MY BEST OF 2010 CINEMA
Top 25 Movies
Top 10:
1. The King's Speech
So out of all the incredible films that came out this year and that I saw, why would I pick The King's Speech, a film that seems to be somewhat conventional awards-fare as my personal favorite of the year? That's quite simple actually, it's because this film is the complete package and it works on every level. It just completely excels at everything: direction, screenwriting, cinematography, acting, costumes, emotion, structure, editing, etc. etc. I could wax poetic on every single one of those points and more when discussing this film, but most of all, it just moved me. At the end of the day, no matter how many existential french films I watch, or however many cynical Von Trier films I inhale, I still can't deny that need at my core that delights in the kind of triumph you get from this film. It's just refreshing to experience that kind of inspirational escapism from a film that is so tightly written, structured, directed and acted. Simply put, I cried, and when I left the theater I felt uplifted without feeling manipulated. In the cinematic landscape we find ourselves in, that is certainly a rarity and one I treasure immensely. I saw the film twice in theaters and both times I cried equally in the same spots. That almost never happens and I really have to give credit where credit is due. Major props go to Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush equally for their incredible performances that never stray to the dangerous moments that could easily have happened in the hands of anyone of lesser talent.
2. True Grit
True Grit hits on almost every single level that The King's Speech does as far as whole package goes. In many cases, I might even consider it a tie with King's Speech. The one marginal difference that puts this film underneath is simply the overall feeling that's kept with me with the top film. But the Coen's western is every bit as magical. I didn't quite expect to like it as much as I did, but I feel that the personality it presents, that is both Coen and conventional, is so pleasing in a way that is just simply so damn entertaining. Not only is Jeff Bridges perfect in every way as Rooster Cogburn, but the speech pattern of the dialogue, with it's insistence on complete sentences, creates such a playful experience that still manages to carry a lot of emotional weight. The cherry on top is Roger Deakins' cinematography. I wish the guy a long and diverse career, but I can't help but think that, between this and Assassination of Jesse James, he should just simply shoot every modern western from here on out. His ability to capture the frontier is refreshing and uncompromisingly gorgeous. I have an intense crush on his photographic eye.
3. Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Scott Pilgrim is one of the most innovative films I have seen in a very long time. There was a moment I had while watching the film the first time in the theater where I wondered if this feeling I had was similar to the feeling many audiences had while watching Pulp Fiction. That feeling that cinematic storytelling has entered a new dimension, coincidentally at the beginning of a new decade. It made me feel like maybe the pursuit of the frenetic tendencies of anime that many filmmakers had tried to emulate before, such as the Wachowski's with Speed Racer, wasn't as futile as I had once assumed. And I am someone who is adamant that modern ADD-audiences begin learning how to accept the careful and meticulous pacing that audiences of the French New Wave and the New American Cinema of the 70's enjoyed (I am not responsible for the spontaneous punch-in-the-face that will occur with anybody who dares to tell me that 2001 A Space Odyssey is slow). The way that Edgar Wright constructs his film is not only intensely game-changing, but full of so much charisma and fun that it astounds me how little impact it made when it was released. But mark my word, this film will emerge as one of the most influential films in coming generations. I would wager heavily on that.
4. The Social Network
The first time I saw The Social Network I have to admit that I was very underwhelmed. The hype surrounding this film had definitely had an effect on my viewing of it. That coupled with the fact that the projection was terrible. The screen was flickering like crazy and the audio was uncomfortably low. Not the best theater experience I’ve had. However, I've since watched the film twice and I must say that it most definitely improved leaps and bounds on repeat viewings. My bad experience must have really affected my opinion of it because upon revisiting it has now become one of my absolute favorites of the year. The way that Sorkin's brilliant dialogue works with Fincher's visual sensibilities is nothing short of wonderful. Essentially, you have a film that feels so epic in nature, yet is nothing more than a lot of "talking in rooms". But Sorkin has that ability to really take conversations and raise them to another level of scope. And David Fincher has long deserved the kind of attention he is getting from this film, and I would be completely shocked if it didn't win best picture at the Academy Awards. I have to add that I don't think anybody could make such an unlikable protagonist as Zuckerberg as likable as Jesse Eisenberg. He is certainly in top form here as his brand of social inadequacy completes a pitch-perfect sonata of modern storytelling.
5. I Am Love
Luca Guadagnino and Tilda Swinton’s love letter to Luchino Visconti is both sumptuous and visceral. A riveting erotic melodrama about a woman forced to live most of her life in a bourgeois prison of conformity, until a bout of passion frees her and unleashes subsequent consequences. Combining both an upper-class Italian Euro-art style with an almost Sirkian melodramatic sense, I Am Love sets itself apart from the norm in so many ways. It’s structured with such loving and delicate pacing. It unveils itself with a fragility worthy of it’s character’s world, but like Tilda’s character, is breaming underneath with passion and sensuality. It wants to explode, and you feel that even from the serene snowy opening montage of Milan exteriors. And speaking of Swinton: the woman is insane. Learning to speak Italian in a Russian accent, she is completely unparalleled in her skill, dedication and pure natural talent. She is a force to be reckoned with and watching her is an epic exercise in and of itself.
6. The American
Perhaps one of the most controversial works of the year, but not really because of the material itself. Simply because it repulsed American audiences with it’s “dullness”. But truly, it is anything but dull. What this seemed to prove more than anything is how bankrupt American audiences are with meaningful images. It’s hard to live in a time when James Cameron can bombard theatrical audiences with so much empty style and offensive storytelling and it makes billions of dollars, and as soon as someone such as Anton Corbijn releases a film with such startling patience and skill, all I hear about is how “boring” it is. I don’t say this to sound uppity or superior, but simply to lament in the fact that in the 60’s and 70’s, a film like The American would have been a box office success, but not today. Now, I desperately love The Bourne films as much as the next guy, but it is important for people to understand that there are different ways to tell a story. One can tell it with fast-paced visuals and heavy action and that serves a specific purpose, and one can tell it with underscored emotions and sweeping intense visuals, which serves a different purpose altogether as exciting. The American is not interested in how badass it’s hitman protagonist is, it’s concerned with his existential crisis. A man at the end of his rope. I really honestly adore this film, and have watched it a couple times now. It is so wonderfully intimate and beautiful. It would have been incredibly easy to fill it with meaningless action sequences to appease the masses, but it’s refusal to do so is bold and heroic, especially considering the stature of the leading actor. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this film rise through the years as a cinephile cult-classic.
7. Blue Valentine
There’s a moment in Blue Valentine when Michelle Williams’ character, Cindy, is consoling her husband, Dean, played by Ryan Gosling, after he has buried their deceased dog. In this moment, there’s an unsettling feeling of comfort. Unsettling because, though you feel the love between these two people, you can’t help but also feel the distance between them. This is not only a testament to the spectacular skill of the director, but also to the unwavering and powerful performances by the two leads. Blue Valentine, like 500 Days of Summer before it, is not a love story. It is a tragic story of love and love lost. It is a haunting look into the reality of relationships. Love is not so simple as “till death do us part”, and though we lament the dissolution of so many marriages in the western world, Blue Valentine tells us a story of two good people who start out good together, but in the end, simply don’t belong together. And it’s okay. It’s hard. Hard to watch. Hard not to project. But also hard not to understand. You want to play detective and figure out what went wrong, as the film switches back and forth from the joyful, ecstatic beginnings of the couple, to the final, unraveling day of their demise. But in the end, as easy as love comes, love can go, and it’s beyond our understanding of why. The film has the raw, unnerving sensibilities of a Cassavettes film which is one of the reasons I loved it so dearly. But it is in the incredible performances of the leads that the film really stands out. Both Michelle and Ryan are at the top of their game here, having improvised much of the film. But it doesn’t feel improvised, it feels real and cinematic at the same time. It succeeds, simply, in almost all respects. Even in the subtle but beautiful photography that manages to both acquaint itself with the characters and keep it’s distance, making sure not to take sides.
8. El secreto de sus ojosThe Secret In Their Eyes is, simply put, a solid film. The kind of film that just isn’t made in America anymore, unfortunately. It is a mixture of many kinds of movies. A crime thriller, a political/historical drama and a romance. But the director, Juan Jose Campanella, conducts them together with such superb craft that the film feels tightly constructed throughout without meandering into mixed modes. The performances are all so finely tuned as well, but what I really particularly loved was the poignant message that ends up making it’s way into the narrative through the brilliant portrayal of Benjamin Esposito, played by Richardo Darin. A man who, through reminiscence, forces himself to come to terms with the past and with the things that weren’t said.
9. Never Let Me Go
This was a film that came out of nowhere for me. I had interest in it, but it’s lack of finding a wide release, and thus finding much wider acclaim, forced it to go somewhat unnoticed in the busy shuffle of awards-season releases. What I found was a film so rich in mythology without concerning itself with the details of that mythology. A completely refreshing direction, taken lately little by little by directors such as Alfonso Curan and Children of Men. What we get here as a result is a character study and romantic drama. But the romance is not only concerned with love between two characters (and in fact three characters in this case), but the love, and misunderstood fear, of the mythology it chooses not to concern itself with. The characters are sculpted almost entirely by each other and by their destiny, of which is directed to them early in their life. The film doesn’t particularly care to spend much discussing the moral and ethical politics of said mythology, and instead chooses to explore them through illustration. Through the relationships that each character has with one another. What is presented is a harrowingly beautiful tale about the soul. What is it, where does it come from and what defines it. A solid performance by Carey Mulligan anchors the film throughout, but it’s the performance by newcomer Andrew Garfield that really shines here. And I’ll take this moment to praise Andrew as he was really the breakout star for me this year. Never heard of him before he was announced to play Spider-man and since then he has consistently blown me away in this film, The Social Network and Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974. I am very very interested in the extremely bright career this young actor is about to embark on.
10. Winter's Bone
And speaking of amazing breakout performances, let me just start this mini-review of Winter’s Bone with enthusiastic praise for the young Jennifer Lawrence. Having not had any particular interest in ever catching an episode of The Bill Engval Show, Jennifer Lawrence was a name I hadn’t heard of before, but I am hoping very much that I hear a lot of her in the future. She carries a lot of this film on her back and does it with prowess usually reserved for the masters. I was really very taken with this film. Described by Scott Tobias of the A.V. Club as “Ozarks Noir”, the film shows a side of America that is often forgotten about by the average citizen. The frightening and desperate landscape of the meth-riddled Ozark backwood is captured in stark realism here, but never with any air of preachiness or judgement. This is a film primarily about perseverance. Most often bleak, but the endurance of Jennifer’s character, a 17-year old girl left to take care of her family, is motivational and presented with pure honesty. And it’s impossible to think about this movie without focusing on John Hawke’s equally compelling performance as teardrop. Masterful and impeccable.
The Rest:
11. Animal Kingdom
A tour-de-force. One of the best crime films I’ve ever seen.
12. Toy Story 3
Perfection.
13. Dogtooth
Bold, poignant and completely relevant. Really needs to be seen to be believed.
14. Black Swan
Only Darren Aronofsky could craft such a wickedly amazing horror b-movie disguised as an art film.
15. Inception
Christopher Nolan proves that Hollywood blockbuster fare can be intelligent, gutsy and challenging as opposed to condescending, gratuitous and hollow. Inception has it’s faults for sure, but none of which make any difference to how damn incredible of an experience you get watching it. One of the best moviegoing experiences I’ve ever had.
16. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Not only a raw and satisfying thriller, but a disturbingly important statement as well. Noomi Rapace is inimitable as Lisbeth Salander.
17. The Fighter
A fantastic film that manages to present boxing movie tropes in fresh way. Using the actual HBO cameramen and angles adds a special realism that really sets this one apart. And Christian Bale shows us all once again why he is one of the best actors in town.
18. Mother
An outstanding film all around, but it’s the last 30 minutes of the movie that had me on the edge of my seat. And the performance by Kim Hye-ja is just absolutely riveting and brilliant.
19. Carlos
A masterful epic about the life of Carlos the Jackal, the infamous terrorist. The film spans 5 and a half hours but never feels too long. It remains intimate and well-paced throughout and the entire hourlong sequence of the Opec Raid is superb filmmaking.
20. 127 Hours
Danny Boyle is so hell-bent on going as far away from his previous efforts that he is constantly running the risk of ruining his career, but with each new bold and unique vision, he manages to elevate it instead. And James Franco continues to prove that he is on of Hollywood’s premier talents.
21. Un Prophete
A stirring epic about a man forced to go places he doesn’t want to go in a place he can’t do anything about it. Throughout, the film is gritty, real, intimate and fascinating. A raw look at gangsters in prison.
22. The Kids Are All Right
A hilarious and harsh tale of family perfection.
23. The Ghost Writer
Mood and intrigue drive this fantastic thriller to a poignant point. Polanski, despite your personal feelings about his past, proves that he is still one of the greatest master storytellers of cinema.
24. Exit Through the Gift Shop
A film about Banksy that becomes about someone else, but in the end is still really all about Banksy. One of the most brilliant documentaries I’ve seen in a long time, and one that challenges our presuppositions about the authority of art.
25. Rabbit Hole
An emotionally genuine and moving film about grieving together. There’s a steady rhythm throughout that stays perfectly anchored and allows for some pretty incredible performances. All in all, a difficult film to swallow, but beautifully acted and directed by the consistently talented John Cameron Mitchell.
Top 5 Lead Actors
1. Colin Firth - The King's Speech
2. Édgar Ramírez - Carlos
3. Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine
4. Jeff Bridges - True Grit
5. Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Top 5 Lead Actresses
1. Tilda Swinton - I Am Love
2. Noomi Rapace - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
4. Hye-ja Kim - Mother
5. Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Top 5 Supporting Actors
1. Christian Bale - The Fighter
2. John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
3. Armie Hammer - The Social Network
4. Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
5. Tom Hardy - Inception
Top 5 Supporting Actresses
1. Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
2. Greta Gerwig - Greenberg
3. Ellen Wong - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
4. Melissa Leo - The Fighter
5. Elle Fanning - Somewhere
Best Cinematography
1. Yorick Le Saux - I Am Love
2. Martin Ruhe - The American
3. Roger Deakins - True Grit
4. Bill Pope - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
5. Matthew Libatique - Black Swan
6. Andrij Parekh - Blue Valentine
7. Simon Christidis, Luc Drion, Philippe Ros, Luciano Tovoli - Oceans
8. Jeff Cronenweth - The Social Network
9. Michael McDonough - Winter's Bone
10. Danny Cohen - The King's Speech
11. Robert Richardson - Shutter Island
12. Thimios Bakatakis - Dogtooth
13. Enrique Chediak, Anthony Dod Mantle - 127 Hours
14. Adam Kimmel - Never Let Me Go
15. Wally Pfister - Inception
