Saturday, December 08, 2012
Top 10 of 2010
It's time for another top 10 list, this one of my favorite 10 movies from 2010. As I have said before, I don't go to the theaters a lot so it takes a while for the movies to come around on Netflix. Some of these movies I haven't seen in two years, and others I just saw in the last month or two. So without further ado, here's my list:
10. Inception
I really wanted to love this movie, being a big Christopher Nolan fan, but I was underwhelmed when I first saw it. I thought it started out really strong, but bogged down in the second half with the dreams on top of dreams on top of dreams. I will say, I did like it better the second time I saw it. I do think it deserves to be on the list for the top 10 movies of the year, as it is very ambitious and gives you a lot to think about. And that ending!
9. The Secret in Their Eyes
This movie won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2010. It's an interesting movie out of Argentina that blends a murder mystery and a love story. The movie is just very well made, and keeps you guessing. There is a big twist at the end that wasn't entirely shocking. But it's definitely worth seeking out.
8. The Social Network
This won all kinds of awards and for many was the best movie of the year. I thought it was solid, but definitely not David Fincher's best. Jesse Eisenberg is Mark Zuckerberg, and does a great job of capturing just how slimy and unlikable he is. It's written by Aaron Sorkin, so you get that great, snappy dialogue from the opening scene. There's a lot to like, I just didn't love it.
7. True Grit
I have learned over the years to appreciate westerns, even if I'm not the biggest fan of them. But this kept me interested from the beginning. That's thanks in large part to the acting done by Jeff Bridges and young Hailee Steinfeld. This is probably the most unrecognizable Coen Brothers film, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
6. The Girl Who Played With Fire/The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
I cheated the rules here a bit to go with two films at #6. Really all three of the Swedish films representing the Lisbeth Salander trilogy are quite good. These two were released in the U.S. in 2010, and I enjoyed them both. It was hard to rank one above the other. The Girl Who Played With Fire was more of an action movie, while The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest was more of a straight drama. Noomi Rapace is a standout as Lisbeth.
5. The King's Speech
It's hard to find much wrong with this movie. It starts with the performances, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both outstanding. Tom Hooper does a great job letting scenes play out, even if they are 10 minutes long. It is an interesting historical story that I knew almost nothing about. And it deserved all the awards that it got.
4. Toy Story 3
I don't have a lot of animated movies on my lists, but this is really outstanding. It may be the most emotionally moving Pixar movie yet. And the quality of the animation is breathtaking. It's amazing how much technology has advanced since the first Toy Story movie. It really doesn't feel like a kids movie at all.
3. The Fighter
Another really good boxing movie, which is also a great look at life in this one neighborhood. You really get a great feel for what life is like in a small town in Massachusetts. You root for Mark Wahlberg's character, and for his brother, despite his problems. The acting is great, but I thought the real standout was Amy Adams as Micky's girlfriend.
2. The Town
A second straight movie set in the Boston area? Yikes. Of all the movies on this list, this is the one that I saw the most recently, so it's probably stuck with me a bit more. This reminded me a lot of The Departed, another movie where you feel like the inevitable conclusion is coming and these characters are not going to survive. Ben Affleck's direction really helps, he doesn't go for all the jarring camera movements that you would see in a Bourne movie. It's just really compelling.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Harry Potter movies are often at the top of my lists, and this year is no exception. There just wasn't a movie that I enjoyed watching more than this one in 2010. It's not quite as good as the 4th or 6th movies in the franchise, but this is all about setting up part 2. The scenes at the Ministry of Magic were really good. The whole thing has a sense of foreboding that keeps you uneasy, even though you know what's going to happen. A fitting way to start out the story in the 7th and final book.
A couple of notes before I go: there were several movies that I really liked a lot, but no real home runs. I don't give 10s to very many movies, and in fact I didn't give a 10 to any movie in 2010. Harry Potter was the only movie I gave a 9 to. I am a tough grader, though: I have only given a 10 or a 9 to 13 movies that have come out since 2000, and four of those are Harry Potter movies.
The other thing that I thought was interesting about this list is where are the comedies? I don't have any comedies on the list, which may be the first year that's ever happened. I saw a few comedies that weren't bad, but most of the ones that came out in 2010 I didn't like.
10. Inception
I really wanted to love this movie, being a big Christopher Nolan fan, but I was underwhelmed when I first saw it. I thought it started out really strong, but bogged down in the second half with the dreams on top of dreams on top of dreams. I will say, I did like it better the second time I saw it. I do think it deserves to be on the list for the top 10 movies of the year, as it is very ambitious and gives you a lot to think about. And that ending!
9. The Secret in Their Eyes
This movie won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2010. It's an interesting movie out of Argentina that blends a murder mystery and a love story. The movie is just very well made, and keeps you guessing. There is a big twist at the end that wasn't entirely shocking. But it's definitely worth seeking out.
8. The Social Network
This won all kinds of awards and for many was the best movie of the year. I thought it was solid, but definitely not David Fincher's best. Jesse Eisenberg is Mark Zuckerberg, and does a great job of capturing just how slimy and unlikable he is. It's written by Aaron Sorkin, so you get that great, snappy dialogue from the opening scene. There's a lot to like, I just didn't love it.
7. True Grit
I have learned over the years to appreciate westerns, even if I'm not the biggest fan of them. But this kept me interested from the beginning. That's thanks in large part to the acting done by Jeff Bridges and young Hailee Steinfeld. This is probably the most unrecognizable Coen Brothers film, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
6. The Girl Who Played With Fire/The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
I cheated the rules here a bit to go with two films at #6. Really all three of the Swedish films representing the Lisbeth Salander trilogy are quite good. These two were released in the U.S. in 2010, and I enjoyed them both. It was hard to rank one above the other. The Girl Who Played With Fire was more of an action movie, while The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest was more of a straight drama. Noomi Rapace is a standout as Lisbeth.
5. The King's Speech
It's hard to find much wrong with this movie. It starts with the performances, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both outstanding. Tom Hooper does a great job letting scenes play out, even if they are 10 minutes long. It is an interesting historical story that I knew almost nothing about. And it deserved all the awards that it got.
4. Toy Story 3
I don't have a lot of animated movies on my lists, but this is really outstanding. It may be the most emotionally moving Pixar movie yet. And the quality of the animation is breathtaking. It's amazing how much technology has advanced since the first Toy Story movie. It really doesn't feel like a kids movie at all.
3. The Fighter
Another really good boxing movie, which is also a great look at life in this one neighborhood. You really get a great feel for what life is like in a small town in Massachusetts. You root for Mark Wahlberg's character, and for his brother, despite his problems. The acting is great, but I thought the real standout was Amy Adams as Micky's girlfriend.
2. The Town
A second straight movie set in the Boston area? Yikes. Of all the movies on this list, this is the one that I saw the most recently, so it's probably stuck with me a bit more. This reminded me a lot of The Departed, another movie where you feel like the inevitable conclusion is coming and these characters are not going to survive. Ben Affleck's direction really helps, he doesn't go for all the jarring camera movements that you would see in a Bourne movie. It's just really compelling.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Harry Potter movies are often at the top of my lists, and this year is no exception. There just wasn't a movie that I enjoyed watching more than this one in 2010. It's not quite as good as the 4th or 6th movies in the franchise, but this is all about setting up part 2. The scenes at the Ministry of Magic were really good. The whole thing has a sense of foreboding that keeps you uneasy, even though you know what's going to happen. A fitting way to start out the story in the 7th and final book.
A couple of notes before I go: there were several movies that I really liked a lot, but no real home runs. I don't give 10s to very many movies, and in fact I didn't give a 10 to any movie in 2010. Harry Potter was the only movie I gave a 9 to. I am a tough grader, though: I have only given a 10 or a 9 to 13 movies that have come out since 2000, and four of those are Harry Potter movies.
The other thing that I thought was interesting about this list is where are the comedies? I don't have any comedies on the list, which may be the first year that's ever happened. I saw a few comedies that weren't bad, but most of the ones that came out in 2010 I didn't like.
