Top 5 Films of 2010

So here's my top 5 favorite films of 2010. I usually like to gauge my favorites by story/plot (the more bizarre the better!), acting performance then technical stuff like cinematography, special effects, camera shots, etc. The most important thing however, is how long each film stayed with me after...or how long until I could stop thinking about what I had just saw. Interesting note, I saw four of these movies twice in the theater.

Black Swan- directed by Darren Aronofsky
This is the movie that best embodies all the criteria listed above. From the insane story arch, great acting and most of all, Aronofsky's use of handheld cameras during the dance sequences, Black Swan ruled 2010.

The Social Network- directed by David Fincher
In my original review of The Social Network I said: "Is this my favorite film of the year? Definitely not. Is it a damn good movie worth seeing? Yes." Well, I'm now comfortable removing the "definitely not" line and replacing it with "almost." The plot is interesting but kind of "eh," it's everything else about this movie that's amazing.

The Fighter- directed by David O. Russel
Christian Bale. Christian fuckin' Bale. Dude steals the show, brings the house down, knocks it out of the park, etc etc. He and Amy Adams are bound to be nominated (and damn well better win) for Best Supporting Actor/Actress for their roles in The Fighter. Watching these two on screen is worth the price of admission alone.

Toy Story 3- directed by Lee. Unkrich
I swear until the Oscar buzz movie blitz took place in Nov., Toy Story 3 was my favorite film of the year. Black Swan was the only other film to leave me as drained as Woody and Buzz Lightyear's last hurray on the big screen. I like to consider myself a pretty desensitized bastard, but I'm not afraid to admit Toy Story 3 had me damn close to tears, TWICE. Nostalgia aside, it's still a damn fine escape/chase movie.

Inception- directed by Christopher Nolan
Nolan's steps up his usual cinematic mind-fuckery to a whole new level. This film makes his earlier head scratchers like Memento and The Prestige  seem as simplistic as a Dumb and Dumber. Too bad the film's style (amazing visuals and score) overshadows some of the film's substance (some wooden performances...Rubik's cube plot). Despite this, it's still a must see, jaw dropping film.