I have no idea when I’m going to get around to seeing “True Grit”, so with what my friends tell me is a glaring exception, here’s my top ten movie list of the year. And I’m not kidding about my fondness for #10. Several of these films I saw on airplanes or on screeners rather than in theaters, and that does tend to impact the experience.
And I was bored by Inception. Sorry.
Share yours in the comments.
1. Black Swan
2. The King’s Speech
3. Blue Valentine
4. The Fighter
5. The Kids are Alright
6. The Social Network
7. The Ghostwriter
8. The Town
9. 127 Hours
10. Life as We Know It
Oh cool, you saw Blue Valentine too? Awesome. I wish it was getting more awards love, esp. Ryan and Michelle, with more emphasis on Ryan! I’ve already seen it twice. I adore this film. I sympathized with both and didn’t think neither one was at fault.
What did you think of it, Hugo?
1. The Social Network
2. Winter’s Bone
3. The Fighter
4. Black Swan
5. The King’s Speech
6. Inception
7. Somewhere
8. The Town
9. Toy Story 3
10. My Dog Tulip
Bonus: Kids Are All Right
Honorable Mentions: I Am Love, 127 Hours, All Good Things, Blue Valentine.
Damn, I forgot Kick-Ass. That movie was awesome. I’d put it at like #7 and bump everything below down a notch.
I’m all about Black and Blue: Black Swan and Blue Valentine. Ryan Gosling is the hottest thing alive.
I’d love your review of the latter. (Not Ryan Gosling, the movie!)
Hey how’d you get screeners? You ain’t in no SAG!
But so many of the people around me are…
Why do you have the Social Network at #6? I didn’t think of it as a particularly feminist film (especially towards women of color) and while it’s a well-made film, and it does try to point out that geeks are not immune to misogyny, it treats people of color rather poorly (not that that’s uncommon in Hollywood)
I don’t pick films based on politics alone, Jay. If that were true, I wouldn’t have a Roman Polanski film on the list at all! Sometimes something can be politically unsavory but beautifully done.
That’s why I’m the great-grandson of folks who died in the Holocaust, but I have no problem listening to Wagner. Art doesn’t have to be on point all the time; reactionary and beautiful are not mutually exclusive.
1. Inception
2. True Grit
3. The Town
4. Kick-Ass
5. 127 Hours
6. The Fighter
7. Edge of Darkness (Mel still kicks ass)
8. Iron Man 2
9. The Social Network
10. The King’s Speech
I don’t pick films based on politics alone, Jay. If that were true, I wouldn’t have a Roman Polanski film on the list at all! Sometimes something can be politically unsavory but beautifully done.
I’m not actually talking about personal politics (though that’s a nice discussion to get into sometime). I’m talking about the direct effect on actors of color of “whitifying” characters like Divya Narendra and Eduardo Saverin, and portraying the only Asian woman in the movie they way they did (as opposed to showing Zuckerberg’s real life fiancee).
Eduardo Saverin is white.