100 Women Directors Worth Watching

AA = Academy Award (for the film)
doc. = Documentary, ss = Short Subject
Personal favorites highlighted in blue
[Updated 4.30.11]

Those with the most awards

Aparna Sen (Mr and Mrs Iyer-02, House of Memories-00) India, 12 awards

Caroline Link (Nowhere in Africa-01, AA; Beyond Silence-96) Germany, 25 awards

Debra Granik (Winter's Bone-10, 26 awards) 17 awards


Deepa Mehta (Earth-96, Fire-98, Water-05)  India, 13 awards

Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham-02, Bride and Prejudice-04) India, 15 awards

Isabel Coixet (My Life Without Me-03, The Secret Life of Words-05), Spain 32 awards


Jane Campion (An Angel at My Table-90, The Piano-93) Australia, 39 awards

Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dark, The Hurt Locker-09, AA) 38 awards

Kátia Lund (City of God-2002, as co.dir. w Fernando Meirelles, Golden Gate-2000, as co.dir w Joao Salles) 17 awards (all but one shared with male directors)

Léa Pool (Set Me Free-99, Lost and Delirious-01, Mommy Is at the Hairdresser-08) Switz. 13 awards

Lone Scherfig (An Education-09, Italian For Beginners-02) Denmark, 25 awards

Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar-02, 9 awards, Ratcatcher-99, 11 awards) 20 awards

Margarethe Von Trotta (Rosenstrasse-03, Sheer Madness-83, Das Versprechen-95) Germany, 22 awards


Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!-88, Monsoon Wedding-01, The Namesake-06) India  22 awards [The Namesake is a nearly perfect film, I gave it 10/10 - one of only 39 to get a 10 so far]






Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know-05, The Future-11) 22 awards



Niki Caro (Whale Rider-03) New Zealand, 16 awards

Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides-99, Lost in Translation-03, 37 awards) 44 awards


Susanne Bier (In a Better World-10, AA; After the Wedding-06) Denmark, 24 awards [photo at bottom with Oscar winners]

The rest, in alphabetical order by first name

Agnès Jaoui (Look at Me-05, The Taste of Others) France
Agnès Varda (Cleo From 5 to 7-62, The Beaches of Agnès-08) Belgium

Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa-90, Three Colors: Blue-93) Poland
Alanis Obomsawin (Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance-93) doc.
Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging-99, Things Behind the Sun-01)
Amy Heckerling (Clueless-95, Fast Times at Ridgmont High-82, Look Who's Talking-89)
Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank-10)
Anna Biller (Viva-07)
Anne Fletcher (The Proposal-09, 27 Dresses-08)
Anne Fontaine (How I Killed My Father-02, Nathalie, Coco Before Chanel-09)
Anne Wheeler (Better Than Chocolate-99, Suddenly Naked-01)
Astrid Henning-Jensen (Paws-59, Denmark- foreign film Oscar® nominee, first in that category by a woman)
Barbra Streisand (The Prince of Tides-91)
Barbara Kopple (American Dream-90-AA, Harlan County USA-76-AA) doc.

Barbara Loden (Wanda-70)
Betty Thomas (Private Parts-97)
Bronwen Hughes (Stander-03)
Catherine Breillat (The Last Mistress-08, Fat Girl-01) France
Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen-03, Lords of Dogtown-05, Twilight-08)
Chantal Akerman (Jean Dielman, 23 Quai de Commerce.., Un Divan a New York-96) Belgium [her 3-hr plus Jean Dielman is almost painful to watch, all actions are in real time, like a taking a bath or preparing a meat loaf]

Cherien Dabis (Amreeka-09, 4 awards)
Christine Choy (Who Killed Vincent Chin?-87, )
Claire Denis (35 Shots of Rum-09, Chocolat-2000) France
Coline Serreau (Chaos-03) France
Courtney Hunt (Frozen River-08)
Darnell Martin (Cadillac Records-08, I Like It Like That-94)

Deborah Warner (The Last September-99)
Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts-85, Angel on My Shoulder-98, doc)
Dorothy Arzner (Dance Girl Dance-40, Christopher Strong-33)
Elaine May (A New Leaf-71, The Heartbreak Kid-72)
Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career-79, High Tide-87, Little Women-94, Oscar and Lucinda-97) Australia
Greta Schiller (No Dinosaurs in Heaven-10, doc, Paris Was a Woman-86, doc)
Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp-06, Boys of Baraka-05, Freakonomics-10) all doc.
Hilary Brougher (Stephanie Daley-06)
Ida Lupino (The Hitch-Hiker-53, The Bigamist-53)
Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons, ss/AA-96, In the Realms of the Unreal-04, doc)
Joan Chen (Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl-98, Autumn in New York-2000) China
Jodie Foster (Home for the Holidays-95, Little Man Tate-91)
Julie Dash (Rosa Parks Story-02)
Julie Taymor (Frida-02, Across the Universe-07)
Karyn Kusama (Girlfight-00, Aeon Flux-05)
Kasi Lemmons (Eve's Bayou-97)
Katherine Brooks (Loving Annabelle-06, 10 awards)
Katherine Dieckmann (Diggers-06)
Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy-06, Wendy and Lucy-08, River of Glass-94, Meek’s Cutoff-10)
Kimberly Peirce (Boy's Don't Cry-99)
Kirsten Sheridan (August Rush-07) 31 awards, most for short films
Larisa Shepitko (The Ascent-77) Russia, died at 41 in a car crash

Leni Reifenstahl (Triumph of the Will-34, Olympia-36)
Liliana Cavani (The Night Porter-74, The Berlin Affair-85, Ripley's Game-02) Italy
Lina Wertmüller  (Seven Beauties-75, Swept Away-74) Italy - first woman dir. nominated for best director Oscar®)
Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right-10, High Art-98, Laurel Canyon-02)
Lizzie Borden (Born in Flames-83, Working Girls-86, Erotique-94)
Lucile Hadzihalilovic (Innocence-05, 8 awards)
Lucrecia Martel (La Cienaga-01, The Headless Woman-09) Argentina
Lynn Shelton (Humpday-09, My Effortless Brilliance-08, We Go Way Back-06)

Maggie Greenwald (The Ballad of Little Jo-93, Songcatcher-00)
Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis-07)
Marleen Gorris (Antonia's Line-96, AA, Mrs Dalloway-97) Netherlands
Martha Coolidge (Real Genius-85, Rambing Rose-91)
Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol-96, American Psycho-2000)
Maya Deren (Meshes of the Afternoon-43) US via Russia (name: Eleanora Derenkowsky)
Mimi Leder (Deep Impact-98, Pay It Forward-2000)
Mina Shum (Double Happiness-94)
Monika Treut (Warrior of Light-91, doc; Ghosted) Germany
Nadine Labaki (Caramel-07) Lebanon
Nancy Myers (It's Complicated-09, The Holiday-06, Something's Gotta Give-03)

Nancy Savoca (True Love-89, Sundance; Household Saints-93)
Nicole Holofcener (Please Give-10)
Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues-08, 3 awards)
Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle-93, You've Got Mail-98)
Ondi Timoner (Sundance Jury Prize twice: Dig-04, We Live in Public-09)
Patricia Rozema (Mansfield Park-99, Kit Kittredge-08, I've Heard the Mermaids Singing-87)
Patty Jenkins (Monster-03)
Penelope Spheeris (Wayne's World-92, Decline of American Civilization III-98, doc.)
Penny Marshall (Big-88, Awakenings-90, A League of Their Own-92)
Phyllida Lloyd (Mama Mia-08, The Iron Lady-11)
Rachel Grady (Boys of Baraka-05, Jesus Camp-06) doc.
Rebecca Miller (Pvt Lives of Pippa Lee-09, Personal Velocity-02, Ballad of Jack and Rose-05) - the wife of actor Daniel-Day Lewis
Rose Troche (Go Fish-94, Safety of Objects-01)
Sally Potter (Orlando-92, Yes-04)
Sarah Polley (Away From Her-07) Canada
Shamim Sarif (I Can't Think Straight-08)

Shari Cookson (The Memory Loss Tapes, for HBO's The Alzheimer's Project-09, as co.dir, Emmy winner; All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise-06; Living Dolls-The Making of a Child Beauty Queen-01; Skinheads USA-Soldiers of the Race War-93)


Shari Springer Berman (American Splendor-03)
Shirley Clarke (The Cool World-64)
Stacey Cochran (My New Gun-92)
Susan Seidelman (Smithereens-82, Desperately Seeking Susan-85)
Tamara Jenkins (The Savages-07, Slums of Beverly Hills-98)
Tanya Hamilton (Night Catches Us-10)
Vicky Jenson (Shrek-01, Shark Tale-04)







Foreign Language Film Oscars® for women directors
[The awards started in 1947, and of the 62 given, 47 have gone to Europeans, and none to India, only one for China. The award goes to the film's director, while the best picture Oscars go to the producers.]

Marleen Gorris, Netherlands, for Antonia's Line (1995) - the first woman to win this Oscar®
Caroline Link, Germany, for Nowhere in Africa (2001) (no pictures available)
Susanne Bier, Denmark, for In a Better World (2010) - previously nominated for After the Wedding; she's my favorite female director of all time (Brothers is also excellent, Connie Nielsen won 5 acting awards for her role of a mother whose husband is missing in Afghanistan)

Lina Wertmüller, the first woman nominated for best director

My favorite films on this list

After the Wedding (Susanne Bier, Denmark)

American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman)
An Education (Lone Scherfig)
Big (Penny Marshall)
Chaos (Coline Serreau, France)
City of God (Kátia Lund & Fernando Meirelles)

Clueless (Amy Heckerling)

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)
Innocence (Lucile Hadzihalilovic, France)
Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola)
Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July)

The Memory Loss Tapes (Shari Cookson) Documentary
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (Aparna Sen, India)

The Namesake (Mira Nair, India-US)

Nowhere in Africa (Caroline Link, Germany)
Orlando (Sally Potter)

Salaam Bombay! (Mira Nair, India)

Seven Beauties (Lina Wertmüller, Italy)
Songcatcher (Maggie Greenwald)

Thirteen (Catherine Hardwicke)

Water (Deepa Mehta, India-Canada)

Whale Rider (Niki Caro, New Zealand)

Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)

Your results may vary; no wagering; void where prohibited

Kátia Lund, a still photographer employed by

Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles as co-director

of his classic slum crime film City of God 

Do not take while pregnant; do not use while driving; may cause dizziness, stroke, death, or even worse

Strong Women in Films

Films either about strong women (Aliens, All About Eve, Auntie Mame, The King and I, Miss Jane Pittman) or coming-of-age stories (To Kill a Mockingbird, Digging to China, Lawn Dogs, My Fair Lady, Walkabout, Whale Rider)

I thought this was an appropriate July 4th topic as women got their 'freedom' after African slaves here, not allowed to inherit their husbands property until the late 1800's (Oregon was the first state here, around 1886), and getting to vote well after that. New Zealand was well ahead of us there, by a quarter century!

[Updated 10.5.11]
 Those with links we reviewed at 1000 Dvds to See, click to jump to that review

A Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) The first Oscar® for Cissy Spacek
A Face in the Crowd (1957) bw
A Good Year (2007) - as director Ridley Scott stated, "We like strong women (said to Russell Crowe); this film has five strong women" (Marion Cotillard and Abbie Cornish leading the pack)
A Room With a View (1985)
A Very Long Engagement (2004) France- a beautifully shot war romance
Adam's Rib (1949) bw Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are married lawyers who hilariously take opposite sides of a spousal infidelity case, my favorite film of theirs together, Tracy is terrific ("see.. tears")
Alice (1990)
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1975) The first Oscar® for Ellen Burstyn
Aliens (1986)
All About Eve (1950) bw [AA] (photo top, theater newcomer Anne Baxter faces off with her idol, established star Bette Davis, who of course says "fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night")
All About My Mother (1999) Spain
An Education (2009)
Anna and the King (1999) A Jodie Foster drama filmed earlier as a musical, The King and I (1956)
As Good As It Gets (1997) The first Oscar® for Helen Hunt ; the 3rd Oscar® for Jack Nicholson
Auntie Mame (1958)
Australia (2008)
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1973) tv The first Emmy® for Cicely Tyson

Baby Boom (1987)
Beautiful Girls (1996)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) bw [AA] The 2nd Oscar® for Fredric March

 

Black Narcissus (1947) One of the most beautifully shot films ever, from color expert Michael Powell
Body Heat (1981)
Born Yesterday (1950) bw The first Oscar® for Judy Holiday
Brazil (1985)
The Breaking Point (1949) Patricia Neal is amazing, tempting a cynical John Garfield in a more faithful adaptation of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not, his own personal favorite film of his novels - dropped by the studio when Garfield was accused of being a commie by HUAC, so it's gone unnoticed
Broadcast News (1986)
Brothers (2004) Denmark stunning Connie Nielsen won five int'l acting awards for her performance
Bull Durham (1988)

Carmen (1983) Spain My favorite dance film, the flamenco version from Carlos Suare
Central Station (1998) Brazil
Chaos (2001) France
Chicago (2002) [AA] The first Oscar® for Catherine Zeta-Jones
Chocolat (2000) France
Clueless (1995)
The Color Purple (1985) - underrated and controversial Steven Spielberg film from Alice Walker's novel that deals with domestic abuse of an African-American wife (Whoopi Goldberg) by her misogynist husband (Danny Glover)
Contact (1997)
Crazed Fruit (1956) Japan, bw
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) China Leno said, "I didn't see a tiger or a dragon in this - I guess one was crouching and one was hidden"
The Cuckoo (2002) Russia

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Defending Your Life (1991)
Digging to China (1998)
Double Indemnity (1944) bw
Driving Miss Daisy (1989) The first Oscar® for veteran Jessica Tandy
Educating Rita (1983)
Election (1999)
Elevator to the Gallows (1958) bw
Elizabeth (1998) This links to all the 29 awards this won, most by actress Cate Blanchett, who lost the Oscar® to Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love
Emma (1996)
Erin Brockovich (2000) The first Oscar® for Julia Roberts, a true story of an environmental lawyer
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Selective erasing of your worst romances - I could definitely use this

Frances McDormand, dissolves into her characters,

was the archetypal Minnesotan lady sheriff in Fargo

(photo by Richard Phibbs)

Fargo (1996) The first Oscar® for Frances McDormand, wife of director-writer Joel Coen
The Fighter (2010) The first Oscar® for Melissa Leo
Fire (1995)
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Funny Girl (1968) The first Oscar® for Barbra Streisand
Gadjo Dilo (1998) Romania
The Gay Divorcee (1934) bw
The Girl in the Cafe (2005)
The Graduate (1968) [photo rt]
Gun Crazy (1949) bw

Heat and Dust (1983)
Heathers (1989)
Heavenly Creatures (1994) New Zealand
Hero (2002) China  [see photos at top in our banner]
His Girl Friday (1940) bw
House of Flying Daggers (2004) China
House of Games (1987) lead actress Lindsay Crouse is the wife of author-director David Mamet, this is a terrific collaboration
How to Make an American Quilt (1995) - complex plot literally weaves together the stories of several women in a quilting club

Innocence (2004) France
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Jackie Brown (1997) Another Tarantino romp
Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (1986) France This four-hour French epic is one of the best ever, taken as one film (they are two halves of one novel, only split up so theatre-goers could see them in one day or two)
Jezebel (1938) bw
Johnny Guitar (1954) A female gunfight concludes Nicholas Ray's bizarre western
Julia (1977) The first Oscar® for Vanessa Redgrave

Kapó (1960) Italy
Kill Bill (2003-4) I think I prefer the Japanese original samurai films more, this is kind of campy, with the plucking of eyeballs and other such excesses, however, the first has fun energy, but the second lags with a slow pace
The King and I (1956) The first Oscar® for Yul Brynner, a role he was born to play
Klute (1971) The first Oscar® for Jane Fonda
The Lady Eve (1941) bw
La Femme Nikita (1990) France
Lolita (1962) bw
Lawn Dogs (1997)

The Madness of King George (1994) Helen Mirren as the queen takes charge of the throne while her husband is mad with disease
The Major and the Minor (1942) bw
Mary Poppins (1964) The first Oscar® for Julie Andrews
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Million Dollar Baby (2004) [AA] Hilary Swank's performance is one of the best ever, earning her a well-deserved 2nd Oscar®, she's now two-for-two like Vivien Leigh
The More the Merrier (1943) bw
Morgan! (1966) bw
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) India
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) bw

Mrs. Miniver (1942) bw  [AA] (photo rt) Did anyone not fall in love with Greer Garson after seeing this Oscar® winning performance? Garson was not a star, Gloria Swanson turned down the part as 'too mature'
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
My Brilliant Career (1979) Australia
My Fair Lady (1964) [AA] Oscar® for Rex Harrison
My Man Godfrey (1935) bw
Network (1976) Oscars® for Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight
Norma Rae (1979) The first Oscar® for Sally Field

Not One Less (1999) China
Nothing But the Truth (2008)
Nowhere in Africa (2002) Germany Oscar® for foreign film
Out of Africa (1985) [AA]
Out of the Past (1947) bw Jane Greer was Howard Hughes’ 22 yr-old girlfriend in her first starring role
Outrageous Fortune (1987)

Paper Moon (1973) bw Tatum O'Neal was the youngest Oscar® winner ever
Pat and Mike (1952) bw Another high quality but mild Tracy-Hepburn comedy, suffers from not aiming too high and hitting it's mark
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Persona (1966) Sweden, bw
The Promise (2005) China
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), Australia 14-yr old half-caste Molly takes charge of her sisters as they escape a prison school and head into the outback
The Reader (2008) The first Oscar® for Kate Winslet
The Replacement Killers (1998)
Ronin (1998)
Run Lola Run (1998) Germany
Ruthless People (1986)

Shakespeare in Love (1998) [AA] The first Oscar® for Gwyneth Paltrow
Shall We Dance? (1995) Japan
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The second Oscar® for Jodie Foster
Sin City (2005) bw
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) bw
Sweeney Todd (2007)
Temple Grandin (2010) The first  Emmy® for Clare Danes
Thelma and Louise (1991)

Thirteen (2005) [photo left]
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) bw
Two Women (1960) Italy The first Oscar® for Sophia Loren
Under the Sun (1998), Sweden
V for Vendetta (2005)
Vatel (2000) France

Walkabout (1971) Australia
Water (2005) India-Canada
We of the Never Never (1982) Australia
Whale Rider (2003) New Zealand
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) bw
What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993) - the fictionalized story of Ike and Tina Turner, features a strong (and gut-wrenching) Oscar®-nominated performance by Angela Bassett

Whistle Down the Wind (1961) bw (photo rt) Some children find a wanted convict hiding in their barn and think he's Jesus so they shelter, feed him, and keep him a secret (the story of E.T. was eerily similar to this); adapted from a novel by Hayley Mills' mother Mary Hayley Bell

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) bw The 2nd Oscar® for Elizabeth Taylor; the first Oscar® for Sandy Dennis
Winter's Bone (2010) Sundance winner got Oscar® nominations for best picture and 18-yr old actress Jennifer Lawrence
The Women (1939) bw
Women in Love (1970) The first Oscar® for Glenda Jackson
Zelary (2003) Czech Republic

Best Picture winners on this list:
All About Eve, Chicago, Million Dollar Baby, Mrs. Miniver, My Fair Lady, Out of Africa, Shakespeare in Love

[Thanks to Linda Pace for some suggestions for this post]

Top Award Winning Films of the Decade

Major award winning films of the 2000's (2000-2010)
[Updated 5.11.11 - nearly all 2010 films moved up, and Exit Through the Gift Shop and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo are now on the list]

The rank shown is the IMDB top 250 (n/r = not ranked; rtg = IMDB rating; Meta = Metacritics rating)

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy won 266 awards overall

1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (03, 118 awards, #12, 94 Meta.) New Zealand
2. Slumdog Millionaire (08, 108 awards, #121, 86 Metacritics)
3. No Country for Old Men (07, 98 awards, #120, 91 Metacritics)
4. Sideways (04, 95 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 94 Metacritics)
5. The Social Network (10, 84 awards, #190, 95 Metacritics)
6. Dark Knight (08, 81 awards, #10, 82 Metacritics)
7. Brokeback Mountain (05, 81 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 87 Metacritics)
8. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (01, 80 awards, #19, 92 Meta.) New Zealand
9. The Hurt Locker (09, 79 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 96 at Metacritics)
10. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (00, 77 awards, n/r, 8.0 rtg, 93 Metacritics) China
11. Precious (09, 73 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 79 Meta.)
12. Lost in Translation (03, 71 awards, n/r, 7.9 rtg, 89 Meta.)
13. Pan's Labyrinth (06, 71 awards, #75, 98 Meta.) Spain
14. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (02, 68 awards, #31, 88 Meta.) New Zealand
15. Traffic (00, 64 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 86 Meta.)
16. The Lives of Others (06, 62 awards, #57, 89 Meta.) Germany
17. There Will Be Blood (07, 60 awards, #146, 91 Meta.)
18. City of God (02, 59 awards, #18, 79 Meta.) Brazil
19. The Queen (06, 59 awards, n/r, 7.5 rtg, 91 Meta.)
20. Inglourious Basterds (09, 59 awds, #90, 69 Meta.)
21. Juno (07, 54 awds, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 81 Meta.)
22. The Departed (06, 53 awds, #60, 86 Meta.)
23. Amelie (01, 51 awds, #45, 69 Meta.) France
24. Gladiator (00, 50 awds,#97, 64 Meta.)
25. Million Dollar Baby (04, 49 awards, #150, 86 Meta.)
26. The Pianist (02, 48 awards, #53, 85 Meta.)
27. Inception (10, 47 awards, #8, 74 Meta.)
28. Wall-E (08, 46 awards, #47, 94 Meta.)
29. Crash (05, 44 awards, #247, 69 Meta.)
30. Volver (06, 44 awards, n/r, 7.7 rtg, 84 Meta.) Spain
31. Devdas (02, 44 awards, n/r, 7.2 rtg) India
32. Almost Famous (00, 44 awards, n/r, 8.0 rtg, 90 Meta.)
33. Mystic River (03, 43 awards, #224, 84 Meta.)
34. Adaptation (02, 43 awards, n/r, 7.9 rtg, 83 Meta.)
35. Little Miss Sunshine (06, 43 awards, n/r, 8.0 rtg, 80 Meta.)
36. Avatar (09, 42 awards, #148, 84 Meta.)
37. Memento (00, 42 awards, #30, 80 Meta.)
38. Up (09, 42 awards, #94, 88 Meta.
39. The Incredibles (04, 41 awards, #195, 90 Meta.)
40. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (07, 41 awards, #200, 92 Meta.)
41. Chicago (02, 40 awards, n/r, 7.2 rtg, 82 Meta.)
42. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (04, 39 awards, #62, 89 Meta.)
43. The Barbarian Invasions (04, 38 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 70 Meta.) Canada
44. The Twilight Samurai (02, 37 awards, 8.1 rtg, 82 Meta.) Japan - more total ratings and it'll be in the IMDB top 250, currently around #147-188
45. Milk (08, 36 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 84 Meta.)
46. The Secret in Their Eyes (09, 35 awards, #174, 81 Meta.)
47. Finding Nemo (03, 35 awards, #166, 89 Meta.)
48. The Last King of Scotland (06, 35 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 74 Meta.)
49. The King's Speech (10, 34 awards, #103, 88 Meta.)
50. The Fighter (10, 34 awards, 8.0 rtg, 79 Meta.)
51. Departures (08, 33 awards, 8.1 rtg, 68 Meta.) Japan - more total ratings and it'll be in the IMDB top 250, currently around #147-188
52. Vera Drake (04, 33 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 83 Meta.)
53. Gangs of New York (02, 33 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 72 Meta.)
54. A Beautiful Mind (01, 31 awards, n/r, 8.0 rtg, 72 Meta.)
55. La Vie En Rose (07, 31 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 66 Meta.) France
56. Goodbye Lenin! (03, 31 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 68 Meta.) Germany
57. In the Mood For Love (00, 31 awards, n/r, 8.1 rtg, 85 Meta.) Hong Kong
58. Black Swan (10, 31 awards, #73)
59. The Wrestler (08, 30 awards, #159)
60. Pirates: Dead Man's Chest (06, 30 awards, n/r, 7.3 rtg, 53 Meta.)
61. Whale Rider (03, 29 awards, n/r, 7.7 rtg, 79 Meta.) New Zealand
62. A Prophet (09, 29 awards, n/r, 8.0 rtg, 90 Meta.) France
63. Babel (06, 28 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 69 Meta.) Mexico
64. American Splendor (06, 28 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 90 Meta.)
65. The Motorcycle Diaries (04, 27 awards, n/r, 7.9 rtg, 75 Meta.) Brazil
66. No Man's Land (01, 27 awards, n/r) France-Bosnia
67. In the Bedroom (01, 27 awards, n/r, 7.5 rtg, 86 Meta.)
68. Winter's Bone (10, 26 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 90 Meta.)
69. Pirates: Curse of the Black Pearl (03, 26 awards, #238)
70. Fahrenheit 911 (04, 26 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 67 Meta.)
71. Atonement (07, 24 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 85 Meta.)
72. Frozen River (08, 23 awards, n/r, 7.2 rtg, 82 Meta.)
73. Toy Story 3 (10, 23 awards, #33)
74. United 93 (06, 21 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 90 Meta.)
75. Rabbit-Proof Fence (02, 21 awards, n/r, 7.5 rtg, 80 Meta.) Australia
76. The Constant Gardener (02, 21 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 82 Meta.)
77. Requiem for a Dream (00, 20 awards, #63)
78. Vicky Christina Barcelona (08, 20 awards, n/r, 7.3 rtg, 70 Meta.)
79. An Education (09, 18 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 85 Meta.)
80. Me and You and Everyone We Know (05, 18 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 76 Meta.)
81. The Triplets of Belleville (03, 18 awards, n/r, 7.7 rtg, 91 Meta.) Canada-France-UK-Belgium
82. Nowhere in Africa (01, 18 awards, n/r, 7.7 rtg, 72 Meta.) Germany
83. Rachel Getting Married (09, 18 awards, n/r, 6.9 rtg, 82 Meta.)
84. Oldboy (03, 17 awards, #102) So. Korea
85. The Inheritance (03, 17 awards, n/r, 7.3 rtg, 68 Meta.) Sweden
86. Monster (03, 17 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 74 Meta.)
87. Sin City (05, 16 awards, #105)
88. Junebug (05, 16 awards, n/r, 7.1 rtg, 80 Meta.)
89. Pirates: At Worlds End (07, 16 awards, n/r)
90. A Very Long Engagement (04, 16 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 76 Meta.) France
91. Turtles Can Fly (04, 15 awards, n/r, 7.9 rtg, 85 Meta.) Iran-Iraq
92. The Road Home (00, 15 awards, n/r, 7.7 rtg, 75 Meta.) China
93. Downfall (04, 15 awards, #93) Germany
94. I'm Not There (07, 14 awards, n/r, 7.0 rtg, 73 Meta.)
95. Into the Wild (07, 13 awards, #145)
96. Brothers (04, 13 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 76 Meta) Denmark
97. Gran Torino (08, 13 awards, #95)
98. In Bruges (08, 13 awards, #208)
99. Hotel Rwanda (05, 12 awards, #119)
100. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (07, 12 awards, n/r, 7.4 rtg, 84 Meta.)
101. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (10, 12 awards, n/r, 7.7 rtg, 76 Meta.) Denmark
102. Donnie Darko (01, 11 awards, #135)
103. Jodhaa Akbar (08, 11 awards, n/r, 7.2 rtg, 69 Meta.)
104. The Chorus (04, 11 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 56 Meta.) France
105. Spring Summer Fall Winter.. and Spring (03, 11 awards, #247, 85 Meta.) So. Korea
106. Alice in Wonderland (10, 11 awards, n/r, 6.6 rtg, 53 Meta.)
107. Water (05, 10 awards, n/r, 7.6 rtg, 77 Meta.) India
108. Exit Through the Gift Shop (10, 10 awards, n/r, 8.2 rtg, 85 Meta.) more ratings it would be in the IMDB 250, around #114-146
109. Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (02, 9 awards, n/r, 7.9 rtg, 50 Meta.) India
110. Together (02, 9 awards, n/r, 7.3 rtg, 60 Meta.) China
111. Thank You For Smoking (05, 9 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 71 Meta.)
112. After the Wedding (06, 8 awards, n/r, 7.8 rtg, 78 Meta.) Denmark
113. The Kids Are All Right (10, 7 awards, n/r, 7.3 rtg, 86 Meta.)

[This may not be complete, I may have some more to add yet.. Technically, 2010 should not be included, it's the first year of the next decade - I just wanted some of the current awards winners shown here for comparison with other recent years. ]

Films Reviewed in 2011

Ridley Scott's intense Black Hawk Down

Films I’ve reviewed in 2011 so far.. concentrating on classics I missed before (Metropolis, The Seventh Seal, Swing Time, Now Voyager), crime films, as I’m building a post of 100 Great Crime Films (Eastern Promises, Animal Kingdom, The Yakuza, Atlantic City, Badlands), films I’ve seen recently (Evergreen, Winter's Bone, The Company), foreign films (Climates, The Beautiful Country, Days of Glory), documentaries (Crumb, Hearts of Darkness, Capturing the Friedmans), and films no one has seen (A Boy Ten Feet Tall, which has less than 300 ratings at IMDB)

A prison scene from Lina Wertmuller's Seven Beauties

8 ½ (1963) Italy, bw
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1963)
Alice (1990)
All Quiet On the Western Front (1930) bw
American Beauty (1999)
And Then There Were None (1945) bw
Animal Kingdom (2010) Australia
Atlantic City (1980)
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Badlands (1972)
The Beautiful Country (2004) Norway
The Best of Youth (2003) Italy
Birth (2004)
Black Book (2006) Netherlands
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Black Swan (2010)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Climates (2006) Turkey
The Company (2007)
Crumb (1994)
Darling (1965) bw
Days of Glory (2006) Algeria
Dead Man Walking (1995)
Diner (1983)
Eastern Promises (2007)
The Executioner's Song (1982)
Evergreen (2004)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)



The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) Italy [photo above]
Get Carter (1971)
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Gorky Park (1983)
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1992)
I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Rep.
Il Posto (1961) Italy, bw
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Inception (2010)
The Informer (1935) bw
Inside Job (2010)
Jezebel (1938) bw
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) bw
The Kids Are All Right (2011)
The King’s Speech (2010)
The Krays (1990)
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
The Last Seduction (1993)
Lebanon (2009) Israel
Life With Father (1947)
Lone Star (1996)
Lord of War (2005)
Mary Poppins (1964)
MASH (1970)
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2006)
Metropolis (1927) Germany, bw-silent
The Mosquito Coast (1986)
The Muse (1999)
Now, Voyager (1942) bw
Oldboy (2003) Korea
On Golden Pond (1981)
One False Move (1992)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) Australia
Poltergeist (1982)
Pride and Prejudice (205)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
The Professional (1994)
Red Dragon (2002)
Samson and Delilah (2009) Australia
The Seven Year Itch (1957)
The Seventh Seal (1957) Sweden, bw
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
The Shop on Main St. (1965) Czechoslavakia, bw
Silkwood (1982)
Sleuth (1972)
The Social Network (2010)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Stray Dog (1949) Japan, bw
Swing Time (1936) bw
Thirteen (2005)
The Three Burials of Malquiades Estrada (2005)
Toy Story 3 (2011)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Vitus (2006) Switzerland
The Wages of Fear (1953) France, bw
The Wings of the Dove (1997)
Winter's Bone (2010)
Witness For the Prosecution (1957)
Women Without Men (2009) Iran
The Yakuza (1974)

Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar nominee for Winter's Bone

These stand out as the best of these: Days of Glory, Winter's Bone, The Three Burials of Malquiades Estrada, Toy Story 3, Now Voyager, Lone Star, Inception, The Wings of the Dove, Hearts of Darkness, Black Hawk Down (photo top)