[endingcredits]

Social Network - nay.
It was a highfalutin dramatization of inherently boring subject matter with poor character development. I too liked the ending... also the beginning scene, despite its being made up.

[baby doll]

The backlash begins...

[Bosco B Thug]

its inherently boring subject matter Boo.

Everyone Else - Yay

[Philosophe_rouge]

dogtooth - yay

[TripZone]

The backlash begins...

No such thing.

[TripZone]

Outrage -nay

[soitgoes...]

Outrage -nayFucker. Way to ruin my weekend.

[TripZone]

Fucker. Way to ruin my weekend.

You reminded me to post it, blame yourself. Fucker.

From that other place: "Oh no. His trademark deadpan heartwarming humour is absent. A dark humour is still there, but it means so little in a film of basically nothing but yakuza members being killed. Early talk of its extreme violence as a comment on screen violence seems incorrect to me. There's very little here, actually. His weakest film, though nonetheless sharp and coolly photographed."

And there's a sequel :\

[soitgoes...]

You reminded me to post it, blame yourself. Fucker.

From that other place: "Oh no. His trademark deadpan heartwarming humour is absent. A dark humour is still there, but it means so little in a film of basically nothing but yakuza members being killed. Early talk of its extreme violence as a comment on screen violence seems incorrect to me. There's very little here, actually. His weakest film, though nonetheless sharp and coolly photographed."

And there's a sequel :\
I suck.

Honestly 21st century Kitano has sucked compared to 20th century Kitano. I'm just hoping for a return to form film.

[TripZone]

I suck.

Honestly 21st century Kitano has sucked compared to 20th century Kitano. I'm just hoping for a return to form film.

I really like Zatoichi. But yes. He was one of the ten key directors of the '90s.
Oh, Archilles and the Tortoise was cute.

[soitgoes...]

Oh, Archilles and the Tortoise was cute.That's one I keep forgetting to see.

[NickGlass]

SEX AND THE CITY 2 - 0 out of 2
nay - Philosophe_Rouge, eternity


Oh, I forgot that I've seen more than half of this dreck. Holy fuck NAY.

[NickGlass]

Also, I know it's a big task to maintain this database and such, so I thank you for that, E--but you really need to fix the alphabetizing errors in the first post. I know it's rather persnickety, but they sort of drive me bonkers.

[Ezee E]

Also, I know it's a big task to maintain this database and such, so I thank you for that, E--but you really need to fix the alphabetizing errors in the first post. I know it's rather persnickety, but they sort of drive me bonkers.
Drives me bonkers too. I'll do this next week. Promise.

As for 2011... I'm thinking I may have two posts. One with movies that have been seen by five or more, and the other post with four or less.

Good idea? Bad idea?

We'll still stick with yay/nay simply because a good amount of the votes don't happen in this thread. If it's a post that seems unclear or in the middle ground, I don't count it.

[Stay Puft]

What about carrying some films over? Some of the films on this list are underseen simply because they haven't been commercially released. You could just add them into the 2011 thread (stuff like Uncle Boonmee is getting released then) and keep going, since that's when most Match Cutters are going to be able to see them.

Maybe you could have two posts but seperate films like D'Angelo does into "pure" and "polls" releases. A lot of these low vote films are stuff only four of us have seen because we're the ones who got to see them at film festivals. Or even breaking them down into three or more posts, so you can organize by commercial release, limited or NY/SF release, unreleased or festival-only. That might be more manageable than an enormous master list, or not. Just throwing out ideas.

[MadMan]

I like the Yay or Nay structure as it is. Even though there have been a few movies I've seen this year where I wasn't sure if either term applied. And E, a hearty thanks for doing this thread-it has to be mind numbing at times to count all the votes, especially for the huge releases.

[Stay Puft]

Yes, and major appreciation for all your work, E. This thread is a nice resource.

[Mysterious Dude]

Robin Hood - yay

I admit I have a soft spot for these medieval epics, but I'm surprised Match-Cut's reaction to this was so overwhelmingly negative. It certainly could have been better. Apparently, Christian Bale was considered for the main role, and I think he would have been a lot better. Russell Crowe has no charisma, and he mumbles.

[Lazlo]

Exit Through the Gift Shop - Yay

[Ezee E]

What about carrying some films over? Some of the films on this list are underseen simply because they haven't been commercially released. You could just add them into the 2011 thread (stuff like Uncle Boonmee is getting released then) and keep going, since that's when most Match Cutters are going to be able to see them.

Maybe you could have two posts but seperate films like D'Angelo does into "pure" and "polls" releases. A lot of these low vote films are stuff only four of us have seen because we're the ones who got to see them at film festivals. Or even breaking them down into three or more posts, so you can organize by commercial release, limited or NY/SF release, unreleased or festival-only. That might be more manageable than an enormous master list, or not. Just throwing out ideas.
Good idea. I'll have to figure out which ones are officially 2011 releases.

[soitgoes...]

The Square - nay

[Ivan Drago]

Tron: Legacy YAY

[Rowland]

Joan Rivers - yay

[MadMan]

Robin Hood - yay

I admit I have a soft spot for these medieval epics, but I'm surprised Match-Cut's reaction to this was so overwhelmingly negative. It certainly could have been better. Apparently, Christian Bale was considered for the main role, and I think he would have been a lot better. Russell Crowe has no charisma, and he mumbles.My reaction was more "Meh" than "Nay," but I just follow the rules. I also don't blame the actors, but rather the incredibly dull screenplay. And this is coming from a big fan of Ridley Scott's work, and from someone who usually enjoys medieval epics. But I like mine to be really entertaining the entire time, and not suffer through huge dry spells of meh. Crowe fit the role, but the role really didn't require him to do a whole lot. Bale would have taken it and probably gone all Batman on it at the very worst.

[baby doll]

My yay for Heartbeats (aka Les Amours imaginaires) was never counted. Or maybe I never mentioned that I liked it.

Neither was my yay for Wild Grass (Les Herbes folles).

[B-side]

Unstoppable - pleasantly surprised yay

[Philosophe_rouge]

Tron: Legacy - yay

[dmk]

somewhere - yaaaay
buried - yay

[Watashi]

Tron Legacy - yay

[Kurosawa Fan]

The Social Network - Nay

[Watashi]

Despicable Me - yay

[Rowland]

Life During Wartime - yay

[soitgoes...]

Piranha - nay
The Exploding Girl - mild yay

[Boner M]

Somewhere - nay

[Rowland]

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - yay

[transmogrifier]

Despicable Me - yay
Inception - yay
The Town - yay
Boy - yay
Four Lions - yay

All mild except Despicable Me

Date Night - NAY

[MacGuffin]

Eccentricities of a Blond-Haired Girl - yay

[Watashi]

Tangled - a very big yay

[Henry Gale]

Despicable Me - yay

Perfectly fine. It's not amazingly original in any way, but has enough inspired setpieces in it as well as a likeable rhythm to things like its dialogue, character interractions and general pace, allowing it to all fly by fairly nicely. Watching it in 2D may lessen the wow-factor of many of the visual gags that seemed to have been made with the three-dimensional presentation in mind, but it's not a distraction like having a character playing with a paddle ball towards the camera for no reason. And yes, that was was the very first shot of Monsters vs. Aliens.

[Stay Puft]

Faster - nay

Better than it should have been, but that's because it shouldn't have been anything with that terrible script. But the cast is capable, the music is by Clint Mansell, and so on. So, mildly diverting. But still a nay, because that story is going nowhere (typical revenge narrative moral rhetoric which amounts to nothing because we're still rooting for the protagonist).

[Spinal]

TRON: LEGACY - 5 out of 5
yay - number8, eternity, Ivan Drago, philosophe_rouge, watashi

Seriously? OK, let me break up this party.

Nay.

[Pop Trash]

Black Swan - yay

[Watashi]

Seriously? OK, let me break up this party.

Nay.

You're breaking my heart.

[Mysterious Dude]

Black Swan - yay

[Boner M]

Blue Valentine - yay

A little on-the-nose w/ its past/present juxtapositions, but never less than heroically & unguardedly honest. (yes, I'm copying my twitter reviews)

[B-side]

Exit Through the Gift Shop - yay

[Ezee E]

The Kids Are All Right is just what everyone here on the board said. Run of the mill. Quickly forgettable, but with good performances all around I guess. Although I wouldn't say any of them are noteworthy, except for maybe Ruffalo. Ruffalo took his character into a different direction then what I think was originally intended.

[kopello]

Black Swan - mild yay

[Rowland]

The Kids Are All Right is just what everyone here on the board said. Run of the mill. Quickly forgettable, but with good performances all around I guess. Although I wouldn't say any of them are noteworthy, except for maybe Ruffalo. Ruffalo took his character into a different direction then what I think was originally intended.Yeah, the way the film just indifferently disposes of him at the end was hugely suspect.

[baby doll]

Yeah, the way the film just indifferently disposes of him at the end was hugely suspect.Also: Would it be okay if he managed to keep it in his pants, or is the presence of a straight male in itself a threat to the stability of a lesbian marriage?

[eternity]

Yeah, the way the film just indifferently disposes of him at the end was hugely suspect.
Julianne Moore's original end speech is favorable to Ruffalo's character. The final one just disposes of him and seems to be pandering to some audience. Whatever that audience is I have no idea.

[Ezee E]

Also: Would it be okay if he managed to keep it in his pants, or is the presence of a straight male in itself a threat to the stability of a lesbian marriage?
In a way, I almost wonder if the movie's first draft had a straight couple, and then a writer came up with the brilliant idea of making them a lesbian couple.

Arbitrary, but everything is just very run of the mill here. I'm shocked that it's getting these accolades.