My film picks for 2010. I will do individual nods and a score blog later (scores were killer this year).
Here is last years list.
http://adearlittlefriend.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-film-stuff-2009.html
I do this to try and spread the word on films I think are worth while for any year. I know 5 people look at it, but if one person sees a film they otherwise wouldn't have, it makes it worthwhile to me. 2010 was pretty bad in terms of big films. Almost every big film was a disappointment. There were plenty of quality films to fill that void, but a lot of people didn't see them (and instead poured money into the bad batch). What else is new. Sometimes films are from the previous year or from the upcoming year (I import some or check festivals). No, I didn't see everything. Here is my list of 15...
15.
The Fighter is a very solid film. The biggest complaint you could levy on it is that it is a bit formulaic, but David O Russell shoots the film well and it is an actors' showcase. Everyone is bringing their A game and this may be Bale's best work as an actor. A fun watch.
14.
Shutter Island is Martin Scorsese stretching his legs and really having fun as a visual artist. He directs this through the roof. Absolutely stunning visually and a nice throwback film. Very much taking cues from Shock Corridor, Scorsese never makes any deception about what is he is doing. Unlike many, I don't in anyway consider this to be a "twist" movie. It is a simple, elegant story told by a master in a fairly straight manner. The Sixth Sense has ruined people thinking they are going to jump all over a TWIST in any suspense/mystery/thriller... even if there really isn't one there.
13.
The King's Speech is probably the most "awards" baiting film on my list. That said, it is still an amazingly fun and somehow slight movie. You have Colin Firth and Helena Bohnam Carter giving (or equaling) career best performances and you have Geoffrey Rush on kill mode as an actor (and when he is, who is better?). Fun around the three as well with Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall, Guy Pearce and more giving strong support. Wonderfully directed, I recommend seeing it blind (I did, with no trailers). Amazing tension and an epic scope all from the way a man talks. Great work.
12.
I love South Korean cinema. Super love. They have three directors who may be kicking more tail than any three, modern directors from any other country you can think of (including America). They are Chan Wook Park (OldBoy, Lady Vengeance, Thirst), Joon-Ho Bong (this film, The Host, Memories of Murder) and Ji-Woon Kim (The Good, The Bad, The Weird). I had a chance to see this at a fest in LA last year and missed it. Makes me sad now! Mother is a very well made and well acted film. It is directed in a smart way that leads you exactly where IT wants you to go... not where you want it to go. I love that it is a film revolving around a middle aged woman, which is a rarity in American films. Watch it blind... and enjoy a bit of the great work from another country.
11.
I'll take this film over Toy Story 3 any day of the week. Dreamworks has been really trying of late with several strong releases over the past few years (not including Shrek sequels). Pixar went back to the well and Dreamworks stole the animation crown for the year. They (or someone else) may do it again next year as Pixar has another sequel in store. Dragon was original, well designed and had a lot of heart. Also, I like vikings and dragons.
10.
Ozarks Noir. Sounds strange, but it works brilliantly. A film that is interested in showing a brutal reality that many do not know exists (or don't know how truly dangerous it is) - the meth ravaged areas in the impoverished areas of the South. A great year for women in film, Jennifer Lawrence is among the best as Ree. John Hawkes gives what may be the best supporting actor performance of the year as Teardrop. An unflinching view of a problem and world I glimpse all to often (in my own backyard it feels like), this film does not misstep once.
9.
A very funny film (just look at the poster... it says funny) that also feels genuinely edgy and dangerous. How often does that happen? Almost never. Four Lions depicts a small group of Jihadist living in the UK (from the UK even). It shows them bumble and bluster through their terror plans while also making them human. Another great one to see blind, the film will make you laugh and then question yourself "is it OK to laugh at that?" - The answer is yes. The first film being distributed by Austin, TX legends Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and as such support it when you can. Buy the DVD. See it if it plays in your town. Brave and deft filmmaking, the topic of Muslims in other areas of the world is turning into a creative hotbed for filmmakers (see last years A Prophet).
8.
In a year when big name sequels and other big ventures fell fairly flat (even Iron Man 2), Kick Ass was one of the films to pick up the slack and really show what can be done when passion and talent tackle the subject matter (super hero action in this case). Kick Ass is funny, touching, amazingly directed and all around a great time. This is one of my favorite super hero films ever and really gets the genre and what makes super heroes so appealing. The trailers were absolutely awful, but luckily I knew it was a great film from buzz that escaped long before its release. If you missed out... rectify that. Nick Cage is even solid.... I swear!
7.
Roman Polanski is, for my money, the best director of thrillers since Hitchcock. Despite the baggage associated with his name, he can direct tension like no one else around. The film is a very thinly veiled parallel/jab at Tony Blair and is very deft & adult. It isn't trying to hit a home run, it is just an intelligently made and incredibly competent ADULT thriller (a rarity these days). The score is also among the best in year that has a lot of great scores.
6.
This film fires on all cylinders. A movie so well directed and edited that it can be mind blowing. Probably the only film that is more fun than Kick Ass. I can see this film maybe not hitting with older audiences (over 35), but I say give it a shot regardless. It is a fantastic look at relationships and a lot deeper than most will give it credit for. A video game generation love story made with killer talent at every level. Watch if you like to smile.
MOVING INTO THE TOP 5... THINGS GET TRICKY AND CAN BE MOVED AT ANY NOTICE. BUT THIS IS WHERE I FEEL THEM TODAY.
5.
Chris Nolan makes good on the credit he accrued from hitting the Dark Knight out of the park. Nolan makes a personal film that is also a blockbuster. It has his fingerprints all over it and it was great to see audiences flock to a deserving film for once. The way I think Nolan makes films makes me think it will be hard for him to top this one. I hope he proves me wrong. Not as mind blowing or mind bending as most say, Inception still is a joy to behold. Nolan kills it and Hans Zimmer may have created his greatest score to go with this film. DiCaprio nails it... which is starting to be a regular thing for him and all of his "team" are brilliant in their performances as well. When Lucas and Spielberg reaffirmed what a blockbuster could be, it drove us in the wrong direction. Not their fault, but this shows what they laid the groundwork for. You can make amazing art and be extremely crowd pleasing all at the same time. Crazy (Michael Bay and studios, please take note).
4.
Darren Aronofsky is a flat out amazing director. And he always does things the hard way. The only "new" directors in his league (in my mind at least) are Chris Nolan and Chan Wook Park. Black Swan is a fantastic portrait of a stressed individual who pushes herself for the sake of her art. Portman is in almost every shot of the film from a fairly close angle... so, if she didn't work the film would be awful. But she very much pulls it off and gives the best performance of her career. It is incredibly deep and layered. I fear most people won't dissect it the way it deserves. Before seeing it, I was expecting something more akin to Amadeus or the Red Shoes... instead you get a close up character study. It has more in common with Aronofsky's the Wrestler sent in a teleportation pod with Cronenberg's the Fly than an Amadues/Red Shoes.
3.
How fun is this film? Super fun. The Coens deliver their most accessible work yet and Jeff Bridges gives what I think is his best performance (and one that easily steps out of the shadow cast by the Duke). The amazing thing is that despite the seasoned actors giving strong work, the best performance is by a 13 year old Hailee Steinfeld. She is the film and if she doesn't work, nothing will. The film has a sense of hardship that all films set in this period should have, but it never goes out of its way to illustrate unnecessary points... it just is the way it is. The way the relationships evolve is awe inspiring cinema. The best western to come along in a long while and one that can stand along with the genre's greats.
2.
I SAW THE DEVIL. One of South Korea's great filmmakers delivers an absolute gut check. Ji-Woon Kim (The Good, The Bad, The Weird; A Tale of Two Sisters) shows up and takes a film to truly dark and disturbing places. A film that can stand toe to toe with a Seven or Silence of the Lambs and back them down in terms of dark tone. I have rarely (if ever) seen Nietzsche's concepts displayed in such a powerful manner on film (I mean... check the title). The violence hits hard and is never for gratuity's sake. My wife had a hard time watching this film and that is rare (she watches all sorts of weird films due to my tracking things down from all over). The film starts off in a fairly standard way, but it evolves in a way that I never saw coming (the first 10 minutes seemed to have slight nods to Silence of the Lambs, Seven and Blue Velvet). Another that gets the SEE IT BLIND nod.
1.
I am not sure if The Social Network is my favorite film of the year. It is certainly in the conversation (again, see the top 5 disclaimer). I know that I feel like it is the most deftly made and the most important. Aaron Sorkin's script teamed with David Fincher's visuals are a match made in heaven. The performances are all fantastic. The score is incredible. The editing. The themes. The you name it and it probably did it better than other films this year. This film feels like a piece that could join films that say something about the decade (or time period) in which they were made. Easy Rider. A Clockwork Orange. Wall Street. Fight Club. Those come to mind. Never really the best films of their time, but some of the ones that say the most about them. I also love, LOVE that this film is brave enough to show one of the true motivations for creating things... and it isn't a pretty rainbow land with flowers and altruistic art ideals... it is out of spite. Simple, powerful... spite.
