100 Words or Less Top 10 Films of 2010

With humble history lessons, toyous adventures, and messy dream-state endeavors 2010 found itself in abundance of exceptional films. From the inception of an idea, to the inception of the human spirit my top ten films from 2010 seem to hold to a recurring theme. A celebration of life, and the good we can accomplish with the right level of motivation.

When I began putting this list together I fully intended to write a few sentences explaining each choice but in the process realized I was doing nothing more than rehashing my already brief reviews of each so instead I thought it better to just include a link back to the original reviews.

On top of these films I would like to include a few others I though worth mentioning even if they did not make their way into my top 10. For being one of the only films of 2010 to make proper use of that new trend that I despise oh so much 3-D film I have to give recognition to Despicable Me. For convincing me that not every film Ben Stiller stars in is another dreck comedy Greenberg deserves a nod. Lastly for bringing the off-the-wall action packed nonsense back for another laugh filled thrill ride Machete.

True Grit seems to be a contender for this list from everything I have heard but at this point I still have yet to see it. So keep that in mind as it explains why it doesn't make an appearance on the list, or even the honorable mentions.

Let me know what you think in the comments. What films did you think were the top of your year's list? Do you agree with my picks? Disagree?

100 Word Review - Black Swan

Grace, poise, elegance striving for perfection Nina Sawyers an up-and-coming ballerina lands the role she has always dreamed of and along with it a whole new world of stress. In a story that blurs the lines between reality Nina finds herself jockeying to keep her place as the swan queen amongst envious dancers, and a director who can’t quite build her into the sensuous black swan he needs. An odd blend of horror and drama Black Swan will leave you awestruck but intrigued as you’re forced to recall all of the well-acted moments that lead to the film’s final act.

100 Word Review - The King's Speech

“Timing isn't my strong suit.” Bertie jests during his first meeting with speech therapist Lionel Logue, a humorous fact blatantly apparent to the audience after watching the Duke, and second in line king-to-be choke and stammer through his words. A tale of royalty overcoming adversity may not sound so enthralling but adversity builds personality and the shining character of King George the VI is no exception, especially not when conversing with a fearless commoner who fancies himself equal. A brilliantly witty film, The King’s Speech takes a seldom heard history lesson and winds it into a wondrously engaging cinematic masterpiece.

100 Word Review - The Fighter

With a slew of award nominations already in the bag Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale pull out all the stops with their portrayal of Lowell Massachusetts boxing brothers Mickey and Dicky Ward. The true story of the rise of the “Pride of Lowell” takes place in the 1980’s and chronicles Mickey Ward’s push for boxing greatness in spite of the drama surrounding his life. The Fighter takes a colorful ensemble and feeds life into an already engaging story. A perfect blend of drama and action The Fighter will leave you at the edge of your seat feeling every last punch.

100 Word Review - Tron: Legacy

Nearly twenty years after his father’s disappearance Sam Flynn receives a mysterious page from his father that draws him into the cyber-world that has held his father captive. Thrust into the highly unknown Sam is forced to fight to survive amongst the rogue programs he has been mistaken for. A solid revival of the benchmark science-fiction classic Legacy pulls together vibrant visuals and an invigorating score to create an epic atmosphere to which the story did not quite live up to. An unfortunate pressured feeling held throughout the film as the story struggled to expand into anything more than mediocre.

100 Word Review - Gun

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson makes his debut as screenwriter for the 2010 crime thriller Gun, a film that finds Jackson in the starring role as a high profile arms dealer’s connection to the streets. With the police on his trail, and an old friend (Val Kilmer) joining his crew the pressure is on for the hard-headed anti-hero. An earnest attempt by Jackson with Gun takes the mistakes of past films in the rapper’s arsenal and shows a willingness to learn and expand his knowledge of film-making elevating this from seeming exploitation film to stepping stone in a budding film career.

Film Premiere
Despite this film going directly to DVD Jackson, producer Randal Emmett, and director Jessy Terrero were on hand for the one time premiere screening from which the following clip of Jackson introducing the film was taken. You'll have to excuse the fuzzy quality between lighting conditions and the overall quality of the DROID camera it wasn't getting much better than this.

100 Word Review - Thankskilling

When it comes to B-list horror it is often hard to sort the good from the bad. Thankskilling simply and decisively embodies the bad. A story of a cursed turkey that in an act of vengeance has descended upon a group of unsuspecting college students who’re just looking to have a fun Thanksgiving vacation; is crazy enough of a premise but when filled with cheesy one-liners, raunchy humor, and film quality akin to that of a YouTube video it is no doubt that this no name film that probably was never on your “to watch” list should rightfully stay off.

100 Word Review - Winter's Bone

The film adaptation of Woodrell's novel Winter's Bone tells the story of a teenage girl Ree Dolly left to take care of her family in the backwoods of the Ozark Mountains. Struggling but surviving it isn't until life tosses another unfortunate twist at Ree that she's forced to set out in search of her missing father. Despite failing to establish a real emotional connection to the story Winter's Bone presents an interesting and tragic look at a community far from anything we are used to.

100 Word Review - Tangled

Rapunzel a story we have all heard countless times in which the beautiful girl and her flowing gold locks are hidden away in a tower by a dastardly witch until one day a prince wanders along to save her from her unknowing prison. Disney’s re-imagining finds instead a handsome bandit on the run who quickly becomes tangled up in an adventure with our long-haired heroine. Disney rarely disappoints, and Tangled is no exception as it pulls a colorful cast of characters into a creative and fun re-imagining of a classic tale that can easily be enjoyed by the whole family.