The year of the good review

What a year it has been for film. Yes it has been terrible for Actresses but for film in general it has been wonderful.

There are eleven films this year with 81% or higher on metacritic, which is a wonderful feat! Especially since I am counting only the films vying for awards attention and not re-releases and such.

These Films are as follows:
96% - “Ratatouille”
91% - “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
91% - “No Country for Old Men”
88% - “Once”
86% - “The Savages”
86% - “This is England”
84% - “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”
82% - “Michael Clayton”
82% - “Starting out in the Evening”
82% - “The Namesake”
81% - “Hairspray”

Some films are not even on metacritic as they have yet to open, but you can find a few reviews on rottentomatoes for the following:

“Atonement” – 88% (82% on metacritic)
“There Will be Blood” – 100%
“Juno” – 92% (80% on metacritic)
“The Kite Runner” - 53% (But 80% on cream of the crop. Will drop once it opens)
“Charlie Wilson’s War (two good reviews on RT, but nothing else)
“Sweeney Todd” (nothing available)

You may ask why keep “The Kite Runner” as a potential nominee when it is getting very mixed reviews. Simply because any film from the Afghan point of view and about its people will meet criticism.
A large majority of the US sees all Afghans as the enemy, and yes this will include the critics. Some critics have said it is a Disney-esque kitsch and not daring enough – if it had been more daring and challenging, no one would see it, besides, the book is very sentimental even slushy at times but it is satisfying. It makes you feel as though you yourself have done a good deed, and this is something that will appeal to the Academy.