2010 We Hardly Knew Ye....

I realize that I'm about a month late, but this is part of the problem with not getting paid to do this. I'm subject to release dates and figuring out how or when I'm going to be able to see the movies that I'm supposed to see if I love movies. Plus, I'm also bound by my personal tastes. As a result, I know that I come short. For example, when I have time and the inclination to see a movie and I want to see one of the year-end "prestige" films, chances are far better than I'm going to watch a Coen Bros. western as opposed to a dark psychological thriller about the competitive nature of ballet. Go figure. Therefore, there are "prestige" films that I haven't seen...because they haven't opened here or I only had time to see one of them or I simply wasn't in the mood.

So please take everything I say with a grain of salt. This list is not the 10 best movies of the year, they're the 10 best that I saw. With that disclaimer, I present my 10 favorite films of 2010.

10. Tron: Legacy - I feel confident stating that I'm probably the only person making such a list that put this movie on it and, yes, I understand that the plot has issues and that the character Clu, played by Jeff Bridges, but digitally altered to look younger, is more nightmare inducing because of his plasticine face than he is for his tendencies toward tyranny. However, I really thought this movie was a giant ball of cool. The effects were extraordinary (and absurdly overlooked for an Oscar) and the action was eye-popping. This is the most flawed movie on this list, but darned if I don't love it. (Plus, the Daft Punk score was 10 shades of awesome)

9. Secretariat - My grandfather worked with racing horses and some of my fondest memories of family trips involve visiting him at his summer job. There's such a unique vibe behind the scenes at a horse track. I think that horse racing gets a bad rap because of all the gambling and drinking, but I seriously remember it being a very family friendly place. Maybe that's why this movie struck such a chord in me. It's horse racing seen through the eyes of Disney, which is to say that it's old-fashioned, sanitized and emotionally manipulative, but I love it. Diane Lane is absolutely committed to the role of Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat who simultaneously builds his career, saves her horse ranch and salvages her struggling family. They truly don't make movies like this any more. It's a movie genetically engineered to make an audience cheer.

8. True Grit - I'm a fan of the Coen Brothers style, but sometimes their movies dwindle into the gruesome and disturbing a little much for my tastes. "True Grit", their take on the novel by Charles Portis which also inspired the only movie for which John Wayne won the Oscar, certainly doesn't shy away from the gruesome and disturbing, however, much like "Fargo", it views these events through the eyes of an innocent. In this case, it's a fiercely determined 14-year-old girl, played by the incredible Hailee Steinfeld. While Jeff Bridges' and Matt Damon's lawmen are integral to the plot, this is the story of that girl and as such maintains a level of humanity and universality that is often missing from hard-edged westerns. It's a sweeping look at a seemingly lawless time in American history and a fine addition to the Coen Brothers' canon of films.

7. Tangled - I don't think a movie surprised me this year more than this one. After the last decade, the magic of Disney animation seemed lost forever. With every film, there seemed to be a desperate desire to play catch-up to the hip and edgy style of DreamWorks. "Bolt" was an entertaining film, but a decidedly un-Disneyish one (it felt more like an attempt at a Pixar-style buddy comedy). The problem with all of this is that Disney was trying to be something they simply weren't. Last year's "Princess and the Frog" was definitely a step in the right direction, but the story was more juvenile than the stunning artwork that framed it. Well, Disney seems to finally have remembered who they are. "Tangled" is a fresh and buoyant return to the type of films Disney made in the early 90's. It's not a re-tread of those films, but a joyous addition to the tradition of them. The animation is soft and luminous in a way that makes you forget you're watching a computer animated film. It FEELS hand-drawn. It's truly a stunningly beautiful film to look at, but the story that surrounds that artistry is equally joyous and buoyant. While other films from Disney animation have seemed to work exhaustively for every gain, this one effortlessly entrances.

6. How to Train Your Dragon - I realize that I have a few animated films here, but that's not just because I'm an animation fan (which I am). This year, the big three (Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks) each released films that will long be remembered among their best. This terrific year for animation was kicked off back in March with this fantastic adventure. For only the second time in their existence (the first being "Kung Fu Panda") DreamWorks created a film that was about character and story instead of tired pop culture references rapped in a day-glo colored gloss. It's multi-layered, extremely entertaining and will easily be one of the films of the year that I re-watch the most.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I - I'm a bit bewildered that this series hasn't gotten more love on year-end lists and Oscar nights. What started out as a charming, but cloying series about a magical castle/school has turned into a superlative character study and surprisingly frank look at the way government and media can manipulate the truth and, therefore, the people. As the characters have grown, so has the narrative and artistic styles of the films, growing darker and richer with each episode. This seventh and penultimate entry marks a high-water point of creativity and depth for the series. Each of the other stories have taken a mystery shrouded in a vague sense of foreboding and wrapped it around stories of school life. There was a familiarity with the formula of each installment, but that familiarity is jarringly yanked away in this film, leaving the protagonists in the darkness of the world, unprotected by guardians and mentors. In doing this, the characters are allowed to transform into fully-realized individuals who behave much like any teenager would in similar situations. This is truly a wonderful film.

4. The Social Network - This film has been praised for being a film of our time and that it certainly is. "The Social Network" is a product of the 00's much the same way that "Wall Street" was a product of the '80's. However, being "of the moment" doesn't make a film great. What makes this film exceptional is the screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Much the way he did in "The American President" and "The West Wing", Sorkin reminds us how fun a language English can be. The words in this film create a palpable tension that is orchestrated almost like a verbal symphony. It's an amazing thing to hear. Plus, the acting's pretty great too.

3. Inception - Here's where we get into the difficulty of putting together this kind of a list. In some ways, I think "Inception" is the most masterful movie of the year. It is so richly constructed and memorably executed that I can't really think of any other movie making a more historically significant impact on the world of film. The only thing that keeps it from the top spot is it engaged and thrilled parts of me more than it did the whole. Which is to say, it never grabbed my heart the way a couple of other movies did. This is not an insult. I think the movie would have had less of an impact had it gotten overly maudlin, but such is the difficulty in picking favorites. Sometimes your favorite person isn't the smartest or the most talented, but it's the one who grabs you by your heart and won't let go. That having been said, I think that "Inception" will be a movie that will be examined in film schools for years to come as a master class in expert film-making.

2. The King's Speech - One of the most inspiring movies I've seen in a long time. Though the title may imply differently, this is not so much the story of a royal learning not to stutter as it is the story of a man desperately trying to figure out how to overcome his own short-comings in order to reach the greatness of which he knows he's capable. In other words, this is the story of life...everyone's life. Overcoming our own personal roadblocks in order to progress and reach our potential is a, if not THE, central theme of life and this movie deals with that process and that struggle in a way that is truly inspirational. (for my friends who are deterred by the film's "R" rating, let me state that this is one of the most ridiculous ratings I've ever witnessed. It's rated R for one scene in which the protagonist is instructed to curse as a means of overcoming his stuttering. In this scene, the F-word is uttered more than the three times allowed for a PG-13 rating. Without this scene, the film would undoubtedly be rated PG, as there is nothing outside of this scene that would even necessitate a PG-13 rating. Just so you know. :)

1. Toy Story 3 - Once again, a Pixar movie has swooped down and claimed my heart. I wasn't really expecting this one to grab me the way that it did, but by the end of the movie I was sniffling and holding back tears just like everyone else. The secret to this film (and to the other great Pixar films) is that it's not for kids. Sure, the story about toys coming to life is obviously a no-brainer for winning kids over, but the plot is about feeling abandoned by children as they grow up. These movies are, and always have been, about parents. They're about the combination of pride and pain a parent feels as their children become more independent and need them less and less. The film is also about the way we deal with our own mortality. There is a scene (and if you've seen the movie, you'll know exactly what scene I'm talking about) in which the characters decide that the only way they want to face mortality is hand in hand, united. In that single image, I see everything I love about Pixar. They're not afraid to deal with the darker aspects of life, but there is a positivity and a humanity that permeates everything they touch. Not only is this a great movie, but it cements the Toy Story trilogy as one of the greatest film series of all time.


Now, I would like to give my own awards for the year. Welcome to the Paul's (a.k.a, the worst attended awards show ever)

Cutest characters of the year: The Minions from "Despicable Me" - The plot might try to convince us that the orphans are the cute ones (and they are pretty cute), but they can't compete with the "evil" minions living in Gru's basement. I want one of my own. I want it now.

Best Bad Movie of the Year: "The Last Airbender" - This is truly a horrible movie, but it's one of the most entertainingly bad movies I've ever seen. Add the commentary track from rifftrax.com and you have the makings of a fantastic comedy.

Best Use of 3D: The flight scenes in "How to Train Your Dragon" - This year there was some good 3D and there was some pretty bad 3D, but the scenes from "Dragon" were breathtaking. (runner-up: the healing incantation in "Tangled")

Best Proof That In Spite of My Love of "Little Women" and "Pride and Prejudice" I Am, Indeed, A Man : "Eat, Pray, Love" - Blech. This was a beautifully shot and acted movie built around one of the least appealing characters EVER. The selfishness displayed on her "road to self-discovery" crosses the line from narcissism to reckless endangerment. If this exact plot had been filmed with a man in the leading roll, it would never have seen the light of day because it would have been seen as an unwatchable misogynistic mess. But the scenery truly was beautiful.

Best Excuse to Wring More Money From the American Public: "Avatar: Special Edition" - Typically, movies that are released in "Special Edition" form are done so years after their initial release. Sometimes it's because special effects have improved to allow the director to expand (as George Lucas did with "Star Wars". Thank heaven that technology allowed us to see what Jabba the Hutt's face looks like when someone steps on his tail). Sometimes it's because the movie has gained a cult status and people are clamoring for another serving (such was the case with "Blade Runner"). However, in the case of "Avatar", it was obviously about the money (because being the highest grossing film of all-time wasn't good enough). But I'll be darned if I didn't like the special edition better. Much like the extended versions of "Lord of the Rings", it fleshed out several characters and gave us more insight into the plot. Plus, it was fun to see all those battle scenes in 3D again.

One More Nail in the Coffin of Rom-Coms: "Leap Year" - I so wanted to like this movie. I love romantic comedies when they're done right. (In fact, if you want to get technical about it, "Tangled" was the best romantic comedy of the year) Plus, I think Amy Adams is one of the most likable actresses around. However, this movie pulled out every single tired rom-com cliche with the subtlety of a chainsaw. Still waiting for a good, non-animated romantic comedy to which I can take my wife.

Best Animated Short That Can't Be Nominated For the Oscar For Best Animated Short: "The Tale of the Three Brothers" from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I" - Was anyone else as blown away by this animated sequence as I was? Wow.

Things I learned from the movies in 2010:

If you're not sure if you're dreaming, just try to remember how you got to where you are.

It's good to think of as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Taylor Lautner is physically incapable of keeping a shirt on.

Apparently, growing up means giving your toys away to the cute toddler down the street. I guess I never got the memo.

I can't go to the moon because NASA isn't sending the monkeys anymore.

When you try to "Benjamin Button"-ize Jeff Bridges, he looks like one of those creepy "Polar Express" kids.

Feeding chicken to a chicken is a bad, bad thing.

Jay Baruchel's voice is far less jarring when it's coming out of a cute cartoon character's face.

If I'm ever trapped in an elevator with four strangers and people start to die, I should turn on the old woman immediately.

Apparently, there is a Vegan Police Force. Who knew?



Anyway, that's all I've got for now. If you have any questions or think I'm out of my mind, feel free to comment. TTFN!