Serious Films of 2010

If you want to get your teeth into something with substance then why not try any of these big Oscar type films from last year.

The Social Network

The story of how an unlikeable college kid created an internet phenomenon, the billions it generated and the popularity it accrued. It all sounds a bit computers and money when it’s laid out like that, on the more human side of things it’s also about the best friend he lost along the way, a dubious foe he gets too close to, and a pair of bumbling twins who think they’ve been robbed. It’s a heady mix of empires, success and friendship. It’s a boy’s tale of binary and betrayal. A Greek geek tragedy.

The opening scene is fairly fast paced and you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s a trifle indulgent or that the characters have aspergers. But don’t control Alt Delete it too soon, it does serve to set the tone if you keep up.

It’s fair to say not a lot of action really happens in this film, it’s a relatively wordy based drama, but the dialogue is biting and smart. It’s also beautifully filmed and creatively directed, its hard work to make the intersecting story of 2 lawsuits really snappy stylish stuff so kudos to David Fincher for that. And it also has a fantastic score and soundtrack. I really love the club scene and the rowing race. Really thrilling stuff. It does run the risk of being to businessy, geeky and smart arsey clever with the dialogue for its own good.

Up in the Air

George Clooney rides solo as a man who yellow bellied companies who dont like getting their hands dirty hire to fire employees. Clooney flies round the country doing this and loving it. He has no home, no family or commitments. Then he gets an apprentice (Anna Kendrick’s whose the brightest star in this) and a sort of girlfriend, and an invite to his sisters wedding and he starts to re-evaluate his life. It’s good fun and Clooney has a sickening load of charm to drive it forward.

Inception

It’s a thrilling if not baffling sci fi blockbuster that involves Leonardo Di Caprio going inside the dreams of acquired targets in order to steal information. It’s got a big old cast, a fairly intriguing premise and a fuck tonne of dazzling special effects. The only problem is the trying to keep up with it leaves you feeling stupid and exhausted, it’s like cinematic suduko so there is the danger of switching off and just taking in the grandeur of the CGI like a simpleton and pretending to know what’s happening. It’s daring for a blockbuster, and definitely worth a watch (or several if you’re the painfully geeky type who will endlessly bore their friends who didn’t care for it with the ins and outs of it.) It was a good cinematic experience, but on dvd I paused it as 20 minute intervals just to summarise in my head what the fuck was happening.

It may be about going inside people’s heads, but it runs the risk of disappearing up its own (smart) arse.

The Blindside

Based on a true story, Sandra Bullock plays the mother and wife to a wealthy small town family with southern sensibilities (ie there’s a hint of racism in the air). However when a new boy/gentle giant starts at her kids school, Bullock takes pity on ‘Big Mike’ a troubled black teen from a dodgy background. She takes him into her home, feeds him, clothes him and becomes a mother to him, much to the surprise of her society friends. She then sets out on a path to understand and love him and eventually nurtures him into a superstar football player.

Bullock steals the show as the sassy smart talking Leighann, who knew Miss Congeniality had it in her to act up an Oscar storm. And deservedly so.  It even shunted my iron heart and made me well up at points. It’s just a beautiful inspiring tale of human kindness. Something we don’t see on screen all too often.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

One great thing about European sensibilities to film making is how they slide on in brutal brutal violence without warning. It’s a bit like a swift punch to the gut visually, and they film things really creepily too (think of Let the Right One In) It’s a mystery thriller were 2 unlikely people are thrown together to solve a disappearance case. It has an extremely brutal rape scene in it. It’s still a great film though. If you can stomach hard hitting violence and more annoyingly subtitles then this is for you.  Sequels are a bit mince though.

Precious (based on the novel Push by Saphire)

Another film another horrible rape. This is perhaps the most depressing film ever made. An overweight black teen tries to escape the crippling poverty surrounding her. It’s has every awful thing imaginable, abuse, drug use, neglect, aids, fat people and a convoluted name. And worst still, Mariah Carey. But to be fair her performance is subtle and restrained. It has some quality acting in it, but it honestly is a film that you survive then recover from.

Shutter Island

It’s the 50’s, or the 20’s, or something like that, anyway it’s set in times gone by. Leo Di Caprio is a cop sent to investigate the disappearance of an inmate from the formidable mental institute Shutter Island. Once there it all gets a bit creepy and unsettling. Much like Inception it gets hard to know what’s real and what’s really happening. It’s worth a watch because Leo is such a good actor and the whole tone is a bit spooky.

The Lovely Bones

It’s the 60’s and a teenage girl is murdered by her creepy paedo like neighbour. No one knows who did it so she exists in an inbetween world and is desperately trying to send her family a message from beyond the grave. Her inbetween world is a weird place with a lot of silly and annoying CGI imagery. Stanley Tucci is the real star as the evil neighbour.

Invictus

Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandella in real life biopic as he tries to bring a divided South Africa together through rugby. I know nothing of Rugby, little of the problems of South Africa and a basic grasp of Nelson Mandellas life and I still found this really gripping. A good solid sporting political drama. And Matt Damons in it.

Somewhere

It has the best unbelievably lengthy sequence of amateur twins performing a tennis themed pole dance to Beyonce number your ever likely to see on cinema. And it’s quite a sight. Stephen Dorf stars in Sofia Copola’s tale about an aging actor doing shitty films for good money who still lives a party lifestyle of pole dancers and expensive hotels. Then his talented daughter gets dropped on him and he has to straighten up. It’s a coppola film so as you can imagine not a lot happens and as she is the indie arty type there a lengthy stationary camera shots and scenes. Dakota Fanning’s sister plays the daughter and is great. Like sunshine in the bleakness. It’s good if you can stomach pretentiousness.

The Road

After the apocalypse a boy and his father try and survive in a world were all the wildlife is dead and hope is thin on the ground. They decide to try and make it to the coast were they dream something better awaits. Thankfully evil cannibal’s gangs roam the land, so even after the world ends people are still arseholes. Their journey is treacherous and I properly started to get panicked feelings for them. It made me feel sad and choked me ever so slightly so I’d recommend it.

Bad Lieutenant

Nic Cage stars as wayward drug taking, law breaking, pimp policeman who is deeply embroiled in all kinds of gang crime. The film is crazily trippy to the point of off putting but it does have a great gangster breakdancing into afterlife sequence and some imaginary iguanas. Not sure if it’s quality or a side stepper, but I remember thinking highly of it at the time.

A Single Man

A beautiful film, beautifully written, filmed and acted. Beautiful. Colin Firth stars in the heart wrenching tale of a man left to face his life alone after his same sex partner dies in a tragic accident. As he increasingly finds the world alien and unappealing, a glimmer of hope comes in the shape of Nicholas Hoult ala the kid from About a Boy. It has the sadness of Brokeback Mountain with grief so restrained and dignified you’ll feel it in your chest. And the director is the fashion designer Tom Ford, so all the seventies set pieces look amazing.

A Prophet

Gritty French prison drama about a young inmates rise through the ranks of the gang culture inside. There’s some strong violence and uneasy viewing. But it’s intense and bleak in parts.