The 2003 Awards Circuit Staff Top 10's come out, along with an Under the Circuit article on Jim Carrey!

Yes, we'll soon know what the big winners of the 2003 Awards Circuit Community Awards are, but until then , we on the staff have let loose our Top 10 lists for that year. They all can be found here, so check them out, let us know what you think, and tell us what your top 10's for 2003 would have been!
We also have the next article in our Under the Circuit Series, this one on Jim Carrey. Check it out here and let us know who to tackle next!
-Thoughts on the Staff Top 10 lists and the Under the Circuit article?

What films just missed your top 10 lists this year?

It's always interesting see what films just missed the cut on the Best of the Year lists, and for 2009, it's no exception. I saw over 150 films this year, and ended up with a top 100 that is on the message board if anyone cares to read (found here, and I'll also list it in the comments), but this is your turn to chime in on your favorite films of 2009 that just missed your top 10.
-Have at it!

My grandfather returns with his top 10 of 2009!

Yes, he was popular last year with his thoughts on the Oscar race, and he's returning now to put out his top 10 of the year. In case anyone forgot, he's now 76 and used to work in the movie industry, so he sort of works as a stand-in for the average Academy member. Here's how 2009 looked for him:

1. Avatar

2. The Hurt Locker

3. Up in the Air

4. Inglourious Basterds

5. Up

6. Pirate Radio

7. (500) Days of Summer

8. The Hangover

9. The Blind Side

10. Whip It

-Thoughts?

The Awards Circuit Staff puts out their annual top 10 lists!

Yes, and this is a great opportunity to see what the year was like in film for each of us, especially John Foote and Jackson Truax, our newest Staff Writers. As for the Senior Staff Writers and our editor Clayton, some of the choices should be obvious to astute readers, but their should be some surprises as well. The list is here, but this is what came in at number one for each staff member:

Clayton: The Hurt Locker
Joey: Up in the Air
Myles: Inglourious Basterds
Keith: A Prophet
John: Up
Jackson: Nine

-Thoughts on each list?

What are this year's Heartland Truly Moving Pictures?

Well, these 10 are:

1. The Blind Side – Warner Bros.
A valuable lesson on compassion, The Blind Side shares the inspiring true story of a strong, courageous woman and her family who are compelled to adopt a young man despite their differences and backgrounds, showing what it means for a family to unite in order to help someone that is less fortunate than themselves.

2. Invictus – Warner Bros.
Based on a true story, Invictus shows how Nelson Mandela used the power of camaraderie and patriotism by joining forces with the South Africa rugby team in an attempt to erase the racial barriers that were destroying the country.

3. The Horse Boy – Zeitgeist Films
An intensely personal yet epic spiritual journey, The Horse Boy follows a couple and their autistic son through a courageous trek on horseback through outer Mongolia in a desperate attempt to treat his condition with shamanic healing.

4. Up –Disney/Pixar
Up is a sentimental love story that takes us on a journey of discovery with a 78-year-old widower who leaves his life behind to fulfill the adventurous life he promised his wife. Up proves that even at age 78, there are lessons to be learned and shows viewers the true meaning of commitment.

5. The Cove – Lions Gate
A documentary on the treatment of dolphins of the coast of Japan, The Cove is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope and a call for redemption and justice.

6. Herb & Dorothy – Fine Line Media
A film of pure selflessness and passion, Herb & Dorothy is a documentary of a couple’s commitment to and love for art that inspired them to build one of the most important, contemporary art collections in history with very modest means, only to then give it all away without taking a profit.

7. The Soloist – Paramount Pictures
The Soloist is based on an incredible true story of a disenchanted journalist’s transformative odyssey through the hidden streets of Los Angeles, where he discovers and builds a most unlikely friendship with a man from those same streets, bonding through the redemptive power of music.

8. The Boys Are Back – Miramax Films
Inspired by a true story, The Boys are Back is a deeply moving, wryly confessional tale of fatherhood that intimately evokes both the fragility and wonders of family life.

9. My Sister’s Keeper – Warner Bros.
My Sister’s Keeper is a powerful story of one child’s sacrifice for her sister, revealing surprising truths that challenge one’s perceptions of family, love and loyalty and give new meaning to the definition of healing.

10. Amreeka – National Geographic Entertainment
Amreeka is a universal journey into the lives of a family of immigrants and first-generation teenagers caught between their heritage and the new world in which they now live while they search for a place to call home.

-Thoughts on the list?

The Los Angeles Film Critics (and Nathaniel Rogers as well) announce their Best of the Decade lists!

Here's what the L.A. critics came up with:

1. Mulholland Dr. - David Lynch
2. There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Michel Gondry
4. Brokeback Mountain - Ang Lee
5. No Country for Old Men - Joel and Ethan Coen and Zodiac - David Fincher (tie)
6. Yi Yi - Edward Yang
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days – Cristian Mungiu and The Lord of the Rings – Peter Jackson (tie)
8. Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki
9. United 93 – Paul Greengrass (tie) and Y Tu Mama Tambien - Alfonso Cuaron (tie)
10. Sideways - Alexander Payne

Nat Rogers also came up with a top 10 (though if you go to his site here, he lists a full 100), which turn out to be:

1. Moulin Rouge
2. Dancer in the Dark
3. Brokeback Mountain
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5. Far From Heaven
6. In the Mood for Love
7. Talk to Her
8. Rachel Getting Married
9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
10. A History of Violence

-Thoughts on the lists?

James Berardinelli puts out his top 10 of 2009

He's one of the internet's most respected film critics (his site, Reelviews, is a great resource, and even Roger Ebert is a fan), and now he's chimed in with his top 10 films, which go as follows:

1. Avatar
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Up in the Air
4. Adventureland
5. The Hurt Locker
6. (500) Days of Summer
7. District 9
8. Precious
9. An Education
10. A Serious Man
Honorable mentions: Brothers, In the Loop, Moon, and Sin Nombre

-Thoughts on his list?

Moviefone presents the 50 best movies of 2009 and the 10 most overrated ones as well...

...the best of list can be found here, and the overrated list can be found here, but I must say that it's a bit weird that all of their overrated flicks show up on their best of list as well, but that's just me.
-Thoughts on the lists?

Kenneth Turan also puts out his top 10 list!

With a tie for #1, no less:

-Bright Star and The Hurt Locker
-An Education
-Avatar
-Children of Sundance* (the films are: Adventureland, Amreeka, Big Fan, An Education, and Sergio)
-The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
-Julie & Julia
-Music and Sports Documentaries* (Afghan Star, Anvil!, Soul Power, More Than a Game, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, and Tyson)
-Up
-Up in the Air

-Thoughts on his list?

The Village Voice puts out its top 10 list...

...and here it is:

1. The Hurt Locker
2. Summer Hours
3. A Serious Man
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. 35 Shots of Rum
6. The Headless Woman
7. Police, Adjective
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox
9. Two Lovers
10. Up

-Thoughts?

What are the best Soundtracks and Scores of 2009?

Since the whole world seems to be getting in on the precursor thing, I figured I'd do an announcement of my own, this one on the music in films this year. Consider it a mini article exclusive to the blog. Enjoy!

The Best Movie Soundtracks and Scores of 2009

As a change of pace, I thought I’d delve into the world of music for a bit and go over what soundtracks and scores really made their mark this year. This is (for the most part) independent of how good or bad the film is, just how good the music is (though good integration into the film doesn’t hurt). We’ll kick it off with the top 10 soundtracks of the year, and then move on to the top 10 scores of the year. The top songs mentioned in the soundtracks all tend to fit into good points in the individual films, but that’s coincidence as much as anything else. Now, enough talk, let’s get this thing started!

The top 10 Soundtracks of 2009

1.(500) Days of Summer

Playing a lot like a mix tape of songs that fit the various points of a relationship, this soundtrack perfectly captured that feeling of how music can make you love someone more, or hate someone more, or hate yourself. The best track is Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap, but Us by Regina Spektor and There is a Light that Never Goes Out by The Smiths are excellent too. Overall, this is the best soundtrack of the year.

2. Crazy Heart
A movie wrapped around music (and at times, the writing of it), the film gives context to country music in a way that increases the power of the lyrics to levels you may not anticipate being possible. The song The Weary Kind is absolutely incredible, especially in the context of the movie, but Fallin’ and Flyin’ is fantastic as well. Honestly, every song is gold.

3. Funny People
Not many people noticed, but the music in Judd Apatow’s latest is rather great, fitting well enough into the story that you rarely notice it’s there. He’s able to take some rather obvious cues and not make them sound cheesy, which is an accomplishment. The best song on the soundtrack is Keep Me In Your Heart by Warren Zevon, but Numb as a Statue (also by Zevon) and Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor work quite well too.

4. Pirate Radio
I don’t think any other movie this year had more music in it, and few had better music than this one did. It’s all classic rock from the time period of the flick, but it’s all great songs that are pretty recognizable. My top pick from the soundtrack is Elenore by The Turtles, but a solid choice is also Father and Son by Cat Stevens.

5. Away We Go
Alexi Murdoch provides a wonderful and quiet soundtrack to most of this quirky film. Each of his songs feels like it fits in perfectly with the song that came before it, making it an enjoyable and soothing listening experience. The best song of his is Orange Sky here, but All of My Days is close behind.

6. Where the Wild Things Are
Karen O. and The Kids do a great job giving this deep movie even more meaning. The songs don’t hit you during the film, but afterwards, you remember them. Upon repeat listening, the best of the bunch is All is Love, but Hideaway is a real good one to check out too. Look for this movie to show up again in the Score section.

7. Up in the Air
The reason that this film gets in is due to what I feel is the best song of the year. It’s Help Yourself by Sad Brad Smith, and not only is it perfect for the movie, it’s also just a wonderful song in its own right. There’s an interesting cover of This Land Is Your Land, but Help Yourself makes this one of the best soundtracks of the year.

8. Nine
This soundtrack would be higher if not for one thing, which is that none of the songs, with the exception of one, last in your mind at all. That song is Cinema Italiano, but for the most part, the songs are all decent enough for the movie, but fail to have any staying power, which is unfortunate. Perhaps it was unfair to expect the levels of Chicago, but still, this is one of the 10 best soundtracks of the year. Forgive my quibble, fans of the soundtrack.

9. Adventureland
Another movie that uses its period setting to a musical advantage, there are some very good 80’s songs to be found here. The best of the bunch is Satellite of Love by David Bowie, but the son Rock Me Amadeus by Falco gets enough play in the film that it’s in your head when the movie ends.

10. Whip It
The high energy of the movie is reflected in its soundtrack. No one song really stands out, but they all meld together to form a cohesive group. If I had to pick one song that stands out, it’d be Sheena Is a Punk Rocker by The Ramones, but I recommend watching the film to properly experience the songs at their best.


The top 10 Scores of 2009

1. Moon
Clint Mansell is one of the best composers working today, and he proves it with his haunting score. The mood of the movie is consistently increased and cultivated by his score, making a great movie even better. Mansell’s best score is for The Fountain, but this is right behind it. This is also by far the best score of the year.

2. Inglourious Basterds
By far the most unique score of the year, taking a number of different cues, Quentin Tarantino has formed a score that needs to be heard to be believed. It’s essentially its own hodgepodge of past war movie scores. I’m at a loss for exactly how to properly describe the score, except to urge everyone to listen to it, if they haven’t done so already.

3. Star Trek
Michael Giacchino (a name you’ll be seeing again in this article) did some very interesting things with this score. At once both unique and instantly recognizable, this is a great sci-fi score that makes a large scale movie feel even bigger. It’s pure movie magic to listen to this one.

4. Invictus
While the film is on less sturdy ground with its choices of song, the piano score provided by Clint and Kyle Eastwood is very nice and some of the best music that Eastwood has ever composed. It lays a nice foundation that elevates some of the power of the film without being too overt, which the songs are. Eastwood is always solid with the piano, and here is no exception.

5. Avatar
An epic film deserves an epic score, and James Horner certainly provides that here, in spades. While it’s not exactly his career best work, it’s very solid and fits in perfectly with the film at hand. It’s an audio treat to go along with the visual treat that plays in front of you (hopefully in 3-D). James Cameron knows what he’s doing, and he and Horner certainly got what they wanted here.

6. Brothers
This is an incredibly low key score, one that you barely notice, but it elevates the drama in the film, giving it slightly more power than it might normally have had. That credit goes to Thomas Newman, and he takes what otherwise might have been a hackneyed (or more hackneyed, to some) story and gives it some punch. It’s really a rather good, if subtle, job.

7. The Lovely Bones
Despite some of the issues that film has (depending on who you talk to), one of the strength of the movie is the score by Brian Eno. A haunting story needs a score to match, and this one is spot on for those specific purposes. The score for The Lovely Bones is quite lovely indeed.

8. Up
Remember Michael Giacchino? Well, he’s back with his score for this Pixar flick. While not quite on the level of his score for Star Trek, it’s still the best score for any animated film this year. No matter where the story turns, the score is more than capable of following, and it’s a great score for a great cartoon.

9. The Informant!
There’s something that’s a whole lot of fun about what Marvin Hamlisch did with this score, something that both fits the movie and aptly separates itself from a film that not everyone really warmed up to. It’s very unique and unexpected, something I always appreciate in a score. Regardless of the film, the score is a pleasure to listen to.

10. Bright Star
This score has a really classical feel to it, something that composer Mark Bradshaw needed to do in order to make the music fit the poetry of the movie. He definitely succeeded here, and the beauty of Keats’ words comes out in this music. The score is what I remember most about the film, and that’s always good for a composer in my book.


What are your favorite soundtracks and scores from 2009?

The Canadian Press announces its top 10

Take a gander at their picks:

An Education
Avatar
Bad Lieutenent: Port of Call New Orleans
Bright Star
The Hurt Locker
I Killed My Mother
Polytechnique
The Trotsky
Up
Up in the Air

Honorable Mentions: Adventureland, Two Lovers, A Single Man, and Inglourious Basterds.

-Thoughts?

The Hollywood Reporter has their (numerous) critics pop in with their top 10 lists for 2009!

Behold:

Kirk Honeycutt

1. The White Ribbon
2. Up
3. Precious
4. The Hurt Locker
5. District 9
6. Avatar
7. The Cove
8. In the Loop
9. A Serious Man
10. Up in the Air

Sheri Linden

1. The White Ribbon
2. District 9
3. Police, Adjective
4. Summer Hours
5. Bright Star
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Big Fan
8. Of Time and the City
9. The Cove
10. Up

Ray Bennett

1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Tulpan
4. Bright Star
5. Moon
6. Summer Hours
7. Up
8. Star Trek
9. Broken Embraces
10. Avatar

Michael Rechtshaffen

1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Up
4. An Education
5. Everlasting Moments
6. Coraline
7. The Cove
8. Broken Embraces
9. The Hangover
10. Avatar

Stephen Farber

1. Up in the Air
2. The Last Station
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Precious
5. The Cove
6. The Princess and the Frog
7. My One and Only
8. Lemon Tree
9. Adam
   Seraphine

Frank Scheck

1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Precious
4. Up
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. A Single Man
7. (500) Days of Summer
8. Invictus
9. The Messenger
10. The Last Station

-Who's list did you like best?

John Waters chimes in with his best films of 2009 list...

...why not him too? Here it is:

1. Import Export
2. Antichrist
3. In the Loop
4. World's Greatest Dad
5. Bruno
6. Lorna's Silence
7. Broken Embraces
8. The Baader Meinhof Complex
9. Whatever Works
10. The Headless Woman

-A fitting list for him...thoughts?

What are Richard Roeper's top 10 films of 2009?

Glad you asked, as these happen to be the 10 he digs the most (go here for his descriptions and reasoning):

1. Brothers
2. Up in the Air
3. The Hurt Locker
4. (500) Days of Summer
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Up
7. Avatar
8. Adventureland
9. An Education
10. The Informant!

-Thoughts on his list?

Behold Roger Ebert's List(s) of the best of 2009!

Yes, there's two:

The Top 10 Mainstream Films

• Bad Lieutenant
• Crazy Heart
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Knowing
• Precious
• A Serious Man
• Up in the Air
• The White Ribbon

The Top Ten Independent Films

• Departures
• Disgrace
• Everlasting Moments
• Goodbye Solo
• Julia
• Silent Light
• Sin Nombre
• Skin
• Trucker
• You, the Living

-Thoughts on what Mr. Ebert had on his list?

The two critics from the New York Post reveal their top 10 films of the year!

Take a gander:

Lou Lumenick

1. UP IN THE AIR
2. UP
3. A SERIOUS MAN
4. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
5. AVATAR
6. INVICTUS
7. PRECIOUS
8. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
9. IN THE LOOP
10.PONYO

Kyle Smith

1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
2. UP
3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
4. WATCHMEN
5. FUNNY PEOPLE
6. UP IN THE AIR
7. AN EDUCATION
8. IN THE LOOP
9. OF TIME AND THE CITY
10.SHALL WE KISS?

-Thoughts?

The critics from The New York Times submit their top 10's of 2009...

...even though they often don't stick to 10. Here they are:

A.O. Scott

1) Where the Wild Things Are
2) The Hurt Locker/In the Loop
3) Summer Hours/Of Time and the City
4) Up in the Air/Funny People
5) Bright Star/Medicine for Melancholy
6) Precious/Coraline
7) Avatar/District 9
8 A Serious Man/Anvil: The Story of Anvil
9) Goodbye, Solo/Sugar
10)Gomorrah/The Baader Meinhof Complex

Manohla Dargis (unranked, Top 13):

-Gomorrah
-Tulpan
-Summer Hours
-The Hurt Locker
-The Beaches of Agnes
-Public Enemies
-Beeswax
-Ponyo
-The Informant!
-Where the Wild Things Are
-Fantastic Mr. Fox
-The Sun
-Avatar

Stephen Holden:

1) Up in the Air
2) The White Ribbon
3) Still Walking
4) The Messenger
5) 35 Shots of Rum
6) The Hurt Locker
7) The Headless Woman
8 An Education
9) Summer Hours
10) Disgrace

-I gotta say, A.O. Scott loving Funny People as much as I do makes me smile...thoughts?

The writers from Entertainment Weekly show off their top 10 lists!

Take a gander:

Lisa Schwarzbaum

1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up
3. Coraline
4. Up in the Air
5. Where the Wild Things Are
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. A Serious Man
8. Big Fan
9. District 9
10. Everlasting Moments

Owen Gleiberman

1. Up in the Air
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Precious
4. I Love You Man
5. Food Inc
6. 500 Days of Summer
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. Girlfriend Experience
9. Hurt Locker
10. Adventureland

-Thoughts?

The American Film Institute comes out with their top 10 films of the year!

According to AFI, these are the "movies of the year":

• CORALINE
• THE HANGOVER
• THE HURT LOCKER
• THE MESSENGER
• PRECIOUS
• A SERIOUS MAN
• A SINGLE MAN
• SUGAR
• UP
• UP IN THE AIR

-Thoughts?