my year in movies 2010

I'm not sure whether the movies this year have been better, or whether my scoring system is just leaning towards the high side, because the top two movies were both 5/5, and three through nine were all 4/5.


Building on last year's inaugural "My Year In Movies" (I sense that this is going to turn into a regular thing) these are my top ten movies for 2010 (complete with links to the original reviews):

1. How To Train Your Dragon

HTTYD is not a new story (boy who doesn't fit in meets someone from outside his world, finds his place, hijinks ensue), but it's told with a hell of a lot of skill and love and humour.

2. Scott Pilgrim vs The World

It's bouncy, it's funny, it's sweet, it's hyper and it's very definitely entertaining...

3. Easy A

What it is though is a smart, funny, clever, well written, beautifully acted piece of cinema that never has to stoop to using "cringe humour" that is so often a staple of the "teen comedy" genre.

4. Toy Story 3

All in all, while it's not going to rank high enough to be my Favourite Pixar Movie Ever, and it is, as I've previously said, quite dark and maybe a little intense for some kids, it was an enjoyable movie.

5. A Single Man

Lyrical, quiet, sad, hopeful, still and beautiful.

6. Up in the Air

Actually, that's a good description for the movie... low-key... it's not big or flashy or overblown, I mean even the movie poster doesn't trade on George's face (and is actually taken from a scene in the movie... well, two thirds of it anyway). But there's some excellent writing there, some genuinely funny moments and some excellent storytelling.

7. I Love You Phillip Morris

But there isn't that much to say... it's sweet, it's funny and some distribution company should really get off their ass and give it a wider release.

8. Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass is violent and vulgar and cheesy and over the top and realistic and excessive and pitch-perfect.

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)

I guess I was also slightly surprised at how sad the movie felt as a whole (which I suppose makes sense... there really isn't a lot of light and humour in the book either from what I can remember) and how incredibly tender parts of it are.

10. Me and Orson Welles

In essence, that's where the love story is... Efron's character is seduced into this strange and intense world of theatre by Welles and it's that storyline that has more depth and interest to it than the supposed love story.

Honourable Mentions: Just missing out on the top 10 were Let Me In and Inception

Dishonourable Mention: I know it hit a lot of critics "Top 10" lists, but my pick for worst movie (that I saw... there were a LOT of really awful movies I didn't go and see) goes to Fantastic Mr Fox... it just fell flat for me.

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