So, to divert myself from a headache on the subject, I'm pushing forward with compiling my Fisti Awards. As some of you may know, I've been working through the Aughts in order and have just finished posting 2005's awards. In working up 2006 I've decided to go ahead and get the 90's and this new decade (what shall we call it) started. I've been biding my time with the year that was 1990 because there is a certain film that I haven't seen that I wanted to see before posting my awards, but I am getting tired of waiting for Netflix or Amazon or Blockbuster or WTFEver to carry it so that I can indulge...
I'm talking about Wild at Heart.
Oh well, I love 1990 and I LOVE my ballots so I'm not too worried that I'm missing something that would totally 'change the game' so to speak. You can correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyways, I thought I'd bring up the three years I'm starting to post here on the main page to get your input. I'm posting the Best Picture ballots for 1990, 2006 and 2010 today. I'll just go ahead and post below my top twelve in each category, in alpha order so as not to spoil the surprise (make sure you click on the Awards pages on the left of the screen to see my ballots!).
1990:
Awakenings
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
Days of Being Wild
Edward Scissorhands
Europa Europa
Goodfellas
The Grifters
Ju Dou
Longtime Companion
Metropolitan
Miller's Crossing
Misery
I love this year. There is a great mix of genre films as well as true inspired dramas and biopics, and foreign cinema (especially Asian cinema) was just ridiculously good. What do you think of this top twelve? Which would you nominate in a field of five?
2006:
After the Wedding
Borat
Brick
Casino Royale
Children of Men
The Descent
Half Nelson
The Lives of Others
The Prestige
The Proposition
Marie Antoinette
Volver
Again, I love this year. This is also one of those rare years where I don't consider any of Oscar's top five worthy of my top twelve. I don't think that has ever happened before...there is usually at least one cross over. Anyways, this was a lighter year, with some heavy fare, but for the most part it was more genre than anything else. Horror films like The Descent and Western Revival films like The Proposition really stole my attention. How about you? Which of my top twelve is your favorite?
2010:
Animal Kingdom
Blue Valentine
Despicable Me
Everyone Else
Four Lions
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Ondine
Rabbit Hole
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
White Material
I'll be honest; I kind of feel underwhelmed looking back over last year (er, two years ago...right?). I mean, when I look at my current ballot for 2011 (and I have so much more to see still) I am overwhelmed by the amount of masterpiece cinema I was subjected to (my current top twelve makes me quiver with excitement) and in my top twelve I can only really feel that feeling for four of these films. I'll spoil your peeking right now and say that 'The Social Network' is STILL my pick for the first official masterpiece of the new decade, and I've yet to see anything that would top it; it's perfect. That said, I can't feel that way about 2010 as a whole. Performance wise, it has some of the strongest I've seen in YEARS (just wait till I get to the acting, for this year in particular was a fricking GOLDMINE), but in overall strenght in film itself, it is kind of weak.
Alas, that is only my opinion...what about yours?
