judgement tay posted a BLOG item about 1 year ago

Best Movies I saw in 2010

My Favorite Movies of 2010

Last year I wrote a column about how it’s not possible for the common movie fan to see every release in a given year. Heck, it’s difficult to even see all the movies anyone considers “good” in any given year. This year in particular was the most difficult of my life. My wife and I had a baby in July, and we have been pretty house bound since. I’m not complaining! We love every second we spend with the little guy. But our movie date nights definitely took a major hit. Even my home theater viewings took a bit of a dive. I found myself watching a lot of great serialized TV this year. Shows like Dexter, Fringe, True Blood, and The Walking Dead took up a lot of my free time.

As a result, I only watched 42 movies this year compared to over 60 in previous years. My list will look like a combination of the best of 2009 and 2010, with a few older flicks thrown in there. I’m still dying to see 127 Hours, Black Swan, Harry Potter, The Fighter, and The Town. So you can see how this is not a complete list of 2010. It’s simply a list of my favorite movies that I watched this year. You likely don’t care about my opinion, but I enjoy the discussion, so here we go!

10) BROADCAST NEWS - There are so many classics that I need to see, I like to throw one on my Netflix queue every now and then. This is a gem that was nominated for about 7 Oscars. An intelligent romp with 3 great performances.

9) PRECIOUS - I can’t believe there are people that live like this on Earth. This girl’s life seemed more like Hell to me. The performances were great, and this movie left me feeling dirty, used, and depressed. But extracting that kind of natural reaction is probably what this movie intended, and pulling it off is a job well done.

8) BAD LIEUTENANT - I just don’t get Nic Cage. Sometimes he’s absolutely wretched in dumpster fire movies (Knowing, Next, Wicker Man). Other times, he blows me away and I want to stock his book shelf with Oscars (Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock). I’ve never seen a more bi-polar actor. In Bad Lieutenant, he went with the latter performance. Actually, I think it may be his best. The mental and especially physical torment that oozes off the screen from his character is sublime. Mix that with a dark, gritty crime flick by Herzog, and you’ve got me hooked.

7) AN EDUCATION - Simply a great human drama. You definitely feel like you are watching the emergence of a breakout star in Carey Mulligan.

6) KICK-ASS - I was a little afraid that the hype for this movie was going to saturate me, and I’d end up being disappointed. I felt like that for a little while, especially when the main character, Kick-Ass, was getting his ass thoroughly kicked over and over. But I got hooked when Hit Girl and Big Daddy entered the picture. The action scenes with those two heroes may have blinded me a bit to the rest of the movie, but I don’t care. Hit Girl was a role unlike any I’ve ever seen. The plot sounds a little forced when you read it on paper, but it worked well enough for this movie. I heartily enjoyed Kick-Ass, but I’ve heard lots of dissenting opinion on this one.

5) UP IN THE AIR - An original script with sharp dialogue always gets a head start. Clooney is perfect for this role, but he’s not my favorite part. This movie really catches fire when Anna Kendrick’s character begins to tag along and steals the show. The strange father/daughter type chemistry she has with Clooney fits so naturally, and is the real engine of this plot. This is one of those movies that you can turn it on at any point and be entertained for however long you wish.

4) THE HURT LOCKER - It’s no surprise that this was Hollywood’s favorite movie of 2009. You can always pencil a solid war movie into a best picture nomination. The awards were well deserved. Jeremy Renner was of the highest bad assery here. It’s nice to think we have such guys in our military. I think this film falls a few notches on my list because successive viewings are not as intense as the first. After seeing this for the first time, I had to dig my claws out of my couch cushions and wipe the sweat from my brow. That is a feeling that’s impossible to duplicate with another viewing. I give it huge commendation for making me feel that way, but the next 3 movies on this list are ones I will enjoy watching over and over.

3) SHERLOCK HOLMES - If I had seen this in 09, it would have battled for the top spot. Alas, I was behind the ball, and caught it in early 2010. Since my first viewing in the theater, I’ve Netflix’ed it, caught it on HBO multiple times, and finally DVR’ed it off HBOHD the other night. I love the look, sounds, and feel of 19th century London that Guy Ritchie put together here. I love Downey and Law as Holmes and Watson, and the twisted plot is fun to witness every time. I don’t know if that magic can be replicated, but I look forward to a series of these movies.

2) INCEPTION - Chris Nolan has yet to strike out in my book. This wholly original sci-fi puzzle is just what we needed in an era of remakes and sequels. I don’t think there is anyone better than Nolan or Leo right now. I am dying to get the blu-ray, as I know this will be one I can watch over and over, while it gets better and better. Just like The Dark Knight in that respect.

1) THE SOCIAL NETWORK - The buzz is right on, and I don’t care how much is fictionalized or not. This is one of the sharpest screenplays I’ve ever seen. I don’t see how Sorkin can not win an Oscar. The actors pull off the crazy dialogue without a hitch, even Justin Timberlake. David Fincher has been one of my favorites since I first saw Fight Club. You wouldn’t think of him for a movie like this, but it was an enlightened choice, and it was beautiful. I don’t think Sorkin could have done it without Fincher, and vice versa. This movie came together perfectly and snuck up on the entire country this year.

My biggest disappointments were The Expendables, Marathon Man, Predators, and The Wolfman. My vote for worst of the year has to be Prince of Persia. I had to turn that mess off after 20 minutes.

judgement tay posted a MOVIE REVIEW item: almost 2 years ago

Iron Man 2

judgement tay posted a BLOG item about 2 years ago

Best Movies I saw in 2009

It’s not possible for a normal human to be expected to see all movies that were released in a given year. I’m shocked critics can even do it. Therefore it would be stupid for someone like myself to make a list of the best movies of 2009. There are tons of movies I wanted to see (Moon, Up in the Air, Hurt Locker, etc.) that I just haven’t gotten around to yet, that may well have made a “best of” list. There are others that I just refuse to ever see (Transformers 2) because I know it will be a waste of my life. So a “best of 09” list would simply be incomplete.

What I can do is make a list of the best movies that I saw in 2009. Some may have been released in 09, some may have been released a long time ago. Between the theaters, Netflix, and TV, I saw about 60 movies. I think that’s enough to make a solid list.

Yes I realize that my opinion is about as relevant as a BCS bowl game. But it’s fun for me, whether you enjoy it or think that I’m a bo-tard.

TEN BEST

10.) Taken – A flat out action ride for 90 minutes. They should make 10 more sequels with Liam Neeson saving some young hotness in exotic locations.

9.) Doubt – A 2008 gem that you gotta see. It’s like a lesson in acting.

8.) Dial M for Murder – Not Hitchcock’s fanciest work, as this was more like a glorified play on camera. But it was such a great murder “mystery”. It’s not really a mystery because you know what happened the whole time, but it’s enthralling watching the characters figure it out.

7.) Serenity – We blew through the Firefly series this year, and capped it off with the movie. The movie was great, and a fitting end to the show. Still, that cancellation is a travesty.

6.) Carrie – My wife was shocked that I’d never seen Carrie. So one afternoon we Netflix’ed it, and I was blown away. Sometimes I get caught up in the crappy production value of old movies, but I never once thought about that here.

5.) The Reader – Another gem from 08 that I got around to renting. Winslett at her absolute peak.

4.) District 9 – I love sci-fi, and we need more movies like this. The story was original and poignant. The performance by Sharlto Copley was award worthy. How does a $30M movie have such great, seamless CGI? I think it’s only going to get better with more viewings. I can’t wait for a big studio to come in and make a few horrible sequels.

3.) Inglourious Basterds – Tarantino makes A+ movies every single time. I don’t care that he makes one every five years, it’s worth the wait. This is typical Tarantino with a slow burn plot, lots of dialogue, unique characters, and iconic scenes. The one in the pub is so suspenseful you’ll find yourself wanting to leave the room just to get out of the whole situation. So good.

2.) The Hangover – Everything that’s been said about this movie is true. I laughed out loud for 98% of The Hangover. That’s rare, and it felt great.

1.) Star Trek – Full Disclosure: I’ve never seen any other Star Trek movie, or watched any of the TV series. No matter. When I first saw this in the theater I really enjoyed it, and that was about it. I rented it for a 2nd viewing a few weeks ago and I was blown away. Star Trek really blossoms with multiple viewings. The story is complex but not over your head. The characters are great, and Abrams is one of the best action directors in the world right now. I hope they make a lot more because this was easily the best movie I saw in 2009.