10. True Grit- Initially controversial as remaking The Duke seemed like a bad idea, but the Coens wanted to make a film more true to the source material than the John Wayne classic, and so they did. A critically well received film that scored many Oscar nominations and made a lot of money, True Grit is best known Jeff Bridges' performance, when you outshine John Wayne, you have done well. In addition you got one of the best performances of the year from newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and a great supporting performance from Matt Damon.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1- Not as high on this years list as part 2 was in 2011's, but still a great effort, and at the time, set the benchmark in the beloved series.
8. Black Swan- Talked about as much for the weirdness of Director Darren Afronsky as for anything, Black Swan was the weird film of the year, and had the word of mouth to prove it. Best Actress winner Natalie Portman was terrific, and you found out that Mila Kunis could really act.
7. Shutter Island- When you think of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, and Mark Ruffalo, you think of an Oscar film released in December, not a horror film released in March, but Shutter Island is a film that stays with you. It was twisty and turny but never cheap, and brought Oscar caliber work to a genre that really needed something more than another Paranormal Activity film. In addition you got an original score that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
6. Love and Other Drugs- Was done a disservice in its advertising more than any film of 2010. Billed in some previews as The Notebook, and in other previews as No Strings Attached, Love & Other Drugs is a film in its own. Two of today's most popular young stars (Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway) bare everything physically and emotionally in a film that is part romantic comedy, part hard drama, and part epic love story.
5. Winter's Bone- Ten years from now, we can say this is where Katniss Everdeen got her start. Jennifer Lawrence in her first major film, scored a Best Actress nod and locked down the iconic Hunger Games role. The film is a dark, great indie film, but the really amazing thing is how truly good Lawrence was.
4. The Town- Ben Affleck's second directorial outing, and his first where he both starred and acted, but amazing none the less. A terrific drama/suspense/action film with great performances from Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm. This is where Ben Affleck truly said, "I'm back".
3. The King's Speech- The Best Picture winner of the year, punctuated by great performances from Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, and Helena Bonham Carter. Might have been number two if the film wasn't re-released with some profanity cut out that really hurt the humor of the film.
2. Inception- Christopher Nolan's film about dreams within dreams, with great performances and a great score and great visual effects. A blockbuster sci-fi film that was also a Best Picture nominee, and a film that is loved my most who see it. The film is the non critic's film of 2010, and most critics liked it too.
1. The Social Network- David Fincher goes outside of his wheel house to make a movie that people originally thought was just about Facebook, but the film is so much more. The film is funny, moving, smart, and one of the best written films ever. The amazing thing is how despite being about Facebook, technology was left out of the film entirely, which means a decade from now, the film will be a great story of betrayal and will not feel outdated.
Honorable Mentions: Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, The Fighter, Kick-Ass, Easy A, Edge of Darkness, and Green Zone.
Next time we will tackle 2009.
-Maximus
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