Best movies of 2010...

I don't want to get caught up in the usual end of year "list mania." There are a couple of reasons for that. First, I can't remember anymore which year something I saw or read was released. And second, there are so many books and movies worth watching that didn't come out in the past year. Currently, I'm reading True Grit, which came out in the 1960s, even though the newest movie version of it came out last week, and would qualify for inclusion in this list. To add insult to injury, the edition I'm reading was published in 2010, so technically it's a 2010 book. Sort of. Kind of.

When it comes to comics, so much of what I'm reading--and really, really enjoying--is strip reprints from bygone eras: Dick Tracy, Prince Valiant, Mary Perkins On Stage, The Heart of Juliet Jones ('30s, '30s, '60s, '50s, respectively). I just finished reading The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 1, which reprints comics from 2003-2007, even though it, too, was published in 2010.

Confused? Me, too...my brain hurts.

So with that in mind, I'm still going to pick my (and I stress that word) Best Movies of 2010, mainly because they're easy to figure out when it comes to release dates. I may also tackle comics in the next few days, but don't hold your breath. I am ostensibly on "holiday break," even though I'm working for a few hours each and every day, just to stay ahead.

1. Easy A. I sooo loved this movie, and if you don't you're a soulless bastard. If you don't fall in love with Emma Stone in the first 10 minutes of this film--especially when she gets the singing birthday card from her grandma and proceeds to hate/love/kill it--turn it off. I love teen comedies and it's nice to see someone can still make a funny, thoughtful, provocative one, unlike the puerile and raunchy crap--Superbad (yes, with Emma Stone), anyone?--that has appeared in the past few years. Okay, they had to turn to Nathaniel Hawthorne and dust off that hoary old book The Scarlet Letter for help, but hey...you can never go wrong with the classics (unless you're Demi Moore). This is so smart, so enjoyable, that I defy you to find a better comedy this past year. And even if you do, I will ignore your choice and chastise you and force you to wear a scarlet letter emblazoned on your bosom to mark your bad, bad taste.

2. The Social Network. Who knew a movie about Facebook could be this enjoyable, thought-provoking, and suspenseful? Not me. But it is all those things, plus filled with great performances.

3. RED. Retired, Extremely Dangerous. This adaptation of the WildStorm graphic novel by Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner is the best action flick of the year in my book.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Okay, it bombed at the box office, but this is the most original movie I've seen in years. From the very opening scene of a video game tricked-out Universal logo to the very end, it's fun, fast-moving, and just plain wonderful. And yes, I would have fallen for Ramona Flowers, too.

5. Inception. Okay, it's trippy, to say the least, and I have to watch it again on DVD just to make sure I even remotely understand it, but this film--along with The Social Network--made me hopeful that Hollywood is turning a very small corner and once again interested in making movies that are mature, thought-provoking, and just damn good adventure stories. At this point, Christopher Nolan could probably decide to do a 7-hour big screen version of Little House on the Prairie and I'd go see it.

6. Toy Story 3. Everyone told me I'd cry, and 9/10 of the way through it, I found out why. It's definitely Pixar's all-time best movie (so far), even though The Incredibles will always be my favorite. I especially found it interesting how far Pixar has come in animating people. The kids in the very first Toy Story were horrible looking creatures, and the little girl--Bonnie--at the end of Toy Story 3 is absolutely sublime, and yes, she and Andy will make you cry.

7. Despicable Me. As warm and comfortable as the characters of Toy Story are to us now, they seem almost quaint compared to Gru, Margo, Edith, Agnes, Dr. Nefario and Vector. This is one of the most imaginative, warm, and touching animated films I've seen since, oh...Toy Story 3, but it's also a pleasant surprise all its own in its originality and storytelling. If Toy Story 3 hadn't come out in the same year, this would have been the best animated film of the year.

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Oh, those Swedes. When they're not writing books about anti-social computer hackers with a heart of gold and the men who abuse them, they're adapting them to film. While this was released a while ago in Europe and its native country of Switzerland, all three adaptations of the Stieg Larsson books found their way to the US in 2010. While the first one is definitely the best (same deal with the books, pretty much), the other two continue the title character's story in very faithful adaptations. And oh, that Noomi Rapace. Yow. Rooney Mara has some big Doc Martens to fill as America's version of Lisbeth Salander.

Comments

[Laurel]

We just rented Inception and found it confusing but thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. We have it for 10 days. Must be some kind of special thing. But we'll watch it again because we can. Maybe I'll get something different out of it the second time or understand it better? Who knows. We watched Toy Story 3 recently. I love that movie and all Pixar movies. I want to see Despicable Me next. I love the trailers. Keep the lists coming.