Jonathan Levine’s 10 favorite films of 2010
Writer/Director Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane,...) revealed his 10 favorite films of 2010 to the website "Very Aware". Here they are for you to peruse, in order, with the filmmaker's comments on his entries.
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10 titles
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsMark WahlbergChristian BaleAmy AdamsBased on the story of Micky Ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness.I really like David O. Russell and I was excited to see him tackle this material with such aggressiveness. The first 30 minutes alone are some of the most kinetic filmmaking i’ve seen in ages. The art direction and casting contribute to an incredibly realistic and grounded feel, and the cinematography finds beauty in the everyday. Not to mention Christian Bale gives the best performance of the year.
- DirectorLee UnkrichStarsTom HanksTim AllenJoan CusackThe toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.No film of 2010 made me laugh or cry harder. A wonderfully thoughtful script. Never lazy. If live-action movies were more like Pixar movies, all movies would be better off.
- DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsBen StillerGreta GerwigJennifer Jason LeighA man from Los Angeles, who moved to New York years ago, returns to L.A. to figure out his life while he house-sits for his brother. He soon sparks with his brother's assistant.I love Noah Baumbach (even MARGOT AT THE WEDDING) and I feel this is his best film. Also, I saw Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach eating dinner in New York recently and I went up to them and told them how much I love their movies and they were really nice. GREENBERG is like a great Cassavetes movie but less boring. The world of this movie is one that we don’t normally see in film, but it rang so true to me. Harris Savides’ beautiful cinematography contributes to the LA/70′s/Altman/Ashby vibe. Greta Gerwig is so wonderfully cast. I read that it was originally Mark Ruffalo and Amy Adams in this. I think everybody wins because Amy Adams got to do THE FIGHTER and Mark Ruffalo got to do…
- DirectorLisa CholodenkoStarsAnnette BeningJulianne MooreMark RuffaloTwo children conceived by artificial insemination bring their biological father into their non-traditional family life.Another beautifully written Los Angeles story. Incredibly acted with a great combination of showiness and subtlety in both the storytelling and the performances.
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.I believe it.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsNatalie PortmanMila KunisVincent CasselNina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.Aronofsky has done so much for film as a sensual medium. He doesn’t seem afraid to go over the top, not in the self-consciously tacky De Palma way but in the way that he just cares less about shit like story and really wants to show people tripping on ecstasy in a strobe light. I like it when movies use everything they’ve got, and this movie certainly did. So did…
- DirectorJoseph KosinskiStarsJeff BridgesGarrett HedlundOlivia WildeThe son of a virtual world designer goes looking for his father and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's corrupted creation and a unique ally who was born inside the digital world.OK. I’m probably alone on this one, but I just really liked this movie and not just cause it was the first time I’ve ever seen 3D that didn’t make my brain hurt. It looked amazing. Daft Punk provided the best score by a band since Queen did FLASH GORDON. Not a brilliant work of art but better than everyone says it is. I think this commercial director guy Joseph Kosinski is good. I mean, someone gives you 100 million to remake TRON and it doesn’t totally suck? This guy should keep making movies.
- DirectorJay DuplassMark DuplassStarsJohn C. ReillyMarisa TomeiJonah HillJohn and Molly, a divorced middle aged man and a single mother meet at a friends party and start up a small relationship, all John has to do now is meet Molly's son... CyrusI love the Duplass Bros’ movies. The way they capture the rhythms of everyday life, the weird insecurities of people, the strange ways those insecurities manifest themselves – they are so insightful about the way people are. Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly are all incredible in this, the third LA movie on the list. That makes me less sad that I live in LA.
- DirectorRob EpsteinJeffrey FriedmanStarsJames FrancoTodd RotondiJon PrescottAs Allen Ginsberg talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of the work is dramatized.Possessed of the same creative spirit that defined early 90′s independent cinema, this film is so inspired, so unique, and so smart.
- DirectorFloria SigismondiStarsKristen StewartDakota FanningMichael ShannonA coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.Another weird one, but I really loved the style and the performances. Kinda falls apart at the end, but I admire the creative bravura of it. I tried to get through this whole list without saying bravura and I failed.