Braeden's Top 5 Favorite Movies of 2010

   The end of 2010 is upon us, and with that, a time to reflect on what the best movies of the year were. Over these next three days, you will see a list of the top five favorite films each of us have seen. Now, please bear in mind, this is not a list of technical masterpieces, but rather what films released in 2010 we enjoyed the most. Also bear in mind, being three starving college students, we cannot afford to see every movie that is released as soon as it does so (I do not believe any of us have seen Black Swan yet, as one example). This year was actually quite different for me, as I went to the theater more often than I probably have my entire life, instead of just waiting for the home video release. That being said, lets dive right into my personal top five favorite films of 2010.


#5. Shutter Island

   If you have read my bio, then you know that Martin Scorsese is my favorite director. With films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Departed, why shouldn't he be? There is a running joke amongst us that should I bring anyone new into my dorm, I will have to explain that I am not a Leonardo DiCaprio fan, but rather a Scorsese fan, due to the posters for The Departed and Shutter Island hanging on my wall. This film renewed my faith in Hollywood. During that wretched early part of the year where few good films come out, Shutter Island was the jolt I needed and actually made me realize that I was pursuing the right career when it comes to film making. The cinematography, the atmosphere created by the visuals and score, the writing that was complex, but never incoherent, and the ending which blew me away once I wrapped my head around it an hour after I left the theater. Is this Scorsese's best film? No, not by a long shot. But considering he has one career defining film a DECADE, whereas most director's want at least one in their entire CAREERS, Scorsese started this decade off great with a very sound and memorable film that I believe will be better received as time goes on, much like most of Hitchcock's work.


#4. Inception

   I absolutely love The Dark Knight. It is by no means a perfect film, but it is certainly memorable and can resonate with me even after having seen it so many times. I'm not sure if its the excellent script penned by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, Chris Nolan's directing abilities, or perhaps just the great performances by Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine, overshadowed only by the incredible performances given by Aaron Eckhardt and Heath Ledger. Inception, Nolan's first original film since Memento in 2000 (unless you argue it as an adaptation of his brother's story), has been his pet project for ten years, and the effort really shows. You think Shutter Island was a complex film? This one has probably hundreds of theories about dreamscapes and reality. It is a very complex film that never feels too convoluted. Its interesting that I said I am not a DiCaprio fan, yet the first two films on this list star him as the lead. And while I find his performance enjoyable enough, it is the work of Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Tom Hardy that really shine through. A very atmospheric film with great visual effects and a superb cast, makes this the best heist film in quite a while, and has me very excited to see what Christopher Nolan does with The Dark Knight Rises, especially now that Tom Hardy has signed on for the film.


#3. Toy Story 3

   Ah yes, the first article I wrote for this website (before I even knew I was making this site), and so far the only film to ever make me break down in tears. I have already talked about this film in depth, so I will just leave you with an excerpt of my review of the film:

   "The original film was amazing in its own right, a near perfect film I would say. Toy Story 3 too is a near perfect film, and any criticism of it could be narrowed down to severe nitpicking. Perhaps some of the jokes were predictable, but when you have characters like the Little Green Men (as called in the series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command) who only say a handful of phrases, you can kind of guess what they’re going to say next. You could argue that the themes of the film are just retread of the second film’s theme. And while they may hold a similar theme, the telling of said theme couldn't be further from that of the second one. At the end of the second film, there is a sense that even when Andy has grown up, the toys will still have one another. At the start of the third in the series, you see that this theory has been proven false, as most of the gang has been split up, by way of trash, donation, or yard sale. Even very popular or important (whether through their own actions or by their influence on other characters) characters are missing from this tale, and not because of a lack of voice actors or anything of that nature (Blake Clarke’s spot on performance as Slinky should show that a missing voice actor shouldn’t be a problem). Rather, these missing characters are missing due to the influence their absence has on the characters. Arguably, Bo Peep’s disappearance is the most shocking, but handled in a way to show that Woody, while still not over her, has tried to move on, showing real, genuine emotion that furthers his character."


To read the rest of the article, click here.


#2. The Social Network

   Sometimes a movie just does not sound that interesting when you hear its most basic description. For example, a film about two guys who make soap and fight in a club with other guys for fun does not sound interesting. Nor does a film about the creation of the popular social networking site, Facebook. While the original work both plots were adapted from deserve a lot of credit, so does David Fincher for being able to put films such as Fight Club and The Social Network on the big screen and make two of the best films of all time. For the first time I can recall, we actually see Jesse Eisenberg in a role that does not feel Michael Cera-esque and good for Fincher for seeing through his previous roles and casting the role of Mark Zuckerberg perfectly. Even Justin Timberlake does a fine job and is quite enjoyable to watch on screen, if just for the train wreck his character is. A lot of the themes in The Social Network are familiar territory, but the space they are seen in and carried out with such memorable performances makes it all seem very fresh and the favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars from what I have heard from a lot of people.


#1. True Grit

   Martin Scorsese may be my favorite director, but Joel & Ethan Coen are perhaps my biggest influence. Its funny thinking about how underwhelming 2010 was as a whole for film, yet looking at my own personal top five list, we have films from five of the best directors in Scorsese, Nolan, Fincher, and both Coen Brothers, and another film from the geniuses at Pixar. But with all the talent, True Grit is the film I loved the most. Again, I have already talked in depth about the film, so to sum it up very quickly, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and even Hailee Steinfeld are absolutely captivating. Smartly written and directed with a nice mix of violence and humor (though to a lesser extent than most Coen films, if simply because of the source material which it is very accurate to), True Grit hooked me from the very start. My only concern going into the movie was that I would not like Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross and that the entire film would not meet my expectations. Not only was Miss Steinfeld very impressive and will surely have lots of lucrative and hopefully challenging roles ahead of her, but the entire film just clicked until the credits finally rolled. If you would like to read more on my thoughts on True Grit, please read my review here.

Honorable Mentions: Kick-Ass, Despicable Me, The Losers, Date Night

   Now, I know what everyone is probably saying? Where is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? The honest answer is... I never saw it. Now, before everyone swears off this website, let me explain. I planned on seeing it with my girlfriend, but after we broke up, that plan went away. Then, I was going to see it with a friend once we met up on campus at the start of the school year. Well, we both got busy, so that plan went out the window. By the time I had an opportunity to see the film... it was already out of theaters. Well, earlier today I decided to go to Walmart and get the Blu-ray so I could watch it before writing this article. Keep in mind, I live in Georgia where Walmarts abound. Not a single one had the film and I am forced to order it online and wait for them to ship it to me. I am a big fan of the source material as well as Edgar Wright's directorial skills, so it pains me that I have not seen this film yet. I do wonder though if many other people had the same issues as I have. Perhaps that is why the film underperformed at the box office.

   Over the next two days you will see Richard and Joshua's top fives of 2010, but what are your's? Be sure to comment with your own personal top five, and you will be entered to win my second favorite film of the year, The Social Network, on DVD!