I think you'll find this list a bit more interesting and idiosyncratic than most of these kinds of things. Motley contributors include Richard T. Jameson, Kathleen Murphy, Dave McCoy, Kim Morgan, James Rocchi, Glenn Whipp, Sean Axmaker, Mary Pols, Don Kaye and me. Be sure to check out the individual lists here. Mine will no doubt be a little different for scanners -- in part because I've seen (and re-seen) more movies since the deadline. (Spoiler note: The point total for "The Hurt Locker" was even higher than the one for "NCFOM" in 2007.)
16 Comments
Actually not so idiosyncratic considering that out of all those lists, only 3 movies garnered a 1st place vote. That's got to be an unprecedented level of agreement. Is it a testament to the greatness of Hurt Locker and/or A Serious Man, or evidence that there wasn't (at least in the estimation of these critics) too much competition this year.
A Serious Man afforded me a unique viewing experience. I hated every miserable second of this miserable movie, to the point where I was mumbling out loud "Oh god, make this stop." And then suddenly came the last scene and esp the last shot and I thought "Wow, that was amazing." Just the last scene. Not anything else. I can't remember any movie ever doing that to me before.
Glad to see "Police, Adjective" and "The Limits of Control" on your list. For me, "Beaches of Agnes" plus those two films were the standouts this year.
I liked "Summer Hours" and "Rhum" a lot too. And man do I want to see "Liverpool." It's killing me 'cause I'm so sure I'm going to like it I'm tempted to put it on my Top 10 list without even seeing it.
Did "Antichrist" just miss your cut? :)
JE: That's what I find interesting about this: It's obviously a committee decision, but it's a small committee (instead of tens or hundreds or thousands of voters), so a movie can place with high rankings by only two or three contributors. Hence, it allows individual passions to creep onto the group list. "A Serious Man" was a religious experience for me; and I haven't laughed so hard since "Big Lebowski" (or maybe "Borat"). I haven't been able to see "Beaches of Agnes" yet. As for "Antichrist" -- I'm surprised (and disappointed) that it made so little lasting impact on me. Good thing I wrote about it in the first hour after having seen it, because it faded fast from my memory.
I'm intrigued, where can I see Liverpool??
Well, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one to be this enthusiastic for The Hurt Locker (It has one spot in every top ten, and it's first in all but two).
Now I like your list Jim, especially the #10 spot : who knew you could place the goofiness of The Informant! with the stern The Limits of Control (I'd really like to hear your impressions, since I really didn't care for it).
And I love that you found some place for both Tarantino and Haneke ; two great formalists, that seem to be opposites on the philosophical spectrum.
Not a lot of surprises, but a pleasant list nonetheless.
So The Hurt Locker and A Serious Man show up on every list, with the latter in every single top five, Inglourious Basterds on 6, Fantastic Mr. Fox. There's some fair consensus this year. Neat.
A five-way tie for the tenth spot, Jim? Well, at least "Goodbye, Solo" is on there. Whew!
Jim, could you please link to the combined top 10 list? I can't seem to figure out how to get there wandering around the site.
JE: Sorry -- my mistake. It's true, though, that MSN has absolutely the most user-unfriendly navigation on the web. It just takes you around in circles. I usually find what I'm looking for on that site by entering search terms in Google and then including "MSN" as one of them.
Wow, I don't know any of these critics (except for that Jim Emerson guy) but these are some refreshingly different (without being so different as to strain credibility) tastes than what we've been seeing everywhere else. I'm gonna check out their various reviews now...
I'm encouraged to see "Bad Lieutenant" getting some love somewhere. My unlikely favorite from TIFF, also one of my faves this year.
"The Hurt Locker" and "A Serious Man" seem to be the consensus faves, which I won't argue against. "Inglorious Basterds" rightfully trails just behind.
I might need to see "Limits of Control" again. I recently wrote a blog acknowledging that it was an interestingly different movie, beautifully shot and has intriguing moments... but something was lost in translation I guess because I walked out without any larger idea or emotion to really remember the movie by... Even though I also believe I understood what it was going for.
One man's trash is another man's treasure. Jim, is there any way we can get you to write about this film? I wonder if in your hands/head/words, it may make sense. For me it's the staring-up-nostrils movie of the year (what "Synecdoche" is to you maybe)... Which doesn't make it the worst either.
JE: I very much want to write about "Limits of Control" and what I think it's doing. (It doesn't hurt that I made that same Andalusian journey years ago from Madrid to Sevilla via bullet train -- and I swear we stayed in the same pension he does, only on the first floor.) Hope I can do it despite the year-end crush.
I wonder what the story is (if there is one) for why "A Serious Man" never got a wider release -- how does a critically acclaimed new Coen brothers movie stay relegated to a limited run? Strikes me as very odd.
I still have an episode of Charlie Rose from October DVRed where he interviewed the Coens that I planned to watch after I saw the movie, and I never got a chance to see the damn thing. :(
A Serious Man on EVERY list! This makes me happy. The Coens continue to earn their status as being among the absolute best working American filmmakers. I count this as (at least)their 3rd masterpiece since Fargo.
Argh, MSN is just awful. First I couldn't figure out how to navigate, then I did, but clicking the "next" link causes my browser to freeze up.
JE: I know. My sympathies. I've complained to them directly.
So happy to see Limits of Control at least tie for last place on your list, Jim. So far it's my favorite film of the year but I need to see more movies. I do think it's Jarmusch's best film since Dead Man and I'm really surprised by the negative critical reaction the film received.
I hope you do make some time to write about the movie. I found it to be (quoting my mini-review posted at The Auteurs website) "A brilliantly deconstructed political thriller. A feast for the senses." But I also found it surprisingly funny at times. The humor in Limits of Control is as dry as the Sahara but it's there if you look for it. Jarmusch has never taken himself too seriously and I find it amusing that the humor in Limits of Control seemed to fly WAY over a lot of critic's heads.
I am with Kimberly: "The Limits of Control" = best film of 2009 and the best of Jarmusch's films since "Dead Man." I really appreciated "Broken Flowers" but this film is truly a masterpiece! I actually figured it would figure higher in your list, Jim, considering Jarmusch's idiosyncratic, albeit dry as hell, style: inundated with mirrors and double images, queer axial cut-ins and cut-outs, and exquisitely drawn out narrative deferments all for the sake of character study, mood, and metaphysics.
Just as well, I thought the dialogue--though dry and actually few and far between--was just as rich as anything in "Basterds"...
Jim, I'm begging for your take on Jarmusch's latest and, if you're up to it, what do you feel about "Dead Man?"
CLOSE WITH THE LIST:
I. LIMITS OF CONTROL
II. A SIMPLE MAN
III. WHITE RIBBON
IV. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
V. 35 RUM
VI. THIRST
VII. THE HURT LOCKER
Is it safe to say that most people who think "Dead Man" is Jarmusch's best film also were bowled over by "Limits of Control?" They seem like peas in a pod to me, Jarmusch's two "angry movies" ("Ghost Dog" is more violent than angry, IMHO). I know that Ebert didn't like either film, though I was really surprised by his snide dismissal of "Limits." Writing a cheap hit piece about a Jim Jarmusch movie, one that doesn't even attempt to engage with the movie? It seems atypical for a critic who is usually far more generous even with films he dislikes.
In any case, I also loved "Limits of Control" which is the only film I watched three times in a theater this year. I reviewed it (link below) and I admit I was a bit hyperbolic and I further admit that I had just Armond White's review beforehand:
http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/theatrical-release-the-limits-of-control/6999
I love films in which objects simply appear as themselves, are filmed because they are objects that deserve to be filmed. This film is manna for those of use who are resistant to symbolism and interpretation. It's a code that's interesting for the way it's encoded, not because of what it might mean.
And it's beautiful. An experience I just want to be immersed in without thinking about anything but being part of it.
It's good to know there are other "Limits" lovers out there.
Damn it, now I'm intrigued. I avoided Limits of Control because I hated Jarmusch's last two movies and I heard nothing but bad things about this new one. But the comments here have made me add it to my Netflix queue.
Okay, I saw it. And I absolutely loved it, and was all ready to declare it Jarmusch's masterpiece, until Bill Murray showed up to explain the movie to us, and it became a lame allegory. That was such a puerile scene that it kind of tainted the whole movie for me. Still, there wasn't better cinematography or sound design all year (and of course it will receive zero Oscar nominations), so I guess I should at least be thankful for that.
I agree with just about all of the movies on this list, there are a few I would move around though. Do you think the earlier movies are a lot better than the new ones?
Leave a comment