Top Ten Movies of 2010

So here we are again. 2nd time round that I have given myself the opportunity to assess my viewings of new releases for the previous year although I must state, as was the case with last year’s list, that there were a collection of seemingly worthy titles that merely are not included simply because I never saw them. I must also confess that my attendance and dedication was somewhat lacking this year due to “real world” concerns (or whatever) that prevented me from providing a more accurate list.

10. Shutter Island

Simple yet oddly endearing, Shutter Island was an entertaining film but what’s curious is how much it resonated more than it entertained. Predictable and more homage than fromage, yet I found myself still talking about it every now and then
in the time after.

Read the original review here.

9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Almost completely a set piece as a whole, Werner Herzog’s remake-not-really helped tip the currently topical Nicolas Cage Debate Scale in Mr. Coppola’s  favour, with some very interesting performances also provided by Eva Mendes and Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner amongst others.

Sorry. Never wrote a review for this one.

8. Whip It

A surpisingly modest and sweet film, that worked almost as a counter balance to the various in-your-face American feel good films that we’re so used to, Whip It provided subtle performances, cute & genuine characters and an overall good sense of values as well as being an impressive directorial debut for Drew Barrymore.

Read the original review here.

7. Iron Man 2

A perfectly adequate sequel that perhaps didn’t improve on its predecessor’s structural quality but did effectively expand the series’ world and characters.  A proper action/adventure that was perhaps overlooked this year.

Read the original review here.

6. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Not the smoothest adaptation from Comic to Screen, bearing a few story-telling flaws, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World still proved to be genuinely entertaining and indeed a very very funny film, with excellent set pieces and a look so pretty you’d swear life was so interesting. Although apparently inaccessible for certain audiences and in my opinion not the masterpiece that some have claimed this film was none the less  a more than worthwhile watch and has become a welcome item in my personal collection.

Read the original review here.

5. Four Lions

Simple on the surface yet complex in modern contexts, Four Lions said a lot by saying very very little. Tasteful, poignant and yet initially just really really funny, TV legend Chris Morris impressed even this dedicated fan that he had an even broader capability as a producer of media entertainment than previously believed.

Read the original review here.

4. TRON: Legacy

Implausible, curious and bizarre, TRON: Legacy retained all these elements from the 80s classic and brought them forward with a new story, state of the art effects and a defining moment of rejection on my part of this thing called 3D (despite pondering it’s potential the year previous after seeing Avatar). TRON: Legacy proved to be a wonderfully enjoyable and faithful spectacle with some crooked storytelling but a great sense of scale.

Read the original review here.

3. Toy Story 3

A beautiful return to a classic saga, this installment being perhaps not as strong as its predecessors, but still very very strong. Funny, charming, tense and cute (so cute) Toy Story 3 was perhaps the least ballsy (if you’ll forgive the expression) but still not a lesser film than many, certainly not to the ones seen by myself this year. My personally favourite feature was Jeff Garlin’s small role as the laid back, and seemingly all round nice guy, Buttercup the Unicorn.

Read the original review here.

2. Inception

Some old fashioned fun (perhaps not that old but still fashionable) was brought to us by way of Chris Nolan this year and it was goooood. Inception was criticised by some for seemingly making up some of its rules as it went along, however this treatment was somewhat unfair as it often was made, implying that this was a trait not present in previous Chris Nolan movies, but let’s be honest, his films are a lot more insane then they let on. This one just didn’t let on as much.

An excellent and witty action movie that took itself as seriously as any film should, when it’s about a bunch of well dressed architects that venture inside a dream inside a dream inside a dream to determine the future of the corporate world or something, and also Leonardo DiCaprio just wants his wife and kids back. Thumbs Up.

Read the original review here.

1. The Social Network

Brainy and brilliant, this collaboration between director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin about the origins of the phenomenally popular social network website Facebook, really strikes a chord and the result is a very smart ensemble piece that may be jam-packed even for a two hour movie. However, The Social Network still manages to maintain an awful amount of focus the entire way through, allowing its audience, remarkably, to digest every important piece of information it has. Clearly and unashamedly a Hollywood dramatisation of the true (not to mention recent) story, The Social Network is the thinking man’s cross between Primer and Revenge of the Nerds and for me it was the most entertaining and mesmerising piece of work I had the pleasure of experiencing this year.

Read the original review here.

Stinker of the Year: The Last Airbender

Nickelodeon provided this year’s bottom stinker, The Last Airbender revealed itself to be a visually impressive spectacle with an endearing musical score but despite these adequately pleasing features the result still turned out to be a boring and soulless article which was remarkably dismissive towards it’s young audience, the makers of which seemingly thinking, “Kids like this kind of thing. Also these things. Ok, we’re done”. Utterly confusing and thrown together The Last Airbender delivered zero charm or humour and an absolute indecision of any clear protagonist or protagonists. Interestingly it seems many serious fans of the original source material avoided seeing this film in any shape or form, fearing they might endure a warm oozing sensation around their nostrils as their brains met their upper lips. Good call guys.

Rather misguidedly, the film was marketed as a piece of work worthy of auteurship as it appeared on many posters as M. Night Shymalan’s The Last Airbender and even maintained this moniker upon McDonald’s Happy Meals, despite most children not giving a shit about who the director may be especially if it’s someone whose previous work has been too mature for anything under the age of ten. And even the film projected itself as a creation of Shymalan’s, despite it’s adaptation from the seemingly superior television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, I feel that, when it comes to article like this with such a level of value, he can have it.

Read the original review here.

- Hedlund Out