My Top 10 movies of 2010!

As the year winds down, it's time to look back and check back at the movies that made 2010 great.  It should be noted that while this is a top ten list, there are many good movies of 2010 as yet unreleased here in India and therefore I did not get to see them.  So, therefore, this is a list of the top ten movies I saw in 2010.  This is in no random order but I am kind of rating it in order of preference so here goes.  And I'm sure you can guess my all-too-predictable number one film.

1) INCEPTION: How much do I love this movie? Let me count the ways.  This movie has all the requirements that make it great in my book: tortured characters with plenty of angst, a screenplay that delivers, stunning visuals, stellar cast of actors, soundtrack that complements the film and a director whose imagination brings it all together.  And, oh yeah, let's not forget about that ending.  It's the ending that cinches it all for me.  You had me at spinning top!  My vote for best film of the year.

2) THE SOCIAL NETWORK: Another good film that is on the top of every critic's list.  How is it that movie about Facebook become so popular? How could it not? The "origin" story of how the one of the world's most popular social networking sites may not be all factual but it sure is entertaining.  Led by Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg and a young cast that includes Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Rooney Mara, the film contains some of the best dialogues of the year and is fascinating from start to finish.  Come Oscar night, this is going to be a contender for sure.

The rest of my list under the cut...

More Awards News Pours In

• The very British Film, The King's Speech, wins big prizes for Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush at the British Independent Film Awards.  BAFTAs, here they come.
• The Ghost Writer sweeps the awards at the European Film Academy Awards! I had almost forgotten this film existed for awards season.  Oops!
• Winter's Bone wins Best Film at the Torino Film Festival and Jennifer Lawrence too gets recognized as Best Actress.

National Board of Review Picks the 2010's Best

Best Film
The Social Network

Ten Best Films (in alphabetical order)
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King's Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Rest of the winners under the cut

Movie Review: Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone is this year's most critically reviewed independent film and hails Jennifer Lawrence, the film's young star as one of the actors to watch for.  And it's easy to see why.  Jennifer's performance holds the whole film together and one has to watch her face closely as the emotions threaten to take over.

Lawrence plays Ree Dolly, a 17 year-old with lots of responsibility bearing down on her.  She has to take care of a sick mother and younger siblings as well run the house and the land.  The Dollys live out in the Missouri Ozarks where the land is as bleak as their lives.  One day, the sheriff turns up at their house letting Ree know that her father has jumped bail and can't be found. Well, says Ree, she'll find him.  Therein begins Ree's journey and as yet another problem starts looming over her.  Her father has put up their house and land against the bail money and if he doesn't show up at the next court date, Ree and her family will have no place to call home.  Her desperate struggle to find out where father is takes her across all kinds of associates of her dad's and up against some scary family members.  Her uncle Teardrop eventually comes around to offer some kind of support but in the end, it's always Ree who has to take care of things.  

Debra Granik has directed a very straightforward film with a very strong heroine at the helm.  It's her sheer will that forces her to survive and to make sure her family doesn't split up.  Jennifer Lawrence has given a fine performance and the real reason why you can't look away for the story unfolding on the screen.  Some of the scenes are quite dark in nature and a lot of for a 17-year-old to handle but Jennifer as Ree takes it all unflinchingly because she got nowhere else to go.  This is a very good, well-directed film that deserves all the accolades it's getting.  

Directed by Debra Granik; Screenplay by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini (Based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell); Music by Dickon Hinchliffe; Cinematography by Michael McDonough; Editing by Affonso Goncalves

Also in the cast: John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Shelley Waggener; Lauren Sweetser

Rating: