FIRST MAJOR PUBLICATION LISTS RELEASED

Cemetary of Splendor

Being the trend-setting snobs that they are, two of the film criticism world's finest publications have dropped their top ten lists early. This is to remind us that they've seen everything already. Cahiers Du Cinema, along with Sight and Sound, went along and named their favorites and got this horse race started. We can already see some frontrunners from these two lists alone, with several titles being named on both.

Cahiers' list is up first (with #1BM points awarded beside the entry):

1. Mia Madre (Nanni Moretti) (10 pts)
2. Cemetery of Splendour (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) (9 pts)
3. In the Shadow of Women (Philippe Garrel) (8 pts)
4. The Smell of Us (Larry Clark)(7 pts)
5. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) (6 pts)
6. Jauja (Lisandro Alonso) (5 pts)
7. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson) (4 pts)
8. Arabian Nights (Miguel Gomes) (3 pts)
9. The Summer of Sangaile (Alante Kavaite) (2 pts)
10. Journey to the Shore (Kiyoshi Kurosawa) (1 pts)


Sight and Sound's big picks:

1. The Assassin (Hou Hsaio-Hsien) (10 pts)
2. Carol (Todd Haynes) (9 pts)
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (8 pts)
4. Arabian Nights (7 pts)
5. Cemetery of Splendour (6 pts)
6. No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman) (5 pts)
7. 45 Years (Andrew Haigh) (4 pts)
8. Son of Saul (Laszlo Nemes) (3 pts)
9. tie
Amy (Aasif Kapadia) (2 pts)
Inherent Vice (2 pts)


OK. So we can already see the race starting, with two coming out of the gate strong. Will they hold out? Obviously, since these are just the first shots fired in a month long war. Things will definitely change. How? We'll have to wait and see. Here's how it stacks up so far:

1. Cemetery of Splendour (15 pts)
2. Mad Max: Fury Road (14 pts)
3. Arabian Nights (10 pts)
The Assassin (10 pts)
Mia Madre (10 pts)
6. Carol (9 pts)
7. In the Shadow of Women (8 pts)
8. The Smell of Us (7 pts)
9. Inherent Vice (6 pts)
10. tie
Jauja (5 pts)
No Home Movie (5 pts)

Oh, man, that Jauja movie looks awesome.

LET'S GET IT STARTED

For my own curiousity and for your information, I have decided to compile each and every end of year Top 10 films list, give points to each movie that gets a mention, and use those points to determine which movie is hands-down, the #1 best movie of the year. All of the major websites, magazines, newspapers, and television shows will be taken into consideration. Smaller ones will, as well, as I come across them. Points will be awarded according to their position on the list, starting with 10 points for the film listed at #1 and descending from there. For example, if BUTT NUTS is the #1 on Sight and Sound's list and ROCHELLE, ROCHELLE is #10, BUTT NUTS would get 10 points and ROCHELLE, ROCHELLE would get 1 point. In the case of ties for spots on a list, each film in that spot will get the correct pointage. Like, if BUTT NUTS and ROCHELLE, ROCHELLE both tied for ninth, they would both get 2 points. Got it? Good. I'll provide links to each list so you can keep track, too, and make sure I'm not cheating. To allow for latecomers and certain publications, the title of #1 BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR may not be bestowed unto a film until a few weeks into the new year. You got any predictions? Any favorites? Have you seen any lists I may not be aware of? Holler!