The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Here I have documented all of the movies I've watched in preparation for the Top 100 of the 2010s Countdown. I submitted my ballot on December 4, 2022. If any movies appear on the countdown that I have not seen but that interest me, I may watch them and write them up in this thread.


INDEX:
(135 movies watched)

#
12 Years a Slave
A
Acts of Vengeance
Aferim!
Andhadhun
Anomalisa
Argo
Arrival
B
Belle
Big Hero 6
The Breadwinner
Bridesmaids
The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Burden
C
Call Me By Your Name
Calvary
Cameraperson
Capernaum
Captain Phillips
Clash
Coco
Cold Fish
D
Dallas Buyers Club
Dark Shadows
Despicable Me
Django Unchained
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot
Drive
E
The Eagle
Enemy
Ernest & Celestine
Ethel & Ernest
F
Far From the Madding Crowd
The Favourite
The Florida Project
Frankenweenie
The Frozen Ground
G
A Ghost Story
Gifted
God's Own Country
Gone Girl
The Great Gatsby
H
Happy Death Day
The Hateful Eight
The Help
Her
How to Train Your Dragon
The Hunt
I
I, Daniel Blake
I Lost My Body
The Illusionist
I'm Still Here
The Immigrant
Incendies
Inception
Inherent Vice
Inside Out
Irrational Man
Isle of Dogs
J
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Jurassic World
K
Killer Joe
Kitbull
Klaus
Knives Out
L
Lady Macbeth
Legend
Lilting
The Lobster
Locke
Love & Mercy
Love is Strange
The Lure
M
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Man From Nowhere
Manchester By the Sea
Marshland
Midsommar
Moana
My Life As A Zucchini
N
The Nice Guys
Nightcrawler
The Nightingale
O
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
P
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Pawn Shop Chronicles
Poetry
Prisoners
Q
Quality Time
R
Rango
The Raven
Real Steel
The Red Turtle
The Revenant
Robin Hood
Room
Rush
S
Safety Not Guaranteed
Sausage Party
Searching
The Secret Life of Pets
A Separation
Shame
Shutter Island
Sing
The Sisters Brothers
Skin
The Skin I Live In
Song of the Sea
Sorry We Missed You
Source Code
Spring Breakers
Still Life
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons
T
Thirst Street
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Tikkun
The Town
Toy Story 3
Tyrannosaur
U
Under the Skin
V
Venom
W
The Way He Looks
Weathering With You
What We Do In The Shadows
Whiplash
Who Killed Captain Alex?
The Wolf of Wall Street
Wreck-It Ralph
Wrinkles
X
Xingu
Y
You Were Never Really Here
Your Name.
Z
Zootopia

Rectification Watches:
The World of Tomorrow
The Raid: Redemption
Ex Machina
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The Social Network

Other 2010s Watches:
The Lighthouse

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The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018)

They might as well have called this movie Catty Bitches in Queen Anne's Court. I generally try to avoid movies with such a predominantly female cast but The Favourite looked like it was going to be a good bit of fun and it did not disappoint. I really liked the dark humor and, as a bit of a sucker for costume dramas, I really loved the sets and the clothes. I have to say that I wasn't expecting this to be a love triangle and was a little surprised by the sexual elements, but it wasn't at all graphic and worked well with the story it was telling. All three lead performances were very strong and, while it did drag in a few places and I didn't quite love it, I do think this is a movie I will want revisit. I may even try to get a second viewing in before it's time to vote for the 2010's list, though there is quite stiff competition and it probably won't make the cut for me.

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What We Do In the Shadows (Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, 2014)

After seeing the trailer for this, I had my reservations but I really like Jojo Rabbit and since this made the Comedy Countdown I thought I'd give it a shot. I think the concept is good - and certainly mockumentaries can work very well for me - but it relied a little too heavily on silliness and there just wasn't enough substance here for my tastes. I did chuckle a few times, but I mostly felt detached from the whole thing and were it any longer than its 86 minute runtime I don't know that I would've finished it.

Not a bad movie and amusing enough for one watch, but not something I'm likely to revisit and I definitely won't be voting for it in the 2010s countdown.

Ethel & Ernest (Roger Mainwood, 2016)

I saw this being suggested in GBG's 2010's Recommendations thread and I thought I'd give it a shot.

There's a lot to like here. The film is really beautifully animated and it details the lives of a very ordinary couple, from the late 1920s to the early 1970s, as they try to cope with the events of the world and the ever evolving technology and politics of their day. It was really neat to get that perspective.

Unfortunately, my ability to enjoy this film was all but destroyed by one thing: Ethel. Holy shit that woman was infuriating - always thinking herself better than the "common" people, while being in denial of her own place in the social hierarchy and remaining willfully ignorant of the realities of politics and world events. I hated her so much and every time I'd start to enjoy myself she'd do or say something else that irritated me and I was left very much detached from the whole thing as a result.

But I do have to give credit where it is due and this is a very well crafted film. It's just not one that I'm likely to ever watch again and it certainly won't be getting my vote for the countdown.

Lilting (Hong Khaou, 2014)

This is another movie I saw being suggested in GBG's 2010's Recommendations thread. I hadn't even heard of it before then,

Although it's rather short, this is definitely a movie that requires patience and full engagement. It's a slow meditation on grief, guilt, obligation, and understanding. Ben Whishaw gives a particularly strong performance as a young man trying to connect with his dead boyfriend's Chinese-Cambodian mother - who doesn't like him, speaks no English, and doesn't know that her son was gay. Cheng Pei Pei is also excellent as the dead man's mother and gives a lot of humanity to a character that might otherwise have come off as cold, particularly in the film's earlier scenes.

It's a very moving film and one that I'll probably watch again, but my shortlist for the 2010s countdown is now at 82 films so its chances of making the final cut are pretty slim.

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Lady Macbeth (William Oldroyd, 2016)
(Rewatch)

Lady Macbeth is gorgeously shot with a palatte of earth tones and black, with just a little pop of color here and there. And it was really the look of this film that seduced me when I first saw its trailer back in 2016.

But that's not what really makes this a memorable experience. For that you must look to its central performance. Florence Pugh is absolutely chilling as Katherine - a woman who, once finding a taste of freedom in her otherwise stifling life, goes to increasingly cruel measures to keep it. She is calculating, remorseless, and will take out anyone who gets in her way.

Yet this is not a movie that is particularly violent. There are a few bursts of action and it clocks in at only about 90 minutes, but it burns at almost a snail's pace. It also almost completely lacks a score. There's virtually no music to instruct or manipulate your emotions. You are simply presented with a set of people and circumstances and are left to judge them for yourself.

As for me, I come away from it not knowing entirely how to feel about Katherine and her crimes, and I love that about it. It still remains to be seen if this will make the final cut for me, but its definitely not out of contention yet.

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Is this a recommendation thread, or do you already have your watchlist assembled?

Feel free to post recommendations if you have them, but I can't promise I'll get to them.

I posted this in the Preliminary Thread, but I might as well send it here as well:

https://www.listchallenges.com/top-2...s-of-the-2010s

You've likely already seen most of them though.

There are actually quite a few I haven't seen:

Holy Motors
Upstream Color
Snowpiercer
Arrival
Cameraperson
Burning
Under the Skin
Exit Through the Gift Shop
A Ghost Story
Marriage Story (I started this, but quickly got bored and shut it off)
Blackkklannsman
Hereditary
Shame (this is already on my watchlist)
Prisoners
Fruitvale Station
Enemy

Of those I have seen, I hated Tree of Life and disliked Inside Llewyn Davis. A Separation was probably the one I liked best, but I really need to rewatch it because it's been awhile and I've only seen it once.

I would definitely second Prisoners above^^

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

I would second Prisoners and Arrival above^^

I would also recommend them, but you all already know that :D

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Arrival is good. I better get to Prisoners sometime.

You're tough to recommend for but I'll do my best. These are all on my list of contenders.

Nightcrawler (2014)
I'm sure you've seen this, a lock for the countdown.

Capernaum (2018)
I'd recommend this to anyone on the forum. A good chance to make the countdown.

Tyrannosaur (2011)
Bleak and gritty British drama with a great lead performance. There's a tough scene with an animal but it's not real. The actor and the film both have a following so it has a chance to make the countdown.

Blue Ruin (2013)
Gritty crime thriller that has a shot to make it.

The rest have no chance to make the countdown-

Cold Fish (2010)
Gory and funny Japanese film.

Kidnapped (2010)
This is a tough one, well made and not trashy. Intense and upsetting.

Hounds of Love (2016)
Another that's a bit disturbing. Australian crime thriller based on a true story.

Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)
Interconnected stories, quirky and twisted. I think you like some of the cast.

The Nightingale (2018)
Australian historical revenge, I was surprised at how brutal it was.

The Golden Glove (2019)
Pretty messed up but you might get a kick out of it.

Sleep Tight (2011)
Very solid thriller with a creepy premise.

Skin (2018)
Based on a true story-a skinhead attempts to change. I thought it was excellent.

Widows (2018)
Crime thriller with a great cast.

Nothing Bad Can Happen (2013)
Disturbing drama from the female directors list. Based on a true story.

Headhunters (2011)
Fun action thriller.

Avoid "Holy Motors" at all costs. Was thinking of nom'g this for the "Son of Infamy" thread.

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

I really have no sense of what commonalities drive your taste or what to recommend, so all I can say is that I think Arrival is a masterpiece.

I always love revisiting favorites, so go for it :D

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Of the movies mentioned here, maybe you would like these?

Blackkklannsman
Blue Ruin

Both were Cosmic's noms in past HoFs. I haven't seen most of the other films mentioned on your thread.

I've only seen Blue Ruin of those you mentioned. I know I saw it for a HOF, but it apparently didn't make any impression because that's all I can remember about it. I'll have to find my review of it and see if I think it's worth rewatching. I've also been a little interested in Nightcrawler so I'll add it to my watchlist. I'll have to look into the others.

I may give it a shot but I rarely like serious Sci-Fi movies.

I found my review of Blue Ruin:

I don’t think I’ll bother with a rewatch.

Contrary to what one might think from the title, it is not part of the Fast & Furious franchise, let alone about any drag racing cult drifting along in Tokyo.


It is from Leos Carax, who directed the recent movie, Annette. I don't know how much one extrapolate from one to guess how much they'd like the other (they seemed like very different movies to me), unless one absolutely, absolutely hated Annette (and not speaking hyperbolically), outside of the music, and one can intuit it's existing in a style of filmmaking they don't care for, then that would probably be an indicator to avoid it.

I can't think of any recommendations.
Unless you want documentaries about ethnic and political purges (of the mass murder variety) in Southeast Asia. I can give you three of those.

Just going to say again that it's really great to see someone else talking about this movie. I really loved it and immediately wanted to recommend it to everyone.

@Miss Vicky, I know that you watch a lot of animated movies, so I was wondering if you've seen any of these movies, and are they worth watching for the 2010s countdown?

Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Smallfoot (2018)
Abominable (2019)

Also, I liked Hotel Transylvania (2012), so are Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) worth watching?

I actually wasn't a fan of Hotel Transylvania, so I didn't watch the sequels. Of the others, I've only seen Abominable. The animation was really gorgeous but I just couldn't get into the story. I know it's an animated movie about a Yeti or whatever, but the heavy fantasy and the involvement of magic just didn't work for me. It might be worth your while, though.

Thank you.

I recently bought Smallfoot and Abominable on DVD (at garage sales, so they were cheap enough to take the risk), and I DVRed the other movies, but I didn't know if I should jump them near the top of my watchlist, or let them wait and possibly not see them before the deadline.

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My Life As A Zucchini (Ma vie de courgette) (Claude Barras, 2014)
(Rewatch)

I first watched this movie last year and, while I enjoyed it overall, I had kind of mixed feelings about it. I liked the story, but really disliked the style of the characters and sets. I also didn't quite connect with it as strongly I would've liked, but I felt it had potential to grow on me... and grow on me it did. Whereas I found the art style crude and off-putting then, tonight I found it whimsical and charming and while still no tears were shed, I must admit I got a little misty-eyed this time.

The story itself isn't original. Courgette and the other children all have devastatingly tragic backstories but, while the movie never lets the audience forget where these kids came from, it also never really dwells on their past. It's still the age old trope of orphan protagonists overcoming their circumstances and finding out that family doesn't have to be blood, but it manages to somehow feel a little more authentic than some of the better known films in the same vein. It also packs everything into a runtime that's barely over an hour, making it a great choice if you're short on time.

Always hard to predict whether you will like something, but here are a few suggestions:

The Way He Looks (2014) - coming of age drama/ gay romance
The Lobster (2015) - weird comedy/drama anti-romance? Hard to describe, but weird, which is probably a plus
Under the Skin (2014) - Alien serial killer strangeness. You might hate this, I'm still not sure whether I liked it or hated it, but also very weird and stays with you in a creepy, lingering sort of a way
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) - vampire musicians confront eternity in different ways
A Ghost Story (2017) - this starts slowly as kind of look at grief but sort of evolves into more existential territory. I thought it was different and interesting.

Ghosts, aliens, vampires, and a dystopian society where single people get turned into animals? :laugh: All of those sound like they require more suspension of disbelief than I usually allow for live action, so I can't promise I'll watch any of them, but maybe? The Lobster sounds weird enough that I might give it a go. I'll definitely check out The Way He Looks.

Some that I think you might enjoy. I put a few in each category.

Dramas
Phoenix--more of a drama/thriller
Mustang
The Handmaiden--also a mish mash of drama/thriller/comedy
Room
Shoplifters
Short Term 12
I, Daniel Blake
Gifted (I loved this film about a man trying to do what's best for his niece when he adopts her after her mother's death)
Calvary
I Will Follow

Family/Comedy
Paddington 2
The Farewell
The Guard

Romance
Far From the Madding Crowd (period romance from Hardy's novel)
About Time (romantic comedy)
God's Own Country (drama/gay romance that is great on both fronts)

Thriller
First Reformed
Stoker
The Invitation
Upstream Color
Tikkun (this movie is kind of hard to classify)

I second "Room" & "Shoplifters".

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

I third Room and Shoplifters and second Mustang, I, Daniel Blake, Gifted, and First Reformed.

I haven't heard anyone else talk about Gifted, but it's such a solid and optimistic/sweet film.

I've seen Short Term 12, I, Daniel Blake, and Room. I recall being fairly indifferent to Short Term 12, so it's not on my shortlist. The other two are possibles but need a rewatch.

I wasn't a fan of the Paddington books as kid so I never bothered with the first movie, so the sequel's pretty much out of the question. I'll add God's Own Country to the watchlist. I'll have to look up the others when I get home to see what sounds good.

I never read the Paddington books as a kid, but I thought that both films were really sweet with some good comedy and adorably committed performances from the adult actors. You also don't need to watch the first film to watch the sequel. Not trying to hard sell you, I was realizing that most of what I was recommending was pretty heavy stuff.

Nothing wrong with heavy stuff. Movies that make me cry tend to be movies that I love and I often favor movies that don't end happily. That said, happy shit makes me cry too. :laugh:

LOL, same!

Please Read Before Making Any Recommendations:

My list of possible first-time watches is now over 50 movies long (including all of the movies suggested to me here, as well as those I already intended to watch). If you haven't made any suggestions yet, please check out this list of what's already been suggested:

2010s First Time Watch List

If you haven't made recommendations already and really want to, you may want to consider limiting your suggestions. If you have already made suggestions, please check the list to make sure I've selected the correct fim(s). I'll try to keep this list updated and have linked it in the first post.

Having said that, there's absolutely no way I'm going to get to all or even most of these before the deadline. If there is one particular 2010s film you really want me to watch, let me know and we can maybe make an arrangement where you watch one movie of my choosing and I watch one of yours.

Edit: Here is a list of 10 movies I most want people to watch: Movie Trades. If you'd like to arrange a trade, choose one of these (that you haven't yet seen) and let me know what you'd like me to watch, then I'll let you know if I'm down for doing the trade. If you've already seen all ten of these but are still interested in a trade, let me know and we may still be able to work something out.

Things to keep in mind before making recommendations:

-If it's not animated and requires a high level of suspension of disbelief (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Superhero, Musicals), there's a good chance I'm not going to like it. This is not necessarily a dealbreaker, but keep it in mind.
-I'm not generally a fan of documentaries, so probably don't bother suggesting them though it's not necessarily a dealbreaker.
-If it contains actual animal cruelty, don't suggest it. Period. This is a dealbreaker.
-If its central character is a woman or if it has a majority female cast, I'm probably not going to be too into it. Not a dealbreaker, but something to consider.
-If it was made by Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, David O. Russell, or Darren Arronofsky, don't even bother. There's a decent chance I've already seen it and I probably don't like it. This is not a complete list of directors to avoid.
-I don't like Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Adam Sandler, George Clooney, Paul Dano, or Robert Pattinson. So probably don't suggest anything with them in it. Wahlberg is a dealbreaker. I may add to this list later.

Okay, here are my final recommendations then:

https://www.listchallenges.com/print-list/228344

:D

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Song of the Sea (Tomm Moore, 2014)

I’ve been sort of vaguely aware of this movie for several years but hadn’t really seriously considered watching it until it came up when I was searching for animated films from the 2010’s. I debated on adding it to my watchlist for this countdown because, after being introduced to the concept of a selkie earlier this year when I had to watch The Secret of Roan Innish, I wasn’t too keen on watching another movie about seal people. But I was really impressed by the beauty of the images I had seen from it and hoped that my love of animation would cause me to overcome my aversion to fantasy.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. The movie is really gorgeous and my rating of it is owed pretty much entirely to its good looks, but with all its magic, its witches, selkies, faeries, etc., I just found myself rolling my eyes and checking the remaining runtime. It’s a shame really, because this is a well made film and there are other fantasy animations that I do enjoy, but I just couldn’t get into it. Oh well.

I think all of my picks for you avoided your dislikes, but I'm going to go with Capernaum because that's probably the one out of all my recommendations for you that would widely be viewed as the best out of those, and it also probably has the best chance of making the countdown. I'm open to watch anything of your choosing.

It's hard to pick because you've seen so many movies, but I'll give you three options, in order of my preference:

Ernest & Celestine
Pain and Glory
Aferim!

If you've seen all of these, I'll pick again.

I think I've seen Ernest & Celestine but I'll have to look it up to confirm. I've definitely not seen the other two.

I can't find a record of Ernest & Celestine so I'll watch that. I'm probably just familiar with the title.

Sweet. It saddens me that it didn't make the animation countdown, so I'd really love to see it place this time.

I thought it was on that list initially because of how familiar I am with the name. Maybe it's through your posts that I know of it.

Ernest & Celestine is fantastic. I'll second the recommendation.

Wait, MoFo no longer censors the word 'shit'? Shit just got real! :cool: Well, it doesn't censor Keisuke Kinoshita either. This is a glorious day for scatophiles and Japanese cinema lovers!

While I think this film is great, I would hesitate recommending it to Miss Vicky due to graphic depictions of farming which include dead animals.

I just kept thinking you like Being John Malkovich so you must have a high tolerance for suspension of disbelief, but I'll bear that in mind for any future recommendations :laugh:

Yeah, as much as I love BJM, it's definitely not the sort of thing I'd usually be into and it took me several watches to even decide if I liked it at all. I think I only watched it the first time because a friend wanted to see it.

I did run your suggestions by my IRL friend Funny Face and she seemed to think I'll like The Lobster so I probably will get to that at some point. I'm planning on watching The Way He Looks tonight, but if not it'll definitely be sometime this weekend.

Ooh, that's a good point.

I'm normally very sensitive to animal stuff and it didn't bother me, but, yes, there are some graphic moments involving animals.

The moments include (MILD SPOILERS)

I watched Ernest & Celestine and it's about as cute and sweet as any movie can be. The animation wasn't as bold and advanced as some animations are these days but it was perfect for this movie. I'm shocked that it didn't make the animations countdown and I can only surmise that not enough people saw it by that time. It would've ranked high on my ballot. At the very least it has earned a spot on my list of contenders for my 2010's ballot and I do hope it makes that countdown. Hard to picture anyone not enjoying it.

Awesome. I'll try to get Capernaum watched this weekend. I'll probably also watch Cold Fish sometime soon, since Camo really wants to know what I think of it.

Take your time. Maybe once you get caught up with others we can do another swap.

Oh, I will. I'm aiming to watch or rewatch at least one movie a day for as long as I can keep up that momentum. I'm also only working Monday-Thurday for at least the next month, so I have plenty of time on the weekends for movie watching.

Regardless, there's no way I'm going to watch everything that was recommended, but I am going to try to watch at least one or two recs from each person. I'm kind of counting Cold Fish as a Camo rec right now which is why I said it'll probably be soon.

Cold Fish was a big favorite of GoDogGo, which I think is why I watched it.

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Not sure if you saw my recommendations on the preliminary thread,

I wonder if you would be interested in seeing these movies from 2010

Happy Death Day - Groundhog day if it were a Horror movie, don't know anyone in this cast but they were fine in it.
Peppermint - Female lead/ seeking revenge type movie. Jennifer Gardner in this.
Ted - Mark Wahlberg is in this so this is probably a no, still a funny movie if you looking for a good laugh.
Easy A - High School teen movie, Emma Stone is in this.

I'll add in 3 more movies to recommend

Scream 4 - If you like the scream movies, you'll probably like the 4th one.
Guardians of the Galaxy - If you like Marvel Movies, you might like this
The Purge - Horror/thriller, it's like a survival type movie. The 2nd one is better than the first one imo. 3rd one was decent

I'm assuming you didn't read the guidelines I posted for recommendations. :laugh:

I typically don't like horror movies (and I don't like Scream), movies with female leads/mainly female casts, or superhero movies, and I despise Mark Wahlberg. He's probably my least favorite actor ever. If he's in a movie and the movie doesn't also star either Joaquin Phoenix or Leonardo DiCaprio, I'm not watching it.

I've actually seen both Guardians of the Galaxy movies and I've seen Easy A. They were okay, but not something I have any desire to see again. If I were to pick one of these to try it would maybe be Happy Death Day? No promises, though, unless you want to do a trade.

I've had this in my queue for a decade and have never pulled the trigger. I'll bump it up.

I should rewatch that. I liked it a lot and thought it punched way above its weight but I didn't necessarily get "masterpiece" from it. Though that doesn't mean I'm not wrong and will discover that on second viewing.

I think it's the kind of film where certain scenes hit much harder once you understand how the film's plot structure works.

To be honest I read the guidelines but it was worth a shot just incase you were interested. :laugh:

If you liked the premise of what groundhog day was, I think you might like Happy Death Day and if you don't like horror movies because of blood and gore or any other silly shenanigans that go on in those movies, it's not top notch like you see in Scream, Halloween, Friday the 13th.

What I love about the movie that It doesn't drag on and on instead it has fun and it gets to the point. Also it has good ending, not that dumb bs where you waste like an hour in a half or almost two hours watching a horror movie and suddenly you get a bad or disappointing ending, I hate when horror movies do that.

What do you mean by a trade, like I watch a movie from the movies that you recommended and you do the same for the movies that I listed?

Sorry for the long right up, since you might give Happy Death Day a shot, just thought to explain to you about the movie.

Basically, yes. You choose one movie that you really want me to watch and in exchange you watch something I pick. Cricket and I have done trades for several previous lists and I thought I would offer the arrangement to other MoFos as well.

I put together a list of 10 choices for trades last night, in order of preference. If there is a movie listed here that you haven’t seen and would be willing to watch, you can pick one for me to watch and I promise I will watch it. Just don’t pick Ted for me. I am not watching Marky Mark.

ok sounds good, you watch Happy Death Day from my list, I'll watch that movie You Were Never Really Here from your list.

Okay. I will watch it. I can’t promise how soon that will be, but it will be watched and reviewed.

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The Way He Looks (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho) (Daniel Ribeiro, 2014)
(Recommended by @Thursday Next)

This is a really sweet coming of age story that gives the unique perspective of the struggles of a blind young man named Leo trying to discover himself and get out from the stifling but well-meaning restrictions of his over-protective parents. I decided to give it a shot because I’ve got a soft spot for gay movies but what I appreciated most about it is just how real everyone felt.

This is a quiet and gentle movie about a kid who is equally quiet and gentle. There’s nothing flashy or showy. It never feels cliché or like it’s trying too hard and none of its characters ever feel like caricatures or stereotypes. And while its protagonist may have a fairly niche set of characteristics, a lot of his experiences are universal. I also appreciated its hopeful conclusion. I often favor unhappy or sort of neutral endings in most movies, but it was kind of refreshing to watch a gay movie that is so optimistic.

I will say though that I didn’t quite love it and I debated on giving it a slightly lower rating. Ultimately I settled on a 4 out of 5 because I am also optimistic that a rewatch down the road could nudge it past the line into “I love it” territory, though it probably won't make my ballot.

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The Raven (James McTeigue, 2012)
(Rewatch)

1800's Baltimore. Edgar Allen Poe is washed up, broke, and madly in love with a gorgeous young woman whose father hates him. A series of murders resembling his writings finds him wrapped up in an investigation that becomes much more personal when his fiancée falls into the hands of the killer.

I find this movie to be a visual treat. The costumes and sets are gorgeous and I love its use of color. And, of course, I'm a sucker for John Cusack. He's quite handsome in black and his portrayal of Poe as a condescending jackass is fun to watch. And all that is really what I love about it. I'm not going to pretend that this is some amazing cinematic accomplishment. It isn't. I don't watch this movie to stimulate my intellect or to be moved and swept away with emotion. It's just something I like to throw on for pure entertainment and my only gripe about it is that the Pit and the Pendulum scene is too short. It's been a favorite of mine for a decade now and that's not likely to change.

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Glad you watched The Way He Looks and enjoyed it, MV.

I think I will have to put The Raven on my watchlist, it looks like the sort of thing I might enjoy, even though I'm not too familiar with Poe or his works.

Same.

It came out at a time where I was (even for me) really out of touch with new releases. I'd forgotten it existed until it started getting mentioned in the countdown thread.

I’m not familiar with Poe’s work either, aside from vague recollections of the stuff I was made to read in school. But Poe is just a character in the story. You need to be familiar with his works to understand this movie about as much as you need to be familiar with de Sade’s work to understand Quills. Basically you just need to know he often wrote about dark subjects and murder.

I watched A Ghost Story last night but was too tired to write it up. I will get that done soon.

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

No way you liked Ghost Story

I'd be surprised if she did as well

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

I love A Ghost Story, though yeah, it's definitely love-it-or-hate-it.

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A Ghost Story (David Lowery, 2017)
(Recommended by @SpelingError and @Thursday Next)

While I wouldn't quite say I hated this, absolutely nothing about it worked for me and I felt absolutely nothing while watching this. The first issue I encountered is that I really don't like Casey Affleck and his whiny, mumbling, grating voice - though I suppose I should've been able to tolerate him in this more considering the majority of his screen time is spent silently covered in a sheet, staring at things through his eye holes (and occasionally silently communicating with the random sheet person next door). But he still managed to irritate the shit out of me with the few lines of dialogue he had.

As for that stupid sheet? Brilliant idea. Let's cover an actor in cloth that so completely obscures his face that he can't even really, you know, act. And then let's spend far too much time watching Rooney Mara stuff her face with pie until she pukes, while Sheet Affleck stands there, and then spend almost no time on her actual grieving process. After that we'll fast forward to Sheet Affleck terrorizing a single mom and her kids that move into the house after Mara has moved out, then to him staring while some bald dude rambles about the pointlessness of art, and then through the rest of the home's existence and eventual destruction and replacement. At one point we even get two Sheet Afflecks.

Fortunately it's a pretty short movie. I will say that I do respect that Lowery was trying something different - and A Ghost Story certainly is different - and I can kind of see why other people do love it, but I definitely won't be watching this again.

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Capernaum (Capharnaüm) (Nadine Labaki, 2018)
(Recommended by @cricket)

This movie was incredible, but also incredibly devastating to watch. It's always tough to watch films where children suffer from abuse and neglect, but this one hit me harder than most I've seen. Zain Al Rafeea gives a potent performance as Zain, an impoverished Lebanese boy who flees home after his 11 year old sister is sold into marriage. It's really amazing that Zain had not acted before and was discovered on the streets by the film's director.

It's a lot to ask of an adolescent boy to carry an entire film, but - owing much to his real life of poverty - he does it incredibly well. The movie and his performance feel absolutely authentic. This is a young man who has been failed by his parents and by society, who is forced to become an adult at an age when he should still be very much a child. Even when he leaves home and finds the help of a sympathetic adult, he must take on responsibilities that no 12 year old should ever have.

The movie does end on a hopeful note, but if you haven't seen it before, I'd advise keeping a box of tissues close at hand. I'm always very hesitant to give any first-time watch a rating higher than 4, but I think this one deserves it and it is definitely a contender for my ballot.

This is one that I'm considering a must-see for myself before I make my ballot.

I may watch that one tonight. Sounds fantastic

Glad you enjoyed Capernaum, and I think it'd be a solid pick for anyone. I'd say it's one of the better movies of the decade that isn't widely known, and maybe those last 4 words aren't unnecessary.

A Ghost Story is a weird one. Either it works for you or it doesn't. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was definitely interesting and I thought of it for a long time afterwards. I think Casey Affleck was improved by being under a sheet (if it was really him under there...) I liked how it was something a bit different.

I now un-recommend Under the Skin and Only Lovers Left Alive because I think you will find them annoying. If I think of anything more in the realm of realism I'll let you know.

Now I will have to add Caperaum to my to-watch list as well.

Yes, I think from now on he should be neither seen nor heard in all his movies. :laugh:

I was curious about whether it was really him under there, but according to Wikipedia, it’s him in most scenes. They used the art director in reshoots because he has a similar build.

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Happy Death Day (Christopher Landon, 2017)
(Recommended by @MovieFan1988)

I fully expected to hate this Groundhog Day meets slasher movie about a vapid sorority chick who must relive the day of her murder over and over until she figures out who killed her. As expected, it's not at all original. Our protagonist Tree (WTF kind of name is that, anyway?) is a narcissist who eventually sees the error of her ways and finds romance. And, like the killer in Scream, her attacker is a mysterious person in a black hoodie, with a creepy mask and a knife.

But I would be lying if I said I didn't have fun with it. It's funny in parts too and makes for a good bit of mindless entertainment. It has virtually no chance of making my ballot, but I wouldn't rule out a future rewatch and I'm happy to have seen it.

Yeah, I think it's just a fun movie. The sequel is also pretty fun, though not quite up to the level of the original.

When I heard the lead girl's name was tree I was like that too like wtf lol, but it's probably short for Teresa. I'm glad you had fun watching the movie.

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Acts of Vengeance (Isaac Florentine, 2017)

This did not have to clear a high hurdle to make me happy. I wanted and expected a dumbass movie in which Antonio Banderas looks hot and kicks ass. The movie could (and did) have plot holes, clichés, and dei ex machina galore and I wouldn't have cared as long as Antonio was hot and kicking ass. Well... Antonio certainly was looking hot and kicking ass, but here's the problem: Some dumbass decided that it would be a good idea for his character to take a vow of silence. Who the **** wants silent Antonio?! Nobody wants silent Antonio! His voice is one of the hottest things about him! Yeah, we still got it in voiceover narration but damn it, that's not the same and I hate narration anyway!

Stupid, stupid, crap. But he does still look really hot, so there's that.

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The Nice Guys (Shane Black, 2016)
(Rewatch)

This is a really fun movie, though it is perhaps a bit overly long and a little convoluted. It's got a great retro vibe to it, lots of atmosphere, and memorable characters. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Inherent Vice - though that movie is considerably more convoluted than this one. But the main attraction here is the great comedic chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling - the former a straight-forward, no bullshit strong-arm guy and the other a bumbling private detective. They are a blast to watch.

I will say that didn't vote for this in the comedy countdown because it'd been too long since I'd last seen it and it's definitely not a lock for this, but it stands a pretty decent chance of making the cut because I do love me some Russell Crowe.

I give a slight edge to Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, but The Nice Guys is also really solid.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is fun but I'm not crazy about it. I definitely prefer The Nice Guys, but I might be just slightly biased by how much I like Russell Crowe.

That's fair.

I saw Kiss Kiss Bang Bang first, and while I love The Nice Guys it does repeat some things from that earlier film so it doesn't feel quite as fresh to me. Crowe and Gosling are really excellent in the lead roles.

I find both films hilarious. I guess I just quote Kiss Kiss Bang Bang more often ("Who taught you math?!" or "He looked sad!") and I have a lot of fond feelings toward it.

Chronology could have something to do with my preference as well. I first saw The Nice Guys in the theater in May of 2016, then watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang about 4 months later for the 11th HOF.

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Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore, 2012)
(Rewatch)

This was not a rewatch that I needed to do. When it became clear that the 2010s were next in line for a countdown, I had absolutely no doubt that Wreck-It Ralph would be on my ballot at a very high rank. I rewatched it because I wanted to. Because I love everything about it.

And I mean everything. Even as someone who isn't really a gamer, the nostalgia factor and all the little references to classic arcade games is incredibly effective and wonderful to see. It also features incredible world building in the fictional games of its central characters. Sugar Rush especially has an incredible amount of tiny details and is filled with little sight gags, plays on words, and puns.

But of course the thing that is most effective is the touching relationship between its two outcast central characters and the way in which bad guy Ralph finds redemption and purpose. It's a movie that makes me laugh, makes me smile, and makes me sob - both tears of joy and tears of great sadness. I've probably watched this movie more times than I can count in the decade since its release, but I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it and I'll be incredibly unhappy if it doesn't make it onto the countdown.

I've dismissed Happy Death Day in the past because it's PG-13 but maybe I should give it a go.

I probably won't watch it again but I loved Wreck-It Ralph.

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Love is Strange (Ira Sachs, 2014)

When I first heard about this movie, I thought for sure I would love it. Touching on themes of love, loss, and learning to deal with change, as presented by a very capable cast, should have been a slam dunk. But somehow it wasn’t. Somehow this just seemed to drag, I couldn’t connect, and I found Lithgow’s character’s constant need for human interaction irritating. But all of these are really my problems and not the fault of the movie. It is well acted and tells a very human and authentic story, it’s just not a story that worked for me.

Funny, I just got Love is Strange in the mail from Netflix.

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Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, 2011)
(Rewatch)

An estrogen-soaked comedy about a couple of self-centered catty bitches vying for the favor of a bride that stars a bunch of people that I don't give a shit about should not be something I enjoy. I generally dislike live-action comedies, I hate weddings, and I'm a shallow bitch who prefers to watch movies with lots of men. Hot men, in particular, and Bridesmaids lacks hot men.

And the first time I saw it, during its theatrical release, I fully expected to hate it. I thought watching this would be a chore. But it wasn't a chore. I laughed, multiple times even, and I was rooting for Kristen Wiig's Annie to get the guy. Walking out of that theater, I thought surely it must've been a fluke. I must've been in just the right mood for it to work and that the situation certainly wouldn't be repeated. But I watched it again awhile later and somehow got the same result. Tonight's experience was no different.

I still cannot for the life of me explain what the hell about this movie appeals to me, because everything about it says it shouldn't appeal to me, but damn it, I like it. I probably won't end up voting for it, but I like it.

I didn't expect to like Bridesmaids either but it's probably one of the best comedies of the 2010's.

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Moana (Ron Clements, Don Hall, John Musker and Chris Williams, 2016)
(Rewatch)

A young not-actually-a-princess-but-is-a-princess voyages across the ocean (which is a living, sentient thing on its own somehow) with a stupid chicken sidekick (the pig was really cute, why TF did we get stuck with the damn chicken?) to find a shapeshifting demigod, so they can battle a giant lava demon and return the stolen "heart" (a glowing green rock) to a giant island goddess and save the not-princess's dying home island. Along the way they will fight a giant coconut crab - who lives in the realm of monsters and likes shiny things (and singing about them) - so that the demigod can get back his magic fishhook that allows him to shapeshift. They will also sing A LOT of songs and the not-princess will get encouragement and support from her dead grandma's manta ray spirit while the demigod will find the same in the little man that lives in his tattoos.

The plot of this movie just sounds stupider and stupider the more I write about it, yet somehow I actually managed to enjoy myself the first time I watched it. Well, I enjoyed myself when they weren't singing anyway - and I will say that the voice acting is solid and the animation is absolutely gorgeous. But every time I watch this movie I like it a little less and at this point I just don't like it anymore.

Re: The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown
 

Moana is great actually IMO. One of the better classic Disney films in general I'd say.

Love the not a princess but is a princess line. I think it’s very insightful into what’s going on with Disney. At the end if the day Moana is the same formula, for better and worse.

Yeah, the only real difference is that there's no prince. Romance is completely removed from the story. Otherwise it's the same old stuff.