Our critics break down what goes into naming the best of the year.
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Alison Willmore:This was an overwhelming year in film.
I could have played catch-up forever and still not felt like Id seen enough.
But at some point, you have to call it.
Top-ten lists are always a personal snapshot of someones moviegoing year, but this year it seemed especially personal.
Bilge Ebiri:I really think a top-20 list often makes more sense nowadays.
Film critics tend to see more work than a lot of other folks.
I saw 145 new-release films last year, and that was a slow year.
(I saw 292 in 2015.)
Its just the nature of this specific beast.
It feels sadistic to have to choose from such a massive crowd of titles.
I already want to change my order because Im not the biggest fan of ranked lists.
This year I added a new criterion: Which films couldonlybe films?
Those questions led me to choose the impressionistic tone poem of a documentaryFaya Dayias my No.
It knocked me off my feet.
I go with my gut when it comes to picking a best of the year.
What film did I emerge from feeling the most giddy, or shaken, or transported by?
CouldEl Planetahave made it on my top ten?
BE:The biggest surprise (to me, at least) is my No.
I hope it has gradually accrued some kind of audience.
and was too busy with bigger titles (of course) to watch it in time.
(Judas and the Black Messiah,Im looking at you.)
It was such a disappointment after a banger trailer and more than a year of delays.
I was stunned that a film with so much potential could misunderstand the allure of the original.
And how do you render Yahya Abdul-Mateen II without a shred of his natural charisma?
I have also seenso manycovid movies now, and only two have been good.
I felt like Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show.
I actually talked to some programmers and theater managers about this, and its definitely a trend.
Bruce Goldstein of Film Forum calls them audience pictures.
John Vanco of IFC Center calls them art-house comfort food.
Theres a Wong Kar-wai retro at IFC Center thats been going on for over 20 weeks!
It forces me to pay attention with different care than at home.
But due to covid, I am hypernervous in theaters, which can actually diminish the experience.
AW:Its also a balm for my poor, pandemic-shattered attention span.
I am bad at home viewing.
If moviegoing is a luxury, its one Im willing to shell out for.
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