I have to apologize first for Weatherman, he dropped the ball on this year's Dueling Reviews, just like the Jets will on Sunday.
Best Film
Winters Bone - A dark modern day film-noir about a tough-as-nails girl who's both trying to take care of her little brother and sister and trying to find her vanished meth-cooking father in the Ozarks backcountry before their house is taken as collateral. In a place where everyone is paranoid of each other, she sticks to her guns. Great acting and great tension throughout. This is a good companion film to watch with Deliverance.
Worst Film
Valhalla Rising - Based on the trailers this looked like a dark and brooding viking tale starring Casino Royale villain Mads Mikkelsen, exactly what I would pay good money to see. Except that he's mute and has the same expression for the entire film. And most of the film is people staring at each other. And there's very little fighting. Although you do get a graphic disemboweling scene if you're into that.
Best Actor
Robert Duvall as Felix Bush in Get Low - This film was runnerup for Best Film basically because of the mannerisms that Robert Duvall brings to his grumpy old hermit character. He's a sad old man yet mischievous at times. A nod goes to his supporting actor, Bill Murray, as the town's undertaker.
Worst Actor
Sam Worthington as Perseus in Clash of the Titans - I actually think that Sam Worthington is a decent actor, it's just that he picks all these bad roles that just require him to be a one-dimensional bad-ass. This is one of those roles.
Best Actress
Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl Who Played with Fire - This is sort of a retroactive Best Actress award because I thought she did a better job in the first film of the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But either way, she gives the tough punk computer hacker a dark side and a soft side at the same time, which, may I say, is sort of sexy.
Worst Actress
I haven't seen any really bad films this year luckily, so this goes unawarded.
Most Overrated
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1 - I'll admit that I enjoyed seeing this, but at the same time there were a lot of things that bothered me, and it wasn't close to the best of the series like some people think. I'm fine with splitting the book up into 2 films, but then at least make the film stand on its own, this just felt like the first half of a 4 hour film. And why would they put the most powerful wand in the world in Dumbledore's grave? Isn't that the first spot you would look for something of sentimental value to a deceased person? And someone had to have put it into his casket - didn't they know what this wand was? And wouldn't they have thought to hide it someplace else? Anyway...
Most Underrated
Get Low - This was a goofy independent film that just happened to star two great actors (Robert Duvall and Bill Murray [see above]). It's about an old hermit who decides to hold his own funeral and find out what everyone thinks about him. Turns out that as a young man he did something terrible that everyone still holds against him, but no-one has ever bothered to find out his side of the story. Equal parts funny and serious - this film was always interesting.
Best Comedy
Scott Pilgrim vs The World - I have a feeling you guys didn't like this one, but I thought it was great. As long as you accept the world, it's a lot a fun to watch. The action was well done and silly and at the end of the day this was the film I enjoyed the most.
Best Action
The Expendables - I don't think I need to say anything. This was a good old fashioned action film, 'nough said.
Best TV Series
Community - This is the reigning champ from last year, now on its second season. It's consistently funny, goofy at times, weird, and awesome. It's excellently written and has a great cast of characters, including old-man Chevy Chase. I highly recommend the paintball episode.
Special awards
Best Fight Scene -
Zero Gravity Fight in Inception - Just plain cool. Watch it here.
Disappointment
Shutter Island - This film started out strong but dropped the ball with the typical "It's all in his mind" ending.
Best Sex scene
Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman in The Black Swan - This was a solid flick that was sometimes - a lot of times - over the top. But who doesn't love Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis getting some girlcut? Natalie Portman also gets runnerup for Best Actress.
Most Emotional
Toy Story 3 - There was a scene in the 3rd act when I thought "so this is how it all ends?" and I began bracing myself for heartbreak. It would have been a bold choice. Then, when it didn't happen, I was completely relieved. On the one hand I wanted the sad ending, on the other hand I don't think I could have handled it. Well played Pixar.
Hottest Jaun
Olivia Wilde as Quorra in Tron: Legacy - Just one man's opinion.
Most Disappointing Villain
Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2 - I loved the idea of a bad-ass vengeful russian physicist/engineer but in the end he really didn't get much to do other than grunt and build robots. There was so much more that could have been done to take him from a good to a great villain.
Best Runnerup
Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network for Best Actor (runnerup) - He shows us that he has some range, he's not just some quirky nerdy guy in every movie. In The Social Network he's kind of scary actually as the sociopathic and almost amoral creator of Facebook.
Before you discuss I'll list the films I haven't seen yet (but intend to): Kick ass, Hot Tub Time Machine, Harry Brown, Robin Hood, Get Him to the Greek, Splice, A-Team, Predators, Machete, The American, The King's Speech, True Grit
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Before you guys start wondering where my part is, let me tell you. I went through a list of 2010 movies and realized I had seen only two that came out this year. One of them was Iron Man 2.
ok per, this whole review sucked. keep it coming, i enjoy knowing that i know movies more than you do
Well done Per... though i don't know how you have watched all of these movies... I guess its kind of your job? Anyway. Not gunna lie I almost lost it at the end of Toy story 3. The combination of it being both the final chapter of my favorite movie growing up as well as my first 3D movie was almost too much. I didn't see half of these movies but i just have to say that Christian Bale pwns the shit out of his role in "The Fighter" <-- My Favorite movie of 2010.
Maybe it should be the director vs. the rest from now on?
Keep your comments to yourself Skip. Haven't seen the fighter yet.
Post a Comment