The year in film.

Many of you know that for years now, I've been something of a film freak. I'm a huge snob when it comes to the movies. If it ain't real, reaaaal good (and we're talking critically acclaimed, more often than not), I'm not going to see it in the theater. None of this 3-star nonsense for me, land's sakes, no! I'm a review-reader and critic myself, a snob of the highest order. And I have to say, as a huge snob, this was a tremendously good year in film. For the first time since probably 2003, I saw almost every single movie up for nominations, including all 10 of the best picture Oscar nominees. This wasn't my intent, but they were just all so good, I had to finish what I'd started. Hardest one to watch? 127 Hours. Holy, moly - I had to force myself to go, but I'm really glad I did.

So now that all the awards have been awarded and we're well into another year in film (the dry, painful part of the year in film), I'm here to give you what you've all been waiting for - my top ten list, in order. This was NOT easy to figure out this time around. When I say best, I mean best all-around, not best performance by a single person, or best directing. Best movie, plain and simple. Here we go.

10. The Fighter (Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Christian Bale)

At first glance, this movie seems kind of simple, quiet, affable - the story of two brothers who are fighters and how the drug-addled former star helps his little brother take the title. It's easy to dismiss Mark Wahlberg's performance as a little too cool and calm, especially next to the tour de force that is Christian Bale in this movie. Believe the hype - this is the best performance you have ever seen Christian Bale give. It's total Methody madness, but it's awesome. As Dicky Eklund, he's heart-wrenching and funny and tragic all at once. You miss him when he's not on screen, you wonder at every turn what he's gonna do next. But Wahlberg's a rock, and it takes a lot to play the straight man. Obviously, Melissa Leo got the Oscar for her brassy performance as the mother and driving force behind the Eklund brothers' careers, but Amy Adams is such a surprise in this film. It's nice to see her break out of her sweet-girl standard role and get a little tough. This is a great movie in every respect.

9. The Kids are All Right (Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo)

Yep, it's that LESBIAN MOVIE! But you know what's so great about this movie is that it addresses what it's like to be a lesbian couple raising kids at the very same time as it transcends lesbian vs. straight - it's just a movie about a family, trying to keep it together when the sperm donor suddenly re-enters the picture. Both Annette Bening and Julianne Moore give the best performances of their careers in this movie, and I do think Annette got robbed at the Oscars, though Julianne's scenes were equally amazing. Don't overlook Mark Ruffalo, though, who also shines as the guy who just found out he's a dad and doesn't quite know what family means. This is my favorite kind of movie - it's sad, it's funny, it's real.

8. Blue Valentine (Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling)

There's no getting around it - this movie is sad. Very, very sad. It's the story of a couple who meet, fall in love and fall apart, and you see it all in painful detail. It's shot out of sequence, so the falling-in-love scenes are interspersed with the about-to-kill-each-other scenes, which makes it even more brutal to watch. The basic premise is that after a few years of a tough marriage, Michelle and Ryan shack up in a cheesy motel in an attempt to rekindle their romance that is at first strained and then utterly crushing. Michelle Williams received a Best Actress Oscar nomination, but Ryan Gosling was snubbed - horribly so, IMO, and deserved Jeff Bridges' nomination. This is a painful ride, but it's worth it for the honesty and bravery you'll witness.

7. Winter's Bone (Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes)

Y'all, watch out for Jennifer Lawrence. This is one of the most incredible breakout performances I have EVER seen. Who the hell is this chick? I have no idea, but she was intense. If she'd taken home the statue last weekend, I would have had absolutely ZERO complaints, and that's usually not the case for me with young actors. This movie has unfortunately not been seen by many people. It's tough subject matter (I promise, not all my picks are sad!) but I highly recommend it. Story revolves around a young girl who is forced to care for her two small siblings - mom's not well, dad's off in the Ozarks cooking crystal meth. Circumstances bring her to the point where she's in danger of losing her home, and she sets off to find her dad, with no help from his family and friends. It's a brutal, stark depiction of a corner of America we don't see very often - those rural white folk who can barely read and have no real futures to speak of. Super pumped that the Academy recognized the supporting performance of John Hawkes (Deadwood, The Perfect Storm), a fine actor who has gone overlooked for ages. Check it out.

6. Inception (Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page)

We are now officially at the point where Christopher Nolan is being totally and sorely overlooked as a director. His not getting a directing nomination at the Oscars was a real shame, because over and over again the man makes blockbusters for the thinking moviegoer, which are a real rarity. Seriously, I only saw two movies all summer long - Inception and Toy Story 3 - because most of the summer fare is so utterly stupid I can't be bothered. I like a good explosion as much as the next person, but I wouldn't mind being challenged at least a LITTLE bit along the way. Enter Inception - a mind-bender you have to see to believe. Awesome, awesome flick.

5. The Town (Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm)

I have been telling absolutely everyone that this is one of the most underrated movies of the year. This movie should absolutely have been in the Oscars' top ten over True Grit (we'll get to that later on). Outstanding, awesome movie directed by Ben Affleck - ladies and gentlemen, Ben Affleck is back in full force. If you haven't seen his previous directorial effort, Gone Baby Gone, do - it's brutal and awesome. This movie is even better. Affleck plays a Boston bank robber who tries to break out of the scene after falling in love with a woman who was a victim in his last heist. Renner's his best friend, Don Draper - er, Jon Hamm - is the cop trying to catch them. This is a fast-paced action movie with a heart - in other words, the same rare breed as my #5 pick. I've rated this film very high because, like Inception, it's the kind of movie you're going to want to watch over and over. Also, I love to say this is an equal opportunity his-and-hers flick. Watch it with your sweetie!

4. 127 Hours (James Franco)

If there's one movie this year that stuck with me for days and made me think, it was this one. Damn you, Danny Boyle, for making such tough movies - you just can't look away from his films, no matter how painful they are. Everyone knows the true story - Aron Ralston went hiking in Utah, told no one where he was going, and then got stuck in a crevasse with his arm pinned to the canyon wall by a giant boulder. After five days and at the brink of starvation, Ralston cut his arm off in order to escape. This movie was TOUGH to watch - terrifying, brutal - but also really beautiful and uplifting in the end. I read a review that said "by the time you get to the point where he cuts off his arm, you'll be begging him to do it." This is so true. You really just want to see him walk out. James Franco IS this film. His performance is amazing, in a word - it's reminiscent of the way Tom Hanks carried Castaway, only this movie is a zillion times better than that one was. As much as I love Colin Firth (we'll get to him soon, too), if I were in the Academy, my best actor vote would have gone to Franco. Also - Danny Boyle uses some very nifty tricks to get you in Ralston's headspace and create a full movie experience that's broader than just a guy stuck in a hole in the ground. SEE IT. It's tough but you'll be glad you did.

3. Toy Story 3 (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen & co)

DAMN YOU, PIXAR! You've done it again! And you've gone and trumped my theory about sequels - this is the best Toy Story movie yet. The toys accidentally find themselves donated to a preschool and all hell breaks loose. Look for one very terrifying teddy bear, an awesome Michael Keaten Ken doll cameo, and a near-death experience (toys! incinerator!) that will have you on the edge of your seat with a lump the size of Dallas in your throat. Seriously, this movie was outstanding. Jay and I went to see it and I'm pretty sure even he was touched. Me? I sobbed like a baby as Pixar jerked the ever-loving shit out of my heartstrings. LOVE.

The last two picks were a REALLY tough call for me, but...

2. The King's Speech (Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter)

I knew I would love this movie as soon as I read about it, and I did. But I loved it even more than I thought I would. When you have three actors this good, and a script that's so sublime, there's really no way you can go wrong. But this is an out-of-the-ballpark kind of movie. All three of these actors are SO good, we're talking career-best for both the men. The story is about a king who stutters and learns to speak in public and therefore becomes a real leader - sounds simple, but Firth brings so much pain, frustration, fear and hope to the role, you just really can't help but smile and laugh when he finally gets it. Rush is amazing, possibly his best performance to date, and for me, the heart of the film. 

1. The Social Network (Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake)

Unlike The King's Speech, I didn't expect to love this movie. In fact, I rolled my eyes and thought, "Great. A movie about Facebook. How trendy." But the problem is, it's the best movie of the year. This is a pretty tough call, because The King's Speech is almost equally awesome. The two movies kind of have a lot in common, though. They're both thinking movies that rely on well-written scripts and perfectly executed performances as well as subtle directorial decisions - in a word, they're low on spectacle and heavy on dialogue. I could go on and on about The Social Network and how amazing all the actors were (they were) and how Aaron Sorkin's script is ridiculously great (it is) and how David Fincher got robbed at the Oscars for directing (he did)...but here's the bottom line. There were two unspeakably great movies this year, and I'm giving this one the edge because for once, for ONCE, the edgy and trendy movie is AS GOOD AS THE HYPE. You have two equally fabulous films, and one is your typical Oscar fare - pearls, furs, British accents, period garb - it's the safe choice. The other is about a bunch of Harvard nerds who make a social networking site that changes human communications forever. I'm not saying that The King's Speech wasn't good enough to win Best Picture...but wouldn't it have been cool if the Academy hadn't made the safe choice?

The Social Network - as good as the hype. And my #1.

Honorable Mentions:

Black Swan - creepy, moody and a much better movie than the previous year's The Wrestler. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 - solid adaptation of the book, sets the tone for the dismal and dark final chapter, best acting yet from the kids.

Let Me In - a remake, but absolutely brilliant. If you like scary movies, this is a must-see. Child vampires are scary.

Most overrated film of the year: True Grit. Seriously, if it weren't the Coens, then no one would have cared.

Movies I haven't seen but plan to:

Another Year
Rabbit Hole
Animal Kingdom
Tangled
Biutiful
Ghost Writer (I have heard this is incredible)
The Illusionist
Waiting for Superman
Barney's Version 

So - what were your top picks? :) 

Comments

[Trellisaze]

Great recap Sarah! I'd never even HEARD of Winter's Bone until the Oscars (I know, what rock have I been hiding under?) and it's at the top of my Netflix queue right now, I can't wait to see it. I actually saw a pretty interesting and heartbreaking movie with Jennifer Lawrence in it just the other day on Netflix instant - The Burning Plain. I had no idea who she was, until I saw her being interviewed on the red carpet and recognized her face. It's great, you should see it.

[Cheryl]

The Social Network was the best movie of the year, no question. I saw it two weeks ago and I'm STILL thinking about it. Plus its legal struggle is accurately portrayed, instead of courtroom theatrics, you instead see the numbing and endless depositions. And even those are riveting. As law school grad constantly irritated by incompetent legal screenwriting, it was such a nice change of pace. Well done, Sorkin.

I loved The King's Speech and I'm so happy for Mr. Darcy ...err...Colin Firth. But The Social Network and especially David Fincher should have won.

On to my only disagreement: I think True Grit is better than you give it credit for. I watch a lot of westerns, and its rare that one is so thoroughly fun and true to a very difficult genre. I could have watched Hailee Steinfeld and Matt Damon all day. Damon especially was hilarious and unfairly overlooked this whole awards season. While I saw better movies this year, I was never more entertained than when I went to see True Grit.

Oh, and John Hawkes is my hero and I'm so glad I got to see Witner's Bone. Brutal and terrific. I'll never look at a rowboat and or a chainsaw in quite the same way again.

[mike hyde]

Interesting selections. I didn't see most of these, but I guess I will have to now. Winter's Bone is a winner, King's Speech was one of the best ever. I had been avoiding Social Network, but now, grudgingly, will watch it. Thanks.