Best Movies of 2010

Dang! I tried to post a Top 10 list for 2010 sooner than I did last year, but time got the better of me again. At least, I made a better effort to see more movies this time around, so my Top 10 list should be a bit better. Of course, there were still some movies I didn't get a chance to see, so there might be a few diamonds in the rough I'm omitting. A few I missed... Blue Valentine, Winters Bone, and a few others no doubt. Nonetheless, here are my favorite movies of 2010!

10. The Fighter
Its far from an original movie and you'll be able to predict the ending as soon as it begins... but The Fighter is helped by a compelling character study and great performances. Mark Walberg, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo are all fantastic in their respective roles but Christian Bale steals the show in one of his best performances. Its nice to see that Bale (as well as Adams and Leo) finally got his overdue Oscar nomination. This is definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it yet.

9. Kick Ass
Because any movie that has a 11-year-old girl annihilate a gang of drug dealers to the theme of the Banana Splits is awesome. In all seriousness though, Kick Ass was a really enjoyable take on the superhero genre. I dug the characters, costume design, funny satire, and brutal action the movie depicted. Definitely worth seeing if you can stomach the violence.

8. Splice
A modern reimagining of the Frankenstein concept starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley... sure I'm interested. Splice took the aforementioned concept and turned it into a very intriguing and relevant sci-fi/horror film. Good performances, solid special effects, and an intelligent story with equal parts science and fiction all work together to make this 8th best film of the year.

7. 127 Hours
It was nice to see James Franco make some huge strides in his acting ability with 127 Hours. Acting in a movie where you're mostly by yourself and confined to (literally) between a rock and a hard place would be a challenge for any actor... and he nails it! Danny Boyle is just that good of a director. Already with an impressive directorial filmography (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, and others), 127 Hours is another great film to add to his resume. If you haven't gotten a chance to see this one yet... check it out when it comes to a theatre near you.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
I went into this one with high expectations and boy did it deliver! I loved the darker tone, great atmosphere, and excellent performances from the famous cast. I was glad to see them break up the book into two movies... in order to give the story a proper finale. Only downside, there's still six months to wait until the final movie finally arrives. Oh, and the fact that the Harry Potter series is coming to an end. Its been fun!

5. Toy Story 3
As far as trilogies go, you can usually bet that the threequel won't be as good as its predecessors. Toy Story 3 proves to be the exception to that rule and delivers the best in the series. In effect, the series becomes one of the best film trilogies of all time. Pixar still has the edge in the story telling department, bringing the popular series to a close in both funny and touching ways. If you haven't seen this yet, definitely check it out!

4. Inception
Christopher Nolan seems like the kind of guy who can do no wrong... lets hope he keeps it up. Originality was something mostly missing this year, but Inception was one of the few movies to bring some of it to the table. You can't go wrong with awesome special effects, sweet action, and an puzzling script. Throw in a great cast and killer direction from Nolan... you've got a hit. And yes... I'm still ticked that Nolan got snubbed for a Best Director nomination. It was easily one of the most well directed movies of the year. Hang in there Nolan, sooner or later the Academy will recognize your awesomeness.

3. The Social Network
The Social Network proves theory of mine... "You can make a good movie out of anything." Why, because this movie is mainly just a bunch of computer nerds sitting in front of their computers typing code. Yet through outstanding performances, stylistic editing, a great musical score, fabulous direction, and an intelligent script... I'd say it turned out pretty well. Whether you see it as a creative take on the formation of Facebook or an intriguing character study, its an absolute must watch.

2. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Its unfair that a movie this good was both snubbed at the Oscars and became a box office bomb... or "bob-omb"??? On one hand, its an enjoyable video game themed romantic action-comedy and on the other, its a unique introspective into 21st century relationships for young adults. Either way, its a creative and visually stunning movie with a fantastic director and brilliant set pieces. If you're one of the many who hasn't seen this movie yet, you owe it to yourself to see it. Whether you're into the dating storyline, the game-centric action scenes, the killer special effects, or the hilarious humor... it can't be missed.

1. Black Swan
Me choosing a Darren Aronofsky movie as my favorite of the year... there's a shocker. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of Aronofsky's work... and that I really like Natalie Portman, intense psychological thrillers, bizarre imagery, dark subject matter, and quick editing. Yeah... this is just my kind of movie. Black Swan is original, creative, dark, tense, never a dull moment, every performance is perfect, there is nothing I didn't like in this movie... absolutely nothing. Natalie Portman is absolutely awesome in this... she WILL win the Oscar. If you're up for a good and intense thriller... this is a must see!

"Hey Chris! Why did you leave off [insert movie title here]? That was way better that the movies you had!" I know, there were more really good movies that unfortunately I had to cut. Maybe I'll post some honorable mentions later on.

Those are my favorite movies of the year, if you haven't seen them, go watch them. If you have seen them... watch them again!