Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Favorite Films of 2010

It's been a while, but it's a new year and it's time to get back up on the horse.  But before we move forward, it's time to take a look back.

I enjoy and hate doing top 10 lists.  They are fun to do because it creates a snapshot of what my tastes were like at this given moment of me writing this.  I hate doing them because my tastes are constantly changing.  There is still quite a bit of movies released in this last year that I still need to see, which could dramatically change my list.  My list has already changed quite a bit over the past 4 weeks.  If I were to look back at some of my previous lists I'm sure they would be totally different if I were to write those now.  That's the nature of film.

Last year was the first in a while I didn't write a list.  Mostly because I didn't see much, and from what I did see I couldn't come up with five films that I really liked, at the most there were maybe 3 looking back that I still feel are pretty good films.

This year, however, there were quite a number of good films that I saw that I wish I could have made room for them all.  It wasn't a particularly strong year in terms of films that could be looked back at down the road as classics, but there were a number of really good well made entertaining films.

With that let's jump into my list of my favorite films of the year.  These are by no means the best of the year, just the one's that left a strong impression on me, that I will watch or have already watched multiple times, and that I would personally recommend to all of you.

10) KICK-ASS

This film took a lot of grief for it's portrayal of violence,  especially with regards to kids, but that was sort of the point of the film.  It's a fresh take on the superhero genre with over the top gratuitous violence and vulgar language.  It is extremely graphic, but it's also really funny.  If it were adults that were doing all of the action in the story the movie would have just been a tired rehash of things we see at the cinema every summer.  When the words come out of the mouth of a 12 year old girl while she's beating up thugs to a bloody pulp, that is where the movie finds it's charm.  I'd be interested in a sequel to see what directions these characters go in, and apparently that's what is in the works.

9)  THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Two teenagers with lesbian mothers seek out their biological sperm donor father and forever change the dynamics of their family structure.  How can you not find humor in that?  The movie's a great character driven story lead by fantastic performances from Julianne Moore and Annette Benning in Oscar worthy performances.  There is a great blend of humor and dramatic tension that keeps the plot moving fast and feeling fresh which is a wonderful relief for a character piece.  A great independent film.

8)  THE KING'S SPEECH

Colin Firth gives a great performance as King George VI during the period of his ascension to the throne while dealing with a crippling speech impediment during the breakthrough of radio.  It's a wonderful look how technology was effecting the way the people are governed, and still does to this day.  If FDR had to appear on TV he would never have been elected president, and that's just a shame and the reality of our time.  Having to speak to the people of England during the threat of war over the radio with a bad stutter must have been humiliating and Firth's performance shows the agony he dealt with.  Just as good as Firth is Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist.  The real heart of the film is the relationship between these two men, a commoner and a member of the royal family, and the dynamic of their relationship is what drives the film.  The two performances drive the story and make for a wonderful film.

7)  UN PROPHETE

This film really surprised me and deserves to be set beside some of the great gangster films of all time like Goodfellas.  The story centers around a young Arab man who is sent to a French Prison and must find a way to survive.  He doesn't fit in with the Arabs that have their own gang, and he doesn't fit with the old time Mafia types.  He soon finds himself being used by both sides and must find a way to adapt to get by, but ends up doing so much more.  It's a great story with fine acting, and some really tense action scenes.  The ending created some great points for discussion that is just fascinating.  Truly worth searching out.

6)  THE TOWN

Ben Affleck is creating a great career for himself with his directing.  I really liked his first film Gone Baby Gone, and his follow up is even better.  He probably knows Boston better than anyone else and uses the location as an important character to the story.  The story is a fresh take on the bad gone trying to go good formula.  There's a strong supporting cast including Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm.  Renner's character in particular could have been a stereotypical thug but he brings some quiet complication to the motives of the character that helps push the drama.  Affleck has created a thrilling and action packed film and he's left me wondering and waiting for whatever he does next.

5)  THE FIGHTER

Another Boston based film, this is the true story of brothers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund and Ward's rise through the boxing ranks with the help of his brother.  As far as boxing films go, or sports films in general, it really doesn't do anything new or fresh to reinvent the genre, but it's the performances of the cast that make this film so wonderful.  Christian Bale is amazing as the crack addicted burn out that keeps his family down.  The whole cast in general is really strong with stand out performances all around, but it’s Bale that drives this movie with a strong counter balanced performance from Wahlberg that really makes the movie work. 

4)  INCEPTION

I wrote a review about this movie when I first saw it.  I’ve seen it several more times and I still don’t have ending figured out.  I’ve heard several different theories about the movie and what it’s about, and what happens in the end, and all of the theories can be strongly supported.  That is what I love about this film.  It’s a strong original concept that is wonderfully photographed.  I love that the stunts are done in camera without hardly any CGI.  The hallway scene alone is just amazing.  I love smart original work that makes you think and Christopher Nolan has definitely supplied that.  This is a film you need to see with others so you can have a long philosophical discussion afterwards about what it all means.  Hollywood needs to make more of these.

3)  TOY STORY 3

I have no problems admitting that I cried with this movie.  If you didn’t then you have no soul.  This movie made me want to go to my parent’s house and dig out my old toys from the garage and play with them one last time.  I’m always weary of sequels, especially to films where the original is so well done that it would be nearly impossible to replicate.  In the hands of a lesser studio it would be a recipe for disaster, but Pixar continues to impress and push the boundaries for great film making.  Woody, Buzz, and the entire gang are my favorite characters from the Pixar universe, and the final film is a worthy addition to the series, if not maybe the best entry. 

There is plenty of laughter, thrills, and tears to fill several movies.  And of course the animation is so detailed and amazing.  The trash compactor scene is some of the best photography of any film this year, live action or animated.  And the final scene shows where the real heart of this franchise lies. It’s a moving scene and a worthy closure to one of the best film series of all time.

2)  TRUE GRIT

Some people worship invisible beings, or cows, or short fat bald men, or science fiction writers.  I worship the altar of the Coen Brothers.  If I could write, or direct, or just be like any one film maker, it would be Joel and Ethan wrapped into one genius artist.  The dialogue they create, the performances they get from their actors, and the look they create on celluloid is always far better than anyone deserves.  I hadn’t seen the original since I was a kid, and I barely remember it, and I’ve never read the book, and I didn’t want to before seeing this film.  I wanted to see it with fresh eyes so I could not judge it against any previous version.  It’s a great looking film and stands as a solid depiction of the old west.  Jeff Bridges is solid as Rooster Cogburn, as is Matt Damon and the rest of the supporting cast, but it’s Hailee Steinfeld as the young girl desperate for revenge that steals the show.  True Grit is a film worthy of the Coen Brothers fantastic catalog that keeps growing with masterpieces with each subsequent film they make.

1)  THE SOCIAL NETWORK

My love for this film can be summed up pretty easily: it’s the writing of Aaron Sorkin.  One of my favorite writers, he’s done some great film and television work, but his writing on my favorite TV show The West Wing is some of the best dialogue and characters ever created.  Sorkin’s dialogue has a certain rhythm and pacing to it, mixed with a certain amount of wit and sarcasm, that just flows so brilliantly and is appeasing to the ear.  The opening scene in the film is a fine example of Sorkin’s writing, and it does so much to set up the characters and the tone and premise of the movie without having to spell anything out. 

David Fincher get’s great performances out of the entire cast and is especially innovative with his choice for the Winklevoss twins, using one actor and lots of camera and CGI tricks that I never knew until afterwards that it was the same actor playing both roles.  A story about some guys creating a website doesn’t sound like it would make for an entertaining movie, but there is plenty of tension and intrigue that makes the film entertaining and never boring.  Part of that is the editing back and forth between various law suits and the act of the characters leading up to the law suits, and the other is that the characters are just so entertaining.  I’ve seen the film several times and have enjoyed it each time, a sign for me of a very good film.

Well there you have it, my ten favorite films of the year.  Honorable mentions go out to The American, Black Swan, and Exit Through the Gift Shop, 3 films I really loved but just could not find room for on my list.  A dishonorable mention goes to The Last Airbender, by far the worst film I saw this year, and I saw quite a few bad films.  I really do hope Shyamalan can redeem himself because he’s a filmmaker I really enjoy, and his last two films have been really bad.

Well that’s all for now.  Here’s to hoping for an even better 2011.

3 comments:

  1. Phil, So glad you are 'back on the horse' and writing reviews again. I really enjoy your reviews that recognize all the talents involved in making great films. I have only seen 2 out of the 10 and plan to see at least 6 more based on your reviews.

    Maybe you can also add some commentary on 'art cinemas' as well. The latest film we went to see, 'Made in Dagenham' was so well done and I would love to read your take on these type of films as well.

    Keep on blogging.

    Ciao, Colleen

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  2. Good list! Glad to see love for Inception up there that I thought was actually better than The Social Network in a way, but hey, call me crazy. Check out my list when you can!

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  3. Thanks for the comments and feedback.

    Nice list and blog CMrok93. A few films on their I haven't seen yet, but hopefully will before Oscar night.

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