Well the year is winding to a close and every one is talking about GOTY. But what about best movie of the year?
We'll the people over at the Oscar's (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) have yet to announce their nominations for best film of the year, but I thought I would go ahead and list mine. I even put them in order, though aside from the top four the order really is irrelevant.
Anyhow, here they are:
1. The Social Network: A damn fine movie from a great director (David Fincher). It is well acted, exceptionally paced, and just overall, very interesting. There is nothing you can fault about this film in terms of its artistic value.
2. The Kids Are All Right: This is a drama piece I think a lot of people have missed out on seeing. Well, its well worth a rental. The premise is very unique and engrossing. It's about a lesbian couple who had a child each thanks to an anonymous sperm donor. Then 18 years later the kids go and fine the guy. The acting is top notch with a fair amount of humor and sentimentality. I really enjoyed this film.
3. Winter's Bone: Another superbly acted movie that as a suspense film relies more on a solid story than over the top tension and forced conflict. However, there is a thrilling payoff towards the end, and it is amazing how the story unfolds allowing it to happen in a very realistic way. And major props to Winter's Bone's young star Jennifer Lawrence. She bolsters the quality of the film with her unflinching portrayal of a young woman who has everything to lose and will stop at nothing to keep that from happening.
4. Animal Kingdom: A crime drama about a small time family of crooks that does not pull its punches. I particularly liked it because of how it takes place in Melbourne, Australia. But what really makes the movie stand out is how all the family members are uncompromising in their views and stubbornly allow their ideas to destroy each other one by one. The exceptional acting made this film a hard one to watch. Almost every seen had my stomach in knots because I didnt know what the characters would do next.
5. Toy Story 3: An all around good film with a fun story and nice wrap up. However, this film does not compare to other previous Pixar outings. I mean, Wall-E was my favorite film of 2008. But I'm happy Toy Story 3 broke a billion at the box office. That can only mean more good things will come from the geniuses at Pixar.
6. Inception: This movie was not as good as I hoped it would be. I don't know. Maybe I got caught up in all the hype. Anyhow, when it came time to see the movie, the story took too many turns and was so bloated that it became an ugly mess of empty action sequences. Still, I put Inception on this list because of the risks the director took. He really went and did what he wanted and in some places it worked well. I just wish he had made the movie shorter and anchored the story more on the acting than the action.
7. Despicable Me: I watched this one not knowing anything about it and was pleasantly pleased at what I got. The humor and unique art style won me over immediately. Not surprisingly, the film was made by a French animation studio. Moreover, the story was fun and had a great and wild ending.
8. The Town: I'm a sucker for crime dramas, and I must give credit to Ben Affleck for what he did with this film. He made a solid two hour movie with plenty of realistic action and enough drama to make you care for the characters. And the build up to the final heist was well executed. I just wish the ending was not so damned sentimental.
There you have it, my favorite films of the year.
I should also say that there are a lot of interesting looking films that I have to see. Black Swan, The Fighter, True Grit, and 127 Hours are among them. That said, I still saw a shit load that were released in 2010. Plus, I make it a point not to watch anything that seems even remotely crappy. My one slip up was when my girlfriend made me see Knight and Day with her at the theater.
So how about you? What do you think the best movies of the year are?
