2010 Year In Review: My Movie List

14 movies.
That's how many films that I saw in the theaters in 2010, starting on Feb. 13th with the remake of The Wolfman and ending on Christmas Day with the True Grit remake.
So out of those films, which was the best, the worst, and the surprising? Here's my two cents about it.

Now, before I begin, let me preface things with my criteria on the movie list: my picks are based solely on the films I saw at the theatres. Not on DVD or TV. And, I only saw 14 films, not many of the soon-to-be Oscar contenders or independent films that may have played someplace else.

With that said, here we go:

MY TOP 5 FILMS (in reverse order:)

5. True Grit -- A remake of the classic Western, with Jeff Bridges doing a good job taking on the Duke's role as Rooster Cogburn. The Coen brothers made it darker, interesting and a lot more unique than the original, which is fine by me.
4. The Town -- Now, first off, I'm not a Ben Affleck fan. I find most of his movies disappointing and flat out boring, especially when he plays, well Ben Affleck. But when he doesn't, as is the case in this heist film, he is not bad at all. I liked the chase scenes and the climatic shootout. Mad props to the supporting cast as well, including Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, and Blake Lively who each had standout scenes. And Affleck makes for a good director too, especially using his home area of Boston as a key part of the movie, not just as a background.
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World -- This movie had me from the minute I saw the huge ass billboard that draped across the hotel at Comic Con. A movie that used every bit of its 80s video game references along with biting humor and flat out funny moments. Michael Cera really knocked it out of the park in the title role and Edgar Wright's unique direction that used visuals straight out of the video games and comic book styling (which is where the movie is based on) definitely hit home for me.
2. The Social Network -- This was very very close deciding if this was my top flick of the year. But it finished a strong second. What can I say about this film based on how the Facebook site came to be and the drama behind it? I'd say it was witty, biting, hilarious, touching and unique. Two of the best film performances I've seen this year go to Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield in this movie. Eisenburg, as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg was hands down perfect in the part, where you cared for him in one minute and just flat out hated him the next. The rest of the cast, including Justin Timberlake as neurotic Napster founder Sean Parker and Armie Hammer playing dual roles as the WinkleVoss twins, was great as well. The script from Aaron Sorkin was great and David Fincher's direction definitely captured the feel and tone of seeing this cultural revolution (which I'm a card-carrying member) come together. Plus, I love Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score.

1. Inception -- This was really close between this and The Social Network for my pick for best of the year, but this had the edge. It's the third film I've seen from director Christopher Nolan to earn the top spot (after Batman Begins and its sequel The Dark Knight). What made it my top pick? First of all, this film had so many genres going on (sci-fi, fantasy, crime caper, human drama, bits of humor as well) and yet it all fit perfectly. Next, the cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, etc.) was top notch, with each of them bringing their A-game. Heck even Michael Caine did a good job and his role was brief. Then, there was the effects which defined mind blowing. from the chase scenes in several locales, methods and directions to the city landscape flipping upside down and all over the place. The storyline, which was hard to grasp at first, soon started to make sense and evolve as it played out. The score was haunting and jam packed. And finally there was the last scene, the very last scene, which leaves people talking and torn over what's real or not. Nolan captured it all. And to do all of that, in something that hadn't been done storywise and visually, and to keep the audience interested the whole time, is what makes this film my pick for the best picture that I've seen in 2010.

HONORABLE MENTION -- Just missed the top 5 list: Shutter Island, Green Zone.

MOST DISAPPOINTING FILM -- In a rare feat, I can't honestly say that I saw something that was the worst film I've seen last year. But if I had to pick a film that was a letdown, I'd go with Iron Man 2 as my choice. Now I had high hopes for this sequel, the original was in my top 5 a couple years ago. But with the exception of a few good moments, this film didn't have the wow factor as compared to the original. In fact, I always see a sequel as something that should build on from the first film and improve on it. Again, that didn't happen. Robert Downey, Jr. was good in this, but the others, especially Mickey Rourke as the bad guy Whiplash, just did not impress me. So was this the worst film? No. But it was a major disappointment.

DARK-HORSE FILM -- Now this choice goes to the film or films that was a surprise to me, something that blew me away after coming in with low expectations for it. This year's pick is Kick-Ass. I like comic book films, but going in, I didn't honestly know what to expect from this adaptation of the comic book series. But after seeing it, I was blown away. Funny, a bit gory, great visuals and a very smart script, I liked it a lot.  The fight scenes towards the end was very well done too. I hope they make a sequel to this one.

Well that's my picks. I'd love to hear your top 5 films. What was the worst or most disappointing flick you saw last year? And what was your dark horse? Reply back here with your choices. Thanks!