Best of 2010

Well, we're ten days out from the Oscars, so I thought I should go ahead and do my top ten for 2010. There's still a few I would like to see (Rabbit Hole, Another Year, and Biutiful), but I know I won't get to them this month.

While there were plenty of good movies this year, overall, it felt was a little underwhelming. 2010 is not a year that we will look back to in awe that "all THOSE" movies came out in the same year (incidentally, the biggest "all those" year in my opinion is still 1989 - Driving Miss Daisy, Born of the 4th of July, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams, My Left Foot, Glory, When Harry Met Sally, Do the Right Thing, The Abyss, Batman... okay, I'll stop, but there are more).

First, honorable mention goes to these six movies that I really enjoyed, but ultimately didn't think belonged in the ten best of the year:

Black Swan - While I think Portman should win for best actress here and Aronofsky deserves his directing nod, the script was just too weak for me.

True Grit - Loved Jeff Bridges, loved the dialogue, but was disappointed in the last twenty minutes.

Easy A - I probably liked this one because it's not getting a lot of love. It has a great, original sense of humor to it. Stanley Tucci steals the show in his very limited screen time.

The Town - Jeremy Renner deserved his nomination. The script is good but not great. I've been an Affleck fan since Chasing Amy and really like that his career is on the way back up.

Harry Potter and the blah, blah, blah - I am a fan. This one made me wish all the books had been split into two movies. It just wasn't made as a stand-alone film.

The Kids Are All Right - ...as is this movie. I liked it, but it's overrated.

And now the countdown (drum roll optional):

10. Animal Kingdom - I really like this one because it's a thriller that's never over the top. The pace is kept slow, so instead of turning into an action/chase-scene type of thriller, it feels very realistic, which makes it that much more intense. The protagonist is a high school kid who goes to live with his grandma (Oscar nominated Jacki Weaver) and uncles after his mom dies of a heroin overdose. He's an extremely taciturn kid whose uncles rope into their world of crime. It does a great job of showing the good and the bad on both sides of the fight against crime. Fair warning - the Australian accents can get a little thick. I've talked to some people who had to turn the subtitles on.

9. Blue Valentine - Another painfully realistic movie about a marriage on the rocks. The narrative runs almost exactly like American History X with a "present" time line and a "past" time line, both moving forward and revealing vital information about the relationship. Ryan Reynolds and Michelle Williams are so good that you forget you're watching a movie and not a documentary or reality TV show (nix that - "reality" TV is never this realistic). The troubles in their marriage aren't necessarily the fault of either party. They both have their flaws but, while they love each other, that may not be enough.

8. Toy Story 3 - Crazy thought: should Toy Story be considered one of the best movie trilogies of all-time? I hadn't considered that until just now, but the answer is yes. It's filled with original, memorable characters. The sequels faithfully build upon the foundation of the first and explore new territory without just rehashing old ideas. In this final installment, the toys have to wrestle with the question of whether it's better to be kept as a cherished reminder of Andy's childhood or to be passed on to the next generation of children.

7. The Social Network - Based on the reception this film has been given so far by critics, putting it at seven feels like a slight. While I did like six other movies better this year, I want to focus on what I liked about this one instead of nit-picking about why I don't think it should win best picture (since it's looking like a down-to-the-wire race between this and King's Speech). First, any movie written by Aaron Sorkin keeps you mesmerized by the dialogue. There has been a lot of debating about how much and what parts of this movie are accurate. Sorkin and director David Fincher point out that accuracy was only a secondary concern. This is a movie about friendship, loyalty, and greed.

6. Never Let Me Go - This is probably much higher than it deserves, but I am a big fan of originality. This story took a sci-fi/action movie premise and made it a heartbreaking character drama instead. In a not-too-distant future, people are cloned for organ donation. The story focuses on three clones who grew up together at a boarding school. Again, I have to emphasize that all sci-fi elements are thrust into the background to the point that they aren't even really talked about. I don't think the word "clone" is actually even in the movie. It stars Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan (An Education), and Social Network's Andrew Garfield. While snubbed by the Oscars, it won the Phoenix Film Critic's prize for "Overlooked Film of the Year."

5. Kick-Ass - Again, I'm a fan of originality. This movie spins the superhero genre in a wonderful new direction. If you saw the trailer, they sold this as a comedy. Don't be fooled. While there are certainly funny moments, this is an action drama. The protagonist, Dave Lizewski, asks the question, what would happen if someone REALLY tried to be a superhero. As he dons a homemade costume to find out, he immediately ends up way over his head. No punches - or stabs, slashes, or vulgarities - are pulled. This is a full-on, R-rated superhero movie, and unlike the awkwardly existential Watchmen, it works. Oh, and the real star is the show-stealing Chloe Moretz as the tween badass Hit-Girl. If actors were stock, you would be wise to invest heavily on the career of Miss Moretz.

The final four here are, I believe, a tier above the rest of this year's crop and the only movies from 2010 that I would call truly "great." They are virtually tied in my book and while I considered reshuffling them, I kept them in the order they originally fell as I watched my way through 2010.

4. The King's Speech - Just when The Social Network was starting to look like the runaway favorite for Best Picture, The King's Speech in quick succession won the top prize at both the Screen Actors and Directors Guild awards and earned the most Academy Award nominations, making it the new favorite heading into Oscar night. If it is indeed a two-horse race, I'm rooting for this one. The biggest surprise about this British royal drama to me was how funny it was. I can't of anything more positive to say other than it deserves all the accolades it's receiving.

3. 127 Hours - In the wrong hands, this could have been Open Water. But with Oscar winner Danny Boyle and, now Oscar nominated, James Franco it is one of the most compelling and gut-wrenching character dramas you will ever see. I was very nervous about seeing it as I am not a big fan of overly gratuitous violence. But as you are stuck in the canyon with Aron Ralston, and he gradually comes to a very literal life-or-death decision, the action, while extremely graphic, is anything but gratuitous. And in a for-whom-the-bell-tolls kind of way, you owe it Ralston to watch.

2. Inception - Originality, originality, originality. Just like two years ago, I find myself coming to bat (no pun intended) for Christopher Nolan after he was snubbed in the best director category at the Oscars despite having received his third DGA nomination this year. Can anyone tell me of another director who is producing original, quality, blockbuster content on the level of Christopher Nolan. (Note to those of you who just said, "James Cameron": I said original, not Dances with Wolves in space). Inception is far from perfect, but name another movie like it... ever. Also, for those who feel they know whether or not the top falls at the end, I've heard enough interviews with Nolan (and seen all his movies) to know that there is no answer. If you want your movies to be wrapped with a bow at the end, Nolan is your worst nightmare - and may be inside that nightmare stealing your secrets.

1. The Fighter - My favorite thing about The Fighter is that they made a movie filled with conflict without making anyone the bad guy. It would have been easy to make Micky's crack-addicted brother or controlling mother into the villain, but even at their lowest, you know they sincerely want what is best for Micky (Mark Wahlberg). In fact, most of the conflict revolves around the debates over what is best for Micky as he makes one last shot at becoming a champion boxer. Christian Bale is one of the bigger favorites of the night in the supporting actor category as Micky's brother Dicky. Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are also up in the supporting actress category, playing Micky's girlfriend and mother, respectively. Wahlberg was nominated four years ago himself for The Departed and doesn't disappoint here. He's just the straight man at the core of the story. Boxing movies are always about heart and drive, this one adds in a full measure of love and loyalty to boot.

The King's Speech

I do believe Colin Firth has just won himself an Oscar. His biggest challengers will likely be James Franco (127 Hours) and Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network) as they were the only other two nominated for both a Golden Globe and a SAG. Eisenberg's performance is too understated to win it all and Firth will beat Franco by seniority, if nothing else.

None of this is meant to imply that Firth doesn't earn every bit of it. As King George VI, Firth plays the life-long stammerer thrust into power at the beginning of the age of radio. The British Empire fully expects to hear the voice of their monarch, especially as war looms with Germany in 1939. Beyond just the speech impediment, Bertie (as he is known to his family) fights insecurities so great that he wonders if he's fit to be king at all.

A remarkable true story especially when one considers that this nervous and reluctant king's progeny will likely reign for centuries to come.

The Fighter

Whatever you do, don't try to dismiss this as just another boxing movie. In The Fighter what happens in the ring is ultimately of very little consequence. I still have a few contenders (no pun intended) to see this year, but this is the best character drama of the year. The script is great and the acting is fantastic. Every fight keeps you on the edge of your seat, both the ones in the ring and those outside it.

Christian Bale has to be the favorite for the Oscar playing Mark Wahlberg's older brother who has fallen from the local hero, who once knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard, to crack addict.

The film perfectly shows how a family can simultaneously destroy each other and love each other unconditionally.

True Grit

I hate to say I was disappointed, because this was a very good movie, but it failed to excite me to the same level as its trailer did.

I had been defending the show against those calling it a remake of the Oscar-winning John Wayne film as it is merely based on the same novel. After watching it, however, it is harder to defend as it does feel like a remake. Most notably, Barry Pepper seems to be doing his best Robert Duvall impression in the same role Duvall played in the original.

None of that is technically a problem and I really did enjoy the movie. The dialogue was superb and handled brilliantly by the actors. Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld have both received SAG nominations.

The biggest problem was a narrative one that may derive from being too faithful to the book (which I have not read). Without giving anything away, the ending is extremely anticlimactic and takes an unfulfilling turn. You could argue the same thing with the Coen brothers masterpiece No Country for Old Men, but its ending fits the spirit of the movie. That isn't the case here.

I do recommend the movie, but the trailer is even better.

The Town

The opening titles here tell us that in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, robbing banks is a family business. Ben Affleck directs and stars as one of these robbers hoping to turn his life around after meeting a beautiful bank manager.

I made a point to watch this as it has received favorable reviews and is a fringe contender this awards season. It was pretty good. The script was only slightly above average, but Affleck did a good job directing it.

The highlight was the acting, most notably Jeremy Renner, who is frightening as Affleck's violent best friend. If there's a nomination to be found here, he's it, especially on the heels of his first nomination last year for The Hurt Locker.

SAG/Golden Globe comments

After a long absence, here are a few observations about the first leg of awards season.

I guess I don’t have too much to analyze about the Golden Globes. No surprises in the number of noms for the juggernaut Glee and for 30 Rock, which is possibly the most complete comedy of our time (Arrested Development is funnier, but it had such a short life! It will always feel incomplete, and that’s part of its mystique.) I know he isn’t necessarily the best actor out there this year, but think this year might be the year for Steve Carell – he’s won zero SAGs and one GG for seven seasons at the helm at The Office, and he’s on his way out after this season. I especially suspect he might get the SAG as a nod of respect from his peers (as opposed to the GG). Plus we’ve seen from Dan in Real Life, etc. that he’s a damn good actor, even though The Office has had its ups and downs. And - MILD MILD MILD SPOILER – since they brought Holly back to the show you know they’re gearing up for some major season-end Michael Scott drama. He has to have a good exit and that’s even more time for him to shine.

This might be a dumb question, but is The Big Bang Theory really that good? I just have a hard time believing that someone from either Weeds, Modern Family, Community, Chuck or HIMYM doesn’t deserve most of their nomination spots instead. Maybe I’m missing out.

One thing I particularly like about the SAGs is that they cover their bases better than lots of award shows. Awards for ensemble casts by genre and best stunt ensembles make it so they can award some really specific achievements and I suspect that comes from being some of the most familiar people with the shooting process, as opposed to a voting pool that includes say, critics. They also aren’t afraid to recognize a really great talent in a show that’s maybe not so great. I’m talking specifically about Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order SVU’s Detective Olivia Benson. I am a sucker for this show, but I think despite its tendency to rip stories from the headlines and try cheesy one-liners it does two important things: 1) it does a good job of illustrating and having frank discussions about what happens when women are raped, and 2) it shows a strong female lead dealing with it. There are a million crime shows out there but SVU is the only one that’s not afraid to approach subjects like the stigma that comes with being a rape victim and the fear and red tape that come with actually bringing a rapist to justice. Hargitay's been quoted about the amount of fan mail she gets from women who find a little bit of solace in watching her in SVU. It might not be the most cut-and-dry or direct way to do it, and I’m sure their mind isn’t wholly on the greater good, but I like that SVU is doing a little bit to raise awareness about all of that.

It makes me chuckle that Johnny Depp was nominated for The Tourist AND Alice, but I’m glad that Alice is getting a little recognition. While I hate to admit it, I am among those who think that most childhood stories and fairy tales could benefit from a Tim Burton take, and Alice certainly benefits my side of that argument. And on that note, I thought The Tourist wasn’t supposed to be *that* good?

Black Swan

Nina Sayers is a technically flawless dancer, but she struggles to find the sensuality needed to play the seductive Black Swan.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina, whose obsession with perfection is quite literally driving her crazy. Portman is sure to be a front-runner for the Oscar. Parts like this are all too rare for actresses. Also stunning is Mila Kunis who has officially shed her cocoon as the annoying girlfriend on That 70s Show. She impressed me as smart and sexy in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and takes that to another degree here. Both actresses have received Golden Globe and SAG nominations.

Darren Aronofsky is his usual self as a master of heavy, visceral material.

Ultimately, however, I don’t think the script is strong enough for this to go all the way. Some moments are downright hokey. It’s almost as if they took a script that could have easily been a throw-away thriller and gave it to an Oscar-caliber production team.