Blue Valentine

BLUE VALENTINE (Derek Cianfrance, 2010)

Two people don’t enter into a relationship with the expectation that it will develop into something in which both parties are unhappy, but inevitably that’s how some of them turn out. The drama BLUE VALENTINE crosscuts between the beginning of a romance between Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) and a few years into their rocky marriage.

When they meet he works for a Brooklyn moving company while she is a student with an eye toward becoming a doctor. The future seems full of potential. Years later Dean is a painter, a job that affords him the freedom to start the day with a drink, she’s a nurse, and they have a daughter. In what feels like an attempt to reignite a marriage whose passion and hope has been nearly extinguished, Dean books a room in an out-of-town theme motel to take them away from the problems at home.

BLUE VALENTINE’S structure sets up comparisons and contrasts of the way they were and how they are. While this stylistic choice allows for acknowledgment of the most glaring examples of how Dean and Cindy have changed, by eliminating the messy in between days, the film skips the crucial journey from happy times to marital dissatisfaction. Neither half is instructive regarding the other. Knowing where the relationship is headed lends bittersweet notes to the scenes from the past, but the conclusions BLUE VALENTINE draws ultimately feel pat.

It doesn’t help that scenes from the start of their relationship suggest that they were never an ideal pair. The seeds of a romance that will turn rancid are visible early on. The film often seems less than charitable to Cindy and favorable toward Dean, which doesn’t add up if it is director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance’s intention.

Gosling and Williams deliver good, full-bodied performances that make BLUE VALENTINE impossible to dismiss completely. Dean playing his ukulele and singing to Cindy while she humors him and his proud presentation of a song that can be exclusively theirs show the tenderness and charm these two are capable of. The contrast is especially jarring when seeing them as hardened shells of individuals alone together and going through the motions of a loving couple in a cheap motel room. Gosling and Williams work hard to depict how much these people have fallen out of love. If only the screenplay had provided more of a foundation for sharing the pain in their crumbling relationship.

Grade: C

Marwencol

MARWENCOL (Jeff Malmberg, 2010)

The documentary MARWENCOL reveals the imaginative creations that bloomed out of tragedy and need for one man. On April 8, 2000 five men assaulted Mark Hogancamp outside a bar in Kingston, New York. He suffered brain damage, needed to have his face rebuilt, and was in a coma for nine days. Hogancamp also lost his memory of life before the incident.

Unable to afford therapy, he developed a unique way of rediscovering his identity and trying to recover. In his yard Hogancamp builds a World War II-era Belgian town he dubs Marwencol and fills its with dolls that function as the the alter egos of himself and those important to him. Hogancamp invests these dolls with his fantasies and photographs the scenes.

MARWENCOL provides a deeply empathetic view of loneliness and powerful evidence of art as an outlet. Director Jeff Malmberg exercises restraint and displays respect for Hogancamp as he freely and frequently talks about the pain of being alone. This artist born out of necessity discusses his alter ego and imaginary world with a depth of feeling that most would reserve for real acquaintances. Of course, the people in his one-sixth scale artistic fantasies do exist, but like his past, they cannot be accessed in the ways that he often desires.

Perhaps in a different vein Hogancamp’s channeled energies might come off as bordering on creepy, but within the context of self-therapy it seems like a healthy way to work out his demons. Some of the documentary’s most touching portions provide insight into the expressive and healing properties of the art on the creator. One storyline in his miniature world mirrors his attack. While it’s clear that the assault still haunts him, the Marwencol plot lets him manage his anger in a constructive way. The same applies to a secret revealed later on--and also echoed with his alter ego--that allows Hogancamp to feel more at ease about what makes him him.

A viewer of Hogancamp’s art remarks that the work distinguishes itself with its lack of irony. Malmberg’s documentary takes a great deal of care to duplicate that perspective on its subject. Hogancamp is not presented as a whimsical outsider with a monopoly on the answers to life’s problems or as an eccentric tortured genius. He’s simply a traumatized individual trying to do the best he can to pick up the pieces in a way that works for him and also happens to speak to others.

Grade: A

No Strings Attached

NO STRINGS ATTACHED (Ivan Reitman, 2011)

To Adam (Ashton Kutcher) the proposal sounds too good to be true. Longtime acquaintance Emma (Natalie Portman) suggests that they become, to use a euphemism, friends with benefits. As the film’s title explains, they’ll have sex with no strings attached. They won’t go on dates or take vital roles in one another’s lives. Developing feelings, like post-coital cuddling, isn’t just discouraged but is strictly forbidden. They’ll use each other for sex. That’s it.

The pact seems ideal for Adam, who receives this offer after coming off a bender inspired by learning that his ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Ophelia Lovibond) is now sleeping with his dad (Kevin Kline). After such an emotionally traumatic experience, he can limit his vulnerability if involved with Emma in a purely physical way. Plus, he’s been interested in her since they attended summer camp together as kids.

As with most deals that defy belief, being best sex friends is more complicated than Adam anticipated. He feels jealous of a co-worker who pays her attention and begins to crave something akin to a dating relationship. Emma rebuffs the idea and encourages him to sleep with another woman so they won’t become too dependent on each other. Inevitably, though, Emma regrets pushing him into someone else’s embrace while remaining uncertain of what she wants.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED entices with its libertine premise about the joys of relationship-free sex, but the come-on is really just a lusty tease for a standard romantic comedy. Aside from an early montage of Kutcher and Portman coupling in beds, showers, and storage closets, Elizabeth Meriwether’s screenplay ditches the central conceit to get down to the business of making the leads acknowledge their love for each other.

The problem isn’t that NO STRINGS ATTACHED resolves itself in traditional moral terms but that it lacks the conviction to explore the very basis of the plot. A better version of the film might still arrive at the same conclusion while also considering the dynamics of a sex-based relationship free of emotional ties. NO STRINGS ATTACHED doesn’t allow room for such reflection. Rather, it sees two attractive people and decrees that they should be together happily ever after. Leave it to Joe Swanberg or the French to examine hook-up culture.

Then again, maybe a more thoughtful approach wouldn’t have worked because Portman’s character verges on having a full-blown personality disorder. Her refusal to develop close connections to anyone indicates issues beyond a mere desire for casually indulging in pleasures of the flesh. Emma is written crueler than Portman seems capable of playing her, which makes for a lighter film and a fine bit of irony with NO STRINGS ATTACHED coming on the heels of BLACK SWAN. She and Kutcher make an appealing on-screen pair, although not one with much spark or color. They seem like nice but boring people.

The more interesting characters are hidden in the margins, and director Ivan Reitman gets his money’s worth when briefly giving them the spotlight. Stuck in the sidekick zone are Greta Gerwig, Mindy Kaling, and Guy Branum as Emma’s fellow doctors and roommates, Olivia Thirlby as her engaged sister, and Jake Johnson and Ludacris as Adam’s pals. NO STRINGS ATTACHED tends to perk up and be funnier when the extensive supporting cast chimes in with their opinions about the predicament Adam and Emma have boxed themselves in. It even produces a greater sense of romantic longing missing in the main couple when the attention shifts to the hesitant and flirtatious interactions between Adam and his infatuated co-worker Lucy (Lake Bell).

Reitman guides NO STRINGS ATTACHED with an old pro’s workmanlike abilities, but when it comes to love, sex, or just a couple hours at the movies, achieving efficient competence isn’t the most satisfactory outcome.

Grade: C

The Dilemma

THE DILEMMA (Ron Howard, 2011)

Best friends and business partners Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James) are in the middle of a major project that could make or break their auto design company when Ronny sees Nick’s wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) kissing another man. Ronny knows that Nick is already under a lot of pressure at work, so rather than drop the news on his friend, he attempts to fix the situation by talking to Geneva about it first.

When he confronts her, she threatens to to tell Nick about a one night stand she had with Ronny in college before she met her husband-to-be and lie about Ronny making advances on her for years. Due to the circumstances, Ronny can’t tell his longtime girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly) what he knows, so his secretive behavior makes it appear as though his gambling problems have resurfaced.

Rather than the rollicking comedy that the ads make it out to be, THE DILEMMA is more along the lines of THE BREAK-UP, another dramedy starring Vaughn that took a tougher look at trust in relationships than most of its cinematic brethren do. Although not without laughs, THE DILEMMA seriously examines the movie cliché of swallowing a burning secret and the ill effects suffered from doing so. Consider it a corrective to the hundreds of films in which a simple misunderstanding or problem could be cleared up if one person would simply speak up.

In this case, Ronny doesn’t have an easy choice. Withholding the information is ruining Ronny’s peace of mind and relationship with his girlfriend, but if he tells Nick, particularly at this sensitive point in time, the truth could wreck their friendship and company. Plus, it comes to light that Nick and Geneva’s picture perfect marriage may not be as unblemished as it seems from the outside.

The barbed humor comes in observing the smooth-talking Vaughn take his lumps as he tries to figure out the right thing to do while backed into a corner. THE DILEMMA requires a director willing to indulge the dark comedy to its fullest. One name that style doesn’t bring to mind for the job is Ron Howard, yet that’s who is at the helm. Howard tries to tame the film into becoming more agreeable and leaven the discomfort with good cheer and silliness.

The clash in tones reaches its apex with Ronny’s awkward speech at the anniversary celebration for his girlfriend’s parents. The train wreck of a monologue could have been a terrific summation of the film’s theme, but the harsh and misguided sincerity in it has to be exaggerated to the point that no one would blurt out the things Ronny finds himself saying.

In spite of its commendable aspiration to put a nuanced spin on the value of truth-telling in relationships, THE DILEMMA struggles to be honest with itself as to its sober nature.

Grade: C+

Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2010 Awards

For the 9th annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association awards party, I put together this piece featuring the winners and runners-up. The group's site also lists the 2010 winners, but this short delivers the information with a little more pizazz.

Country Strong

COUNTRY STRONG (Shana Feste, 2010)

In COUNTRY STRONG country music star Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets yanked early from her rehab facility and put back on the road to perform a trio of comeback concerts across Texas. Kelly’s drunken antics on a Dallas stage resulted in a public relations fiasco, not the least of which is because the pregnant singer lost her baby in the incident.

Her husband-manager James (Tim McGraw) is eager to get Kelly back in front of her fans and push aside the tabloid covers. Joining her on the road are up-and-coming singer-songwriter Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund), a rehab worker Kelly became familiar with, and precocious beauty queen Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester).

COUNTRY STRONG is essentially a TNN or CMT original production with a bigger star than would appear in a TV movie. With her regal bearing, Paltrow might seem miscast, but since Kelly is more countrypolitan than down home, she acquits herself well enough in the thinly conceived role.

Even with Paltrow headlining as a Shania Twain-type superstar, writer-director Shana Feste seems uncertain just exactly who the film is about. Kelly influences much of what develops, yet she’s off screen for long stretches and incidental to the major thread regarding Beau and Chiles’ complicated but thoroughly uninteresting relationship.

Is COUNTRY STRONG a cautionary tale about the burdens of Kelly’s fame? Is it a catty backstage drama about the rivalry between a potentially falling and rising star? Is it merely a glimpse at the inner workings of the industry from the perspective of newcomers Beau and Chiles? Like an electronic gadget that can perform multiple tasks but none of them well, COUNTRY STRONG attempts to address a variety of pitfalls in the entertainment business but doesn’t deal with any of them satisfactorily. Feste needed to make a choice rather than cramming three movies into one.

With so many storylines battling for supremacy, COUNTRY STRONG never conveys who these people are and is often inconsistent in portraying them. Kelly speaks of how love and fame are incompatible, yet the film does little more than give glancing acknowledgement of the necessity of placing publicity above personal well-being. Beau is supposed to be a rebel with artistic integrity, but he is easily and willingly coopted by the machine. Chiles is established as an ambitious careerist, yet she’s far too passive and uncalculating in chasing the golden ring.

Among its muddled subplots COUNTRY STRONG credibly features a lot of music. Since none of the actors seem destined for the Grand Ole Opry, it doesn't hurt that they are essentially performing pop with pedal steel guitar than being called on to pass as hardcore country and western artists. Adopting a twang and putting on the right clothes help them look and sound the part, but without a more focused screenplay better grounded in the industry, they're really doing nothing more than playing dress up.

Grade: C-

Ranked 2011 Film List

I attempted to keep two screening logs on this blog in 2010. The chronological list proved too daunting to keep up with, especially come the Cleveland International Film Festival, but I did manage to maintain the ranked film list. So this year I'm going to chuck the former and stick with the latter. It's probably more useful anyway.

Ranking of older films is more for informational purposes. It may or may not have any real apples-to-apples value.

Last year I experimented with the 100-point scale and liked it enough that I will stick with it. Letter grades will remain the official evaluations--it's what I use on the TV show--but I discovered that also using points allowed me to sort out the degree of my feelings about the films in question.

For what it's worth, 60 points equals the lowest total that still equates to a positive review.

A range=80-100, B range=60-79, C range=40-59, D range=20-39, F=0-19

Unrated means either that I felt I was too tired during the viewing (and may have dozed off) or that I did a sloppy job of record keeping and don't have a number available.

Last update: December 31, 2011
Total features: 331 (2011 qualifiers: 213)
Total shorts: 21

2011 Films

The Tree of Life - 96
Certified Copy - 92
Margaret - 90
Source Code - 87
Super 8 - 87
Take Shelter - 87
Melancholia - 85

Tabloid - 78 
50/50 - 77
The Descendants - 77
Martha Marcy May Marlene - 75
Of Gods and Men (Des hommes et des dieux) - 75
War Horse - 75
Contagion - 74
Putty Hill - 74
Arthur Christmas (3D) - 73
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (3D) - 73
Hanna - 73
Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life - 73
The Ides of March - 72
Beginners - 71
Crazy, Stupid, Love. - 70
The Interrupters - 70
J. Edgar - 69
Meek's Cutoff - 69
Midnight in Paris - 69
Senna - 69
Terri - 69
The Trip - 69
Cold Weather - 68
Project Nim - 68
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 68
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest - 67
Drive - 67
Friends with Benefits - 67
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3D) - 67
The Robber (Der Räuber) - 67
The Arbor - 66
Buck - 66
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff - 66
Fright Night (3D) - 66
The Guard - 66
The Human Resources Manager - 66
Moneyball - 66
X-Men: First Class - 66
The Devil's Double - 65
The Help - 65
Hugo (3D) - 65
The Muppets - 65
The Thing - 65
Dolphin Tale - 64
Margin Call - 64
The Mechanic - 64
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - 64
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles - 64
Submarine - 64
The Adventures of Tintin - 63
Hobo with a Shotgun - 63
Potiche - 63
Rubber - 63
Arthur - 62
Captain America: The First Avenger (3D) - 62
The Debt - 62
Everything Must Go - 62
Rampart - 62
We Bought a Zoo - 62
Winnie the Pooh - 62
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - 61
The Green Hornet (3D) - 61
Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires) - 61
The Housemaid (Hanyo) - 61
Puss in Boots - 61
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - 61
Water for Elephants - 61
The Adjustment Bureau - 60
African Cats - 60
Another Earth - 60
Footloose - 60
Limitless - 60
My Week with Marilyn - 60
Our Idiot Brother - 60
Paranormal Activity 3 - 60

Queen to Play (Joueuse) - 60
Real Steel - 60
Trust - 60
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil - 60
Win Win - 60

The Conspirator - 59
The Dilemma - 59
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 59
Jane Eyre - 59
The Rum Diary - 59
Young Adult - 59
Cars 2 (3D) - 58
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy - 58
Like Crazy - 58
The Lincoln Lawyer - 58
Page One: Inside the New York Times - 58
A Somewhat Gentle Man (En ganske snill mann) - 58
Weekend - 58
Attack the Block - 57
Bridesmaids - 57
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie - 57
The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2011: Live-Action - 57
Restless - 57
Kung Fu Panda 2 - 56
Rio - 56
Machine Gun Preacher - 55
Sarah's Key (Elle s'appelait Sarah) - 55
Something Borrowed - 55
Tower Heist - 55
Cracks - 54
Rango - 54
Born to Be Wild (IMAX 3D) - 53
The Big Year - 52
The Eagle - 52
Larry Crowne - 52
Straw Dogs - 52
Warrior - 52
I Am Number Four - 51
Immortals - 51
Fast Five - 50
The Hedgehog (Le hérisson) - 50
I Don't Know How She Does It -50
Miral - 50
Point Blank (À bout portant) - 50
Scream 4 - 50
Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Loong Boonmee raleuk chat) - 50
Life in a Day - 49
Paul - 49
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold - 49
The Princess of Montpensier (La princesse de Montpensier) - 49
Special Treatment (Sans queue ni tête) - 49
Bad Teacher - 48
Jack and Jill - 48
Mars Needs Moms (3D) - 48
No Strings Attached - 48
The Skin I Live In (La piel que habito) - 48
Unknown - 48
What's Your Number? - 48
Your Highness - 48
Film socialisme - 47
Green Lantern (3D) - 47
Happy Feet Two - 47
Life, Above All - 47
The Rite - 47
The Beaver - 46
Blank City - 46
Carancho - 46
Cedar Rapids - 46
Incendies - 46
The Sitter - 46
Soul Surfer - 46
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas - 46
Gnomeo & Juliet - 45
In Time - 45
I Saw the Devil (Akmareul boatda) - 45
Last Night - 45
Mozart's Sister (Nannerl, la soeur de Mozart) - 45
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (3D) - 45
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (3D) - 45
Cowboys & Aliens - 44
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Di Renjie) - 44
In a Better World (Hævnen) - 44
Super - 44
Take Me Home Tonight - 44
The Three Musketeers (3D) - 44
A Little Help - 43
Mr. Popper's Penguins - 43
Sucker Punch - 43
Texas Killing Fields - 43
Anonymous - 42
Black Death - 42
Delhi Belly - 42
Drive Angry (3D) - 42
Hall Pass - 42
The Hangover Part II - 42
Horrible Bosses - 42
A Lonely Place to Die - 42
One Day - 42
The Smurfs - 42
30 Minutes or Less - 41
The Art of Getting By - 41
Columbiana - 41
Dream House - 41
Final Destination 5 (3D) - 41
Insidious - 41
Johnny English Reborn - 41
Kaboom - 41
Mia and the Migoo (Mia et le Migou) - 41
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure - 41
The Future - 40
Hop - 40

Shark Night (3D) - 39
The Change-Up - 38
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - 38
Abduction - 37
Red Riding Hood - 37
Season of the Witch - 37
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 1 - 37
Thor (3D) - 36
Killer Elite - 35
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (4D) - 35
Priest (3D) - 33
Conan the Barbarian (3D) - 32
Beastly - 29
The Roommate - 26
Zookeeper - 26
Just Go With It - 20

New Year's Eve - 19
The Darkest Hour (3D) - 17
Apollo 18 - 15
Bellflower - 9
Battle Los Angeles - 2

Festival Films (undistributed/to-be-distributed)

The Loneliest Planet - 88
Goodbye First Love (Un amour de jeunesse) - 83

Life Without Principle (Dyut meng gam) - 79
Your Sister's Sister - 78
Damsels in Distress - 77
Crazy Horse - 76  
The Redemption of General Butt Naked - 76
This Is Not a Film (In film nist) - 75
I Wish (Kiseki) - 74

Trishna - 69
From Up On Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara) - 66

Miss Bala - 66
The Raid - 61

Killer Joe - 58
You're Next - 58
Oslo, August 31st (Oslo, 31. august) - 52
Outside Satan (Hors satan) - 48
Twiggy (La brindille) - 47
Keyhole - 45

Natural Selection - 43
(818) - 42
Twixt - 41

Girl Model - 35

Faust - unrated

Shorts (2011)

Small Fry - 69
Scrat's Continental Crack-Up: Part 2 - 57
I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat - 44
Hawaiian Vacation - unrated


Older Films

After Life (Wandâfuru raifu) (1998) - 100
City Lights (1931) - 100
Modern Times (1936) - 100
Metropolis (1927) - 100
Maborosi (Maboroshi no hikari) (1995) - 98
WarGames (1983) - 91
Badlands (1973) - 90
The Far Country (1954) - 90
A Matter of Life and Death (1946) - 90
Hadewijch (2009) - 88
The Kid (1921) - 88

Marwencol (2010) - 87
The House of the Devil (2008) - 84
The Thing (1982) - 83
Limelight (1952) - 80

Monsieur Verdoux (1947) - 78
Black Swan (2010) - 77
Days of Heaven (1978) - 77  
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) - 77
Back to the Future (1985) - 76
The Man From Laramie (1955) - 76
The New World (2005) - 75
Somewhere (2010) - 75
Umberto D. (1952) - 75
Adventures in Babysitting (1987) - 73
The King of Kings (full road show cut) (1927) - 73
Me and Orson Welles (2008) - 73  
Another Year (2010) - 72
I Am Love (Io sono l'amore) (2009) 72
Rabbit Hole (2010) - 71
Secret Sunshine (Milyang) (2007) - 71
The Docks of New York (1928) - 70
The Way Back (2010) - 70
Barney's Version (2010) - 69
Island of Lost Souls (1932) - 69
The Illusionist (2010) - 68
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (1994) - 68
The Ugly Duckling (Gadkiy utyonok) (2010) - 68
Back to the Future Part III (1990) - 67
The Great Dictator (1940) - 67
Waste Land (2010) - 67
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) - 66
Shoah (1985) - 65
Hamilton (2006) - 64
A King in New York (1957) - 64   
Louder Than a Bomb (2010) - 64 
Copacabana (2010) - 63
White Material (2009) - 63
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) - 62
Stalker (1979) - 62
Leaves of Grass (2009) - 61  
Vengeance (Fuk sau) (2009) - 61
The NeverEnding Story (1984) - 60
Only You (1994) - 60

All Good Things (2010) - 59
Made in Dagenham (2010) - 58
Win/win (2010) - 58
A Woman of Paris (1923) - 58
Autumn Gold (Herbstgold) (2010) - 57
Ne Change Rien (2009) - 57
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - 52
Blue Valentine (2010) - 51
Weird Science (1985) - 50
Back to the Future Part II (1989) - 49
Tiny Furniture (2010) - 48
Summer School (1987) - 47
A Small Act (2010) - 46
City Beneath the Sea (1953) - 45
The Last Boy Scout (1991) - 44  
Country Strong (2010) - 43
The Last Starfighter (1984) - 43
Inspector Bellamy (Bellamy) (2009) - 42
Biutiful (2010) - 40

Hayfever (Febbre da fieno) (2010) - 39
Nénette (2010) - 39
Almost Kings (2010) - 38
My Dog Tulip (2009) - 38
The New Protocol (Le nouveau protocole) (2008) - 36
The Black Hole (1979) - 35
RoboCop 2 (1990) - 35
Permanent Vacation (1980) - 34
The Transformers: The Movie (1986) - 33
Unmade Beds (1976) - 28  
Cremaster 3 (2002) - 22

My Science Project (1985) - 11
Amer (2009) - 9
The Aztec Mummy vs. the Human Robot (La momia azteca contra el robot humano) (1958) - 0
Pepperminta (2009) - 0

Close-Up (Nema-ye Nazdik) (1990) - unrated
Diary of a Country Priest (Journal d'un curé de campagne) (1951) - unrated
The Gold Rush (1925/1942) ("daddy" version) - unrated
Kuroneko (Yabu no naka no kuroneko) (1968) - unrated
Onibaba (1964) - unrated
Ran (1985) - unrated

Shorts

God of Love (2010) - 90
The Idle Class (1921) - 90
A Dog's Life (1918) - 74
Pay Day (1922) - 73
Scrat's Continental Crack Up (2010) - 72
The Pilgrim (1923) - 65
Shoulder Arms (1918) - 65
A Day's Pleasure (1919) - 61

Sunnyside (1919) - 57
Na Wewe (2010) - 56
The Crush (2010) - 52
Atlantiques (2010) - 50
Night Falls on the Ménagerie (2010) - 49
Wish 143 (2009) - 44
The Confession (2010) - 42
Hungry for Health: A Journey Through Cleveland's Food Desert (2010) - 42

Paradise Hotel (Hotel Rai) (2010) - 35