2010 Leonard Maltin Guide's Ratings of Last Year's Award Winners

The Leonard Maltin Guide, for better or worse, sets a standard for how movies are ranked in later years. Although there are many examples of aberrations (for example Unforgiven, which frequently lands on best-films-of-all-time lists, is rated just *** out of ****) the guide has had influence in general in accessing films for future generations.






With that in mind, here are the films that received the main awards from critics, guilds, etc. from last year and where they placed in Maltin's rankings.

AMPAS Best Picture Nominees:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
FROST/NIXON (****)
MILK (*** 1/2)
THE READER (*** 1/2)
SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE [winner] (****)

Best Actor: Sean Penn for MILK (*** 1/2)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet for THE READER (*** 1/2)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (*** 1/2)
Best Director: Danny Boyle for SLUMDIG MILIONAIRE (****)
Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for MILK (*** 1/2)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
Best Foreign Film: DEPARTURES(***)
Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)
Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

Multiple Oscar winners (features):
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE— 8 (****)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON— 3 (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT— 2 (**)
MILK— 2 (*** 1/2)

Golden Globes Best Motion Picture Drama: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
Golden Globes Best Musical or Comedy Film: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Foreign-Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

BAFTA Best Film: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)
BAFTA Best British Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
BAFTA Best Foreign-Language Film: I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (***)
BAFTA Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

PGA Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
PGA Best Animated Motion Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2):
PGA Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

SAG Ensemble Award: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)

DGA Award: Danny Boyle for SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)

WGA Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for MILK (*** 1/2)
WGA Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
WGA Documentary Screenplay: Ari Folman for WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Online Film Critics Society Best Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2)
OFCS Best Foreign-Language Film: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
OFCS Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
OFCS Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

Broadcast Film Critics Best Picture: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)
BFCA Best Action Movie: THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
BFCA Comedy Movie: TROPIC THUNDER (** 1/2)
BFCA Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
BFCA Animated Movie: WALL•E (** 1/2)
BFCA Foreign-Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Nat’l Society of Film Critics Best Picture: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
NSFC Foreign-Language Film: n/a
NSFC Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture: MILK (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Animated Film: WALL•E (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Foreign-Language Film: 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (*** 1/2)

Los Angeles Film Critics Assn Best Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Animated Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Foreign Language Film: STILL LIFE (n/a)

National Board of Review Top Ten Films:
BURN AFTER READING (** 1/2)
THE CHANGELING (***)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
DEFIANCE (** 1/2)
FROST/NIXON (****)
GRAN TORINO (***)
MILK (*** 1/2)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE [Best Film] (****)
WALL•E (** 1/2)
THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)

NBR Best Foreign Film: MONGOL (***)
NBR Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)
NBR Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

AFI Top Ten
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
FROST/NIXON (****)
FROZEN RIVER (***)
GRAN TORINO (***)
IRON MAN (** 1/2)
MILK (*** 1/2)
WALL•E (** 1/2)
WENDY AND LUCY (***)
THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)

Indiewire Top Ten
1. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
2. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
3. WALL•E (** 1/2)
4. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
5. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
6. PARANOID PARK (** 1/2)
7. STILL LIFE (n/a)
8. SILENT LIGHT (n/a)
9. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)
10. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Village Voice Top Ten
1. WALL•E (** 1/2)
2. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
3. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
4. STILL LIFE (n/a)
5. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
6. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
7. MILK (*** 1/2)
8. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
9. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
10. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)


2008 additions to They Shoot Pictures…. website Top 250 Films of the 21st Century:

30. FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
54. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
55. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
68. WALL-E (** 1/2)
73. STILL LIFE (n/a)
78. MY WINNIPEG (*** 1/2)
79. PARANOID PARK (** 1/2)
84. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
86. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
116. SILENT LIGHT (n/a)
117. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)
118. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
123. IN THE CITY OF SYLVIA (n/a)
127. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (*** 1/2)
141. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (***)
144. HUNGER (*** 1/2)
153. MILK (*** 1/2)
159. THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)
172. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004) (*** 1/2)
176. THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (***)
186. THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (n/a)
196. MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
197. BALLAST (***)
219. WOMAN ON BEACH (n/a)
220. REPRISE (** 1/2)
223. CHE (**)
231. CHUNHYANG (2000) (**)