Welcome to Oscar Talk.
In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.
It’s the middle of the season, critics’ awards are set to unleash next week, the guild announcements are right around the corner, the holidays are breathing down our necks and it couldn’t be a busier time of year. There’s plenty to discuss, but Anne and I are nevertheless straying from the usual format this week…
Oops. No bullet points. (What, do you think I’m f@#$ing stupid, Hans?) Forgive the reference, but ’tis the season. We’re a number of weeks away from the end of the year but Anne and I have spent the last few settling on our personal picks for the 10 best films of the year, all in preparation for today’s podcast. So no talking points, no reader questions, no chit-chat on the circuit’s goings on, what voters might think of this or that. It’s full, unbridled, personal opinion on the year’s best, a solid 50 minute discussion.
We had a blast with it and hope you enjoy listening. A reminder: I’ll be posting my usual year-in-review column Monday, slightly truncated given today’s Oscar Talk. Have a listen to the new podcast below, bookended by my favorite score of the year, Daft Punk’s work on “TRON Legacy.” If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. And as always, remember to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.
[display_podcast]
Back-up download: Oscar Talk Episode 44
Comments
97 responses to “OSCAR TALK: Ep. 44 — The top 10 films of 2010 (x2)”
will you be posting your top ten lists soon? or will i have to wait for some free time to listen to the podcast and find out what they are?
I’ll post it Monday.
Noooooooo. Your #1. Say it ain’t so Kris.
Great to see Toys Story 3 and The Social Network on your list Kris. Just because movies have been praised through the roof does not make it a worse film.
Great unconventional lists from both of you. Surprised that 127 Hours sidn’t make either list.
Speaking of documentaries though, I recently watched October Country again and I’d love to hear someones thoughts on the film if they have seen it.
Nice lists. Thanks for the Talk and the Daft Punk.
Where ya’ll split I’ve got to agree with Kris on The Kids Are All Right (the kids are great actually, but the script is problematic, to put it mildly), and Anne on Shutter Island (I’m baffled hearing some find it affecting).
Thanks guys – really great discussion.
I have to say I totally disagree on Inception. It gets better for me every single time. I watched the blu-ray again today and I was so moved by the powerful love story at the core of it that I think a lot of people overlook. It literally had me getting misty-eyed from the sheer authenticity of the emotional center, and the love shared between these two characters.(SPOILER!) The scene at the end where he says his final goodbye to her is heart-wrenching and one of the most profound and sophisticated expressions of love and grief that I’ve seen this year, or any year for that matter. However, I think that’s a statement that rings true for both Inception and Shutter Island, which I was so thrilled to see you singing the praises of. I think that film is a masterwork and will be considered as such years from now, for exactly the reasons you stated. The emotional power of the film really can’t be denied IMO. But there you have it. I haven’t seen a single documentary this year so I will have to catch up on them now that you sung their praises so much. I saw The Cove on your recommendation so obviously you know what you are talking about when it comes to docs. I was completely blown away by that film. In any case, glad to see you putting together a very unique list as always, can’t wait to read the full column on Monday.
Great lists. Thoughts:
-Gotta disagree with Anne. Gosh, I found ‘Winter’s Bone’ to be one of the most dreary, tedious films of the year; the South well-depicted or not.
-Can’t wait to see ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’; it’s coming in netflix in the coming week, hopefully.
-Kris, so glad you stood up for ‘Shutter Island’. I’m kind of disappointed by Anne’s thoughts on it.
-Was initially startled that ‘The Way Back’ and ‘Toy Story 3′ were down at 10 & 9 for ya, Kris. But this IS a top 10 of the year, and you obviously love ’em.
-Nice to see that you acknowledge love for ‘True Grit’ without taking the easy way out in putting it in your 10.
-‘Inception’ went down a notch for me, too. But I still think it’s pretty incredible; and yes, Marion Cotillard certainly does pop out on re-watches. She’s still in my top 5 supporting.
-I can’t wait to see just how “loved” ‘The Kids are All Right’ is within the Academy – because aside from critics (who aren’t sticking up for it thus far in the awards season), I’ve yet to talk to anyone who has liked it. I echo issues with the Ruffalo character; yet also agree that his treatment comes across as real.
-Can’t friggin’ wait for ‘Another Year’ and ‘Blue Valentine’.
Two great lists, plenty of personality to them (which can’t be said for Peter Travers’ list).
I do agree with Anne on The Kids Are All Right. I don’t think it’s man-hatred, but simply how most people would naturally behave. Moore’s character gets a “pass” because she’s family, a spouse, even if she fucked up enormously. Doesn’t mean everything’s fine and dandy, but if you want to make it work again you can’t kick them to the curb. Ruffalo’s character on the other hand is an outsider, there’s no love or sympathy there. I would’ve reacted exactly the way Bening’s character did.. Absolutely spot-on.
Kris’ list: I never saw “Exit Through the Gift Shop” or “A Prophet,” and still have not seen “The Way Back.” I was decidedly not a fan of “Another Year,” which I found went nowhere and did nothing interesting. As everyone probably knows, I dislike “Shutter Island.” I side with Anne on this one. “Black Swan” is memorably dark and twisted and I really liked it. “The Social Network” is a great achievement in writing and editing. “Enter the Void” is my personal pick for the film of the year. Stunning across the board. “Catfish” is pretty excellent stuff, definitely going to be on my list. I’m not as huge a fan of “Toy Story 3” than most, but it is solid and emotionally spot-on.
Anne’s list: I never saw “Carlos,” “Fish Tank” or “Inside Job,” and have yet to see “The King’s Speech” or “True Grit.” I LOVED “Winter’s Bone,” which is currently number 3 or 4 on my list. Great film. Bravo, Anne, for putting it at #1. “The Kids Are All Right” is more than all right, pardon the pun. “Let Me In” is fantastic and yes, Anne, it’s better than the wobbly original.
Hi Kris, whar are the songs at the beginning and the end?
thanks
This site has been lagging, for lack of a better term, of late in terms of showing comments and comment numbers. Sometimes I have to refresh just to bring up comments that have been on an entry for hours. Anyone else getting this?
It’s so confusing whenever someone mentions the name Aaron Katz, since I have a friend out of film school with the same exact name who is the pure personification of cool.
Anyways, my #1 is Blue Valentine, and I was disappointed that it was on neither list. But I do appreciate the runner-up slot Kris gave to Another Year.
Wow, thanks Matthew. I thought I was the only one.
On the lists: very surprised not a single mention of “127 Hours.” Not even when you’re talking about other 2010 films at the end! What’s the deal?
Additionally, I’m not too big on “A Prophet,” but I like the rest of your list from what I’ve seen (I would definitely add “Tangled,” however).
“The Kids Are All Right” is another one that just doesn’t work too well for me, outside of those excellent performances. I don’t like its portrait of a homosexual relationship, especially when it succumbs to soap opera levels to bring in the requisite love triangle/cheating storyline. It’s all downhill from there. Can we just get a proper depiction of a homosexual family without having to such a lazy conflict?
Watch the documentary ‘American Hollow’ and the Winter’s Bone people begin to look a little more realistic… just more… white trash mafia.
Stylish flourish is what registers more deeply for you. Gotta save that knowledge for later.
stylistic, whatever
I second Thompson’s feeling that Let Me In is superior to Let the Right One In. Thankfully both are based on a book, which should quickly eliminate some of the common complaints being made by fans of the Swedish adaptation.
Thompson puts Winter’s Bone (inexplicably) at #1 and still fails to mention the name John Hawkes. I give up.
I shouldn’t have referred to Thompson’s choice as “inexplicable.” I just feel the film is a bit overrated, but I certainly admire it more than some films that people occasionally put atop their list to merely elicit gasps or intense debate from their readers.
I do not understand how you can make a legitimate movie list not having seen “How Do You Know”. It just doesn’t seem fair, especially considering it’s only a weak away. And, Brooks has had a very good track record too boot.
RE: Site lagging, yeah, I’m aware. Not sure what’s up. Could be a cache issue with some new plugins. I’ll try to get it sorted tonight. Sorry, guys.
Keil: No need to save it. It’s not a catch-all. Just in this instance, it would have probably made the film stand out more for me.
English: 127 frankly just never came together for me as one of the year’s best, even after giving it a few chances. I stand by my Telluride thoughts.
Bulging: Because you hear things. A LOT of things (not that that’s what you should use to gauge, but it becomes clear quickly whether one needs to rush out to see certain things or not). There’s a reason it’s been playing peekaboo from press.
@ Bulging: I see you referred to How Do You Know as being a “weak” away. Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something.
You heard it here first, guys. A gal raised among wealthy New York intellectuals said “Let Me In” is one of the top 10 films of the year. So suck it!
This is the best show you two have ever done. This is where the money is, just talking about what you love not giving a shit about its Oscar potential, this is where the passion comes out and the tongue just wags eloquently. Some of the best and most insightful discussion you two have ever had, specially about Exit Through The Gift Shop. Kris I take this as your highest recommendation and will not do my utmost to seek out that film. Your thoughts on the film have me plenty intrigued.
Both superb and interesting lists. The two places where your lists intersect are also the two places where everybody’s lists intersect, those two movies are practically on each and every list, oftentimes one of them being on the top.
I’m surprised Anne hasn’t seen Enter The Void. I think it is something she might admire. I certainly responded to that film in a big way. Also surprised that Anne having visited Cannes, didn’t name any films from there in her honorable mentions section.
Of the many things Shutter Island is (preposterous amongst them), I certainly could not say it was “moving” in any sense of the term. Formally brilliant and impeccably crafted but resolutely unmoving according to me.
Anne puts it right by Inception, (taking its obvious plot holes and lapse of logic into stride) Inception is elaborately constructed and put together like those intricate castles a child has constructed, but it is solely about that, about putting it together just for the pleasure of admiring it, there is no message, no intent, no vision, no thought (save that went in constructing the puzzle) and ultimately no point. Anybody who thinks that the film even remotely comments/elucidates upon dreams and memories and believable human interaction is just giving the movie too much credit.
Great job both of you. Perhaps you could do a similar show on performances and/or scripts and/or tech achievements of the year. But nothing so elaborate as this. Perhaps a small section every week highlighting some new category. Talking about what you really like brought out the best in both of you.
I loved that Anne put Let Me In in her list. I’m actually with her on it. I feel I liked the Swedish film quite a bit, but it always felt almost too minimalist to me. And it tends to really start to drag in the second act IMO. The scenes where he visits his father really kind of slow the pacing down a tremendous amount. The new film feels tighter, more refined, more beautifully wrought.
No Inception on either list?
Then, yes, I think you’re !@#$ing stupid.
red_wine: RE: Inception – Yeesh, it’s one thing to dislike a film, it’s another to hurl personal insults at people who disagree with you. Why not just leave it at you didn’t like the film but a lot of other people did? No need to act like they murdered your dog and pissed in your coffee. Sheesh.
Cold Weather!
Thanks for the kind words, red_wine. And good luck weathering the Inception fan storm from here.
(I’d like to make it clear that my above comment was uttered in sarcasm and merely playing along with Kris’s opening paragraphs. Inception is still tops for me, but cheers to both of you on your varied and entertaining lists!)
***Anybody who thinks that the film even remotely comments/elucidates upon dreams and memories and believable human interaction is just giving the movie too much credit.***
Of course it doesn’t. That’s not what it’s about at all. It’s about perception, self-fueled ideas, and sustaining a balanced, honest mindset in a world populated by constant subjectivity.
I think I phrased my condemnation very mildly and tastefully. And my reference to its fans is as tame as “giving it too much credit”.
Kevin K., I’m sorry if talking about Inception in harsh terms hurts your feelings.
I do admire the fact that your two top tens only share two films. Always a good thing to have two hosts that don’t simply agree on everything, in true Siskel & Ebert fashion.
One of the best Oscar Talks so far and so glad to hear some choices that are outside the box. I’m anxious to see The Way Back which I’m very curious about since you made it sound like it doesn’t follow a conventional narrative.
So glad you talked about Blue Valentine. I saw 35 movies in Toronto, and I’m still thinking about that film. So honest, as Kris mentioned, and I hope it finds an audience. Still hoping both Williams and Gosling get some nominations come awards time. SAG members, please watch this film.
As far as Another Year goes, I agree it’s one of Leigh’s best, though I still think his triumphs are Topsy Turvy and Naked.
I don’t know when I’ll get to see Carlos. Maybe on DVD.
Anne, thanks for mentioning Carey Mulligan in Never Let Me Go. This is a film that I think will be more appreciated in years to come.
The only movie I wouldn’t put anywhere on a best list is The Kids Are All Right. I did not like the screenplay and did not find it particularly funny. I especially hated the treatment of the Hispanic gardener and the way the Mark Ruffalo character was ultimately cast out. I actually found the kids more interesting than the adults–maybe if the film had been about them, I would have liked the film more. I don’t see what all the hype is about Bening’s performance. I hope she doesn’t get an Oscar for that.
Does anyone know when the Susanne Bier film In a Better World will be released? I like that film a lot and I fear if it does not get an Oscar nomination, it may disappear. A strong film with some very good performances by child actors.
Great job. Hope to hear about your favorites performances next time.
red_wine: It’s not hurting my feelings, but I think you’re getting over the top and condescending towards those of us who liked the film. Say all you want about the film, but calling people stupid for liking it gets rather ridiculous.
Not sure if it’s already been said, but Exit Through the Gift Shop is available for rental or purchase on iTunes for those of you itching to see it. I caught it on Wednesday. It’s as good as Kris describes.
Also thanks for mentioning A Prophet even though it was considered a film from last year. I saw the film more than a year ago in Toronto and need to watch it again. I only have two friends who have seen it and one of them hated it, which surprised me.
I too loved the mention of A Prophet. I’m toying with putting it on my top ten since it was a 2010 US release, but something about that feels…. cheap. IDK, we shall see. I still need to see True Grit, The King’s Speech, Another Year, and The Fighter (as far as prestige films go), but I’m also looking forward to seeing TRON: Legacy (especially after Kris’ positive take on the film) and Narnia, if for no other reason than for some holiday fluff. Bring on 2011 and Tree of Life.
I posted a rather lengthy response and it disappeared.
Not sure I should post it all again but I had said this was one of the best Oscar Talks ever and I appreciated that your lists went outside the box. I’m going to see if my original post comes back. If not, I’ll write more late.
Glad others mentioned the refreshing problem; had no idea it wasn’t just me.
Enough with the John Hawkes, no? He’s very good in WB, and I’m sure Anne loved him (given her insane admiration for the film).
I second, or third, or fourth (however many) the sentiment that ‘Let Me In’ is superior to ‘Let the Right One In’; however slightly.
I really enjoyed the Swedish film, but remember getting bored near the end before the superb finish.
But I just feel that ‘Let Me In’ had superior acting, superior cinematography, a great score (though I understand it’s polarizing quality), I was very moved (emotionally), and I also felt that the tone/mood was not far off from the original, either.
I was shocked when I left the theater that I slightly preferred it to the original. And I’ve been pleased to see it pop up here & there lately on various awards/top 10 lists.
JJ1, you’re not alone. I felt much more emotionally invested in the american film. As I said before, the minimalism of the swedish version was the undoing for me, it just didn’t really ever feel like the long stretches of silence and such ever amounted to anything. I still like the film a lot, but the praise for it reached Pan’s Labyrinth levels, which I never really got behind.
Great number 1 pick Kris! I asked you about the film a week or so ago, and you ignored my post…
Great number 1 pic Kris!I asked you about it a few weeks ago, but you ignored me…
It’s interesting that Anne and Kris brought up the thing about Inception and not holding up on home video, when that’s exactly how I felt about Toy Story 3. I find myself really pulling away from the film more and more each time. Granted, I still love it, but it loses more of it’s…. luster each time I sit down to watch it. I think in a lot of ways, it’s very much a part of a trilogy, and that is at once what makes it so powerful and yet so fragile. It doesn’t stand on it’s own to me. It’s all about the already built in emotional appeal of the franchise, whereas Inception, for me, reveals more and more things for me to appreciate each time. That’s just my two cents anyways, and I realize I’m in the minority (at least amongst my fellow readers here). But as always, I’m ok with that.
What I take away from ‘Inception’ with each subsequent viewing is an increasing recognition of it’s editing, cinematography, sets, costumes, sound design, score, & acting tid bits.
The story is not as ‘wow’ as the first time. And some holes show up here & there. But for me, ‘Inception’ is a movie that can be watched infinitely to pick up on more stuff. I love that about the movies.
Daniel: Didn’t see your question then but I probably had not seen it yet.
It’s there, davey. Again, sorry for the cache issues with refreshing, guys. Working through it now.