2010 has been host to some
truly inspiring works of cinematic art. In a year of catastrophic
oil spills and Chilean miners trapped 2,300 ft underground, films
allow us to momentarily forget these instances outside the theatre,
letting us get sucked into the realities they create and raise a
smile or arouse a tear. Sure, 2010 hasn’t been the strongest of
years for moviemaking (don’t we say that every year?), but a select
few flicks are nothing other than superb examples of committed
craftsmanship. Without further ado, here are my ten
favourites. See these if you can.
10. “Rabbit Hole”
– A true cry-a-thon if I ever saw one, “Rabbit
Hole” stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as two
parents who are in grieving. Their four-year-old son has been
killed in a car accident, a tragic event that changes them as
people and as a once-happy couple. The film is a melancholy one,
almost depressing, but the melodrama that surrounds it is
stacked-up on emotion that doesn’t seem forced or contrived. Kidman
near cries herself to dehydration for an
Oscar, and by golly she’s worthy of it. A bit
of a downer, but an effective piece of poignant filmmaking that
will make lips quiver and eyes fill with tears.
9. “Exit Through the Gift
Shop” — The fact that
“Exit Through the Gift Shop” might
possibly all be a hoax makes it all the more fascinating. A
documentary on a documentary, it follows shop keeper Thierry
Guetta, a quirky Frenchman who has a passion for filming every
aspect of his daily life. He doesn’t have any focus for the
mountains of tapes he’s collecting — that is, until he begins to
point the camera at local street artists. The footage (of which
there is many) has been hijacked and re-edited by British graffiti
icon and genius Banksy, the faceless artist Thierry ends up working
with. Unexpectedly hysterical, “Exit Through the Gift
Shop” is a compelling exploration of not only the
world of art, but of a man who shows how easy it is to become what
some blindly consider a visionary. Real or fake, fact or prank,
it’s a bloody brilliant documentary/mockumentary that should
provoke some thought in your noggin.
8. “Black Swan”
– Haunting and bizarre, Darren Aronofsky’s drama-horror and
psychological thriller shows how ambition can drive one totally
nuts. Natalie Portman is a ballerina who lands the role of The Swan
Queen in a New York production of “Swan Lake,” causing her to
obsessively rehearse and rehearse until her grip on reality begins
to loosen, with nightmarish hallucinations taunting her fragile
mind. Portman is astonishing in the lead role, and Aronofsky’s
direction is a visual jaw-dropper. Disturbing and bold, this will
linger and twirl in your defenceless brain for quite some time –
and not only for the lesbian sex scene.
7. “Let Me In” –
The only remake on the list, Matt Reeves’ “Let Me
In” is based on the cult Swedish vampire horror “Let
the Right One In,” directed by Tomas Alfredson. Relocated to 1983
New Mexico, the American remake centres on a bullied boy, Owen, as
a blood-thirsty, yet innocent-looking girl, Abby, moves into the
apartment next door. She’s been 12 for a very long time,
apparently. The two bond over the course of the film as mismatched
friends, Owen blissfully unaware of Abby’s vampiric state. A creepy
aura surrounds every shiver-inspiring scene, the film as
unforgettably unsettling as the acclaimed original, making for a
chilling and remarkably enticing horror-drama.
“Twilight” fans, take note.
6. “Scott Pilgrim vs. the
World” — It’s rare that a film is as
zany or creative as “Scott Pilgrim vs. the
World,” an adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s
six-volume cult comic book. Edgar Wright’s astoundingly energetic,
cartoonish hipster-comedy is set in a world in which the laws of
physics are similar to that of a video game — Nintendo
sound-effects, people exploding into coins, etc. The titular
character, played by a shaggy-haired Michael Cera, must battle the
seven evil exes of the girl of his dreams to win her over, leading
to some beautifully-shot action sequences, as well as a Bollywood
musical number. Brilliant, mesmerisingly inventive stuff that nerds
everywhere will gawk at in wonder.
5. “Toy Story 3”
– Pixar expectedly did it once again with the
third instalment of the celebrated toys-gone-wild franchise, mixing
deep-rooted nostalgia with colourful visuals to make for a
magnificent family film. This adorable adventure had our iconic
stuffed characters accidentally sent away to day care, where they
must try to escape from the once-comforting residents.
Fantastically comical, angelically animated, and eye-wateringly
sentimental, “Toy Story 3” is a
triumphant ending to the rightfully-idolised trilogy. Woody and
Buzz are still as awesome as ever.
4. “Four Lions”
– This Brit-flick revolves around a group of wannabe radical
Muslim terrorists as they prepare to mercilessly suicide bomb the
London Marathon. Perfect subject matter for a comedy, then. Chris
Morris’ seemingly controversial, side-splittingly funny satire
balances hilarity with surprising tenderness as we watch our
utterly incompetent jihadists screw everything up for 97
titillating minutes, aiming bazookas the wrong way round and
accidentally blowing up sheep in grassy fields. Fuck mini baby
bells!
3. “Kick-Ass” –
“Kick-Ass” can easily be described as
the filmic definition of the word
“fun.” A hilariously sick-minded
satire of the superhero genre, Matthew Vaughn’s gorgeous comic book
action-comedy-thriller is a rare example of a popcorn
audience-pleaser at its very finest. Aaron Johnson stars as Dave
Lizewski, a young adult who dreams of one day becoming an
ass-kicking superhero, and so decides to take on crime as a
wetsuit-wearing vigilante named Kick-Ass. An awesome cast –
including a foul-mouthed, relentlessly violent 11-year-old girl –
makes for the best superhero feature of the year, with bullets
piercing through the air and blood spraying with no end in sight.
This is my kinda movie.
2. “Inception” –
Christopher Nolan, how I love thee. The “Memento” director proved
himself once again to be nothing short of a genius of the
filmmaking profession with his ambitious, original, and beautiful
“Inception.” Following fugitive
Leonardo DiCaprio as he tries to get back to America to see his
kids, “Inception” takes place mainly
in the dream world as DiCaprio and his loyal team raid and
physically explore the mind of Cillian Murphy to plant an idea in
his subconscious. Innovative and intellectually stimulating,
“Inception” is a blockbuster
masterpiece that never fails to amaze. I’ll have antigravity fight
scenes with a side of buildings folding in on themselves, and a
dash of Hans Zimmer’s breathtaking score, please. Extra epicness,
too.
1. “The Social Network” — Easily taking the top, bright, golden prize for 2010, “The Social Network” is the kind of Oscar-baiting stuff that actually deserves the naked statuette. David Fincher’s stylised
drama tells the true story of the invention of relatively
well-known website Facebook, mixing in themes
of betrayal, loss, ambition, and power to the superbly intriguing
narrative. With an awe-inspiring, godly script by Aaron Sorkin that
has machine-gun characters mercilessly blasting bullets of sharply
scribed dialogue at each other, and top-notch performances from the
magnificent cast, “The Social Network“
is a friend request you know you’ll accept. Stephen Watson likes
this, and you should, too.
