Monday, January 4, 2010

2010

By Chase Kahn

I'd love to post my Top Ten of 2009 and my Top 20 of the Decade lists, but the sluggish independent market will put a good hold on those. (I still have to see "The White Ribbon," "35 Shots of Rum," "Fish Tank," etc.)

Meanwhile, the 2010 movie season gets cranked up this Friday in what should be an interesting first couple of months. A lot of releases in February and March are big studio films pushed back from the Oscar season ("Green Zone," "Shutter Island") mostly as a result of studio funding and the bare production slate from the writer's strike a couple years ago.

Plus Sony Pictures Classics decided to hold Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet" until 2010, a film that already has a unanimous critical following after debuting at Cannes in May. I'm ready to wipe the slate clean and start over, I just wish these 2009 releases were closer to - you know - 2009. The same thing happened last year when I waited for Steven Soderbergh's "Che."

3 comments:

  1. I'm in the exact same position. I am delaying my 2009 list until I see The White Ribbon, not sure if I'll wait a couple more months to see both Fish Tank and A Prophet. I have high expectations for all three, but I kind of want to have it done before January's out.

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  2. I actually just realized that "Fish Tank" is a 2010 release - technically not in theaters stateside until January 15th.

    "A Prophet" is in the same boat, as well. The only reason its showing up on some writers' lists is because they probably saw it in Cannes or Toronto.

    It gives me anxiety every holiday season to not be able to be ahead of the curve on these films and instead have to sit through "Nine"...

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  3. Definitely agree. It kills me to see films like "A Prophet" and "The White Ribbon" on top ten lists. I feel obliged to wait until I can see them, although I hate the long waits.

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