David Edelstein’s Top 10
Ordinarily New York magazine’s David Edlestein does his best to have at least 9 movies on his Top 10 lists that never get near a Best Picture nomination. Last year he must’ve been horrified when he accidentally matched 3. He’s made up for that lapse this year by probably matching none.
1. Rachel Getting Married
2. Wall-E
3. Happy-Go-Lucky
4. Cadillac Records
5. The Class
6. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
7. Waltz With Bashir
8. Shotgun Stories
9. Doubt
10. Trouble the Water
Check out Edelstein’s knack for chosing the anti-Oscars, after the cut.
Edelstein’s 2007 Top 10:
1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2. Away From Her
3. There Will Be Blood
4. Sweeney Todd
5. The Savages
6. No Country for Old Men
7. No End in Sight
8. Michael Clayton
9. Ratatouille and Persepolis (Tie)
10. Grace Is Gone
Edelstein’s 2006 Top 10:
1. The Queen
2. Blood of My Brother, Iraq in Fragments, Iraq for Sale, and The War Tapes
3. Our Brand is Crisis
4. Pan’s Labyrinth and Children of Men
5. Flag of Our Fathers & Iwo Jima
6. Days of Glory
7 Neil Young: Heart of Gold
8. Jonestown, Jesus Camp, Deliver Us From Evil
9. A Prairie Home Companion
10. United 93
Edelstein’s 2005 Top 10:
1. Munich
2. Junebug
3. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
4. Me and You and Everyone We Know
5. War of the Worlds
6. The Aristocrats & Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
7. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
8. Grizzly Man
9. Skeleton Key & Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
10. Nobody Knows
Edelstein’s 2004 Top 10:
1. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
2. Sideways
3. (tie) House Of Flying Daggers and Hero
4 Bad Education
5. The Incredibles
6. Tarnation
7. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
8. Moolaadé
9. Kill Bill: Volume 2
10. Goodbye Dragon Inn
Interesting that 2 years ago, Edelstein chose both Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. So he’s a big Clint Eastwood fan? Depends on the movie, apparently. No Million Dollar Baby in 2005, and no Changeling, no Gran Torino this year.
Joel says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 5:46am
And for once he’s actually chose 10!
Unlike the 12 in 2005, 17 in 2006 and 11 in 2007…
NYLA says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 6:07am
And another mention for the truly fantastic SHOTGUN STORIES (which stars Michael Shannon from that other little movie…).
Edward Douglas says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 6:30am
Doubt could get in… Frost/Nixon is weak right now and that’s almost guaranteed screenplay and three acting nods. Wow, I didn’t think anyone even SAW Shotgun STories and it’s now on two year end lists!?
Bon Jagley says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 6:42am
Cadillac Records? It’s pretty standard issue stuff. Nothing groundbreaking, no memorable performances. I am not sure why anybody would have it on their top 40 of the year.
slayton says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 6:42am
one of these things is not like the others.
Adam Smith says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 6:45am
There’s a simple reason Million Dollar Baby wasn’t on his 2005 Top Ten.
It was released in 2004.
Now, if it’s not on his 2004 Top Ten, that’s another issue.
Edward Douglas says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:43am
The weird thing is that I fully agree with his #1 movie for the last two years… The Queen and Diving Bell were both in my TOp 2 those years… but Rachel Getting Married? I just don’t get it.
slayton says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:44am
I’d put RGM #1 on my list for this year. I just don’t get Cadillac Records or Kit Kittredge. Nice to see that at least one big-name critic is remembering Happy-Go-Lucky – because Sasha definitely isn’t.
Sasha Stone says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:45am
Yeah, Munich as his number one obliterates his taste for me, lol. I really want to see Shotgun Stories, though. I can see how Rachel made his number one and that it keeps popping on critics’ groups makes me wonder about the film doing better than predicted….
GFH says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:58am
I read in RopeOfSilicon today, Washington DC Critics Awards announced their picks:
Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Actor: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Original Screenplay: Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Animated: WALL•E (Disney/Pixar)
Best Documentary: Man on Wire (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Foreign Film: Let the Right One In (Magnolia Pictures and Magnet Releasing)
Best Ensemble: Doubt (Miramax)
Best Breakthrough: Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount Pictures)
Sasha Stone says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:09am
The comments weren’t working earlier – looks like it’s been fixed.
Sam C. Mac says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:15am
I can see every pick here, even ‘Kitt Kittredge’ and those who CAN’T see that one probably haven’t seen it, or just didn’t pick up on the timely and accurate commentary, not to mention Julia Ormond and Breslin’s excellent performances. It’s probably the smartest kid’s flick this year, and that includes “WALL•E”. But what I CAN’T see in “Cadillac Records”, that pick just makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Ryan Adams says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:42am
aha! Slayton!
I know what you mean. Those New York boys have a soft spot for Kit Kittredge? I think we know now what Lumenik and Edelstein want from Santa.
Adam Smith, well, you and your fancy dates and stuff. I’ve added Edelstein’s 2004 list and Million Dollar Baby is still not on it. so, “Where’s your messiah, now?” [in Edward G. Robinson Lower East Side accent.]
OmarS says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:55am
I’m in a real binde:
While i can’t respect a man who put Munich of all things in the year of Brokeback (and completley left OUT Brokeback from his list) at number one, I have nothing but love for this same individual who put The Incredibles in his Top 5 in 2004. It’s awfully confusing.
k says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:56am
Eternal Sunshine deserved more nominations that year.
Dominik says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:58am
Million Dolar Baby could call itself blessed to be in MY TOP 100 of that year..!
Sasha Stone says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 9:01am
Um, we put up the Washington DC critics yesterday – WAFCA post.
Adam Smith says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 11:16am
Wow, I have to say, that top 5 for 2004 is pretty fantastic. Bad Education wouldn’t have necessarily made my list, but seeing Eternal Sunshine, Sideways, Hero, and The Incredibles all together like that warms the cockles of my heart.
qwiggles says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 11:23am
Argh, come on. This is David Poland reasoning: if it isn’t predictive of the Oscars, it isn’t legitimate, it’s a waste of my time, nah nah. Since when is a critic’s top ten list supposed to REFLECT the expected bp nominees in December? And here I thought the idea was to go out on a limb for films you loved!
OmarS says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 12:02pm
qwiggles: I think they were just using the list as a precursor as per predicting the BP noms. A Top 10 list should always be reflected of a critics fav movies. But sometimes it’s useful to use these placements to see who’ll make the final five. That’s all
Chris Price says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 1:53pm
My top 5 of 2004:
1. Eternal Sunshine
2. Before Sunset
3. The Incredibles
4. Sideways
5. Kill Bill Vol. 2
Will says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 3:58pm
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! KIT KITTREDGE?! WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK!
Sam Juliano says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 4:45pm
The inclusion of both KIT KITTRIDGE and CADILLAC RECORDS is disturbing. Both films were quite mediocre by any barometer of measurement.
Yet, I guess we have to say, hey it’s this guy’s list, not ours.
WALL-E at #2 is heavenly.
Mark says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 5:54pm
Why are people always “upset” that some critic does not agree with them? Who the fuck cares? I find it interesting to see these top 10 lists, but I don’t give a flying fuck whether some critic has the same list that I do.
KJS says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 5:59pm
Again, What is this guy on?!
Seankgallagher says:
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 9:10pm
CADILLAC RECORDS has some flaws (the timeline, for one), but the performances are all spot on – yes, even Beyonce – and to me, it got the music right. It’s not going to end up on my top 10 for the year, but I think it was much better than mediocre.
SHOTGUN STORIES is the one I can’t understand. It’s not a bad film, but I think it doesn’t really develop its characters that well.
I am glad to see his love for HAPPY-GO-LUCKY. The scene of Sally Hawkins realizing the kid has been abused alone makes it worthy.