Best Films of 2010

The worst part of leaving Los Angeles might have to be the amount of unique cinemas to choose from a whole slew of every new film currently out, before every other city even, as well as a great diverse choice of classics from double headers to q&a's with the filmmakers. I will forever miss that about LA.

I've gotten to the point, now in my 27 years as a student of film, where I can consciously choose the films I attend based on a group of 6-8 true auteurs in the current game of filmmaking. The talented individuals who conceptualize a very purposefully designed film prior to production and the final product is a true work of art in every sense, and hopefully they entertain along the way. Mixed in with various new potential players in the field as well as some small character study films, I feel confident every movie going experience will be a positive one, pending the annoying patrons who don't understand the courtesy of not distracting those around them.

Top 3 Films of the year:
(The films I have taking up my top 3 spots are such engaging cinema in each of their own distinct ways it seems trivial to place them in some sort of order based on how well I liked them, which is tricky to gauge).

Black Swan
After rewatching Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN last night, I realize that based on my personal taste, this filmmaker is perhaps the greatest man directing films today. His entire career is solid and each film exists as the components of an overall larger filmography showcasing the director's talents and progression.
With BLACK SWAN, he has created easily the most disturbing and frightening film of the year. I was truly scared at times and twice in the film I checked my pulse to feel it beating quickly while simultaneously out of breath. Never felt the emotional connection I prefer to have at the end of a film, but this film pulled the best acting of both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis' careers. I love that you can see him combining themes and tones from both REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and THE WRESTLER. Aronofsky's films are topping my best of lists the last three films he made (after just finding my best of list from 2006, I see THE FOUNTAIN, another film of his was number 1). 2nd favorite scene of the year : the "Transformation" scene.

The Social Network
David Fincher, another solid filmmaker uses a very specific tone and mood for nearly all his films. THE SOCIAL NETWORK displayed a dark, intense and at times depressing mood. A film with no likeable characters usually doesn't agree with me (a strong dissenter to THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, TRAINSPOTTING and NATURAL BORN KILLERS, which are probably all solid films), so it is quite surprising how well I liked this film. The characters were very rich and realistic and this film came out in such an importantly evolving time our society has reached, in this day of being plugged into technology 24 hours a day. A film that says a lot about our current world and society.

127 Hours
After SLUMDOG MILLIONARE came out, I said to myself that Danny Boyle was probably the most talented filmmaker alive (an award I apparently just revoked and gave to Aronofsky), and after this intense fucking film, he stays at the top of his game and of hollywood. A film that takes place almost entirely with one person and one small space is so gripping and uncomfortable, and somehow finds a way to develop such a strong emotion toward the character, brilliantly played by James Franco, that I spent several minutes at the end of the film crying my eyes out. What an incredible story told in an incredibly realistic way.

THE REST

Inception
Perhaps the most entertaining MOVIE of the year. Christopher Nolan has the rare ability to be as groundbreaking and brilliant as people like PT Anderson, Aronofsky, Tarantino, etc., and also be much more accessible and mainstream. His ideas are clever and thought provoking and are told in a way that average movie goers can be intrigued and challenged. My favorite scene of the year has to be the fight scene with Joseph Gordon Levitt in the rotating hotel hallway.

City Island
Incredible performance by Andy Garcia that I was sure would win him a nomination from the academy, yet I have not heard anyone talk about this incredibly touching character study with great acting and lots of laughs and perhaps a few tears.


The Fighter
Best performance of the year comes from Christian Bale as Dicky Ward. Bale continues to blow me away not only with his choices but his transformations, both physically and wholly really. From his interviews and what we know of him, he reminds me a bit of the Bob Dylan of acting, only much more intense. One of the greatest actors of all time. This film is a great story told simply and fluidly to move with a rhythm similar to the fighting taking place.

Get Low
Cool story. Great characters played by Bill Murray and Robert Duvall. A very slowly building emotional journey.

I'm Still Here
This actually be perhaps the greatest acting of the year. I was convinced at the end of the film it was all real, even though absurd and seemingly suspect, his transformation into this down and out, fucked up human being is remarkable. Cool project. Wish it would been better received.


Toy Story 3
Pixar. Making the best films since BACK TO THE FUTURE and GHOSTBUSTERS. Films that look better than any other and appeal to all ages of all walks of life. I would hate to be unable to enjoy one of these touching stories.

Kick-Ass/The Other Guys
Both act as parodies in as much as their own unique films. One of the best scenes of the year occurs in the middle of THE OTHER GUYS where the camera pans across still frames of intense action from action to action without any of the action moving creating quite the nice 3D comic book effect. and how can you not appreciate a film that is able to give Nicolas Cage a really great comeback!

Honorable Mention:
Exit Through the Gift Shop (The year of the documentary. Through a much more accessible world, the documentary continues to gain a lot of speed and percent of the market. It's nice to see).
Catfish
Harry Brown
MicMacs
El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes)
(apparently already won the oscar for foreign language film last year. I thought it was 2010. Great film and story regardless.