Top 5 lists are always fun. Hell top anything lists are always fun. I’ve decided to make a different top movies list. I’m going to be going by decade (starting with the most recent one 10-11). I’m not some highbrow critic that will give you in-depth analysis on the best movies. I’m just gonna do my favs.
This decade really only gives me like 15 months of film to choose from, so this list is pretty simple. I’m gonna start in reverse order, counting down to my favourite movie. So, here goes…
***SPOILER ALERT***
5. THE FIGHTER – Starring: Marky Mark, Batman, and that girl from Enchanted.
Coming into this movie I was a bit sceptical. It has a pretty basic and seemingly tired premise (down and out boxer makes a comeback).I went to see it anyway (I’m a sucker for boxing movies). But this movie delivered in many ways. Driven by strong performances from the entire cast, (I don’t really need to tell you that just look at this past award season.) this movie was truly entertaining from start to finish. Christian Bale as a washed up Boxer turned crack head was a character that I constantly wanted to see in every scene and craved to see again once I left theaters. My girlfriend, who normally hates Bale, has jumped ship completely. I particularly enjoyed the way they shot the fight sequenced, using the original camera from the 90’s that were actually used to film the fights really added to the film’s authentic feel. I wanted to talk a bit about the Director, David O. Russell, but I was always taught as a screenwriter that images (or video in this case) are more powerful than words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Qls1rAfYs
CHECK THE LINK AT HOME TO MAKE SURE
4. THE BLACK SWAN – Starring Padme, Meg/Jackie, and that Dude from Ocean’s 12.
What’s to say about the Black Swan? I mean I’d probably re-watch Sex and the city 2 if you had Mila Kunis go down on Natalie Portman. (You probably couldn’t pay me to watch Cynthia Nixon go down on Kim Catrall. On second thought, I’d probably prefer to re-watch 2 girls 1 cup than the SATC duo go at it, only probably though) Anyways, The Black Swan is a really dark and powerful film. N-Ports (obviously Portman) is very believable as a young dancer who is obsessed with success (believable enough to get an Oscar). An oddly sexual film, considering the 14A rating here in the Great White North (that’s Canada, guys). I loved how the film doesn’t try and mask the fact that Portman is going crazy. It just progresses naturally, leaving the audiences on the fence on whether she is but never really trying to hide it either. Had this film not been in the masterful hands on Darren Aronofsky, it could have very likely turned out like a bad M. Night Shalalayamanadingdong picture, where everything seems great until the last five minutes the entire story is revealed through flashback. Also, it would have been shot in 3D.
3. THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Starring a Nerd, the Amazing Spiderman and JT.
Sadly I feel this movie was a bit over-hyped during award season. This movie is high on my list (I have not seen the king’s speech yet), but it really lost momentum heading towards the Oscars. It’s Sad, because this is really a great movie. I’m a lover of Dialogue driven films and the Social Network is one of the best dialogue heavy films in a long while. Crafted by Aaron Sorkin, this film is annoyingly clever and should leave every screenwriter running to their PCs (or MACs I guess) to go and write better dialogue. Jesse Eisenberg did not surprise me in the least. I Always thought he was a more (much more) talented version on Michael Cera. Andrew Garfield almost stole the show (that honour goes to Timberlake) and convinced me that he can play whoever, whether it be the Amazing Spiderman or the Stone Cold Steve Austin Biopic (Rumoured). David Fincher brings with him the unusual but brilliant visual style that links all his movies. I’m a Ginormous fan of Fincher, as is my Girlfriend (second GF drop on the blog!) and he made me nostalgic for Napster, Gap sweaters and everything that made the earl 00’s great.
2. HARRY POTTER and THE DEATHLY HALLOWS part 1 - Starring: Three kids and the best actors out of Britain.
I’m just going to let you people (yes, I mean YOU people) know that I am a monstrous HP fan. I obsess over the books and films but… Going into this movie I was a little sceptical. I really did not like HP5 or HP6 (films). As soon as I saw the trailer for HP:DH I was in awe. This was the movie I wanted to see. As a sat in line for the movie, all I could do is hope that the movie was as good as the trailer. And did I ever get a treat. It was simply mind-blowingly great, by far the Best of the potter films/ Shit, it’s probably better than the rest of the films combined. Sadly, I’ve only been able to see it once (a real tragedy), but I would argue that this is a near perfect adaptation. It took a very long story and possibly unfilmable story into a tight piece of cinema. During the chase scene at the start of the film, I honestly sat with a wide-toothed, childish, fanboy grin on my face. It was even better than I could imagine. Visual it was stunning, everything from Special Effects to the sets/locations were just breathtaking (never thought I’d use that term).Finally the trio (Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint) had a chance to stretch their acting muscles. Particularly Grint, who was normally reduced to crappy, half-wit jokes, was able to really show some acting chops. The animation sequence explaining the Hallows surpassed my expectations by such a large margin, the only way I come down from that high was to do an pound of Charlie Sheen. All that’s left to say is that part 2 can’t come any sooner.
1.
….
INCEPTION – starring: Leo, Juno, Bronson, and that kid from 3rd Rock.
Talk about mind blowing. Director, Christopher Nolan had big shoes to fill after The Dark Knight, but boy did he fill them. Easily the most original idea since The Matrix, Nolan was able to take an extremely complex idea and put it into terms where even an idiot can understand. Nobody does Action like Nolan. Come, I mean a fight scene while the world around you is spinning like a damn clock? Who else could pull that off and make it look as realistic and smooth as you or me walking down the street? Great performances all around, although that East Indian fellow from Drag me to Hell really bugs me (don’t get me started on THAT movie). I’ll admit I have a soft spot for Leo, Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard so it’s hard for me not to like their performances. You can add Joseph Gordon-levitt and Tom Hardy to the list. (I actually saw Tom Hardy at a 7/11 in Vancouver, he’s not that big) Leaving the theater I was extremely jealous at how Nolan was able to craft the Inception sequence and still have it all fit and all make sense and yet still be satisfying to the viewer. This film was easily one of the best film’s I’d ever seen inside a cinema (remember I’m only 21 I haven’t seen that much). Bring on The Dark Knight Rises, bitch!
One thing that all of these movies had in common is that as soon as I had left the theater I wanted to run back in and watch it again. Something that every movie should strive for and something I strive for in my own creativity. Now I only picked five films so I’ll finish off with a list of a few Honourable mentions.
SHUTTER ISLAND, TRON: LEGACY, TRU GRIT, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO TRILOGY, THE TOWN, and TOY STORY 3.
Thanks for reading my Trash Talk
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trash talk is such a rad name.
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