The Ten Best Films of 2010 That I Saw
by Scott Hardie on January 2, 2011
10) The Other Guys - An offbeat and frequently hilarious comedy seemingly performed by the seats of the actors' pants. Its randomness may turn off some, but the jokes clicked for me. How nice to have a movie so reminiscent of The Naked Gun in the year of Leslie Nielsen's passing.
9) The Joneses - A funny and likable satire about how far our marketing-driven consumer culture will go. It strays in the second half by investing in drama instead of taking the concept further, but it gets pretty far coasting on David Duchovny and Demi Moore's charm.
8) The Ghost Writer - A low-key suspense picture with Roman Polanski's usual claustrophobia and sense of inevitable doom. That it criticizes Tony Blair's subservience to America's foreign interests is less important than that it stirs emotions that most thrillers aren't even aware of.
7) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - A compelling argument that video games are valid cultural touchstones - familiar sound effects and slogans can communicate deep subtext. The movie is occasionally too hyper, but it's surprisingly thoughtful for a live-action cartoon.
6) Shutter Island - A Martin Scorsese picture trying to be a Darren Aronofsky picture in its go-for-broke portrayal of a desperate man's withering mental state. Some say the plot twists are a let-down; I say that's missing the point, which is to evoke the hero's mood and mindset.
5) Crazy Heart - An understated relationship drama and portrait of the artist as a wasted old drunk. Jeff Bridges didn't just win his Oscar for a lifetime of great performances; he deserved it for this one. There's no need for bad guys or trumped-up melodrama; these are recognizeable human beings.
4) The Book of Eli - A genre thriller with a standard post-apocalyptic plot (and unnecessary twists), this makes my list on the strength of its spectacular photography by Don Burgess. In his camera, New Mexico becomes a breathtaking hellscape in near black-and-white. Worth seeing for the imagery alone.
3) Alice in Wonderland - A triumphant Tim Burton fantasy just when I thought he'd exhausted his potential. (The same could be said of its 3D format.) It's invigorating and endlessly clever from start to finish, a tribute to Lewis Carroll's creativity rather than a theft of it.
2) Inception - A cerebral, original blockbuster just when we needed one most. Christopher Nolan's career masterpiece represents the sum of his talent and ambition. Like its central concept, you can't get it out of your mind once you've experienced it.
1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - A vicious thriller with raw menace to spare. The lifelong plight of Noomi Rapace's heroine tore a hole in my heart that hasn't healed since. I can't bear seeing the sequels or the upcoming American remake out of fear that they'll tarnish this perfect movie. If you have the stomach for graphic violence, this is not to be missed.
The Full List
It ruled: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Inception, Alice in Wonderland, The Book of Eli, Crazy Heart, Shutter Island, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Ghost Writer, The Joneses, The Other Guys, Hot Tub Time Machine, Date Night.
It was ok: Toy Story 3, The A-Team, Greenberg, Kick-Ass, Winter's Bone, District 13: Ultimatum, The Wolfman, Prodigal Sons, Gigante, The Eclipse, Oceans, The Lost Skeleton Returns Again.
It sucked: Clash of the Titans, The Losers, The Lovely Bones, Happy Tears.
Three Replies to The Ten Best Films of 2010 That I Saw
Scott Hardie | January 3, 2011
Wanted to see it but ran out of time. Same with The Social Network, even though it came before GooCon for crying out loud.
Dave Stoppenhagen | January 4, 2011
"New Mexico becomes a breathtaking hellscape in near black-and-white."
I just drove through New Mexico yesterday, it is a hellscape even in color.
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
Tooth in Advertising
Every time I go to the local Carmike cinema and watch their pre-show reminders montage, I wind up thinking about dentists. First they show King Kong howling with those yellowish fangs – he needs a veterinary dentist. Then it's the pirates of the Caribbean; they have gold teeth so they need dentists too. Go »Irresistible
When I saw this poster at the movie theater, I wondered: Is that a coming attraction, or did I step into a mirror universe where that poster has nothing to do with a movie? Go »Gigantism
Thanks to a friend who couldn't use them, I scored They Might Be Giants tickets to replace the broken Valentines gift that I originally bought for Kelly. We took in the show last night with two other friends who happened to be going, Nathan and Raquel, and it was a great time. Most of my concerts have been metal, so I'm used to screaming and head-banging, and I didn't exactly know how to get into the music, especially since I was the least familiar with the TMBG catalog. Go »Det är inte så farligt
Yesterday, Kelly and I joined friends who had free passes to shop at the new Ikea store in Tampa before it opens to the public. It was our my first time in one of those stores, and it was every bit the harrowing shopping marathon I'd heard it was. For a store that boasts so frequently about how efficient everything is, having you proceed through the store in one long winding line for four hours sure doesn't feel that way, but every store has ways of getting you to buy more than you came for and Ikea has come up with a unique one. Go »Crikey
I saw a trailer for a new Free Willy movie coming out soon, starring Bindi Irwin. They're going to cash in on that kid for as long as they can, before she breaks down and can't be Miss Junior Croc Hunter and more. Maybe working in the same career that killed her dad is good for her psyche; who am I to be skeptical? Go »
Steve Dunn | January 3, 2011
True Grit is really good doodz.