John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2010

It's time for my biased list of favorite films from the past year. Although the quality of mainstream films wasn't as disappointing as 2009, this still wasn't a great year to go to the movies, and often I'd find myself let down when I stopped by the theatre. Still, just when I thought I'd lost my faith in modern cinema, I would be treated to something cool or unique enough to remind me why I spend so much time and money there.

Honorable Mentions

Before I get to the main event, I'll mention a few films that didn't quite make it into my top ten this year. These films are fun and worth seeing, but there were at least ten other films I liked better.

Machete is a hell of a lot of fun, and great showcase for the amazing Danny Trejo. Trejo has been a staple in Hollywood for almost 30 years, but this is his first leading role. At 66 years old, the brick-faced actor looks like he could kick Stallone, Van Damme, and Schwarzenegger's asses without breaking a sweat.

Although I'm not a big fan of the new 3-D craze in Hollywood (most of the time the 3-D conversion process is awful and you would be better off seeing the less expensive, less murky, 2-D version of the film), I have to admit that Piranha 3-D is a hoot! This is an unapologetic film that knows and embraces its shlockly Piranha roots. It is a B movie in every sense of the word -- the screen is filled with the three Bs: Boobs, Blood, and Beasts. If you are looking for Oscar-caliber performances and a gripping plot, avoid this movie like the plague. If, however, you want to kill an afternoon with a bunch of friends and laugh your butts off at idiots getting munched by swarms of prehistoric killer fish, then it doesn't get much better than Piranha 3-D.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the latest film by Edgar Wright (the awesome director who brought us Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) is also tremendous fun. Although I didn't enjoy Pilgrim as much as Wright's previous two movies, this tale of a Canadian slacker who must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes in a universe run by video game rules is very solid and offers lots of big laughs. At times Scott Pilgrim was too hip for its own good, but overall it is a really enjoyable film.

Top 10 films of 2010

And now for my official list of 2010's best ten movies. In case you haven't seen them, I will do my best to say what I liked about them without spoilers.

#10: Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

This low-budget Finnish film was undoubtedly my most unique movie-going experience of the year. Rare Exports is a horror/comedy in which a group of miners near the Korvatunturi mountain discover an ancient being frozen in black ice -- a being known the world over as Santa Claus. But this isn't the jolly old elf who appears in Coke commercials, and the local villagers soon learn that this discovery should have been left well enough alone.

Rare Exports isn't a perfect film. There are pacing issues, and there is a scene that should be at the end of the movie that just isn't there (if you see it, you'll understand). But sitting in the theatre, I was constantly surprised and delighted and truly didn't know what was going to happen next. As a man who has donned the white beard and the big red suit, I found this movie to be especially engaging.

"He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake." When you think about it, that's really creepy!

#9: Kick Ass

Kick Ass is a film based on the comic book of the same name that asks the question: What if a normal high school kid decided to put on a costume and fight crime? As you might imagine, the protagonist, Dave Lizewski, gets the crap beat out of him. A lot. But he also becomes an Internet sensation, pisses off the mob, and inspires a number of copycat vigilantes, most of whom are not mentally stable.

This movie is completely twisted and wrong in the best possible sense. It embraces its over-the-top violence and eye-for-an-eye sense of justice, and still manages to throw in a dash of pathos amidst the hilarious high-energy action.

#8: Centurion

Centurion is a historical action movie written and directed by Neil Marshall. It takes place in 117 AD and deals with a Roman garrison's attempt to wipe out the Picts inhabiting the Scottish Highlands. Although the Romans have superior numbers and weapons, they can't compete with the Picts' guerrilla tactics. When the Ninth Legion is sent to eradicate the Picts once and for all, things go horribly wrong and a small band of Roman soldiers must flee for their lives across hostile terrain.

Critics were not kind to this film, which is essentially a 97-minute chase scene, but I really enjoyed it. The characters are engaging, the battle scenes are exciting, and the cinematography is beautiful.

#7: Splice

Splice is an original reinterpretation the old Frankenstein story. The theme that man should not play god with the creation of life is an old one, but I've never seen it so well executed as it is in this film.

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play ultra-hip genetic engineers who splice human DNA together with several different animals, creating a beautiful but unstable chimera which they name Dren. Initially they do this in the name of science, but soon they come to look upon themselves as parents to their creation. It isn't long before the unpredictable nature of the creature, combined with the dysfunctional issues of the scientists, creates a deadly situation.

#6: Harry Brown

Harry Brown features a tour de force performance by Michael Caine as the title character. Caine's compelling and raw performance as a retired marine who is pushed to the edge by local gangs elevates this film beyond the level of a Death Wish clone and turns it into a true classic.

Harry's transformation from a sad and lonely octogenarian into a calculated killing machine who can barely contain his rage is astonishing to behold. In the hands of a lesser actor this could have been a train wreck, but Michael Caine pulls it off. I was mesmerized by his character, and if Caine isn't at least nominated for an Oscar for this movie, then truly the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is blind.

#5: Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky is a director known for movies that focus on obsession, and Black Swan is no different. Natalie Portman plays Nina Sayers, a timid ballet dancer who wins the lead role in Swan Lake. Although she is perfectly suited to portray the White Swan, her ridged dancing style isn't right for the evil Black Swan the piece also requires her to play. The majority of the movie is Portman's character driving herself to the edge of madness in an attempt to give the perfect performance.

I know next to nothing about ballet, so it was fascinating for me to watch a film exploring backstage life in a world I will never be a part of. Natalie Portman is fantastic as the tragically obsessed Nina, and co-star Mila Kunis is also excellent as Lily, Nina's dark twin in the ballet company.

#4: The Social Network

When you combine the writing talents of Aaron Sorkin and the directing skills of David Fincher, you know you are in for a treat. The Social Network focuses on Mark Zuckerberg, the socially awkward yet intellectually brilliant man who created Facebook while he was still a student at Harvard. Although Zuckerberg becomes the youngest billionaire in history, he faces both legal and emotional challenges from all sides.

What is fascinating about this film to me is being able to watch Zuckerberg's rise and fall, which essentially occur at the same time. Like so many of us, Zuckerberg really was his own worst enemy.

#3: True Grit

Joel and Ethan Coen are directors known for movies with crazy plot twists that come out of left field, so it is really cool to see them make a straightforward western. The Coen brothers' take on True Grit is as "gritty" as one might expect. They excel at dialogue, and it's as good as it's ever been in this film.

This movie is about three very diverse characters thrown together on a quest to find Tom Chaney, a criminal who killed a young girl's father. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, a 14 year-old girl raised with a harsh western eye-for-an-eye mentality. Jeff Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, the ornery one-eyed U.S. Marshall that Mattie hires to hunt down her father's killer. Cogburn's chief qualification is his reputation of being the meanest lawman in the state. Matt Damon rounds out the cast as LaBoeuf, an arrogant Texas Ranger who has been on Chaney's trail for a while and doesn't want to share his quarry with any partners. This is the best western I've seen since Tombstone, largely due to the incredibly interesting interplay among the three main characters.

#2: Toy Story 3

It's rare to see a trilogy of movies that all are excellent, but with Toy Story 3, Pixar manages to do just that. This film beautifully closes the story of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends in a way that is exciting, satisfying and truly touching.

As Andy, the owner of the toys, gets ready for college, Woody, Buzz, and the gang have to face the possibility of becoming obsolete. What use is a toy when there is nobody to play with them?

And now, my favorite movie of 2010...

#1: Inception

I love movies that explore the concept of blurred reality -- what is real and what is illusion -- so it should come as no surprise to anybody who knows me that this was my favorite film of the year. Director Christopher Nolan spent nearly nine years developing the script for this movie, and it shows. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a man who specializes in stealing ideas from people's dreams, but early in the film he is presented with a unique challenge: Could he implant an idea in a person's mind through his dreams? We never learn exactly how this is accomplished; we just accept that in the reality of this film, the technology exists to invade another person's slumbering mind. The movie is very clear about the rules that allow this to happen, and so as an audience member it is easy to just go with it.

Although the special effects are amazing in Inception, it doesn't rely on them too heavily. This is a film about ideas, not CGI. I don't want to say too much about the plot because this is a film that can easily be spoiled, and it is well worth it to watch the movie with a fresh perspective, descending into the layers of the dreaming subconscious along with the characters. I love films where you are never sure whether the characters are experiencing something real or just an illusion, and if it is an illusion and the characters believe it is real, then doesn't that make it real?

Suffice it to say, the acting is solid, the story and direction are superb, and this move is well worth repeated viewings.

Summary

And there you have it -- my top picks for last year at the movies. Feel free to get in touch and argue, or tell me about a great film I may have left off the list. Special thanks Jem Matzan for his friendship and for acting as the editor of this article once again.

John Michael Decker is an actor who has been playing an evil sheriff in the summer and jolly old St. Nick in the winter. It's good to find balance in life.