I’m not writing this to bash films like Prince of Persia or The Nutcracker 3D – plenty of people can do that far better than I can. Rather, I only want to highlight a tiny semblance of a trend that I can only hope will continue in the future. Peppered throughout the year were a few films that dared to venture past the commonplace. Indeed, these were the films that pushed the creative envelope of 2010 and told inspired stories that hopefully, revealed something far beyond that which is found on a movie screen.
Honorable mention: The Fighter
Sports movies, by definition, tend to follow a specific formula. And often times, the quality of the film hinges on the predictability of the climax. In this respect, The Fighter elevates itself far beyond its peers. As the film entered its finale, I found myself eerily uninterested in the outcome of the final fight. Instead, the most appealing aspect of The Fighter rested in the close relationship between brothers Mickey (Wahlberg) and Dickey (Bale). Solidly cemented in place by Christian Bale’s bravado performance, the film highlights the brotherly bond to the point that it almost overshadows the sports elements. Now that’s a trade I’ll take any day.
#5: The King’s Speech
Films rarely find their voice as clearly or as confidently as The King’s Speech. Colin Firth leads the spectacular cast, including Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, and invites all of us into the debilitating doubts, worries, and fears that come with any journey towards self-growth. Surprisingly funny, arrestingly genuine, and thoroughly inspiring, The King’s Speech stands as one of the most complete films of the year that deserves to be more widely recognized as the brilliant standard for future films.
#4: The Kids Are All Right
In our current state of familial deterioration and marital decay, The Kids Are All Right shines a spotlight on all the cracks and patches of the modern family. Tethered by superb performances by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, the film skews the traditional nuclear family by focusing on Joni and Laser, the half-siblings from their lesbian mothers, as they near a crossroads in their lives. Scripted and played to a perfect pitch, the film never devolves into broad slapslick or cheap jokes. Rather, every laugh and every tear stem from true emotions, touching but never bawdy, jovial but poignant.
#3: Inception
Christopher Nolan continues to build on his brilliant, albeit still young, cinematic career. A follow-up to the billion-dollar grossing The Dark Knight might have been an intimidating task had Nolan not already been brewing this little dreamscape epic in his head for nearly 10 years. The result? A thoroughly engrossing and absolutely inspired journey through varying levels of dreams, places, spaces, and time. Inception was not only the marriage of labyrinthine storytelling and technological advancements at its absolute best, but also the ultimate proof that summer action blockbusters can have both brawn and brains.
#2: Black Swan
Black Swan is the kind of nightmare that you can’t help reliving long after you’ve woken up. It’s a roadside car wreck, tempting you to rubberneck at its grotesque yet irresistible appeal. It’s an intestinal worm, eating away at you when all you want is to forget about it. Unflinchingly crafted by Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) and cemented by Natalie Portman’s whirlwind performance, Black Swan dives past the façade of ballet and burrows itself deep into the artist’s subconscious to build a haunting portrayal of the joys, fears, and sacrifices of any creative process.
#1: The Social Network
Admittedly, when I first heard that Facebook would be made into a movie, my first thought was “really?” Almost immediately, I thought, “well why not?” For the current generation, it’s only natural that the greatest cultural phenomenon of this century would be made into a film. I will admit, I had my doubts. But I will also admit, The Social Network blew me away. Masterfully crafted by David Fincher (Fight Club, Curious Case of Benjamin Button), this film took everything that truly matters – ambition, loyalty, betrayal – to tell a story as timeless as it is poignant. At its core, this movie is not about Facebook. Rather, it mirrors the tumultuous pursuit of genuine human connections in our modern culture. And it just happens to involve a $50 billion dollar website.
