Alright, it is that time of year again when I look back on the year and pick out my 10 favorites put them in a vaguely arbitrary order and post them for the enjoyment of several people who will attack me and my sexual preference and history because they don’t agree with me about movies. This year was sort of the opposite from last year with some very satisfying blockbusters and genre pictures and less quality awards films. So this list is going to be pretty top heavy with the sort of movies that get you yelled at for putting them on a top list but I don’t really give a shit. These are my favorites, which has nothing at all to do with the objective best. Some of these movies are films I did not review as I was out of the game following my Mom’s death and a near fatal car accident that left me sidelined but they were great and deserve to be here. As always, comments are welcome but if you are going to talk shit, please have the sack to post your own list.

10. Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol:

The fourth in the series, Ghost Protocol is a return to form for Tom Cruise after some rough years at the box office. This installment is exciting, funny and full of the sorts of stunts that you expect from the series but now with a return to form from the original show with an increased emphasis on the IMF team as opposed to just Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. This is Brad Bird’s first live action outing and it proves that he is just as good with live action as he is with animation.

9.Moneyball:

Telling the true story of Billy Beene, General Manager of the Oakland A’s, who has to figure out how to come up with a winning team with almost no money, Moneyball is at turns very funny and very sad and hard to watch. The screenplay by Aaron Sorkin pops and Brad Pitt turns in one of the best performances of his career. Given that it is a true story it is also by necessity a heartbreaking one on many levels but it is also an inspirational tale of perseverance and the pains a person must go through to find out what is really important to them. It isn’t just for baseball fans as it is a compelling story either way but if you are a baseball fan then all the better.

8.Descendants:

Another movie on the list that is both heartbreaking and very funny the Descendants does some things that movies like this don’t normally do. Rarely do we see films that deal with a person in a coma in which the characters around the patient are allowed to express this level of rage and frustration with the person. This allows the film to explore the complex emotions around someone who has been critically injured but who has done something pretty bad to the people who loved him or her. The performances are genuine and the script is well written and honest. The Descendants has just the right balance of humor and drama and feels all the more authentic for it.

7.Drive:

Drive was a movie that grew on me. My first viewing left me appreciative of many aspects of it and annoyed by others. As it ferments, however, the film emerges as a haunting and beautiful treat. Certainly not for every taste, Drive has the confidence to be quiet and ponderous when it needs to be and explosive and violent as well. Ryan Gosling is perfect as the stoic driver and performances by Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks are awards worthy. Don’t go in expecting something fast and kinetic like Fast Five and you are in for a treat.

6.50/50:

Continuing the trend of genuinely funny dramas, 50/50 is inspired by a true story of a guy in his late 20’s who finds himself with a nasty spinal cancer and a 50% chance of survival. Featuring excellent performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick, this movie is pretty punishing at times but it is also very funny. It is difficult not to get emotionally involved in this story regardless of whether or not you have dealt with cancer in yourself or a loved one. The themes and emotions here are fairly universal and it is a very relatable film that is not afraid to go to dark places while still pointing out the funny moments even in the midst of fear and tragedy.

5.X-men First Class:

First Class took me by surprise as I was fairly certain this was going to be a mess but it turned out to be the best super hero movie of the summer and maybe the best of the X-Men movies. It is a disaster in terms of continuity from the source material but what it lacks in technical accuracy it more than makes up for in tone and story telling. The performances rock as well with Michael Fassbender really standing out from the crowd. The effects are awesome, the action is exciting and the story is well done. It also has the best cameo of any movie ever. Something of a super hero master class, this installment almost even makes up for X-men 3 and Wolverine. Almost.

4.Horrible Bosses:

Pound for pound I think that Horrible Bosses is the best and most consistent comedy of the year. It starts strong and never lets up. The chemistry between Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis is really great and the performances from the bosses, particularly from Colin Farrell, are top notch. I have watched this repeatedly and it still has not gotten stale. If you haven’t had such bad work experiences in a market that doesn’t allow for quitting and finding something else then you may not plug into this but I loved it and it really hits home all the way through the film.

3.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2:

The final film of the final chapter in the long running Harry Potter series, this is easily the best of the lot. Full of action, emotion, humor and insane special effects, this is a tour de force of genre film making delivering everything the audience wants in spades. If you are a Potter fan who has followed the series it is really hard not to be choked up by some of the things that go down here and likewise  it is difficult not to cheer for some others. It is the most fitting and worthy way that the series could go down and there is no sour note here if you will forgive the poorly executed coda at the end. I didn’t review this when it was released but I saw it twice in the theater and it was a bright spot in a hard time even if some of the themes were hard to take at that moment. It is pretty close to perfect for fans of the series. If you aren’t a fan then none of what I just said will have much relevance or traction.

2.The Muppets:

Proof that sometimes reintroductions of older characters and films can be awesome and pay off big, the Muppets captures the feel and joy of the old show and drops it in our laps today. This doesn’t modernize the Muppets or try to reinvent them for ‘today’s audience’ but rather embraces the silliness that makes the Muppets work and has a great time doing it. The songs are awesome, the jokes are often the best kind of groan inducing and the whole thing feels like the Muppets never left. I hope this is the start of a new Muppet franchise with the same talent behind the camera and word processor. Everyone involved clearly loved the Muppets and did their best to bring them back to life. It is nice to see that once their best WAS good enough.

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo:

A controversial film both for its content and for arguments over whether it should exist , the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is dark and compelling featuring interesting characters who inhabit a fairly standard murder mystery. The movie is directed by one of my favorite directors, David Fincher, and is perfectly suited to his sensibilities. It is a dark and violent film that may turn off some viewers with weak stomachs for rape and torture but I never felt that, even with those elements it strayed into exploitation. You may figure out the mystery early on and may find those aspects of it familiar, but the characters are the stars here and make whatever situation they are in interesting. If you can hang with it, it is a film that will stay with you and stands out from the crowd.

 

Alright so there it is. Again, if you feel compelled, please comment below with your thoughts and opinions and your own lists. If you feel like you are welling up with nerd rage over the fact that we have different tastes in movies, I suggest you turn off your computer and go outside for a run, maybe to somewhere nice like a therapist. Just a suggestion.