Ace's Best And Worst Of 2010

Let’s be honest.  2010 was a cinematic bust.  Sure, there were a few of bright spots here and there, but a couple of good turdlets does not a whole shit make, as they say (and by ‘they’ I mean me).

While I could easily fill pages upon pages with the worst films of the year, I’d be hard pressed to come up with 10 that I consider to be the best.  I’ll let Centauri handle the list duties and simply cut to the chase with what I thought was the single best and worst film I’ve seen this past year.

Drumroll…

Best Film: I Am Love

Director Luca Guadagnino’s devastating love story still haunts my memory.  Set in Milan, the film follows a wealthy, yet emotionally unfulfilled married woman (Tilda Swinton) as she embarks on an affair with her son’s chef friend (Edoardo Gabbriellini) that rekindles her passion for life and love.

Tilda Swinton gives the single best performance of her career as a woman who must navigate through her own despair to find happiness again in this life, risking everything with some very tragic consequences.  

She should have been a shoo-in for an Oscar, but since the film went into limited release last March and a wide release in July, her performance will be all but forgotten in favor of crazy ballet dancers and cowgirls.

It’s a damn shame.  “I Am Love” is the ONLY film I’ve seen last year that actually approaches art, and not some product placement film or special effects demo reel (“Prince of Persia” anyone?).  It’s a beautifully moving piece that showcases some standout cinematography by Yorick Le Saux and a rich score by John Adams. 

In my review (HERE) I stated that “I Am Love” will "restore your faith in the beauty and power of narrative filmmaking."  I still stand by that.  Go see it.

Worst Film: Easy A

This one was a close call with the special effects demo reel known as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” but where that film was just a soulless, depressing exercise, “Easy A” stands out as being the most insulting film that I’ve seen in recent years, so much so that I placed this crapfest directly into the Soiled Restroom Cinema (HERE) upon its DVD release.

If the amazingly gifted writer/director John Hughes didn’t drop dead of a heart attack, he probably would have committed suicide after witnessing this blatant rip off of his work, poorly disguised as an homage to his 80’s quest items.



Director Will Gluck gleefully urinated on Hughes’ grave with this story of a high school teen (Emma Stone) who lies to her classmates that she had sex with some mythical college dude.

Bad enough that Gluck (and screenwriter Bert V. Royal) lifted various plot devices from his work, but it’s even worse that he not only directly references John Hughes, but also shows us clips of his films within the story!  As if we’re not smart enough as a viewing audience to figure this shit out on our own.

Then again, maybe we are idiots, as many still consider the HIGHLY OVERRATED “Inception” to be one of the best films of the year.  Sigh.

Best Film Runner Ups:

“Winter’s Bone” – Stunning performances by Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes.  Easily my second favorite film of the year. (DVD Klaxxon review HERE)
“Kick Ass” – Refreshing take on the superhero genre from director Matthew Vaughn (“Layer Cake”).  Superb performance by Chloe Grace Moretz as the now iconic Hit Girl. (review HERE)

Worst Film Runner Ups:

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” – A film so depressing I didn’t even write a full review for it. (see HERE)
“Sex and the City 2” – Films like this one give new meaning to the word ‘cunt’.
“Iron Man 2” – A two hour advertisement for the forthcoming “Avengers” film in 2012.

Most Surprising Film:

“Furry Vengeance” – Funny is funny, and that’s all I’ll say on the subject. (Uncle Billy’s review HERE)

“Deeds, not words…”