My official Best List of 2010 (six months late)

If you want to see the list I've made for my Top 10 list for 2010, here it is.

Apparently I felt like that list meant I've seen less movies than I had this year. The reason is because I'd had final exams at school and that delayed my time to watch the movies I'm interested in or like to see. And also because most of the films released last year was already released in Australia this year. So here's my official Best/Worst list of 2010 counting the five best and the five very worst films.


Honourable mentions/ #6 movies
Greenberg, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, The King's Speech, Green Zone, Animal Kingdom, The Fighter, Toy Story 3 (it's not the best Pixar has to offer us but its tolerable), The Town, Black Swan


2010 Watchlist
Easy A, Get Him To The Greek, Exit Through The Gift Shop, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I Love You Phillip Morris, Blue Valentine
__________________________________________________________________________________


5. Kick Ass

It was a hard spot for me to decide. It was either Kick Ass or Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Scott Pilgrim was a visual wonderland hooking you into a the experience of comic books, indie music, 8 bit videogaming and clever pop culture references. Kick Ass gets 5th spot not because it doesn't have the distinct look of Scott Pilgrim, but because it's bloody hiliarious. Kick Ass is the story of a teenage comic book reader transforming himself into a DIY superhero whose only powers are wielding batons. But he'd faced deadly consequences and meets a daddy-daughter duo also a superhero vigilante and are better than him. What makes Kick Ass works is that this brings all of the great super films and mixed it with violent satire that's refreshing. With Aaron Johnson being this Peter Parker knockoff you should applaud, Chloe Moretz steals the show playing Hit-Girl a girl who takes an appetite for destruction for justice, you'll laugh until the film literally hurts. Moretz is a revelation and should be lauded for taking risks here, not panned because she's eleven. It's a graphic novel adaptation that should be graphic for the faint-hearted, but at the same time, poignant at heart.

4. Winter's Bone

Just a few days ago, I decided to pick this film up so I can finish all of the Best Picture nominees. Winter's Bone may be an average arthouse film that is only seen by few people, but for every film lover or person who loves critically acclaimed films, it's a must see. 

A tale of a young girl named Ree Dolly living in the Ozarks who's looking after her younger siblings because her mother is catatonic and her father's a methhead. When Ree discovers her dad hadn't shown up to his trial, she decides to search for him. During her journey she encounters ghastly people who brings mysteries surrounding her Dad including her uncle Teardrop and during that she face certain consequences from these people. 

This film is beautifully tragic and it's visually gritty considering the environment of the Ozarks malnourished with poverty and underground drug labs. Well-directed by Debra Granik who brings the importance of the themes of determination, poverty and family into this quiet yet richly detailed crime thriller. Winter's Bone is then lifted up by Jennifer Lawrence's powerful performance as the heroine of the story and more put forward is John Hawkes' fierce uncle.

3. 127 Hours

127 Hours brings in the greatest depth of a normal person I've ever seen. It's a kinetic and visual experience from Danny Boyle that is also beautifully edited. 127 Hours is the story of survival, a matter of life and death for real life adventurer Aron Ralston. As you should know, it's the biographical story of the guy while being stuck on a rock. It's James Franco bravuva and sensational performance that has me convinced it's one of the best performances I've ever seen in a film. He's brings a variety of emotions from cheerful to lonely. The climax (which should be obvious) brings tension that's gripping and determined. For those who assume this film is just seeing a guy cuts his arm off, please look at it further. It's a life story.

2. The Social Network

Many films are known for their subject matter just before and after they're nominated for bazillions of Oscars. Brokeback Mountain (a movie about a gay romance), Slumdog Millionaire (Indian guy on Millionaire), The Hurt Locker (movie about the Iraq War) and now we have The Social Network, a movie about Facebook. As much as people would assume that a Facebook movie is lame or boring, apparently it knocked the hell out of every professional critic. The subject matter doesn't deal with Facebook. More so, it matters on the human relationships regarding ordinary people who helped defined our time.

The Social Network focuses on Mark Zuckerberg, after being dumped by his girlfriend and from forming a revenge blog, decides to build Facebook, an online social network he thinks would refreshes the entire "social experience"to a new level. Since the inception of Facebook, he is brought to lawsuits and a loss of friendship with Eduardo Saverin.

The Social Network is a simple story of friendship, loyalty and betrayal according to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Through Sorkin's stylish, witty screenplay, David Fincher's cold yet visceral direction and Trent Reznor's mesmerising score, these aspects manage to pull you in and for the better, make this film work to a higher level. Kudos to Jesse Eisenberg who plays the ironic characterization of Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield as the possibly flawless Eduardo Saverin who get screwed the most. It should've been Best Picture at the Oscars, but sooner or later, it will be a classic. 

1. Inception

Here's proof that the summer of 2010 was not a bummer. Inception is a blockbuster that shows its artistic value over its need to make profit. Inception is almost every reason you go to movies for a good time. It's entertaining, make you think and believe you're in something that has never been seen before. It adds new meaning of science fiction. Enough said, if you want more click here

The 2010 Theatre 3000 Awards

Welcome to the Theatre 3000 Awards. I want to respond to all of the vague, snobby and shitless award shows with these mothaf**kers (sic.). They're not the most prestigious awards by any means from an internet blog which has only 13 followers, but it's what I will say is that this represents the best movies of the past year and a half  in my opinion and to all the following people who hand out awards only for star power, because you're too lazy to vote or you don't give a shit about movies, this is what you should see. (People's Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars and MTV Movie Awards)

Like the Razzies and you should know about them as well, this is satire to all the awards that host for crap, hand out crap, and use red carpets to distract us from crap. Most of the nominations are satire. Each category will have two winners

• My vote
• Your vote

So here are the nominees.

1st Most Overrated Film... by Audiences

• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (RT Audience: 74%)
• Iron Man 2 (RT Audience: 80%)
• True Grit (RT Audience: 86%)
• Alice In Wonderland (RT Audience: 72%)
• Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (RT Audience: 87%)

Most Overrated Film... by Critics

• True Grit 
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
• Iron Man 2
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech

Best Film-Wrecking Moment (MTV Satire)

• A character screws up pronouncing Aang - The Last Airbender
• The ending in - The Tourist
• The moment where a movie is announced it'll be shot in 3D - every movie made in 3D
• The word 'Focker' in every line of dialogue - Little Fockers
• When the whole movie turns into a fantasy flick about stalking - When In Rome

Worst nominations in an award show

• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - almost every nomination (People's Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards)
• The Tourist - Best Film: Musical Comedy, Best Actor: Musical or Comedy, Best Actress: Musical or Comedy (Golden Globes)
• Burlesque -Best Film: Musical Comedy (Golden Globes)

Worst Snubs in an awards show

• Christopher Nolan - Inception, Best Director (Academy Awards)
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Best Film, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Fight (MTV Movie Awards, Golden Globes, Academy Awards)
• Andrew Garfield - The Social Network, Best Supporting Actor (Academy Awards)

Shyamalan-Bay Award for Worst Film

• The Tourist
• The Last Airbender
• Grown Ups
• Cop Out
• Sex And The City 2
• Vampires Suck
• When In Rome

Most Underrated Film

• Kick-Ass
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• Greenberg
• Easy A
• Animal Kingdom

Best Soundtrack

• Black Swan - Clint Mansell
• Inception - Hans Zimmer
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Nigel Godrich, various artists
• The Social Network - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
• Tron: Legacy - Daft Punk 

Best Cinematography

• 127 Hours
• Black Swan
• Inception
• The Social Network
• True Grit

Best Production Design/Art Direction

• 127 Hours
• Alice In Wonderland
• Inception
• The Social Network
• Tron: Legacy

Best Editing

• 127 Hours
• Black Swan
• Inception
• Kick-Ass
• The Social Network

Best Visual Effects

• Inception
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• Tron: Legacy

Best Screenplay

• 127 Hours - Simon Beaufoy
• Inception - Christopher Nolan
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Edgar Wright
• Toy Story 3 - Michael Arndt
• The Social Network - Aaron Sorkin

Hero of the Year

• Christopher Nolan
• James Franco
• Roger Ebert
• Aaron Sorkin
• Natalie Portman

Villain of the Year

• Jason Friedberg + Aaron Seltzer
• Will Smith's kids
• Harvey Weinstein
• Miley Cyrus
• M Night Shymalan

Best Scene-Stealer

• Justin Timberlake - The Social Network
• Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
• Chloe Moretz - Kick-Ass
• Tom Hardy - Inception
• Rock - 127 Hours
• Kieran Culkin - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• Christian Bale - The Fighter

Most Breakthrough Performance

• Hailee Stenfeld - True Grit
• Chloe Moretz - Kick-Ass
• Tom Hardy - Inception
• Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
• Greta Girwig - Greenberg

Best Supporting Actor

• Geoffery Rush - The King's Speech
• Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
• Jeremy Renner - The Town
• Rock - 127 Hours 
• Christian Bale - The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress

• Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
• Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
• Chloe Moretz - Kick-Ass
• Mila Kunis - Black Swan
• Marion Cottilard - Inception

Best Movie Moment

• Mark Zuckerberg's comeback towards the Winklevosses - The Social Network
• Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis makes out - Black Swan
• Gravity Fight Scene - Inception
• Scott Pilgrim vs. Deadly Evel Exes - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• The climax - Toy Story 3
• James Franco cuts off his arm - 127 Hours

Best Actress 

• Natalie Portman - Black Swan
• Ellen Page - Inception
• Jennifer Lawrence -Winter's Bone
• Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

Best Actor

• Colin Firth - The King's Speech
• James Franco - 127 Hours
• Jesse Einseberg - The Social Network
• Leonardo Dicaprio - Inception
• Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine

Stanley Kubrick Award for Best Director

• Darren Arronofsky - Black Swan
• Danny Boyle - 127 Hours
• David Fincher - The Social Network
• Christopher Nolan - Inception
• Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Best Picture

• 127 Hours
• Animal Kingdom
• Black Swan
• Greenberg
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• Kick-Ass
• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3

Please vote at the comments section below. The results will be handed out after the MTV Movie Awards

Road To The "Oscar"

OK. There will be 5 sleeps until the Oscars is held and I believe that in some ways, the Academy tries to get the attention of minors or trying to gather a youthful audience to watch the Oscars after school. They chose Anne Hathaway and James Franco as hosts because they're young and more well known to many young ones. Then they nominate Toy Story 3, Inception for Best Picture some movies that everyone would enjoy. Would teens watch the annual show?

But we're not talking about why young people should care about the Oscars. (they don't watch good movies at times anyway). the title Road to The "Oscar" refers to the one and only Oscar category I care about (hence the quotation marks of the word Oscar and how the word is not in plural form): The Academy Award For Best Picture.

In my opinion, doubling the nominees to 10 seems to be a good move. The move was based on what movies everybody liked (the people and the critics). Ever since 2005, there have been nominees which the majority of people have never heard about but the critics loved. In 2005, the Oscars back then was the lowest rated Oscars in television because nobody have heard about movies such as Capote, Crash (the Best Pic winner), Good Night and Good Luck which was directed by George Clooney and Munich which was an unknown piece from Steven Spielberg. It was the same as for 2007 where There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men and Michael Clayton was never well known to a lot of people. But the next year, the Best Picture category had everyone's nerves. There was disappointment to many people that The Dark Knight and WALL-E wasn't nominated for Best Picture accusing the Academy of snubbing these two movies (all poppy) saying they were deserving. So it was a great move that last year the nominees were 10 because it shows a range of movies that many audiences enjoy. From science fiction like Avatar, District 9 to darling indies like Precious and The Hurt Locker.

This year the Best Picture nominees involves a cyber-Kane, a stuttering King, a dream weaver, a lesbian couple, a batshit ballerina, some dude who cuts his arm off and a cowboy movie. I forgot to mention a crack boxer, toys and a hillbillie family with true grit.

127 Hours - that movie featuring the greatest amputation scene


Plot:
The true story of an extreme sports enthusiast whose arm got trapped between the rock. During his time with the boulder, he goes back to memories filled with every emotion from the varied spectrum and hallucinates of his peers and family.


What I Think Of The Movie:
I may be exagerrating, but 127 Hours is the best contemporary film of this modern millenium with a flawless performance from James Franco. It's Man Vs. Wild meets Hitchcock.

Chance of Winning Best Picture:
Despite the fact that Danny Boyle previously directed Slumdog Millionaire, this movie will not likely win Best Picture. It's risk taking at any standards but it won't appeal the Academy though. Won't likely to win any Oscars, but my wish is it should win Best Editing.

Black Swan - Ballerinas must seek group therapy


Plot:
Natalie Portman is a ballerina who seeks perfection so badly that she pressures herself way too much.

What I Think:
Black Swan is a movie that wants to find itself through sexual and literally reflective motifs. It is a rollercoaster ride by Darren Aronofsky whose character study brings Natalie Portman to a tour-de-force performance. Everything looks esquisite especially the choreography.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
Even if it won three Best Picture awards from three Critics Groups and a nod for Arronofsky for directing it, soon it won't win Best Picture. But hey. It'll definitely brings home Best Actress for Natalie Portman.

The Fighter - Boxer with seven troll sisters


Plot:
Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) is the brother of Micky Ward whose a boxer. Well, unsuccessful. And Ward cannot continue not only because he cannot box properly, but because Dicky end up in prison but because his mother would not let him and also his seven ugly sisters.

What I Think:
The Fighter is just some ordinary boxing movie. Every movie is the same except for Million Dollar Baby. However The Fighter is just formulaic and cliche with the same plot, but I still think the performances save this film.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
It is nominated for many Best Pics, but it wouldn't win. At least they'll get Supporting honours.

Inception - The Dream Weaver


Plot:
An extractor whose still in grief for the death of his wife. But he makes one last task by planting an idea into someone's deepest dreams.

What I Think:
Inception is a multi-layered thriller with a science fiction premise. It's beyond speculative fiction cementing Christopher Nolan's reputation as its greatest filmmaker working right now.

Chance OF Winning Best Picture:
Nolan was responsible for bringing 10 nominees. The Academy already responded with that, they don't need to respond by giving it Best Picture. It's already an awesome movie. You don't need to win Best Pic if this movie was perfect. It should win most of the technical categories, but it should win Best Original Screenplay.

The Kids Are Alright - Married... With children... and we're gay.


Plot:
A lesbian couple has two kids. the kids find their sperm donor who had made them and the wives are shocked to find out.

What I Think:
The Kids Are Alright is pretty overrated. Ever since Brokeback Mountain, it seems that the academy is so obssessed with films about gays.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
Fortunately for The Kids Are Alright it won the Golden Globe For Best Picture - Musical Or Comedy (even though it was the only legit film for that category). But it will never win the category, but I'm predicting that the biggest shock of the Oscars would be Annette Bening winning Best Actress over Portman. It may win Best Original Screenplay because it's an indie flick with 'values'

The King's Speech - The King who.. simply couldn't speak


Plot:
King George VI can't deliver a speech. He then bond with a speech therapist so he can speak again during times of war and troubles

What I Think:
The King's Speech is a delightful film that has a fascinating problem of an iconic king. But the whole movie is entirely predictable but is lifted up by the performances of Colin Firth and Geoffery Rush.

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
The King's Speech could win Best Picture not because it is supported by the Weinsteins but because the Academy enjoy a feel-good movie even if it was predictable. If it doesn't win, it will certainly go away with a Best Actor prize for Colin Firth and possibly a Best Original Screenplay.

The Social Network - Cyber-Kane


Plot:
Basically the foundings of Facebook responsible by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg who's portrayed as this cold-hearted genius betraying his friends and peers to make this website.

What I Think:
An impreccable direction from David Fincher, a quick witted script by Aaron Sorkin and a remarkable cast featuring Jesse Einseberg and Andrew Garfield shows that this is the best film made by Hollywood for 2010. It is not a movie about Facebook, it's a dark and realistic look of how we find connections online

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
Sweeping almost all of the critics awards there is including a Golden Globe, this may not win Best Picture because the Academy voters may be left cold with this one. At least they're a sure shot for winning Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay

Toy Story 3 - the third plot of plastics


Plot:
The third instalment of the incredible trilogy, Andy's going to college and don't know what to do with them. Unfortunately he unintendedly left them in a trash bag so the toys enter a daycare disguised as a dungeon.


What I Think:
It is perfect, but it doesn't mean it's flawless. Sometimes the movie feels so familiar with the previous movies way better than this one. At least Toy Story was fun and emotional

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
They're certainly a full shot for Best Animated Feature, but will never win the top prize. At least it was nominated for the top category, grossed a billion dollars and is a great movie from Pixar

True Grit - Coens' 'greatest' film


Plot:
14 year old Mattie Ross asks a drunk US Marshal to help find her father's killers.

What I Think:
Well apparently I find this overrated. The Coens may have recaptured the Western and Hailee Steinfeld steals the show, but apparently I don't think the performances of the whole cast (exception of Steinfeld) never worked for me. And the ending is questionable, but still it's a good movie.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
The last Western to win was Unforgiven in 1991. However True Grit got too many noms and should get one Oscar, at least. Anyway, it won't win Best Picture even though the Academy enjoys remakes.

Winter's Bone - Ozarks may rest in pieces


Plot:
A family from the Ozarks is living under poverty and the daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) goes finding her father who escaped bail and is hunting the family.

What i think:
Honestly I don't have anything about Winter's Bone because I haven't seen it. But it was a critics darling and unfortunately many people were bored by it. This is the only film nobody's ever heard about unless you've went to Sundance.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
To be honest, there's a 1 in 10 chance of winning. But to be fair, this may be a shocker if it wins because it was considered 'unforgettable' by the critics. Expect a Crash-styled upset.


My Pics:


The 'Best' Best Picture Nominees:


1. 127 Hours (10.0)
2. The Social Network (9.6)
3. Inception (9.5)
4. Black Swan (9.4)
5. Toy Story and The King's Speech (tie) (7.8)
7. True Grit (6.4)

I haven't seen The Fighter, The Kids Are Alright and Winter's Bone but I stand corrected by my opinions (except for the latter)


Who Will Win:
It will be a neck-and-neck race between The King's Speech and The Social Network. The King's Speech may get the top prize. it was given every top honour from the Guilds, the public enjoyed it, the critics enjoyed it. Everybody enjoyed it. The Social Network is a critics' darling and to my understanding it was a cold portrayal of Mark zuckerberg, one of the most powerful men in the world who founded Facebook only his character matches the website's irony.

Who Should Win:
The Social Network. It is a modern day look of the insecurities of this generation

OK. I'm done. But I'm not watching the Oscars. I'll catch it up in the news of who won and who lost.

127 Hours - 5 days and 7 hours. 90mins of a climax

A+ (10.0)

So far, I've seen seven of the Best Picture nominees. All of which are deserving for their nomination, and 127 Hours is the latest from the genre of critically acclaimed movies intended for film buffs.

To be honest, I've never heard of the initial story of Aron Ralston having his arm stuck and then cutting off so he won't die. The story turned into a media frenzy and it's an inspirational story of survival that anyone could see.

Danny Boyle (whose previous work includes Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and lastly Slumdog Millionaire) had been wanting to make this for years now and today, he succeeded. Boyle retells the story in his daring and provocative style.

Ralston is played by James Franco and Ralston was an avid and free-spirited adventurer taking no barriers and boundaries with him in Canyonlands in Utah. He meets two girl hikers on the way going the same way as Ralston. After he left them, he goes way deeper into the canyons where, wait for it... a boulder fell behind Ralston and his arm got trapped in the process. He does several ways to get out of the rock and the only way out is... amputate his arm that is trapped.

Another movie that was so similar was Buried where for 90 minutes you get to see Ryan Reynolds trying to escape from a coffin that is buried. The movie was a sort of a gimmick, there was no story and it was just experimental so they can challenge the audience. But for 127 Hours, the premise is the same with the same length of time. The difference is it has a story that is structured, there is character and the film is visually stimilating.

Boyle is a filmmaker whose vibrant style should be appreciated. The opening sequence is almost shot like an ad starring any top NBA player you liked. It's shot with a population of ordinary people cheering or doing their normal routine. Boyle takes the camera into various angles and shots from a bird's view, extreme close-ups and high-angle. The visual empowerment comes from Ralston's vivid hallucinations and imagery of memories that feels avant-garde It's also literally shot on a hand-held video-cam where the close-ups of Aron are absolutely grainy and personal.

To tell that this was made by Boyle is that he's obsessed with his edits it makes the film more tight and edgy.

Boyle always get brownie points for the music in his films. He spanned two soundtracks for Trainspotting, brought Bollywood to the West Side in Slumdog Millionaire. His second collaboration with A.R Rahman is a great one as the score is truly atmospheric.

James Franco brings in a captivating performance and I think in almost a year as a film buff and my own opinion, the greatest and flawless from a kind of actor in this contemporary era of film. He's free-spirited and charismatic since he does everything he want to do which makes Ralston more likeble and more of a role model. When he's stuck in a boulder, he goes deep into his regrets and memories that were both in happier and sadder times. Ralston is not so much inspirational as it'll thought it will be (face it. IF you're trapped on a boulder, you would rather cut your own arm off) but he inspires to confront times of relationships going on and off between his former girlfriend, his family and work colleagues and times that would've happened before he'd got trapped. For instance, he would've been to this party the two hikers had invited had he didn't kept on going. Franco also gives his character some comic relief as well. Franco gives the defining performance of his career as a multi-talented actor who have different skills. And yes, repeat, a flawless one.

But the most discussed issue about 127 Hours is that amputation scene. That scene doesn't end the whole movie. It is over-realistic, but it's the situation of life and death he has to face if he had ran out of needs to have him survive. This is not for the faint-hearted who will literally faint when seeing that film. But, repeat, it doesn't end the entire chapter of Ralston's life as it is unpredictable when you think it would be predictable given the premise is that simple. Once you'll see Franco cutting his own arm off, you will give out a huge sigh of relief that he'd finally made it out. It is excruciating to watch but it's pumped up.

Boyle shows off his finest with this film as he has made a movie that has a basic premise, but inside is an emotional ride and journey of the explorer's life. This is almost perfect. It is one of the most visceral contemporary films of the millenieum and it is an unforgettable experience.

What a ripper!