Film Year In Review--2010
It's been a little over a year since my last annual film wrap-up, so I guess it's that time again. I was conflicted by a lot of films this year. Some had fine performances, for instance, but didn't add up to much. Others were going along fine but then took a bad turn.
So there were a lot of passable films, but not a lot of great ones. At least, of those I saw--I missed a lot of obscure foreign films, of course, and I avoided much Hollywood fare that just didn't seem worth it. Last time around I had no trouble finding a top ten. This year a few movies needed a touch of charity to make it. You could have switched them with any on the list of ten bubbling under the top ten.
One more thing before we start. I only discuss feature films released theatrically, or widely available theatrically, in 2010. No TV, no shorts.
If you disagree with anything below, feel free to leave a comment.
SPECIAL AWARDS AND PRIVATE THOUGHTS
Actor Of The Year: Aaron Johnson, very good in two completely different roles--a hapless hero in Kick-Ass and John Lennon in Nowhere Boy.
Best Performance By A Major Star That No One Saw: Michael Douglas in Solitary Man.
Biggest Year: Tie. Jeff Bridges rarely stars in big hits, but this year, he was simultaneously in two films--True Grit and Tron 2--that made well over $100 million domestically. Leonardo DiCaprio's last few outings didn't make much of a splash, but in 2010 he starred in two huge hits, Shutter Island and Inception.
Hell Freezes Over: For a second there, I could have sworn Ben Affleck was a bigger star than Matt Damon. To be continued?
Ups And Downs: Last year, if you couldn't get Michael Cera, you got Jesse Eisenberg. Now Michael Cera probably wishes he were offered what Eisenberg turns down.
Best Ending: Inception. Christopher Nolan tantalizes us, leaving us hanging, wondering where we are.
Worst Ending: Inception. Christopher Nolan tantalizes us, leaving us hanging, wondering where we are.
They Never Learn: There have been a ton of anti-Iraq War film in the past several years, and every one has flopped. Two more tirades, The Green Zone and Fair Game, both featuring major stars, were released in 2010. Two more flops.
Lost In Translation: Let Me In was virtually a scene-by-scene remake of one of my favorites a few years ago, Sweden's Let The Right One In. Somehow, the tone was just a little off, and it didn't work the same. (Some critics preferred it, to my surprise.) The Illusionist was an animated feature based on a script by Jacques Tati that he never made. It was full of Tati-style whimsy, even "starring" him, but somehow seeing it animated made it more odd than endearing. Death At A Funeral was transplanted from England to America. Actually, it didn't work either time.
Get This Man A Script: Steve Carrell is a funny guy, but he needs better material than Date Night or Dinner For Schmucks.
EmCee: I don't mean to beat up on Michael Cera. He had a tough enough year, starring in two flops. But let's face it, his lack of range made him a horrible choice for Youth In Revolt (where he had to play the "Michael Cera" character and a tougher, cooler guy--they were almost indistinguishable) and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (which might have worked with a more dynamic lead).
Hollywood Math: Johnny Depp alone (Alice In Wonderland) = hit. Angelina Jolie alone (Salt) = hit. Johnny Depp + Angelina Jolie (The Tourist) = Flop
Director Update: I usually love Mike Leigh, but I didn't quite get the point of Another Year (as fine as the acting was, especially Lesley Manville's); David O. Russell had a hit with The Fighter, but it didn't seem to have the personality of his best stuff; Christopher Nolan had a gigantic hit with Inception--I like ingeniously plotted stuff, but he's in danger of swallowing himself up in intricacy and losing the humanity; I was surprised that I enjoyed Somewhere, since I'm not usually a fan of Sofia Coppola, and usually don't go for mood over plot; I thought Darren Aronofsky had turned the corner with The Wrestler, but he's back to his old tricks with Black Swan (his first real hit), a headache-inducing subjective portrayal of madness; Noah Baumbach makes films about miserable people, which worked for me once but had me wondering, with Greenberg, why am I wasting my time with this jerk; Nicole Holofcener, with Please Give, makes something lovely, but not amazing; Todd Solondz' sequel to Happiness (using different actors) let's us compare it to his earlier effort, which is not a good idea; I could have sworn Woody Allen released a film this year, but I've already forgotten it.
Most quotable movie: The Social Network:
“ I'm 6' 5”, 220 pounds, and there are two of me”
”You have part of my attention—you have the minimum amount”
“You know what's cooler than a million dollars? A billion dollars”
“The Winklevi”
“You’re going to go through life thinking that girls don’t like you because you’re a geek. I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that won’t be true: It’ll be because you’re an asshole.”
Cutest Line: Agnes in Despicable Me.
Best Immediate Classic Bad Line: Liam Neeson in Clash Of The Titans
("Wait a second. Did I just say RELEASE the Kraken? I meant whatever you do, DO NOT release the Kraken. That would be insane. It took us a month to cage it last time it escaped. Half those guys are still on disabililty.")
Best Musical Number: "Zoobie Doobie" from 3 Idiots:
TRENDS
Nerd Alert: It seemed like every other film starred Michael Cera, Jay Baruchel, Jesse Eisenberg or Shia LeBoeuf. Not your average, handsome, virile leading men.
Worst Trend: Everything is 3-D, which stands for the 3 Dollars more you pay for the same entertainment value.
D For Doc, F For Fake?: I'm Still Here, Catfish, and Exit Through The Gift Shop were all documentaries where you're not sure what's true.
80s Action Never Left: The Expendables, MacGruber, The A-Team, The Karate Kid, Clash Of The Titans, Tron
Graphic Novels Are Meant For Movies: Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Red
Shooting At Politicians: Salt, Edge of Darkness, Red
Pardon Me But Your Tongue Is In My Vagina: Greenberg, Blue Valentine, Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right, Dogtooth
In Animation, The Bad Guy Is Actually The Good Guy: How To Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, Megamind, Tangled, even Toy Story 3
A Farewell To Arms: 127 Hours, True Grit
Gangsters Overseas: Animal Kingdom, Mesrine (parts 1 and 2), The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
A Dream World Where Leonardo DiCaprio Tries To Deal With His Dead Wife: Inception, Shutter Island
It's All Greek To Me: Clash Of The Titans, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Dogtooth
Drug Reps Making Passes: Love And Other Drugs, Little Fockers
Good Concept, Bad Execution: The Joneses, The Expendables, Behind The Burly Q, Hot Tub Time Machine
Buy The Title, Toss The Book: Alice In Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels
People Stuck In A Hospital With Cops On Their Tail Will Know How To Escape: The Next Three Days, Faster
Self-mutilation: 127 Hours, Black Swan, Jackass 3, Dogtooth
RANKINGS
Good: Blue Valentine, The Illusionist, Another Year, Leap Year, 127 Hours, Nowhere Boy, Megamind, Red, The Town, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Inception (though I have serious misgivings), Please Give, When You're Strange, For The Love Of Movies: The History Of American Film Criticism
Bad: Death At A Funeral, Legion, Hereafter, I Love You Phillip Morris, Love And Other Drugs, Made In Dagenham, Morning Glory, The Switch, Life During Wartime, The Trotsky, Knight And Day, Cyrus (may stop mumblecore in its tracks), Splice, MacGruber, Behind The Burly Q, Date Night, Greenberg, Hot Tub Time Machine, She's Out Of My League, Cop Out, Shutter Island, The Lovely Bones, Edge Of Darkness, The Book Of Eli
Ugly: Little Fockers, The Wolfman, Clash Of The Titans, The Expendables, Grown Ups
Bizarre: Black Swan
Half And Half: Youth In Revolt (not bad until Michael Cera has to pull out "Francois").
I Don't Care What The Critics Say, It Wasn't That Bad: How Do You Know?, Gulliver's Travels, Due Date
Big Disappointments: Alice In Wonderland (made a billion dollars but is no fun--takes some of the most enchanting characters in literature and makes them do things they have no business doing), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (sorry, no franchise), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (probably wouldn't have worked even if they did it right), Micmacs, Iron Man 2
Okay: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Rare Exports, Animal Kingdom, The Fighter, The Next Three Days, Faster, Unstoppable, Let Me In, Secretariat, Takers, Mesrine (parts 1 and 2), The Other Guys, Salt, The Infidel, Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work, Smash His Camera, Get Him To The Greek, The Joneses, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Secret Of Kells, The Runaways, Daybreakers
Unfinished: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
BUBBLING UNDER THE TOP TEN
Despicable Me
Dogtooth
How To Train Your Dragon
Jackass 3
The Kids Are All Right
Rabbit Hole
Solitary Man
Somewhere
Toy Story 3
Winter's Bone
TOP TEN (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
3 Idiots
I can see why this is the biggest Bollywood hit ever. In almost three hours, it throws everything at you but the kitchen sink realism: comedy, melodrama, romance, songs, suspense, chases, etc. Usually when I hear someone say a film is a joyous celebration of life, that's a warning, but darn it, that's just what this film is.
City Island
A comedy about a family with secrets. You also get to learn about City Island, an actual place in the Bronx. Movies are about going places you've never been before, after all (which is why Jackass 3 almost made my top ten).
Easy A
I may be grading this one a bit high, but a fun teen comedy that's smarter than it needs to be deserves some attention.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
One of the most enthralling documentaries I've seen in years. A story about street art that features a plot full of twists and turns, made all the more amazing in that it's true. Or is it? This is a film by Banksy, after all, noted put-on artist. Everything I can personally check on (much of the film takes place in Los Angeles) is true, but who knows?
The Ghost Writer
Roman Polanski in top form. He does an amazing job showing how it feels for a powerful man to be trapped. (I wonder how he knew that?) It does get a little silly with all the conspiracy-mongering, but a great mood of menace throughout. Especially good work from Pierce Brosnan.
Kick-Ass
I thought this film was great. A smart and exciting action film. I was disappointed when it didn't turn into a big hit, but then I realized most filmgoers just don't go for an 11-year-old girl who slices people up and swears like a sailor.
The King's Speech
I couldn't care less about the personal problems of British royalty, but this film made me care. All three leads were superb. Someone's got to keep up the tradition of Merchant-Ivory, especially if they do it better.
The Social Network
The King's Speech
I couldn't care less about the personal problems of British royalty, but this film made me care. All three leads were superb. Someone's got to keep up the tradition of Merchant-Ivory, especially if they do it better.
The Social Network
An intelligent film with solid characters and well-done dialogue. The kind you wonder why Hollywood can't put out on a regular basis. This is a writer's film, so Aaron Sorkin deserves the lion's share of credit, but fine casting, acting and directing sure helped. The irony is I don't think Sorkin really understands the first thing about Mark Zuckerberg.
Tangled
True Grit
The first honest-to-goodness hit from the Coen Brothers. Not their best and the pointless epilogue almost ruins it, but it looks good and has decent tension, dialogue and performances.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:01 AM
18 Comments:
Scott Pilgrim will be remembered for the great film it is.
Ugly? The Expendables was everything it promised to be. OK Sylvester and Mickey and pretty much every male character in the film looked physically ugly.
The King's Speech was great and Helena Bonham Carter gets credit for making the Queen Mum hot. The actor playing Churchill was a bit of a cartoon though. Made me yearn for Masterpiece Theater.
Liked The Fighter- the message is your family will bring you down but you can't avoid loving them
Once again, an impressive read.
Personally, I saw only 2 movies in the theater this year:
1. "TOY STORY III": I think I liked it better than you did. In fact, considering that it was a "three-quel", I thought it was downright extaordinary.
2. "INCEPTION": Again, I think I liked it better than you. You made a comment about complexity at the expense of character, but it was its very complexity that I so admired. It was, in fact, one of the most challenging scripts I've ever seen in a big Hollywood movie. Only Christopher Nolan, backed by "BATMAN" bucks, could have gotten this script made by a major studio. You really had to keep your mind engaged during this ride, and that is very rare - and welcome.
In fact, I would have liked to see BOTH these movies nominated for Best Picture Academy Awards, and either one winning would have been fine with me.
I know my opinion doesn't hold as much credence as a guy who has gone to see dozens of movies this year (and I don't even recognize literally half the titles on your Top 10 list), but I'll pick up a few more notches with screeners.
In any case, thanks for another entertaining read.
The Expendables was not what it promised. It promised to be a bunch of icons and near-icons working together on a cool mission. Instead, it was pretty much a one-man Sly show with others either doing little to nothing or being the fly in the ointment.
Memento was complex but not at the expense of character. The Prestige was complexity at the expense of some character. Inception was complexity at the expense of everything.
An accurate and interesting review as usual. I purposely avoided seeing all of the movies listed under BAD/UGLY because I knew they would be and didn't want to waste my money EXCEPT for "Shutter Island", which I liked well enough. I also liked "Alice in Wonderland" (but I've a bit of a Depp bias).
I didn't see half the movies in your Top 10 but agree with the other half. My personal fave this year was "True Grit" for all the reasons you mentioned, but also because after last year's "Crazy Heart" I'm digging Jeff Bridges.
You didn't mention (probably by design) "The A-Team", which I got roped into seeing with my son and his buddies. I ended up enjoying myself mostly because the boys were standing and cheering by the end. Kids don't necessarily have the most discerning tastes, but it's worth something.
Keep up the good work!
@Anonymous#3 said: Inception was complexity at the expense of everything.
Disagree.
IMO, the entire point of "INCEPTION" was its complexity.
Like a celluloid puzzle box.
Then, as bonuses:
- Passably interesting characters
- Decent special effects
- Earned ambiguity
Compared to most Big Hollywood Fare, it was a prestigious memento of a time when movies would occasionally try to innovate, rather than just imitate.
Random responses in no particular order:
1) Glad to see "Easy A" getting some love. I actually had it in my top five for the DGA. Because honestly -- how long since we've seen an original, smart, genuinely funny teen comedy?
2) I so wanted to love "The Illusionist" because I adored "Triplets", but it was just too heart breaking for me. I don't want to spoil the ending for folks but gee wiz.... what was the point?
3) People give Ben Affleck a hard time, and I don't know why. Sure, he's been in some bad films, but when was he ever bad? Never, that's when. And nobody seems to remember that he directed long before he acted. He's always been a-okay in my book.
4) "Scott Pilgrim" was fucking great. Not a single thing wrong that film, including Cera, who was perfectly cast (going by the tone of the books, anyhow). Which is not to take anything away from "Kick Ass", which was also great.
5) Drives me nuts that alleged film professionals understand so little about filmmaking that they don't know how to honor a perfect (I mean literally perfect) film like "Toy Story 3". Was there a better written or directed movie this year?
6) Fucking Darren Aronofsky. He got off scott-free for "The Fountain", and that's just wrong. Look what they did to Ron Underwood for "Pluto Nash"! He's STILL in movie jail, and arguably that wasn't even his fault. "The Wrestler" was total bullshit and "Swan" is worse. He must have saved a hundred thousand people in a previous life.
I agree with Richard's #5 above.
"TOY STORY III" was robbed!
How many flops was Nicholas Cage in this year? You only mentioned Sorcerer's Apprentice.
I agree with Todd's list of attributes for Inception, and would add a fantastic Score by good old Hams Zimmer.
And I liked Toy Story III - think its great and all, but Megamind wins best animated for me. But I haven't see Tangled yet - the trailer completely scared me off! I'll have to catch it for $2 somewhere.
Others have written about the weakness of the plot and characters of Inception, but I agree it is something to see such an original, complex film get such a big budget and make so much money. (My main complaint with the mechanics was it seemed absurd that things would go faster on each level, since it's all inside a brain, but that was central to the story.)
It did have the most memorable score of the year, but I don't know if I'd call it a good score.
Toy Story 3 has an excellent chance of winning an Oscar for best animated film, and a good chance of a nomination for Best Film, so let's see how recognized it is.
After Black Swan, I assume Aronofsky can write his own ticket. Go figure.
I liked Megamind (as you can see) but there aren't too many (based on its decent but not great gross) who think it's the best of the year.
For years Cage has had a high flop to hit ratio, but he keeps chugging along. In 2010 it seemed like he'd been kicked upstairs to mentor roles. He played one in Apprentice, as noted, but also in the delightful Kick-Ass. In fact, he was great in Kick-Ass. I'd give him a supporting actor nomination, but that's not gonna happen.
You expected a lot more from The Expendables than me. I thought it would be a dumbass action flick with lots of booms like the dumbass action flicks with booms from the 80s and it was. sure it was a bad movie movie (how could it not be?), just not ugly.
code word= "eatin" Excellent suggestion, Google word generator!
I enjoyed Scott Pilgrim very much despite seeing it with my teenage son and his girlfriend. In fact, I think it beats out the graphic novels.
There was some movie this year that starred Cruise/Diaz with a motorcycle crash sequence that was great. Also, Cruise trying to leave hospital to avoid CIA cronies. Loved it. What was the title?
Favorite movie this year might be Despicable Me - love to see black comedy in animation
Second place - True Grit - the best cinematography really gave the film a desperate feel. Why wasn't Matt Damon promoting this film? I wonder if he didn't like his portrayal or the small size of the role.
Julia NC
There seems to be disagreement over the best animated film, which makes sense since there were a fair number of good ones last year.
On the other hand, everyone seems to like Scott Pilgrim. Makes you wonder why it flopped.
The Tom Cruise film you're thinking of is Knight And Day.
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I agree with Todd's list of attributes for Inception, and would add a fantastic Score by good old Hams Zimmer.
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