The Best of 2010

Throughout the year, I have been keeping track of my favorite films and compiling them into a top 10 list for the end of the year. However, as the year progressed and the list grew, I began crossing out some films I really liked. So, instead I’ve decided to submit a list of my favorite films of 2010, in alphabetical order:

127 Hours Great performance from James Franco and superb direction from Danny Boyle elevate a tricky film to film

The American Wonderfully shot story of an assassin with a solid Clooney performance

Black Swan Aronofsky's nightmarish tale of ballerina's descent contains great Natalie Portman performance

Cyrus Hysterically funny, under the radar story of a man being thwarted by his girlfriend's grown son

The Ghost Writer Great and tense political Polanski thriller

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Badass Swedish movie about title character teaming up with a reporter 

to solve 40 year old mystery

The Kids are All Right Funny and touching story of an alternate family in modern day L.A. (Annette Bening is great in it)

The King’s Speech My pick for the year's best, an actor's showcase depicting both ends of London's pre-war social classes

Leaves of Grass Tim Blake Nelson's film did not receive a release in NE Ohio, but nonetheless contains a wacky plot and that brilliant Edward Norton double role

Looking for Eric Closing film for the Cleveland International Film Festival also did not receive a release, is Ken Loach's hysterical account of a soccer fanatic

Never Let Me Go Devastating account of human clones raised to be organ donors

The Red Riding Trilogy Engossing and challenging 3 part series about the Yorkshire Ripper and police corruption in London in the late 1970s

Restrepo Heart rendering first person account of life on the front lines in the most dangerous sector of Afghanistan

Shutter Island Polarizing critics and audiences alike, I thought Scorsese's film was a marvel of mood and atmosphere

The Social Network David Fincher's superb account of the founding of the online website

The Town Ben Affleck returns with a riveting story of Boston bank robbers. Jeremy Renner shines again.

Toy Story 3 Pixar strikes again with the third installment in the series with a film that really grabs the viewer (no thanks to the 3D)

True Grit An old fashioned western (something unexpected from the Coens) and great performances all around

Winter’s Bone Film about a girl's search for her father beautifully captures time and place