With the Academy Awards less than the month away (as of two days ago!), I figure I should make a list of my top 10 favourites, even if they aren't nominated for anything (dammit, all of them should be!). Hollywood is a fickle creature, and while I don't agree with everything they do insofar as awards shows, there's no doubt in my mind that this was a very good year for film. Of course, we always have duds, every year does, but this year, for some reason, seems to stick out in my mind as quite good, cinematically.
And so it begins.
Honourable mention goes to: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the Social Network (it was a good movie, just not Golden Globe Best Picture good), and Easy A.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - David Yates
I'm by no stretch of the imagination a huge Harry Potter fan. I grew up reading the books, and I did like them a lot, but I never felt a huge connection for any of the characters. And I think of the books as a completely separate series, because more of ten than not, they don't always follow the books. At all. However, I was very impressed with Yates' most recent addition to the septrilogy (octrilogy?). The main reason? The animated bit explaining the creation and mythology around the Three Hallows. It takes a lot of skill to incorporate a sequence like that into a live-action film. It was beautiful.
9. Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese
This movie freaked me the hell out. As a lover of psychological thrillers, I adore having my mind messed with (think along the vein of Psycho or Silence of the Lambs, even the Shining). This movie did that exceptionally well. It sort of creeps along, all dark corners and doesn't give the audience a whole lot of dramatic irony. I think that's the real highlight of the thing. We're nearly as blind as DiCaprio's character Teddy is. And finally, an intelligent psycho-thriller, too. I heard from a lot of people that it was okay, but that's probably because everyone's so used to blood and guts everywhere, thinking is just unheard of in the horror industry. Glad to see Marty keeps the tradition alive. It's Scorsese at his freest, and jeez, but it's frightening.
8. TRON: Legacy - Joseph Kosinski
I raved about this movie for months before the release. In case you didn't notice it on here. And to be honest, I knew from nearly the get-go that if this was going to be anything like it's predecessor, it was going to be all show, and no plot. I heard a lot of people say that, for sure, when they saw it. But I happened to really enjoy it. The art direction was sublime. As an up-and-coming director, Kosinski did an immaculate job in that respect. The plot could have been a bit thicker, but hey, there was depth. Which is more than I can say for last year's visual stunner. Ahem, Pocahontas-in-space. Sure, this movie wasn't perfect, but it was a good bit of fun, and you can see the amount of work that went into making it. And that's always nice to see.
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Edgar Wright
But Sara, why isn't this higher on the list!? Surely, you must have loved this movie, it's quirky and artsy, justlikeyou! Well, if I were to be completely honest, I liked this film, but I can't say that I adored it. I can't even put my finger on it, but I just didn't completely love it. It was silly and cute, and there were a lot of culture references that made me giggle, it all just seemed kind of rushed. I didn't find myself rejoicing when Scott and Ramona got together. And like hell he didn't work hard to get to her. It just seemed... feh. But it was certainly fun to watch.
6. Nowhere Boy - Sam Taylor-Wood
Is there really any need to explain this? I love John Lennon. That's pretty much all you need know. Oh, and that this is a perfect example of classic "British" art period film (An Education is another one). It just has an air to it, you know? You can tell instantly what kind of film it's going to be. A very good one. It's a pretty honest view of the early life of the man who would become one of the most famous in the history of music, maybe in the history of forever. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, Aaron Johnson? Yum.
5. The Illusionist (L'Illusioniste) - Sylvain Chomet
No, not the The-Prestige knock-off (or, so it seemed), this animated movie is one of the most beautiful I've seen. Ever. And I'm probably the only person I know who's even heard of it, much less seen it. It's a quaint, moderately-low budget film, which follows the story of an illusionist who finds himself out of work, and travels to Scotland, where he meets Alice. And the adventures begin. My love for the British Isles may have had something to do with this, but you can't not notice (and be astounded by!) the details in this movie. A work of art, similar to the cel-work of Snow White, and the detailing of Ghibli, to produce a truly unique style.
4. An Education - Lone Scherfig
Another example of British period movies. This one was technically a 2009, but it was released in Canada in 2010, so I'm counting it here. The costume work was my favourite part of this movie. And Carey Mulligan is just so darling in everything she does. A wonderful coming-of-age story, with kind of a bittersweet ending. On one hand, David was a total tosser, but he was sweet enough, for the most part. Guess life's like that sometimes.
3. Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats) - Xavier Dolan
As a Canadian, I can honestly say that I have new-found hope in our cinema circuit. Dolan's been wowing audiences since late 2008, and this movie's no different. It's incredibly artistic, from some of the shots that are used, to the colours of the forest, the retreat house, even the wardrobe, and, of course, the music. But it's subtle in its artsiness, and focuses more on the kids and their issues. And believe me, there are issues. I saw this in Montréal during the exchange, and it really was a privilege.
2. Toy Story 3 - Lee Unkrich
You all know this had to be coming. I was raised on the first of the three, as it came out just a few months after I'd been born. I've been watching it for as long as I can remember. And this third one just brought back so many memories. Pixar's always had the upper hand in 3-D animation, and it's no wonder why. This time, the plot is the right mix of sentimentality and nostalgia, with of course, a very important lesson. Also, kudos for all the references. I loved the Totoro in Bonnie's room.
1. The King's Speech - Tom Hooper
I saw this movie last night, so it's time for a review. We nearly didn't get into the auditorium, because of the newly generated hub-bub from the Globes. And I cannot even express how much I adored it. I don't even care if not everything in the film was historically accurate - that's right, I said it. That was minor, compared to the elegance of it all. This is cinema at its absolute finest.
Every shot, every costume, every set is beyond gorgeous, and that's just the visuals. There's something to be said in the simple, sometimes dreary setting of London during the Depression and years after. Scipt and plot-wise, it tells a good story, with a believable (and often very funny!) script. Aside from a few bizarre lines, the script is wonderful. But Mr. Hooper's film relies much more on character than plot, anyways.
Personally, I think this was Colin Firth at his best. His timid, frustrated, but perfectly warm-hearted Bertie is wonderful to watch, and maybe even the pinnacle of great acting. He mastered the quirks, and to quote his character: "I had to throw in a few... so they knew it was me". It's so easy to forget that Albert isn't the one onscreen, that Colin's not really afflicted by stammers. And the tantrums. He's got a temper, he does. But it's so difficult to find his outbursts inappropriate, because he really is just a man who wants help. The almot childish quality Mr. Firth gave his Prince is both melancholy and adorable, but it's always honest. As King George's personal story is unfolded, it makes his triumphs seem all the greater, both for himself and for his country. I have never seen a character go through as much as Bertie does, and still be completely believable. And the best part is, it all happened, in some form or other, in real life.
There was a huge amount of talent, of course, not only from Mr. Firth. Michael Gambon (yes, that's Dumbledore), Guy Pearce and Helena Bonham Carter, who is so darling as the Queen Mum. It's also undoubtedly a very proud moment for Geoffrey Rush. You know things are never going to be dull with him around, and Lionel Logue's humour is so subtle, it's practically magical. Logue's and Bertie's dialogue exchanges are near-flawless (well, apart from the stammering), and it makes for great flow throughout the whole story.
I could go on and on and on and on and on. All in all, The King's Speech says a mouthful, and it warms the heart, without question.
God, that wasn't supposed to be that long. Oopsie!
(I never saw Inception. Which is why it's not on here. I'm sure it's very good. I just never got around to seeing it. Go cry moar, if that upsets you.)
Auction on Tuesday, got my dress today, and it's so pretty. So yeah.
Next blog'll probably be Oscar predictions, and maybe some life updates. You never know.
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