Best Films of the Year pt. 2

Hello again, now for the second part of the top 10 of 2010. I have to say, once I got down to the top 5 it was really tough, this was a strong list. Needless to say, all these films were strong for their own reasons and in the end, 2010 proved to be a great year for films. So, with that in mind, my picks for 2010 are:

Another Honorable Mention:

The Ghost Writer: Ewan Mcregor and Pierce Brosnan give their best performances yet in this well crafted political thriller by the masterful Roman Polanski (the genius behind the Pianist). This was yet another one that just barely missed my list, but I would recommend any day, truly a great film

7. The Town

Ben Affleck has shown that while he might be hit or miss as an actor, as a director, he is a master. Here he crafts a strong film based on crimes and robberies going on in Charleston located in Boston. Jeremy Renner, hot off a rather deserved Oscar nomination for Hurt Locker, will probably be looking at another nomination for this film, he is utterly fantastic. The cast, as a whole, bring the film’s caliber up a notch, they are all spectacular. This is quite a strong film, and has definitely helped shape Boston into its own form of movie genre after other great films such as Mystic River and the Departed. The Town delivers on such a level as such films, it’s really great.

6. Toy Story 3

Pixar gave us quite the gem with “Up” last year and I felt that it was the best Pixar has given us since Toy Story. Well, here they’ve done the unthinkable (at least to me); they were able to one-up themselves again with yet another masterpiece. Toy Story 3 not only brings back characters we know and love, but also give us a story that is not only strong, but really speaks true for those of us who have been with Toy Story from the very beginning (I was 6 when it first came out). Now, with the story focusing on what happens when their owner goes to college, Pixar creates a story of nostalgia, comedy, and the utmost sensitivity (The last 10 minutes or so are quite the tear-jerker). Toy Story 3 is fantastic on all levels and, I’ll say it again, one of Pixar’s best.

5. Winter’s Bone

Jennifer Lawrence gives an oscar-caliber performance and the cast is uniformly strong behind her, particularly that of Dale Dickey and John Hawkes. The Cinematography is very bleak and utterly beautiful, as is everything going on, which is frightening to the point where you can’t watch. You really feel the pain of Lawrence’s character as well as the raw intensity of the film as a whole. Filmed on a budget of just 2 million, set in the Ozarks, Winter’s Bone is quite an achievement and a very strong, powerful film.

Part 3 coming soon...