Gearing up for awards season, I've seen quite a few films in recent weeks. It's funny -- I absolutely HATE the behavior of fellow movie goers, yet find watching features on DVD to be a major bummer. So I endure the constant barrage of talkers, texters and iPaders all in the name of an old-fashioned "night at the show." It's not exactly in order, but here are my Top 10 films for 2010, along with some honorable mentions and a few I'd recommend steering clear of. Tell me what you think.
"The Social Network": Relentlessly entertaining from beginning to end. Deserves the Oscar for best picture. Oscar for director/co-writer Derek Cianfrance.
"Blue Valentine": Brilliant. The most painfully real film about relationships since "Ordinary People."
"The Fighter": Compelling true-life story and wonderful performances. Melissa Leo deserves the Oscar for best supporting actress. Best supporting actor Oscar for Christian Bale (even though I'm beginning to think he's not actually acting).
"The King's Speech": A subtle film that almost makes speech impediments tolerable. Best actor Oscar for Colin Firth, please.
"Greenberg": The latest from "love him or hate him" writer/director Noah Baumbach -- Jennifer Jason Leigh, his co-author on this one, apparently opted for the latter, filing for divorce after the film came out -- was a wonderful character study in wonderfully awkward characters.
"Catfish": Even if you've had the "twist" of this film spoiled, it's still a fascinating look at what constitutes a relationship in the 21st century.
"Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work": Love her or hate her, watching what makes the legendary comic tick was cinematic magic.
"The Kids Are All Right": You know a film is really good when someone like me goes into it determined not to like it and comes out thoroughly entertained. For the love of god, let this be Annette Bening's year for the best actress Oscar. She richly deserves it.
"Prodigal Sons": When the part where the high school quarterback returns to his 20-year reunion as a blond bombshell is the most ordinary thing to happen in a documentary, you know you're in for a real treat. Stunning.
"Client 9": Having worked as an editor at the New York Times News Service through this scandal, I found this rear-view-mirror look at the unraveling of a politician to be endlessly fascinating, and equally disturbing.
Honorable mentions
"Smash His Camera":A giddy look at the life of legendary paparazzo Ron Galella, whose reign as celebrities' Public Enemy No. 1 seems quaint and loving by today's standards.
Exit Through the Gift Shop: "You almost have to see it to believe it."
When You're Strange: "Does a great job of showing how much the band accomplished in just 54 months together."
"127 Hours": Not really my "kind" of film, but James Franco "definitely deserves an Oscar nomination."
"Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child": A rare glimpse at the artist whose flame burned out too quickly.
"The Runaways": Flawed but entertaining look at the jailbait girl band.
"8: The Mormon Proposition": How about making this mandatory viewing in schools around the nation?
"You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger": Not a Woody classic, but pleasantly surprising.
"The Town": Not as good as they said -- too many cliches -- but Ben Affleck shows promise as a director.
"Violet Tendencies": Um, hello!
Dishonorable mention:
"Black Swan"
"I Love You Phillips Morris"
"Love and Other Drugs" (you know it's bad when Jake Gyllenhaal is buck-naked and you're looking at your watch)
"Hot Tub Time Machine"
"Sex and the City 2" (at least the press tour was fun)
Dishonorable mention:
3 comments:
While I want to go with "The Kids Are All Right" ... Lisa Cholodenko won me over for life for Laurel Canyon and High Art ... I gotta say Blue Valentine.
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, wow.
Re, rude movie-goers:
Only once have I gone further than a "sssh" and a nasty look, but one time a guy a few seats over was intent on having a running commentary about the film, loud and rude.
About 10 minutes into the film, this guy wasn't slowing down, completely ignoring the people near him who were asking him to be quiet.
So, I got up, went to the lobby, bought a wash-tub size of fake buttered popcorn and one of those disgustingly gigantic soft drinks, made sure the drink lid was loose, and then, while 'accidentally' stumbling over his date's feet, I also 'accidentally' spilled the drink in his lap as I made my way back to my seat.
Moral of the story: You may have to endure a 10 second tirade ( I just kept whispering, in my most sincere voice ... "I'm so so sorry"), BUT Loud Mouths with cold wet pants don't stay to watch the movie, so you get to enjoy the rest of the movie in peace and quiet.
As for the sticky seat? My attitude was the theater management should have booted the guy 5 minutes into the film, and besides ... accidents happen.
(and yes, I know I'm lucky I didn't get punched in the face)
Black Swan only gets an honorable mention??? I loved that movie, Natalie Portman was nuts!
I agree with you on The Town. It was good, much better than I expected. I'm hoping Social Network is good, I'm bored and want to go buy the DVD.
Dan: Actually I mentioned "Black Swan" as a "dishonorable" mention! I thought it was really predictable and painfully derivative.
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