Best of 2010

The best...well not so much the best is subjective...my favorite films of 2010. I'm not going to go into a long rehashing of all of these since I've written them up already. The films in no particular order:

Into Eternity- A must see meditation on the nature of nuclear waste and forever. (this is getting a release in a couple of weeks)

Keep Surfing- One of the best sports documentaries you will ever see on a sport you never heard of.

Rough For Theater 2-Samuel Beckett done wonderfully

Endgame- Beckett that is more than a play

Bodyguards and Assassins-A kick ass action film that breaks your heart and makes you feel.

Secret of Kells-One of the best animated films you'll ever see. A moving work of art.

In The Attic-One of the most fun animated films you'll ever see. Why isn't this available to everyone?

Girl with The Dragon Tattoo- A great thriller. Why are they even bothering to remake this? The sin is that Noomi Rapace seems to have fallen out of favor for an acting Oscar. It's the best female performance I've seen in 2010.

Alice in Wonderland- Tim Burton's rethink/sequel is pure magic

Road,Movie- I watched this four times in four days.

Possession- A terrifying mediation on belief with real scares. Now to find a copy on DVD that I can share.

Tsar-more mediation's on what does God want and the dangers of dictatorial rule.

Island- Beautiful companion piece to Tsar.

King Kong on the Big Screen-Seeing something again for the first time and getting kicked to the curb

Memories of MatsukoProfoundly moving film that can't get a US release because its so damn sad.

Live Tape-One of the best concert films ever made.

Little Pond- Devastating look at the insanity of war is probably the best film I saw all year, but I never want to see it again.

The A-Team- Great mindless summer action

Stake Land- One of the best horror films of the last 20 years or more. A game changer

Reign of the Assassins-Wonderful blending of action romance and soap opera. And Michelle Yeoh is a goddess.

Little Big Soldier-There is no US release planned for Jackie Chan's best film ever. It so good he should get an Oscar for his performance. A masterpiece.

Blood and Rain-I have been haunted by this film since I saw, probably more than any other on this list. Way better than I first thought, its a film that needs to be seen my more people because it has to mess up more people.

The Red Riding Trilogy-The hunt for a serial killer over a decade. I haven't reviewed this here, but I will.

Aftershock-The aftermath of an earthquake kicked me to the curb.

Gallants-The best bunch of characters I met all year. This needs a US release.

Machete- A perfect recreation of grindhouse fare.

And the pieces---

Michael Douglas is great in Solitary Man, in a performance that deserves an Oscar not pity.

Filippo Timi is beyond words in Vincere

Edgar Ramirez gives one of the best performances of the year in Carlos, but it will be completely passed over by the Oscars because this started as a TV movie.

I loved the end of Johnny You're Wanted.

Some of the shots in Crimson Wing reduced me to tears.



But that's not all here are some of the the almost great discoveries of the year:

Marooned- A great Chinese film about a cop trying to help his cousin and it all going wrong.

Book of Eli

Survival of the Dead or George Romero makes a great film once more.

20th Century Boys complete. Three films telling one mammoth story over almost 8 hours. Its a wonderful glorious mess that will move you, stimulate you and rock your world. (A review of this is coming soon)

Tian An Men- decorating the Tian An Men gates. A small scale little film that defines what this web site is all about.

Development Hell- the decades long attempt to make Bodyguards and Assassins. Its a wonderful making of that equals that film its about (and its a film that the Producers of Bodyguards wants never to be seen)

Mutant Girls Squad Sushi Typhoon film that came out of the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival when three directors got drunk and vowed to work together. Its an un PC gore version of X-Men and a total blast.

Megamind-A great superhero movie, a wonderful companion piece to Iron Giant

Sophie's RevengeThe best romantic Comedy Hollywood never made.

The 8000 Miles films are joyous Japanese rap films about doing what you love.

Scandal Makers- A wonderful joyous film that Hollywood is going to ruin when they remake it.

Summer Wars- This just missed going on the best of the year. What a way to start the NYICFF with a often perfect examination of life in both the real and cyber worlds. As much as I love the film I've been too close to it with multiple visits to the theater to see it and extolling it way too much for my own good.

Tron Legacy- A late in the day addition- This is SOOOOO much better than the reviews have made it out to be. I think this film will get a better reputation when the film is seen on TV when the layers of the story will be revealed to be much better than the spectacle that overwhelms it.

Worst Films of 2010 (also the disappointments)

The first of two year end posts concerning the best, the worst and the neat finds of the year. I'm starting off with the worst films because at the end of the year one wants to get the trash out early.

Actually I'm starting with the disappointments. A few films that simply were not all I hoped they would be or should be.

Lovely Bones-Peter Jackson miss the mark. Yes, it looks good but what did he see in the book that resulted in this misfire?

Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus-Terry Gilliam's most personal film has some stunning visual moments and wonderful sequences but it never hangs together.

Mai Mai Miracle- great looking animated film was so bland that when the film went out of frame at the NYICFF screening I attended, no one said anything for a good long time.

Metropia-An interesting look is all this film has. Mostly its a film that confuses silence and darkness for mystery and tries to makes us frightened of shampoo.

Confessions- Jaw droppingly nasty tale of revenge is a potential Oscar nominee. Its a slick confection that rocked some in the audience at the NYAFF, while others like me found all we could do was admire it. (The disappointment for me is that it just misses being on the best films of the year list)

Toy Story 3- Its not that good. I'll explain in about three weeks.

Inception-If you've been reading you know my thoughts on this one.

The Tempest-Julie Taymor and Shakespeare-it should have been a lock as to quality, instead it was laughably bad and an embarrassment. It stays off the worst of the year list because the acting is good enough that it isn't a total failure.

And now the Worst Films I saw in 2010:

Paranormal Entity- attempt to cash in on the success of Paranormal Activity. It's one of those films that does wrong everything the film it's aping did right. Worst of all it's just plain stupid.

Sands of Oblivion-Is is a joke or serious? Who cares it's awful.

Circle of 8- Really bad web serial makes a worse feature film when you can see all the stupidity in one place. The weird multiple reality attempt never amounts to much and taken all at once is revealed to be even stupider then it was in installments.

2022 Tsunami-Preachy Thai disaster film has poor effects and worse acting. However they are far out paced by a script that is among the worst I've ever seen.

Look @ Me-Terrible film about a webcam girl being kidnapped and tortured.

Himalaya Singh- Ka-Fai Wai's wildly unfocused film about the nature of reality is a poor comedy that ultimately is one long shaggy dog story.(and a not very funny one)

Buried Land- The worst film I've seen at a film festival. A terrible film. Responsible for my new guiding principle:If you think the film will get better if someone walks into the mine field, no one will ever do so. In other words if you think a bad movie will get better if a certain something will happen, it never will, so just go home.

Zaat-Rightly on IMDB's worst films of all time list. Its a terrible man in a monster suit film.

Annyong Yamika- Too long examination of the life of a porn actress. Why was this two hours?

Storm Warriors- Great visual effects sunk by an awful script. One of the worst sequel/remake/comic adaptions you'll ever see.