Editor’s Note: So, finally, here are the Entertainment Center’s Best Movies of 2010. It is incredibly late, but there were a number of great movies that came out in 2010 and they deserve attention.
2010 was an interesting year for movies. The Academy Awards Best Picture expansion experiment continued and began to look like good idea instead of sacrilege. Big budget action movies did not make their usual big splash but a few made some decent coin (Iron Man 2, Tron: Legacy). The producers of a few animated movies began to cater to adult audiences more than ever (Despicable Me, Toy Story 3). The big trend of the year that continues into 2011 is sequel and remakes (the Karate Kid, Little Fockers, Shrek Forever After, Clash of the Titans). There were still great original stories in 2010 and a few sequels and remakes ended up exceeded expectations – as you will see by this list.
5. True Grit
True Grit’s plot is not especially memorable; it is just another Old West revenge tale. The Coen Brothers do not turn the cowboy movie on its ear like they have with so many other genres. What makes this movie great is the performances. Jeff Bridges creates another larger-than-life, memorable character in Marshall Rooster Cogburn. Matt Damon turns in a wonderfully nuanced performance as a Texas Ranger that may be a villain, coward, or hero. Hailee Steinfeld has a screen presence incredibly rare for a 15-year old and stands out in a movie filled with great actors. The movie may not be a classic but the performances are.
4. Black Swan
A dizzying, frenetic tale about a ballerina who wants to give the perfect performance, this is director Darren Aronofsky’s masterwork. Elements of psychological horror, surrealism and back-stage drama all meld into a cohesive, tight ride. Natalie Portman is fearless in her performance as the ballerina and commits to every aspect of the movie which keeps the audience with her character. Perfection in your art and work consuming your entire life has been a theme of nearly every Aronofsky movie. That theme has never been so clear or presented so well in his work before. He gets it perfect this time.
3. Toy Story 3
This is a completely fitting end to the CG trilogy about toys that come to life when their owner is out of the room. It returns and expands on the series’ themes of friendship, loyalty, growing up, and the fear of no longer feeling needed. It is a surprisingly deep story that is adults can relate to more than children. Still, the young ones can enjoy the antics of Woody and friends be entertained and have a few laughs. While most adults will feel this movie resonates with them more than most movies, animated or not.
2. Kick-Ass
Terrible marketing, the c-word controversy, and critics who did not get it destroyed this movie’s chances at the box office. Marketed as a light superhero satire it was actually a dark and realistic dissection of the superhero genre. It did have its moments of parody and over-the-top action to go along with its painfully realistic scenes. All of those moments blend into a seamless story, largely because there is a realistic weight to the violence. Kick-Ass touches on ideas like personal and community responsibility and celebrity that most other action movies simply ignore. In many ways, it feels like the most in-depth look into what being a super hero is really about.
1. Inception
This is a flawlessly executed mash-up of action, sci-fi, heist, and philosophical movies. This is another of Christopher Nolan’s high-concept flicks and perhaps is best one. Concerning a special team who goes in to other’s dream to steal ideas, its setup and world gradually gets more complex. It never gets confusing or too metaphorical for its own good. The action scenes are thrilling and crisp while the heist plot is impeccably paced. A few critics say it is just a rehash of old sci-fi ideas and it does not ask as big questions as other brainy action films like the Dark Knight and the Matrix. But like the Matrix and Star Wars before it, it takes a lot of ancient ideas and creates a world and a story all its own out of them. And a few might say it asks the most important question of all – What is real?
Honorable Mention – 127 Hours, How to Train Your Dragon, Shutter Island, the Social Network, The Town