It’s getting toward the end of the week and we’re honing in on our top 10 movies of the decade, leading in with today’s #20-11. This list has been hotly debated and mulled over by our staff the past few months and we’re excited to have a complete list of the 50 movies that stood out to us most in the 2010’s thus far. The first half of the decade has been amazing, so let’s hope the next five years are just as memorable!

Be sure to read up on #50-21 and tune in tomorrow for the final ten films on our epic list.

Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far
(#20 – #11)

Take Shelter

Anchored by a breathtaking performance by Michael Shannon (a role that graduated him from “that guy” to “THAT GUY”), Take Shelter is one of the scariest films ever made despite not being a horror film. Shannon’s performance as a man losing touch with his reality while desperately fighting to protect his family has the complete spectrum of emotionally complexity—at times sad, at times terrifying, always intriguing. The themes are complex, too, ranging from climate change to the struggles of the middle class in middle America, from religious fable to mental health tale. There are films that can take on multiple readings, and then there is Take Shelter, which can be a completely different film for different people—for me, this is an incredible strength. And can we talk about that ending? OK, no spoilers, but the discussion on what the final images meant was some of the most invigorating discussion of film in 2011. Some saw it as a horror villain coming back from the dead in the final frames, some had the complete opposite view of hope that the main character was getting better in dealing with his sickness. No matter your reading of the final images, however, it is still one of the most visceral endings to a film this decade so far. [Aaron]

Certified Copy

Certified Copy, by inimitable Iranian auteur Abbas Kiarostami, is about a man and woman who, while on a stroll through Tuscany, fall into something that looks, sounds, and feels a lot like love. William Shimell plays a British author who on a book tour meets a local antiques merchant (Juliette Binoche), who insists on showing him around town while she picks and prods at his brain, absorbing and challenging his unconventional views on life and art. What at first appears to be a touristic on-the-clock romance á la Linklater’s Before films soon reveals itself to be something more abstract, puzzling and dreamlike, with the true nature of the characters’ relationship shifting from scene to scene. One moment, all evidence suggests they’ve only met hours ago; the next, they’re speaking as if they’ve been together for years and years. If watching Shimell (incredible in his first onscreen role) and Binoche (as ravishing as ever) verbally and intellectually spar while framed by sun-drenched vistas isn’t interesting enough for you, the mystery of how they actually know each other will keep you plenty engaged. You’ll find no concrete answers by film’s end, but you’ll be too thoroughly enchanted to care. [Bernard]

A Separation

There’s a reason Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation steamrolled through the festival circuit in 2011 as well as (or, even better than) any foreign art-house film in recent memory. It’s just that good. Detailing the troubling moments of an Iranian marriage, Farhadi finds a way to encapsulate worldviews, ideological perceptions, and every major component of family dynamics, into a two-hour roundhouse kick to the gut. Nader (Peyman Moaadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami) are the couple in question, and at the heart of A Separation is their 11-year-old daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi), torn between two loving parents. Most people in the West have never heard of these actors before this film, but they sure took notice when all three of them shared best acting honours at the Berlin Film Festival, where the film won the Golden Bear, on to its way to a Golden Globe and Academy Award. The realism created by the powerhouse acting, and one of the most perfectly constructed screenplays of the century so far, allows Farhadi to grow the story beyond the restrictions of a specific country’s conservative shackles, and into a fully fledged universal tale. When family gets in the way of family, and wrong choices turn to dire moral consequences, who can’t relate? Not an easy one for repeat viewings, but one that made a singularly deep impression in the past five years. [Nik]

The Hunt

I never thought I would hold in such high regard a film about a man wrongly accused of being a pedophile. And yet. From director Thomas Vinterberg and starring a ridiculously good Mads Mikkelsen comes The Hunt from 2012. The film is remarkably uncomfortable to watch, but not for why you might think. Yes, the topic of pedophilia is unsettling, but the fact that Mads’ character is wrongly accused—and the fact the viewer knows it—actually softens that portion of it. It’s the aftermath of the accusation that ratchets up the film’s intensity to unsettling levels. A man who was once a pillar of the community isn’t even afforded an “innocent until proven guilty” consideration. What the child said becomes gospel, the man she accuses becomes the cardinal sinner, and the small-town mob that once embraced him becomes the congregation looking to cast out the devil. And it could happen to you. Try to forget that after watching this. [Michael]

Black Swan

An artist’s pursuit of perfection and the starring role in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake causes her to unravel, losing touch with reality in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. This frightening psychological thriller may be writer/director Aronofsky’s most fully realized work to date, combining the intense terrors of his stylistic and shocking Requiem For A Dream with his more intimate, empathetic approach in The Wrestler. In fact, Black Swan shares a lot of similarities with The Wrestler in that both films feature performers that love their craft above all else, willing to sacrifice their own health or happiness in the hopes of achieving artistic integrity. As opposed to Mickey Rourke’s aging wrestler Randy “The Ram”, Natalie Portman’s Nina takes a path to artistic enlightenment that involves an uncertain blend of truth and fiction, which threatens to drive Nina insane. There are the paintings that move on the walls, the was-it-all-a-dream lesbian sequence and of course the most terrifying hangnail in film history. All these moments create an aura of anxiety until the film climaxes with a beautiful, stressful sequence during a performance of Swan Lake, one that Nina performs perfectly. However, was it worth what it cost her? [Zach]

Frances Ha

I often find my favorite films are ones where I feel both loathing and love, bewilderment and recognition, and where a perfunctory analysis just doesn’t seem to suffice. I’m not calling Frances Ha the great think-piece of our time, but Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig’s tale of a 27-year-old at odds with her life and in a place of limbo around her career, her love-life, and—most painfully to Gerwig’s Frances—her friendship with her best friend and roommate Sophie (Mickey Sumner), I was left with conflicting emotions. What stuck with me most about the film was the way in which I found myself identifying with this seemingly clueless character. Her behavior and conversations are so typical of the urban middle class artist of this generation, even if somewhat inflated. Her painful interactions with others as she ignores social queues, caught in a place of distracted self-absorption, only occurs when at the precipice of deciding who one wants to be. I identify because I went through it myself, but I appreciate it because Frances Ha captures a perfect snapshot of what is now the new norm among young adults—who seem to stay younger longer, but whose convictions, deep felt friendships, and ambitions are as strong as any generation before them. It’s a rare film that captures an emerging behavioral trend, finds the humor in it, but doesn’t degrade or condescend to its subject. [Ananda]

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a completely spellbinding film that grabs you from the first scene and doesn’t let go. The story of a girl trying to assimilate back into society after living at a cult commune, the film works subtly through its editing and performance to feel much more dangerous than anything you actually see onscreen. One of the best editing films of the decade, it whirls back and forth from past to present through match-cuts and other tricks. Its technique puts the viewer into the troubled mind of its protagonist. We’ve seen a lot of films about the cult experience—some of them are good, some bad, but none are as intensely felt as Martha Marcy May Marlene. With its parts, the film should feel cold and a little too calculated, but its movement gives it liveliness. While also being on the edge of my seat from the thrills, I experienced almost every cut with a “how did he do that” intrigue. This could have killed the momentum of the film, especially considering the tone of Martha Marcy May Marlene, but it works wonderfully here. Elizabeth Olsen’s debut performance (discounting a cameo role in one of her sisters’ films) is something special. She is partnered by John Hawkes in powerful role worthy as a follow-up to his Oscar nominated turn in Winter’s Bone, a similar character, but with an entirely different sort of intensity. [Aaron]

Carlos

If there was ever an unsung performance of the past five years it would have to be Edgar Ramirez’s portrayal of Venezuelan terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez aka ‘Carlos’. Ramirez gained and lost 35 pounds for different sections of the film. Ramirez is ruthless as the South American who will kill anyone, friend or foe, who stands in his way. Carlos started a worldwide terrorist organization and caused mayhem on multiple continents, bombing and shooting his way from one country to another. Oliver Assayas depicts all of this in a five and a half hour opus that is never boring for a single moment. Assayas shot the film in three different continents over seven months and while there are many memorable moments in the film (a lot of them are tense sequences involving some sort of mayhem) none stand out as much as the 1975 OPEC raid in which Assayas dedicated a staggering 120 minutes of the 330 minute runtime. The entire sequence feels like a movie onto its own (and honestly it kind of is its own film) but doesn’t feel out of place within the entire arc of the film. Carlos originally aired for French TV and was eventually shown in US theaters before Criterion released it for home viewing. Assayas’ film is monumental. A grand spectacle that is seen, by us at least, as one of the towering achievements of the last five years. [Blake]

The Master

There was quite a gap after Punch Drunk Love, but when Paul Thomas Anderson returned with There Will Be Blood, he returned like a boss. And then, The Master happened. The only straight line one could draw to it from anything Anderson directed previously was the director’s incredible knack for pulling out career-defining performances from his actors. This time around, it’s Joaquin Phoenix who gets to bathe in the cinematic glory of Anderson’s gift to turn the complex into the fascinating. Continuing his dig into the American past, The Master follows Freddie Quell (Phoenix, like you’ve never seen him before) as he wanders from one job to the next alongside thousands of other veterans of the Second World War. He meets self-made ideologue Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final masterpiece) and his wife Peggy (a piercing Amy Adams), and his life changes. Or, does it? This is PTA dabbling in psychoanalysis, toying with the origin of cults, and indulging in limit tests of cinematic storytelling. It’s dense, and it doesn’t as much as sniff at the thought of follow conventional three-act structures, which The Master turns into an advantage. I was left with an unquenchable feeling, egging me to return and repeat the experience. Also, it gets major bonus points for allowing cinematographer Mihai Malamare Jr. to make magic with 70MM. [Nik]

Whiplash

I didn’t see the short film that was Whiplash’s original format before watching the feature film, but I do recall thinking before my initial screening that a director as young and inexperienced as Damien Chazelle seemed unlikely to impress me. 100 minutes later I let go of my grip on my chair’s arm rests and reminded myself to judge not lest I be judged. I’ve seen Whiplash an additional three times since catching it on the festival circuit, always with friends who haven’t seen it yet and I’m constantly peeking glances to see if they get as worked up as I do. And I do. Every. Time. A simple enough concept, the film follows Andrew (Miles Teller), an aspiring drummer at an elite music school. The school’s bad-boy dictator of a conductor, Fletcher, recruits Andrew into his studio band and then proceeds to mentally (and sometimes physically) torture Andrew into being a better drummer. Andrew is pushed to the very edges of his sanity and his abilities, and the very real argument for how to teach talent and inspire genius becomes a battle of wit and stamina. Edited like an action film pulsing to the fast paced and sporadic beat of idiosyncratic jazz, Whiplash assaults the eyes and ears with the same vigor its main character uses to hit stick to drum. Oscar winner J.K. Simmons deserves every inch of that gold statue for Best Supporting Actor, playing Fletcher as calculatedly cruel and complexly evil. It’s the sort of role that comes around less than once a decade and Whiplash isn’t likely to see an equal any time soon. [Ananda]

See the rest of our Best Movies Of The Decade lists!

View Other Lists of this Feature:
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#50 – #41)
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#40 – #31)
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#30 – #21)
Best 50 Movies Of The Decade So Far (#10 – #1)

Over the past 28 years the Independent Spirit Awards have recognized and awarded independent films that often get overshadowed during the popularity contest that surrounds most award shows. Many of the previous Spirit Award winners are now household names (Darren Aronofksy, Coen brothers, Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, David O. Russell), and furthered their careers from the recognition they received. As we wait to see what films will join the already impressive list of former winners, our staff at Way Too Indie shares their favorite 10 Best Film Spirit Award Winners of All Time.

Fargo

When the Coen brothers gifted their sixth feature film, Fargo, to us in 1996, Roger Ebert called it “one of the best films I’ve ever seen.” It was, and still is, a virtually universal sentiment among movie lovers across the world, and the film stands as a shining star in the Coen’s ever-expanding oeuvre. The Coens represent independent film with Fargo as well as any film from the ’90s, setting their outlandishly funny tale in one of the most offbeat, curiously charming corners of the country, a stroke of genius. Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson is a treasure of American cinema, and the “Minnesota nice” accent worn by the cast is now inextricably linked to the film. Aside from the film winning the Independent Spirit award for best picture, the Coens won a BAFTA and Cannes award for direction, an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and McDormand won an Oscar for Best Actress. [Bernard]

Black Swan

After reinventing himself with The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky merged his new Dardennes-influenced style with psychological horror in Black Swan. As a ballerina slowly going insane as she fights for a lead in Swan Lake, Natalie Portman gave her best performance to date. The film was a smash hit too, earning over $300 million worldwide on a $13 million budget. Aronofsky’s visceral and elegant direction resonated with audiences, and understandably with Indie Spirit as well. With the $100+ million budgeted Noah coming out this year, Aronofsky has become yet another quintessential indie success story. [CJ]

Memento

Famously known for its backwards storytelling, Memento follows the story of Leonard, a man whose short term memory loss means he can’t remember anything since his wife’s brutal death, and his need to avenge her. As with any such thriller that involves the thorough confusion of the audience, plot holes could be found if we looked hard enough. But to do so would defeat the point – the film exists not to tell a story but rather to evoke an experience. Nolan’s film became a well known success not just because he could successfully tell his story in an untraditional manner, but also because this confusion was far more than just an interesting narrative device. The fact that we don’t know what happened 5 minutes prior to the scene we’re watching is incredibly effective in making us empathize with Leonard, who did know, but has forgotten. Paired with an astounding performance from Guy Pearce, it’s no surprise this film is ironically so memorable. [Pavi]

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine has always been one of those films you either love or hate. I’ve met plenty of people that have said that it’s outrageous awkwardness is a bit of a turn off, but others like my self have found that the inner quality and beauty of Little Miss Sunshine can have a profound effect. It’s a wonderful story focusing on the struggle a middle class family endures whilst traveling across states to get to a child beauty pageant. The family deals with a lot of problems that arise along the way and learn to make room for each others imperfections. [Amy]

Short Cuts

Robert Altman is a pretty huge deal when it comes to the Independent Spirit Awards. For most of his directorial career he was deemed as noncommercial by Hollywood, meaning he was limited in terms of budget and distribution compared to other prominent filmmakers at the time. The notorious director now has an entire award category dedicated to him at the Independent Spirit Awards, and a lot credit for this comes from his 1993 independent hit Short Cuts. Stacked with a bunch of stars (Julianne Moore, Tim Robbins, Andie MacDowell, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Lemmon), Short Cuts followed numerous strangers living in L.A. whose lives would eventually intersect with one another in various points. Altman’s masterpiece influenced other films with similar interweaving narratives like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. Having recently revisited the film, I can confirm Short Cuts still holds up 20 years later. [Dustin]

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook was also up for quite a few gold men at last year’s Oscars, including Best Picture, but winning Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards is a more fitting accolade for this black sheep film about, well, black sheep. The heart of indie filmmaking, while it might  have a lot to do with budget, is all about covering uncommercial topics, and a romantic dramedy involving two certifiably mentally unbalanced adults falls squarely into that category. This film stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a bipolar and recently released psych hospital patient forced to move back in with his parents while he works toward winning back his estranged wife. When he meets a depressed and aggressive widow, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, she promises to help him get his wife back if he agrees to dance as her partner in a competition. Together they develop their own kind of therapy in dealing through their issues, as well as find in each other a sense of sanity that works for them. David O. Russell’s adapted screenplay is hilarious but never makes light of mental illness, and though the cast is decidedly A-list, each of them gives a performance transcendent of genre or label. [Ananda]

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino’s second film cemented itself into pop culture history when it came out in 1994, and for good reason. Its dialogue, time jumping structure and circular storyline (among many other things) combined to make a wholly unique and wildly entertaining film. Audiences loved the film, and Tarantino’s distinct style made him become one of the most influential filmmakers working today. The Academy Awards handed their Best Picture statue over to the schmaltzy Forrest Gump, but time has shown that the Spirit Awards made the right choice. [CJ]

Juno

Charming, genius, quick-witted, touching, unique: all of these and many more similar adjectives are frequently used to describe Jason Reitman’s tale of a young girl and her journey through pregnancy. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t sing Juno’s praises, and this is with good reason. A beautiful script from Diablo Cody with excellent comedic pacing, a performance from the immensely talented Ellen Page that will genuinely make you fall in love, and a fantastic supporting cast, from Michael Cera to J.K. Simmons – this film has a whole lot going for it. More than anything, though, what really makes it stand out is that in the same instant that it makes you cry with laughter, it will make you cry with emotion. For every smart, snappy joke is an even smarter, thoughtful take on life. Juno, the 16 year old girl who is wise beyond her years, is a paradox; it seems only right that the film is too. [Pavi]

Lost in Translation

In 2004 Sofia Coppola took home spirit awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay in addition to the Best Feature award for her intimate mood piece Lost in Translation. Having already piqued the interest of the film world with her directorial debut The Virgin Suicides four years previously, Lost in Translation proved that she wasn’t just another Coppola, but an artist in her own right. She wrote the script based on her own experiences traveling to Tokyo in her 20’s and had Bill Murray in mind while writing to play Bob Harris, the aging movie star in the midst of a mid-life and mid-career crisis. This perfect tale of Bob and Charlotte, the young American wife left contemplating life as her husband photographs celebrities–played by a young but exemplary Scarlett Johansson–focuses less on love and more on companionship in the midst of life’s periods of question in quite literally a place of complete cultural confusion . Despite being oddly juxtaposed against the anti-indie-film-of-all-films, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which also came out in 2003, it speaks to the excellent filmmaking and performances that Lost in Translation held it’s own that year and continues to be a perfect example of the ingenuity the Spirit Awards strive to reward.  [Ananda]

The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky couldn’t have found a better suited star for his gritty character portrait of a deteriorating man who sacrifices his body and mind for his craft than Mickey Rourke. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a has-been professional wrestler who is a veritable amalgamation of many wrestling superstars from the ’80s (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Terry Funk, and more). Watching Randy’s life fall apart bit by tragic bit is painful, and utterly engrossing; a scene in which Randy holds his hysterically heartbroken daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) in his arms on the floor of her living room is earth-shattering. The film had stiff competition in the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards, running against Kelly Reichhart’s sublime Wendy and Lucy and Lance Hammer’s powerful, contemplative Ballast, which speaks to the idiosyncratic brilliance of Aronofsky and Rourke’s collaboration. [Bernard]

We have created a list of Vincent Cassel’s Most Seductive Roles to go along with the release of his latest role in Danny Boyle’s Trance, which arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on July 23rd.

It’s undeniable that French-born actor Vincent Cassel has a certain charm about him. Even when playing a darker character, it’s hard not to be intrigued by him. From abusive dance teacher to a robber rolling in money we’ll examine Cassel’s most memorable personas.

Thomas Leroy (Black Swan)

Thomas Leroy uses sexuality and psychology to train the ballerinas in his company. He pushes Nina Sayers to become a perfect Swan Queen and tries to bring out the darker side of the relatively innocent young dancer. Leroy’s creepy and abusive personality makes him an unforgettable character in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan that will haunt the memories of film-fanatics for years to come.

Vinz (La Haine)

In the French film La Haine, Vinz captured the attention of the audience who felt his anger and determination in finding vengeance for the death of his friend. Though Vinz desires to get revenge on the police force, he realizes that he does not have the heart for killing out of hatred.

Francois Toulour (Ocean’s Twelve)

As the wealthy Francois Toulour, Vincent Cassel portrays a robber who is well known for his ability to outsmart others. The dapper Toulour wowed the audience with his car, lakeside mansion, and smooth personality. Although he is one of the “bad guys” in the Ocean’s series, he is ranks as one of the most memorable characters.

Max Kerkerian (The Crimson Rivers)

Cassel was both brave and intelligent as French policeman Max Kerkerian in The Crimson Rivers. When Max teams up with a fellow policeman, the two work hard to uncover the truth behind some curious situations. Max is unwilling to leave questions unanswered and helps his partner through the process of searching for a cold-blooded killer.

Franck (Trance)

Cassel doesn’t look to disappoint in his latest role in Trance. Franck has a steamy relationship with a hypnotist by the name of Elizabeth, with whom he plans an intricately detailed heist. There is something alluring about Franck, who somehow escapes even the toughest of situations and is not what he seems to be at first sight.

Film Independent Spirit Awards is arguably the most important film awards of the year, however, it is easy to be over-shadowed during the award season by the Oscars. This is especially true if it is held just one night before.

Black Swan took home the most awards this year with 4 including most of the big ones including; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Female Lead and Best Cinematography. I am glad that Black Swan was the leader of awards because I think it was the best film of the year. Winter’s Bone had the most nominations going in with seven but only walked away with 2 wins for Best Supporting Male and Best Supporting Female.

There were not a lot of huge surprises, with maybe the exception of John Hawkes winning over Mark Ruffalo, and I felt like everyone who won deserved to win. The Independent Spirit Awards ended up being a great watch thanks to the host Joel McHale and all of the presenters.

See the full list of nominations

Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

Get Low, directed by Aaron Schneider; Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck

Daddy Longlegs

Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right

Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

James Franco, 127 Hours

Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone

John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone

Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

Exit Through The Gift Shop

The King’s Speech, Tom Hooper

Please Give
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sara Steele

Anish Savjani, Meek’s Cutoff

Mike Ott, Littlerock

Jeff Malmberg, Marwencol

Marwencol

The 2011 Oscar nominations were announced this morning with The King’s Speech leading the way for the 83rd Academy Awards. The film, which also led the Golden Globes nominations (but only took home 1 award), took 12 nominations which include; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Surprisingly, The Social Network only took 8 which tied Christopher Nolan’s Inception and behind Joel and Ethan Coen’s True Grit which had 10 nominations.

Another surprise was Christopher Nolan’s absence from the Best Director’s category. But another person’s snub is another person’s gain as Darren Aronofsky earns his first ever Oscar nomination for Black Swan in the Best Director category. Some say he was snubbed two years ago in that category for The Wrestler.

Even though there were a few surprises, most of the nominations were fairly predictable, especially if you paid attention to the Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations. Most of the leading nominations were mostly expected.

See who I predict will win Oscars

It was a very solid year for cinema making the award shows very interesting to watch as there was a lot of strong competition all around. The 2011 Oscar winners will be announced on February 27th (a day after the Independent Spirit Awards).

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 hours

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
The Coens, True Grit

Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Mike Leigh, Another Year
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson, The Fighter

Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 hours
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3
The Coens, True Grit
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone

Biutiful
Dogtooth
In A Better World
Incendies
Outside The Law

How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit

Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

“Coming Home”, Country Strong
“I See the Light”, Tangled
“If I Rise”, 127 Hours
“We Belong Together”, Toy Story 3

How to Train Your Dragon, John Powell
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech, Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours, A.R. Rahman
The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Barney’s Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Comes Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Ricky Gervais hosted the 68th Golden Globe Awards this year. Even though The King’s Speech had the most nominations with seven, it was rather unsurprising that The Social Network ended up with the most of the film awards that included; Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Original Score. I was very happy to see Natalie Portman won Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama, it was very well deserved. Glee had the most awards for TV with three total wins. I was happy to see Jim Parsons win Best Actor in a TV comedy or musical. Not only do I enjoy The Big Bang Theory but it was nice to see someone in a comedy or musical get some respect other than Glee. Here is the full list of winners:

FILM

Best Motion Picture – Drama:
The Social Network

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:
The Kids Are All Right

Best Director:
David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Actress – Drama:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Actor – Drama:
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best Actress – Comedy or Musical:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Actor – Comedy or Musical:
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Foreign Language Film:
In A Better World

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture:
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Original Score – Motion Picture:
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network

Best Animated Feature Film:
Toy Story 3

Best Original Song – Motion Picture:
“You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me”, Burlesque

Cecil B. DeMille Award:
Robert De Niro

TV

Best Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire

Best Comedy Or Musical:
Glee

Best TV Movie/Miniseries:
Carlos

Best Actress – Drama:
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy

Best Actor – Drama:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Best Actress – Comedy or Musical:
Laura Linney, The Big C

Best Actor – Comedy or Musical:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress – TV Movie/Miniseries:
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Best Actor – TV Movie/Miniseries:
Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

Best Supporting Actress – TV Series:
Jane Lynch, Glee

Best Supporting Actor – TV Series:
Chris Colfer, Glee

There were a total of 615 films that have been released in 2010. Here is the total list alphabetically, in case you need to make a Top 10 of 2010 or if you were at all curious (courtesy of indieWire).

[Rec] 2
127 Hours
16 to Life
180 South
2012: Time for Change
3 Billion and Counting
44 Inch Chest
45365
8: The Mormon Proposition

A Film Unfinished
A Film With Me in It
A Marine Story
A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Prophet
A Room and a Half
A Small Act
A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop
A Year Ago in January
After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United
After.Life
Agora
Ahead of Time
Ajami
Alamar
Alice in Wonderland
Alien Girl
All Good Things
Alpha and Omega 3D
Altiplano
American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein
And Everything Is Going Fine
Animal Kingdom
Another Year
Anton Chekhov’s The Duel
Applause
Around a Small Mountain
As Good as Dead
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
Audrey the Trainwreck

Babies
Barefoot to Timbuktu
Barking Water
Barney’s Version
Bearcity
Beautiful Islands
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
Behind the Burly Q
Beijing Taxi
Beneath the Dark
Best Worst Movie
Between Two Worlds
Biker Fox
Bitch Slap
Bitter Feast
Biutiful
Black Swan
Blood Done Sign My Name
Blue Valentine
Bluebeard
Boogie Woogie
Boxing Gym
Bran Nue Dae
Break ke Baad
Breaking Upwards
Breath Made Visible
Broderskab
Brooklyn’s Finest
Brotherhood
Budrus
Buried
Burlesque
Burzynski

Ca$h
Cairo Time
Carbon Nation
Carlos
Carmo, Hit the Road
Case 39
Casino Jack
Casino Jack and the United States of Money
Catfish
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Centurion
Chain Letter
Chance Pe Dance
Charlie St. Cloud
Cherry
Children of Invention
Chloe
Circle
City Island
Clash of the Titans
Clear Blue Tuesday
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky
Come Undone
Con Artist
Convention
Conviction
Cool It
Cop Out
Countdown to Zero
Country Strong
Crazy on the Outside
Creation
Cropsey
Cyrus

Dabangg
Daddy Longlegs
Daddy’s Home
Dancing Across Borders
Daniel and Ana
Date Night
Daybreakers
DDR/DDR
De Mai Tinh
Deadfall Trail
Dear John
Death at a Funeral
Defendor
Delta
Despicable Me
Devil
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Dinner for Schmucks
Disco and Atomic War
District B13 – Ultimatum
Dogtooth
Don McKay
Double Take
Double Tide
Douchebag
Down Terrace
Dream Boy
Dreamkiller
Due Date
Dulha Mil Gaya

Easier with Practice
Easy A
Eat Pray Love
Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl
Edge of Darkness
Eichmann
Enemies of the People
Enter the Void
Entre Nos
Etienne!
Everyone Else
Everything Strange and New
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Expecting Mary
Extraordinary Measures
Eyes Wide Open

Fair*Game
Falling Awake
Farewell
Faster
Finding Bliss
Fish Tank
Flipped
Flooding with Love for the Kid
Floored
For Colored Girls
For My Father
Formosa Betrayed
Four Lions
Frankie and Alice
Freakonomics
Fresh
From Paris With Love
Frozen
Furry Vengeance

Garbage Dreams
GasLand
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead
Get Him to the Greek
Get Low
GhettoPhysics: Will the Real Pimps and Ho’s Please Stand Up?
Ghost Bird
God of Vampires
Godspeed
Going Blind
Going the Distance
Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then
Great Directors
Green Zone
Greenberg
Grown Ups
Gulliver’s Travels
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
Guzaarish

Hadewijch
Handsome Harry
Happiness Runs
Happy Tears
Harimaya Bridge, The
Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suss
Harlem Aria
Harry Brown
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
Hatchet II
Have You Heard from Johannesburg?
Heartbreaker
Heartless
Helen
Hell on Wheels
Hemingway’s Garden of Eden
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno
Here and There
Hereafter
Hideaway
Hiding Divya
Holy Rollers
Honeymoons
Hot Summer Days
Hot Tub Time Machine
House
How Do You Know
How to Train Your Dragon
Howl
Hubble 3D
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, Rebel

I Am Love
I Love You Phillip Morris
I Spit on Your Grave
I Want Your Money
I’m Still Here
Idiots and Angels
In My Sleep
In My Sleep
In Search of Memory
Inception
Inhale
Inside Job
Inspector Bellamy
Iron Man 2
Ishqiya
It Came from Kuchar
It’s a Bash!
It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Jack Goes Boating
Jackass 3D
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
John Rabe
Jolene
Jonah Hex
Just Say Love
Just Wright
Karthik Calling Karthik
Kawasaki’s Rose
Kick-Ass
Killers
Kimjongilia
Kings of Pastry
Kings of the Evening
Kisses
Kites
Knight and Day

La Mission
Last Train Home
Lbs.
Leap Year
Leaves of Grass
Leaving
Lebanon
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole 3D
Legendary
Legion
Leonard Cohen Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
Let Me In
Letters to Father Jacob
Letters to God
Letters to Juliet
Life As We Know It
Life During Wartime
Like Dandelion Dust
Little Fockers
Living in Emergency
Logan
Looking for Eric
Lottery Ticket
Lourdes
Love & Other Drugs
Love Ranch
Lovely, Still
Lovers of Hate

MacGruber
Machete
Made in Dagenham
Mademoiselle Chambon
Make-Out with Violence
Making Plans for Lena
Manuela and Manuel
Mao’s Last Dancer
Marmaduke
Mars
Marwencol
Megamind
Mercy
Meskada
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One
Micmacs
Mid-August Lunch
Middle Men
Midnight Reckoning
Milh Hadha al-Bahr
Milk and Money
Mine
Misconceptions
Modern Love Is Automatic
Modus Operandi
Monsters
Morning Glory
Mother
Mother and Child
Mugabe and the White African
Multiple Sarcasms
Mundane History
Murder in Fashion
Music Makes a City
My Dog Tulip
My Name is Khan
My Soul to Take
My Year Without Sex

N-Secure
Nanny McPhee Returns
Ne change rien
Nénette
Neshoba: The Price of Freedom
Never Let Me Go
Night Catches Us
Nine Nation Animation
No One Knows About Persian Cats
Nobody’s Perfect
North Face
Nothing Personal
Nowhere Boy
Nuremberg restoration
NY Export: Opus Jazz

Ocean of Pearls
Oceans
October Country
Off and Running
Ondine
Only When I Dance
Open Five
Open Five
Operation: Endgame
Order of Chaos
Our Beloved Month of August
Our Family Wedding

Paranormal Activity 2
Patrik, Age 1.5
Peepli Live
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Perrier’s Bounty
Phish 3D
Phyllis and Harold
Picasso & Braque Go to the Movies
Picture Me: A Model’s Diary
Piranha 3D
Please Give
Pop Star on Ice
Pornography: A Thriller
Preacher’s Kid
Predators
Primal
Prince of Broadway
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Princess Kaiulani
Prodigal Sons
Punching the Clown

Queen of the Lot

Raavan
Rabbit à la Berlin
Rabbit Hole
Race to Nowhere
Rachel
Racing Dreams
Rajneeti
Ramona and Beezus
Rann
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
RED
Red Alert: The War Within
Red Birds
Red Hill
Red Riding: 1974
Red Riding: 1980
Red Riding: 1983
Red White & Blue
Remember Me
Repo Men
Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D
Restrepo
Robert Jay Lifton: Nazi Doctors
Robin Hood
Rosencrantz and Guildenstein are Undead
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

S&Man
Saint John of Las Vegas
Salt
Salt of This Sea
Saw VII 3D
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Secret Sunshine
Secretariat
Sex and the City 2
Shanghai Red
She’s Out of My League
Shrek Forever After
Shutter Island
Shutterburg
Skyline
Smash His Camera
Solitary Man
Somewhere
Soul Kitchen
South of the Border
Speed-Dating
Splice
Spoken Word
Spring Fever
Standing Ovation
Step Up 3D
Still Bill
Stolen
Stone
Stonewall Uprising
Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields
Sweetgrass
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo

Takers
Tales From the Script
Tamara Drewe
Tangled
Teen Patti
Terkel in Trouble
Terribly Happy
The A-Team
The Afterlight
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector
The American
The Anchorage
The Army of Crime
The Art of the Steal
The Back-up Plan
The Big Uneasy
The Book of Eli
The Bounty Hunter
The Cartel
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The City of Your Final Destination
The Company Men
The Concert
The Crazies
The Cremaster Cycle
The Debt
The Disappearance of Alice Creed
The Dry Land
The Eclipse
The Expendables
The Exploding Girl
The Extra Man
The Father of My Children
The Fighter
The Freebie
The Ghost Writer
The Girl
The Girl on the Train
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
The Girl with the Dragon Tatto
The Good Guy
The Good Heart
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
The Greatest
The Happy Poet
The Human Centipede
The Illusionist
The Joneses
The Juche Idea
The Karate Kid
The Kids Are All Right
The Kids Grow Up
The Killer Inside Me
The King’s Speech
The Korean
The Last Airbender
The Last Exorcism
The Last New Yorker
The Last Play at Shea
The Last Song
The Last Station
The Legend of Pale Male
The Living Wake
The Losers
The Lottery
The Magician
The Milk of Sorrow
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
The Nature of Existence
The New Year
The Next Three Days
The Nutcracker in 3D
The Oath
The Other City
The Other Guys
The Paranoids
The Parking Lot Movie
The People I’ve Slept With
The Perfect Game
The Portuguese Nun
The Red Baron
The Romantics
The Runaways
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret of Kells
The Sicilian Girl
The Social Network
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The Spy Next Door
The Square
The Strange Case of Anjelica
The Sun Behind the Clouds
The Switch
The Taqwacores
The Tempest
The Temptation of St. Tony
The Thorn in the Heart
The Tillman Story
The Tooth Fairy
The Tourist
The Town
The Trial
The Trotsky
The Trouble with Terkel
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Two Escobars
The Vicious Kind
The Virginity Hit
The Warlords
The Warrior’s Way
The Weathered Underground
The Wildest Dream
The Winning Season
The Wolf Man
Tibet in Song
Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives
Tiny Furniture
To Die for Tano
To Save a Life
To the Sea
Today’s Special
Toe to Toe
Total Badass
Touching Home
Toy Story 3
Trash Humpers
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Twelve
Two in the Wave

Udaan
Undertow
Unstoppable
Urville

Valentine’s Day
Valhalla Rising
Valley of the Hearts Delight
Vampires Suck
Veer
Videocracy
Vincere
Violet Tendencies
Vision
Visionaries

Wah do dem
Waiting for Armageddon
Waiting for Superman
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps
Waste Land
Watercolors
We Are Family
Welcome to the Rileys
What If…
When in Rome
When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors
White Material
White on Rice
White Wedding
Whiz Kids
Who is Harry Nilsson (and Why is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?
Who Killed Nancy?
Why Did I Get Married Too?
Wild Grass
Wild Target
Willets Point
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
Winnebago Man
Winston Churchill: Walking with Destiny
Winter’s Bone
Women Without Men
Wonderful World
World on a Wire

Yellow Handkerchief, The
Yogi Bear
You Again
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
You Won’t Miss Me
Youth in Revolt

Darren Aronofsky does it again. If you thought a film about ballet could not possibly be entertaining, think again. Black Swan overcomes the hype that surrounds it, a difficult and rare feat. It is a seductively sophisticated film with many layers that transforms from innocent to darkness.

Black Swan is about a ballerina named Nina (Natalie Portman) who works for a New York City ballet company. She is completely devoted to ballet and strives for absolute perfection, qualities that are well suited for ballerinas.

The director Thomas Leroy of the ballet company announces that a new rendition of the classic Swan Lake is the next production. He selects Nina for the lead, the Swan Queen. When the director announces that he is changing up the production of Swan Lake, he announces that the Swan Queen would play both the White and the Black Swan, we see the director’s body doubled in the mirror. Undoubtedly showing the contrast of personalities between good and evil.

Because Nina needs everything to be perfect in her eyes, it poses a problem when trying to get the Black Swan part down. She has a very fitting personality for the White Swan but The Black Swan is not supposed to be perfect, rather completely opposite. The Black Swan is also supposed to trick and seduce, which is exactly what the film does to us.

As she struggles with the demanding role, she gains added pressure as a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) threatens to steal the lead role. This new dancer is Nina’s competition and rival as Leroy takes notice of her Black Swan playing ability.

Yet the two dancers find themselves in a twisted friendship. Nina sees it as a chance to get into touch with her dark, Black Swan side. Lily sees it as a chance to get closer with the enemy. But in the end only one can succeed and play the lead role and both will go as far as they need to accomplish this.

Duality is showing throughout, sometimes even overwhelmingly. The film is about the contrast between black and white and good and evil. Nearly everything in the film, especially the clothing, is in black and white, giving us subtle clues of what is right and wrong. The amount of mirror shots are constant reminders of self reflection.

You can even see it in Portman’s character when she transforms from innocence to darkness. Which is why I think Natalie Portman deserves (and will win) an Oscar for the Best Female Lead. Portman is phenomenal and does it like no one else could. You can tell that she trained for 10 months for the role. She did most of her own dancing in the film.

What I found most interesting was how the production of Swan Lake was in a lot of ways what the film Black Swan is about. That adds layers in the theme of seduction and deception. Aronofsky brilliantly transforms a story about Swan Lake into itself.

Cinematography in the film is much like ballet; it was close, tight and perfect. The shots effectively showed the art behind ballet and not so subtle hints of contrasts of color. The visuals can be most effective with a well done score. Thankfully, Black Swan has that covered as well. Although, one cannot help but wonder why Thom Yorke’s Black Swan was not featured in this film. It would have been a near perfect fit for the film.

Black Swan is a wonderfully captivating film from beginning to end. It constantly tries to blur the black and white line between what is real and what is not. Much like Nina’s character, the film itself transforms from an innocence one to a dark and terrifying one. Although, I would not call it a masterpiece, it contains many elements of one. Easily one of the best films of the year.

The 2011 Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced today with Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone being the front runner. Winter’s Bone could be this year’s Precious as it has the most nominations this year with seven which include; Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay and acting nominations for Jennifer Lawrence, Dave Dickey, and John Hawkes. Some of the other major nominees include The Kids Are All Right which received 5 nominations, Black Swan and Rabbit Hole which received 4. All four of those films have a good chance at Oscar nominations as well.

Although, I have not seen the Duplass brother’s Cyrus or Philip Seymour Hoffman‘s Jack Goes Boating, I am a little surprised that they were not one of the major contenders. I suppose Jack Goes Boating did haul in 3 nominations and Cyrus did receive 1 for Best Male Lead. I would have thought they would have had some more praise considering the people behind the films. Also Best Worst Movie did not make an appearance for Best Documentary, bummer.

Joel McHale will host the 26th Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 26 which will air that night on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

127 Hours, Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson
Black Swan, Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver
Greenberg, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin
The Kids Are All Right, Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Winter’s Bone, Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole

Everything Strange and New, directed by Frazer Bradshaw; Producers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia
Get Low, directed by Aaron Schneider; Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck
The Last Exorcism, directed by Daniel Stamm; Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth
Night Catches Us, directed by Tanya Hamilton; Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons
Tiny Furniture, directed by Lena Dunham; Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering

Daddy Longlegs, written and directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie; Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott
The Exploding Girl, written and directed by Bardley Rust Gray; Producers: Karen Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim
Lbs., directed by Matthew Bonifacio, written by Matthew Bonifacio and Carmine Famiglietti; Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti
Lovers of Hate, written and directed by Bryan Poyser; Producer: Megan Gilbride
Obsedila, written and directed by Diane Bell; Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin

Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone
Nicole Holofcener, Please Give
David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole
Todd Solondz, Life During Wartime

Diane Bell, Obselidia
Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture
Nik Fackler, Lovely, Still
Bob Glaudini, Jack Goes Boating
Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener, Monogamy

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Greta Gerwig, Greenberg
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Ronald Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs
Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole
James Franco, 127 Hours
John C. Reilly, Cyrus
Ben Stiller, Greenberg

Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism
Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone
Allison Janney, Life During Wartime
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jack Goes Boating
Naomi Watts, Mother and Child

John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Samuel L. Jackson, Mother and Child
Bill Murray, Get Low
John Ortiz, Jack Goes Boating
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Adam Kimmel, Never Let Me Go
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Jody Lee Lipes, Tiny Furniture
Michael McDonough, Winter’s Bone
Harris Savides, Greenberg

Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy
Marwencol, Jeff Malmberg
Restrepo, Tim Hetherington, Sebastien Junger
Sweetgrass, Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Thunder Soul, Mark Landsman

Kisses, Lance Daly
Mademoiselle Chambon, Stéphane Brizé
Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois
The King’s Speech, Tom Hooper
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Please Give
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sara Steele

In-Ah Lee, Au Revoir Taipei
Adele Romanski, The Myth of the American Sleepover
Anish Savjani, Meek’s Cutoff

Hossein Keshavarz, Dog Sweat
Laurel Nakadate, The Wolf Knife
Mike Ott, Littlerock

Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Sweetgrass
Jeff Malmberg , Marwencol
Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Summer Pasture