20 February 2017

Skandiewrap, or More Than You Wanted to Know

Not a whole lot to say about this year's winner, which debuted in January—our first Sundance champ since Grizzly Man (and only our second overall, versus a whopping 13/22 winners to date that premiered at Cannes)—and remained the film to beat pretty much until the final bell. I briefly had some hope for Toni Erdmann, given its rapturous initial reception (and my own belief that it's the year's finest), but it proved to be somewhat divisive among the AVB; the Sallittists, in particular, were unimpressed, with one of them not even bothering to see it until post-deadline (and then filing the expected "meh"). In the end, Paterson wound up edging past Ade's film for second place, by a 2-point margin, and Jarmusch unexpectedly (at least to me) was voted Best Director, with Lonergan finishing way down in 7th...which is exactly where Herzog placed for Grizzly Man in 2005. Hmm.

Most of the acting categories were equally predictable—although Huppert, who I'd assumed to be a total lock*, in fact had very serious competition. Indeed, she was in 4th place for much of the balloting, only pulling ahead of Braga, Hüller and Hall in the final hours. Still, she finished with a healthy 28-point margin, whereas last year a mere three points separated winner Rooney Mara and runner-up Nina Hoss. Affleck and Gladstone, by contrast, both won by 100+ landslides, and I never imagined any other result in either case. Supporting Actor was the only race in which the outcome seemed to me uncertain, mostly because of possible vote-splitting among Moonlight's male cast. (Mahershala Ali won the lion's share of the critics' awards, but the film's tripartite structure led most Skandie voters to place every actor in Supporting, since they were all absent from two out of three sections. Ali placed 4th, Trevante Rhodes 10th, and André Holland 12th.) In hindsight, I should have realized that the winner would almost surely be one of two bumbling comic performances, both of which I voted for myself. That's Ed, Glen Powell, who created the ultimate '70s-into-'80s charming meathead for Richard Linklater, in a film virtually everyone saw, yet wound up in a distant 9th place, wuz robbed.

* Confession: Not only am I one of the few people who didn't vote for Huppert in any of her three films this year, I'm not sure that I've ever voted for her, in anything. Maybe 8 Women or I ♥ Huckabees. (I don't have individual ballots from prior to 2006, when Mark Pittillo created the online version.) She's a reliably fine actor, but she rarely surprises me; her performance in Elle is exactly what I'd expect from her, given the film's basic premise. A little too much sangfroid, perhaps.

Okay, on to the number-crunching. (Many of you will want to check out at this point.) What follows are the stats I used to send out to voters (via snail mail!) back in the '90s, which I still maintain for my own obsessive amusement.



HIGHEST AVERAGE RATING (1996–2016)
(includes only films receiving a minimum of ten votes)

01. 3.65 The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
02. 3.61 Being John Malkovich (1999)
02. 3.61 A Separation (2011)
04. 3.58 Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
05. 3.57 In the Company of Men (1997)
06. 3.56 Secrets & Lies (1996)
07. 3.53 La Promesse (1997)
08. 3.52 Yi Yi (A One and a Two…) (2000)
09. 3.50 From the Journals of Jean Seberg (1996)
10. 3.49 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

It's nearly impossible for new films to make this list, due to a significant uptick in voter stinginess with high ratings since the '90s. This year's highest-rated film, O.J.: Made in America, is a fair distance away (3.41).



LOWEST AVERAGE RATING (1996–2016)
(includes only films receiving a minimum of five votes)

01. 0.20 Date Movie (2006)
01. 0.20 America (2014)
03. 0.50 Collateral Beauty (2016)
04. 0.58 Miss March (2009)
05. 0.60 Dragonfly (2002)
06. 0.61 The Roommate (2011)
07. 0.67 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)
07. 0.67 The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015)
09. 0.70 Beastly (2011)
09. 0.70 Left Behind (2014)

Collateral Beauty finally knocks out The Mod Squad, which had hung around for 17 years.



MOST DIVISIVE FILMS (2016)
(std. deviation >= 0.75; minimum 2 votes 3.5 or higher, 2 votes 1.5 or lower)


  • The Jungle Book (0.79)
  • Mountains May Depart (0.79)
  • Krisha (0.78)

  • Very few films qualified this year, for some reason. Silence has a very high deviation (0.92), but that's due to a single zero-star vote from noted Scorsese hater Dan Sallitt. Same with Tower (0.86): one zero from Josh Rothkopf, no other haters. Same with Zootopia (0.75), somehow—not sure how anyone finds that film completely worthless (and I say that as someone who wasn't a big fan), but whatever. Knight of Cups, which I'd expected to see here, just missed the cutoff with 0.71.



    BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    (lowest-ranked film seen by at least 75% of respondents)

    1996: Twister (1.80)
    1997: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (2.33)
    1998: He Got Game (2.59)
    1999: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (2.18)
    2000: Nurse Betty (2.31)
    2001: Vanilla Sky (2.20)
    2002: Storytelling (2.03)
    2003: The Matrix Reloaded (2.29)
    2004: The Village (2.30)
    2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2.49)
    2006: Little Miss Sunshine (2.52)
    2007: Ocean's Thirteen (2.52)
    2008: Milk (2.83)
    2009: The Hangover (2.35)
    2010: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2.71)
    2011: Midnight in Paris (2.47)
    2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2.37)
    2013: American Hustle (2.50)
    2014: Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2.44)
    2015: While We're Young (2.67)
    2016: Knight of Cups (2.52)

    First time this award has ever gone to a film that made the Best Picture list. (See also the next item.)



    PASSIONATE MINORITY AWARD
    (lowest average among top 20 films in Picture voting)

    1996: Dead Man (2.94)
    1997: Crash (2.52)
    1998: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (2.68)
    1999: The End of the Affair (2.96)
    2000: Requiem for a Dream (2.73)
    2001: Amélie (2.71)
    2002: 8 Women (2.79)
    2003: The Good Thief (2.81)
    2004: I ♥ Huckabees (2.84)
    2005: Oldboy (2.68)
    2006: Manderlay (2.69)
    2007: Once (2.79)
    2008: Funny Games (2.83)
    2009: A Serious Man (2.83)
    2010: The Exploding Girl (2.75)
    2011: Shame (2.63)
    2012: Damsels in Distress (2.76)
    2013: Spring Breakers (2.72)
    2014: Goodbye to Language (2.64)
    2015: The Assassin (2.73)
    2016: Knight of Cups (2.52)

    I've been waiting 20 years for a film to beat Crash's record for the lowest average ever—that's Cronenberg's Crash, not Haggis'—and it still hasn't happened. But Knight of Cups does tie it.



    DAMNED WITH FAINT PRAISE
    (highest-ranked film by average rating not to place in Picture voting [10+ voters] )

    1996: Get on the Bus (3.29)
    1997: Forgotten Silver (3.36)
    1998: The Kingdom II (3.14)
    1999: My Name Is Joe (3.18)
    2000: Erin Brockovich (3.14)
    2001: No Man’s Land (3.19)
    2002: Roger Dodger (3.14)
    2003: The Weather Underground (3.18)
    2004: Bright Leaves (3.16)
    2005: Howl's Moving Castle (3.15)
    2006: The Devil and Daniel Johnston (3.18)
    2007: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (3.25)
    2008: The Duchess of Langeais (3.20)
    2009: Night and Day (3.07)
    2010: Another Year (3.21)
    2011: Senna (3.07)
    2012: The Imposter (3.10)
    2013: Drug War (3.17)
    2014: National Gallery (3.25)
    2015: The Look of Silence (3.28)
    2016: I Am Not Your Negro (3.18)

    Increasingly, this "honor" goes to a documentary—five times out of the last six years. The highest-rated fiction film that missed was Love & Friendship (3.15), with Hell or High Water and Aquarius (both 3.13) right behind.



    DAMN THE REVIEWS, FULL SPEED AHEAD
    (lowest average among films seen by at least 10 respondents)

    1996: Twister (1.80)
    1997: Batman & Robin (1.28)
    1998: The Avengers | Stepmom [tie] (1.50)
    1999: Jawbreaker (1.14)
    2000: Pay It Forward (1.41)
    2001: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (1.26)
    2002: Scooby-Doo (1.08)
    2003: Bad Boys II (1.60)
    2004: Exorcist: The Beginning (1.21)
    2005: Undead (1.29)
    2006: The Hills Have Eyes (1.65)
    2007: Smokin' Aces (1.64)
    2008: Jumper (1.54)
    2009: Gigantic (1.00)
    2010: The Last Airbender (1.05)
    2011: Vanishing on 7th Street (1.55)
    2012: This Means War (1.50)
    2013: Gangster Squad (1.29)
    2014: That Awkward Moment (1.45)
    2015: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (1.79)
    2016: Zoolander 2 (1.60)

    I'm gonna ignore this year's winner and just delight again in how much we correctly hated Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. 



    SELECTION COMMITTEE ON CRACK
    (lowest average for a film that screened at the New York Film Festival)
    (post-expansion: Main Slate only)

    1996: Flirt (2.20)
    1997: Kiss or Kill (1.79)
    1998: Voyage to the Beginning of the World (1.80)
    1999: Dogma (1.89)
    2000: Before Night Falls (2.31)
    2001: La Ciénaga (1.95)
    2002: In Praise of Love (1.95)
    2003: Chi-Hwa-Seon: Painted Fire (2.19)
    2004: Free Radicals (2.08)
    2005: Palindromes (2.15)
    2006: Rolling Family (1.83)
    2007: The Go Master (1.93)
    2008: Married Life (2.25)
    2009: The Windmill Movie (2.13)
    2010: Hereafter (2.05)
    2011: We Are What We Are (1.64)
    2012: Hyde Park on Hudson (1.69)
    2013: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1.92)
    2014: Child of God (2.00)
    2015: The Princess of France (2.42)
    2016: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2.10)

    There were some real dogs from the Cannes and Venice competition slates this year—The Sea of Trees (1.79), Chronic (1.75), 11 Minutes (1.67)—but NYFF wisely passed on all of them.



    ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)
    (suggested by Alex Fung; lowest average for a film that received a 4-star rating

    1996: The Stupids (2.30) | Bryan “Frankenseuss” Theiss (ret.)
    1997: Kissed (2.46) | Alex Fung
    1998: Psycho (2.11) | Erik Gregersen (ret.)
    1999: Twin Falls Idaho (2.28) | Milton Lawson (ret.)
    2000: Beautiful People (2.29) | Keith Collins (ret.)
    2001: The Road Home (1.88) | Erik Gregersen (ret.)
    2002: In Praise of Love (1.95) | Jeremy Heilman
    2003: Gigli (1.92) | Jeremy Heilman
    2004: The Passion of the Christ (2.18) | Victor J. Morton
    2005: The Brothers Grimm (2.29) | Bilge Ebiri
    2006: The Fountain (2.21) | Peter Reiher
    2007: Southland Tales (1.88) | Dave Cowen; Jeremy Heilman
    2008: Jellyfish (2.36) | Daniel Waters
    2009: 12 (2.29) | Bilge Ebiri
    2010: Somewhere (2.41) | Nictate (ret.)
    2011: A Serbian Film (1.81) | Daniel Waters
    2012: Alps (2.43) | Don Marks
    2013: Maniac (2.50) | Jeremy Heilman
    2014: Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (2.43) | Victor J. Morton
    2015: The Tribe (2.43) | Daniel Waters
    2016: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2.10) | Jeremy Heilman

    Congratulations to Jeremy for his record-extending fifth victory in this category.



    MAJOR FESTIVAL PRIZE WINNERS: OUR VERDICT

    Cannes Palme d'Or

    1995: Underground (#15, 1997)
    1996: Secrets & Lies (#2, 1996)
    1997: Taste of Cherry (#15, 1998)
    1997: The Eel (did not place)
    1998: Eternity and a Day (did not place)
    1999: Rosetta (did not place)
    2000: Dancer in the Dark (#10, 2000)
    2001: The Son's Room (did not place)
    2002: The Pianist (did not place)
    2003: Elephant (did not place)
    2004: Fahrenheit 9/11 (did not place)
    2005: L'Enfant (The Child) (#6, 2006)
    2006: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (did not place)
    2007: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (#1, 2008)
    2008: The Class (did not place)
    2009: The White Ribbon (did not place)
    2010: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (#9, 2011)
    2011: The Tree of Life (#1, 2011)
    2012: Amour (#6, 2012)
    2013: Blue Is the Warmest Color (#8, 2013)
    2014: Winter Sleep (#15, 2014)
    2015: Dheepan (did not place)
    2016: I, Daniel Blake (did not place)

    Venice Golden Lion

    1995: Cyclo (#14, 1996)
    1996: Michael Collins (did not place)
    1997: Fireworks (Hana-Bi) (#5, 1998)
    1998: The Way We Laughed (N/A, not theatrically released during window of eligibility)
    1999: Not One Less (did not place)
    2000: The Circle (did not place)
    2001: Monsoon Wedding (did not place)
    2002: The Magdalene Sisters (did not place)
    2003: The Return (did not place)
    2004: Vera Drake (#6, 2004)
    2005: Brokeback Mountain (#3, 2005)
    2006: Still Life (#18, 2008)
    2007: Lust, Caution (did not place)
    2008: The Wrestler (#13, 2008)
    2009: Lebanon (did not place)
    2010: Somewhere (did not place)
    2011: Faust (did not place)
    2012: Pieta (did not place)
    2013: Sacro GRA (N/A, not theatrically released during window of eligibility)
    2014: A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (did not place)
    2015: From Afar (did not place)
    2016: The Woman Who Left (TBD)

    Sundance Grand Jury (Dramatic)

    1995: The Brothers McMullen (did not place)
    1996: Welcome to the Dollhouse (did not place)
    1997: Sunday (did not place)
    1998: Slam (did not place)
    1999: Three Seasons (did not place)
    2000: Girlfight (did not place)
    2000: You Can Count on Me (#3, 2000)
    2001: The Believer (did not place)
    2002: Personal Velocity (did not place)
    2003: American Splendor (#20, 2003)
    2004: Primer (#10, 2004)
    2005: Forty Shades of Blue (did not place)
    2006: Quinceañera (did not place)
    2007: Padre Nuestro (did not place)
    2008: Frozen River (did not place)
    2009: Precious (Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire) (did not place)
    2010: Winter's Bone (#2, 2010)
    2011: Like Crazy (did not place)
    2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild (did not place)
    2013: Fruitvale Station (did not place)
    2014: Whiplash (#20, 2014)
    2015: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (did not place)
    2016: The Birth of a Nation (did not place)



    Most Appearances in Top 20 (Actors)
    (ties for number of appearances broken by average placement)

    01. Philip Seymour Hoffman (15)

    1s. The Master
    3s. Charlie Wilson's War
    5. Capote
    6. Synecdoche, New York
    6s. The Talented Mr. Ripley
    6s. Almost Famous
    10s. Magnolia
    10s. 25th Hour
    11. Doubt
    12. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
    12s. State and Main
    15s. Happiness
    15. Owning Mahowny
    18. A Most Wanted Man
    19s. Mission: Impossible III

    02. Isabelle Huppert (14)

    1. Elle
    2. The Piano Teacher
    2s. 8 Women
    4. Gabrielle
    8. Abuse of Weakness
    8. The School of Flesh
    8. Things to Come
    12. White Material
    13s. I ♥ Huckabees
    13s. Amour
    15. La Cérémonie
    17. Time of the Wolf
    17. In Another Country
    19. Home

    03. Tilda Swinton (14)

    1. Julia
    4s. Michael Clayton
    4s. Snowpiercer
    5. The Deep End
    5. We Need to Talk About Kevin
    7. Only Lovers Left Alive
    9s. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
    11. I Am Love
    12s. Burn After Reading
    13s. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
    14. A Bigger Splash
    18. Female Perversions
    19s. Thumbsucker
    19s. Trainwreck

    04. Kate Winslet (10)

    3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    8. Titanic
    9. Jude
    9s. Steve Jobs
    10. Revolutionary Road
    10s. Quills
    12. Little Children
    13. Holy Smoke
    16s. Hamlet
    17. Hideous Kinky

    (Was also a Supporting Actress nominee for Sense and Sensibility in 1995, when the survey employed Oscar-style voting.)

    05. Julianne Moore (10)

    1. Far From Heaven
    3s. Boogie Nights
    6. Still Alice
    8s. Magnolia
    11. The End of the Affair
    13s. The Big Lebowski
    15s. An Ideal Husband
    16s. A Single Man
    19. Savage Grace
    19. The Kids Are All Right

    (Also won Best Actress for Safe in 1995, when the survey employed Oscar-style voting.)

    Huppert moves into second place, just barely ahead of Swinton. (They're almost precisely tied even w/r/t average placement.)



    Most Films Landed in Top 20 (Directors)
    (again, ties broken by average placement)

    01. Joel [& Ethan] Coen (9)

    1. Inside Llewyn Davis
    2. No Country for Old Men
    4. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
    5. The Man Who Wasn't There
    6. Fargo
    7. A Serious Man
    11. Burn After Reading
    12. The Big Lebowski
    12. True Grit

    Did not place: Intolerable Cruelty; The Ladykillers; Paris je t'aime [segment]; Hail, Caesar!
    Ineligible: Everything prior to FargoTo Each His Own Cinema [segment]

    02. Richard Linklater (8)

    3. Before Sunset
    3. Boyhood
    4. Before Midnight
    7. Everybody Wants Some!!
    9. The School of Rock
    12. A Scanner Darkly
    15. Waking Life
    18. Bernie

    Did not place: subUrbia; The Newton Boys; Tape; Bad News Bears; Fast Food Nation; Me and Orson Welles
    Ineligible: Everything prior to subUrbia; Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach

    03. Martin Scorsese (7)

    1. The Departed
    2. The Wolf of Wall Street
    4. Silence
    7. Kundun
    9. Gangs of New York
    14. Shutter Island
    19. Hugo

    Did not place: Bringing Out the Dead; The Aviator; Shine a LightPublic Speaking; Living in the Material World
    Ineligible: Everything prior to Kundun; My Voyage to Italy; The Concert for New York City [segment]; Lady by the Sea: The Statue of LibertyA Letter to EliaThe 50 Year Argument

    04. Lars von Trier (7)

    1. Breaking the Waves
    1. Dogville
    7. Melancholia
    10. Dancer in the Dark
    17. Nymph()maniac Vol. I
    19. The Five Obstructions
    20. Manderlay

    Did not place: The Kingdom IIThe Idiots; The Boss of It All; Antichrist; Nymph()maniac Vol. II
    Ineligible: Everything prior to Breaking the Waves; D-dag; To Each His Own Cinema [segment]

    05. Quentin Tarantino (6)

    1. Inglourious Basterds
    2. Kill Bill Vol. 1
    4. Kill Bill Vol. 2
    4. Grindhouse
    8. The Hateful Eight
    9. Django Unchained

    Did not place: Jackie Brown
    Ineligible: Everything prior to Jackie Brown

    Scorsese moves into 4th, knocking out Wes Anderson, and Linklater creeps up on the Coens, who had a rare whiff this year.



    And finally. Back when I started the survey, I remember looking forward to the time, a decade or so later (i.e. now), when there'd be tons of accumulated data to wade through. In particular, I was excited about the prospect of being able to compare how various films from major directors had been received over the years. Granted, that process isn't exactly definitive—the AVB has mutated over the years and even the diehards tend to be stingier with their star ratings than they were back in the mid-'90s. But perhaps my favorite task after receiving the averages is updating my Directors' Gallery, plugging this year's films into various post-'94 oeuvres. Here are the entries that saw additions this year—every filmmaker who's ever placed in the Director top 20. 2016 films are in bold. Numbers in parentheses indicate how the film placed in Best Picture that year, if applicable; if the film title is in parentheses that means it received fewer than 10 votes and hence the result is a bit less meaningful. N/A (not applicable) means it was eligible but didn't even get five votes and so didn't make the main list.

    Maren Ade

    Toni Erdmann (3): 3.31
    Everyone Else (8): 2.98

    Ben Affleck

    Gone Baby Gone (6): 3.24
    Argo: 2.86
    The Town: 2.63
    (Live by Night): 2.29

    Woody Allen

    Everyone Says I Love You: 3.09
    Vicky Cristina Barcelona (19): 2.98
    Match Point (13): 2.93
    Blue Jasmine (19): 2.82
    Sweet and Lowdown: 2.63
    Deconstructing Harry: 2.61
    Café Society: 2.60
    Cassandra's Dream: 2.60
    Midnight in Paris: 2.47
    Magic in the Moonlight: 2.47
    Irrational Man: 2.46
    Small Time Crooks: 2.37
    The Curse of the Jade Scorpion: 2.33
    To Rome With Love: 2.29
    Scoop: 2.28
    Whatever Works: 2.24
    Anything Else: 2.13
    Hollywood Ending: 2.13
    Celebrity: 2.04
    Melinda and Melinda: 2.00
    You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: 1.93

    Pedro Almodóvar

    Talk to Her (12): 3.21
    All About My Mother: 3.11
    Volver (14): 3.00
    Julieta: 2.90
    Live Flesh: 2.88
    Bad Education: 2.87
    The Flower of My Secret: 2.75
    Broken Embraces: 2.65
    The Skin I Live In: 2.62
    I'm So Excited!: 2.21

    Jacques Audiard

    A Prophet (15): 3.09
    (A Self Made Hero): 3.06
    The Beat That My Heart Skipped: 2.88
    Rust and Bone: 2.82
    Dheepan: 2.69
    Read My Lips: 2.55

    Noah Baumbach

    Frances Ha (3): 3.32
    The Squid and the Whale (6): 3.21
    De Palma: 3.00
    Mistress America (19): 2.94
    Margot at the Wedding: 2.92
    Greenberg: 2.84
    Mr. Jealousy: 2.72
    While We're Young: 2.67

    Joe Berlinger


    Paradise Lost (7)3.58
    Metallica: Some Kind of Monster: 3.06
    (WHITEY: U.S.A. vs. James J. Bulger)2.88
    (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory): 2.71
    (Crude): 2.58
    (Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2): 1.13
    Hank: 5 Years From the Brink: N/A
    Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru: N/A
    Under African Skies: N/A

    Antonio Campos

    Christine: 2.90
    Afterschool (15): 2.87
    Simon Killer: 2.36

    Damien Chazelle

    La La Land (6): 3.11
    Whiplash (20): 2.94
    (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench): 2.20

    Stephen Chow

    Kung Fu Hustle (11): 3.09
    (Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons): 2.78
    Mermaid: 2.68
    CJ7: 2.46

    Joel (and Ethan) Coen

    No Country for Old Men (2): 3.45
    Fargo (6)3.31
    The Man Who Wasn’t There (5): 3.28
    Inside Llewyn Davis (1): 3.26
    The Big Lebowski (12): 3.03
    Burn After Reading (11): 3.01
    True Grit (12): 2.98
    O Brother, Where Art Thou? (4): 2.94
    Hail, Caesar!: 2.88
    A Serious Man (7): 2.83
    Intolerable Cruelty: 2.72
    The Ladykillers: 2.24
    Paris je t'aime: 2.24

    Terence Davies

    The House of Mirth (7): 3.29
    The Deep Blue Sea (3): 3.25
    (The Neon Bible): 2.83
    Sunset Song: 2.50
    Of Time and the City: 2.40

    Arnaud Desplechin

    My Golden Days (16): 3.11
    Kings & Queen (15): 3.03
    A Christmas Tale (10): 3.00
    Esther Kahn: 2.98
    (My Sex Life, or How I Got Into an Argument): 2.60
    Jimmy P.: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian: 2.47

    Clint Eastwood

    Million Dollar Baby (9): 3.06
    Letters From Iwo Jima: 2.82
    Mystic River: 2.81
    Sully: 2.74
    Changeling: 2.70
    Space Cowboys: 2.63
    American Sniper: 2.58
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: 2.57
    Invictus: 2.53
    Flags of Our Fathers: 2.52
    Gran Torino: 2.46
    Blood Work: 2.35
    Absolute Power: 2.32
    True Crime: 2.31
    Jersey Boys: 2.21
    Hereafter: 2.05
    J. Edgar: 2.04

    Atom Egoyan

    The Sweet Hereafter (1): 3.65
    Felicia’s Journey: 2.66
    Where the Truth Lies: 2.50
    Adoration: 2.44
    (Remember): 2.39
    Ararat: 2.33
    Chloe: 2.21
    (The Captive): 1.86
    (Devil's Knot): 1.43

    Philippe Garrel

    Regular Lovers (9): 3.07
    Frontier of Dawn:  2.91
    Jealousy: 2.88
    In the Shadow of Women: 2.72
    A Burning Hot Summer: 2.58

    Michel Gondry

    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2): 3.28
    Dave Chappelle's Block Party (19): 3.02
    (Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?): 2.94
    The We and the I: 2.70
    (Microbe and Gasoline): 2.60
    Be Kind Rewind: 2.59
    The Science of Sleep: 2.53
    Human Nature: 2.40
    Tokyo!: 2.37
    Mood Indigo: 2.29
    The Green Hornet: 2.00
    The Thorn in the Heart: N/A

    Peter Greenaway

    (Eisenstein in Guanajuato): 3.00
    (Rembrandt's J'Accuse...!): 3.00
    The Pillow Book: 2.83
    8½ Women: 2.00

    Robert Greene

    Kate Plays Christine: 3.03
    Actress (16): 2.89

    Paul Greengrass

    United 93 (3): 3.34
    The Bourne Ultimatum: 3.05
    Captain Phillips: 2.88
    Bloody Sunday: 2.58
    The Bourne Supremacy: 2.57
    Green Zone: 2.39
    Jason Bourne: 2.09

    José Luis Guerin

    In the City of Sylvia (9): 3.06
    The Academy of Muses: 2.30

    Werner Herzog

    Grizzly Man (1): 3.40
    (Little Dieter Needs to Fly): 3.10
    Encounters at the End of the World: 3.09
    The Bad Lieutenant—Port of Call: New Orleans: 2.91
    My Best Fiend: 2.85
    (The White Diamond): 2.83
    Cave of Forgotten Dreams: 2.73
    Rescue Dawn: 2.73
    (Into the Inferno): 2.67
    Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World: 2.66
    Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, a Tale of Life: 2.64
    (Wheel of Time): 2.57
    My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done: 2.53
    (The Wild Blue Yonder): 2.25
    Invincible: N/A

    Hong Sang-soo

    Right Now, Wrong Then (11): 3.24
    Woman on the Beach (13): 3.10
    Night and Day: 3.07
    The Day He Arrives: 3.05
    Oki's Movie: 2.88
    In Another Country: 2.82
    Woman Is the Future of Man: 2.79

    Jim Jarmusch

    Paterson (2): 3.37
    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (18): 3.03
    Only Lovers Left Alive (9): 3.03
    Dead Man (13): 2.94
    (Gimme Danger): 2.83
    Coffee and Cigarettes: 2.70
    Broken Flowers: 2.56
    (Year of the Horse): 2.42
    The Limits of Control: 2.34

    Barry Jenkins

    Moonlight (8): 3.14
    Medicine for Melancholy: 2.60

    Jia Zhang-ke

    A Touch of Sin: 3.00
    The World: 2.89
    Still Life (18): 2.88
    Mountains May Depart: 2.59
    24 City: 2.50
    Unknown Pleasures: 2.45

    Hirokazu Kore-eda

    After Life (13): 3.26
    Still Walking (19): 3.11
    Nobody Knows (18): 3.07
    (I Wish): 3.00
    Our Little Sister: 2.92
    Like Father, Like Son: 2.79
    (Maborosi): 2.40

    Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    Tokyo Sonata: 2.81
    Creepy: 2.77
    Bright Future: 2.37

    Yorgos Lanthimos

    Dogtooth (1): 3.28
    The Lobster (13): 3.02
    Alps: 2.43

    Ang Lee

    Brokeback Mountain (3): 3.40
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2): 3.32
    The Ice Storm (11): 3.13
    Life of Pi: 2.79
    Ride with the Devil: 2.73
    Lust, Caution: 2.71
    Taking Woodstock: 2.38
    Hulk: 2.34
    Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk: 2.10

    Richard Linklater

    Before Sunset (3): 3.43
    Boyhood (3): 3.36
    Before Midnight (4): 3.33
    Everybody Wants Some!! (7): 3.23
    The School of Rock (9): 3.16
    A Scanner Darkly (12): 2.97
    Waking Life (15): 2.86
    Bernie (18): 2.85
    Tape: 2.77
    The Newton Boys: 2.75
    Me and Orson Welles: 2.70
    subUrbia: 2.63
    Bad News Bears: 2.50
    Fast Food Nation: 2.28

    Kenneth Lonergan

    Margaret (3): 3.48
    Manchester By The Sea (1): 3.39
    You Can Count on Me (3): 3.29

    Terrence Malick

    The Tree of Life (1): 3.45
    The New World (2): 3.14
    The Thin Red Line (13): 2.95
    Voyage of Time: 2.95
    To the Wonder (9): 2.83
    Knight of Cups (20): 2.52

    Kleber Mendonça Filho

    Aquarius: 3.13
    Neighboring Sounds (17): 2.97

    Mike Mills

    20th Century Women (9): 3.12
    Beginners (15): 2.79
    Thumbsucker: 2.33

    Roberto Minervini

    (Stop the Pounding Heart): 3.17
    The Other Side: 2.91

    Jeff Nichols

    Take Shelter (17): 2.94
    Shotgun Stories: 2.92
    Mud: 2.89
    Loving: 2.85
    Midnight Special: 2.81

    Park Chan-wook

    The Handmaiden (10): 3.26
    Oldboy (17): 2.68
    Stoker: 2.66
    Thirst: 2.58
    Sympathy for Lady Vengeance: 2.52
    Three…Extremes: 2.47

    Alex Proyas

    Dark City: 2.69
    I, Robot: 2.21
    Gods of Egypt: 2.05
    Knowing: 1.90
    Garage Days: N/A

    Kelly Reichardt

    Old Joy (5): 3.17
    Meek's Cutoff (8): 3.13
    Certain Women: 3.10
    Wendy and Lucy: 2.98
    Night Moves: 2.86

    Gary Ross

    Pleasantville (19): 2.81
    Seabiscuit: 2.48
    The Hunger Games: 2.31
    (Free State of Jones): 2.00

    Paul Schrader

    Affliction (17): 2.94
    Auto Focus: 2.32
    Dog Eat Dog: 2.20
    (The Walker): 2.19
    (Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist): 1.86
    The Canyons: 1.36
    Adam Resurrected: N/A
    Dying of the Light: N/A
    Touch: N/A

    Martin Scorsese

    The Departed (1): 3.42
    The Wolf of Wall Street (2): 3.27
    Kundun (7): 3.22
    Silence (4): 3.22
    Shutter Island (14): 3.05
    Gangs of New York (9): 3.01
    The Aviator: 2.96
    Hugo (19): 2.93
    (Public Speaking): 2.79
    Bringing Out the Dead: 2.52
    Shine a Light: 2.50
    Living in the Material World: N/A 

    Todd Solondz

    Welcome to the Dollhouse: 3.14
    Happiness (4): 2.92
    Wiener-Dog2.66
    Life During Wartime2.63
    Dark Horse: 2.50
    Palindromes2.15
    Storytelling: 2.03

    Steven Spielberg

    Saving Private Ryan (8): 3.27
    Minority Report: 2.92
    AI (7): 2.91
    Munich (14): 2.88
    Lincoln (19): 2.86
    Bridge of Spies: 2.85
    Amistad: 2.83
    War of the Worlds: 2.82
    Catch Me if You Can: 2.79
    War Horse: 2.79
    The Adventures of Tintin: 2.78
    The BFG: 2.44
    Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 2.39
    The Lost World: Jurassic Park: 2.33
    The Terminal: 2.10

    Andrew Stanton

    WALL•E (2): 3.26
    Finding Nemo (13): 3.06
    Finding Dory: 2.53
    John Carter: 2.28

    Johnnie To

    Drug War: 3.17
    Exiled (18): 2.97
    Mad Detective: 2.95
    Vengeance: 2.87
    Election: 2.79
    Fulltime Killer: 2.74
    Election 2: 2.73
    (Breaking News): 2.50
    Office: 2.47
    Three: 2.45
    (Throwdown): 2.33
    Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2: N/A

    Tsai Ming-liang

    What Time Is It There? (11): 3.21
    Stray Dogs (10)3.17
    The Wayward Cloud (8)3.08
    (Vive L’Amour): 2.92
    Good Bye Dragon Inn: 2.69
    I Don't Want to Sleep Alone2.53
    (Afternoon): 2.42

    Tom Tykwer

    Run Lola Run: 2.94
    Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (17): 2.75
    Heaven2.74
    A Hologram for the King2.50
    Cloud Atlas2.45
    The International2.43
    The Princess and the Warrior2.31
    Paris je t'aime2.24
    (3): 2.08

    Gus Van Sant

    Paranoid Park (6): 3.15
    Gerry (4)2.93
    Good Will Hunting2.84
    Milk2.83
    Last Days2.79
    Elephant2.40
    Paris je t'aime2.24
    Promised Land2.15
    Psycho2.11
    Finding Forrester2.10
    (Restless)1.94
    (The Sea of Trees): 1.79

    Paul Verhoeven

    Black Book (16): 3.22
    Elle (14)3.07
    Starship Troopers2.30
    Hollow Man: 2.17

    Denis Villeneuve

    Sicario (12): 3.09
    Arrival: 2.88
    (Polytechnique): 2.71
    Incendies: 2.67
    Enemy: 2.43
    Maelström: 2.29
    Prisoners: 2.08

    Apichatpong Weerasethakul


    Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (9): 3.22
    Cemetery of Splendour (17)3.07
    Syndromes and a Century (5): 3.07
    Blissfully Yours (13): 3.00
    Tropical Malady (4)2.90
    (Mysterious Object at Noon): 2.36

    Nicolas Winding Refn

    Drive (6): 3.27
    (Pusher 3)3.00
    Valhalla Rising2.83
    (Pusher II): 2.71
    Bronson2.69
    The Neon Demon2.48
    Only God Forgives: 2.14

    Robert Zemeckis

    Cast Away (12): 3.06
    Allied: 2.91
    Contact: 2.83
    The Walk: 2.68
    The Polar Express: 2.65
    (Disney's A Christmas Carol): 2.61
    Flight: 2.55
    Beowulf: 2.47
    What Lies Beneath: 2.00

    Rob Zombie

    Grindhouse (4): 2.93
    The Devil's Rejects: 2.63
    The Lords of Salem: 2.62
    Halloween: 2.15
    (Halloween II): 1.72
    (House of 1000 Corpses): 1.64
    (31): 1.50

    5 comments:

    Theo said...

    These Sallitists are practically a fifth column! Can this kind of open dissent be tolerated in the Current Climate?

    Theo
    (voted for Huller and Vlad Ivanov only)

    Oh and p.s. many thanks to Mike and Mark for this annual jamboree/ego boost. Viva Skandies.

    Kza said...

    The warm smell of Sallittists.

    Dan Sallitt said...

    I wouldn't say I was a Scorsese hater. I liked The Departed, Bringing Out the Dead, and Kundun, to name only Skandies-era films.

    Unknown said...

    Great picks all around. In the best scene category, I was expecting a higher placement for the Hell or High Water epilogue. Also would've thought someone would have thrown a few points to the nerve-wracking Darth Vader scene at the very end of Rogue One. Did no-one even consider it?

    Adam Villani said...

    LOL at the performance of the Sundance Grand Jury winners.