My Top 5 Films of 2010

Last year was an important year in film for me, mostly because of how film has affected my own life. I made some personal discoveries about how much I actually love movies, partially thanks to taking a film studies course during the last school year. I have become so infatuated with film over the past twelve months or so, that I even decided that I wanted to study film in college and hopefully find myself in a career making movies several years down the line. It was an amazing feeling, finally finding the one thing I would love to do with my life.

So, needless to say, the number of movies I saw last year definitely increased over past years. I found myself going to more movies on my own than I had before. Because of this, I have been able to formulate my list of the best five films I saw last year. There are several films from the end of the year that I haven't gotten to see yet, which I'll talk about in a little bit. But, without further ado, here's my top five films of 2010:

5. Tron Legacy

Yeah, this is a bit of a controversial pick on my part. A lot of people did not like this movie, but I truly can't understand why. The acting is good, nobody turns in a bad performance. Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner return to their roles in good fashion, but I wish we had gotten more Tron in the film. Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde do good as well, with Wilde delivering the film's standout performance as Quorra. The effects were absolutely amazing, and the 3D was very well done. In the environment the filmmakers created, I had no problem buying into the de-aging effects used on Bridges and Boxleitner. And who could forget Daft Punk's amazing score? Some people say that the plot was hard to follow and almost non-existent, but it's not. During my viewing, I never felt that things were left unexplained, or that the characters' motivations were unclear. The plot isn't fantastic, but it is there. All in all, this film was a great comeback for Tron, and I can't wait to see where they go with the third film.

4. Toy Story 3

Alright, let's cut right to the chase: like most people with a heart and emotions, this film nearly brought me to tears. I can proudly admit that fact, because it goes to show, once again, that only Pixar can get this kind of response out of their viewers. Toy Story 3 was an absolute gem, easily one of Pixar's finest films, and a great way to end the saga of Woody, Buzz, and all of our favorite toys from Andy's room. While the film still caters to a younger audience, people who grew up with the first two Toy Story films will find that the story has matured with them. I know I personally grew up with those films on a constant rotation in and out of my VCR player, and this film hit me in a hard way. I'm trying to stay away from spoilers, but as most people can tell you, the last 20 minutes or so of the film are devastatingly powerful. While it's sad to know that we won't be getting another adventure with these characters, this was a great way to end what is now one of the best film trilogies of all time. Pixar, you've done it again.

3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

This film should have been one of the biggest hits of the year, but sadly it fell on its face at the box office. It's a shame, too, because Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is AWESOME. Director Edgar Wright once again takes comedy to a whole other level with his latest, but that was to be expected. The entire cast of this film is absolutely brilliant, everybody brings their A-game. Michael Cera breaks out of the normal awkward guy archetype as the titular character, and it's nice to see him doing something different for a change. The rest of the ensemble cast all have their moments as well, but to me the best of them all is Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells, Scott's gay roommate. Sadly, he's not in much of the film, but when he is, he definitely has some great moments. The visual style of the film is unique and fresh, and the fights are fast-paced and action-packed. You can tell everyone who worked on this movie had a blast making it. The editing is tight and moves the film along at a blazing pace, and the soundtrack is great. While Scott Pilgrim vs. the World didn't get its day in theaters, the cast and crew can rest assured that it will continue to be enjoyed by its fans forever.

2. Inception

Christopher Nolan's long awaited follow-up to The Dark Knight did not disappoint, and it ended up being one of the best films of the year. The concept of using dreams to steal information and plant ideas in people's heads is original and great. While a direct sequel is pretty much out of the question, I hope we get to see the concepts and ideas introduced in this film again at some point. The plot uses these ideas to give us some tremendous visuals, from a car chase in a stormy city, to an arctic finale straight out of a James Bond film. Wally Pfister, the film's director of photgraphy, did some wonderful work on this one. The entire cast pulls their weight, with Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt turning in particularly good performances. Hans Zimmer's score is booming and intense, adding tension at some times and levity at others. To sum it up nicely, Inception is some of Hollywood's finest coming together to make the biggest, and one of the greatest, films of 2010.

1. The Social Network

If you had told me that there was a film that I would love more than Inception at the beginning of last year, I would of laughed in your face. In retrospect, that would of been a bad idea, because The Social Network is an absolute masterpiece. The films that are listed under this one are great, but The Social Network transcends to another level. David Fincher, Aaron Sorkin, and their amazing cast took one of today's hottest commodities in Facebook and told an amazing story of two friends torn apart through success. Jesse Eisenberg puts on one of the best performances of the year as Mark Zuckerberg. He is cold, calculating, and thoughtful at a genius level, and Eisenberg pulls it off brilliantly. Andrew Garfield also puts in a great performance as Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg's one and only friend who ends up getting stabbed in the back. It's truly a tragic story, and these two play it out amazingly, making you feel sadness for both of their characters when the film reaches its climax. Armie Hammer is very good as the Winklevoss twins, and Justin Timberlake surprises all with how good his turn as Napster co-founder Sean Parker is. Sorkin's dialogue is pleasing to the ears, and firmly grabs your attention. Finally, to add to the ambiance of the film is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's amazing score, which is powerful in a calm, looming force sort of way. I literally cannot find a fault with this film. Its powerful, its emotional, its thought-provoking, and its an instant classic. It is also the best film I saw in 2010.

So, that's my list. I should mention that I haven't had the chance to see True Grit, Black Swan, The King's Speech, The Fighter, 127 Hours, Blue Valentine, or The Kids Are All Right yet, but I truly feel those films wouldn't have affected this list in any way. So, what do you think about this list? Is it solid, or is it a mess? Let me know in the comments below. But until next time, I'll see you next time.

(You can check out BenBen on Twitter @CmdrBenBen)