Top 10 for 2010 - Movies

It is the end of the year, so you know what that means... top ten lists!

We covered our Top 5 favorite films of the year in this episode of the Totally Rad Show, but I thought I'd expand on that to discuss my top 10 of 2010.  So, without further ado...

1. True Grit

Another Coen Bros masterpiece of language and storytelling.  Fantastic performances anchor an unpredictable, riveting tale of revenge and coming of age.  In typical Coen Bros style even the smallest characters are interesting and memorable.  I didn't have a more enjoyable time at the movies all year, and it instantly made my all-time list of favorite Westerns.

2. Social Network

Forget the geek inside-baseball backlash about how little verisimilitude the film brings to Mark Zuckerberg's real life story (what biopic doesn't play fast and loose with the truth?).  In the hands of Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher, the Social Network is a snowball careening down a mountain, a torrent of god-I-wish-people-really-spoke-like-that dialog and impossible intelligence, that dives in and out of different times and events, building to what feels like a breakneck pace.  It makes legal depositions and computer programming feel like high drama, and is a relevant, fascinating film, regardless of how accurate it is to the real story.

3. 127 Hours

The most inspiring film of the year.  A tale of true heroism and a lesson in using willpower and determination to survive.  It is also an incredible piece of filmmaking.  That Danny Boyle is able to maintain tension and interest inside a crevasse when we know the outcome of the story is remarkable.  This film is far, far better than the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.  

4. Inception

An audacious, grand, hard science-fiction tale that also managed to be mass market entertainment.  I am still in awe of the imagination at work in Inception, and will be thinking about it for years to come.  No movie was talked about more, dissected, or provoked more thought.  

5. The King's Speech

Clearly, I am enamored with movies that value language, and The King's Speech absolutely revels in it.  Colin Firth's performance is spectacular, and only in part because of the remarkable affectation he adopts.  The nuance of bluster and insecurity, of familial power struggle and personal denial he conveys is even more impressive.  I was moved by the message of the film that even a small personal victory can be a monumental achievement. 

6. Toy Story 3

It is possible this movie deserves to be even higher on this list.  It is a wonderful, satisfying, finely-crafted piece of entertainment - the one film on this list that could literally be recommended to anyone, young or old, without hesitation.  How Pixar manages to create something so universally appealing without being trite or unintelligent is astonishing.  That it is also so beautifully eloquent on the subject of growing up makes it an instant classic.

7. Catfish

I debated whether or not I'd include this movie, because the experience of seeing it for me was probably very different from most others.  I knew nothing about the movie going in, and was able to see a private screening at the studio before any of the hype had started (I dare say I contributed to the hype).  But in that context, this was one of the most powerful movies I saw all year.  Since its release there has been all sorts of information that may or may not strip the experience of some of its impact, but forgetting all of that, I found the ideas expressed, the pure emotional drama and edge-of-my-seat excitement/fear/desire to know what was going to happen next to be amazing.  It felt like a true movie of our time, dealing with technology, morality, and interpersonal relationships in a way that was impossible only 5 or 10 years ago.

8. How to Train Your Dragon

Had there been no Toy Story 3 this year, I suspect many more people would have been singing this film's praises.  A wonderfully heartfelt wish-fulfillment story the touches on the feeling of everyone who has ever owned a pet, and anyone who has ever dreamed of flying.  Funny, touching, sweet, and exciting, it is a fantastic film. 

9. Kickass

My list, my rules.  Kickass felt like a reward for being a geek.  The pot of gold at the end of a comic-book reading, video game playing, socially awkward rainbow of childhood.  Exhilarating and fun, funny and poignant, it gave me goosebumps by how personal it felt for me.

10. Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Along with Kickass, I think SPvtW is way ahead of its time.  A kinetic mashup of pop and video game cultures into a visually thrilling riff on the geek mindset.  It felt like something truly new and will undoubtedly become a cult hit.  I had a blast watching it, and only wish it hit me on a more emotional level.  Still, one of the most memorable movies of the year.

There you have it.  My top 10 for 2010 in movies.  Let me know what you think and then stop by tomorrow for my list of my favorite video games of the year.

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