The Top Ten of '10

So, I think I’ll start this out with a side note. I just thought I should mention how incredible ironic it is that I’m writing this while watching “Step Up 3.” It also gives me a great excuse for a misleading thumbnail (<<<<). Well, here it is. 2010 is over and this is my recap. I would like also to address one thing. I’ve heard a lot of debate about this year being a weak one in the world of cinema. I think that on the surface, the mainstream has given us a bit more of a lackluster year than last year or ’07 especially. I still say this was pretty good altogether. Sometimes you just have to dig a bit deeper. When the summer blockbusters fail, take a look in the independent market. When Oscar-bait flicks fall short, look for cinema from somewhere across the pond, or the world for that matter. So, without further adieu, here’s ten movies and then some other stuff at the end.

10. Winter’s Bone – This is a neo-noir film unlike anything I have ever seen. It’s a very unique story with a sixteen year old girl playing the part of detective as she searches through the Ozarks for her father. The film opens with her being explained that her father put up the house to post bail and if he doesn’t show up to court, she and the rest of the family will be left out in the cold. I was very impressed with the overall tone of this film and how it was used to generate a steady flow of tension. What I think I was the most impressed with however, was how authentic the general décor of the film seemed. I say ‘seemed’ only because I’ve never actually been to that area of the country. The location, costumes, accents and pretty much anything else that had anything to do with the look of this film was pitch perfect. I’ve always been in love with films that somehow seem to bring their locale’s weather right into my living room. This one had me reaching for an extra blanket.

9. Micmacs – You know that feeling you have when you really like an artist, be it recording artist, film director, author etc. and you are just waiting for them to put something out there that makes you feel like you’ve finally outgrown them? That’s pretty much how I feel about French director Jean-Pierre Juenet. For some strange reason, this hasn’t happened yet. Micmacs is in no way his best film. But, if you’re a fan of his previous work, you can’t really help but fall for it again. No one really does quirk like the French and there is none more peculiar than a Juenet quirk. Perhaps someday, I’ll realize the error of my ways and finally see his films for the ‘all style and no substance’ little insignificant pieces of celluloid that they really are..… Until then, I can only hope that it doesn’t take another five years for his next one.

8. The Wild Hunt – Hey, who wants to watch an intense slasher/suspense film about LARPing?........... Hey, who knows what LARPing is?.......... Anybody?......... Ok, L.A.R.P. stands for Live Action Role Playing. You know, it’s those guys that hang out in the woods dressed up like Knights and Vikings and Pirates and stuff. Then they have pretend wars with fake weapons. Yeah, these guys are only two or three steps cooler than bloggers, and that’s only because they get more sun………….. and girls. This Canadian film directed by Alexandre Franchi might be the most fun I’ve had with a movie this year. The plot revolves around this guy (probably a blogger) driving out to the woods to try to convince his off again girlfriend to come back home with him. If he can achieve this lofty goal, he will not only be reunited with his one true love, he will seriously ruin a whole bunch of other guy’s weekend. Watch this film to find out just how seriously they take this stuff.

7. Castaway On The Moon – It turns out, I seem to have some sort of a deep affinity for South Korean cinema. I’m sure if you keep reading, you’ll find some more on this list to affirm this. Remember earlier when I said that no one does quirk quite like the French? Well, this film’s got plenty of it too. This is a dark comedy about two characters and their relative isolation from the rest of the world. One is by accident, the other by choice. Against all odds they connect with each other and begin a very odd but extremely meaningful relationship. This film, written and directed by Lee Hey-Jun is excellent and a whole lot of fun. Keep an eye out for it and add it to your ‘saved queue’ in Netflix. Unfortunately, although this is actually a 2009 film, there is still no regional DVD or Blu-Ray release date. Eventually I’m sure Tartan or someone will give us a good disc.

6. True Grit – The Coen Brother will not make a film that doesn’t crack my top ten very often. That being said, this film is quite different than what we’ve seen from them at least in recent history. Namely, this is much more of a straight genre film than the majority of the rest of their films. This is also much more of a performance piece than we’ve ever seen from them before. But, that’s also part of what makes this such a good film. This was the right source material for the Coen brothers to adapt and they had the perfect cast to adapt it. I guess the only question is: had they made this film more Coenesque, would it be higher on my list? I would have to say the answer to that question is yes. I would also have to point out that even with me counting this film ultimately as a disappointment; it still is one of my ten favorite films of the year. This should illustrate pretty well just how much of a nut for these brothers’ films I am. You can find my full review here.

5. The Good The Bad and The Weird – Hey look, another Korean film on my list. This one is actually a 2008 film. To the best of my knowledge however, it never got a wide theatrical release in the states. It made some noise on the festival circuit but I think it was a little overshadowed by Tikashi Miike’s “Sukiyaki Western Django.” We finally got a DVD and Blu-Ray release earlier this year so I’m counting it now. Similar to “SWD” it’s an Asian filmmaker’s take on the American Western. “SWD” actually takes place in the West while, this film is set in the Manchurian Desert. This is officially the coolest flick on my list. It’s official because I said so. Director Kim Je-woon is very rapidly becoming my favorite director of action set pieces, and one of my favorite Korean directors. There really isn’t anyone that shoots fight sequences like him. The film he made before this one “A Bittersweet Life” was also fantastic and his newest release “I Saw The Devil” is getting great reviews.

4. Inception – The quality of Christopher Nolan’s latest film honestly owes a lot to “The Dark Knight.” Let me explain. Imagine a world in which the previously mentioned Batman sequel didn’t exist. Nolan is sitting in a meeting at Warner Bros. asking for a $160,000,000 budget for his new film. He casually explains that it’s going to be a 2 ½ hour long sci-fi thriller about dreams. The first hour and change will primarily be verbal exposition explaining the rules and building the world. Then we’ll start in with the actual plot. I think he would have been able to have made a film, just not the one that was released this summer. This is one of the few and far between examples of how enough money in innovative hands can solve creative problems. And when you have a juggernaut like “The Dark Knight” in your back pocket and the third Batman acting as a carrot on a string…… Well, studio execs respond differently when you ask for $5 million for an anti-gravity fight sequence in your weird dream movie. At the end of the day, I feel that this film is all about the craft of filmmaking. And currently, there is no better craftsman than Mr. Nolan. I’m not quite ready yet, but I am dangerously close to officially crowning him as the savior of the summer blockbuster. Again, it’s official because I said it.

3. Mother – Alright I promise, this will be the last Korean film on my list. This is such an amazing film both technically and artistically. At the core, it’s a murder mystery and an exposition on the depth of a Mother’s love. But you end up getting a whole lot more. This is probably the best looking Korean film I’ve ever seen. It’s Bong Joon-ho’s fourth feature film and technically his best yet. The future most definitely bodes well for him and his fans alike. An amazing score, beautiful cinematography, great editing and phenomenal acting all come together to tell what otherwise still would have been a remarkable story. Technically this is a 2009 film but it didn’t release wide here in the states until earlier this year. It’s out on DVD and Blu-Ray now so pick it up.

2. Exit Through The Gift Shop – Alright what can I say about this ‘documentary’? I’m not really sure how much of it is real or fake. In my opinion however, the less genuine you find the events that take place, the more truth you will find in this film. I really liked this film the first time I saw it but I seem to have fallen more in love with it the more I think about it. It is this year’s most thought provoking film (sorry Inception). At its core, this film is a brilliant commentary on the creative process (or lack thereof), eventual commercialization and even the very nature of art. I don’t really want to say much more than that although I would love to discuss this film more at length with those of you that have already seen it. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do so. I’ll probably be writing a more in depth, spoiler filled review later this week.

1. Black Swan – We’ve finally made it. My favorite film of 2010 is director Darren Aronofsky’s fifth feature film. Natalie Portman plays the aging lead ‘Swan Queen’ ballerina in this mind-trip, psycho-sexual, meta-melodrama about a production of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” Vincent Cassel plays the director (in more ways than one), Mila Kunis is the young upstart, and perhaps the most frightening character, Mom is played disturbingly well by Barbara Hershey. This movie works on you for a while before it really grabs you. It shares a very similar theme to Aronofsky’s last film “The Wrestler.” That is the idea of a professional that uses his/her body to perform and is now facing difficulties as they age. Fortunately, this film seems to have a much more polished script what we saw with “The Wrestler.” Portman’s performance was brilliant, probably her best ever. But what curried the most favor with me was this film’s use of the camera. I especially loved the way the dances were shot. Usually, in a film with elaborately choreographed dance sequences, the camera will sit back and take in a full frame of the entire stage. This film throws you right into it. The camera essentially is dancing with the rest of the production. This looks amazing and you have to also realize the enormous challenges that come with shooting that way. I would also add that this film contains some of the best subtle uses of CGI I’ve seen. I really can’t recommend this one enough. I will also be working on a full review later.

Honorable Mentions

Animal Kingdom – This is a very good Australian crime story with a perfect cast.

Harry Brown – I like this movie because it quite obviously thinks that it was actually made 25 years ago.

American Grindhouse – It’s a documentary about the Grindhouse film industry that is more insightful than it has the right to be.

How To Train Your Dragon – Because it has the best 3D flying dragon sequences we’ve ever seen…. Think about that Cameron.

The Ghost Writer – Somehow this movie kept me glued in spite of it’s extremely predictable twist. All credit to Polanski.

Old Movies First Released in 2010

Hausu (1977) – Do you think you’ve seen it all? You haven’t. There’s really not a whole lot more I want to say about this one. Just be forewarned, if you haven’t a lot of experience in super weird cult film, don’t start with this one. Among other reasons, it will completely ruin every bit of weirdness you will subsequently find on celluloid.

The Complete Metropolis (1927) – Shouldn’t this one just be called “Metropolis” and the other one called “The Incomplete Metropolis?” This has always been one of my favorite films and a couple of years ago the missing reels were found in some guys attic in Argentina or something. I can’t remember the whole story but previously we had title cards explaining about 45 minutes of the film. Now we get to see the actual footage. I love it.

That’s about all I’ve got for right now. I’m thinking about doing my own awards this year (best actor, best shot, best fight sequence, best dream sequence, best fight-in-a-dream sequence etc.) I could use some suggestions… especially on what to call them… The 1^st Annual Emeries sounds kinda lame.