TOP 10 FILMS OF 2010
Here are my possibly controversial, mostly mainstream choices. Bear in mind, there are a LOT of films I didn't get around to seeing this year, whether it's because they weren't released at major cinema chains or because I plain didn't get around to seeing them. So, this is only a top ten based on what I have seen of the year. Duh.
10. 'Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call - New Orleans'
Let's face it - Nicholas Cage, regardless of whether you like him or not (which you should), is at his best when he's doing batshit crazy. Probably because he is batshit crazy. Cage plays to this strength in the most spectacular way possible in Werner Herzog's hysterical fever-dream of a crime drama. Whether he's assaulting old women, having random, drug-addled sex with a woman in front of her boyfriend, or going all bug-eyed at the sight of a freshly killed drug dealer's breakdancing soul, this is Cage's movie, and one of his best performances. It helps that the film is also brilliant, as surreal and audacious as it is heartfelt and involving.
9. 'Monsters'
I'll admit, I wasn't actually expecting to like this, with many reviews making it sound utterly pretentious. Surprisingly, it really isn't at all. Despite the title, the trailer, the sci-fi tag, etc, this is, above all, a romance. We witness the two main characters meet, initially adverse to each other. As they travel through a quarantined Mexico, invaded by aliens, we're with them every step of the way, and their brilliantly understated love for each other blossoms in front of our eyes. Which is all good and well, and, whilst brilliant, not the stuff of 5-star movies. Until the ending, painful, heartbreaking and shocking, yet tender. This alone makes Gareth Edwards' debut film one of the most affecting experiences of the year. Which probably makes it sound pretentious. Sorry.
8. 'Shutter Island'
So the critics weren't the biggest fans of Scorsese's latest. Personally, I found it hard to see where the complaints were levelled at exactly though. Whilst the twist may be predictable to some, this is no less a film of expert suspense, an old-school, Hitchcockian piece with the pace and verve of modern-day cinema. Every cryptic line of dialogue, every purposefully jarring edit, and every masterfully crafted shot, the kind of which Scorsese does best, all blend together perfectly, leading to a brilliantly ambiguous ending.
7. 'Let Me In'
Let's face it, none of us ever expect a remake to be better than the original. And certainly no one expected it from this film. And, of course, this isn't the opinion of everyone. But most could agree that Matt Reeve's American-language remake of 'Let The Right One In' was at least on par with the source material. I would argue that this is a stronger film, mainly thanks to cutting out the unnecessary subplots of the Swedish original, and two stunning central performances from Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee. This one doesn't retain all of the ambiguity of the original, nor the same level of artiness, but when faced with such superb filmmaking neither of these are complaints, merely observations. This is how vampire films should be done.
6. 'Up In The Air'
Jason Reitman's follow up to 'Juno' sustains the same level of creativity, emotion and undeniable indie charm, yet comes across as a more mature, nuanced film. The genius lies in the relative simplicity - there's no crazy airport chases, no wacky sidekicks, not even a happy ending for the central couple. This film is a little more realistic than that. This does not in any way take away from the humour and the theatricality, it merely grounds it all in something we call life. Which makes it much more affecting when those age-old messages of living your life, loving those close to you, and not letting your job take over emerge. The film hits many themes - family, redundancy, life goals, relationships, jobs - and knocks them all out of the ball park with complete confidence.
5. 'Four Lions'
Chris Morris? Making a film? Quite frankly, there was no way that this wouldn't be amazing. Which surely meant it could only disappoint. Fortunately that wasn't the case at all. Morris' comedy about four radical (and radically misguided) Muslims planning a terrorist attack during the London Marathon (yes, comedy), is quite simply the funniest film of the year. Whether this is because of our four protagonist's (if you can call them that) utter stupidity, or the heady satirical targets it hits, not a minute goes by without a big laugh. Despite the theme though, it's not as controversial it all sounds - the topic is dealt with sharply, of course (this is Chris Morris after all), but also with sensitivity, as we witness the main characters' feelings about the justifications, and eventual doubts, about the attempted attack. Which makes for some haunting scenes, and an incredibly sombre ending. Which somehow manages to be hilarious at the same time. If that's not an accomplishment I don't know what is.
4. 'The Social Network'
What some may refer to as 'The Facebook Film' (which it really isn't about at all), David Fincher's latest is one of the sharpest, most involving films of the year. The razor-witted dialogue impresses, the story fascinates, and the characters resonate. All set to a strange, yet fitting, soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, of all people. The performances are all excellent, with even the most bastardly characters emerging sympathetic despite their actions. And this film seems to prove, above all, that Fincher can pretty much tackle any subject and make it utterly compelling. Really, I could give a whole bunch of reasons as to why it's great, but it honestly comes down to one thing more than anything else - I was not bored for a single second.
3. 'Inception'
Christopher Nolan is a genius. This was pretty much public knowledge back when 'Memento' stunned cinemagoers back in 2000. But for him to make a film where characters invade a man's subconscious inside one man's dream, inside another man's dream, inside another dream, inside ANOTHER bloody dream (maybe inside a few more dreams), and for it all to come across as coherent and not silly. Well, that takes talent. 'Inception' is a breath-taking film on many levels (within levels, within levels). Keeping up with the spiralling, chaotic plot. Learning more philosophy and facts about dreams than you thought existed. Feeling right there with the confusion of Leonardo DiCaprio's protagonist (like the aforementioned 'Shutter Island', he delivers another stunning performance, proving no one does distressed better than Leo). Marvelling at the mental anti-gravity fight scene, all done with practical effects. And letting out a hearty 'NOOOOO!' at the purposefully ambiguous ending. Oh yes. 'Inception' is an amazing film. Having dreams about it is very disconcerting though, I may add.
2. 'Toy Story 3'
'Toy Story' - amazing. 'Toy Story 2' - even better. 'Toy Story 3' - even better than that. Who'd have thought it? Possibly the only trilogy where every subsequent film gets stronger, 'Toy Story 3' ends it with a bang. And a hell of a lot of tears. Maybe the jokes aren't quite a strong as its predecessor's, but it's hard to care when you're watching a goddamn 'Toy Story' film. The new characters are compelling, ranging from hilarious (Ken and Barbie), to downright evil (naming a character here may be somewhat of a spoiler). The voice work is still as spot on as ever. And, one scene - oh God, that fucking scene - is one of the most heartbreaking and poignant you'll ever see. Followed by an ending, also heartbreaking and poignant, but also bittersweet and fitting. And the perfect ending. Not many things in life are perfect. But it's completely safe to say the ending to 'Toy Story 3' is. And the film as a whole comes very close.
1. 'Scott Pilgrim Vs The World'
I could rave and rave about this film. But I want to keep this relatively short, so; Brilliant characters. Brilliant performances. Amazing special effects. Aesthetically incredible. Unique fight scenes. Sharp dialogue. Perfect soundtrack. Crash And The Boys. Sonic sloth vs sonic dragon. Edgar Wright. Mary Elizabeth Winstead. With multi-coloured hair. In her underwear. Michael Cera, doing something more than his awkward geek shtick. Anna Kendrick. Kieran Culkin, as Wallace Wells, the greatest character. Hell, everyone who stars in it. Fuck it, I'm tired. But quite simply, 'SPVTW' gets everything right. And maybe it's just because I'm also a 22 year-old geek in a band who pines after Mary Elizabeth Winstead. But the film resonated with me. So maybe I'm biased. I don't care. Either way, the filmmaking on display is, bar-none, absolutely astounding. Wright and his cohorts put so much effort into every single frame of the film that it becomes one of the most admirably ambitious cinematic experiences I've ever witnessed. There is a no justice in the world that this film, one so endlessly joyous, crazy, and just straight-up HAPPY, would bomb as badly as it did. But it doesn't matter, because it's number one in MY box-office of the year! Sorry about how cheesy that was.
So there you have it. My writing got progressively worse as it went along, due to my being ill, tired and overheated (and my desperate need for a thesaurus, of course). But there you go. 2011 has a lot to live up to...
