Top 10 Movies of 2010

2010 was a weird year for movies. Looking back at the post below which includes all of the movies I saw that were released this past year, there were a lot of disappointments. The Expendables wasn't the amazing movie it should have been. Get Him to the Greek was okay, but there wasn't a really good comedy like previous years that would have made it on to my Top 10 list. Even things that should have been surefire hits like Iron Man 2 weren't what they could have been. I don't know if it's a fair claim that movies are worse than they used to be, but it's accurate to say I saw a lot of average to below average movies this year.

That's not to say that there weren't some amazing ones though. Below are my Top 10 favorite movies of 2010.

10. TRON: LEGACY

I was really excited to see TRON: Legacy. I'm one of the few people I know that has actually seen and enjoyed the original TRON, also starring Jeff Bridges from 1982 (yes, way before I was born). The original was really ahead of its time when it came out in terms of technology and I was expecting the same from this sequel 28 years later. While I admit perhaps the story was not exactly what it could have been, I thought TRON: Legacy contained some of the most incredible CGI and visual effects I've ever seen. From the light cycle races to the disc fights, visually this movie was outstanding. Usually the fact that a movie is in 3D is a deterrent for me, but the 3D here is awesome. If you're looking to just have some mindless fun and have your mind blown away by some incredible visuals, this movie is for you. Plus, Jeff Bridges is awesome and Daft Punk's score for this is even more awesome!

9. SHUTTER ISLAND

I don't really understand why February's Shutter Island is being forgotten about now during awards season. Sure, the end was a little predictable, but that doesn't take away from the incredible cinematography and direction by Robert Richardson and Martin Scorsese. The acting is really good too- everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, and Jackie Earle Haley are all at their best. So why no love for Shutter Island? Everyone loves a good detective mystery movie, and although I guessed the ending to Shutter Island well before the characters did, there were certain parts of the movie where I was completely clueless as to what was going to happen. I'm guessing the February release date has something to do with it, but I'm hoping Oscar voters remember this cool thriller.

8. BLACK SWAN

When I first watched Black Swan, I had no idea what to think of it. There were parts of this movie that made me feel really anxious and disturbed and just downright uncomfortable. I chose the above picture because I thought Winona Ryder in particular had a scene that was unexpectedly gruesome. But when you take a step back, you realize that most of these emotions are what director Darren Aronofsky intended for the viewer to feel and in that sense he succeeded. This movie is about a young dancer's descent into madness as the pressure of being a top ballerina for an important show finally gets to her and you're really taken on that journey with her. This movie caught me completely off guard from what I thought it was going to be like, and part of me is still digesting what I saw. What I do know is Natalie Portman gives THE best female performance of the year and I strongly feel that had anyone else been cast in the role, the movie would not have been as good.

7. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

I'm really sick of Michael Cera. He's the same character in every movie and after Youth in Revolt earlier last year, I had just about enough of him. So when I heard about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, based on the hit graphic novel series, I wasn't too excited. Little did I know that this movie would end up being one of the most fun movies of the year, despite it starring Michael Cera AND Jason Schwartzman (who I find equally annoying). With both video game and comic book influences, the visuals behind Scott Pilgrim are incredible. This movie is the first ever live-action video game and it works really well. It uses such video game staples such as enemies turning into coins when dying and the main character picking up extra lives to beat the bad guy to perfection. I highly recommend this movie- it's a lot of fun!

6. EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

I love a good documentary and Exit Through the Gift Shop was the best one this past year. It begins as a documentary about the underground world of street art and a filmmaker's quest to seek out infamous street artist Banksy. When the two finally meet, Banksy decides to take over the filmmaking and the previous director, John Thierry, turns to a life of street art. The most interesting part of this documentary is the question of its authenticity. Banksy is such a mysterious character (he never reveals his identity), that both himself and this movie have brought about a lot of questions. Are John Thierry and Banksy the same person? Was this entire documentary staged? There are so many possibilities of what's really going on in Exit Through the Gift Shop that it only adds to the incredible story. Whether it was fully staged, slightly staged, or completely legitimate, it doesn't take away from an entertaining viewing.

5. TOY STORY 3

Who would have guessed that fifteen years after the original Toy Story came out, the third and final entry in the series would be just as good as the original? Toy Story 3 is very funny, especially with the new additions of Jodi Benson and Michael Keaton playing Barbie and Ken. But Toy Story 3 wasn't all laughs, addressing such serious themes as moving on and even death. Looking at a lot of the mindless garbage geared towards kids today, it really makes you appreciate movies like Toy Story that have heart. I also think that Toy Story 3 definitely deserves its probable Oscar nomination for Best Picture and although it won't win, I think it has even more of a chance than Wall-E did.

4. TRUE GRIT

Anytime a Coen Brothers movie comes out, I have high expectations. They are, after all, the same guys who created The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, Fargo, and No Country for Old Men. Add in Jeff Bridges in a role that was originated by John Wayne, as well as Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, and Josh Brolin and you have a surefire winner on your hands and that proved to be true. What I loved the most about True Grit was the fact that everything seemed really authentic. From background actors who seemed legitimately from the time period to the way the principal actors spoke and acted, True Grit transported you to that time in the west. I thought Jeff Bridges was incredible and the little girl, Hailee Steinfeld, definitely deserves an Oscar nomination. Combining the right amount of action and dialogue, the Coen Brothers proved that they could succeed in the Western genre just as well as they succeed in other ones.

3. THE FIGHTER

I was really surprised how much I liked The Fighter. There are tons of movies about boxing out there, especially boxing movies based on a true story. But The Fighter proved to be different by focusing more on the boxer himself and the different events going on in his life while he was fighting for the championship. I think The Fighter succeeded by not making a movie about a boxer who has problems in his life, but about a guy who has problems in his life who is a boxer. Instead of focusing the entire movie in the ring, which we've seen a million times before, the writers and director David O. Russell instead focused and depended on some incredible performances. And there is some incredible acting in The Fighter. Christian Bale and Melissa Leo provide two of the best supporting performances of the year and I hope they both win Oscars. Christian Bale in particular is AMAZING as Mark Wahlberg's character's drug addict brother, who is so loyal to his brother that he's ignorant to the fact that his drug addiction is actually hurting the family.

2. INCEPTION

I think it's too early to call Christopher Nolan one of the greatest directors of all time because he only has six movies under his belt. But with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and now Inception all among my favorite movies of all time, Christopher Nolan is undoubtedly going to be in consideration soon. All three of those movies were groundbreaking because they were incredible action movies but they didn't sacrifice good performances for good action. By casting award winning actors in his action and comic book movies, Christopher Nolan has brought both genres to new heights. Inception was no exception. It boasts an incredible cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and Ellen Page, among others. But the greatest thing about Inception was its amazing action and special effects. The scene pictured above was one of the coolest things I've ever seen! The premise and complexity of Inception were all so amazing that it easily could've been my favorite movie of the year if it weren't for...

1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

I want everyone to remember back nearly a year ago when the first trailer for The Social Network was released. "A movie about Facebook- that's gonna suck!" was the general response the movie got among my friends, despite me trying to tell them that I thought it was going to be really good. With the incredible team of Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher, how could it not have been? Before seeing The Social Network, I had no idea what the backstory of Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg was. Who knew that he was such a snake who would screw his own friend out of millions of dollars? Using that story that is incredibly appealing to my generation in particular, The Social Network was really entertaining. Sorkin's quick-paced dialogue kept things interesting and just the fact that Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield could keep up with it is a testament to how awesome they were in this movie. Yes, even Justin Timberlake proved he deserved to be in the best movie of the year. It's actually hard to pinpoint what my favorite thing about The Social Network was, but just by watching it you get the feeling that you're watching a modern day masterpiece. It just gives off that aura. I would love to see more Sorkin-Fincher collaborations in the future as I think they make an awesome team. As for The Social Network, I believe it deserves to win Best Picture of the Year and looking at all the awards its received so far, I'm sure it will do so.

So there's my Top 10 favorite movies of 2010? Comment below if you agree or disagree about my picks! What were your Top 10 favorite movies of the year?

Will 2011 be a better year for movies than 2010 was? I'll be back in a few days with a look at some of my most anticipated movies of 2011.

-Jared