Critics' Top 10s 2007

Sabin · Post by **Sabin** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:50 am

The as-of-late quiet contrarian Mike D'Angelo has called the fat lady sung.

THE "PURE" LIST (2007 premiere)
01. Silent Light [Cannes cut] (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Netherlands)
02. Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino, USA)
03. My Kid Could Paint That (Amir Bar-Lev, USA)
04. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant, USA)
05. Joshua (George Ratliff, USA)
06. Grindhouse (Robert Rodriguez/Rob Zombie/Edgar Wright/Eli Roth/Quentin Tarantino, USA)
07. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, USA)
08. No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, USA)
09. Funny Games U.S.A. (Michael Haneke, USA)
10. The Duchess of Langeais (Jacques Rivette, France/Italy)

THE "POLLS" LIST (2007 commercial release)
01. My Kid Could Paint That (Amir Bar-Lev, USA)
02. Time (Kim Ki-duk, South Korea/Japan)
03. Joshua (George Ratliff, USA)
04. Grindhouse (Robert Rodriguez/Rob Zombie/Edgar Wright/Eli Roth/Quentin Tarantino, USA)
05. The Wayward Cloud (Tsai Ming-liang, France/Taiwan)
06. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, USA)
07. No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, USA)
08. The Host (Bong Joon-ho, South Korea)
09. Day Night Day Night (Julia Loktev, USA)
10. Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck, USA)

Akash · Post by **Akash** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:56 pm

Eric wrote:3. Lars and the Real Girl

Oh thank god. I thought I was crazy when the Globes and SAG nominated Gosling for this crap. A lot of people here seemed to like it as well.

Post by **rain Bard** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:15 pm

What, no French film on Owen's bottom five list?

Post by **Eric** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:58 pm

Don't forget their bottom 5 lists.

Owen:
1. Youth Without Youth
2. Hannibal Rising
3. Lars and the Real Girl
4. I Know Who Killed Me
5. Redacted

Lisa:
1. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
2. Evening
3. Evan Almighty
4. The Hottest State
5. Because I Said So

Post by **anonymous1980** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:51 pm

EW's critics' Top 10's:

Owen Gleiberman

1. I'm Not There
2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
3. Michael Clayton
4. Superbad
5. The Lives of Others
6. Grindhouse
7. Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
8. Once
9. No End in Sight
10. Zodiac

Lisa Schwarzbaum

1. There Will Be Blood
2. No Country for Old Men
3. I'm Not There
4. Persepolis
5. No End in Sight
6. Zodiac
7. Lady Chatterley
8. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford
10. Knocked Up

Post by **Eric** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:48 am

The Original BJ wrote:Point two: the clearly ridiculous way ballots are tallied. Margo Martindale in Paris je T'aime is a different performance than Margo Martindale in Paris je t'aime? A vote for I'm Not There's Ed Lachman is not the same as a vote for I'm Not There's Edward Lachman? I mean, come on people, that's just silly.

This is true. They still haven't quite worked out the kinks. Frederick Wiseman's State Legislature appears twice in the documentary category.

Post by **The Original BJ** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:05 am

I always look forward to the INDIEWire Village Voice lists. I know my taste skews a little more mainstream, but I always get viewing ideas for exciting, adventurous fare I hadn't heard much about based on their lists. And Eric is right: their prizes are as good as anyone's, and better than most.

That being said, I have two minor gripes that I'd like to address. The first is that this crowd is no less susceptible to ridiculous category placements than any other group. You all have rightfully pointed out Casey Affleck, but I'd also cite Ethan Hawke, Naomi Watts, and Mark Wahlberg -- how anyone can justify the supporting placement of these actors is beyond me.

Point two: the clearly ridiculous way ballots are tallied. Margo Martindale in Paris je T'aime is a different performance than Margo Martindale in Paris je t'aime? A vote for I'm Not There's Ed Lachman is not the same as a vote for I'm Not There's Edward Lachman? I mean, come on people, that's just silly.

Edited By The Original BJ on 1198303540

Post by **cam** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:03 am

I dunno. Ebert's lists are always very populist. No matter whether we like it or not, most of these are the films that are going to be nominated--maybe not #'s 7,8,9, but certainly the rest. And it becomes fashionable at this time to year to pick on Ebert on this Board.
The Kite Runner's young stars left their country--that was publicized prominently, so points for that one. Away From Her may not be nominated for best film, but should(hopefully) get more than one nomination. Juno is a better film than we think it is--many of us are saying it is this year's LMS: at least two, possibly three nominations, maybe more.
My feeling is that There Will Be Blood will surprise us all. Scoff if you want... I suspect No Country will be beaten.

Edited By cam on 1198299911

danfrank · Post by **danfrank** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:44 pm

Akash Posted on Dec. 21 2007,20:51
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But then it also has ass fucking, so he was probably forced to Brokeback it down lower on the list.

Congratulations, Akash. That's the best usage of "brokeback" as a verb that I've seen this month.

And I agree that this list is pathetic. I haven't seen Kite Runner, Across the Universe, or The Great Debaters, but I can imagine they're either pedestrian or terrible or both. I have seen Juno, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, and La Vie en Rose, and none of these has any business near a top ten list. Okay, I can imagine having a soft spot for Juno and placing it somewhere near the bottom, but the best film of the year?!?! I bet Ebert and others will be pushing this as the "nice" movie that should win the Best Pic Oscar, and don't be too surprised if it wins.

Akash · Post by **Akash** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:51 pm

Ok I hadn't noticed The Kite Runner on first glance. Ugh! Good lord Eebs, do you have to go apeshit for every "issue" film that comes along your way? The story deals with race and class issues as sloppily as Crash, so I'm sure his initial instinct was to name it the best film of the year and lull Oscar voters into nominating it. But then it also has ass fucking, so he was probably forced to Brokeback it down lower on the list.

Post by **Bog** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:37 pm

I see both Eric and Aakash's points, and say that this list is borderline horrendous

Makes you sit back and say Wow

Akash · Post by **Akash** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:57 pm

Oh it's lame all right, but come on Eric. Look at some of his past choices -- Crash and Minority Report at number one? The Color Purple?? Perfume in his top ten???

I'll take boring and predictable over sheer lunacy.

Post by **Eric** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:28 pm

I dunno. Taken as a whole, this might be the lamest top 10 I've seen from him, especially if you excuse the gimme of No Country.

Akash · Post by **Akash** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:03 pm

Damien wrote:
anonymous wrote:Roger Ebert's list:

Exhibit number 1 as to why only a fool would take Ebert seriously.

Or what a fool Ebert seriously is?

Actually this list isn't as horrible as some of his past ones.

Post by **OscarGuy** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:54 am

Someone used to compile these on the net. Anyone know if someone's still doing that? I'd like to see the composites.

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Critics' Top 10s 2007