top 12 films of 2010.
picspammy challenge 25: end of the year lists.
I decided to do my end of the year picspam on my top twelve films (was going to be ten but I just couldn't choose) along with commentary on them. Now that I'm studying film in college, the medium has become that much more important to me and I've been getting better at seeing a wider range of films as well as preparing myself more and more each Oscar season.
• The twelve films here are only 2010 films (or at least late 2009). For films that shot up to be favourites that I saw this year but were not released this year, see these: The Pianist, Moon, The Constant Gardener, In Bruges, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen
• Honourable Mentions 2010 Films: The Social Network, Iron Man 2, Up in the Air, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
• Films in order of when I saw them, from earliest to most recent (aka last night).
title; A Single Man
director; Tom Ford
date released; 11 December 2009
personal oscar hopes; N/A
favourite performance(s); Colin Firth
why this film; I was gunning for Colin Firth for Best Actor for this role and I've resolved myself to him not winning but it was such a beautiful film, so tastefully done and so poignant. It was told with such subtly and beauty and was one of the most touching and visually stunning films I've ever seen.
title; Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
director; Chris Columbus
date released; 12 February 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); THE WHOLE FREAKING CAST. Especially the young ones and Kevin McKidd. Honestly, this is one of my favourites and I think everyone is just about perfect, especially the trio + Luke.
why this film; I know fans are torn on the film but I, for one, love it. I have an unhealthy love for this series and I adore the film, partly because of the fantastic cast but really, despite the changes (which some made sense as the studios had to make this a stand-alone film that could be expanded into a franchise because they didn't know how much money it'd make), the film still very much held the spirit of the books for me. Unlike most of the other films on this list, it doesn't have the same prestige, but I love it and have so much fun and so it deserved a spot here.
title; Toy Story 3
director; Lee Unkrich
date released; 18 June 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Animated Feature, nomination for Best Picture
favourite performance(s); Tom Hanks
why this film; Besides the fact that I grew up with this franchise and I'm the same age as Andy because I was getting ready for my first year of college as well which meant I sobbed several times throughout the film, it was also one of Pixar's most flawless films. Perfectly hilarious with beautiful animation and the adventure and heart that we've come to expect from these toys we've grown up with.
title; Inception
director; Christopher Nolan
date released; 16 July 2010
personal oscar hopes; Technical awards, nominations for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Score
favourite performance(s); Cillian Murphy
why this film; This was my film obsession of the year and I spent quite of bit of my summer over at eames_arthur and I love this film to absolute pieces. I'm a complete and utter fangirl and champion for Chris Nolan and this is by far one of my favourite films of his to date. He spent ten years on this and it all paid off. The originality, the visuals, the BRRRRRMMMs, all so amazing. It made me wish dream sharing was real and made me think and was such a fantastic time at the threatre.
title; Nowhere Boy
director; Sam Taylor-Wood
date released; 8 October 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); Aaron Johnson, Paul Sangster, Anne-Marie Duff, Kristin Scott Thomas
why this film; As a pretty big Beatles fan, I know this film doesn't come close to getting history accurate but I've been pretty good with suspension of belief and enjoying a film for what it is rather than nitpick the historical inaccuracies (see: Becoming Jane). I loved this film and again it has to do with the fabulous cast (Thomas Sangster, when did you grow up?! ♥) and began my crush on Aaron Johnson and once the drama started happening halfway through the film, it was fantastic. It was a well made film and I enjoyed it quite a bit and that's good enough for me.
title; 127 Hours
director; Danny Boyle
date released; 12 November 2010
personal oscar hopes; Nominations for Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Score, Best Cinematography
favourite performance(s); James Franco
why this film; This was pretty flawless in my eyes and while the categories it'll probably be nominated for has other films that I want to win more, I do hope this film continues getting the praise it deserves. It was that film that I sat through the entire credits just dumbfounded and blown away. In my mind, it made me feel very small and made me really think and appreciate the connections and bonds between each and it was a very impacting film.
title; Tangled
director; Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
date released; 24 November 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Song (I See The Light), Nomination for Best Animated Feature
favourite performance(s); Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore
why this film; I'm a Disny geek. Anything Disney and I am in absolute love. I grew up on it and Walt Disney's my hero and it's my whole life. I was so excited for this film and it didn't disappoint. True, it didn't have the same lasting score of songs that say, films from the 90s have, but it was such an amazing film. The animation was gorgeous (though I wish I hadn't seen it in 3D) and the love story between Flynn and Rapunzel is one of my favourites by far. It's one of those fairytales that just tugs on your heart and lets you leave feeling all warm and fuzzy inside and that's really all I can ask for from Disney (besides making them continue making fairytales, of course). I love, love this film.
title; Black Swan
director; Darren Aronofsky
date released; 3 December 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Actress, Nomination for Best Picture, Best Costume, Best Cinematography
favourite performance(s); Vincent Cassel, Natalie Portman
why this film; Now, I have some fundamental issues with this film that I don't think I'll ever resolve myself to but the more time that passes from when I saw it, the more I appreciate it. It really was a virtually flawless film in terms of acting and directing and technical aspects, etc etc but there are some discomforting and disconnected things in the plot that do leave me feeling unresolved but I can't help. I do want Natalie Portman to win Best Actress because this has been her best performance by far but really, it was Vincent Cassel who I latched on to. He gave the character of Thomas a little something extra and I thought he was absolutely riveting.
title; Kick-Ass
director; Matthew Vaughn
date released; 16 April 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); Aaron Johnson
why this film; I had been wanting to see this film since it was released and when I finally got to see it, I wasn't disappointed. There were some aspects I wasn't the big fan of (some of the violence felt unnecessary and tbh, I wasn't a huge fan of Hit Girl, I just felt really sad for her) but it was a fun, inventive movie and again my crush on Aaron Johnson roars again because he was the standout for me. He made such a fantastic lead and for being a fabulous British man, he pulled off the dorky, endearing American better than I've seen anyone do it and he was the one to steal my heart.
title; The King's Speech
director; Tom Hooper
date released; 10 December 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Actor, Nomination for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Score
favourite performance(s); Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth
why this film; Ohhh this film. If Colin Firth doesn't win Best Actor, I will throw something at my TV and I think Geoffrey Rush completely deserves Best Supporting Actor too (even though Christian Bale's getting all the attention). This film was beautiful because it was subtle and about such a famous time in history and still it presented something new and not often seen with WWII films involving the British. It was humorous and inspiring and touching and was very audience-relatable without having to be dumbed down so I am definitely a fan.
title; Easy A
director; Will Gluck
date released; 17 September 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); Stanley Tucci, Emma Stone
why this film; I'm a sucker for good teen movies, what can I say, and this was one of the best. I don't think I'm quite in love with it as other people but it was one of the most enjoyable films of the year. Emma Stone was fantastic and flawless and I can't wait to see more from her but it was really Stanley Tucci who stole the scenes for me. He was hilarious and his timing was impeccable, oh this man. The film was witty and full of pop culture references and what can I say, I also adore Amanda Bynes. Still wishing Logan Lerman had gotten the role of Brandon as he auditioned for it, even though the actor who did get it was fantastic too.
title; True Grit
director; Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
date released; 22 December 2010
personal oscar hopes; Nomination for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor/Actress
favourite performance(s); Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
why this film; So this is the most recent film I saw and I saw it late, late last night. The more good westerns I see, the more I realize I really love a really well made western movie. As with any Coen film, this film was a fun romp and adventure and I'm very upset this film got disqualified for Best Score because it has such a beautiful score. Still, it was a fantastic film. A little anti-climactic at the end but the acting was flawless (we didn't see Josh Brolin for very long but I actually really liked his performance, especially when we first meet him) and the pacing of the film was excellent.
To those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays to everyone! :D
I decided to do my end of the year picspam on my top twelve films (was going to be ten but I just couldn't choose) along with commentary on them. Now that I'm studying film in college, the medium has become that much more important to me and I've been getting better at seeing a wider range of films as well as preparing myself more and more each Oscar season.
• The twelve films here are only 2010 films (or at least late 2009). For films that shot up to be favourites that I saw this year but were not released this year, see these: The Pianist, Moon, The Constant Gardener, In Bruges, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen
• Honourable Mentions 2010 Films: The Social Network, Iron Man 2, Up in the Air, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
• Films in order of when I saw them, from earliest to most recent (aka last night).
title; A Single Man
director; Tom Ford
date released; 11 December 2009
personal oscar hopes; N/A
favourite performance(s); Colin Firth
why this film; I was gunning for Colin Firth for Best Actor for this role and I've resolved myself to him not winning but it was such a beautiful film, so tastefully done and so poignant. It was told with such subtly and beauty and was one of the most touching and visually stunning films I've ever seen.
title; Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
director; Chris Columbus
date released; 12 February 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); THE WHOLE FREAKING CAST. Especially the young ones and Kevin McKidd. Honestly, this is one of my favourites and I think everyone is just about perfect, especially the trio + Luke.
why this film; I know fans are torn on the film but I, for one, love it. I have an unhealthy love for this series and I adore the film, partly because of the fantastic cast but really, despite the changes (which some made sense as the studios had to make this a stand-alone film that could be expanded into a franchise because they didn't know how much money it'd make), the film still very much held the spirit of the books for me. Unlike most of the other films on this list, it doesn't have the same prestige, but I love it and have so much fun and so it deserved a spot here.
title; Toy Story 3
director; Lee Unkrich
date released; 18 June 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Animated Feature, nomination for Best Picture
favourite performance(s); Tom Hanks
why this film; Besides the fact that I grew up with this franchise and I'm the same age as Andy because I was getting ready for my first year of college as well which meant I sobbed several times throughout the film, it was also one of Pixar's most flawless films. Perfectly hilarious with beautiful animation and the adventure and heart that we've come to expect from these toys we've grown up with.
title; Inception
director; Christopher Nolan
date released; 16 July 2010
personal oscar hopes; Technical awards, nominations for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Score
favourite performance(s); Cillian Murphy
why this film; This was my film obsession of the year and I spent quite of bit of my summer over at eames_arthur and I love this film to absolute pieces. I'm a complete and utter fangirl and champion for Chris Nolan and this is by far one of my favourite films of his to date. He spent ten years on this and it all paid off. The originality, the visuals, the BRRRRRMMMs, all so amazing. It made me wish dream sharing was real and made me think and was such a fantastic time at the threatre.
title; Nowhere Boy
director; Sam Taylor-Wood
date released; 8 October 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); Aaron Johnson, Paul Sangster, Anne-Marie Duff, Kristin Scott Thomas
why this film; As a pretty big Beatles fan, I know this film doesn't come close to getting history accurate but I've been pretty good with suspension of belief and enjoying a film for what it is rather than nitpick the historical inaccuracies (see: Becoming Jane). I loved this film and again it has to do with the fabulous cast (Thomas Sangster, when did you grow up?! ♥) and began my crush on Aaron Johnson and once the drama started happening halfway through the film, it was fantastic. It was a well made film and I enjoyed it quite a bit and that's good enough for me.
title; 127 Hours
director; Danny Boyle
date released; 12 November 2010
personal oscar hopes; Nominations for Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Score, Best Cinematography
favourite performance(s); James Franco
why this film; This was pretty flawless in my eyes and while the categories it'll probably be nominated for has other films that I want to win more, I do hope this film continues getting the praise it deserves. It was that film that I sat through the entire credits just dumbfounded and blown away. In my mind, it made me feel very small and made me really think and appreciate the connections and bonds between each and it was a very impacting film.
title; Tangled
director; Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
date released; 24 November 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Song (I See The Light), Nomination for Best Animated Feature
favourite performance(s); Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore
why this film; I'm a Disny geek. Anything Disney and I am in absolute love. I grew up on it and Walt Disney's my hero and it's my whole life. I was so excited for this film and it didn't disappoint. True, it didn't have the same lasting score of songs that say, films from the 90s have, but it was such an amazing film. The animation was gorgeous (though I wish I hadn't seen it in 3D) and the love story between Flynn and Rapunzel is one of my favourites by far. It's one of those fairytales that just tugs on your heart and lets you leave feeling all warm and fuzzy inside and that's really all I can ask for from Disney (besides making them continue making fairytales, of course). I love, love this film.
title; Black Swan
director; Darren Aronofsky
date released; 3 December 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Actress, Nomination for Best Picture, Best Costume, Best Cinematography
favourite performance(s); Vincent Cassel, Natalie Portman
why this film; Now, I have some fundamental issues with this film that I don't think I'll ever resolve myself to but the more time that passes from when I saw it, the more I appreciate it. It really was a virtually flawless film in terms of acting and directing and technical aspects, etc etc but there are some discomforting and disconnected things in the plot that do leave me feeling unresolved but I can't help. I do want Natalie Portman to win Best Actress because this has been her best performance by far but really, it was Vincent Cassel who I latched on to. He gave the character of Thomas a little something extra and I thought he was absolutely riveting.
title; Kick-Ass
director; Matthew Vaughn
date released; 16 April 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); Aaron Johnson
why this film; I had been wanting to see this film since it was released and when I finally got to see it, I wasn't disappointed. There were some aspects I wasn't the big fan of (some of the violence felt unnecessary and tbh, I wasn't a huge fan of Hit Girl, I just felt really sad for her) but it was a fun, inventive movie and again my crush on Aaron Johnson roars again because he was the standout for me. He made such a fantastic lead and for being a fabulous British man, he pulled off the dorky, endearing American better than I've seen anyone do it and he was the one to steal my heart.
title; The King's Speech
director; Tom Hooper
date released; 10 December 2010
personal oscar hopes; Best Actor, Nomination for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Score
favourite performance(s); Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth
why this film; Ohhh this film. If Colin Firth doesn't win Best Actor, I will throw something at my TV and I think Geoffrey Rush completely deserves Best Supporting Actor too (even though Christian Bale's getting all the attention). This film was beautiful because it was subtle and about such a famous time in history and still it presented something new and not often seen with WWII films involving the British. It was humorous and inspiring and touching and was very audience-relatable without having to be dumbed down so I am definitely a fan.
title; Easy A
director; Will Gluck
date released; 17 September 2010
personal oscar hopes; None
favourite performance(s); Stanley Tucci, Emma Stone
why this film; I'm a sucker for good teen movies, what can I say, and this was one of the best. I don't think I'm quite in love with it as other people but it was one of the most enjoyable films of the year. Emma Stone was fantastic and flawless and I can't wait to see more from her but it was really Stanley Tucci who stole the scenes for me. He was hilarious and his timing was impeccable, oh this man. The film was witty and full of pop culture references and what can I say, I also adore Amanda Bynes. Still wishing Logan Lerman had gotten the role of Brandon as he auditioned for it, even though the actor who did get it was fantastic too.
title; True Grit
director; Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
date released; 22 December 2010
personal oscar hopes; Nomination for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor/Actress
favourite performance(s); Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
why this film; So this is the most recent film I saw and I saw it late, late last night. The more good westerns I see, the more I realize I really love a really well made western movie. As with any Coen film, this film was a fun romp and adventure and I'm very upset this film got disqualified for Best Score because it has such a beautiful score. Still, it was a fantastic film. A little anti-climactic at the end but the acting was flawless (we didn't see Josh Brolin for very long but I actually really liked his performance, especially when we first meet him) and the pacing of the film was excellent.
To those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays to everyone! :D