Films Of The Year (2010)

Now I did promise I would pick a top ten of films from this year in the end that became too hard to really do, there was too much "hmmming" and "ahhing" about. So in the end I've picked a top five (in no particular order) and a group of films all bubbling under but which I couldn't cut down enough to end with a top ten.

So first we're looking at those films that just missed out on the top spots. First up is Micheal Winterbottom's "The Killer Inside Me", by no means an easy watch but this tale of a psychotic town Sheriff is expertly put together with strong performances for it's three leads.

Next is Ben Affleck's second directorial outing "The Town" whilst it's not as strong as "Gone, Baby, Gone" it' still a tightly put together crime thriller which retains a very real sense of time and place in it's Boston location. It's starting to look like Affleck has found where he really belongs on the film set, behind the camera.

A pair of British comedies next with "Four Lions", which was Chris Morris' film debut and Banky's "Exit Through The Giftshop". Both are very entertaining and show promise for future efforts but both also had a feeling of being a bit too self aware of their satirical nature to really shine.

Christopher Nolan's "Inception" showed you can marry smarts to massive budgets and come up with something worth watching. It does have a couple of very impressive set pieces and imagination to spare but it just misses out on the top spots because the emotionality of the story wasn't quite there for me.

I also enjoyed Scorsese's "Shutter Island" with another fine performance from DiCaprio and the kind of ending that I perversely really like but it did suffer from a rather intrusive score in a few places.

"Iron Man 2" weighs in as the best of the typical summer blockbusters. Yes, it is essentially more of the same as before but Robert Downey Jr still has charisma to burn and is only a truly interesting villain away from scoring a superhero film that is a stone cold classic as opposed to just very entertaining.

And before we get to the final five as it were I'll reveal that "The A-Team" has been the guilty pleasure of the year. Yes it's silly but it knows it is. They managed to get the banter between the titular team right, some of the action is outstanding and what's not to like about a film with tank flying and Jessica Biel in uniform?

So here we go, it's my top five films of the year, but remember they're not in any particular order here.

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
Released in April this year, Alice Creed a twisty turney three role thriller. Writer/director J Blakeson keeps thing taught and unpredictable crafting something that keeps you engrossed despite being largely set in one flat. Gemma Arterton proves she is more than a pretty face given the chance and Eddie Marson & Martin Compston excel as men quickly finding themselves out of their depth and struggling to get a foothold on events.

Up In The Air
A slight cheat this one but Jason Reitman's comedy drama hit these shores in January of this year. The tale of George Clooney's corporate downsizer is insightful, funny and heartfelt. It's also seemingly more relevant than ever in these economic times.

Winter's Bone
Debra Granik's rural thriller is outstanding and the surprise of the year to emerge from the festival circuit. Packed full of menace, mystery and a sense of place so strong you'll think you can see breath as you watch it. Jennifer Lawrence's central performance as the determined girl willing to do anything to keep her family together marks her out as a talent to watch out for in the future.

The Social Network
David Fincher strikes again with this tale of the rise of Facebook and the college guys behind it all. Technically masterful in every aspect(the real film nerd in me could pull this film apart endlessly in the skill of it's assembly) The Social Network makes combing divergent timelines and events seem easy and with the aid of Aaron Sorkin's script pulls together a witty and compelling story out of the real life events (albeit the truth is slightly bent to serve the film). Computing is the rock 'n' roll of the generation.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World
This hyperkinetic film assaults the senses and comes away a winner. Breezy, full of invention, charm and wit with that added glow of nostalgia for those of us that remember the days of 8-bit adventuring. Director Edgar Wright further hones his frenetic style but also keeps his hand sure during the (few) slower moments. Sadly Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Ramona never really seems to be really all that great but Kieran Culkin's scene stealing turn as the flat mate makes up for the one disappointing performance. Rarely will you see anything else with such a sense of fun, vibrancy and sense of life.

So there you go, I'm sure people have vastly different opinions on their own choices for the year but that was mine. Just before we go I'll end by saying that at the other end "Predators" whilst perhaps not the worst film I've seen this year was certainly the most disappointing since I actually hoped it might turn out well but in the end it was the most criminal of things for a film. It was just plain boring.

The Power of '3'

3 is the magic number next year in the world of gaming with three of the biggest franchises rolling out their third installments, each one looking to be truely epic saga endings.

So watch below and wait with baited breath for the return of Nathan Drake, Commander Shephard and Marcus Fenix.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Video Games | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Mass Effect 3

Video Games | Mass Effect 3 | VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Gears of War 3

Video Games | Gears of War 3 | Ashes to Ashes Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Trailer of the day: Somewhere

It's another mood piece from Sofia Coppola and by the sounds of it another little charmer;

The A-Team

It's another return to the 80's after Predators resurrection of the archetypal big concept movie we have a retooling of one of the classic TV series of the decade hair styling forgot.

Yes, it's the new A-Team film. Released in the cinema earlier this year it didn't really set the world alight but catching up with it on Blu-ray I can honestly say the film was a lot of fun. A lot of big 'ol dumb fun, just like the television show.

We open on with a prologue that sees the gang meeting up with each other for the first time and we're introduced to each one in turn with character names stamped onto the screen as iconic lines are delivered, gone is the fear the film might take itself too seriously.

It's a sequence that also nicely sets up B.A.'s fear of flying throughout the rest of proceedings during a frantic helicopter chase featuring a stunt so cool even the bad guys applauds the antics of his would be quarry.

Leaping forward a few years we see our heroes get framed (after another frantic action sequence), then break out of various jails (there's a nice nod to One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Phil Silver's Sgt.Bilko plus time for a couple of cameos)before setting out to clear their names and recover some stolen franking plates.

Whilst not being over taxing the plot does use a couple of neat turns as the gang avoid capture by Jessica Biel's dogged pursuit to recapture them, deal with a shady CIA agent (Patrick Wilson going for ever so slightly panto) and try to work just exactly who it was that set them up to start with. Along the way things exploded and people wise-crack.

But that's exactly what this film should be, one imaginative sequence sees the team plummeting in earthward in a tank. Yes, it strains the laws of science but, heck, go with it and it's all done with a sense of fun. Mercifully director Joe Carnahan lets you see what is going on for most of it too; nailing the action with aplomb and showing a comfortable hand with the comedy, it's only the more traditionally dramatic sections where he's a little unsure what tone to strike.

Liam Neeson is dependable as ever as Hannibal the wily old operator, Bradley Cooper turns on the charm as 'Face' and sparks well with Biel and Quinton Jackson acquits himself well enough as BA. But it's Sharlto Copley who gets the best moments and makes the most of them as Mad Murdock, overall the guys do function well as a group bouncing off each (lines come in and over each other, helping give the sense these guys have worked together for years.

So turn off your brain and enjoy a daft adventure (with the occasional streak of wicked black humour) with plenty of bangs and a couple of laughs. It may take a while to settle down (the opening ten minutes or so is a little choppy) but it left me with a silly grin on my face.

And of course it ends with that monologue...