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15. Kabluey [Scott Prendergast]One of the best-looking comedies in years, Scott Prendergast’s semi-autobiographical Kabluey is an audacious first feature that sends up the war in Iraq by way of suburbia. Its odd mixture of slapstick and melancholy is unlike anything else we’ve seen.
14. Rachel Getting Married [Jonathan Demme]
Demme shot the electric family gatherings in Rachel Getting Married like a fascinated documentarian, huddling in the corner to watch every sweet or hurtful moment. It’s like a Noah Baumbach film but with a heart, a soul and a stellar ensemble cast, anchored by Anne Hathaway’s fierce, quivering performance.
13. Vicky Cristina Barcelona [Woody Allen]
Woody Allen’s lusty travelogue is one of his finest films. Anchored by a captivating cast, it explodes upon the arrival of Penélope Cruz, radiating passion. For such brisk entertainment, Vicky ends on an ambiguous but poignant note, a final gracenote from a director who’s back in top form.
12. Man on Wire [James Marsh]
Reducing the most daring artistic crime in modern history—Frenchman Philippe Petit’s wire walk between the World Trade Center towers—to a three-word film title illustrates the minimalist purity of this gripping documentary.
11. Call+Response [Justin Dillon]
Music from Matisyahu, Talib Kweli and Cold War Kids—along with the poetic musings of Dr. Cornel West—keeps this documentary about the estimated 27 million people living in slavery from leaving you paralyzed with depression. Dillon has created what may be the year’s most important film.
The Master's Sputum: Unfinished Nabokov Novel Now…
Catching Up With... David Rawlings
Ears We Trust: Robert Earl Keen
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The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
Catching Up With... Sam Rockwell
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
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B.O.B. - Put Me On
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I couldn't stand Paranoid Park. I think if it had been made by a guy named "Jeffrey Steve"--instead of Gus Van Sant--people would've ignored it (and rightly so).
It is slightly criminal that In Bruges is not on this list.
No In Bruges or Happy Go Lucky? That automatically makes this list suck.
Firaaq has not yet been released in US, what are you an alt weekly pulling that kind of smarmy stunt?
You didn't think There will be Blood, No Country for old men or burn after reading were up to snuff?
I haven't seen some of these, but I know In Bruges should be close to the top of this list, if not first. If that's not considered a classic in the future, something's wrong with the world.
There Will Be Blood and No Country were 2007 releases. So were several of the picks on the original list, even though they didn't get wide releases until 2008.
i am prepared to deliver donuts to your offices every day - from now on. what's the address?
scott p
In Bruges was a trainwreck, but really fun. It's definitely beats the stuffin' outta several selections ... but I'd never call it Top 20 fare.
In other words, The Dark Knight is your #1 film of the year.
This list is great. I only got a chance to see a small portion of these films in the theatre. I love seeing stuff like this on the web. I am constantly amazed at how much useful imformation one can find with just a little digging. Most traditional film schools tend to skip important topics in favor of technique and things like that. One program I found online offers one on one mentoring to assure that you have all the tools to feel comfortable and ready the first day you step onto a set. One such program is Film Connection. http://WWW.film-connection.com The best part is that their program is available anywhere in the US and Canada.
In Bruges was definitely nominated... but as someone else said, 20 places is 20 places. Definitely a good first picture for McDonagh, but I'd like to see him step out of Tarantino's shadow and find his own voice on film as much as he did in theater.
Actually, I watched Paranoid Park with low expectations, something about Gus Van Sant has always both fascinated and almost always irritated me, but ended up loving the movie (I guess why it was my write-up). About a month ago a friend of mine picked it up because of the skating but loved the film for reasons he couldn't really describe. He asked me if there was anything else like it and I couldn't come up with any recommendations. If there is, I certainly haven't seen it yet.