It's that time of year again. The time when, basking in all my nerdiness, I compile my Top 10 movies of the previous year. My list is complete and ready to go. But, before I unveil it, I thought I'd take a minute and recognize a few of the movies that fell just short of making the cut. I'm doing this for two reasons: 1) it seemed like there were several movies I thought for sure would be on my list that ended up getting left off and 2) I've made a New Year's Resolution to blog three times a week, so I need to stretch these things out into multiple posts.
All in all, 2010 was a pretty good year for movies. There weren't many "great" movies released over the course of the year, but there were a number of very good ones. I'm going to list eight movies that could have made my final list, but for one reason or another -- usually just my gut feeling -- I couldn't fit them in. And, yes, I'm well aware just how nerdy this whole enterprise in.
We'll start by recognizing two documentaries. There were a number of acclaimed documentaries out this year. Sadly, I didn't see many of them, but I did see a few. These two were excellent.
Waiting for Superman
A measured and deliberate dissection of our nation's education system and indictment of those who put their own agendas ahead of the needs of America's children (mostly the teacher's unions). If this exact same movie had been made a conservative filmmaker, it wouldn't have gotten any attention whatsoever. The fact that it was made by a notorious liberal (David Guggenheim, director of An Inconvenient Truth) gave it a ton of mainstream credibility among the intelligentsia and, hopefully, that will allow it to be an impetus for reform.
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
So...yeah...if you're not a big fan of Rush, you probably won't care about this movie. But, as a long-time fan of the band, I was giddy with anticipation to see this movie. I even trekked to an out-of-the-way theater in horrible traffic to catch a special screening. It's a must for fans of the band and for anyone who at any point has wished they were a musician (I'm both, I guess).
The next three Honorable Mentions are movies that everyone seemed to like, but, for one reason or another, have fallen off the radar as months have gone by.
Get Low
A happy little movie that also goes to some dark places. It stars Robert Duvall as an old-timey hermit who wants to throw a funeral for himself while he's still alive and Bill Murray as the undertaker who's all to willing to take his money. The film kinda finds itself going in random directions and its never apparent that they're going to fit together in a coherent way. But, in the end, everything is tied up nicely and you're relishing the fact that you've witnessed another effortlessly great performance by Duvall.
Never Let Me Go
Though I was pretty lazy this year when it came to movie reviews, I did write a review of this one. You can read it here.
Cyrus
When you watch the trailer to this movie, there doesn't appear to be anything original about it. But, this isn't just a generic comedy about misfits in awkward situations. Instead, the movie generates laughs by making you sincerely care about and like each of characters, even if they're weird. Movies like this tend to mock their main characters. In this film, you can tell the filmmakers genuinely liked each character and the result is a surprisingly heartwarming and enjoyable film.
My last three honorable mentions are movies that have been overrated a bit. Each of them is likely to get a Best Picture nomination come Oscar time, though, back in the days when only five movies were nominated, I think they'd all be afterthoughts. Don't get me wrong, these are very good movies, they're just not in the same league with some of the others.
The Fighter
I hate to say it, but this is probably the most overrated movie of the year. It features some great performances -- Christian Bale will deserve Best Supporting Actor if he ends up winning. But, in the end, there just wasn't enough to separate this movie from other great boxing movies of the past, and the fact that we've seen so many of those movies leaves The Fighter feeling just a little generic in the end. Still, it's a very well-made film and I enjoyed it a lot.
The Kids are Alright
I know there are still people who want to make a big deal about mainstream movies featuring gay leading characters. There's also constantly talk about how courageous the actors who star in these movies are. I think it's mostly B.S. because I don't think there's a strong contingent of people who won't accept gay characters any more, thanks in large part to movies like this one where the issue isn't played for messaging or pontificating. The Kids are Alright treats its characters and their problems as if they're normal -- which they are -- and never once feels like it has a political or cultural agenda. Also, Annette Bening gives a fantastic performance.
The Town
It killed me a little to leave this one out of the Top 10. I really did love this movie. To be honest, I think the problem was that I saw it a second time and noticed more of its flaws. Don't get me wrong, this is a fantastic film and it shows that Ben Affleck has a bright future as a director...and an actor. But, in the end, some weak points in the script and some oddly boring action sequences kept The Town out of the running. Still, it has one of the best casts of the year and features some of the best scenes of any movie in recent years. If you could win an Oscar for a single scene (and some have, I guess), Chris Cooper deserves one for his all-too-short appearance in this movie. And, by the way, Jeremy Renner is going to be one of the biggest movie stars on the planet...book it.
There you have it. My Top 10 list should be ready by tomorrow.
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