The title of this entry might be slightly misleading. I’m in no position to evaluate the top ten movies released this year. However, I can give you my list of favorites that I, myself, watched for the first time. These are in a rough order of how much I liked them, rather than which is “best.”
10. The Secret of Kells
A beautiful animated film with a sweet, enchanting story, The Secret of Kells won me over almost right away. The art would have been enough to make the film a pleasure by itself, but the voice acting and the screenplay were also top-notch.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1
It’s more a chapter than a stand-alone film, but I think it’s one of the best in the series. The cinematography and the acting have come leaps and bounds, and it leaves you exhausted and impatient for the finale.
Scorsese tackles noir/horror with panache. It may not be his best work ever, but it is still an excellent film. Great performances (Patricia Clarkson was a standout in a tiny role, and Mark Ruffalo is fantastic) and I would love to see it again.
7. Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino is a polarizing artist, but I tend to like him. I don’t know if this is his best work, but it is very solid. The opening sequence will, I think, become a classic example of how to film suspense. The meta conceit of the film premiere worked for me, and I think that the idea of this sort of fake history is terribly interesting to see in execution.
6. The Hurt Locker
The Best Picture winner of last year deserved it, in my opinion. It was a tough film to watch, but beautifully made. The film’s thesis was a bit heavy-handed, but it was a master class in creating an effective character. Well worthwhile.
5. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
A weirdly liner film, considering Terry Gilliam, but I very much enjoyed it. The visuals are beautiful, and it had a nice fairytale feel to it. It being Heath Ledger’s last film, it has a strange overlay to it, but the execution is good. Andrew Garfield is a standout, and Tom Waits is perfectly cast as the devil.
4. Easy A
This was the year’s biggest surprise for me. I went into it mildly skeptical, when a friend wanted to see it. But I completely fell in love. I generally don’t like high school films, but Emma Stone is completely disarming, her family is perfect (I want them to adopt me), and it’s intelligently constructed. Yes, it’s a fantasy, but it treats its characters like flawed but complex human beings, even if some of them are (theoretically) 17. I loved it.
3. Brick
I had meant to see Brick forever, but it took until this year for me to sit down and do so. That’s a shame, because it’s a skillfully constructed movie that both exemplifies its tropes and rises above them. Another on the list to re-watch, the plot is wound so tightly that watching it the first time, I couldn’t even really pay much attention to the filming or the craft except in brief patches. Great noir.
2. Moon
The best sci fi movie I’ve seen in ages, and one of the best films generally, Moon has all the punch of a Ray Bradbury story. Sam Rockwell gives a standout performance, and the movie deftly copes with anxieties about identity, purpose, and sacrifice. Kevin Spacey also does some great vocal work. For a stark, minimalistic production, the filming is perfect, and the film boasts a screenplay I wish I’d written. Highly recommended.
1. Inception
I just rewatched Inception, and it gets even better on subsequent reviews. Thoughtful, plotty, fun and yet moving, Inception is everything I want in a summer blockbuster and more. A friend gave me a new layer of things to consider, and now I need to watch it yet again to consider them. I loved it.
Honorable Mentions: Dr. No, The Shop Around the Corner, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Sherlock Holmes, Love Actually
Worst Movie I saw in 2010: The Last Airbender. Not even close.
Best Movie I haven’t yet seen, as best I can tell: Toy Story 3. Yes, I know. I will see it soon.
The Exploding Macguffin 