10 for ’11

LITTLE ROCK — I’ve heard that the film critic’s Top 10 list became a

convention because the average American moviegoer

sees about 10 films a year in theaters.

I don’t know about that, but it has been kind of a New Year’s tradition around here to share the Top 10 lists from various avid moviegoers, people who see way more than 10 movies a year. People love lists - and it gives me a week off.

Anyway, my annual thoughts on the year in movies will run in this Sunday’s newspaper. But that’s just my list. If you’ve got one and want to share, send it to me at the e-mail address at the bottom of this column. We’ll run as many as we can on the blog site Blood, Dirt & Angels.

Sam Blair,

retired Central High School college counselor, our resident armchair critic and a frequent contributor to our Blood, Dirt & Angels blog

“This time last year I’d never heard of Jessica Chastain; now she’s in four of my dozen best (euphemism for favorite) movies of 2011. It’s likely to be a baker’s dozen after I see War Horse:

1. The Artist (movie of the year, even without Chastain) 2. The Descendants 3. The Tree of Life 4. Midnight in Paris 5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 6. Hugo 7. A Separation 8. Take Shelter 9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 10. The Debt 10a. The Help 10b. Melancholia

Runners-up: Beginners, Margin Call, Weekend, Moneyball, Bill Cunningham New York

Karen Martin, editor, InArkansas.com/muse

1. The Artist 2. Take Shelter 3. Win Win 4. Moneyball 5. Rango 6. The Guard 7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 8. Cook County 9. Midnight in Paris 10. The Beaver

Jay Russell, director of (among others) My Dog Skip, The Water Horse

“It’s almost too early for me to make a list of my 10 favorites because there are so many I still want to see. So, the following are my 10 favorite films I’ve seen so far.”

1. The Tree of Life 2. Midnight in Paris 3. The Descendants 4. The Artist 5. Hugo 6. Moneyball

The next few are where I stray off the beaten path.

1. Young Adult -This film pulled off an amazing feat of having the most unlikable lead character of the year and still, I loved the movie.

2. A Better Life - I’m not sure if being a Los Angeles resident makes a difference, but I found this film to be powerful and touching.

3. Rum Diary - I believe I am one of the five people who saw this film, and one of the two who liked it.

4. Hanna - I always enjoy an action thriller with a brain.

Honorable mentions: Another Earth, The Guard, Bridesmaids, the first 20 minutes of Drive.

More important list - the top 10 of those I still want to see:

1. Shame 2. City of Life and Death 3. A Separation 4. My Week With Marilyn 5. Take Shelter 6. Carnage 7. The Iron Lady 8. War Horse 9. Melancholia 10. In the Land of Blood and Honey

Also want to see: 50/50, Albert Nobbs, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, We Need to Talk About Kevin and probably a dozen others I’m forgetting. Happy holidays to everyone!

Brent Renaud,

documentarian, co-founder of the Little Rock Film Festival

Not a great year for movies for me, but a pretty good one. A few I missed likeMargin Call, Cedar Rapids, Meek’s Cutoff and A Separation. I’ll only include narrative films as I would need a separate Top 10 list for documentaries like Marathon Boy, Senna, The Interrupters, etc.

The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, Hugo, Melancholia, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Shame, Another Earth, The Descendants, Bellflower,

The Artist Levi Agee, film geek, Screen Gems columnist, programmer for the Little Rock Film Festival and the founder and host of Cameras on the Radio

“I’ve decided to give my Top 11 films with a description as a crossword puzzle clue in case anyone wanted to make a crossword puzzle out of such things.”

Midnight in Paris — Literary and lovely.

Super 8 — Spielberg revisited. Drive — Emo action hero. Take Shelter — Apocalypse wow. 50/50 — 100/100 Attack the Block — Gangsters vs. invaders. Bridesmaids — Funny females. Harr y Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 — Conjure closure. Bellflower — Everyone gets burned. Hugo — Filmmaking magic. Win Win — Wrestle wrestle.

Dan Lybarger, film critic, contributor to KCActive. com, The Kansas City Star, Huffington Post, Cineaste

1. Hugo 2. A Separation 3. Beginners 4. Project Nim 5. The Tree of Life 6. Bridesmaids 7. The Interrupters 8. Contagion 9. Cave of Forgotten Dreams 10. Drive

Danny-Joe Crofford, marketing manager, War Memorial Stadium.

1. The Help - The best film of the year.

2. The Artist - Silent and unique, a close second.

3. Bridesmaids - Finally we have a good raunchy film about women.

4. The Descendants - Interesting predicament and it has George Clooney.

5. Moneyball - If math was this easy, I’d be rich.

6. Drive - Interesting. What else can I say?

7. The Ides of March - Politics with Clooney.

8. My Week With Marilyn - I love Marilyn.

9. Super 8 - The Goonies meet E.T.

10. Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol - Best thing in the IMAX since The Dark Knight.

Wayne Bell, film critic, contributor to Fayettevilleflyer. com, radio station KUAFFM, 91.3

1. Bill Cunningham New York - A beautiful small documentary that showcases eccentric New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham’s professional and (lack of) personal life. A sweet man and a sweet movie.

2. Beginners - In a year of major studio films, this tiny film highlights the love and lessons shared between a disconnected son and his newly free, dying father (Christopher Plummer for the Oscar).

3. The Descendants - Not Alexander Payne’s best, but certainly one of the best of the year with a great performance by George Clooney and a show stopper by Judy Greer.

4. The Help - I rolled my eyes at every preview of The Help. The film is deeply flawed, but the performances of Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain and Emma Stone are brilliant. That being said, Viola Davis’ performance is the year’s best ... man or woman. Give this woman an Oscar!!!

5. Bridesmaids - Thought I would hate everything about it, but loved it. Sure it’s too long, but Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne and of course, Melissa McCarthy, are a scream for two hours.

6. Midnight in Paris - I would argue that this is not one of Woody Allen’s best. However, it’s still top of the line movie making with gorgeous Paris scenes, gorgeous dialogue and a gorgeous Marion Cotillard.

7. Weekend - A true love story that deeply affects you, long after viewing.

8. Crazy, Stupid, Love. - In a summer of stupid, Crazy, Stupid, Love. rose above all the teenage movies and provided real, adult laughs and scene after scene of summer’s most beautiful sight - Ryan Gosling!

9. Moneyball - For a movie about baseball (which I know nothing about), this one entertains and actually pulls at the heart.

10. We Need to Talk About Kevin - I hated everything about this movie. John C. Reilly is terribly miscast (against a great Tilda Swinton). The film provides no motivation, no direction and no insight. It also deeply disturbed me and generally pissed me off... and for that, I say, congratulations.

Blake Rutherford,

former Moviegoer blogger, chief of staff to Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel

1. The Tree of Life 2. Midnight in Paris 3. Moneyball 4. Margin Call 5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 6. The Descendants 7. Drive 8. Contagion 9. The Artist 10. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Followed by (in alphabetical order): The Adjustment Bureau, Bridesmaids, 50/50, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Melancholia and Source Code.

Unfortunately, I have not seen: A Dangerous Method, A Separation, Shame, Take Shelter and War Horse.

E-mail:

pmartin@arkansasonline.com

MovieStyle, Pages 33 on 12/30/2011

Print Headline: 10 for ’11