To finally wave goodbye to 2010, the entire staff of this very site has been polled for our ultimate combined Top 10 of the year.Many people seem to have been saying that 2010 was a poor year for film. To say I think those people are dead wrong is an understatement. Sure the majority of blockbusters disappointed but name a year when that isn’t the case? 2010 has also seen the rise of the blockbuster that isn’t afraid to challenge standard expectations of what to expect from a “popcorn” film and the more arty end of the spectrum has also seen bonafide successes with some of Hollywood’s hottest directors taking on unexpected material and knocking it out of the park.
To wave goodbye to the year that saw the birth of this very site, indeed I believe this week may well be its first birthday, I have polled all of our writers to bring together an overall site top 10 (though there’s a 2-way tie for one position). All of us are featured and we even have the thoughts of two new writers, Stephanie Scaife and Kurt Brookes.
To work out the ten, I assumed a points scale giving 1 point for a number 10 film, 2 for a 9 and so forth. The ten with the most points got on the list.
Following from this then is the site’s ten, some talk on each, including contributions from some of our writers, and then all our individual lists. And, here we go…
9. 2 way-tie Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn), Monsters (Gareth Edwards) – 13 points.
Kick-Ass is scathing on many of those in its audience, both those who take in pop-culture and think they can replicate it and the disaffected YouTube generation who seek to merely watch and laugh but not actually do anything. It’s not all social commentary obviously but the film is smarter than it initially may appear. Add to this Matthew Vaughn’s no holds barred independently made and spirited action, characters and dialogue and this makes what is sure to be one of the most remembered films of 2010.
Here’s Brad’s thoughts:
My 72 year old racist, ex-navy general uncle loved it. Amazing.
Monsters is Stephanie’s number 2 of the year, here’s her thoughts:
Gareth Edwards impressive directorial debut takes guerrilla filmmaking to a new level, shot entirely on location in South America on a miniscule budget with only 2 professional actors (real-life couple Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy), the rest are locals that were convinced to take part, heavily improvised and edited by Edwards on his laptop during filming. Not only can he take credit as director, writer and cinematographer but he also did all the visual effects using off the shelf software on his home computer. Pretty impressive stuff, what’s more impressive is that the film is actually very good. Touted on release as being the next District 9 but I’d say that is an unfair comparison, in fact I’d say it most closely resembles Lost in Translation. The title is also slightly misleading, perhaps a sly hint that the “monsters” of the film aren’t necessarily the alien invaders. If you have the chance to see this, please do, it is proof that there are still people out there doing exciting things and taking risks and that not all British films need to be like Harry Potter.
You can also read my review here and check out the video thoughts of Jordan, Noel and myself here
8. Amer (Helene Cattet & Bruno Forzani) – 14 points
I am VERY pleased that this made the overall list. Getting a DVD and Blu release in the UK at the end of January, my personal favourite film of FrightFest, Amer is a film that every fan of Giallo films will need to see at the very earliest opportunity. Maybe a dozen lines of dialogue but countless images that will stay with you long after the credits roll, Amer is a film that we have talked about a fair bit on the sight over the last few months and is worthy of the praise. You can find Jordan’s written review here, my written review here and the video thoughts straight after its FrightFest 2010 London screening of Noel, Jordan and myself here. It may not be a film for everyone, indeed reaction is very divided but for an experience that won’t be replicated any time soon and by two directors who make a remarkably assured feature debut, Amer for me and many of us here at the site, is hard to beat.
7. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (Edgar Wright) – 17 points
You can check out Brad’s written review here, Dan’s here and mine here. It’s also Brad’s number 1 for the year so here’s some extra thoughts from him:
There was never any way this wasn’t going to be my favourite film of the year. The novels haven’t left my bedside in 3 years, Edgar Wright is a fully fledged genius and I’ve never bought into the Michael Cera anti-hype. Throw in Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh and Anna Kendrick plus a bunch of people I didn’t know were going to kick my brain’s ass as well as groundbreaking editing, visual effects and sound design and you get the best video game musical John Hughes never made. I wrote my final dissertation on the film for my MA Degree and could only watch this film for the rest of my days. There is so much heart in this film it’s forcing the romantic in me to leave and become his own separate entity. I think it’s one of the few perfect films, and that’s the last I’m gonna say.
Ian here. Kinda says it all really that. If you don’t buy the Blu, I think you’re a fucking moron.
6. Â Black Swan (Darren Aranofsky) – 18 points
Black Swan is a film that will be getting talked about a lot more as it gears up for its January 21st UK release and to be honest I think if it had been on general release before this list was published I think it would have been higher. An intense, rich and undoubtedly visionary take on a woman succumbing to fear, pressure and the hunt for glory, Black Swan is grade A filmmaking if ever there was any. Taking the detailed and grounded world building of The Wrestler but then amping it up with Dario Argento inspired theatrical surrealism and Cronenbergian psychosexual body horror, its an intense and consistently unsettling experience but one that reminds you just why you loving going to the cinema so much. A grand stylistic success with grade-A performances from Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, we will be talking more about this one very soon but trust us: it’s really fucking good.
Here’s some thoughts from Brad:
It’s nice to see someone making a ‘giallo’ inspired film without resorting to tongue in cheek and Aronofsky along with an incredibly game cast create a terrifying portrayal of the human desire for perfection. I need to see it again, but I’m being a snob and refuse to watch it at home.
Ian here. Don’t know what he means by that last sentence..
5. Exit Through The Gift Shop – 20 points
Exit Through The Gift Shop has been a film that I myself have championed since its release in March (my original review) and now that it’s got a UK DVD and Blu and is also available on Netflix Instant in the US, I hope that a good many more people check it out. The first of a series of high-profile “is it a” documentaries to potentially blur the line between real material and artifice, this is a film that at the very least will inspire discussion about this but also more general questions such as what is art, what makes it valuable and can you become a success through having money and promotional ability but no real skill. Whatever the answers to these questions are in Thierry Guetta we have one of the best film presences of the year and Banksy has crafted an assured, intelligent and challenging film which is already taking its place alongside Orson Welles’ F For Fake as one of the great doco-mindfucks.
Brad’s thoughts:
I believe it’s real, but I’m not sure I really believe it. I’m not trying to cover my own ass at all, I just don’t feel knowing makes any difference. It’s a hilarious, insightful and performed(?) with a childlike sense of glee.  Banksy didn’t need to build up any more mystique about himself but in turning the attention on Thierry he’s elevated himself to the position of a minor deity. I hope he does nothing next, this should be his legacy.
4. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich) – 28 points
I unabashedly love this film, you can check out my written review here but I’m gonna let Kurt Brookes take the mic on this one:
Though “Up” exploded adult themes like death and loneliness, “Toy Story 3” felt like the first film Pixar had made for parents to take their kids to, not the other way around. Our generation grew up with “Toy Story” and now the franchise has caught up in maturity. The only weak part of the film for me was Buzz Lightyear’s spanish setting, but all that was forgotten into a packet of tissues by the end. Yes, I cried.
Ian here. It’s pretty much a given that this was going to be on the list, for me its head and shoulders above any other CG animated film from 2010 (Yes including How To Train Your Dragon) and what really marks it out for me is just how Pixar are able to keep a real sense of melancholy throughout the entire runtime but also managing to inject a hell of a lot of fun into proceedings. Saying this, its one of the first animated films in which I have really noticed the cinematography and the lighting really helping to dictate the overall mood of the piece. The film also contains two of the most profound images of the year for me and to say that from a “kids” film is really quite something. Toy Story 3 really is one of those films for the whole family but its also one that will affect you very differently depending on where you are on the great wheel of life. Shrek Forever After does not manage this however..
3. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese) – 35 points
Well then, you can read my review here but here’s Kurt’s thoughts on Scorsese’s fantastic genre exercise:
I’m glad I saw this when I did as someone gave the end away in conversation not 12 hours after I’d watched it. Everyone in this film gave the performance of their lives and Di Caprio was arguably better in “Shutter Island” than he was in “Inception”. I’ll admit I thought the film was going in a completely different direction until the twist came and when it did it felt perfect. If a city folded into itself this would have been my number one without a shadow of a doubt.
Ian here. This is a film that I’ve liked better on rewatch, indeed I’ve heard that from a lot of other people also. It’s a film that does have a twist but it’s one that really colours the entire film and leads to a rewatch in which you notice not only the little hints and clues in the story and the visuals but also in certain performances, not just DiCaprio. It’s gorgeous visuals, wonderful magpie score compiled by Robbie Robertson and some fantastic playful editing from the legend that is Thelma Schoonmaker come together to create one undoubtedly great mainstream entertainment which feels rather forgotten by some in year end wrap ups. Not here though!
2. Inception (Christopher Nolan) – 39 points
Yes, its the film that single-handedly gives me hope for not only the future of blockbuster entertainment but also humanity itself! Inception does everything you could possibly want from it, thrills you, grabs you throughout and fucks your mind until it can stands no more.
Here’s Stephanie’s thoughts on the subject:
Inception is the perfect summer blockbuster, it looks great, has an unfeasibly attractive cast, exciting things happen, it shows off a lot but is still undeniably entertaining. It’s also great to see an original film in amongst all the remakes, sequels and “reimaginings” that we’re traditionally subjected to during the summer months.
And Kurt:
I’m still looking for bits of my balls in the screen I saw this in. I’m not even going to bother justifying why it’s my number one for this year, you’ve seen it, right?
You can also check out Brad’s more restrained thoughts here. He’s wrong about a fair bit mind. You know, just saying…
THE NUMBER 1 FILM OF 2010 IS…………………………………………………………………………
1 The Social Network (David Fincher) – 54 points
Uncompromising. Funny. Challenging. Intelligent. Charming. Subversive. Fucking brilliant. Also the winner of the poll by a fair stretch
Check out my review here
Kurt’s thoughts:
When I first heard that David Fincher was directing a film based on the humble beginnings of the biggest social network site ever I knew it was one to give a miss. Then the reviews and the plaudits starting rolling in and I felt like a right dick. Holy nuts, this film was good. Played out mostly in flashback during a lawsuit hearing, we learn all about how odd Mark Zuckerberg became the world’s youngest billionaire and how   many people he pissed off in the process. Andrew Garfield shone, Jesse Eisenberg went supernova and David Fincher showed that he could direct traffic and I’d be there opening night.
One of the best screenplays of the last decade, top notch performances, amazing direction and a kick ass score. How could this not the the site number 1 I ask?
So that’s it. I’m spent. To end, here we have all the individual lists. My thanks to all the contributors and also to you for reading.
Ian Loring’s List
10 Jackass 3D
9 A Prophet
8 Amer
7 Scott Pilgrim vs The World
6 Toy Story 3
5 Exit Through The Gift Shop
4 Inception
3 Shutter Island
2 Black Swan
1 The Social Network
Jordan McGrath’s List
10 How To Train Your Dragon
9 Kick-Ass
8 Amer
7 Monsters
6 Inception
5 Exit Through The Gift Shop
4 Catfish
3 Never Let Me Go
2 Black Swan
1 The Social Network
Noel Mellor’s List
10 Catfish
9 Slice
8 Scott Pilgrim vs The World
7 A Serbian Film
6 Piranha 3D
5 I Spit On Your Grave
4 The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle
3 Amer
2 Shutter Island
1 The Social Network
Daniel Kelly’s List
10 Scott Pilgrim vs The World
9 Cemetery Junction
8 Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
7 Shutter Island
6 Up In The Air
5 Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
4 Inception
3 Kick-Ass
2 Toy Story 3
1 The Social Network
Brad Porter’s List
10 Kaboom
9 The Scouting Book For Boys
8 Kick-Ass
7 Greenberg
6 The Social Network
5 Cemetery Junction
4 How To Train Your Dragon
3 Exit Through The Gift Shop
2 Another Year
1 Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Beth Pritchard’s List
10 Never Let Me Go
9 Daybreakers
8 RED
7 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
6 Inception
5 Shutter Island
4 Toy Story 3
3 Alice In Wonderland
2 Remember Me
1 Up In The Air
Stephanie Scaile’s List
10 The Disappearance of Alice Creed
9 A Prophet
8 Four Lions
7 Samson & Delilah
6 Inception
5 The Illusionist
4 Winter’s Bone
3 The Killer Inside Me
2 Monsters
1 Red, White & Blue
Kurt Brooke’s List
10 Piranha 3D
9 Cemetery Junction
8 Ponyo
7 Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
6 Four Lions
5 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
4 Toy Story 3
3 Shutter Island
2 The Social Network
1 Inception
