It’s that time of year again! Time for every film blogger on the internet to put out a top 10 list. We’ve whipped up a list of our own with some of our favorite movies of 2010 from comedy to drama, indie to big budget Hollywood productions. Some of these are Oscar-caliber and some are… well, some are definitely not, but we still loved ‘em and they’re all worth checking out. So here it is, Trashwire.com’s top 10 of 2010.
10. Shutter Island
Leonardo DiCaprio was holding it down this year with two really great psychological thrillers. Inception was such a hit that people might overlook Shutter Island, which saw DiCaprio reunite with Martin Scorsese. Both films took place within the character’s mind and both left a question mark at the end. DiCaprio brings such intensity to these complex roles that I hope he keeps playing similar characters forever.
9. Megamind
I know a lot of people are gonna go crazy that Toy Story 3 isn’t on this list (and it probably should be) but my favorite animated flick of the year was Megamind. Right from the gate, this looked like a good movie loaded with megastars and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Will Ferrell is ideally suited for animated work and the addition of Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, and Johan Hill practically guaranteed a hit. The Comic Con panel sealed the deal and made me fall in love with this movie.
8. Kick Ass!
Not only did Kick Ass feature Nicholas Cage’s funniest performance since Raising Arizona, but it also introduced us to Chloe Moretz, the outrageously talented young actress who played Hit Girl. Three Trashwire writers all agreed that this movie had humor, comic book action and unique style. It scores bonus points from me for also including Clark Duke.
7. The Expendables
No, I haven’t lost my mind and yes, I did list Sylvester Stallone’s explosion fest as one of my favorite movies of the year. The Expendables earned its place on the list by being my favorite bad movie of 2010. Not since The Room have I had so much fun watching a filmmaker’s vision go horrible wrong. If you missed it in theaters, pick up the Blu-ray, which includes a making of documentary, Stallone commentary track and Comic Con panel. I defy anyone to not laugh through the whole thing.
6. Inception
Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio, cool special effects and a surreal concept made Inception a huge hit in 2010. The movie boasted a talented cast and gorgeous cinematography to create a dream within a dream (within a dream, within a dream) world. And really, who could forget that spinning top at the end?
5. Get Him to the Greek
As we saw in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Russell Brand was born to play wild rocker Aldus Snow. The only real problem with Sarah Marshall was that there wasn’t enough of him. Greek scratched that itch by making Aldus the focus of an entire feature film. Sure, there’s some cliché drug scenes and a few broad jokes, but the comedic chemistry between Brand and Johan Hill can’t be denied. On top of that, this movie also had Sean “Diddy” Combs playing a record exec who taught Hill how to mind fuck people.
4. Machete
Machete was a gritty grind house film with a smart, politically charged message about immigration. Danny Trejo was the perfect hero for this day and age as he fought corrupt politicians and defended people who came to America seeking a better life. With Arizona going crazy about immigration and “Mexican” becoming a dirty word amongst certain groups in America, it was an absolute joy to see Robert Rodriguez bring us a movie with an empowering message for not only Mexicans, but for all minorities.
3. The Black Swan
Suspenseful, surreal and beautifully executed, Black Swan was perfect on very level. Natalie Portman descended into madness with such subtlety that people should just start throwing awards at her and Mila Kunis killed as the frienemy that pushed her over the edge. Strong performances, stunning visual magic and plot complexity made this one of the best films of the year.
2. Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Poor Scott Pilgrim doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Aside from being fun, it’s also visually amazing and witty. If you’ve grown up playing video games or reading comic books, you’ll love Michael Cera as the geek hero. The cast was filled with sharp actors who could pull off the snappy dialogue while balancing the stylized fight sequences for something that felt real and cartoonish at the same time.
1. The Social Network
…And on the subject of geek heroes, 2010 was the year of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. Aside from being named Time’s person of the year, Zuckerberg was also the subject of this superb film that looked at the birth of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg is phenomenal playing the less-than-likeable genius and the supporting cast helps expose the cutthroat story behind the social media giant. The film is intriguing for any of the 500 million people who use Facebook and also reflective of the group of twentysomethings who seek to create their own empires.
So there you have it, our top 10 of 2010. I’m sure a lot of you are going to disagree or be outraged that some of your favorites didn’t make the list, and I’d love to hear from you. Post a comment, tweet us or hit us up on Facebook to tell us your picks.
Great list, I haven’t seen Expendables, so I can’t argue, but your reasoning behind putting it on the top 10 was great! Loved the Social Network, but I disagree with it’s spot. There was some cool cinematography, and the only feature I’ve seen to feature tilt-shift photography. I think the hype made the movie bigger than what it was. I can’t believe I haven’t seen Megamind yet!