Taking a break from covering the Oscars, I sat down and figured out my favorite movies from 2010. While some movies are among the top contenders for Oscar gold, others are simply excellent films.

10. “Secretariat”

Make fun of me all you want: This is the feel-good movie of the year. Diane Lane is exquisite and charming. (Oscar possibility: Costume Design and Sound categories)

9. “Moon”

The 2009 space-age sci-fi movie from director Duncan Jones left an impact when I saw it in April. (No Oscar possibility)

8. “Shutter Island”

This Martin Scorsese mystery stands out for its beautiful cinematography, editing and story. The haunting score is the perfect mélange of modern classical music. (Possibility: Art Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing and Sound categories)

7. “The Kids Are All Right”

Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are perfect in one of the year’s most sincere stories. (Possibility: Picture, Bening for Actress, Mark Ruffalo for Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay and Film Editing)

6. “Inception”

Christopher Nolan has earned the Oscar for Original Screenplay. He spent 10 years perfecting this ultimate heist movie. Breathtaking visuals. Mind-bending story. Superb acting. Haunting soundtrack. (Possibility: Nolan for Director and Original Screenplay, Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound categories and Visual Effects)

5. “127 Hours”

This is an extraordinary story of a man put in extraordinary circumstances. Director Danny Boyle perfectly captures the raw energy and emotion of desperation onscreen. (Possibility: Picture, James Franco for Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song and Sound categories)

4. “The King’s Speech”

This is a sophisticated story of a man who needs to overcome the barriers he has built for himself. Tom Hooper’s direction is remarkable. (Possibility: Picture, Colin Firth for Actor, Geoffrey Rush for Supp. Actor, Helena Bonham Carter for Supp. Actress, Hooper for Director, Original Screenplay, Art Direction, Cinematography and Costume Design)

3. “Black Swan”

Watching this modern, fantastical thriller was intoxicating. This is a movie where every element worked perfectly together. I cannot remember a film that left me so euphoric. (Possibility: Picture, Natalie Portman for Actress, Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis for Supp. Actress, Darren Aronofsky for Director, Original Screenplay, Art Direction, Cinematography and Film Editing)

2. “Toy Story 3”

The raw emotion elicited from this film is gobsmacking. Pixar has the unique ability to create a surreal experience with characters we love. The toys could be nominated for best acting. (Possibility: Picture, Animated Feature, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song and Sound categories)

1. “The Social Network”

Its high-energy, fast-paced nature makes this film easy to watch and love. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher brilliantly deliver an atypical movie-going experience. (Possibility: Picture, Jesse Eisenberg for Actor, Fincher for Director, Sorkin for Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Original Score)

Nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, Jan. 25 around 8:30 a.m.

Toledo Free Press Star Lead Designer James A. Molnar blogs about all things Oscar at TheGoldKnight.com. His column will appear online and in print periodically.

Tags: Black Swan, Inception, Moon, Secretariat, Shutter Island, The Gold Knight, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, The Oscars, The Social Network, Toy Story 3

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 at 11:26 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Film, Star, The Gold Knight.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.