Richard Roeper has named (500) Days of Summer his number film of the summer. As follows:
Best movies of the season:
1. “(500) Days of Summer”
2. “Inglourious Basterds”
3. “Up”
4. “The Hurt Locker”
5. “District 9″Honorable mention: “Public Enemies,” “Julie and Julia,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “The Hangover,” “Funny People,” “Star Trek.”
And speaking of Inglorious Basterds, I was remiss in not posting this interesting Mark Blankenship column from HuffPo on the deeper meanings of the Tarantino film:
Maybe I’m alone here, but I say the film is about something more.
To begin, I’d argue that Tarantino has consciously chosen to make a movie about hating Nazis because Nazis are the only people that most of the Western world agrees to hate. And since most of us concur that their actions were evil, Hitler and the Nazis often become abstracted into general symbols for dark deeds. I mean, it seems like every time one politician wants to belittle another, or a student wants to complain about a teacher, or hell, a fry cook wants to bash her shift manager, they all resort to calling their enemy a “Nazi” or “Mrs. Hitler” or some such thing.
I haven’t seen all of them so I would feel uncomfortable with such a list. I know that Hurt Locker and 500 Days would be on it. Off to see District 9.
33 Responses for "Roeper’s Top Five"
Yes! The most deserving for an Oscar nom. Yes!
Very awesome list, it’s basically mine if you throw out “The Hurt Locker” and rearrange the order. “(500) Days” is sooo good.
Since when was Richard Roeper so awesome? I now apparently miss him.
That list is very mainstream although I agree with many of the choices. I would have liked to have seen something more challenging on there — In The Loop, Still Walking — or something stunningly offbeat — like Drag Me To Hell.
If you count movie summer as starting in May then here’s my list:
1) Summer Hours
2) Flame & Citron
3) Thirst
4) Inglourious Basterds
5) The Girlfriend Experience/Limits of Control/Tetro (tied)
If I only picked movies that got wide releases:
1) Inglourious Basterds
2) Drag Me To Hell
3) District 9
4) The Hurt Locker
5) Land of the Lost (thats right, Land of the Lost. Suck on it, haters!)
I really think that 500 days is going to get shortlisted at the Oscars. I mean above everything going for it…the year seems pretty empty.
500 Days tops my list too!
why isn’t tarantino on the sidebar for screenplay? guess I can understand not director or picture, but with all three lacking you have a grudge against the movie it looks like… especially with the unproven, no chance, and no chance in hell inclusions of an education, 500 days of summer and district 9, basterds is in a totally different league of quality… seems you are a bit out of touch with the game!
My Top 5 is a bit of a cheat since it has an April release, as does the next 5.
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. (500) Days Of Summer
3. District 9
4. Anvil: The Story Of Anvil
5. Up
6. Star Trek
7. In The Loop
8. Tyson
9. Paper Heart
10. The Hurt Locker
Ponyo, how can you say Nick Hornby’s screenplay for An Education is “unproven, no chance and no chance in hell” when Hornby isn’t exactly a slouch when it comes to writing, it’s been widely praised by the people who’ve seen it and it is in fact actually quite good?
I can’t speak for everyone at AD, but it’s a concrete fact that at least one AD’er is a big fan of Inglourious Basterds. So much for your grudge theory.
Mark Blankenship thinks Basterds “is about something more.”
What, hating Nazis and Hitler is “something more?” Yeah, that’s a deep, original concept.
Thanks for missing his point and ignoring his comments, lucky. Really makes your opinion valid and worth reading.
Craig! Miss ya around here. Ryan is a big fan of Inglourious Basterds — yes! I haven’t seen it. Oh, am I being accused already of holding a grudge? Seems a bit early for that.
Opinions are subjective, babalabalu, that’s what makes them so interesting!
There’s nothing subjective – you missed his point. Thats a fact.
Im sure youll love it sasha, we usually agree on movies. Inglorious definately tops my list, then UP and the Hurt Locker, all 3 Id bet a best picture nom on, or maybe thats just wishful thinking. But Im really hoping there are 10 better movies then the hurt locker
Eww.
I liek his list and would agree, though I would rearrange the order. My only disagreement is Up. I would have “Away We Go” in my top 5.
Away we go was every bit as good as “500 days of Summer”, in some parts funnier, and all around more touching. Cinematography was good also.
yes i thought you held a grudge because you have a feminist slant on this site always champinoing women movies and basterds is a down and dirty man flick, so I thought you were dismissive / against it beacuse of that
Finally saw The Hurt Locker yesterday (at a media screening; it opens here in Oz Oct 22, same day as An Education!), and my nerves are still a little jangled. Glad I didn’t sit in the front row (not that I ever do); the publicist at the distributor said beforehand that the camera work had made her sick!
Sadly we are still awaiting Up here, and 500 Days opens Sept 17 (I’m seeing it next week, thankfully).
An Education, Star Trek, Balibo, and Two Lovers are my fave films so far this year (though not in any particular order). Basterds, Taking Woodstock and District 9 are in the Top 10.
My Top 5:
1. Up
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Star Trek
4. District 9
5. Moon
although I really did love (500), Basterds and Away as well.
Quite a good list. I hadn’t seen Basterds and Hurt Locker yet, but the rest on his list I agree. In fact (500) Days, Up, and District 9 are currently TIED as my top films of the year. I don’t feel like ranking them yet until I really have to at year’s end.
You know? If only we didn’t have to deal with the bloated Fall Oscar season and skip straight to January, because this would totally make the best Best Pic lineup the Academy has seen in years.
Well, maybe oust Funny People and Public Enemies for Precious and Nine. Now that’s a sexy Top 10.
Edited to add: I just saw Harry Potter again tonight (only second viewing). That movie deserves soooo much more than the paltry (albeit very deserving) tech nods that it will have to claw its way to get.
my list would be:
1 – Drag Me To Hell
2 – Julia
3 – Bruno
4 – District 9
5 – Halloween 2
odd list I know – but I have my distinct taste
*havent seen Inglorious yet, or Hurt Locker, and I imagine both may make it in there
My list:
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Two Lovers
3. District 9
4. Coraline
5. O’ Horten
I wasn’t impressed with 500 Days or Up. Haven’t seen Basterds yet.
Mine:
1. Inglorious Basterds
2. (500) Days of Summer
3. Moon
4. District 9
5. Star Trek
(6. Adventureland) just to throw it in there
Sorry guys, I’m not feeling the love for the Hurt Locker…It’s well acted, but the story just felt like another Iraq war movie to me.
1. District 9
2. I Love You, Man – everyone seems to have forgotten this one
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Up
5. The Hurt Locker
Honorable Mention – Moon, (500) Days of Summer
Saw “Taking Woodstock” yesterday and liked it very much, very charming and entertaining. Since the summer was not really an arthouse paradise experience, Woodstock would be in my Top 5, alongside “Public Enemies” definately.
Does anyone else think Imelda Staunton has a shot for a supporting actress-nomination?
Run Wikus, run! For Oscars best picture fun!
1. Precious
2. Cheri
3. Drag Me to Hell
4. Up
5. The Hurt Locker or 500 Days
Alternate: Sunshine Cleaners
First off, Roeper’s list are ALWAYS mainstream – not that I have a problem with that.
My list.
1. Basterds
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Duplicity (I think I was the only person who loved it)
4. Up
5. Two Lovers
Honorable mention: Adventureland, Drag Me To Hell, still need to see (500) Days of Summer and District 9
My list
1. Hurt Locker
2. Up
3. In the Loop
4. District 9
5. Away We Go
6. Sugar
7. 500 Days of Summer
8. Rudo Y Cursi
9. Drag Me to Hell
10. The Hangover/I Love You, Man
And finally I loved Sin Nombre.
If we’re just talking the summer, then:
#1. THE HURT LOCKER
#2. UP
#3. INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
#4. STAR TREK
#5. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
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