Hi,
I missed seeing The Social Network and The King's Speech, both of which are probably worth your time. The most over-rated movie of the year was Inception. It was, y'know, alright.
Black Swan almost made the Best list, as did The Ghost Writer, the "Dragon Tattoo" movies, Splice, Micmacs, Monsters and Get Low.
The best guilty pleasures of the year were Kick-Ass and Machete. I reccomend each, if you don't mind cartoon violence and filthy language.
The most depressing trend of the year was depressing movies: Biutiful (not open yet), Winter's Bone and Blue Valentine (not open yet) especially. Good acting, and all, and a story that will make you want to slash your wrists. Ugh.
Happy new year, and thanks for your support.
Best of 2010
Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Plays with our minds, and wins.
A Town Called Panic (Belgium, Animated 2009)
Directors: Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
The funniest and most bizarre film of the year.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Documentary 2009)
Directors: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
See current headlines.
Vincere (Italy/Germany 2009)
Director: Marco Bellocchio
Mussolini was a bad boy.
Toy Story 3 (Animated 3-D)
Director: Lee Unkrich
Not a dry eye in the house.
FrICTION
Director: Cullen Hoback
How to make a terrific movie with $150 and some real imagination.
Let Me In
Director: Matt Reeves
At least as good as the Swedish original.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Director: Woody Allen
Woody is revived by leaving NYC. Who’d-a thunk it?
127 Hours
Director: Danny Boyle
Boyle goes small, and nails it. So does Franco.
True Grit
Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen
The Coens revive the western, and a new star (Hailee Steinfeld) is born.
Tangled (Animated)
Directors: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
Classic Disney, with great songs.
The Fighter
Director: David O. Russell
Almost all the boxing-movie cliches are there, but so is the best acting of the year.
Worst of 2010
Remember Me
Director: Allen Coulter
Shameless exploitation of 9/11 for an insipid love story. Disgusting.
The Exploding Girl
Director: Bradley Rust Gray
Dull, even for mumblecore.
Trash Humpers (2009)
Director: Harmony Korine
It is time for Korine to find another job.
The Last Airbender (3-D)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
It is time for Shyamalan to go into business with Korine.
Dinner for Schmucks
Director: Jay Roach
And a movie to go with it.
OSS 117 - Lost in Rio (French 2009)
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Stupid, insulting and not funny, just like the last one.
Due Date
Director: Todd Phillips
Even Robert Downey, Jr. couldn’t save this one.
TRON: Legacy
Director: Joseph Kosinski
A waste of everyone’s time.
Comments
RE: Inception
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>It was indeed over-rated, loud and dull. Its premise was uninteresting and not that original. Once it had established that it could violate its own logic, I quickly lost interest and I wondered why it had to become a boring James Bond-style film, considering that it's all supposed to be dreams within dreams. And I though <em>my</em> dreams could be dull.</p>
<p>I grew tired of all the discussion of the film's supposedly puzzle-like ending. I really didn't care that much. I also got sick of the endless comparisons to The Matrix trilogy (a whole series that suffered from the same action-to-plotline-gussied up with a novel device syndrome as Inception). </p>
<p>As the not-too-bright guy sitting behind us said to his date upon leaving the theatre (we had to listen to his endless ululating during the previews) : "<em>What kind of a mind can come up with a story like that...</em>?". Indeed. Someone bereft of ideas but has at least read some Phillip K. Dick, Robert Anton Wilson or at best the over-rated graphic novel writers that have ripped them off.</p>
<p>Thanks, though for making me feel better for including it in your 'over-rated' catagory.</p>