This year I totally went with my gut. While I’m willing to acknowledge the quality boasted by many of this year’s releases, including the ones in my list, I have to give respect to the ones that generated an emotional response over anything else. Perhaps that makes me more of a fan than a critic – but we’re all fans first, and the geek in my can’t fight it.
5. Kick-Ass – Matthew Vaughn
I remember being so super excited for this movie, and it was partly because Matthew Vaughn was directing it and partly because it was based on some more underground source material. What I wound up with was a film that lived up to the hype and went even farther, delivering incredible action set-pieces, over the top performances and emotionally charged scenes like the one above that never fails to get me a little misty eyed. It introduced me to some new actors (Chloe Moretz is on an official “watch list” for the next 10 years) and gave me a refresher course on why I liked some familiar ones. Not bad for an independent film the studios didn’t want to take a chance on. Bring on the sequel!
4. Toy Story 3 – Lee Unkrich
The popularity and power of the first Toy Story film was odd enough, but that Pixar went on to make a sequel to it was even more extraordinary. The crowning achievement of the series however is the third installment that ties everything together and gives us all closure on a saga we hadn’t understood the impact of until it was over. The Toy Story films were a rare breed that managed to simultaneously borrow from and contribute to popular culture as they unfolded. I remember thinking to myself how it might be neat if the toys from the films actually became popular toys in real life, and now my daughter’s Woody, Jesse and Buzz dolls are her favourite playthings. That I’m actually happy about that kind of merchandising is a miracle all on its own. Equally miraculous is that I don’t even think of this as a Tom Hanks film because of how completely developed Woody’s character is that doesn’t need to be associated with the voice at all. Toy Story 3 hit all the right emotional notes and managed to present an adventure set against the anti-epic scale of a daycare and junkyard. It might have been a little bit too much for the young ones, but really this was for the kids who grew up watching these films from the beginning.
3. Inception – Christopher Nolan
It might have been a philosophy I’ve had for years and never articulated, but Inception affirmed my belief that for a film to be great, it has to do at least one thing better than any other film, or put familiar elements together in a way nobody’s ever tried before. Christopher Nolan’s Inception has the rare distinction of doing both, making great use of dream folklore for purposes other than nightmares on Elm St. staging zero-G Kung Fu fights for reasons other than being stuck in the Matrix. You could tell we had something special here when you heard the collective groan/gasp at the very end of the film – everyone was hanging on the last scene, completely engaged. It’s been a great decade for Christopher Nolan, and Inception is the feather in his cap.
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Niels Arden Oplev
I’ve heard the arguments before, but according to the distribution release schedule, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo wasn’t released in North America until 2010 – and if it’s not available here it might as well not even exist, right? Am I right? Anyway, this is one of the few “perfect” films I’ve had the good fortune of watching, with everything that makes up a great movie balanced in perfect harmony. It’s contribution to popular culture is impressive considering its origins, and I can’t wait to see what Noomi Rapace will have to offer Western audiences when she appears in Sherlock Holmes 2. I can only hope that David Fincher does this film justice when he adapts it for American audiences in 2011.
1. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – Edgar Wright
No film I saw this year was as original, as daring and as entertaining as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Edgar Wright has proven himself a master of bending genres to his will, and by combining several different elements that have all but been worn into the ground, he managed to create something entirely new. If I might paraphrase one of the movie’s producers, whereas a musical is a film traditionally where the players spontaneously break into song as if nothing ever happened, what we have in Scott Pilgrim is a fight-sical where outstanding Wuxia-style martial arts take place as naturally as someone might tie their shoelaces. Scott Pilgrim also spoke to me on a personal level as a former Torontonian, former band groupie, former music snob and recovering video game addict – so many influences mingling to command my attention there was no way I could resist. What’s best of all, Scott Pilgrim returned the love I showed it by offering up a blu-ray loaded with all kinds of special features to keep the joy alive.
Great list. We more or less agree on the movies in our top fives, but not the order. http://celluloidzombie.com/2010/12/17/celluloid-zombies-ten-best-movies-of-2010/
My 14-year-old son was not impressed that I only put Scott Pilgrim at No.6, and I’ve wondered since if it should have been a little higher. He’ll be chuffed that you put it first.
Cheers Richard!
In the end I just let my gut guide me and came up with my reasons afterwards. It kind of went against my philosophy in that it was a lot more personally motivated than i like to be, but a strong case can still be made for all of these.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you, too!
5. Kick-Ass: I agree that Chloe Moretz stole the spotlight in this film. So far, I’ve only seen her in Kick-Ass and Let Me In. Despite her young age, she’s so convincing when she either looks like a sane person or – how to say it – a threatening one.
4. Toy Story 3: I have yet to see it.
3. Inception: The great thing about this film is that even though the story was as predictable as Hollywood studios like it, Nolan succeeded, throughout the story, to make me believe that anything could happen at the end.
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo: I didn’t see the three films (or should I say the miniseries). Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the first two books. To me, these books were like Durham County heavily on drugs and booze.
1. Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World: I didn’t see it. When I saw the trailer, the film didn’t really whet my appetite. The trailer gave me the feeling that the film is a succession of predictable fight scenes. Nonetheless, I’ll give it a chance, because many people around me liked it.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year AK!
I’ve gotta say I’m a little distressed at the number of the elite moviegoers I know who missed out on Scott Pilgrim. Maybe it wasn’t advertised properly. I am happy that you’re at least open to getting around to seeing it – it’s great on blu-ray BTW.
Very much like your Durham County reference! There is certainly an element of modern gothic in there with the presence of death and decay lurking around just about every corner.
The geek in you spoke! I enjoyed Kick Ass but it was an honorable mention for me. I haven’t seen Scott Pilgrim yet but I’m about to receive it from Netflix next week… too late for my top 10 though ah! Nice top 5 Steve
I told myself I was going to let my feelings guide my choices rather than trying to let my “critical mind” sort out who merited to be on top. Seems to me like my feelings are a big fat nerd! Try to take Scott Pilgrim in as unpretentious a way as you can, unlike our esteemed colleague Sarah.
Well, I’m impressed that you narrowed a list down to 5. My Top Ten will be a month late, as usual. In the number one spot will be Black Swan. Dragon Tattoo and Inception will be there too, maybe even Toy Story.
Scott Pilgrim will be on my list…of most over-rated films of the year. So contrived, so annoyingly self-conscious and starring the least charismatic cast I’ve seen in a long while. Totally inauthentic dialogue muttered ineffectually by a bunch of bored looking pasty nerds, jazzed up with a few “Kapows” written across the screen. This is innovative? Fresh? Please. I know you are a gamer, a music fan, and a Canadian, as I am, so I’m surprised that this movie didn’t bug the shit out of you like it did me. None of the references felt real. It filled me with the same sadness I feel when I see a huge stack of Joy Division t-shirts at Urban Outfitters, being sold to people trying to buy some coolness, rather than coming by it honestly.
Scott Pilgrim packaged “cool” in the same phony way. And everybody’s buying.
Michael Cera fans just blindly adore anything their chinless Messiah stars in, and I’m sick of it. The Sarah’s Cera boycott is on. Until the Arrested Development movie.
PS you should read this article:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/12/ff_angrynerd_geekculture/
Well, I’m at least glad that you agree with me about Dragon Tattoo being a 2010 movie.
As for you thoughts on Scott Pilgrim, I think you might be taking a different tack than I am on it’s value and contribution to moviemaking. While I might agree that it is a rehash of a number of familiar and perhaps worn out elements, it’s the entirely new creation that those elements have wrought that has me totally impressed. This an example of something great that post-modernism is still capable of accomplishing. Hipsters use old crap to try to evoke some kind of classic cool best left forgotten, creating nothing new – Wright’s efforts in this film continue to build a new cinematic shorthand that directors will be referring to in the years to come.
As for Michael Cera – I think this film was great despite his presence, with a large portion of his hatred staying away and failing to contribute to the box office returns that would aid in fostering this kind of bold alternative filmmaking.
Looking forward to your list Sarah!
Just finished that Oswalt article (man, I hate that guy)… He says all that like it’s a bad thing. That there has been this great culture that was shunned by the world and is now out there for everyone to enjoy is something to be lauded. It also presumes that there isn’t a whole new subculture out there that only the new breed of nerds know about. Art and culture aren’t static entities, they are constantly changing, growing and evolving and occasionally they enter a baroque period just before going belly up for a while. I think we’re right on the edge of that with shows like Chuck and Big Bang Theory pulling in big numbers on the pictocube – and my advice to everyone would be to enjoy the ride.
Hi Steve! I’m with you about Inception & TS3, but haven’t seen Tattoo and Pilgrim yet. Man, I LOVE Spanish Buzz! Just that scene alone is worth the price of admission!
I enjoyed Kick-Ass but the amount of violence kinda put me off, but I like Aaron Johnson & Chloe Moretz’s performance that they’re on my Breakout Performances list. I might check out Pilgrim despite Cera because the supporting cast looks pretty cool, and I generally like Wright’s movies.
If you are a fan of Wright’s movies, it’s a safe bet that you’ll enjoy Scott Pilgrim – it really befits where his talents as a filmmaker lie. Cera will surprize you, I think. He’s a little less neurotic and actually manages a little bit of emotional depth for once. I hope it’s a sign of good things to come from him.
What set Kick-Ass apart as a comic book was its propensity for violence, so I can understand if it’s not to your taste. What made it universal was the great performances from its young actors – and for some of the great Toronto locales they shot it in. I really think you should make time for Dragon Tattoo – it gets pretty violent at times, graphically so, but is otherwise a magnificent film.
I like the idea of a top 5 — coming up with 10 films has been a hassle. Especially since I’m still trying to play catch-up with some and find the limited-release ones (which usually involves driving 30+ miles).
“Inception” is a good choice, and “Toy Story 3″ definitely will factor in my list somewhere — what a killer finale for a great trilogy. And Noomi Rapace might even make Lisbeth Salander more intriguing than she was in the books — if that’s possible.
Yeah, we set the effort bar pretty low around here. It’s the only way to make sure things get done on schedule. You should talk with Brian about catching up on movies, he’s holding off on his top 5 of the year until he sees everything, which I don’t think should count. If you haven’t seen it that year, it can’t have been too great – barring any geographical challenges, of course.
Even thought Lisbeth’s background is explored in more detail in Played With Fire, I still think I like her best in Dragon Tattoo. So mysterious and so cool. A classic character that not enough people know about… yet.
I have not seen Girl with the Dragon Tattoo yet but you are right on the money with your other choices. I am glad to see Kick Ass on the list as most people avoided that one because of the violence etc. And Scott Pilgrim was so well done! (even with Michael Cera).
Mr. Smith, I highly recommend you set aside some time and get your hands on a copy of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – it really is in a class of it’s own as far as craftsmanship and originality.
I must be completely desensitized, because neither the violence, nor the language in Kick-Ass fazed me at all. If anything, it was the free flow of profanity and violence that impressed me the most, that Vaughn was able to tell the story in the most unfettered way possible.
Cera could have been Scott Pilgrim’s greatest liability, but I think he turned his own “Michael Cera-ness” down and let the movie take shape around him – I really had no flashes of George Michael Bluth at any point during the film. It’s not a good sign though when his best performance is the one where he’s least like himself.