Thoughtful reviews, the Boulder film scene

Betty Blue

There can be beauty in tragedy, particularly when the key ingredient is the same in both —Marty Mapes (review...)

Betty arrives like a bolt from the Blue

" I know a guy married the same dame 3 times then turned around and married her aunt "
— William Demarest, The Lady Eve

MRQE Top Critic

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The year 2010 is the year of the harmonic convergence, at least in terms of great movies.

Here at Movie Habit we often disagree wildly over which small film is really the best of the year. We end up with horse-race voting where everyone’s rooting interest is just a few points away from the nearest contender.

This year, the number of contenders is smaller, and there is broader agreement over which films deserve recognition. We didn’t all agree on Black Swan, Inception, or The Social Network, but enough of us did that they are obvious picks near the top of our list.

One contributing factor might be that Matt Anderson and Marty Mapes each contributed less than 10 picks. Anderson said “I thought it’d be a breeze to come up with a Top Ten this year. Not so. I can definitely make a high-quality top five, but getting to ten is a stretch.” Mapes said “I can only come up with eight. There are plenty of honorable mentions I could fill out the list with, but I would rather not go on record as saying they’re ‘top ten’ material.”

So if our list looks a bit more like everyone else’s, and a bit less unique than usual, blame it on the convergence of 2010. Here is our list.

1. Black Swan

Natalie Portman is the Black Swan
Natalie Portman is the Black Swan

Ballet, horror, and psychological drama form a sensational Danse Macabre in Black Swan.

2. Carlos

Amazing performance by Edgar Ramirez as a man whose politics rest on anti-authoritarian attitudes

3. 127 Hours

Clocking in at a brisk 94 minutes, 127 Hours hums along swiftly and artfully.

4. Inception

In Inception, a movie packed with ideas, it is said an idea is like a virus.

5. Red Riding Trilogy

A masterpiece of darkness and corruption

6. The Social Network

Brainiocrat behind Facebook a class-A jerk of a protagonist

7. Stone

Janine is sweetly and inappropriately seductive with her three sons
Janine is sweetly and inappropriately seductive with her three sons

This drama has an interesting message lurking in the darkness.

8. Animal Kingdom

Terrific cast, great scenes bring grim tale to life

9. Alamar

Magical portrait of one five-year-old’s summer with his fisherman father

10. Winter’s Bone

Sobering movie examines the emotionally deprived life of an Ozark teen-ager saddled with caring for her family

Fourteen other titles were nominated for our top ten list. Find out what they are, along with our individual contributions on our Top Ten 2010 Data page.