The 2010 Paulies

Welcome to another edition of The Paulies…slightly delayed, as has been the case the past few years, by some work related issues. It has been almost a decade of the Paulies now, though those first magnificent tones of rabid semi-coherent criticism have been lost to history. In all that time I guess the “big change” has been that the Academy nominates ten films now…and this year I managed to see them all (Yay?). But, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Sadly, more nominations does not equal more chances for a small or challenging movie to seizee victory. Before the show went on the air, everyone knew which films actually had a chance of winning (just look at who got the Best Director nominations...but really I didn’t read one analysis that thought anything but The King’s Speech or The Social Network even had a chance.) and which ones would have to content themselves with the joys of having their producers’ plastic smiles broadcast on an unwieldy split screen. At least the ten film format does give some extra exposure to the Winter’s Bones of the world but most of the field was still filled with mediocrities, and sub mediocrities, like The King’s Speech, Toy Story 3, and The Kids are All Right. Ah well, like I said, the more things change…

But fear not! As always, there were plenty of good films released in 2010. So fire up your Netflix queues, get your finger on the VOD button, and read on…

On to my usual disclaimer: I am not a professional critic and I didn’t see everything this year (despite my best efforts). Some notable movies I missed are: Another Year, Biutiful, Everyone Else, The Illusionist, Inside Job, Life During Wartime, Rabbit Hole, Somewhere, Barney’s Version, and Wild Grass.

Best Film of 2010

1. Dogtooth: As I type this, the producers of The King's Speech are accepting their Best Picture statuettea on the big stage…and the Weinsteins are rolling around in million dollar bills as they prep the PG-13 cut of their stuttering snoozer for a re-continuing release next week (see below for a more complete write up on my opinion of the Best Picture winner). Me, I saved my top spot for a somewhat riskier piece. Dogtooth follows a family living in complete isolation in a large, walled compound in the Greek countryside. The family’s unnamed children are held in seclusion and never permitted to see or interact with the outside world. Their parents invent stories to frighten them of the world beyond and explain the ephemera that leaks in from the outside (e.g. each time a plane flies over, one of them will throw a model plane into the yard and the children will scramble to pick it up, thinking it to be the real thing.). Their isolation is so total that even language that manages to leak in is re-contextualized to fit the hermetically sealed environment (“What’s a zombie?...why, it’s a tiny yellow flower.”). The parents are zealous in their maintenance of these barriers though no firm rationale for their behavior is ever really given (but it should be said that some of their machinations have the feel of twisted social science experiments). Of course, when an outsider is introduced and her influence cannot be fully contained, the barriers start to break down with unexpected results. Dogtooth is by turns disturbing, shocking, and darkly funny and is as unique a film as I have seen in a long time. It is also available on Netflix streaming so there’s really no excuse not to see it.

2. Winter’s Bone: More than any other movie I saw this year, Winter’s Bone was about mood. Debra Granik masterfully created an incredible sense of foreboding and tension and maintained it throughout the entire film. Between the setting (small town Appalachia), characters (mostly meth addicts and dealers), and the story (girl has to find daddy and/or prove he’s dead within X timeframe or the family loses the house), it would have been very easy for the whole thing to descend into a morass of genre clichés. But Granik took a tight, minimalist approach to the narrative and, perhaps most importantly, anchored it around a stunning lead performance by Jennifer Lawrence. Moreover, its one of those rare movies that I don’t have to think twice about recommending to anybody (or add any caveats like “look, you might not be into weird Greek movies involving incest and home dentistry…but if you are…”). Its just a good movie.

3. Black Swan: There was a lot of critical back and forth over whether or not this movie was “camp”…to which I say “who cares?” Since the rise of Tarantino, at the very least, genres have become so mashed up and overlapping, that sliding things into neat categories like highbrow, lowbrow, or camp seems needlessly reductive. Here, Darren Aronofsky again tackles his favorite themes - obsession, addiction, and the high price of pursuing an ideal – but in a much more visceral and immediate way than even The Wrestler or Requiem for a Dream achieved. The energy of the film was absolutely relentless and Natalie Portman’s performance was astounding (and well beyond anything she had done previously). I wouldn’t be surprised if Black Swan is eventually considered the apotheosis of Aronofsky’s considerable work with these themes…well unless his forthcoming Wolverine movie tears that theory to shreds.

4. Exit Through the Gift Shop: The interesting question about Exit is not ‘is it real?’ or even ‘was Banksy at the Oscars with a monkey mask?’ but, rather, ‘what is our relationship to art and its creators…and is there a difference between a real artist and a manufactured one?’ I think Banksy is telling us, through his docu(or mocu)-entary about street art and one particular artist/documentarian/hoax, that it really doesn’t matter. It is all about public perception and the manipulation of that perception through marketing. This is a well worn trope (See e.g. Tom Wolfe’s The Painted Word) but Banksy adds an extra layer to his sly criticism by participating directly in his social critique and then making a movie out of that participation. Doing so, Banksy forces the audience to engage with the movie as a piece of art in and of itself, categorize it, and critique it (and even nominate it for awards)…which really kind of proves his point.

5. Mother: In Joon Bong-Ho’s (Memories of Murder, The Host) taut drama, a mentally challenged young man is accused of a gruesome murder. All signs seem to point to his guilt and the only person who believes in his innocence is his mother, who relentlessly investigates the crime to obtain evidence of that innocence. Seems straightforward, right? Wrong. The movie upends the viewer’s expectations at every turn, straying far from its somewhat formulaic premise. The whole endeavor is propelled forward by an exquisite performance by Hye-Ja Kim (the titular Mother), who gives the lead performance of the year (no apologies to Colin Firth).

6. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: Two words: nerd crack - that’s Edgar Wright’s stock and trade (See also: Shaun of the Dead). But beyond the astounding visuals, the constant video game references, and the relentless ADD-friendly pace, the story is timeless. Its just a kid trying to grow up and figure out how to not only deal with, not only his relationships, but his life. The video game effects and backgrounds are more than just a gimmick - for better or for worse those 8-bit (and 16-bit, and 32-bit, etc.) images and modes of interaction define how entire generations of young adults see the world. Believe me when I say that the movie is a whole lot more fun than that bit of analytical wankery makes it sound…so pack up a pipe full of this high grade dork dope and hang on for the ride.

7. True Grit: The Coens just nailed it again (Shocker). We’ve all got soft spots for certain genres. For instance, I love horror, science fiction, and damnit if I don’t love a good western. When I see something that really captures the essence of one of my “sweet spot” genres, I get excited…and when one of my favorite directors (or writing/directing duos) is involved, that just puts it over the top. That’s how I felt about True Grit. This was a note perfect western that really captured the essence, not only of the genre, but of the west itself (or at least what we all think of as the west as filtered through a lifetime of westerns…meta). It was also hilarious and Hailee Steinfeld is definitely an actress to keep an eye on (not literally of course, given that she’s 14.).

8. White Material: Unnamed African country torn apart by war. Rebels clashing with the government. The French army pulling out. And, in the middle of everything, one strangely naïve but incredibly persistent coffee plantation manager (not even the owner!), played by the incredible Isabelle Huppert, who is determined to stay. As the movie goes on, it becomes evident that her position is not only untenable but absolutely insane. It is a baffling movie in that her true motivations are hinted at and danced around without ever being fully revealed. Its like watching a long form horror film where you just want to scream “get out, get out” but, even in the face of horror, her resolve never wavers. All the audience can do is watch her pull her family headlong into the maelstrom and hope they survive.

9. A Prophet: An Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Film in 2009, this gritty French prison/crime saga didn’t get a wide release until this year, so I’m counting it for 2010. The film follows a young multi-racial convict in a French prison as he evolves from a naïve (semi) innocent to a hardened and ruthless criminal. He is able to navigate the segregated gangs and play them off each other, while being truly accepted by none, to eventually build his own criminal empire. It is a great story with two fantastic central performances and, like the best organized crime films, it also ruthlessly skewers the system and social attitudes that foster the creation of the criminals at its center.

10. The Secret in Their Eyes: This gripping Argentinean drama was the winner of the 2009 Academy Award for best Foreign Film (How stacked was that category last year? The White Ribbon, A Prophet, and TSTS all made my top-10 either this year or last. Just sick). In 1974 a man was murdered. In 2000, the investigator who believes the wrong man was convicted and (and who suffered dire consequences for looking into it too deeply) and the judge with whom the worked on the case meet to reopen the case…and something more. The criminal investigation allows Jose Campanella to explore the effects of the frightening politics of Argentina in the 1970s (a subject with which I am not well acquainted) as well as the varied effects that one heinous act, and its cover up can have on the people whose lives it touches. But the thread that holds the movie together is the sexual tension between the principles which is powerful, well developed, and, unlike so many films, mature.

Special Jury Prize - Enter the Void: No one will ever accuse Gaspar Noe of making a movie “by the book.” Enter the Void was a bugnuts crazy head trip that largely followed a drug dealer (or his soul really) through his last night of life, the afterlife as filtered through the lens of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and his eventual reincarnation. To me this was the most ambitious and visually exciting film of the year and it certainly bears re-watching. I really wanted to slide it up into the top-10 but I just couldn’t get past the fact that, after a wild start, it got a bit too bloated (which is more than I can say for this list which started bloated and only stands to get more so as it goes on) and dragged at points - so I just made up (or ripped of from various festivals) a new award for it instead. My guess is that when I look back at this list years from now, I will remember Enter the Void more vividly than most of the movies that did make the top-10.

HM: Night Catches Us, The Fighter, Animal Kingdom, Red Riding Trilogy, Carlos


Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan: Aronofsky is one of the most consistently brilliant directors working today and Black Swan may be his best movie. I really think this is the one he has been trying to make ever since Pi and it was great to see it all come together.

HM: Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Joon-Ho Bong, Mother; Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone; Giorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth


Best Actress: Hye-Ja Kim, Mother: This category was amazingly strong this year and, really, I could see an argument for any of the actresses below.. However, in the end I think Hye-Ja Kim’s performance as the tortured and determined mother at the center of, well, Mother.

HM: Natalie Portman, Black Swan; Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone; Isabelle Huppert, White Material; Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit;

Best Actor: Edgar Ramirez, Carlos: I admit that I have only seen the theatrical version of this movie and not the 5.5 hour miniseries (its on my DVR, I swear I’ll get on that) but 2.5 hours was enough. Edgar Ramirez strips down the enigmatic character of Carlos the Jackal to his core through every stage of his life in a truly raw, powerful performance.

HM: James Franco, 127 Hours; Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network; Jeff Bridges, True Grit; Tahar Rahim, A Prophet

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter: Amazing performance. The Academy got it right. Nothing to see here.

HM: Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech; John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone; Niels Arestrup, A Prophet

Best Supporting Actress: Chloe Moretz, Kick Ass: It was a banner year for Chloe Moretz between this and starring in Let Me In (which was surprisingly good in its own right) …but her turn as an 11 year old killing machine with a vocabulary that would make a sailor stopper his ears was just unbelievable. Easily the most badass performance of the year.

HM: Mila Kunis, Black Swan; Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom; Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Jason Reitman Award for Most Overrated Film: The King’s Speech: I guess its fitting that the movie I knew would win this award also won Best Picture (it doesn’t get more overrated than that). The Academy’s coronation of The King’s Speech is symptomatic of everything that’s wrong with the Oscars. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given that British accents and disabilities (as long as, in the immortal words of Tropic Thunder, you don’t go “full retard” ) have long been two of the easiest ways to add gold statues to the mantle…and the combination, well that’s the kind of bait that Oscar can’t resist. But, in a year when the theaters were filled with films that challenged our assumptions about reality, perception, and our relationship to movies and media, giving the award to a mediocre period piece that plays fast and loose with some pretty important historical facts (http://www.slate.com/id/2282194/) was especially odious. Really, the only thing that saved the movie from being the celluloid equivalent of Ambien was the presence of Geoffrey Rush, who was his usual fantastic self. But a win for Firth? A nomination for Helena Bonham Carter (I’m sorry, literally all she did in the movie was speak with a British accent…there was NOTHING to that character.)? A WIN for Tom Hooper for directing this drivel in a year that saw big names like Aronofsky and David Fincher (The Social Network was a well directed movie that, I know, hasn’t really popped up on my list) doing some of their best work…not to mention talented newcomers like Debra Granik? It just shows how truly fearful he Academy is of honoring real artistic achievement. Five years from now, this is going to be one of those laughable wins along the lines of Dances with Wolves beating out Goodfellas or Forrest Gump beating The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction.

And One More: The Kids are All Right: In which a lesbian couple with two kids learns that no one can resist Mark Ruffalo’s dick. Seriously, though my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek, that Chasing Amy-esque bit of "insight" is one of the keys to this insipid melodrama. The A-list cast tries its damnedest to elevate what, at the end of the day, is standard after school special/Lifetime movie fare but when all you are given is a cookie cutter midlife malaise/cheating plotline matched with characterizations that read like indie movie mad libs, there’s just not much to salvage. (He’s a motorcycle riding womanizer who never grew up and now owns an organic restaurant…also he’s a sperm donor! She’s a shiftless dreamer who just can’t figure out what she’s good at but now wants to be a landscape architect! She’s a middle aged condescending overachiever that drinks too much!) And the titular kids were far less than all right in their roles.

Baz Luhrman Award for Worst Film of the Year: Magruber…Nah, that’s just too easy…so, Buried: Oh Ryan Reynolds, you are good sometimes (See e.g. Waiting) and I really hope that the forthcoming Green Lantern is as awesome as the production stills make it look…but what were you thinking with this one? The movie is 90 minutes of Ryan Reynolds buried in a box, trying to figure out how to get out. That’s it. It’s a premise that would be tough to execute with a great director and a great actor on board (and I mean a GREAT director…you need a Hitchcock or at least a Polanski to pull this off…) but with an unknown director and Ryan Reynolds it was just a waste of time. And a boring waste of time at that.
Don’t worry though, I have a feeling that all prior awards in this category will be rendered moot once the BAZ unleashes Great Gatsby:3D on the world.

So that’s it until next year. Thanks for reading through everything.

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