Film Feature: The 10 Best Films of 2010

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5. “Toy Story 3”

Toy Story 3
Photo credit: Disney

Pixar has done it again and, in some ways, better than ever before. “Toy Story 3” is not just the cap on what now has to be viewed as one of the best trilogies of all time but also, in its amazing final act, really sums up everything that this incredible company has accomplished to date. As Andy prepares to put away childish things and move on with his life, he shares the gift of imagination and play one final time. An entire generation has now grown up with Pixar and there hasn’t been a more impressive creative force in recent memory when it comes to the power and art of sharing imagination. We all may not be the same age as Andy, but, along with Woody, Buzz, Nemo, Wall-E, Remy, Mr. Incredible, and so many more indelible characters, we have all learned the same lesson — that nothing is more important than creativity and the gift of sharing it with others.

4. “A Prophet”

A Prophet
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

The great Patrick McDonald, a film critic here at HollywoodChicago.com, handed me the screener of “A Prophet” shortly after watching it and said with hushed awe, “This changes everything.” Yes, it does. Modern crime sagas have a new bar with which to be measured now that Jacques Audiard’s stunning tale of a young man’s transformation into a ruthless crime lord has completely redefined the genre. A modern take on a timeless tale of innocence lost and power gained, “A Prophet” is the most remarkable coming-of-age story of the year, a masterfully-directed, written, and performed examination of the adaptability of man. What makes a criminal? The central character of “A Prophet” wouldn’t rise to the rank he does by film’s end without those perpetual intangibles such as fate, circumstance, and situation, but his prophetic character (excuse the pun) both represents the global everyman and the oncoming future, since it’s his very multicultural nature that eventually pushes him to his fate.

3. “Inception”

Inception
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

There has never been a summer blockbuster more ambitious or remarkably creative than Christopher Nolan’s trip through the mind; one of the most technically jaw-dropping films ever made. Nolan’s incredible cinematic vision evokes everything about why they started making movies in the first place — to show you something that you’ve never seen before. One of the most amazingly original films in years, what blows me away about “Inception” is the confidence evident in every single frame. Most films made in 2010 felt like they were pandering to as wide a demographic as possible or attempting some loose approximation of entertainment. Most Hollywood films are “trying.” “Inception” is “doing.” It works because it does what so few American films do — challenges your perception of not just what film can do but also the very power of the imagination.

2. “Black Swan”

Black Swan
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

One of the most mesmerizing dramas of the last several years, Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” represents a new, confident high for its talented auteur. When I saw “Inception,” I thought for sure that I had seen the most creatively ambitious film of 2010. I was wrong. Watching “Black Swan” is like watching a tightrope walk, in that there were so many moments in which Aronofsky’s vision could have fallen flat but it never does. From the way he directs the best performance of the year from Natalie Portman to the unbelievable cinematography by Matthew Libatique, it’s impossible to take your eyes off the screen. Great movies don’t just entertain you, they make you completely forget about everything else going in your life and transfix you. I said a few years ago that my favorite movies had become the ones in which I didn’t think about the review I had to write as I was watching them. “Black Swan” forces you to think about nothing else except what’s in front of you. It’s a masterpiece.

1. “The Social Network”

The Social Network
Photo credit: Sony Pictures

What a surprise, right? And yet those bitching about the consensus choice for the best film of 2010 should realize that it’s not merely sheep mentality that’s driving it to the top of so many “best of” lists, rather its landslide victory is simply indicative of its undeniable quality. David Fincher’s second masterpiece (after “Zodiac”) is the most invigorating, alive, vibrant film of the year and, therefore, the best. The filmmaking craft on display in “The Social Network” is so far above average that just the technical elements of the movie would make it one of the best of the year, but Fincher wisely never loses the human story at the center of the piece. Who would have guessed that Aaron Sorkin would be such an ideal writer for Fincher as the director’s technical precision marries perfectly with Sorkin’s precise way with words? As great as the cinematography, editing, and music choices are in “The Social Network,” the film wouldn’t work without the believable ensemble highlighted by career-best performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. “The Social Network” was wrongly dismissed pre-release as “The Facebook Movie.” It’s so much more than that. And it’s the best movie of the year.

Please come back Thursday, December 23rd, 2010 for Patrick McDonald’s Best of the Year and stay tuned for features about the most overlooked films, best television, and best video games of the last twelve months.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]