1st Annual Nitrate Awards

We've now officially completed this year's inaugural run of the "Best of the Year" segment, and it's definitely been something of a success. It was a little rocky on the finish there, and I apologize for the numerous problems that sprung up in terms of yesterday's "Best Films of 2010" posts. I'll probably not try the whole countdown thing again next year, and just go with simply posting it all up, avoiding all the technical errors that we've been rigorously dealing with these past few weeks. So now the only thing left to do is give my superlatives, and so here is the premiere run of the Nitrate Awards, which we hope to carry on more successfully to next year. Feel free to list your choices in these categories!

Best Picture: True Grit
Best Director: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Supporting Actor: John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Best Supporting Actress: Marion Cotillard (Inception)
Best Male Cameo: Chris Evans (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)
Best Female Cameo: Rooney Mara (The Social Network)
Best Breakthrough Male Performance: Kieran Culkin (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World)
Best Breakthrough Female Performance: Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

I Just Want To Be Perfect: Best Films of 2010 (2 of 2)

#5

"Toy Story 3"
Directed by Lee Unkrich

I haven't a clue what stone-hearted abomination could not have liked this film, let alone exclude it from their top ten, and I'm glad I haven't come across anyone of that nature so far. Toy Story 3, the eleventh film from Pixar Animation Studios and the last film in their premiere Toy Story trilogy, could've easily failed to meet expectations, and they've never been higher for a Pixar film. Somehow, first time Director Lee Unkrich managed to close out the trilogy with as much heart, wit, excitement, and emotion as they started out with. As somebody who has grown up with the series, and somebody who patiently waited ten years for the latest installment to come out, I cannot possibly minimalize the success that has been achieved.

Shallow Attributions: Best Films of 2010 (1 of 2)

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!

Fragility, Bravery, and Sexiness: Best Female Performances of 2010

If yesterday's list of the best male performances felt a bit underwhelming, it's because this wasn't so much a year for men. This was a fantastic year for women, so much so that it it's become difficult to place final decisions on those two Oscar races. I've had several favorites throughout the past few months, and I think I've finally got my choices nailed down for both categories. Many are saying that this was a year of newly discovered actresses, which I believe to be a bit of an overstatement. Maybe it's because I had already discovered Chloe Moretz in last year's (500) Days of Summer, not to belittle her efforts this year. I'm hesitant to say she's the next Dakota Fanning, because I hate Dakota Fanning. Nevertheless, her disturbing dark and controversial performances in Kick-Ass and Let Me In have certainly made a name for her.

One of the greater acting showcases this year was The Fighter, which obviously contained the jaw-dropping performance from Christian Bale, but there were also the smaller gems from the film. Amy Adams is probably the most underrated of the group, because she gives a very tough, sexy, and somewhat skanky performance as Mickey's girlfriend Charlene. She gives something a logical compass for the film when Mickey's delusional family comes to misdirect him. Probably the most overrated performance is from Melissa Leo, who I admit gave a fantastic performance as the cancer faced mother of Mickey's family, and the person who really controls all the moves of her blessed white-trash children. However, she's not really given too much of a chance to shine, and her character's purpose is a bit too similar to Bale's character, and it edges on lunacy at times. She's an amazing actress, but this just isn't her time.

This is probably the most daring praise I'll give an actress this year, I was extremely impressed with Tina Fey's voice work on the film Megamind. She joins the ranks of other actors who emotionally transcended the animated genre, most notably Ellen Degeneres in 2003's Finding Nemo. Tina Fey's vocal expression brings a lot of the charm and sexiness to the character of Roxanne Ritchi. Rounding out the actresses who didn't quite make the cut for me is Rooney Mara who had merely two or three scenes in this year's greatest success story, The Social Network, but one of them happens to be the best standalone scene in the film. Her work as Erica Albright, the soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend of Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg, is surprisingly passionate and gives a feminist edge to the predominantly male driven film. The top ten actresses of the year after the jump!

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Best Male Performances of 2010

To tell you the truth, of all the best of the year segments that I've written, the next two were probably the most difficult. It's much harder to sit down and compare specific performances than it is to compare films, or even aspects of films. Each actor has their own style, and I completely appreciate that. There were some actors who did fantastic jobs this year, but they weren't the best. Geoffrey Rush gave a fantastic and hilarious performance as Lionel Logue in The King's Speech, and his chemistry with Colin Firth gave such a great dynamic for the duo to work off of. Also just barely edged off the list is Jeremy Renner, who chose to follow up his performance in The Hurt Locker with an unnerving turn as the loose cannon of the group in The Town, Jem.

There's also the fact that some films aren't really acting showcases, so you have to do a bit of digging in order to find the best of the group. Inception was one of those films, and even though I really liked the work Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt did, Tom Hardy was the guy who won over me. His character of Eames is practically the man most important to making the act of Inception work, and that sarcastic charm of his doesn't hurt either. Even though it was a team effort, giving Watanabe, Gordon-Levitt, and Murphy all a chance to shine, it's worth noting that Tom Hardy is the man Christopher Nolan's carrying on into The Dark Knight Rises, where I hope he will do even better work.

Best Contribution to 2010: Alexandre Desplat

I had some trouble thinking of the man/woman who I believe gave the biggest contribution to the film industry this year, because Leonardo DiCaprio is the automatic first choice for most. He had two films on his resume for this year, one of which is up for best picture this year. On the other hand, Shutter Island was originally intended for release last year. It's a great film, but the only reason it's part of this year at all is because Paramount Pictures didn't want to spend money on an Oscar campaign. Also worth mentioning is Jeff Bridges, who legitimately had two films this year, TRON: Legacy and True Grit, both of which were awesomely entertaining on their own levels. However, the person who I personally believe did the most for this year was composer Alexandre Desplat. I've dedicated several posts simply to praise him, because his work this year has been substantial. His least successful work of the year was his score for Tamara Drewe, which seemed to come and go rather quickly in a narrow part of the year.

Beyond The Supernatural: Best Cinematography of 2010

I always find myself worried that people no longer believe that more is more. These days, and this is applicable to all aspects of filmmaking, people seem to be sticking with the familiar, rather than trying something new or challenging. Every time I went to the movies this year, I asked myself if the cinematographer merely went with whatever worked, or searched until finding whatever shot worked best. More often than not, I was largely disappointed. However, I am pleased with how many films decided to push things. Shutter Island, Let Me in, and Black Swan had a lot of help from the striking and disturbing imagery they were told to frame, but they were breathtaking nonetheless. The cinematography that impressed me the most this year was a lot more natural, and didn't rely too much on visual symbols or supernatural elements to make its point.

3. Inception

Wally Pfister has worked with Christopher Nolan on all his films, and over the years they have definitely grown through this partnership in terms of honing their respective skills. Nolan and Pfister have peaked in quality, starting two years ago with The Dark Knight, and continuing now with Inception. It's unclear how long this peak will last, or if they could do even better. For the time being, I'm just enjoying what they're placing onscreen. For a film that's largely based in the world of dreams, Pfister keeps the cinematography firmly grounded in some sort of reality. The lensing of most scenes have an over-lit yellow or slight gray tint to them, and the dream world is lit much lighter than the real world, giving an eerie sense of seduction to extended dream sequence. It's ultimately effective, and occasionally iconic, from the perfect first shot of the relentless ocean, to the foreboding and mysterious final shot of the film.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

If this series hasn't always been a critical or emotional darling, the aspect that has always prevailed in the Potter saga is the production department. I wouldn't be surprised if the latest installment got several nods in technical categories this year, most especially for the lensing of the film. David Yates has had a habit of choosing more skilled and textured cinematographers than the first four films, and Eduardo Serra definitely brings something unique to the table. A lot of what makes the cinematography of this latest film work is the landscapes that the trio (or duo) are staying at. It's a nice way of keeping track of where the characters are emotionally. From the unfamiliar woods, to the barren and desolate mountains, every location has some sort of link to what the characters are feeling at that moment, and Eduardo keeps the camera perfectly focused throughout. There's a balance between the safe distances and the odd shakes in the camera, and it's clear that so much work went into making each frame emotionally impactful.

1. True Grit

I was truly worried that my top pick in this category wouldn't make it into the cinematography category at all, and then True Grit came around the corner and changed everything. I thought that Roger Deakins' Oscar hype for his work here was a bit overblown until I saw it. I was captivated by the meticulous first shot, starting with a strange yellowish fade in, and then focusing into this wonderful portrait of a man lying dead as the snow fell upon him. This attention to detail and quality composition never once wavered for the rest of the film. There wasn't a moment in this film in which I felt that they could've chosen a better shot. The black outline of Tom Cheney riding away and escaping remains a powerful one, and even more powerful is the final shot that leads into the end credits. It's not truly symbolic of anything, but it's simply beautiful to look at. Roger Deakins deserves to win the Oscar for cinematography this year, because he has no equal in this race. This year, he is the best.

Positively Schlocking: Worst Films of 2010

It was a pretty depraved year at the movies in 2010, and so it was relatively easier to fill out this list than the list of the best films of the year. We had so many colossal disappointments this year, I didn't even get the chance to see them all. Sure, I did have the anything-but-unique opportunity to see Alice in Wonderland and Nightmare on Elm Street, but I missed out on Jonah Hex, Marmaduke, and most recently, Yogi Bear. I'm not about to say that I've suffered most, but I have suffered. So, to get it all out of the way, here is my list of the worst films of 2010!

5. The Other Guys

For most of the films on this list, there was never any reason to believe that they would be the slightest bit good, mostly due to their reputation or director. The Other Guys didn't really have any of that bad blood going against it. I've liked everything Adam McKay has put out so far, so I'm dismayed that this film ended up being so bad. On the way back home from seeing this one, the dread filled in of how disappointing this project was. One of the most important things to holding a film together is a coherent narrative, and I wasn't able to understand any of what happened in this film. If you asked me to give you a quick recap of the plot, I honestly would fail miserably. Mark Wahlberg gives one of the most irritatingly self-explanatory performances of his career, the screenplay is so poorly made with the run-on gags that take up most of the time and just aren't funny. I wish Will Ferrell's performance could redeem it, but this was quite simply a train wreck.

4. The Wolfman

You can be forgiven for not remembering this film, as it feels like so long ago since it was released. Or maybe you forgot because it's just so forgettable. This horror remake had mixed responses when it came out, with some despising it with a passion for the same reasons I did, and some liking, or even more amazingly loving it for the simple reason that it's a gothic horror film. I for one hated it, because it was so damn corny and trashy. With a score by Danny Elfman and a powerful cast behind it, I still don't quite know how it failed so badly. They had Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving, but none of them managed to impress. The makeup job they did on the Wolfman made him look like Chewbacca. It's hard to believe in a tragedy when the lead character is so dull and wooden. This is the main reason why I'm so worried about the Captain America film, because Joe Johnston is directing it just like he directed this. I actually believe Thor is going to end up being the solid view of the two.

3. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Unless Bill Condon turns out to be some sort of God who is able to turn something rapidly unappealing into something enjoyable, there will always be a Twilight film on this list until the series ends. I do try my best to avoid films that have a likelihood of sucking, but I manage to make an exception for this series. So what's to hate about this chapter of the series? The characters, to start with, are two-dimensional figures who could only find a happy home as cardboard cutouts. If I found one for an affordable price, I would snatch up a Taylor Lautner cutout in a heartbeat. The story is a simple rehash of New Moon, which is a simple rehash of Twilight, so if you've seen either of those films, you've seen this film already, only better. The thing that frustrates me the most about this film is that it doesn't care about what we care about. Towards the end of the film, there is a 10 year old girl who was just turned into a vampire. And "our heroes" stand aside as her short life is brutally ended for no reason. Nobody cares about the leads if they're so quick to sacrifice the lives of the weaker. This is a series about sad things happening to pretty people, and I just couldn't care less about it. And how does the film end? Well I honestly can't tell you, because I left the theater enraged before the final scene.

2. Saw 3D

The Saw films have had a standard going on for a while, and it's a standard that I've been more than alright with. Don't expect any narrative quality. Don't expect any quality acting. Don't expect any supreme technical advantages. All you're ever going to get is blood and gore delivered in style (kind of). The latest, and apparently last, Saw film didn't deliver any of that, and so it made all the faults of the film shine through so much more. The cinematography is quite literally the worst cinematography of any film made this year. I can't really comment on the music, because it was utterly forgettable. The acting was stale as a cracker, the direction was a non-factor, and the screenplay was dumb as all hell. Even the traps managed to disappoint. One of the traps was just a bunch of foot tall spikes with a good two feet in between each other, and a man tangling just a few feet above them. Instead of just landing, he flails around like an idiot, which is pretty much what this film does.

1. The Last Airbender

You can sit through endless pointless schlock and never reach the level of disappointment or dread that this film instilled in me. Never before has a film with so much potential failed in such a disastrous fashion. M. Night Shyamalan already had one foot in the grave before he made this film, but if studios allow this man to continue making films, they're only hurting themselves. Personally, I was so excited to see a feature film made out of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the anime television show that I devoted a good amount of my childhood to. I was never able to quite understand why people were so aggressive against the new Star Wars trilogy and the fourth Indiana Jones, though I can't deny that The Phantom Menace was painful to sit through. However, now I truly know what those men in their forties meant when they said that George Lucas raped their childhoods, because Shyamalan just raped mine.

This film failed in almost every aspect possible. The cinematography, which was simple and uninviting to begin with, had been glossed over with poor color conversion, to the point where it looked like they just put blue cellophane on the camera. The visual effects felt unrealistic and like a ripoff of D-War, which is just a new low. The action actually managed to make my adrenaline plummet, because it was just plain boring and stupid. The acting is perhaps the worst in any film I've ever seen, even from the Slumdog Millionaire kid. The direction was aimless and almost bent on making this the most difficult film to ever sit through. The script took any important and emotional moments of the first season of the show, and either threw them out or gave them two minutes of screen time with the most cliche dialogue you'll ever hear. They somehow even managed to mispronounce every single name in the series, especially the name of the main character. I must beg you never to subject yourself to this, because it will literally make your brain cells die within seconds. This is the worst of the worst, and gives the audience nothing in return for their time and money.

Lightning In A Bottle: Best Trailers of 2010

5. Super 8

I know it's a trailer for a film coming out in 2011, but I'm counting any trailer released this year under this list. The most entertaining part of Iron Man 2, sad as it is to say, was the trailers before the film. I payed to see the film a second time, just so I could see those trailers again. J.J. Abrams' secret new trailer for Super 8 arrived very much in the same way that the trailer for Cloverfield did. The only difference was that news of this trailer leaked onto the internet shortly before it debuted, so it was only half a surprise. Still, Abrams does know how to put together an intriguing teaser, packed with special effects, silent intrigue, and the question of what exactly it is all supposed to mean. We'll have to wait until next year to see if it'll actually be worth it, but we've got our fingers crossed.

4. The Social Network

The reveal of the final trailer for David Fincher's much anticipated The Social Network was divided, as the previous two weeks gave us two interesting and unique teasers. Then we got the final work of art, and it gave us an idea of what exactly we were in for. "The Facebook Movie" was no longer a simple joke. It was a film that could be taken seriously by audiences and critics. Right from the opening, the trailer pushed style and art before thrusting us forward into dark yellow cinematography of Harvard. The screenplay was praise-worthy, even in such a fragmented format. The cover of Creep that played in the background gave an eerie undertone to it all, fit the theme of the film, and it soon became the song that best described this year in film.

3. Blue Valentine

I have a special preference for these trailers that don't go with the regular format, and instead decide to go with something a little simpler, but more striking. In many ways, this trailer works brilliantly for this specific film, because even though it doesn't quite go over the bar with grit, it's still quite raw. It's certainly enough to get me in the theater, because Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are two spectacular understated actors. They're so honest in the interpretation of all this. It only hints at the insanity that ensues when their relationship starts to crumble, but it's only a teaser trailer. It's meant to get you interested, and this one gets us into the seats.

2. Black Swan

There were two trailers this year that had absolutely everybody talking, because they challenged the audience to buy into their insanity, and succeeded. This was really close to nabbing the top spot, but Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan still has plenty going for it. The first footage that made its way to the public was gob-smacking, and gave the consistent feeling of WTF(?) throughout that final minute. We knew it was going to be absolutely terrifying, but there were points in which it just got disturbing. From that creepy crow-face to red-eyed Nina pulling a black feather out of her skin. At a point I was wondering whether it was a ballet-thriller or some dark work of fantasy. Back then, I didn't think this film would be nominated for Best Picture, but I knew it was going to be amazing.

1. Inception

It may seem like a bit of an overstatement, but there is no way this could be considered anything less than the best trailer of the year. A lot of what went into it was the mystery and anticipation surrounding Christopher Nolan's latest mindbender, and all of that is still there. Wally Pfister's cinematography is always brimming with artistry and detail, and combining that with the unique visuals that the dream world provides us is like catching lightning in a bottle. I watched this trailer at least twenty times in a row when it reached the internet. Perhaps the most important quality of it all was Zack Hemsey's Mind Heist, which played in the background of the trailer. It brought all the excitement and anticipation out to the audience on an emotional level. This trailer was a success on every level of sound, sight, and editing. From that moment on, the main event of the summer was Inception.

Auditory Expansion: Best Musical Scores of 2010

Sorry for the confusion, but I still have to see True Grit and Black Swan before posting the cinematography list, so this will do until then. 2010 wasn't quite as successful as it should have been in terms of films, but it undeniably was a fantastic year for music. This was confirmed from the beginning with Howard Shore's dark score for Edge of Darkness. The film failed on several counts, but the music wasn't one of them. John Powell, whose scores have been consistently exciting and entertaining, churned out him best work to date attached to How to Train Your Dragon. Danny Elfman had a bad year, first with the complete failure of The Wolfman, but I liked his score for the ill-formed Alice in Wonderland.

James Newton Howard had even worse luck, working on rather pedestrian scores for Salt, Love and Other Drugs, and The Tourist. The best work he made this year was, regrettably, his score for The Last Airbender, which sucks because the score was so fantastic, but the film so abysmal. If the film turned out to be good, James Newton Howard would be nominated for an Oscar this year. A few secretive gems include Nigel Godrich's score for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Daft Punk's electrifying work on TRON: Legacy. True Grit and Black Swan got sadly sidelined from the Oscar race for Original Score the other day, but they're more than worthy of note. Biggest failure in this category this year was John Debney whose massive failures with Iron Man 2 and Predators just brought those films down. The most successful composer was surely Alexandre Desplat, but more about him later on.

3. Let Me In by Michael Giacchino

There are very few horror films that have an effective emotional core attached to them, which is probably the main reason that Michael Giacchino was brought in to work on this score. There's also his previous experience of working with director Matt Reeves, but when news broke out that he was doing the score, it was a lot easier to put my faith in this film. I'll agree that it took some time for the score to synchronize with film, but I blame that a bit on the editing. The score itself is hauntingly beautiful, with tracks like Sins of the Father and Polling for Owen building intrigue and suspense. It's sometimes joyful and happy with tracks like A New Day On an Old Lake. Then we plunge right back into the spine-tingling horror roots, and the best example of that is the best track of the score, Dread on Arrival. End Credits beautifully caps off everything with a tragic melody that hints at the truth of the rest of Owen's life. The score is a powerful extension of the film, and that's what the definition of any effective score should be.

2. Toy Story 3 by Randy Newman

I haven't the slightest clue why Randy Newman's work on the latest and last installment in the Toy Story saga is being so minimalized by people when it comes to the Original Score category. The man has always put together wonderful and heartfelt tunes, and I know the songs are what he's best known for. However, he really pushed the envelope this time around, and brought as much closure and excitement as a soundtrack can give you. The opening number of Cowboy brings you into the fold with an extraordinary sense of wonder. Then it brings you a little further down to earth before grounding you. It builds up as the film goes on, gets really exciting when To The Dump hits, and then climaxes with the breathtaking and tear-jerking The Claw. It ends on a beautifully soft note with So Long, and it eases you into the inevitably end of this franchise. It's sweet, emotional, and weaves in some core themes from past installments. A worthy closing.

1. Inception by Hans Zimmer

Definitely the most expansive and revolutionary soundtrack of the year came in the form of Hans Zimmer's score for Inception. Rather than go the easy route and create something that merely fit the film, Zimmer decided to do something new, which caused a bit of worry when the word "electronic" was used to describe his work. Fret not, because using the advanced medium does not detract from Zimmer's natural talent to register excitement and emotion. The first track that leaked out was a portion of The Dream Is Collapsing, which soon became the main theme for the film. It's not an easy theme to start humming, and it exists on so many different levels and layers, just like the dream world of the film. That sort of theme continues, and it's hard to find a legitimate climax of this soundtrack, because it sustains the excitement through. It's a success on every level, from the amazing action tracks like Mombasa, to the deep and emotional chord that Time creates. Every scene in the film is amplified by the work, and the experience becomes something else entirely than what it was before.

Filmography 2010

I had hesitations about this one before, and that final minute where they indulge in the worst films of the year grinds on me quite a bit, but Filmography 2010 has it's moments, and it would be wrong to ignore them.

Power and Control: Best Performances in Otherwise Awful Films of 2010

5. Will Ferrell as Allen Gamble (The Other Guys)

I often have double takes about exactly what I thought of Will Ferrell's performance in The Other Guys, because even though a lot of people enjoyed it, I just ended up hating it. So, as is the case with many an awful film, it's difficult to pick out somebody and say they did well. I've never been a fan of Will Ferrell, but the fact of the matter is that he steps up his game for this one. He's not the same sort of child in an adult's body. He was actually a pretty decent guy, and his character felt closer to what a real person would be like in those situations. Wildly and ignorantly out of control, but close to realistic. The script just doesn't serve him well enough, as it should. Luckily, he had Megamind to turn his year around.

4. Taylor Swift as Veronica (Valentines Day)

This is probably the best cameo appearance of the year, and it's in a film that I didn't even end up paying to see. Valentines Day is the traditional romantic comedy that uses all the pathetic jokes that have been used in the genre before, as well as the same cliches. The one aspect of the film that I was ever on board with was the Taylor/Taylor cameo, featuring Lautner and Swift as a high school couple. Lautner does a pretty traditional job, but you'd have to have a cold heart of stone not to like Taylor Swift. She's always put forward that adorable and bubbly persona that put everyone on her side when Kanye West ruined her VMA moment. Here, she just displays a pure sense of joy that the rest of the film is surprisingly lacking. Feel free to rail against my choice, because I expect. I'm just glad that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

3. Alfred Molina as Maxim Horvath (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)

I both hate and love that my impatience to see Inception eventually pushed me to see this film. I knew long before the trailer came out that this film was prematurely busted and broken. There is no dignity in remaking the beloved musical short of the same name, and then reformatting it as a live-action adventure. Nicholas Cage doesn't help credibility either. The one thing that this film had going for it was Alfred Molina, the patron saint of fantastic actors in bad films. The man is always placed into these truly awful films, and he's usually the most likable actor of the group. He's got a deceptive charisma about him, and that fits most of the villains he plays. Horvath isn't exactly a well written character, but Molina's personality just clicks with relish, and we too relish every moment he's onscreen, because for that moment, The Sorcerer's Apprentice isn't painful to sit through.

2. Carey Mulligan as Cathy H. (Never Let Me Go)

Never Let Me Go was the ultimate love-it-or-hate-it film of 2010, and I unfortunately ended up in that second group of people. I know that the film must have been impeccably crafted, but it just didn't rub off on me the way it should have. Kiera Knightly and Andrew Garfield's performances began to grate on my about halfway through the film, because they both had an expiration date. Carey Mulligan, on the other hand, proved that her spectacular performance in An Education wasn't just a fluke. She doesn't have to carry this film on her shoulders, but she does, and she does it with a rich sentimentality and deep sorrow. Her character has never had hope, but she'd like to believe that it exists. It's a sweet performance tucked into a cold narrative.

1. Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn (TRON: Legacy)

You've already heard me attest to everything that is wrong with TRON: Legacy. It's derivatively plotted, it trucks along rather aimlessly at some points, and it's just a simple plot stretched out illogically to make it seem complex. It's all but saved by the music, the visuals, and most importantly, Jeff "The Dude" Bridges. I put an emphasis on "The Dude", because that's basically who the character of Kevin Flynn has become. He's been in this tripped out land of cyberspace for what must have been centuries, with his only real companion being an extremely hot higher being with stunning black hair. At the same time, he's got a major slice of God in him, with his unprecedented desire to do the right thing, no matter the cost. It's an especially poignant work that Bridges pulls off with flawless grace. Very few things in this film could have been said to be perfect. Bridges is one of them.

Cinema 2010

Without further avail or anticipation, we finally receive Cinema 2010! Once again, Kees Van Dijkhuizen proves the experience he's had with the field, with six minutes of this unforgettable montage. I love the context that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is placed into, as well as the fact that he chose to appreciate the short robot romance I'm Here as well. I'll admit that Filmography 2010 had its moments, and I'll post that one up tomorrow morning. I might try my hand at one of these next year. It's a worthy effort. Enjoy!

Best of 2010 Series Schedule

As you may have noticed, we've already started our Best of 2010 series, going over the superlatives of the last year. I'm still not quite finished with a few of them, so understand if you have to wait a little bit longer, but I'll try to keep you entertained with as many of them as I can. You can take a look at the schedule below, and feel free to let me know what your own picks are.

December 15: Best Villains of 2010
December 17: Best Television Shows of 2010
December 21: Best Performances in Otherwise Awful Films
December 23: Best Cinematography of 2010
December 25: Worst Films of 2010
December 27: Best Original Scores of 2010
December 28: Man of the Year
December 29: Best Films of 2009 (Looking Back A Year)
December 30: Best Male Performances of 2010
December 31: Best Female Performances of 2010
January 1: Best Films of 2010

2010: The Cinescape

Filmography 2010 felt a little sour on me, and featured far too many shots from the worst films of the year. We're getting really close to what is, to me, the peak of the film montage season with Cinema 2010, but until then, 2010: The Cinescape will work perfectly fine. Try not to notice the appearing and disappearing apple logo in the bottom right corner.

Television Breakdown: Best of 2010

5. The Walking Dead (Pilot, Vatos)

Two months into television broadcast season, we had received absolutely nothing of interest to fill the place in our hearts left empty by shows like Law and Order, 24, and Lost. Then came this zombie series by emotional-horror filmmaker Frank Darabont, and our life is beautiful once more. It took only one episode for us to be fully invested in the characters of this series, and the exact artistry of the narrative. After a rocky second episode, the show really found it's footing with the emotional powerhouse Tell it to the Frogs, and then became a possible successor to Mad Men with the shocking and disturbing Vatos. The ending did seem like a break from what we'd grown accustomed to, but it's more than admirable of Darabont and the writers to take such risks during the first season of a show. This season was gory, heartbreaking, heartwarming, funny, and outstandingly rated. It's a sign of better things to come.

4. Glee (The Substitute, A Very Glee Christmas)

Glee came back from the first half of it's season with what felt like a victory lap of nine episodes. They were taking their newly found fame and success to tell stories purely for the hell of it, and not quite coming out with the challenging episodes we wished they'd give us. Season 2 was a proper correction to that problem, though it wasn't at first. It took some time to fall into its stride as a full fledged series, and it came out victorious. The show is somewhat hit and miss, but mostly hit, and I'm fine with that. Many of the characters have their highs and lows, and the actors do a great with it, most notable Jane Lynch, Heather Morris, and Chris Colfer. It's just a bright and bubbly show that throws these characters through the hell that is high school, and that shows best in A Very Glee Christmas, which emphasizes how much of dreadful time the characters are having, but the joy the series always exudes. Although, a personal favorite of my will always be Gwyneth Paltrow's guest turn in The Substitute. Although, as I hear it, it may not be a one and done deal. Hint. Hint. Nudge. Nudge.

3. Lost (The Candidate, The End)

Quite a few shows ended their long term run this year, but the one I was most emotionally invested in was this gem from J.J. Abrams, and I didn't enter into the mythology until two days before the final season premiered. There have been mixed reactions in the aftermath of the finale, and I just don't get it. Were audiences really expecting answers to all the trivial and meaningless questions they made up along the way? What always appealed to me about the series was the characters and how almost every character death had a deep emotional meaning. On top of that, it's an epic scale story with deep moral undertones spanning across six seasons, which is something that hasn't really been attempted on television before. It opened the door for long narrative arc dramas like The Walking Dead. The finale was meant to give closure to the characters in an emotional way, and it pulled that off at maximum. The way they tied the "sideways world" storyline into the final season actually works perfectly as an ending to this series, and that final scene is immensely tear jerking. I stayed up late into the night to see how the series capped off, and I was devoted right until the very end. I didn't feel cheated.

2. Mad Men (The Suitcase, Hands and Knees)

I'll admit that I haven't gone back and seen the first three seasons of the hit drama Mad Men, and I just entered the fourth season with exuberance. The season was already half over, but putting the money into buying those previous episodes on iTunes was one of the greatest investments I've made in the past year. I love that this is a period drama on network television, and it's almost like if somebody took films like Revolutionary Road and adapted them into a television series. Jon Hamm was a revelation for me, and it's hard for me to believe that he's only reaching the peak of his talent now. He seems like a man who has been this great for years. Elizabeth Moss was originally just the girl from Get Him to the Greek, and she's one of the spunkiest and most likable characters on the show. Maybe I'm a little unfocused because this was my first season watching the show, but I caught it at a time when Fringe wasn't on the air, and I thought this may actually eclipse it as my favorite show on television. It's a meticulously designed and surprising story made in a high-quality manner deserving of an Oscar winning feature.

1. Fringe (Peter, Entrada, Marionette)

Unfortunately for Mad Men, when Fringe came back on the air, it became the best show on television, and I don't just mean that in a fanatical way. I've always loved Fringe, but this year took it to brand new heights emotionally and psychologically. Lets reach back into late Season 2, when the last eight episodes of the season were echoing through the internet with critics wishing the series was this good for entire season. The best of the lot was undoubtedly Peter, the flashback to when Walter did you-know-what, and that was the episode that had me continuously holding back tears for an entire hour. Then Season 3 came, and the critics' wishes for entire season of Peter-caliber episodes were granted. It started on a bang with the adrenaline-fueled Olivia, and then just kept going with episodes that emotionally expanded both universes. We were finally able to empathize not only with the other side, but with the seemingly emotionless shapeshifters. The last two episodes of the year delivered at an equal emotional level as Peter, with Entrada going the fast-paced route to resolve the Olivia-situation in truly cinematic fashion, and Marionette spending the proper time to dissect the aftermath of the scandal in a heartbreaking holding point for next year. Fringe moves to Fridays in January, and Fox has already given the series their vote of confidence in all ways possible. I can promise you confidently that the series will be back for season 4. It's a certainty.