At the close of 2009, we were pretty sure that 2010 was going to be a disappointing year for films, and it looks like we were pretty much right, weren't we? It took us until the end of February to find something vaguely worth watching, and even then the disappointment didn't stop. Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans brought about the start of the 3D plague, a time period where 3D was beginning to be considered unnecessary, which it technically is. The summer movie season proved to entirely disappointing with the one or two major exceptions. Granted, we don't really expect quality filmmaking during those months, but we expect to be at the very least entertained, and we woefully weren't. We did have a bit of a resurgence in the last four months of the year, with several worthwhile films being released. On the other hand, we also got Little Fockers, Saw 3D, and Yogi Bear, and I just can't stop bitching about those films. Ultimately, it was a mixed year for the unique form of entertainment, and we can only hope that we get a better one next year.~Honorary Mentions~
Red
One of the few action-comedies these days that actually works, with bad-ass performances from Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
A bright and colorful action-comedy for the Nintendo 64 generation, full of hilarious non-stop dialogue, scene-stealing performances, and ultra-kinetic action!
The Fighter
Far from the best film of the year, David O'Russell has nonetheless made an aggressive and inspirational film out of a routine story. What makes it worth it are the fantastic performances from Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, and Christian Bale who should finally get the recognition he's deserved since 2005.
The rest after the jump!
Tangled
Combing elements of both the old-school and the new-school, Tangled never achieves the same status of Disney classics like Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty. All the same, it remains a heartfelt and hilarious little journey with winning musical cues.
The Town
Ben Affleck proves himself a better director than he is an actor, putting on quite a show with this thrilling heist saga that moves past the typical cliches of the writing and makes a mainstream film that audiences can embrace. Of course, Affleck does a decent job in the lead role, but never outshining Jeremy Renner's gripping performance.
How to Train Your Dragon
Another landmark year in animation starts with this rare honest and exciting pic from Dreamworks Animation. It's the first film to truly challenge Pixar for the title of best animated film of the year. It didn't succeed, but it was a worthy attempt!
Shutter Island
Bumped from the 2009 landscape, Martin Scorcese's psychological thriller has quite a few twists and turns that occasionally lose us. All the same, Leonardo DiCaprio is capable of grounding this roller-coaster in something emotional and dynamic!
Megamind
The most underrated film of the year is this unlikely success from Dreamworks Animation. It may be a bit hokey at times, and it's a story that's been told before, but the action rocks, the humor is nice, and the emotions are real. Somehow, it works.
The Ghost Writer
Roman Polanski's recent reputation in the news may be iffy, but his work onscreen is far from it. With superb performances all around, The Ghost Writer manages a mystery of suspense and intrigue with a worthy sense of humor!
Let Me In
The film that was only an edge away from officially making my top ten list was unlikely enough this beautiful and harsh remake of Let The Right One In. Catapulted by amazing performances from the entire cast, near perfect cinematography, and a tragic score, this is one of the films that was undeservedly unappreciated by the public.
~The Top Ten~
#10
"Winter's Bone"Directed by Debra Granik
Jennifer Lawrence gives a fantastic breakthrough performance that holds the film together, as does John Hawkes as her uncle Teardrop. The landscape of the film is all too familiar for me, so I'm able to better appreciate how they capture the blue tinted glow of the woods in the nighttime scenes, even when there is no moon. There are some extremely intense standoffs that occur in the film's second half, the most notable of which is Teardrop's confrontation with the local sheriff. There's a lot of questions about what is right and wrong, and it's ultimately not about fighting the evil of the world. It's about surviving each day despite the corruption and injustice that's all around them.
#9
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1"Directed by David Yates
You could probably find a shallow way to attribute this to my predisposition towards the franchise, but I loved the latest installment in the Harry Potter franchise, not because of that predisposition, but because it was a film of outstanding quality. I can't quite say that this is the best film in the franchise, because the second half of this epic conclusion is missing. We're not going to see that until next Summer. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is a bold change of pace for the series, abandoning the safety and structure of Hogwarts and placing these three kids on their own. They're ridiculously outnumbered and outmatched in every way. The villains in this film are aiming to kill, made clear within the first ten minutes of the film. It's not only the darkest entry in the saga, but it's also the darkest film I've seen this year. The deaths we face aren't simple red coats, but characters we actually care about. The action is furiously full of shock and awe, and the stakes are made clear in the heartbreaking opening. What captured me most, though, was the dire, melancholy, and unnervingly realistic nature of the story.
While this is an epic fantasy story, it is also a translation of real world experiences into this fantastical world. Every person in the world knows how empty and depressing loneliness can feel, and how stressful an important task is. Everyone has found themselves in a situation where they were sure they were going to die. In every moment of the film, we feel that fear and desperation. The relationship between the main trio becomes crass, as some are gravely injured and eventually forgotten altogether. The most memorable segment of the film is after Ron leaves, when Harry and Hermione go several minutes (or several weeks in terms of the chronology of the film) without speaking. The raw emotion employed in those scenes, and similarly across the entire film, puts this ahead of the more pointless dramas of the year. The conclusion of this finale, if depicted as well as this one, should place this epic length film as one of the best of the new decade.
#8
"Easy A"Directed by Will Gluck
Don't try refreshing this page. This isn't a trick or a prank. I fully intended on this film being on my end of year list from the moment I saw it. Call it my guilty pleasure pic, but I certainly don't. When this film was initially released, I said that The Town may ultimately be a better film, but Easy A was the one I would remember most by the year's end. I can explain my affection for this film in a similar fashion to how I admired last year's Zombieland. Neither of them ever had any aspirations of critical glory, and they were focused purely on pulling out a good time for the audience, while putting in some emotional content to make it more than just a simple laugh-factory. The screenplay for this film is non-stop, barreling through joke upon joke, and it never feels rushed or forced thanks to the all-star cast who create the best ensemble of the year.
Yes, this is a film about a high school girl who fakes losing her virginity, and somehow that makes her the talk of the school. Yes, some people are going to compare it to Mean Girls, but the core difference is that we're never polarized against Emma Stone's character. Director Will Gluck keeps reminding whose side we're on and why, rather than confusing us with false sentiment from irritating characters. I apologize if I'm running on a bit about this one, especially if you don't care in the slightest. This is the funniest film of the year, and that's the factor that will keep us looking forward to the next day. It's been a depressing year. Lighten up.
#7
"The King's Speech"Directed by Tom Hooper
This is definitely the film I'm gladdest about having seen when I did, because a few months ago I was an unfortunate misunderstanding away from having to wait until four days ago to see Tom Hooper's historical drama. I was in something of a rush when I wrote the review for my #7 film, sitting on the sidewalk outside the theater, waiting to see the most disappointing film of the year, Never Let Me Go. I'm able to collect my thoughts on the film a lot better now, and when I went to see the film a second time, I was worried that I had miscalculated the first time out. The first thirty minutes are the slowest of the film, and if you get through that without falling asleep in the theater, you will be more than impressed with the film.
It's one of the rare films this year that kept getting better as it moved towards the powerful and intense climax. It does feel a bit ridiculous to use intensity to describe a film such as this, but the scenes where the stammering protagonist Bertie, played wonderfully as always by Colin Firth, have a very uneasy feeling about them. It's almost claustrophobic, and it perfectly emphasizes the fear and shyness that Bertie feels in these situations. At the same time, what captures me most about the film is the bromantic-comedy inflection given to the relationship between Bertie and his speech therapist Lionel Logue. It's played for both laughs and emotions as they become an unlikely duo, complete with breakups, confrontations, and reconciliation. This isn't a startlingly original story, nor can it be, having been adapted from history. All the same, it's a wonderfully told and inspirational tale, as well as a marvelous acting showcase for the British actors who missed out on the Harry Potter phenomenon.
#6
"Inception"Directed by Christopher Nolan
I had some hesitations when I started forming this list on whether or not Christopher Nolan's latest film would make the list. I hadn't seen it for a while, and I was worried that the experience would be lessened by the transition to home video, and it is. The initial experience of watching Inception on the big screen is unlike anything you've ever seen before. The massive canvas of the dream world is well suited to that grand feeling of the theater. Therefore the experience is very much diminished by the transition to home viewing. Does that make it any less fascinating as a film? I would say not, because Nolan employed some fantastic psychological ideas from the experience of dreaming to make it more accessible for an audience. The only truly fictional or impossible thing about the film is that dreams can be shared through a device.
Aside from the astonishingly original concept of the film, the story is an exceptional gem as well. The tale of Cobb is a lot less psychologically intense than it's been made out to be, and far more emotional than people give it credit for. It's about a man trying to return to his children no matter the cost, all while still grieving over the tragic loss of his wife. Him spinning the top over and over again throughout the film is less him confirming his reality, and more of him desperately hoping that he was wrong, and that his wife is still alive in some way. It's not psychologically, but emotionally complex in that respect. If you view the film from a purely psychological standpoint, you're going to be watching subjectively from the outside of the situation. If you embrace the film on an emotional basis, your heart will churn the same way it did the first time you saw it. The whole tension of the extended action sequence comes from the fact that you care about the characters, and it's still there because of that precarious ending. A lot has been made of that mischievous final shot, and the more I think about it, the more I feel like Inception would be more complete without it. All the same, despite the daunting fact that we will never truly learn the truth as it was intended, I have settled on my belief in a happy ending, and will stay on that point.
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