Critical Mob’s Top 10 Films of 2010
By Eric SchneiderOn the cinematic front, 2010 was a bit of downer, but in the best possible way—almost every film in our top 10 has a pensive, melancholy streak, and that gravitas is part of what makes these movies exceptional.
While a number of these films specialize in getting into people's heads—most notably Black Swan, 127 Hours, and, of course, Inception—others focus on the concept of family, particularly the beautifully bleak Winter's Bone and the vibrant The Kids Are All Right. These movies present widely divergent stories, but they're all united by their aversion to easily encapsulated Hollywood conventions. And that's why we'll be watching them years from now.
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 Winter's BoneDebra GranikA dark look at one family's struggle to survive. >> |
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 Exit Through the Gift ShopBanksyBanksy hijacks a street-art documentary to fascinating effect. >> |
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 Let Me InMatt ReevesTranslated from its Swedish source with heart and horror intact. >> |
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 I Am LoveLuca GuadagninoA sumptuous film that chronicles the demise of a rich and powerful family at the hands of passion and desire. >> |
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 127 HoursDanny BoyleA tense, moving, and visionary success. >> |
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 The Kids Are All RightLisa CholodenkoWell-earned laughs and tears in a comedy/drama of insight and emotional honesty. >> |
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 InceptionChristopher NolanAn imaginative and intelligent heist film set inside the dreaming mind. >> |
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 A ProphetJacques AudiardA riveting prison drama with flashes of transcendence amid the brutality. >> |
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 The AmericanAnton CorbijnA minimalist Italian-set thriller starring one of Hollywood's finest. >> |
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 Black SwanDarren AronofskyAronofsky transforms a timeworn tale into a brilliant directorial showcase. >> |
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