Fav Movies of 2010

For those looking for some viewing suggestions, here's my list of favourite movies from 2010



10. The Kids Are All Right: This critically acclaimed film (it won 2 Golden Globes and was nominated for 4 Oscars) is one of those quirky family films, centering on a family with 2 mothers and their run-ins with their children's biological father. This movie will make you laugh and cry, and appreciate your own family.



9. The Social Network: While the script was sharp, the acting and casting really made this film for me. Jesse Eisenberg is believably jaded and callous, poor Andrew Garfield is the friend just trying to do the right thing, and Justin Timberlake is a dick. Honestly, I had no interest in this film until all the critical acclaim swept in, and then I only watched it at the request of a friend. Definitely surprised by how much I liked this one!



8. Despicable Me: Confession, I LOVE Steve Carell, and besides the adorableness of the minions, he is the reason I watched this movie. I was not disappointed, not only is this a heart-warming children's film with a happy ending (oops...spoiler), this is hilarious and just all around awesome. You do not need to be a kid or have a kid to watch this film!



7. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: This was one of my favourite books as a child, I love fantasy, and I loved the idea of sailing to the edge of the world to find the 7 lost lords. Also can we just admire how truly terrible Eustace is? Even his name is awful! Anyways, as a huge fan of the book, I did manage to see this film in theatres (and 3D no less), and was sobbing openly at the end. While it was not a completely faithful adaption, it was beautiful in its own way.



6. Black Swan: Natalie Portman deserved that Best Actress Oscar, the role of the unraveling ballerina was perfect for her. She kept the audience guessing if what she saw was real or fabricated. The setting of the ballet only increased the tension for the twist ending. Definitely a film that people are still talking about!



5. Kick-Ass: I love fun films, and this one was perfect! A goofy concept, but it works overall! Can I first shout out to Mark Strong and Christopher Mintz-Plasse who were the perfectly hilarious villians. I love comic book movies, and this was the perfect balance of parody and heart!



4. Red: In the same genre as Kick-Ass, I loved Red as well! Perfect casting, with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, and of course the talented Helen Mirren. Bonus points in this movie for not only being hilarious and action-packed but also partially filmed in Toronto!



3. Easy A: Yes, I love chick flicks and teen comedies. But this one is actually good! Definitely in my top 20 favourite teen movies (oooo, that could be an interesting blog post). Emma Stone is her usual goofy charming self, she starts a lie, and her whole life blows up because of it. Lesson learned! Also love the throwbacks to 80's movies they slide in here!



2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I: So much happens in the film, and of course I bawled. Emotions all over from this one! A great film and an amazing cast and of course a fantastic story. Seriously if you still haven't read the books - drop everything you're doing and do it now!



1. Toy Story 3: Anyone who doesn't love this movie or rank it in their best of 2010 is either heartless or lying. FANTASTIC movie! All of the feels! Seriously, go watch it yourself and I dare you not to cry. I feel like this film hit us Gen Xers more knowing that we grew up with Toy Story and Toy Story 2, and Andy has now grown up with us *sniff*

Do you agree or disagree with my picks? Any movies from 2010 I should check out?

Thanks for reading!

Fav Movies of 2013

I've finally watched post of the 2013 movies that interested me!



10. Warm Bodies: This was a surprise favourite for me! Concept doesn't appeal much to me as I'm not a fan of zombies, but this story was heart warming, funny, and well-executed! The two lead actors are great in their roles, Nicholas Hoult in particular is hilariously awkward adding much of the movies humour. I definitely recommend to fans of rom coms and post-apocalyptic films alike!



9. Star Trek: Into Darkness: Having been surprised by how much I liked the first Star Trek revamp, I was confident that Star Trek Into Darkness would be one of my fav action movies of the year, and it didn't disappoint! While I'm still not a fan of Chris Pine, the villian of the film, Benedict Cumberbatch created new drama, and I still love the supporting cast, especially Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin.



8. The Book Thief: I'm not sure how awards season missed out on this gem. A great story, a great cast, meaningful setting, and visually appealing cinematography! This is a must see, but beware, it's heart-wrenching. Not a lot of big name actors, with the exception of Geoffrey Rush who is perfect as the loving foster dad of the title character. Bring tissues!



7. The Butler: There wasn't a lot of hype for this film, except around Oprah's role/appearance. That's disappointing giving the message of the film, and the fact that the same issues are popping up today. Another film that should have received love from the awards shows, but didn't. Some "missteps" in this film include the casting of iconic American presidents, all 3 choices seem puzzling James Marsden as JFK, Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, Robin Williams as Eisenhower, and John Cusack as Nixon. I love James Marsden, but he pulled off his president the least convincingly. Fantastic cast with so many surprise cameos!



6. American Hustle: Finally a film I liked that received recognition! Nominations for acting were well deserved, although the competition was a bit fierce (I believe the ladies had the advantage here, because obviously Best Actor was in the bag for McConaughey, and Cooper was a long-shot for this role). A thriller / drama that keeps you guessing at what the characters are up to, but don't worry the ending isn't much of a surprise. Favourite scene of the movie: Jennifer Lawrence's Live and Let Die lip synching hands down!



5. The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug: Yes, I'm still an LOTR fangirl, and I actually liked aspects of this part 2 better than part 1 (the Mirkwood storyline, and Bard). I missed the music aspect from the first film, but know that it doesn't fit the darkening mood of Middle Earth. Still loving Martin Freeman as Bilbo and Richard Armitage as Thorin.



4. Frozen: LOVE! Definitely one of my favourite Disney movies of all time. Great voice cast (Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff), but the winner here is the story! Definitely enjoyable for all ages, and those songs will get stuck in your head!



3. Upside Down: Very under appreciated, but so well done! This movie is 100% unique. Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst are separated by fate - gravity in fact, each born on opposite sides of a dual world. I'm a sucker for rom coms but I also love a good sci fi, and this is an inventive combination of the two!



2. About Time: No, this isn't your typical time travelling rom com. It isn't a sequel to The Time Traveller's Wife either. I love this movie! Story is so much more than you expect from the trailers, and rivals Love Actually as one of my favourite films of all time. This isn't exactly a comedy, a drama, a romance, or a family film, but has aspects of them all, perfectly integrated. Cannot say enough good things about this film. Go watch it if you haven't already!



1. Catching Fire: I loved the first film, and this one didn't disappoint! I was disappointed with the casting of Jena Malone. But I knew this book was well suited to become a film, and they did a great job adapting it and keeping the integrity of the story. Also Jennifer Lawrence is so bad ass as Katniss.

So there's my list of my favourite movies of 2013, honourable mention goes out to 12 Years a Slave (so powerful, and such an important story, deserving of all the awards it won).

What were your favourite movies of last year? Any movies I should see?

Thanks for reading!