AFT Awards: Best Movie No One Saw

This is the twenty-first category of the 1st Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order by film title. Winners will be announced in late February.

If you have seen any of these films, that is terrific. Otherwise, find these films that had a tough time finding theatres to play in on DVD and give them a shot. I am not including foreign films in this category, but I am allowing six nominees.

The nominees:
DELIRIOUS
The two friends who came with me to see it (arguably the only two people besides me who did see it) hated it, but I enjoyed this mellow story of a paparazzo who takes in a homeless guy as his assistant. I will not say more for fear of giving away the plot, but a terrific performance by Alison Lohman is not the only worthwhile thing about this enjoyable though somewhat forgettable film.

EAGLE VS. SHARK
Quite possibly the funniest movie of the year. “Flight of the Conchords” singer Jemaine Clement is perfectly paired with the subdued yet wonderful Loren Horsley is an enjoyable and endearing film that I so wish I had gone to see way back when the stars and filmmakers were at NYU promoting it.

FIRST SNOW
They gave me a survey to fill out after I saw it since it was only playing at three theatres in the country. Despite the fact that the DVD cover nearly kills it, this is a great film that truly utilizes its wintry setting to enhance the spooky, mysterious nature of its denouement.

PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS
I raved about this film back when I first saw it and reviewed it. On second viewing, it is not quite as awe-inspiring, but it is still a fun, light, inventive romantic comedy that pretty much uses New York City as one of its performers and to great effect. Fantastic performances all-around by this crew.

SNOW CAKE
I never even thought I was going to see this after it was supposed to be a late 2006 release. Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman give tremendously affecting performances as an autistic woman and the man who feels responsible for the death of her daughter, respectively. Another wintry film that uses its setting wonderfully.

STARTER FOR 10
Forget “Atonement”: the James McAvoy movie of the year is “Starter for 10”, a charming comedy about a student who becomes an active member of a trivia challenge team while falling simultaneously for two different women. McAvoy is great and so is the cast working with him.