Films of the Year 2010

Initially, I could only think of a few real stand-out films of this last year, until I trawled through the UK release list for 2010 and found myself with a long list of twenty-three films, which by my reckoning means that on average, there’s been a great film in cinemas just less than once a fortnight, which seems pretty good going to me.

Here then, are my top ten followed by, in no particular order, a list of thirteen honourable mentions.

1. Bad Lieutenant
When Nicolas Cage met Werner Herzog the result was this bizarre and exciting film, which lit a firework under the arse of the crime genre and ran off giggling manically.

2. Inception
Christopher Nolan delivered yet another cinematic tour de force with this visually rich and debate-starting spectacle.

3. The Secret in Their Eyes
Winner of last year’s Oscar for best foreign feature, this slow-burning, generation-spanning whodunit was captivating and moving.

4. Four Lions
Filled with both mirth and tragedy, Four Lions proved to be the year’s most intelligent comedy and reminded us all once more of Christopher Morris’s superlative satirical talent.

5. Lymelife
A clever and melancholy teen rom-com that won me over due to the note-perfect relationship between its leads, Emma Roberts and Rory Culkin.

6. Splice
Almost certainly the creepiest film of the year, Splice delivered both Cronenbergian body-horror and Freudian psycho-sexual warfare, all wrapped up in creature-feature packaging and great visual effects.

7. A Single Man
A combination of Colin Firth’s compelling performance and Tom Ford’s stylish direction created this heartbreaking and quietening film about love and, more importantly, loss.

8. The Disappearance of Alice Creed
A twisty and twisted British thriller centred around three outstanding performances from Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan.

9. World’s Greatest Dad
A Robin Williams comedy devoid of mawkishness? World’s Greatest Dad was wickedly funny dose of pitch black humour with what has frequently been described as the mother of all plot twists.

10. Agora
A historical epic that had more on its mind than simply swords and sandals, Agora was an unashamedly intelligent drama that boasted a superb central performance from Rachel Weisz.

Honourable Mentions
Made in Dagenham, Chico and Rita, Jackboots on Whitehall, Centurion, American: The Bill Hicks Story, Tetro, Cemetery Junction, The Road, A Prophet, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Another Year, The Social Network and Toy Story 3.

Notes: 127 Hours only fails to make the number two spot as it isn’t actually out until next year. I saw Monsters the other night just in case it made my top ten (I had a feeling it might), but I thought it was pretty rubbish. Finally, there are more than a few films I missed this year which may well have made my top ten or long list, such as Buried, Black Dynamite and, of course, The Last Airbender.