Tag Archives: Exit Through the Gift Shop

My Top 10 as Emailed to the IFC News Podcast on 12/20

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I had planned on waiting until I saw at least 100 movies eligible for my end-of-year list before making it official (right now I am at 79 or 80). But when this week’s IFC News Podcast hosted by Matt Singer and Alison Willmore, one of the three movie podcasts that make my work week go by a little faster, invited listeners to share their favorites, I had to answer the call. I have the Carlos dvd on order (but at the rate international mail moves, I might have been better off waiting for Criterion’s release in 2011) and am pretty excited for True Grit. Other than those two, anything else that penetrates my existing list will just be a pleasant surprise.

My rules for eligibility are simple:
1.) I had to have seen it.
2.) The movie had to have a premiere theatrical run in the Chicagoland area in 2010 (excludes festival screenings).
3.) If the movie did not have a theatrical run in the Chicagoland area then its legal domestic home video release date has to have been in 2010.

1. Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik; 2010)
I wrote a crappy write up of this movie here.
2. Man from London, The (Bela Tarr; 2007)
My thoughts here.
3. Social Network, The (David Fincher; 2010)

4. Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy; 2010)

5. White Material (Claire Denis; 2009)/35 Shots of Rum (Claire Denis; 2008)
My movie watching year was practically bookended by these two. I would rate WM higher than Rum but would hate to leave either off the list.
6. Dogtooth (Giorgos Lanthimos; 2009)

7. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky; 2010)

8. Beeswax (Andrew Bujalski; 2009)
My thoughts here.
9. Greenberg (Noah Baumbach; 2010)
Perhaps my favorite scene of any movie this year comes from this one: Click here
10. Audrey the Trainwreck (Frank V. Ross; 2010)/Tiny Furniture (Lena Dunham; 2010)
I figure this tie makes sense since Lena Dunham is thanked at the end of AtT.
Honorable Mentions
That the Complete Metropolis is down here with the runners up and not leading the list admittedly speaks more to my ignorance that prevents me from fully appreciating the film than it does as a qualitative judgment. Other mentions include: The Art of the Steal; Restrepo; Budrus; Johnny Mad Dog; The American; My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done; Four Lions; and A Prophet. Finally recognition to Stephanie Argy and Alec Boehm’s The Red Machine in the undistributed category.