The American Film Institute has packed their Top 10 films of the year. Like any AFI list, the films are all over the map from indies to big Hollywood blockbusters, and I find myself a little bit angry after reading through the selections (although, not as much as I usually am). Why was Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire snubbed? I thought it was considered to be partly an American production? I am also surprised that they included two comic book films in the results (not that I disagree).
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Milk
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler
Also, the Boston Society of Film Critics have voted and declared WALL-E and Slumdog Millionaire both the Best Movies of the Year. And for those of you counting, this is the second critic association to give the Best Picture Award to WALL-E. Could this be a foreshadowing of what might be to come with the Academy Awards?
The Best Picture category was not the only tie, the BSFC awarded both Sean Penn (Milk) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) Best Actor of the Year honors. The rest of the list follow:
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Director: Gus Van Sant for Milk and Paranoid Park
Best Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for Milk
Best Cinematography: Christopher Doyle and Rain Kathy Li for Paranoid Park
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Foreign-Language Film: Let the Right One In
Best Animated Film: WALL•E
Best Film Editing: Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire
Best New Filmmaker: Martin McDonagh for In Bruges
Best Ensemble Cast: Tropic Thunder
via: In Contention
December 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am
When will academy award nominees be announced?
December 14th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Those who didn't think Slumdog was amazing are few and scared to say so, but we are out there, and apparently some house themselves in the American Film Institute.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:49 am
It's always sometime in mid January, usually during the week of the Sundance Film Festival
December 14th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I do find it interesting that everyone is including IRON MAN. I really really enjoyed it, but it just seems very unconventional to include it in one's top ten list.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Wall-E better win.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Still another month till Slumdog is released in the UK. :(
December 14th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Gran Torino, seriously? I was entertained, but beyond Eastwood being perfect for his role, the script needed another rewrite and a recasting. The movie was hit and miss; it lacks the polish of some of the others on the list.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:28 am
It seems like Hawkins/Ledger/Cruz are locks for their respective awards in every major circle. I don't disagree, just an observation.
Also: love Iron Man being on the Top 10. Rocking.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Those who didn't think The Dark Knight was amazing are few and scared to say so, but we are out there, and apparently not enough house themselves in the American Film Institute. Really The Dark Knight? One of the best American films of the year?
When its earnings brought it close to those of Titanic the two were often mentioned in the same breath (if you were in a conversation about box office takings) but there is another similarity: both are hugely overpraised because of their technical prowess and under-criticized for their awful performances (Maggie Gylenhall couldn't be less sexy or convincing if she'd spoken the lines out our arse), brainless script, laughable plot and stunning lack of finesse.
Wall-E is by far the stand-out American feature to make any of the lists this year.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Uhhh… it wasn't a bad movie… but best movie? Hardly.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:56 am
You seem surprised. While it is absolutely fair to hate and then rag on The Dark Knight, haters should realize audiences and critics saw something in the film that resonates with them. You should expect to see it on many, many more lists. Including, quite possibly, Academy nominations.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:02 am
No Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave, these lists are whack.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:06 am
There obviously are a growing majority of critics/opinions that disagree with that statement. That's okay - what critics review as the best film of the year is not always chosen for the major awards that make it so. Award politics are funny that way.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:17 am
i havent seen slumdog but i hear its good and now i want to see it. as for the nominations i am happy that comic book movies are getting recognition finally. theyve always been good but now theyre getting known for it, its awesome.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:20 am
January 22nd to be specific.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:22 am
I've seen most of the movies on the list and i have to disagree, Gran Torino was good. i do agree though that Eastwood was perfect for the role. But the story was great and the casting lacked because for the Hmong people, it was their first time acting, Eastwood wanted it to be authentic and not just cast dark skinned Asian people.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:32 am
I have to say, I'm not that impressed by the script or direction for Milk. It was conventional, and I think that Sean Penn is getting that movie a lot more credit than it deserves.
Great performance by Penn, the rest was totally average.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:35 am
It was by far my favorite film this year until THE DARK KNIGHT. I don't know if it is my favorite, but I couldn't blame anyone for saying it was there favorite…
December 15th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Sally Hawkins should walk away with her award. No actress (so far) comes even close.
Anyone glad that the better GVS film this year is getting recognized too?
December 15th, 2008 at 2:55 am
Yeah, isn't that weird. It seems like big money makers are usually overlooked by critics who feel those movies are too popular to be artistically good (especially a–gasp–comic book movie.) I thought Iron Man was a really solid movie, and I really enjoyed it. I don't think it deserves to be best picture or anything, but I'm pleasantly pleased with the attention its been getting on top 10 lists.
Some people feel they have to pan a movie simply because it had a big budget and was a huge popular success (I'm looking at you TDK haters), and I'm glad that there are some critics and institutions that are not afraid of recognizing great film making regardless of budget and popularity.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:58 am
Yeah, I'd agree with Anrkist. Wall-E was a great movie. I love it. My kids love it. It looks amazing, but the best of 2008? Probably not.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:39 am
This turning into comparing one list to another to another and arguing all day about it.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:07 am
Glad to see Paranoid Park get some props.
Amazing movie. Amazing Direction.
Also excited about Wendy & Lucy; Old Joy was so good.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Wall-E is probably the best film of 2008.
Let the Right One In - I'm glad people are recognizing it. Great, great film. Too bad it didn't represent Sweden for Best Foreign Film.
I'm glad to see Paranoid Park being recognized too.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Paranoid Park should never win anything. That film had just about the worst acting i've ever seen. The conematography was the only thing that saved it, but it wasn't outstanding or anything. The story was crap too. Milk on the other hand is good, and deserves an award.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:03 am
*cinematography
December 15th, 2008 at 5:15 am
This is ACTUALLY a RESPECTABLE LIST…I really liked most of those movies on the list…
December 15th, 2008 at 7:34 am
The BSFC list is often solid. This year is no exception. They have a remarkable way to cut through the Studio BS and recognize talent and achievement.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I think, with an Animated Film category, WALLE should have no right to be nominated for Best Picture. Not that I dont like the movie. I would probably be truckin it for Best Picture too if there wasnt an Animated Film category. But there is so I wont.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Slumdog Millionaire might be the most overrated film of the past five years. Beautifully directed and acted, but completely hampered by a conventional, illogical, overly-romantic, Hollywood-inspired screenplay. It's almost insulting to go to India and make a film that is so blatantly infused with American story conventions (rags to riches, long lost childhood love, sibling betrayal, tragic loss of parent at young age). Just goes to show how awful this year has been for films when such a piece like Slumdog is being praised up and down. Look at Slumdog side-by-side with a film like There Will Be Blood or even this year's Wall-E and you will recognize how considerably lacking it is in originality and purpose. A story should only be told if it NEEDS to be told, but you take away the inspired camera work and locations and all you have is a bare-bones screenplay.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
its really hard to see ironman over slumdog on any list, and not laugh outloud. and i'll take any $ amount bet, that wall-e will not win best picture oscar: it just will not happen - simply because it was not the years best picture.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Foreign-Language Film: Let the Right One In
Two great films, getting the recognition they deserve there.
On the AFI's list, I can't really comment as I haven't seen around half of those films thanks to the brilliant system whereby we get films distributed over here in Britain around twenty-years after everybody else, but 'Iron Man'? It was a good comic book film, but in my opinion not a great film overall. Still, it's always interesting to see everybody's different 'Top 10' at the end of the year.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I agree
Wall E was good but it wasnt the best film of the year, not by a long shot. I am a graphic designer and we have constantly been told about this movie in classes and things like that. Pixar did a great job and it looked good, but why is it making these lists and being held up so high
And as far as Iron Man and the Dark Knight i fully agree, simply because these movies were not your usual superhero movie. The two movies went into the personality of what defines a hero, what it takes for the man in the suit to do what he does. Bale did amazing as Batman, and the comeback of Downey Jr. brought so much more to that film
December 15th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Boston film critics KNOW THEIR SHIT. I don't disagree with a single category. Well done ladies and gentlemen.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I think I'm one of the few people who thought "Iron Man" was kind of 'meh'. It was enjoyable but it didn't really connect with me, I felt like I was watching Downey Jr act silly for two hours.
Obviously this was not the case for a lot of people, but it certainly doesn't have a spot on my top ten list.