The 10 best films of 2010

Chris Halverson, Konformist Movie Critic

Hey film buffs - looking back at all the films that were released in 2010 these are what I think are the 10 best from 2010...

10) Shutter Island (Director: Martin Scorsese) It has gotten overlooked since it came out so early in the year, but this was still Scorsese at his Hitchcockian best with great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley.

9) The Social Network (Director: David Fincher) Not Fincher’s best film (that would still be Zodiac or Fight Club) and slightly overrated by critics who are calling it the film of a generation, but still a well made film that is deserving of praise. And kudos to Jesse Eisenberg for playing the asshole of all assholes and still making him a fascinating character.

8) Black Swan (Director: Darren Aronofsky) Yes, that film about the Bi-Polar/Bi-Sexual ballerina is a major head-trip. But no one can deny it’s topnotch filmmaking. Only Darren Aronofsky can blend together genres (melodrama/thriller/horror/musical/softcore porn) so effortlessly.

7) The Kings Speech (Director: Tom Hooper) The true story of King George VI snuck up me. Gracefully executed and brilliant acting all around.

6) The Fighter (Director: David O. Russell) Hollywood has made a lot of classic boxing films in the past. Surprising it took almost a decade for Mark Wahlberg to get this film about “Irish” Mickey Ward and his crazy brother Dickey made. The wait was well worth it for director David O. Russell and Christian Bale to come on board. A film that is sure to join those great boxing films of Hollywood’s past.

5) Blue Valentine (Director: Derek Cianfrance) A gritty but beautiful film about the beginning and ending of a relationship with Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling giving two of the best performances of the year. This is low budget; independent filmmaking at it’s very best.

4) Inception (Director: Christopher Nolan) Everything about Inception is completely original and brilliant. Name another film that has as many layers going as Inception does. The Academy CANNOT snub Christopher Nolan of a best Direction nomination again. He has to get a nomination.

3) The Town (Director: Ben Affleck) Ben Affleck is the comeback story of the year. A very tight film all around. The chase sequence of the crew getting back into Charlestown and involving the Charlestown Bridge is as good as any chase scene put on film and the final “heist” of a certain Boston landmark just may be the ultimate “heist” that has ever been put on film. This is proof that as he ages, Ben Affleck could have a similar career pattern to Clint Eastwood.

2) Toy Story 3 (Director: Lee Unkrich) Pixar has made yet another gem and has also done something that hasn’t been done since The Shawshank Redemption. A film that, in the end, can bring a grown man to tears.

1) True Grit (Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen) The Coen brothers have pulled of something that has never been pulled off before. Remaking a classic film that is every bit as good and in many ways better then the original. Roger Deakins cinematography is absolutely stunning, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are perfect, and Jeff Bridges gives another iconic performance. But the two standouts are the criminally underrated Berry Pepper and the young Hailee Steinfeld who gives a star making performance. This is proof that the great American Western still has plenty of life left on the big screen.