I watched 233 “new to me” films. 82 of those films were released this year.
Out of those 82 films here is my list of Top Ten films for 2010
10. Inhale.
Lots of films put you in the situation along with the protagonist. A sort of “what would you do”? This is one of the first times that a film asked me that where I didn’t know the answer. I still don’t know the answer.
http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/inhale
9. Mother.
The simple story of a mother’s love and care for her simple son. However, in the hands of Joon-ho Bong, the complexities weaved into the plot and the character build by Hye-ja Kim elevate the story to new heights.
http://www.motherfilm.com/
8. Exit through the Gift Shop.
To have a documentary about street art would be interesting enough, but to have it also contain what may be the true story of how someone, who may be missing a few brain cells, could take what people started as pure art and bastardize it to make a buck, makes it endlessly entertaining.
http://www.banksyfilm.com/
7. 127 Hours.
Films where one character has to carry the entire film can be pretty hard to pull off. Director Danny Boyle and actor James Franco find just the right blend of manic and peace and make it riveting.
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/127hours/
6. The King’s Speech.
Usually period pieces can be stuffy, drab and boring. This film is anything but. The friendship between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush bring a humor and a wit that was completely unexpected.
http://www.kingsspeech.com/
5. Parade.
Five young friends live in a small two bedroom apartment in Japan. Living in such proximities you would think that they know each other well. This film asks how well do we really know anyone.
http://parade-movie.com/
4. Lebanon
Take all the complexities of any band-of-brothers war film and tell the director that he can’t move his camera, his crew or his cast outside of a 12 foot by 7 foot box.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/lebanon/
3. The Social Network
After this film, I am much more forgiving of screenwriters taking liberties with true stories because, whether or not it all went down the way this films says it did, the story told here is compelling and stands alone.
http://www.thesocialnetwork-movie.com/
2. Inception.
No film this year was as original or as engaging as this one. I will watch this film, share it to the rare few who have not seen it yet and cherish it as much as I watch, share and cherish Memento.
http://inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/
1. How to train your dragon.
Some may not understand why I love this film so much or place it this high on my list. Bottom line is that, to me, this film is magic, this film is joy, this film makes me happy for no clearly discernible reason. But isn’t that why we go to the movies? To find that gem, that one piece of art that will always bring back those feelings. For all those reasons and more, I love this film.
http://www.howtotrainyourdragon.com/
I’m usually confident when I see a Johnny Depp movie that it’s going to be good, but after seeing The Tourist I may be less confident in the future. The Tourist is a poor movie that lacks plausibility. The plot is far fetched, and considering they are two of the most attractive people in the world, there is a surprising lack of chemistry between the two main leads, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.
With the actors spouting good lines, this movie might have been more entertaining, but the dialogue is incredibly dull throughout. Where Elise should sound mysterious, instead she comes across as arrogant and just plain weird. Clearly Elise is stunning, but she’s obviously such hign maintenance, that you actually find yourself wondering what Frank Tupelo sees in her. Johnny Depp doesn’t look very engrossed in the role of Frank and although he has a couple of mildly humorous lines, there are no other positives to be taken from his performance.
Christian Bale has returned to acting! Thank God Almighty! After languishing in barely there roles, growling in Batman and picking a paycheck for Terminator, Mr. Bale reminded me why he used to be a name that made me want to see whatever movie he was in, regardless of what it was. The commitment he brings to this role, Dicky Eklund, took me aback because to go as far as he did in his acting, really was not necessary nor did this particular film deserve it. Just before the end credits we get a glimpse of the real Dicky Eklund and the similarities in mannerisms and speech patterns is evident, however it never feels that Bale is ever trying to emulate or duplicate. This is the kind of performance that starts from understanding, from internalizing and letting the personality, the dress, the sunken cheeks and bulging eyes not be something superficial but be something organic. It really is a sight to behold and, if for nothing else, makes this picture something that must be seen.
Dicky Eklund was a former boxer that squandered his talents and threw away his shot at greatness. Having gone the distance with the World Champion, Sugar Ray Leonard and perhaps knocking him down (it is a source of contention throughout the film) Dicky’s fell on hard times and on the speed needle. Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), his half brother, is the struggling boxer who spent his life living in his big brother’s shadow. The Fighter is inspired by the true story of these two brothers who came together to train for a historic title bout that will unite their fractured family and redeem their pasts. 
Dicky and Micky’s (really? They couldn’t have changed one of their names? Just for the movie?) mother is played by Melissa Leo in a good performance as a woman who has all the best intentions but is too myopic to see that her intentions are ruining her children. Micky finds council and courage in a new girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams) who encourages Micky to split ties with his destructive family in order to save himself. At times their performances, and most of the other actors/actresses/sisters in this film were played so broad that they bordered on caricature, but still the times where all the pieces were clicking and tempers started flaring were the times when I got all goose pimply in the theater. Mark Wahlburg plays the same role he’s always played. There is no stretch in his acting whatsoever. However, I understand that he was the main driving force behind getting this film made and getting all the people and pieces in place, so kudos to him for that. 
As an underdog story, there are no surprises here. As a boxing movie, it really didn’t move me. The only interesting touch brought to the fight sequences was the decision to change the film stock so that portions of the fights looked like we were watching them through old cathode ray tubes. No boxing is even really done until a good way through the film. However once it is brought in and while it’s on screen the pace of the film does pick up, but there was nothing new that I hadn’t seen in Raging Bull, Rocky or Cinderella Man. Still my main point of contention is against the last fight. You know. The big fight. The one that this has all been leading up to, the one that could wrap up this sad little story in a nice shiny bow. My gripe is this. The last fight should never have a montage. Montages are used to show the passing of time and as such pass by too quickly to attach any sort of emotional heft to them. They are used earlier in The Fighter to do just that. The emotions between those fights are even and at a low intensity because every cut takes away any momentum that was building. The last fight needs to get all the momentum it can so that we can be thrilled when what we all know is going to happen eventually happens. Throwing a montage into the last fight undermines the emotions, the suspense and the power of the last two hours of our lives.
