Well if you ask me...

my thoughts on faith, family, freedom, and fun

⇠ Political Hate Talk

The Other Five ⇢

My Favorite Films of 2010

UPDATE: I’ve now seen all ten best picture nominations. Read my thoughts on the other five and don’t forget to predict the Oscar winners for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Make your picks now.

I saw some excellent films in 2010. What follows is a list of my favorites. Before I get to the list I should mention a few other films.

The following films were good but did not live up to my expectations (in no particular order)

The following films were good but did not make my top ten (in no particular order)

The following films were excellent but I did not see them until 2011. Several of them might have made the list. Look for them on my list next year or on my Oscar picks

10. The Fighter

Taught him everything he knows.

The Fighter is based on the true story of Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a boxer who grew up in a dysfunctional family in working class Massachusetts. Several reviewers have noted that the film suffers from a weak lead character. I would have to agree. There was nothing wrong with Wahlberg’e performance. It was the character himself that lacked personality and focus. I found myself thinking throughout the film that “the fighter” was actually Micky’s older half-brother Dickie Christian Bale). Unfortunately, movies based on real life have to work within the facts (mostly anyway) and Micky’s story has an ending we could use no matter how matter of fact it may be.

Christian Bale and Melissa Leo turned in Oscar worthy performances and casting Amy Adams turned out to work for me. The second half of the movie only works if we fall for her character and I would have never fallen for that character in real life. Maybe it’s just me.

9. Inception

Come back to reality, Dom.

Inception is a wild ride. I’ve seen it three times and I’m still not sure what really happens. It almost didn’t make the list because of its flaws, but it really was one of the best movies I saw in 2010. I may not know what happened and I may have grown tired (three times) of listening to the characters explain it to me, but I did enjoy fantastic special effects (many without the need for computer generated images) and excellent performances. If you haven’t seen it, see it but don’t expect to understand it.

8. The Ghost Writer

You’re not kittens.

I really didn’t expect to or want to like this movie. I don’t like the actors – adequate at best, laughable at worst. I’m not a fan of most of the work of the director – some of his work is certainly brilliant, but not most in my opinion. And what I knew of the plot sounded predictable and overdone. Billy and I had the opportunity to travel an hour to see a press screening of the film and opted not to because of my hesitation (and some bad weather if I remember correctly).

We eventually saw it and I was impressed. A ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) is called in to finish the memoir of a retired British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan). He finds the previous writer’s work boring and decides a major rewrite is in order. He learns quickly that his subject’s life and work has been anything but boring. What the ghost learns may have even put his own life in danger.

7. The Town

I will see you; this side or the other.

The Town is an action packed adventure about a long time thief (Ben Affleck) who tries to balance his interest in one of his victims (Rebecca Hall), his cohorts (including Jeremy Renner), and a vicious enforcer (Pete Postlethwaite) while continuing to engage in his dangerous profession.

Affleck was brilliant as both actor and director. His exploration of the relationships among the bank robbers is very well developed and the film’s ending is particularly satisfying.

6. Shutter Island

You’ll never leave this island.

Shutter Island is the story of Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), a “duly appointed Federal Marshall” and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). Teddy and Chuck are sent to a mysterious island to investigate an escape but Teddy learns that there may be more to this island than meets the eye and that his assignment there may not be a coincidence.

I think DiCaprio is a brilliant actor and this performance, while certainly not his best on record, was no exception. The visuals were spectacular. Martin Scorsese does a masterful job of showing us just how spooky this place and our situation is right from the beginning. In the great tradition of smart horror films, he also keeps us from asking ourselves the simple questions that would make the movie start to unravel.

I saw this movie twice and the second time only convinced me how wonderful it was. It was fantastic.

5. The Debt

What if we could go back?

The Debt is a suspenseful thriller that tells the story of three young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission to capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal. This movie sat at number one on my list until I actually started to write this post. I thoroughly enjoyed the film but it has flaws. Most notably the choice to insert thirty years between the two main storylines in the film. The decision makes sense on one level, but it necessitates what I thought was a weaker ending than might have been possible otherwise.

4. Toy Story 3

So long… partner.

Toy Story 3 is the moving conclusion to the Toy Story saga. Andy is growing up and headed to college. The first order of business is to clean up his room. What ensues is fast-paced, funny, and terrifying all at the same time.

My son, who graduates from high school in June, has always been just a little younger than Andy in each of the films. It is this connection, I assume, that makes this last installment so wonderful in my opinion. Certainly not as well crafted a film as the original (few films are in my opinion) but no less powerful for me. I thought it was brilliant.

Did I mention it was terrifying? Everyone I’ve talked to agrees – those toys were in some serious peril more than once.

3. How to Train Your Dragon

That… was for everything else.

How to Train Your Dragon is a heart warming story about a hapless Viking who, despite his very un-viking-like-ness, befriends a dragon, becomes a hero, and gets the girl in the end. A delightful film that everyone should see.

2. The Social Network

You know what’s cooler than a million dollars?

The Social Network is a creation myth detailing the events surrounding the founding of the social network Facebook, the ensuing legal battles, and the flaws of the characters involved.

My first viewing was at a press screening where the security was abnormally tight so they had the lights up on one side of the theater. It made for a washed out look in what is a dark movie visually anyway. I enjoyed it nonetheless and I enjoyed even more the second time.

Jesse Eisenberg turns in an Oscar worthy performance portraying a pretentious and wounded Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield is outstanding in his role as Eduardo Saverin, and the film is supported by many other excellent performances. Top among the supporting roles were “the Winklevii” who were played brilliantly by two actors and one face. The film’s funniest moments revolve around these two. My favorite line in the film being

I’m six five, two-twenty and there’s two of me!

Another stroke of brilliance was to cast Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker. Using someone like Timberlake made it easy to convey how “cool” Parker was in the eyes of all hackers in those early years.

1. The King’s Speech

Do you know the “f” word?

The King’s Speech is a fantastic film about a man who wanted to be king but didn’t think we was worthy. The film feels a lot like a play on film but it is wonderful to watch. The cinematography is remarkable given the “talking heads” nature of many scenes. The film also showcases fantastic performances by Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush.

⇠ Political Hate Talk

The Other Five ⇢

Related Posts