Acknowledging that there are still films I need to see (aren’t there always…), I have cut things off at Christmas Eve. There are undoubtedly various other indie and critically acclaimed films which passed me by during 2010 that might warrant mention on a year-end list (“Joan Rivers” doc, “Please Give”, “Rabbit Hole”, “Another Year” come to mind…). However, I am a mere one man, with only so much time, and as I complete my first official year as the curator and orchestrator of this site, I am pretty pleased with my list. Certainly come January 2011 or even next week I might see something that will make me want to rush back and shift things down and around. But, let’s call it done for 2010.
In short, this was a fascinating year for film.
The idea of the documentary as a hoax came to light more than once this year with “Catfish” and “Exit Through The Gift Shop”.
The boom of 3D left filmgoers excited, disappointed, confused, and poorer. Was this film shot in 3D? Was it converted from 2D? Did the director ever want it to be in 3D? Should I see the film in 3D or 2D? (Ed. note: From all that I saw, the short answer is “2D”).
Box office receipts were up and down, but again the biggest grossing films of the year held universal appeal across generations (“Toy Story 3″, “Alice In Wonderland”, “Iron Man 2″, “Twilight Saga: Eclipse”, and “Inception” are the Top 5 of the year).
Franchises came to an end (“Shrek”, “Toy Story”, “Harry Potter”), franchises flourished and were reborn (“Twilight”, “Jackass”), ratings controversies engulfed several films at year’s end (“Blue Valentine”, “The King’s Speech”), and despite “The Social Network” virtually sweeping all of the Critics awards in December, many feel that this year’s Oscar race is as wide open and ripe for the picking as any year in recent memory.
I’ve had a blast. And hopefully you have too.
Here now…are my choices for the best of the year, with 10 more honorable mentions tossed in.
Happy holidays to all of you and thanks for all of your support this first year.
THE 10 BEST FILMS OF 2010
1. The Social Network. David Fincher’s look at the creation of Facebook is the film of our time. Witty, profound, and captivating, “The Social Network” is the rare film that defines who we are, without delving into politics or a trumped up polarizing controversy.
2. Inception. Mesmerizing and complex, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” places a series of thieves in and around intricate and labyrinthine dreamscapes while attempting to complete one final job. “Inception” is unique, visually stunning, and jaw-dropping in creation and execution.
3. Toy Story 3. Pixar may have concluded the finest film trilogy of all time with this moving and stirring comedy/drama/adventure that will affect everyone who sees it on many different emotional levels.
4. 127 Hours. James Franco’s exceptional turn as Aron Ralston, the Utah hiker who severed his own right arm to save himself from certain death, rests at the centerpiece of Danny Boyle’s inspiring, harrowing, and unflinchingly honest drama.
5. The Kids Are All Right. Lisa Cholodenko’s brilliant and searing peelback on what can define a family in 2010 – two moms, two teenagers, and the introduction of a donor father shake a stable and unconventional family dynamic to its core.
6. Black Swan. Dropping the viewer into the troubled and tortured mind of a top flight ballerina, Darren Aronofsky directs Natalie Portman’s finest work yet as Nina, the dancer consumed by both her leading role in “Swan Lake” and a new rival. Creepy and disturbing with elements of beauty and terror.
7. How To Train Your Dragon. DreamWorks nearly delivered the best animated film of 2010 with a fantastical adventure about a teenager who secretly befriends the most fearsome dragon in the village.
8. Cyrus. Few saw this year’s finest romantic comedy, a largely improvised tale of two single people (John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei) who find each other, fall in love, and then must deal with a possessive and overbearing son (Jonah Hill).
9. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Noomi Rapace is remarkable and fearless in this first film adapted from Steig Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy” of novels. Intricately plotted and intermittently shocking and riveting, this “Girl…” is one of the most exhilarating and innovative films to arrive in years.
10. Restrepo. In an amazing year for documentaries, the best of the lot was “Restrepo”, a heart-wrenching and unsettling tale of a combat team fighting in the Afghanistan war, defending the honor of a fallen comrade. Words are few but these visuals are everything.
10 MORE NOT TO MISS FROM 2010 (Alphabetical)
“Easy A”, “Exit Through The Gift Shop”, “”The Fighter”, “The King’s Speech”, “Let Me In”, “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”, “Tangled”, “The Town”, “True Grit”, “Winter’s Bone”.
