My Wait List (December 2010)

With only eleven days left of 2010, there are only a handful of films that I am still waiting to see. This time last year Avatar had only just been released into theatres and we had to endure three months of speculation that the James Cameron film, with its fantastic effects and horrible screenplay, would win Best Picture. This year The Social Network has won many of the critics awards and its only competition seems to be The King's Speech. Both are great films, but neither will be number one on my top ten list. Speaking of my top ten list, here are three films that I want to see before making my final decisions:

3. Blue Valentine
Blue Valentine has received quite a lot of publicity in recent months. The drama, starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, was awarded an NC-17 rating. The Weinstein Company appealed the rating, which is reportedly based on an intense sex scene, and the film has now been given an R rating. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are both fantastic actors, though Ryan Gosling has appeared in one film since 2007's under-appreciated Lars and the Real Girl.

2. True Grit
I am a true Coen brothers fan, with Fargo (1996) being among my top ten favourite films. I am most excited to see Jeff Bridges reunite with the men that made him The Dude in The Big Lebowski (1998). I have really been fond of westerns, but I am expecting the Coen brothers to bring their trademark style in their remake of the 1969 iconic film that won John Wayne an Oscar.

1. Another Year
With the Coen brothers, Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino, Mike Leigh is one of my favourite directors. He brings a refreshingly unique voice to British cinema and his film Secrets & Lies (1996) is one of the most well-crafted and brilliant films I have ever seen. I have been waiting to see Another Year since I first heard about its production and I wish I had been it at the Toronto International Film Festival since it will not be released here until January 14, 2011.