The 2010 Raymo Awards

Well we've come to the end of another year and that means it is time for the annual movie reviews. This year I saw 34 films at the cinema which is around average for me.

The good news is that there was a fairly consistent high level of quality with 17 of the 34 films scoring 8/10 or higher with another five scoring 7.5/10.

This year there were some simply outstanding performances, brilliant scripts and a fair bit of innovation, which is great at a time when we are seeing remakes and comic book adaptations running rampant.
So, without further ado here's the top five of 2010.

1. Up In The Air
I flagged this film in the first few months of the year as a contender for the top spot and here it is. Dripping with irony and an outstanding script, Up In The Air sees George Clooney play a man hired by companies to do the dirty work of making people redundant. He lives out of a suitcase and despises the thought of settling down. This film is a great example of what a tight script and no CGI can produce and it was definitely the best film of the year for me.
2. The Hedgehog (le Herrison).
One from leftfield. This French film (yes, you have to read subtitles) is an absolute gem and a stark reminder to us all about not judging a book by its cover. Renee is the concierge of an apartment complex and she is largely ignored by the residents. When a Japanese man moves into the building he treats her with respect and, with a suicidal young girl tagging along, slowly draws her out of the protective shell she has spent her life building. She's described as a Hedgehog - prickly on the outside but refined and classy on the inside. Loved it.
3. Buried
Want to feel really uncomfortable for about 90 minutes? This is the film for you. Starring Ryan Reynolds and no one else this is the story of a man who is kidnapped in the Middle East and buried in a wooden box with only a cell phone and a few minor items in his possession. Again, the script here is outstanding and the performance by Reynolds to hold the film on his own was flawless. It's claustrophobic, disturbing and utterly brilliant.
4. The Social Network
Who would have thought a movie about Facebook could be such a must-see movie. The story of Mark Zuckerberg's creation of the website used by more than 500 million people (including yours truly) is another sharp script, features a kind of chilling performance from Jesse Eisenberg in the lead role and you can't help but notice the irony of the man who brings together millions of people each day. You see, Zuckerberg is portrayed as a somewhat disconnected (socially) young man yet turns the social networking site into a huge success. Compelling, well written, well performed and an all round great film.
5. Inception
I'd say unarguably the most inventive film of the year and one so complex you really need to pay attention. Leonardo Di Caprio is actually very good in this film as a man who uses people's dreams to steal information from them. Stacked with special effects that will blow your mind, Inception certainly requires more than one watch (though I haven't had viewing #2 yet). I have my own opinion on where the ending went and I will keep that to myself. Another must-see.

Honourable mentions: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (best of the series so far), Invictus, Tron Legacy, Animal Kingdom, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Surprise of the year: the Australian musical comedy Bran Nue Dae. If you haven't seen it, grab the DVD, sit back and enjoy one of the feel good movies of the last few years. Great fun. (Runner-up Tron Legacy - so exceeded my expectations and was pretty awesome!).
Flop of the year: Lowest rated movie was Valentine's Day (5.5/10) though I really didn't expect it to be that great so the flop goes to Greenberg.
I really thought Ben Stiller could pull of a semi-serious role but either he was the wrong man for the job or the script just wasn't right. Still not sure there. It's the first time my 'comedians are great at serious movies' theory has failed me.

So there it is. It will be interesting to see what 2011 brings. The end to the Harry Potter series and the first half of what promises to be a very tricky fourth Twilight movie Breaking Dawn. Can't wait to see how they bring it to life.