Current Chart
Thanks to our pal, Ziyad for making this:
(click to supersize)
Isn’t it pretty? The numbers to pay attention to are the BFCA and the IMDb. Metacritic is too hard-lined for anything except “what the critics think.” The critics are part of the whole, but not all of it. Conversely, Rotten Tomatoes is too inclusive to be very reliable – the reason being that each tomato reading is based on a review attached to it. A public opinion must be formed.
When public opinions are out there for everyone to see there is tendency to not reveal one’s true opinion for fear of being laughed at or being thought of as not getting it, or whatever other irrational feelings that pass over people when being judged.
The better indicators of how films are doing are the anonymous ratings and/or the general pools of public opinion. More than IMDb, though, I like to look at Yahoo movies. It features not only movie fans, as you might find on IMDb, but regular folks too. At any rate, the chart is interesting. The film I’m really wondering about is The Blind Side. It is making a boatload of cash and fast. It must be considered a viable contender at this point.
unlikelyhood says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 8:37am
That chart looks awesome, with all the ‘official’ strip designs, I feel like I’m at the multiplex. Can all future charts look that cool?
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 8:44am
Well Ziyad did that so I would say: don’t get your hopes up.
Amanda says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 8:49am
I like it. Is it wrong that I am jealous of Meryl Streep and Amy Adams for being sandwiched between two Matt Damon movies?
bambi says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:04am
Awesome job! Wow, look at past big favorites Nine and LB – bottom of the list. How the mighty have fallen! Anyway, with Nine underperforming boxofficewise, my hope is that Harvey will back up IB 100% now.
RobinTMP says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:05am
While standing outside the theater after seeing Sherlock Holmes (not life-changing cinema, mind you, but definitely worth checking out IMNSHO), I ended up chatting w/a man who’d seen Up in the Air the night before. According to him, it was (1) the most intelligent movie he’d seen in years, and really good, but (2) really depressing. Make of that what you will…
Nick Ray says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:22am
“Make of that what you will…”
What I make of it is that we never outgrow the advice: “Don’t talk to strangers.”
The most depressing thing about Up in the Air is that got talked up as a front runner 4 months ago and it’s taking so long to smack the smug off Reitman’s face.
Noah says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:27am
I think the downer ending will actually help UITA. People keep saying the comedy factor will hurt it Oscar-wise, but the genius screenplay leaves you with a message that is far from comedic. Yes, I laughed at a lot of the film. Hard. But it also raises some deep questions.
It’s a comedy the way Hurt Locker is an action movie. They’re both something more,
(This chart is very pretty. And 500 Days’ MC score is frustrating.)
bambi says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:38am
That`s why UITA will win Adapted but no BP.
brainypirate says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:43am
#s 3, 4, and 5 all have the same score but are given separate ratings — how does he decide how to rank tied scores? It’s not due to rounding off the averages; it’s weird that Up in the Air has the highest high and highest low of the three, but is still shown moving down…. ?????
Clayton says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:53am
That is a sexy looking list. And good movies, too
Craig says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 9:58am
Well Up and District 9 are officially the most overrated movies of 2009.
k-a says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 10:11am
for some reason I can’t see the photo
Ryan Adams says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 10:18am
try now k-a.
we had to re-host the image.
[Great job, Ziyad. Swanky design.]
Zizo Abul Hawa says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 10:57am
Thanks for the comments!
And I will keep it this pretty
(or even more)
Now, about the chart itself, first of all, it depresses me that my 2 most awaited films of the year are the last 2 in the chart… didn’t see them yet, but my hopes are down (maybe that will help in the end.)
It makes me happy to see 3 sci-fi movies, 1 animated and 1 rom-com in the Top-10, it’s defintly not a year for the veins-and-arteries-cut movies (a.k.a. heavy dramas), which is a genre that I love, but nice to see a softened year.
I say we have our 10 Nominees in the Top-13 & Eastwood.
Larry says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:00am
I would LOVE for District-9 to get a Best Pic nod. But I don’t think it will happen.
k-a says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:03am
why is it said that Avatar has 90 at rottentomates, when it actually has 83?
Zizo Abul Hawa says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:07am
#k-a
It’s 83 for Avatar, the one with 90 is Up in the Air, which is above it.
brandz says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:09am
An Education seems to be over-rated.
Ryan Adams says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:26am
I think it would be hard to overrate An Education. One of the finest movies of the year, by any measure. and my personal choice for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Expect An Education and Bright Star to get the attention they deserve from BAFTA after being neglected on domestic Top 10 lists with a tin ear for truly sophisticated dialogue.
glimmer says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:39am
nice job,ziyad.:)
and amanda, if it makes you feel better i’m jealous that you’re sandwiched bewteen sasha and bambi.
j says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:52am
500 Days is more overrated than An Education; at least the latter isn’t the worst movie I’ve seen this year…though I ignore the vast majority of critically-panned crowd pleasers, and I am happy to keep it that way.
Still, if I have it my way, each would get one nom at most (Gordon-Levitt and Olivia Williams). I am aware that I won’t.
In other news, my personal pick for BP, Adapted, Actor, Supp Actress, and a score of other awards gets its first 100 on MC with 29 reviews in to raise a bit to 75 avg. “Firth and Moore are wonderful together, and just about every sequence and flourish and detail in Ford’s film feels and looks right. It is primarily Firth’s triumph. But it is not a solitary one.” Indeed.
I wonder where whatshisface who claimed Sherlock would hit it big with critics is; it has one score higher than 70′s on MC out of 33 (an 80).
j says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:07pm
Under my much more idiosyncratic weighting (based on % of A’s & A-’s on MC, averaging RT averages & %’s, and BFCA raw score), the T9 of the year (aka all the ones that avg 80+) that are rated on all 3 critical scales are
Hurt
Up
Air
Education
Ponyo
Avatar
Serious
Precious
Crazy
Actually, 5 of the top 6 are the same – sub Ponyo for Star Trek, and Ponyo clearly has no chance.
And 7-9 are all in the OP’s T12. So even with a lot more #’s factored in, the consensus agrees closely.
Johan says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:11pm
Ziyad, awesome job!
brainypirate says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:17pm
I’m still wondering how he’s working with the tied scores….
Rafael says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:22pm
I watched The Blind Side today and I thought it was pretty good. I hope it gets nominated for best picture. Sandra deserves a nomination as well. She is awesome. The little boy who plays her son is great. He steals the show.
HaroldsMaude says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:24pm
holy crap, 500 days and District 9 at 7 and 8? How great is that? now if A Serious Man can nudge it’s way up – perhaps with a little less love for the intensity of Precious or the “great performance good film” status of Crazy Heart, it’d be a great top 10,
alexg says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:25pm
Please, please, please let Bright Star get recognition from AMPAS. How the hell has it done so poorly with the precursors? Fine, the film makes Keats look a bit too much the ‘angelic’ poet but it is such a beautifully made film with cinematograhy to die for. I really just do not get it.
Jennifer says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:30pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwLfI6zuiMc
oscars-latin.blogspot.com
k-a says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:55pm
@ Zizo
sorry, my fault. too much info
brandz says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 1:19pm
@ryan adams
An Education played like a movie of the week on network television. very much meh, imo.
Leone says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 1:40pm
Critics don’t vote on Oscars. Guilds have crossover with Academy and that’s where we’ll start really seeing any kind of clear consensus.
Andrew2 says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 2:09pm
Alexg no one has been able to explain to me why Bright Star has faded from contention. It seems without a strong campaign it has faded from voters minds. I expected some Globe recognition at least. Without a Weinstein to campaign for this, I think its finished.
Saw Lovely Bones last night and it was appalling. Cheesy, awkward and very amateurish. Now Peter Jackson can do fantasy/murder mystery well (see the wonderful Heavenly Creatures) but this is a stinker
The Natural says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 3:11pm
“I think it would be hard to overrate An Education.”
HUH? Really?! A 95% from BFCA and RT has done that without even breaking a sweat. And for a movie that’s nothing more than something you’d see on BBC. How a movie that plays it so safe and boring can be so acclaimed is a mystery in and of itself. I guess Mulligan just beguiled them.
Sally in Chicago says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 3:38pm
When is the Hurt Locker going to be re-released?
max says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 3:49pm
nice chart… great site…I like to come here every day but I have to say that all the talks the charts the scores for this season’s best picture are now a non sense: Avatar is going to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and it’s even too little to recognize its greatness. I love love love The Hurt Locker but nothing, not even Titanic or The Lord of The Rings could beat Avatar this year. It’s over over over.
glimmer says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:02pm
sally, not sure about nationwide but the hurt locker returned to houston last week
http://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/angelika_film.asp?hID=3854&ID=759fx31.268741634aa3uw880.56
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:03pm
Robin, my mom thought Up in the Air was really depressing too. It bummed her out completely so I don’t know if it can be considered “uplifting.”
Kay says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:14pm
I’m starting to think The Hurt Locker will BP over Up in the Air.
nardomungus says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:16pm
I agree, Sasha. I don’t think you could call it uplifting at all. It’s one of the few movies that I’ve seen where my friends and family gave the same response of, “It’s kind of depressing,” but I didn’t feel the same – and I’m normally one who will completely loathe a movie that makes me feel too depressed, but I think that’s a tell-tell sign for me personally that Up in the Air hit all the right notes. I’m still not convinced it’s the best picture of the year, though.
@Sally – I was wondering the same thing. Has the studio put out any kind of calender for re-release or something? I doubt it’ll ever see the light of day here in the Northwest Region of Arkansas.
glimmer says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:18pm
thenatural,maybe beguiled by mulligan can be an education’s dvd bonus thing.
nardomungus says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:18pm
P.S. -
Bonin’ chart Ziyad. You should make one similar when the 10 are finally announced; if for nothing but to look really righteous.
Other Ryan says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 5:50pm
So happy to see Up, 500 Days, and District 9 up in the top 10. Three of my absolute favorite films this past year. Smart AND entertaining.
Antoinette says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 6:19pm
That’s 3 SciFi movies. I can’t believe it. Even better, I can’t believe I didn’t see one of them. O_O
And I lurve that Up in the Air is 5th and falling.
RobinTMP says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 7:49pm
Max, max, max…it’s ain’t over ’til it’s over, and it ain’t over yet, not by a long shot. This isn’t a slam on Avatar, either–just a simple statement of fact. Movies/performances that were seen as sure things a few short months, weeks, or even days ago are sliding down the front of the wheel, while others that were assumed out long ago, or were never even considered before, are being spun upwards, and it’ll all keep spinning around and around and around, right up until the BP announcer, whoever s/he is, says “And the Oscar goes to…” If I’ve learned anything at all over the years, it’s that (a) there IS no such thing as a sure thing where the Oscars are concerned, and (b) when predicting winners, hindsight is always 20/20. When #MOVIE wins BP, it’ll seem obvious, inevitable, even pre-ordained–but that’s only because we’ll all be looking at the run-up to the awards through a new set of lenses, as opposed to the scratched and foggy ones we’re using right now. (I was about to start babbling about seeing through a glass darkly, etc., but my muse just bitchslapped me upside the head and told me to quit being so damn pretentious…*ahem*
) The nomination ballots won’t be going out until Monday, that poll won’t close until January 23, and we won’t know who’s on the list until February 2–and then it’s another month until the actual awards. A hell of a lot can happen in 2 months’ time–hell, a lot can happen in 24 hours, and while we can argue about who or what should or shouldn’t be a contender in the race, all we can really do is wait and see how it all shakes down.
Doesn’t mean we can’t have fun arguing about it all, though, does it?…
Jules says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 8:04pm
IMDB is hardly ‘reliable’. The Notebook has an 8.0/10 from this place.
I would look at the Rotten Tomatoes average rating (out of 10)– I think that’s a much more accurate measure than the general RT %.
Sally in Chicago says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:52pm
#25, I agree about the Blind Side. Just wholesome good entertainment….which reminds me, This is IT was one of the best movies of the year. I haven’t seen too many others, but I’m afraid to after seeing Avatar and Up in the Air.
While I liked up in the air, I didn’t “LOVE” it…I’ve seen much better indie movies…but will say that the script & George, et al saved the movie with their chemistry. George and Vera should make another movie, they look good together.
Curious to see the Hurt Locker, but it’s nowhere to be found. Would anyone know if it’s coming out on DVD/on-demand?
Sally in Chicago says:
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:53pm
Oh, I forgot about 500 days. Good chemistry and snappy script again saved the movie.
Ryan Adams says:
Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 12:09am
Sally, The Hurt Locker is on DVD and blu-ray January 12.
Jules says:
Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 12:12am
I really can’t believe Nine could make it in with reviews that bad. It’s barely squeaking by Lovely Bones and that movie is dead.
Especially with stuff like Star Trek, District 9 and (500) Days of Summer ranked that high.
Andrew2 says:
Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 3:06am
Jules its called the Weinstein Factor. I mean if they can get Shakespeare in Love up for BP, they can do anything. Got the Reader in last year against the odds. Just wish they could be pushing Bright Star- it may be in a different position than it is (serious longshot)