Comments on: Row Three’s TOP TEN FILMS of 2009

By: My A-List « Indiewood

My A-List « Indiewood — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:50:48 +0000

[...] Gary King is a contemporary DIY American filmmaker whose work is known for powerful performances with an emphasis on a strong, visual style. He has written, directed and produced several critically acclaimed feature films as well as award-winning short films.In 2009, he made his feature film debut with the ensemble drama NEW YORK LATELY which has been hailed by The Independent Critic as “a remarkable achievement” and Row Three as “a beautiful film” making its Top Ten Films of 2009 List. [...]

By: Andrew James

Andrew James — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:12:24 +0000

Just noticed Kurt dropped in Mary and Max in his “wish I would’ve seen” list above. I can say that movie is certainly an underseen gem. Possibly the best animated film of 2009 – certainly better than Pixar’s Up after re-watching that.

By: I’ll be a guest panelist on @scripchat February 28 «

I’ll be a guest panelist on @scripchat February 28 « — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:04:35 +0000

[...] Critic as “a remarkable achievement” and Row Three as “a beautiful film” making its Top Ten Films of 2009 List. It was also listed on Associated Content’s “Best Independent Movies” List — right behind [...]

By: Rams Head The Blog Rams Head The Blog - Food Fun and Beer

Rams Head The Blog Rams Head The Blog - Food Fun and Beer — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:39:01 +0000

By: Jonathan B.

Jonathan B. — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:50:46 +0000

It certainly isn’t a life changing movie, but it’s a movie I’m going to watch twenty years from now and still have a hell of a time. The first time I heard “bonjourno” in the theater… I’m not sure if I have ever laughed that hard during a movie.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:01:36 +0000

Agreed that as a film, the showy confidence of Inglourious Basterds (as in “oooh, this part is Awesome!”) is pretty infectious.

By: Jandy Stone

Jandy Stone — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:08:31 +0000

Great list, Jonathan! I just watched Inglourious Basterds again tonight, and it’s still just as amazing as it was the first time. Every scene I kept going “oh, this part is AWESOME.”

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:38:25 +0000

While I still have plenty to watch this year (Fisk Tank, Precious, Crazy Heart, A Single Man, The Hurt Locker, The Girlfriend Experience), here is my tentative top ten of 2009:

10. Funny People
9. An Education
8. Where the Wild Things Are
7. The Road
6. Ink
5. A Serious Man
4. Moon
3. (500) Days of Summer
2. Up in the Air
1. Inglourious Basterds

My top five, I feel very, very strongly about. The others, I could see getting bumped off or reshuffled when I watch what I have remaining to watch.

By: Wrapping Up 2009: My Favorite Movies | Jandy's Meanderings

Wrapping Up 2009: My Favorite Movies | Jandy's Meanderings — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:14:52 +0000

[...] list making (not only of the year but of the decade in many cases) is starting to wind down. My top ten films of 2009 and my top ten of the decade are posted over on Row Three, so this post is opened up to everything [...]

By: Seanithan

Seanithan — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:59:36 +0000

Dear John,
How do you “have no interest in the Black Freighter”? It’s a part of the story just the same as the rest of it. Plus, it’s pretty shweet. Watch the director’s cut with the black freighter interwoven. It’s well done, I do think.

By: John O'Neil

John O'Neil — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:09:09 +0000

Props to Andrew for having the best list…or at least the one most similar to my own.

By: kitchentablefilms.com » Blog Archive » NEW YORK LATELY

kitchentablefilms.com » Blog Archive » NEW YORK LATELY — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:48:35 +0000

[...] Row Three | NY Lately named One of the Ten Best of 2009 [...]

By: Andrew James

Andrew James — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:11:16 +0000

Oh, and the slight reflection added to the bottom of Sam Rockwell’s feet.

By: Andrew James

Andrew James — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:09:24 +0000

My favorite thing about the banner above is the almost hidden nod to Antichrist but actually takes up about 3/4 of the entire image.

By: Marina Antunes

Marina Antunes — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:45:13 +0000

That banner is VERY sweet.

On THE ROAD, I too enjoyed it quite a bit but not enough to put it on my list. And I don’t have the book to blame because I didn’t care for it all that much either.

And I didn’t mean anything by the fact that only one of the films on my list made the consensus list. It’s just funny that a similar thing happened last year. It always surprises me that as much as we may agree throughout the year, when it comes down to our favourites – we’re all very different.

By: Andrew James

Andrew James — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:11:51 +0000

Oh, and thanks on the banner. I was going to put up a link o the hi-res version if anyone wants more detail. I’ll try to remember to do that over the weekend.

By: Andrew James

Andrew James — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:11:11 +0000

It’s weird. Children of Men only appears on two lists. Mine and Jonathan. Both of us have it right around #50. Funny, I think that’s a film that deserves more scrutiny and probably a much higher spot than it got. Not sure what the problem is there. Especially after listening to Sean talk about it on the FJ podcast (as their #2 of the decade).

By: Emma

Emma — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:49:33 +0000

Awesome consensus list! I wonder were Children of Men exists in this list extravaganza, and although on the cusp (2000) Almost Famous?

And did anyone note that GLORIOUS BANNER!!!!

By: David Brook

David Brook — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:41:23 +0000

I managed to catch Fish Tank on Tuesday (I posted a comment on Jandy’s review) and it was too late for this list, but I would have put it in at number 6, pushing Up out of my list.

By: Row Three » Row Three's TOP TEN FILMS of 2009 - Where Cinema is … :thebiggeststars.co.cc

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:23:41 +0000

[...] rest is here: Row Three » Row Three's TOP TEN FILMS o&#… Share and [...]

By: Jandy

Jandy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:07:32 +0000

I can do that too, John. :p How about this: if next year’s list isn’t a perfect composite of our two lists, we turn the site into a circa 1997 GeoCities site clone?

Mike, I agree on not trying to project ten years into the future and guess what I’ll think. It’s a fun thought experiment, but it doesn’t really enter into my valuation. I’ve used that timespan a time or two in recent comments not because I’m projecting my critique that far into the future, but because it’s a nice round number and I know that the films I loved (and hated) ten years ago aren’t the ones I love and hate now. Ten years is a good time span for revaluation.

As far as focusing on what you feel now…what I feel right when I walk out of a film is often just as dependent on whether the sun’s shining when I leave the theatre or if it’s raining or if I spent the last five minutes dying to go the bathroom or if there was a group of annoying teenagers near me. My attempts to think through a film over the next weeks are attempts to mitigate those biases.

By: Mike Rot

Mike Rot — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:51:48 +0000

I agree, but focus on what it makes you feel now rather than what it may or may not make you feel later seems like a pretty logical approach. and if you have only seen a film once and you think it has no rewatch value that to me doesn’t necessary make it a lesser film, or even affect how I think of the film.

By: Andrew James

Andrew James — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:39:43 +0000

So at least you agree that subsequent viewings of a movie can affect its position on a person’s list over time (and if that experience grows, the film’s status should as well).

I agree with you that pretending to know how you’ll feel about a movie in 10 years maybe isn’t the best way to critique a film. But with something like Fantastic Mr. Fox, I think an argument can be made that it is timeless. And for me, that word is a positive thing for a film and not a negative. Therefore, just one more piece of data (weighed however much stock one wants to put into something like that) to include when deciding where it should go on one’s list.

By: John Allison

John Allison — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:37:37 +0000

The “consensus” lists never really work out unless we all sat around a table for 10 hours arguing each and every movie over. Filmjunk did theirs for the decade and their picks had to be on everyone’s list. This has its pluses but also negatives. Perhaps we could have said that movies had to be on at least 3 lists or perhaps 4.

Oh and I trump everyone cause I totally destroy the site with my mad coding skills…. not that I would although maybe next year the consensus list should look a lot more like mine.

By: Mike Rot

Mike Rot — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:27:25 +0000

arbitrary? well our tastes change as we change, if you mean not static, then absolutely. The difference is I am not predicting what the future will hold for the film and adding that to the value, I am taking stock of it right now. We are almost treading into Hurley time travel conversation here, but the present is not a fixed point, its wherever you are at when you think of it.