Great to see A Christmas Tale on your list. We thought it was superb. And, we liked it even better when we watched it a second time a year later.

I haven't seen a lot everybody mentioned, though, so I still have to find that out:).

Best,

David
globalaroundtown.blogspot.com

Thanks for that, but no. I like quite a few “mainstream” things, in fact I like ‘Hellboy II’ and “The Dark Knight” both quite a bit more than the three of those.

It’s the formulaic, cliche-ridden plot of “The Wrestler” that got to me (though I readily admitted in my review that Rourke was quite good, and the filmmaking itself was excellent).

I did LIKE that film (just, as you said, “not top 20” or anywhere near, in my case). Just as I LIKED “Doubt” (they’re probably about the same for me), but couldn’t stand the heavy-handed nature elements (they said “a wind is coming” a good 5 times, I think). Again though, performances are good, and the screenplay is quite strong too, I just think that everything they added to the stage play (because they COULD) brought the film version down.

‘Slumdog’ I don’t particularly like, though I think i thought it was “OK” when I first saw it in Toronto. I’ve seen it three times since, however, and it’s just become grating (I prefer Boyle’s “Millions” actually).

And, as for ‘Flight,’ I obviously love it but being the optimist that I am I’ll encourage you to check out some of his earlier, narrative-driven stuff: “A Time to Lives and a Time to Die” and “A Summer At Grandpa’s” are particularly good. As is the “Mean Streets”-like “Goodbye South, Goodbye,” his ‘gangster picture’. I’m not sure if you’ve seen any of his other films besides ‘Flight,’ but I’d give a guy The Village Voice has called “our greatest living director” another chance. -Sam C. Mac

“Still Life” was beautifully shot, but would have been better served on the big screen, it just couldn’t really hold my attention on DVD.

“Bah @ ‘Slumdog,’ ‘Doubt,’ ‘Road,’ even ‘Wrestler,’ ” Congratulations at purposely not liking anything mainstream?

Other than that, you need to see “Still Life.” I can see you not liking “24 City,” though I liked it quite a bit, but “Still Life” is a really excellent film, and the best Jia has made in, oh, like 5 years or something (“The World” was mostly underwhelming).

Props for giving the top spot to “Reprise” though, which falls just outside my top 5, and is in my mind the best debut film of last year by a pretty significant margin (in fact, I really can’t think of any competition). And I’ve heard some great stuff (and some bad stuff, that I don’t trust) about “The Headless Woman,” which is the only thing on here that I haven’t seen, I think.

Bah @ ‘Slumdog,’ ‘Doubt,’ ‘Road,’ even ‘Wrestler,’ really, though, I guess a few of those are “ok.” I can’t get behind ‘Slumdog’ however, as much as I’d like to because I think Boyle is a talented guy. But that movie just tears through its runtime at an absurd speed, never slowing down enough for me to feel anything. Every sad moment in that film (the death of the mother, the crazy eye-socket burning posse, and the death of the SPOILER brother) is handled with no tact or nuance. That and the fact that each of the three principals were played by three different actors (did we need the middle ones?) just made it too hard to latch onto these people, and so I got zilcho emotional fulfillment in the end– there are some pretty colors though.

I’m just starting to follow The Playlist, because my staff seems to think I’m too ‘out of touch’ with film news and stuff, so it’s nice to see that there is a bastion of taste on this site filled with news I could really give a crap about (and I mean that with the utmost pretension). – Sam C. Mac

It was gratifying to see a list with so many of my favorites on it. (My two faves were Reprise and The Edge of Heaven.) It’s a shame that many of these movies will not be acknowledged because of politics and lack of marketing.

I know I’m not alone in my view that many filmmakers from other countries are taking over where American filmmakers left off in the 70’s–with innovative, adventurous, controversial themes that make you re-think your conceptions about life and human nature.

And btw, every top 10 always changes, like I said, that’s natural especially when you look back on lists from a decade ago.

Things like Secret of the Grain and Silent Light i tried not to rank too high because they came in late in the year and then they become weighted because they’re fresh, new and exciting, but with Silent Light, it’s so magnificent, I couldn’t help it.

And Man on Wire is not overrated. In many cases, I wish I woulda put it in my top 5, it’s so good! But god, there was so much good stuff that i felt a bit more loyal too because i saw them earlier in the year (MOW i saw very late in the year, early Dec i think; it passed me by).

I’m not sure how you couldn’t have heard of half these films if you were paying close attention (which you seem to be since you comment every day. Many of our picks came from the NY film festival in late Sept, early Oct. or TIFF.

Silent Light and Secret of the grain were two films release in NY in mid December.