The Top Ten Films of 2010

In what surprisingly turned out to be a really good year in cinema here are my Top Ten films of the year and what I thought of them.

#10 Kick-Ass - "The title says it all. This movie kicks ass. It's funny, it's violent, it's entertaining. And when the lights go out and Hit Girl's eyes peer through night vision goggles the film actually even becomes powerful. That scene is one of only a few scenes all year that actually gave me chills. Chloe Moretz nails her role and turns this film into an event. It was her coming out party as a star. I'm glad I was invited."

#9 Blue Valentine - "The best 1-2 combo of the year by one film. Blue Valentine showcases two knock out performances by Michelle Williams (who is remarkable) and Ryan Gosling in a movie that tackles the several shades of the tough side of love. It does so effectively mostly because of the incredible work done by it's two principals. They make the movie work even when it maybe shouldn't."

#8 The Kid's Are Alright - "This well crafted, well acted little gem teeters the line of comedy and drama for most of it's near 2 hour runtime only to end with scenes so powerful, raw, and effective it turns it into an endearing film about family, letting go, and accepting responsibility for our actions. Well done."

#7 Night Catches Us - "Powerful. Raw. Unflinchingly. And cavalier. Night Catches Us goes back to a time in history few dare to revisit and tackles the event with a passion that makes the film too alive to ignore. Anthony Mackie (a rising star, who has been phenomenal in his last few roles is great here) as well as Kerry Washington equally impressive. Make sure you don't ignore it, and see it as soon as you can."

#6 The Karate Kid - "The year's biggest surprise. It was a surprise hit at the box office. Raking in loads of greenbacks when people feared no one would flock to theaters to see a black Karate Kid. It showcased both a surprise star turn by Jaden Smith (who proved he was deserving of landing the role and even possibly a bonafied movie star) and surprisingly effective dramatic turn by Jackie Chan who was great in the movie. Plainly put, it was absolutely one of the best movie going experiences I had in 2010. It entertain me and engaged in ways I didn't even think it would. The cinematography was amazing and the Chinese setting was beautiful and felt like a breath of fresh air. And oh, the MARTIAL ARTS, from the entire cast was sensational. I loved this movie."

#5 Let Me In - "In what was subtley becoming Chloe Moretz coming out party and surge into stardom nothing proved it more to me than her understated yet wholly effective work in Let Me In. Which is an incredibly well made remake that turns LTROI into a gut-wrenchingly intense yet beautiful love story. And it works to near perfection."

#4 The Town - "Ben Affleck is a great director. There, I said it. Yes, the guy that has been ridiculed through most of the 2000s for his highly publicized relationship with J.Lo from the Block and their putrid and horrendous film Gigli has surged as one of America's most interesting filmmakers. His The Town is a compulsively watchable heist film in the vein of Heat (though not THAT good) that is packed with superb performances (most notably Jeremy Renner who is incredible) and even Blake Lively impressed the hell out of me. See this movie. Now!"

#3 Black Swan - "Natalie Portman's performance is flat out the best female performance I've seen since Charlize Theron in Monster. She nails every nuance that makes Nina such a tragic figure with absolute flawless professionalism. Aronofsky playing puppet master is a genius. He makes this dark, twisted story of metaphor work because of sheer fearlessness and the gall to actually "go there" and not hold back. His vision combined with Portman's performance (along with castmates Barbara Hershey, comeback kid Winona Ryder, and surprise stand out Mila Kunis) make Black Swan one of the year's best films. I loved every second of it."

#2 Inception - "The term "mindf-ck" has just found another synonym. It's called an Inception. Christopher Nolan's aggressively original flawed masterpiece is one of the most daring big budgeted Hollywood films in history. Some of the things attempted and ultimately successfully pulled off here are staggering. Nolan leaves all the answers along the breadcrumb trail for the viewer but it requires multiple viewings to see the beautiful picture Nolan has painted. A great movie. Though loaded with exposition which hurts it a little as the film goes along but not before it becomes one of the year's best most accomplished works. Shame on the Academy for not nominating such fierce artistry for Best Director."

#1 The Social Network - "The year's absolute best film. A landmark. The script is flawless. A brilliantly written parable of social politics that tumbles along with wry wit and verocity through stunningly good volleys of dialogue that utterly becomes poetry off the lips of the talented cast. Aaron Sorkin has penned arguably the best screenplay of the decade here and his work is the real star of the movie. David Fincher smartly plays it straight not trying to complicate Sorkin's complex script with unnecessary visuals that would bog down the film. And his restraint proves to be one of the films highest qualities. A gem of a movie, an one that sheds light on one of the 2000s most interesting people. The guy who is ultimately and anti-social introvert being the mastermind behind pro-social, social networks that have taking the world by storm. The irony is palpable. And so is this brilliant film."

Honorable Mentions:
The Fighter, Winter's Bone, The Crazies, Biutiful, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Brooklyn's Finest.