Total Film Hotlist 2010: The Winners

Hottest Film The Social Network

We Say: The combination of Aaron Sorkin’s razor-sharp screenplay, David Fincher’s directorial verve, a zeitgeist cast, Trent Reznor’s quicksilver score and the clout of producer Scott Rudin made The Social Network not just a niche film about geeks but a snapshot of a generation, a drama of Shakespearean proportions and essential viewing. Oscar? We think so.

You Say: “Who knew a film about facebook could be so inclusive, so fascinating and so damn cool? Best film of the year without a doubt.” Hannah Conner, Derry

Producer Scott Rudin Says: “Enormous thanks to all the Total Film readers for supporting David Fincher’s The Social Network . We could not be more excited about how this film has been received, and we’re very much looking forward to the Coen Brothers’ True Grit in January [produced by Rudin], and the next Fincher film, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo , next year. Thanks to everybody who took the time to vote. It means a lot to us.”

Check out the video of Jesse Eisenberg accepting the award below;

YouTube

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Hottest Director Matthew Vaughn

We Say: Vaughn’s dynamic, kinetic direction on Kick-Ass made it a hell-for-leather thrill ride that we loved. We can’t wait to see what he does with X-Men: First Class …

You Say: “I loved the energy that Matthew Vaughn got going on Kick-Ass . He managed to make the comics come alive and retained their anarchic tone and snarky cool. He has to make Kick-Ass 2 !” Shazli Khan, Edinburgh

He Says: “Thanks, Total Film readers. Making Kick-Ass was a pleasure so it's great to see how well it's been received. I know expectations for X-Men: First Class are high; we are nearing the end of principle photography now and I certainly hope you guys will think it is a good movie. Thanks again for the award!”

Hottest Actor Andrew Garfield

We Say: He was doe-eyed and betrayed in The Social Network , love-torn and sickly in Never Let Me Go and he’s going to be the new Spider-Man. Garfield is packing serious heat…

You Say: “He was so good in Social Network , without him as a moral compass we could have never felt such conflicted feelings for Zuckerberg. He can do anything!” Debbie Blom, London

He Says: “How excited am I to receive this award? On a scale of one to 10, I'm a 10. No, I'm an 11. It's a massive honour. That's crazy to me that anyone has seen any films I've been in, so that's very flattering and means a great deal.

"This year has been incredibly rewarding. The Social Network , the Spike Jones short I did, and Never Let Me Go ... I've been working with really great, wonderful, creative people. I feel very very lucky.

"And I’m very, very excited and nervous about Spider-Man – I'm working pretty hard to make sure I don't mess it up, physically, mentally, emotionally... It means as much to me as it does to everyone else. I can objectively look at myself and be like, 'You better not screw this up, man. I'm going to be pissed off with you if you do…'"

Hottest Actress Gemma Arterton

We Say: With Hollywood blockbusters ( Clash Of the Titans , Prince Of Persia ) a Brit com ( Tamara Drewe ) and the low-budget thrills of Alice Creed , no-one displayed more range in 2010. And there’s more to come...

You Say: “She’s clearly in demand for big Hollywood movies but still does stuff like The Disappearance of Alice Creed , which she was great in. I think she’s the most interesting actress out there right now.” Simon Clements, Newquay

She Says: “Thank you so much for this award. I’m very flattered - I saw the shortlist, so I know I was in very good company. I’m absolutely thrilled. This year’s been intense, but next year’s going to be... intenser! [Laughs] I’m attached to about nine projects but I’m not sure which one’s I’m allowed to talk about.

"But I’m aiming for even more diversity. Capa [biopic about the combat photographer Robert Capa] is confirmed, so I should be working with your hottest actor, Andy Garfield! [Garfield is lined up to play Capa, Arterton plays his partner, Gerda Taro, the first female photojournalist to cover the front lines of a war] and of course there’s Clash 2 ...

"And, fingers crossed, I’ll be working with Michael Winterbottom on London Fields and then there’s... actually, no, I better stop. You’re going to get me into trouble... But thanks for the award!”

Hottest Look Olivia Wilde

We Say: Numerous magazine shoots, Cowboys & Aliens on the horizon and a truly iconic look in Tron: Legacy saw Olivia walk away with the votes in this category...

You Say: "Olivia Wilde was already one of the hottest actresses on the planet. But in Tron she looks amazing, even for her. And her performance is one of the best in the film." Nial Lewis, Colchester

She Says: "Thank you for this award. It's lovely to be recognised, especially for something you have been a part of creating. With Quorra, it was important that we weren't just trying to make me look hot! We worked hard to ensure she wasn't generic, or just a 'sex bomb' but quirky and interesting and unique.

"We were allowed to really explore, creatively - at one stage she had crystals on her face like warrior make up but that might have been a little impractical. She actually looks quite radically different from me so I'm not sure what to make of the fact even my husband says he likes Quorra's look!"

Hottest Tune Derezzed from the Tron: Legacy Soundtrack by Daft Punk

We Say: Who else but Daft Punk could bring Tron ’s electro world alive in music? Their throbbing, hypnotic soundtrack complete with 90-piece orchestra and insistent synth are the perfect marriage of aural and visual.

Anyone stoked by Tron: Legacy would be ridiculously excited by Daft Punk’s new album so to get the two together was total, unmitigated joy.

You Say: “Daft Punk rule. And to see them DJing on The Grid…Oh my god….Cannot. Wait.” Gareth Morgan, Pontypridd

They Say: “This project is by far the most challenging and complex thing we have ever been involved with. We are lucky to have had the opportunity to experience some powerful moments artistically over the years, but recording this orchestra was a very intense experience. Thank you.”

Hottest Scene The Iron Man 2 Briefcase Suit

We say: Demonstrating all the verve and cool of Tony Stark in one fast and furious scene, the suitcase deployment amid the carnage of a wrecked Monte Carlo racetrack had us fist-pumping. Hats off to director, Jon Favreau.

You say: “Two words: Stark’s suitcase. That was freaking awesome! Where can I buy one?” Dave Smedley, Barnsley

He Says: “I want to thank Total Film and all of the online fans and personally apologize for cutting a Rolls Royce in half…”

Firebrand Award Chris Morris (Four Lions)

We Say: Morris spent two years researching his grimly funny picaresque about suicide bombers and it shows in the attention to absurd detail. Insightful, clever, daring and wickedly funny, Four Lions also boasts the best sheep explosion committed to film.

You Say: “ Four Lions was hands down the funniest, ballsy-est flick of the year. Chris Morris has got to win Firebrand for keeping satire alive and well.” Alesha Drebbit, London

He Says: “With Four Lions we were trying to make you laugh – to entertain – to surprise – to move even. My next plan is to have a lie down and see what bites me on the arse.”

World On Fire The Millennium Trilogy

We Say: A trilogy that did justice to the books we were all reading on the way to work and a star-making performance from Noomi Rapace, throwing herself physically and emotionally into the role of an unconventional, spiky and super-cool character. No wonder David Fincher’s re-making it and Rapace is hot property…

You Say: “Please give the award to Noomi Rapace and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy. She rocked and the movies were a kick up the bum to Hollywood. Yeah, think you’ve got cool, nailbiting thrillers sewn up? Think again.” Charlie Greenwood, Bradford

Star Noomi Rapace Says: “Thank you so much for honouring me with this cool award. It’s been a really big year with the The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo coming out in the UK and the readers have been really supportive. I’m currently filming the Sherlock Holmes sequel here in the UK and I can’t wait to share that with you too.”

Hottest Ticket - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

We say: No surprise that Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part II is the most anticipated movie of 2011 - we’ve watched seven Potter movies over 10 years, the franchise growing ever bigger, bolder and, yes, darker, before our glimmering eyes. Meaning? There’s a hell of a lot invested in this final instalment...

You say: “I used to view the Potter movies as a guilty pleasure. Not any more. I admit it: I’m massively excited about seeing this climactic chapter and I’ll happily shout it from the rooftops!” Claire Cosgrove, Nottingham

Star Emma Watson says: “I think I can speak for everyone involved when I say we are truly thrilled to receive this award. It’s been a long journey and I think we are all so looking forward to seeing how it ends. I can say, from what I’ve seen so far and of course being on set, director David Yates has done an incredible job and I don't think fans will be disappointed.

"I've literally spent half my life with Harry Potter , so being on set for the final film was a very emotional experience. My abiding memory has to be the very last day of filming - it finally hit us all, and Dan, Rupert and I were in bits. Even producer David Heyman cried! Still, now it’s all over I was able to get a tan and cut my hair!”

Hottest Property Arrested Development

We Say : A big-screen outing for the Bluths, America’s most dysfunctional family, has been rumoured for almost half a decade. And it remains the yet-to-be-made film you most want to see. Sounds like you could get your wish...

You Say: “George Michael, the frozen banana stand, Gob’s magic act, Buster’s hook, the never-nude Tobias... I need them back! Come on!” Stefan Greig, London

Creator Mitch Hurwitz Says: "Thank you so much for this honor. The Arrested Development movie is my absolute next priority. Right after 'being incredibly lazy.'

But I am hard at work on it and I've actually toyed with calling it "Arrested Development; the huge mistake" just to counter any high expectations any of you lovely fans might be holding.

Thank you so much for your support of the show -- truly -- I so appreciate it."

Hottest Writer Jane Goldman

We Say: Goldman’s screenplay for Kick-Ass was funny, irreverent, cool and most importantly, interpreted the source material without compromise. This year we’ll see her breathing new life into the X-Men origins story and giving Daniel Radcliffe his most important post- Potter role in The Woman in Black . Bravo, scribe!

You Say: “I love Jane Goldman. She created a fairytale everyone could love with Stardust , blew everyone away with Kick-Ass and has doesn’t-give-a-fuck fire-engine red hair. Can’t wait to see what she does next.” Nat Gallagher, Liverpool

She Says: “Gigantic thanks to the awesome readers of Total Film – it's a huge honour and means so much to me that this award comes from people who truly love film and who kindly took the time to vote. It's seriously made my year and I want to hug you all. Making Kick-Ass was a real labour of love, and being a totally independent production, with no one telling us what to do, it is a film very close to my heart, so every time I hear that someone enjoyed it, it fills me with utter delight.

"I'm also so proud of The Woman In Black , and dearly hope that you guys enjoy it. Actually, I hope you're scared, disturbed and haunted by it – but you know what I mean. We're just about done shooting, and the footage I've seen so far looks epic – the brilliant director James Watkins has done an extraordinary job, and Daniel Radcliffe is astonishing.

"Likewise, working with the incomparable Matthew Vaughn again, and a jaw-droppingly talented cast on X-Men: First Class has been a massive privilege and I am beyond excited for you guys to see it. Thanks again so much for the award. I'm going to keep it on my dressing-table next to my bed so that I can see it when I wake up every day. I might also occasionally take advantage of its reflective qualities and look in it when putting on eye-make-up. So if you see me wearing mascara, please know that I was thinking extremely fondly of you all when I applied it.”

Hotlist Icon - Jeff Bridges

An Oscar and the Hotlist Icon… what a year!

Ha, yes, it's been a wonderful year, and to cap it all off, I just got through cutting the basic tracks for an album with T Bone Burnett and that's come about directly because of Crazy Heart as well so, as I say, I've had just a wonderful year.

How have you managed to build up such a diverse body of work?

I've been so fortunate you know to be able to have the particular stance that I have which is very resistant… you know I've gotta be kind of dragged to the party to make a movie but I think that's due to the bed that I was born in, being Lloyd Bridges' son and having a father who loved the industry so much and encouraged all his kids to go into it.

It’s just a fortunate position to be in and I’ve also watched my father and how he navigated his career.

In what ways?

Well, one of the things that brought him a lot of success, but also a lot of frustration was his success in Sea Hunt , a TV show where he played a skin diver. He was so into that role that people actually thought he was a skin-diver, so he got a lot of skin diver scripts!

I remember later doing a movie with him called Blown Away , and before he got the part, the producer wasn’t keen. He said “He’s really more of a comedian.” I said, “What are you talking about?” and they said, “Well, all those Airplane movies.”

So I took my cue from that and tried really hard not to create too strong a persona, for a number of reasons: it makes it more interesting for me to play different kinds or roles, it puts a message out to filmmakers that I can do that stuff and also it kind of pleasantly confuses the audience who I am. So it’s a little easier for them to imagine me in different roles.

Tron: Legacy is a tidy example of that, what with you playing a fairly laidback older character and an angry, driven young man.

Absolutely! I mean that’s the fun of it.

Which part felt closer to you?

Well, they’re all different aspects of myself. I don’t really think of them as the good and the bad so much as just different parts of me. Like I say, it’s fun to play both.

Next up is True Grit . How was it working with the Coens again?

It was a dream. Those guys are master filmmakers. And like other masters, they make it look easy. Though, you know, it’s not always easy! But they have assembled a wonderful team around them, most of whom have worked with them a long time so that makes for a relaxed set.

Looking back at your work, is there a film that you wished got more recognition?

Well, the one that comes to mind is The Amateurs , it was called The Moguls in some places. We had a great time making that, it was a wonderful cast but so many things have to come together to make a film a success, not only creatively but financially. But that one unfortunately was picked up by a distributor that wasn’t very reputable and went bankrupt so it wasn’t seen by an awful lot of folk…

Is there anything you haven’t done in your career, a genre or a type of role, that you’d like to tackle?

You know, I’m not one of those guys who is ambitious that way. I’ve got a couple of projects that I’d like to realise before I kick the bucket. Twenty years after The Last Picture Show , we made Texasville and now, twenty years later, it would be lovely to continue on the saga. The writer of both, Larry McMurtry, has three more books that he’s written about those folks, so that would be a wonderful thing to work on.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d pass on to anyone working in this industry?

Something my mother used to send me off to work with, and now my wife sends me off with is one of those things you forget and you’ve got to remember once in a while. They both used to say to me: “Remember, have fun… and don’t take it too seriously.” [Laughs] That’s something worth pointing out to a few people…