Drive has been gaining some momentum on The Tree of Life but with fewer lists compiled each day, it’s still going to be difficult to take over the leading spot.
The top 9 should all remain in the top 10 for the year, but there’s quite a battle brewing for the final “top 10″ spot between Martha Marcy May Marlene, Bridesmaids and Take Shelter.
I also find it interesting that The Tree of Life has only appeared on 46% of critics’ lists, despite being the top film. In the past years, this percent would more likely put you in third or fourth place. The last film to top the rankings while appearing on less than 50% of the lists was in 2005 with Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain.
Also, I want to send out a special thanks for everyone who has provided links to lists. I will post each critics’ individual list after it appears that all have been submitted – which should be in a couple weeks.
With over 770 lists compiled the current top 40 look like this.
40. The Interrupters (48 lists; 2 top spots)
Where James’s film excels is as direct experiential cinema — without narration, onscreen interviews or acknowledgment of the presence of the camera — it is an intensely dramatic window into a world. — Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Now is the time to bestow on yourself the gift of one of the most, well, poetic films of 2010. And by “poetic,” we mean rich with soulful pauses that are at once visual and aural and deeply observant of the dance of routine and quiet surprise. — Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
38. Young Adult (59 lists)
A dark comedy that confirms Diablo Cody as a screenwriter of importance, eliminates the last shred of doubt that Jason Reitman is a major director and gives Charlize Theron her best showcase since “Monster.” — Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
37. Margin Call (60 lists; 3 top spots)
he real strength of ‘[Chandor's] debut feature is how persuasively it depicts the fishbowl world of high finance, whose executives seem incapable of seeing past their towering salaries and privileged lives. — J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader
It’s fascinating to see the exceptionally charismatic Fassbender squeeze himself into the role of the aristocratic, restrained Jung, and it’s just as enjoyable to see Mortensen bring an unexpected virility to his sybaritic, cigar-chomping Freud. — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
The two leading actors give deft, expressive performances that have us rooting for both of them. Cullen has a broodingly sensual presence, while the impish New makes a charmingly prickly foil. — Stephen Farbor, Hollywood Reporter
34. Margaret (67 lists; 10 top spots)
Nearly every scene is acutely observed, a strong cast fully inhabiting Lonergan’s symphonic collision of ideas and in tune with his ear for the harsh poetry of New York language, variously hyperbolic and sparing, engaged and self-protective. — Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
33. Win Win (68 lists; 1 top spot)
The rare, humanist beauty of Win Win is that none of its characters is a caricature, none of its plot twists a blatant play for tears or laughs, none of its appeal based on some mythical lowest common denominator. — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
32. The Muppets (68 lists; 3 top spots)
Is it perfect? No. Is it a lot of fun and does it successfully revive this inspired franchise? Absolutely and let’s seriously hope so. A world without Kermit is just too hard to face. — Tom Long, Detroit News
31. Mysteries of Lisbon (71 lists; 10 top spots)
A sumptuous unravelling of secrets wrapped in tantalizing stories that gradually interconnect the lives of an ensemble of characters who seduce, betray and defend each other in the years surrounding the Peninsular War. — Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
30. Warrior (76 lists; 5 top spots)
Lovers of the sport and macho men in general be warned: Warrior is so beautifully constructed and emotionally engaging, the tears are almost certain to fall. Bring a hankie and/or a very discreet companion. — Bruce Demara, Toronto Star
29. Rango (78 lists; 3 top spots)
Rango’s not just a kiddie-flick (though it has enough silly slapstick to qualify as a pretty good one). It’s a real movie lover’s movie, conceived as a Blazing Saddles-like comic commentary on genre that’s as back-lot savvy as it is light in the saddle. — Bob Mondello, NPR
28. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (84 lists; 1 top spot)
Caesar’s prison conversion to charismatic pan-ape revolutionist is near-silent filmmaking, with simple and precise images illustrating Caesar’s General-like divining of personalities and his organization of a group from chaos to order. — Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
Put “The Goonies,” “E.T.,” “Close Encounters” and “War of the Worlds” in that blender from “Gremlins” — and transport the mixture back to 1979 in the “Back to the Future” DeLorean — and you get J.J. Abrams’ “Super 8.” — Lou Lumenick, New York Post
26. War Horse (88 lists; 9 top spots)
Spielberg’s phenomenal skill for making images remains undiminished. The rows in a piece of knitting dissolve into the furrows in a stony field; men’s bodies fly through the air like broken dolls. Some images are too fussed over, but every one is striking. — Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
25. The Help (89 lists; 2 top spots)
It serves as an enlightening and deeply affecting exercise in empathy for those who’ve never considered what life must have been like for African-Americans living with inequality a full century after the Emancipation Proclamation called an end to slavery. — Peter Debruge, Variety
24. The Skin I Live In (91 lists; 2 top spots)
“The Skin I Live In” is like a David Cronenberg horror film as made by a director who doesn’t fear the body but revels in it, who is too sensual and amoral by nature to find anything truly disgusting or foreign. — Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
23. Meek’s Cutoff (93 lists; 8 top spots)
Imagine a collaboration between John Ford and Wallace Stevens and you might get a sense of what Kelly Reichardt pulls off here: a sincere re-creation of the pioneer experience, brought to life through careful, often unexpected detail. — Ben Saches, Chicago Reader
22. Attack the Block (94 lists; 5 top spots)
21. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (98 lists; 14 top spots)
20. 50/50 (105 lists; 5 top spots)
As a comedy about a young man with cancer, it needs to be serious enough to be real as well as light enough to be funny. Though it falls off the wagon at times, it maintains its balance remarkably well. — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
19. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (109 lists; 3 top spots)
I don’t think I’ve seen an actor do more with deadpan expressions than Mara does in this movie. Her face doesn’t move but, whether she’s tasing a man or standing in front of a mirror watching a cigarette dangle from her mouth, we respond to her. — Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
17. We Need To Talk About Kevin (114 lists; 8 top spots)
Ms. Ramsay, with ruthless ingenuity, creates a deeper dread and a more acute feeling of anticipation by allowing us to think we know what is coming and then shocking us with the extent of our ignorance. — A.O. Scott, New York Times
16. Certified Copy (119 lists; 18 top spots)
The basic plot – a man and a woman traveling and talking – is reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise/Before Sunset films, but the way in which Certified Copy calls into question the nature of reality is more akin to Inception. — James Berardinelli, ReelViews
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (125 lists; 8 top spots)
14. Shame (130 lists; 13 top spots)
Fassbender’s performance here is riveting, haunting. He immerses himself and makes you feel as if you’re truly watching a man hell-bent on exorcising his demons through compulsive self-destruction. — Christy Lemire, Associated Press
13. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (132 lists; 9 top spots)
It is one of the few films so visually absorbing, felicitous shot after shot, that its emotional coldness is noticed only at the end, when all the plot twists are unraveled in a solid piece of thinking-man’s entertainment for upmarket thriller audiences. — Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter
12. Take Shelter (144 lists; 11 top spots)
Here is a frightening thriller based not on special effects gimmicks but on a dread that seems quietly spreading in the land: that the good days are ending, and climate changes or other sinister forces will sweep away our safety. — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
11. Bridesmaids (152 lists; 6 top spots)
The movie is smart about a lot of things, including the vital importance of female friendships. And it’s nice to see so many actresses taking up space while making fun of something besides other women. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times
The story hinges on a believable lead performance, and Olsen is mesmerizing in her first film role. She starts out wide-eyed and vulnerable and eventually assumes the look of a captive, communicating raw paranoia with subtle gestures. — Claudia Puig, USA Today
9. A Separation (174 lists; 11 top spots)
8. Moneyball (194 lists; 10 top spots)
Pitt and Hill make Beane and Brand seem like the year’s most intriguing couple, bringing deep shades of humour and pathos to their characters that help make Moneyball more than just another sports or baseball movie. — Peter Howell, Toronto Star
7. Midnight in Paris (208 lists; 10 top spots)
6. Melancholia (227 lists; 37 top spots)
Depression finally seems to have brought out the best in Lars von Trier: “Melancholia” is his strongest work in a while, a devastatingly beautiful, operatic mixture of all his signature themes and visual schemes. — Christy Lemire, Associated Press
5. The Descendants (257 lists; 34 top spots)
To call “The Descendants” perfect would be a kind of insult, a betrayal of its commitment to, and celebration of, human imperfection. Its flaws are impossible to distinguish from its pleasures. — A.O. Scott, New York Times
If ever the movie gods were to smile on an adaptation, it would be Scorsese’s take on Selznick’s bestselling book, a valentine to the cinematic artists whose work the filmmaker has toiled so tirelessly to champion and preserve. — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
3. The Artist (289 lists; 52 top spots)
Dujardin turns his impeccable imitation skills on a host of early film stars, combining Rudolph Valentino’s smoldering appeal and slicked-back hair with Errol Flynn’s panache and pencil moustache, while preserving an essential sincerity in the process. — Peter Debruge, Variety
2. Drive (355 lists; 79 top spots)
Tense car chases, action scenes handled with crisp panache and Canadian actor Ryan Gosling channelling Steve McQueen as an existential wheel man add up to make Drive one of the best arty-action films since Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey. — Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
1. The Tree of Life (359 lists; 69 top spots)
Wonder, dread, hope. They’re among the emotions prompted by the cascade of images in something that’s closer to epic poetry than to anything resembling narrative cinema. — Peter Howell, Toronto Star
I don’t remember The Assassination of Jesse James coming to my city
I saw No Country for Old Men, and I paid attention. I am still flummoxed at the number of people who are making excuses for this films non-ending. I liked the movie alot, but it lacked KEY elements of a story like climax and dynamic characters. And if you think you paid attention and “got it” then you tell me and everyone else who reads this site what the climax was and who was/were the dynamic character(s)! I bet some people will try but I dont think anyone can do it. And if youre reading this Peter Travers, Im calling you out. You tell us what you gathered when you “paid attention”. Edify me!
David – I’m not a big fan of the movie (21/2 out of 5, at best), but one of the reasons I did like it was that the structure of the story DIDN’T include a normal climax and tried to do something different. There was a climax but it happened off-screen and we missed it. Is this the best way to tell a story? I don’t think it worked but I’m happy that someone tried to do something different.
With that said, I agree with your frustration with film critics who say they like something but never justify their reasons. I watched the VH1 special on the broadcast film critics awards and some of their reasons for liking a film or a performance sounded more like the reasons why any 16 year old would like something. Tell me your opinion and then give me real examples to back up your opinion. “It blew me away” or “I fell in love with this movie” should be outlawed from any future movie reviews.
Here’s what I thought about No Country (which I loved by the way).
The obvious theme of the movie is good versus evil. If you think about it, this struggle is on going. This movie did not have a definite climax or ending in order to represent that real life battle that continues as we type.
I also think that Tommy Lee Jones’ character was pretty dynamic. For most of the movie he is a “good guy” who is fighting the good fight without questioning because he knows his father is waiting for him and that it is all worth it. But this country is “no country for old men.” He is realizing throughout the movie that times are changing, new evil is creeping in (represented by Anton) and he wonders whether he should even bother trying to keep up with it anymore.
That was my take on it, anyway, I hope to hear back from you, David.
I agree with Daniel. I felt like the story was a contrast between the apparition of evil to an honest man and a dishonest man. If Anton represents the presence of evil in this world, implacable and immutable, as his final scene would suggest, then what ultimately happens to Llewellyn and the sheriff is the basis for the film’s morality, and each of the three characters reaches his own personal resolution by the film’s end. And if you look at Tommy Lee Jones’ struggle as the viewer’s struggle, then the end of the film provides absolute closure for the question at the heart of the film.
Don’t read this if you haven’t seen No Country For Old Men yet.
No Country For Old Men is a meditation on the fear of growing old and dying. It is told from the point of view of an aging sheriff who sees death everywhere he looks. His fear throughout the film is that he is getting too old to contribute anything anymore and he is just going to wither away and die. He tells his crippled uncle that he feels “over-matched”. The end of the film, specifically the final monologue delivered by Tommy Lee Jones, represents acceptance of death. He says he knows when he gets there, his father will be waiting for him. He looks sad and terrified, because death is such an unknown frontier. But he has at least come to terms with it.
The storylines of Llewellyn Moss and Anton Chigurh are metaphorically significant to this theme. Llewellyn represents how people indulge in superficial pursuits over their lives without giving much of a second thought to their own mortality until they get to be Sheriff Bell’s age (that is, if they make it that far). Anton Chigurh represents the Angel of Death himself. Sheriff Bell’s uncle responds to the news of the sheriff’s retirement and his feeling of being “over-matched” by telling him the story of another uncle in their family who was meaninglessly gunned down on his own front porch many years ago and says “What you got aint nothing new.” Obviously this refers to the same fears we’ve been discussing here.
We all choose to live our lives however we see fit, many times we act selfishly and forget our place. But at the end of the day, we “can’t stop what’s coming”. We all go to the same place, and someday we must all accept that. I’d say that acceptance is as satisfying a conclusion to this story as there could possibly be.
I love this movie/book and this is the best explanation I’ve ever heard on it. However, the story is also a comment on the (author’s perceived) moral de-evolution of modern day American society. The morbid remains of the Mexican stand-off serves as a microcosmic foreshadowing of the entire chain of events that is about to occur – as well as a prophetic statement about the younger generations taking control of American society.
The explanations are all good; but, it’s an extrapolation of what’s presented on the screen.
There Will Be Blood is a bulldozer of a movie. Or should I say Daniel Day-Lewis bulldozes his way through the Daniel Plainview character. I saw this film at a screening in September and the thing still resonates with me. I don’t remember the last time I have seen a movie where practically every human emotion is displayed on screen, to where you are moved with the same types of emotions. Near perfect movie making all the way around, and Anderson has made a gigantic leap forward in his writing and directing. And Day-Lewis IS Plainview. You are watching Daniel Plainview, not Daniel Day-Lewis. It’s almost scary how that guy can become another person. Total immersion. You just shake your head in wonderment. I can’t wait to see it again when it’s released in January. Oh… No Country For Old Men is also my top film of 2007.
I like all the different views on No Country for Old Men and I felt it was such a great film because it’s so rich with layers and different themes one could draw from. So, I’d like to share mine, it’s similar to other people’s but I’d still like to share it.
When I first walked out of the theater I saw it as being a story about how it’s impossible for any of us to prevent death. The line “You can’t stop what’s comin’ ” from the Sheriff’s cousin towards the end of the film is key. Throughout the entire film the characters are constantly trying to escape Anton (an agent of death) and buy their way out. In the end though Moss still dies, and while it wasn’t by Anton’s hand it still happened. Then after that Anton goes to Moss’ wife and offers her a chance to get out of dying and she rejects it, proving herself to be the only person in the entire film that will accept her fate.
Then the final moments of the film help solidify this theme. After leaving the wife’s house Anton is the car wreck, basically the universes’ way of reminding him that no matter how he sees himself he’s not the angel of death, he’s not a supernatural force, he’s just another superhuman being and it might not happen today, it might not happen tomorrow but he’s still going to die.
The sheriff’s final dream at the end involves his father riding off to prepare a camp for him, his father doesn’t even look at him. His father’s ashamed that his son didn’t keep fighting for the good in the world. He might have died at Anton’s hand if he kept on searching but it would have been an honorable death. But just because he escaped Anton does not mean he’s escaped death and his father is still going ahead of him to prepare a place for him.
Also, I thought I’d add in addition to No Country for Old Men my other favorite movies of 2007 are The Assassination of Jesse James and Zodiac. There’s alot on this list I haven’t gotten the oppurtunity to see yet because in my town we don’t get alot of the limited release stuff till later but I’m eagerly awaiting There Will Be Blood and Juno among others.
I’d just like to say one more thing, my favorite movie of the year so far isn’t on this list (I haven’t seen Sweeney yet which will probably become my favorite when I do). That movie is Lars and the Real Girl. I highly reccomend it to everyone who likes comedies or dramas, because really its both. Its a definate must see, one of the best I’ve seen in a long time.
Yes. Lars and The Real Girl, Rescue Dawn, Gone Baby Gone, 3:10 To Yuma I would say personally, are missing from this list.
Greetings: Thanks so much for including my list from MSNBC.com. But for future reference, my first name has no “f” in it. Cheers, and Happy New Year.
The top three films on this list are killer. “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Zodiac” will be remembered for a long time as masterpieces by The Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher.
Top 10 list from The Times-Picayune in New Orleans
DAVID -
I loved this movie and paid attention enough to interpret it in my own way…great films are ambiguous.
This is a film about a man who wishes he could have known his father better…and that he could have ‘saved’ him, had he known him better. At the end of the film it is clear that either time has past and Tommy lee is now retired, or no time has passed and he has BEEN retired. The main action has been his dream.
Llewellen (Brolin) represented Tommy Lee Jones’s father as “the younger man’ in the main action. Tommy says he had two dreams at the end of the film: one where his father gave him some money and then he lost it…and the other where his father was “the younger man”.
I decided to read the book to see if it would confirm my take on it…there are things that link and things that don’t…but to me the most profound evidence for my interpretation comes in the final sentence of the novel: “And then I woke up.”
Cool site! I can tell you put a lot of work into it. Here’s my top 10 list from 2007, I write for Study Breaks Magazine, INsite Magazine and keep all my reviews archived on coleandbobby.com. Thanks!
Is it a typo that the text for #31 and #34 are the same?
Any updates coming up?
Guess not lol
I will do one final update this weekend. There aren’t many additional lists coming out, but I do hope to add 2000 – 2005 in the next few weeks as well.
I found you another 10 best list. It’s from the Corsair Newspaper in Santa Monica, Ca. I found it in their print edition but it wasn’t posted on their online. It’s done by Jonathan Ramos, their Arts & Leisure editor.
1. The Kite Runner
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Once
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
5. 3:10 to Yuma
6. I’m Not There
7. The Darjeeling Limited
8. Juno
9.Away From Her
10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
i am really excited of 2008 version . when will it be posted on this site??
I enjoy checking out this compilation each year. Thanks so much for your hard work.
Here’s my 2008 list if you’d like to add it to the pot:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28303301/
Cheers (and Happy Holidays),
Alonso
Time for an update
Send me an email when you get a chance and I will send you our member’s individual top 10 lists–I see you already have our combined list up. I thought I had your email from last year but I guess not. Talk with you soon.
I don’t understand this chart. where are the lists? which lists are being calculated?
re @Nathaniel
Its not that hard to figure it out; just click on critics top 10 lists.
Is there a final update coming? It’s been saying for weeks that there will be one final one, but so far there’s been nothing!
Halo! The babes are here! This is my favorite site to visit. I make sure I am alone in case I get too hot. Post your favorite link here.
Oops. I hadn’t checked the individual lists until too late.
I see you’ve already included the Slant staff’s Top Tens.
Here’s a 2008 top ten from Aaron Dumont:
10. Death in the Land of Encantos
9. Rachel Getting Married
8. Let the Right One In
7. The Beaches of Agnes
6. Standard Operating Procedure
5. My Winnipeg
4. Hunger
3. United Red Army
2. Che
1. Synecdoche, New York
Oops. That shouldn’t say Death in the Land of Encantos.
That should read “Import/Export”. My bad.
Hey… when are we getting 2009′s list? Movie City News has their first list up!
…that was timely
Nice to see the 2009 list up (and especially nice to see the Coens placing so well again). Will there be a best-of-decade page up as well?
Am I not seeing it, or is there no page that has the individual lists for 2009 up yet? Is there going to be?
Yay! Glad to see the list up, and already surprised and intrigued by some of the placements (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Headless Woman). I’m sure you’ve got enough work on your hands right now, but I look forward to seeing the quotes to make the case for each one! In the meantime, happy to see Hurt Locker atop the heap, and Coraline sneaking in there.
thanks for the update
no.2 film inglourious basterds should have 174 lists, 23 top spots so far if i’m not mistaken.
Wow – it doesn’t seem anything is going to catch The Hurt Locker. If it hadn’t come out in the summer and grossed only a tiny amount, I’d say it was a lock for a nomination and perhaps a win.
I’ve seen a couple of end-of-decade polls but they only cover a couple dozen lists at the most; it would be interesting to see what a big survey would contain. I really hope you’ll put up a best-of-decade page here!
Hey! You have already upload the first 2010 list! That’s awesome!
Any chance you can post the individual lists of the critics for 2010? I am interested in seeing the breakdown, but also in each critics list.
This site is pretty cool. Looking forward to see who’ll take the #2 spot.
Where are these lists?! There’s only been like 5 or 6 lists posted on AwardsDaily yet you’re saying there’s 23 already? Where are they?
Where are these lists?! There’s only been like 5 or 6 lists posted on AwardsDaily yet you’re saying there’s 23 already? Where are they?
Oops, didn’t realize that double posted…sorry
Here is my list of 10 best movies of 2011
1.Hugo
2.Nader and Simin, A Seperation
3.The Tree of Life
4.Beginners
5.Margin Call
6.Drive
7.The Descendants
8.The Artist
9.Moneyball
10.War Horse
Top Ten as of 12/16/11 (Still 10+ films to see)
01- The Tree of Life
02- This is Not a Film
03- Mysteries of Lisbon
04- Take Shelter
05- The Muppets
06- Certified Copy
07- A Separation
08- The Kid with a Bike
09- Midnight in Paris
10- Melancholia
So glad to see The Tree of Life clambering to the top spot – it’s easily my #1 movie of a pretty good year – considering it came out over the summer & I was sure a backlash would have started to build by now. It will get nominated but has no chance in hell of winning (I’d say Hazanavicius, Payne or Fincher will get it – the latter two more in recognition of past films than of their new ones).
A bigger surprise is Drive doing so well – it’s also been pretty polarizing & I was expecting, like the Malick film, to see its acclaim drop in the months since it came out, but the opposite seems to have happened. I had mixed feelings about it back in September but I really should take another look.
The love for The Tree of Life is unfounded considering that film lacks a remotely entertaining or coherant story…in reality it’s little more then a video art installment. I think the critics were brainwashed or something by the eyegasms from the Planet Earth sequence.
“The love for The Tree of Life is unfounded considering that film lacks a remotely entertaining or coherant story”
I’m glad you can determine that for us. But, in reality, the fact that you found that it lacks a “remotely entertaining or coherent story” doesn’t mean that everyone else feels the same way. I personally found it to be an enormously entertaining film, and one of enormous emotional resonance. While I do have some problems with the structure and overall worldview of the film, I do think it is a pretty exceptional film. Also, the “video art installation” line has been making it’s way around the internet, and the only thing that the line reveals is the fact that most people have never seen a “video art installation,” nor do they have any familiarity with art cinema.
A general clue for life: If your best argument is “I didn’t like the film therefore anyone who did must be brainwashed,” you automatically fail. That is to say, your opinion that the film isn’t very good is perfectly valid – your opinion on the “brainwashed” nature of those who do like it isn’t valid, and the fact that you think it is says a lot about your own maturity.
No matter how strong your feelings are on the subject, you do not have the one true reading of the film, nor is your opinion strong and definitive enough that anyone who disagrees with it reveals themselves to be “brainwashed.”
Or, to use your tactics of assigning ulterior motives to those who disagree with your opinion and/or questioning the legitimacy and “objectivity” of opinions that differ from your own, it’s too bad you’re such a contrarian that, even though you loved it, you feel obligated to bash “The Tree of Life” just because other people praised it. Stop being brainwashed by anti-conformists and start learning to express your true feelings.
The love for The Tree of Life is unfounded considering that film lacks a remotely entertaining or coherant story…in reality it’s little more then a video art installment, lol
Do you consider foreign list? Here is Norway’s largest paper, VG’s list. They do a pretty good list every year.
1. Drive
2. Kongens tale
3. Melancholia
4. Winter’s bone
5. Under huden
6.Black Swan
7. Another Year
8. True Grit
9. Rango
10. Tree of Life
source: http://www.vg.no/film/artikkel.php?artid=10016729
I don’t want this to become a slippery slope, but I’d really love to see a list for 1999. It’s often considered one of the best years in film history, and this site goes back to 2000… just one year away, come on now!!!
critics from Sydney, Australia:
http://www.mattriviera.net/2011/12/sydney-film-critics-best-of-2011.html
The problem with including foreign lists are that release dates are different. Black Swan, True Grit, Another Year were released in 2010 in North America, but several other countries got them in 2011. Also, not all of these movies will open in every country so that’s a bit of a disadvantage when you include a country’s list that had no access to said film.
Very true Jesse. Although most festival titles have opened as far as I know, while missing some studio titles like J.Edgar.
Annual list from different critics by allocine:
http://www.allocine.fr/article/dossiers/cinema/dossier-18591747/
another foreign list however, from France.
Thanks for the list! The other lists doesn’t even come close to the number of lists you have here.
And if you haven’t already have these, here’s a few top 10s from the folks at Film Threat: http://www.filmthreat.com/features/44746/comment-page-1/
Thanks so much for maintaining this page. It’s an invaluable resource for me every year.
First: awesome site. I love trying to record this stuff.
Secondly: you really need to get some citations. I would love to see which lists gave which movies top spots. Please? Thanks.
I’ll add to the thanks – every year this is always fascinating to look at.
As you mentioned at the top of the page, it’s interesting that there’s been no real runaway winner this year, or even any films making a majority of lists – Brokeback Mountain, I think, was the last ‘winner’ not to reach that threshold.
critics from Brisbane, Australia:
http://www.thefilmpie.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2313:brisbane-film-critics-select-drive-as-best-of-2011-&catid=38:blog&Itemid=59
Reverse Shot’s top 10:
http://reverseshot.com/article/reverse_shots_best_2011