Oscar Nominations

Oscar nominations were released yesterday. Here is a run down of the most important categories, as well as my thoughts...

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Thoughts - This is pretty much what everyone thought, I think. Except for the fact that Winter's Bone does NOT deserve to be there. I could argue the same about The Kids Are All Right, two movies that are good but not best piture worthy and seem like one step above something that should be on Lifetime (not that there is anything wrong with lifetime!!). Kind of suprised The Town didn't sneak in there.

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
David Fincher - The Social Network
Joel and Ethan Coen - True Grit
Thoughts - Who the hell does Christopher Nolan have to sleep with to get an Oscar nomination for Best Director already??? Maybe the voters are intimidated by his brilliance??? I don't know!

Best Actor
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours
Thoughts - Bardem really came out of nowhere to score that nomination, yeah? Still, I'm all about Eisenberg although I really don't think he has a chance.

Best Actress
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Thoughts - This is pretty much the way I thought it would go. Go Natalie!

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
Thoughts - WTF Ruffalo!! I liked him in that movie a whole lot, but where did that come from? Also, John Hawkes totally came out of nowhere but I'm okay with that. He's awesome and totally deserving and unappreciated. Psyched he's in there. Not so psyched about the shunning of Andrew Garfield who was AMAZING in The Social Network and should defintely have taken Ruffalo's spot! None of this matters, of course, since it's Bale's Oscar to lose.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
Thoughts - Steinfeld instead of Mila Kunis isn't very surprising. I sort of saw that one coming. I just watched Animal Kingdom last night and Jacki Weaver was INCREDIBLE!! So, so, so good. I will no longer cheer for either of the ladies from The Fighter. I am soooooo all about Weaver!

Golden Globe Predictions

Maybe it's because I've been forced to watch football every Sunday for the past four months, but I am even more excited than normal for Sunday's Golden Globes Awards. Pretty girls in pretty dresses! Handsome men looking sexy in suits! Plus, this year was the best year for movies since 2007. There are three movies heavily nominated that I truly LOVED this year. Here are my predictions...

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Who WILL Win - I feel like everything is done to The Social Network and The King's Speech. I feel like the Globes are going to go with The King's Speech on this one though.
Who MIGHT Win - Read Above.
Who SHOULD Win - This category includes all three of the movies I loved this year. Plus, I liked The Fighter a whole lot also. I really wouldn't be upset if anything but The King's Speech won. However, The Social Network is too good to pass by.

Best Actress - Drama
Halle Berry in Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
Who WILL Win - Portman. Since the Globes break down Drama and Comedy, she doesn't even have to contend with Annette Bening.
Who MIGHT Win - Portman.
Who SHOULD Win - Portman.

Best Actor - Drama
Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth in The King's Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter
Who WILL Win - Firth.
Who MIGHT Win - There could be a Franco upset... but I doubt it.
Who SHOULD Win - Eisenberg, who gives the best performance of his career and the second best performance of the year!

Best Movie - Comedy or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist
Who WILL Win - The Kids Are All Right, because it's the best out of this crappy group of nominees.
Who MIGHT Win - The Kids Are All Right.
Who SHOULD Win - Easy A... oh, wait.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway in Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie in The Tourist
Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone in Easy A
Who WILL Win - Bening has it wrapped up, thanks to Portman being in the Drama category.
Who MIGHT Win - Just Bening.
Who SHOULD Win - I preferred Moore in that particular movie and I also preferred Stone to both of them.

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp in The Tourist
Paul Giamatti in Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey in Casino Jack
Who WILL Win - Johnny Depp... but for which one, is the question... My money says Alice in Wonderland.
Who MIGHT Win - Depp for The Tourist.
Who SHOULD Win - I've only seen two of these performances but I preferred Gyllenhaal.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech
Mila Kunis in Black Swan
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
Who WILL Win - Leo will take it home.
Who MIGHT Win - I guess Adams could steal.
Who SHOULD Win - Probably Jacki Weaver. I haven't seen Animal Kingdom (although I want to very badly) but apparently she takes no prisoners in her role.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale in The Fighter
Michael Douglas in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield in The Social Network
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Geoffery Rush in The King's Speech
Who WILL Win - Bale.
Who MIGHT Win - Bale.
Who SHOULD Win - Bale.

Best Director
Darren Aronofksy - Black Swan
David Fincher - The Social Network
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan - Inception
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Who WILL Win - I think Fincher is going to win Best Director even if The Social Network doesn't win Best Film.
Who MIGHT Win - Hooper is probably second choice.
Whe SHOULD Win - Fincher, Aronofsky or Nolan, really.

Best TV Series - Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead
Who WILL Win - I'm going Boardwalk Empire.
Who MIGHT Win - The terribly overrated Mad Men.
Who SOHULD Win - My newest obsession Dexter!

Best Actress - Drama
Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men
Piper Perabo in Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal in Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer
Who WILL Win - Margulies.
Who MIGHT Win - Moss.
Who SHOULD Win - Sagal, but I guess in her case it's just nice to be nominated.

Best Actor - Drama
Steve Buscemi in Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall in Dexter
Jon Hamm in Mad Men
Hugh Laurie in House
Who WILL Win - Buscemi.
Who MIGHT Win - I feel like this is the only category where it is absolutely anyone's game.
Who SHOULD Win - Hall because I love him.

Best TV Series - Comedy or Musical
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
Who WILL Win - Modern Family.
Who MIGHT Win - Glee.
Who SHOULD Win - Modern Family.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette in United States of Tara
Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey in 30 Rock
Laura Linney in The Big C
Lea Michelle in Glee
Who WILL Win - Linney? I have no idea.
Who MIGHT Win - Any of these people, probably. I have no idea.
Who SHOULD Win - I only watch Glee, so Michele!

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock
Steve Carell in The Office
Thomas Jane in Hung
Matthew Morrison in Glee
Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory
Who WILL Win - Carell, maybe, since it is his last season.
Who MIGHT Win - Parsons.
Who SHOULD Win - Parsons.

Best Supporting Actress
Hope Davis in The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch in Glee
Kelly MacDonald in Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles in Dexter
Sofia Vergara in Modern Family
Who WILL Win - Lynch.
Who MIGHT Win - Vergara.
Who SHOULD Win - Either one of those ladies, honestly.

Best Supporting Actor
Scott Caan in Hawaii Five-O
Chris Colfer in Glee
Chris Noth in The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet in Modern Family
David Strathairn in Temple Grandin
Who WILL Win - Colfer. He does comedy and drama on Glee so well.
Who MIGHT Win - Stonestreet, if the Golden Globes people love Modern Family as much as I do.
Who SHOULD Win - Michael Pitt from Boardwalk Empire. Oh, wait.

Wrap Up: Films of 2010

Just to wrap things up on 2010, here is a complete list of the movies I've seen with grades, all listed in alphabetical order.

A+
-

A
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network

A-
The Greatest
Shutter Island

B+
Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Fighter
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Town

B
Easy A
The Ghost Writer
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Kick Ass
Let Me In
Piranha 3D

B-
The Kids Are All Right
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

C+
The Experiment
Get Him to the Greek
Iron Man 2
Love and Other Drugs
The Other Guys
Sex and the City 2
Step Up 3D
Winter's Bone

C
Alice in Wonderland
The Crazies
Due Date
Machete
Predators
She's Out of My League

C-
Chloe
Nightmare on Elm Street
The Runaways
Splice
Valentine's Day
Youth in Revolt

D+
Date Night
Happiness Runs
The Killer Inside Me

D
The Back Up Plan
Book of Eli
Eat Pray Love
Hot Tub Time Machine

D-
Edge of Darkness

F
Daybreakers
Legion

Top Ten List: Best Film 2010

For the record: Pirahna 3D was on this list until about two weeks ago!

10. Easy A - Easy A is the kind of adorable and charming gem that some may right off as a cliched teen comedy, but it is anything but. A modern retelling of The Scarlett Letter, Emma Stone stars as Olive, a nobody who perpetrates a rumor about herself being kind of a slut. Things get out of control, of course. This movie is a teen comedy that is actually FUNNY, with winning performances by the entire cast. It's fast paced and smart and will leave you completely satisfied.

09. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Based on the unbelievably popular book (do you know anyone who hasn't read it??), this film is intense and smart with a great mystery and seemingly real characters. Of course, Noomi Rapace's amazing performance as Lisbeth Salander is a major draw as well, but the movie is also damn good. It's definitely worth all those subtitles you have to read.

08. Exit Through the Gift Shop - So Banksy is notorious and arguably the most famous of the street artists that have emerged in the past few years. How do you make a documentary about the most mysterious and enigmatic figure the art world has ever seen? Just like this! Although, of course, Banksy hijacks and the movie and turns it into something different all together. It's a must-see documentary about art, influences and the state of celebrity in the current times.

07. The Fighter - You know I can't stop talking about the acting powerhouse performance that is Christian Bale in this movie. But this whole movie is an amazing character study about the internal and external struggles to never give up. Sure, it's a boxing film (and the boxing sequences are intense and powerful) but it's also a slow burning character drama that gets inside the heads of these working class guys who want to make a name for themselves.

06. The Town - Ben Affleck's crime noir picture is a revelation. Sure, Gone Baby Gone was good, but The Town is great. At times this is an intense film about bank robbers and thieves but it's also terribly romantic in nature. There's so much action, so many car chases, and they are all filmed so perfectly. The performances are top notch and all of this makes The Town a movie you can't miss.

05. Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese's latest masterpiece, Shutter Island is based on the book by Dennis Lehane about a pair of U.S. Marshall's who are sent to an isolated island to find an insane murderer who escaped an asylum. But why the hell are they really there? Filmed superbly, with a great cast headed by DiCaprio, Shutter Island is a mind bending paranoia trip that will leave you wanting more and more.

04. The Greatest - The Greatest was probably the best find of 2010 for me. This is such a genuinely beautiful and impressive film that I feel bad that more people don't know about it. I want to walk up to every single person and tell them about this little, tiny, gorgeously filmed movie. The acting is amazing (headed by Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon) and the way it's filmed is so breath taking. While the movie is depressing as hell, it's also too good to pass up.

03. Inception - The most radically original movie since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Inception is a wonderful mindf**k from Christopher Nolan, the man who brought us the brilliant mindf**k that was Memento a few years back. The cast, the story, the effects - everything about this movie is just plain incredible. Also, KUDOS for that epic hallway scene with Joseph Gordon-Levitt which is a blissfully long way from 3rd Rock From the Sun.

02. Black Swan - A beautiful and disturbing thriller set in the world of ballet, Black Swan is Darren Aronofsky's latest with Natalie Portman giving her best performance ever. Aronofksy is fearless, and that's an understatement. This movie is delightfully crazy and beautiful. It's intense and powerful, and will leave you thinking about it long after the credits roll. I, for one, can't wait to watch it again and again.

01. The Social Network - All the best picture of the year talk surrounding The Social Network is NO JOKE. It's not just "that Facebook" movie. It's fresh, relevant, fast-paced, witty, clever, funny and a damn good movie, featuring the best acting ensemble of the year (all under 30!!!). David Fincher directs the hell out of the script by Aaron Sorkin, which, really, is a shoo-in for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. There are so many memorable lines from that epic script. I will leave you with my favorite monologue of the year, delivered perfectly by Jesse Eisenberg...
"I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try - but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention - you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing. [pause] Did I adequately answer your condescending question?

Top Ten List: Best Actor 2010

10. Casey Affleck in The Killer Inside Me - I will fully admit that 2010 was not a strong year for lead male performances, in my opinion. If there are better performances out there, I didn't see them. That's why a performance from one of the worst films I saw this year manages to creep into my top ten. This movie is over dramatic and pretty awful but Affleck manages to be creepy and charming at the same time, delivering a slimy portrayal of an out of control man.

09. Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer - Again, in a better year, McGregor wouldn't get into my top ten, but this year he manages to do that. His performance as the titular ghost writer is very subtle and manages to uplift a film that might have been a whole lot of cliches had it been in lesser hands.

08. Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs - Gyllenhaal has been better (Brokeback Mountain, for example) but he is still stellar here as a playboy young man who flirts with every girl to get what he wants. Until, of course, he meets the one girl not influenced by his charming ways. Then he turns from cad into lovesick boyfriend with ease. He's very, very good, and very, very nude!

07. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Let Me In - In the remake that I thought was better than the original, Smit-McPhee stars as a bullied young boy who finds comfort in the friendship of his new mysterious neighbor who only comes out at night and never wears shoes. After last year's The Road and now this, Smit-McPhee is definitely someone to look out for in the future.

06. Michael Nyqvist in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - It's a tough job as an actor to have your character be accused of something in the very first scene but still manage to be likeable. That's the case here, when Nyqvist's character is convicted of slander and sentenced to prison within seconds. While his character is not buzzed about, he still demands the screen, becoming sympathetic although he does a lot of questionable things throughout the film. His subtlety, matched with the fierceness of Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth, is perfect.

05. Ben Affleck in The Town - A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a movie called Gone Baby Gone. I remember saying then that Ben should quit acting and focus on directing since he is so much better at the latter. I take it back. Affleck is fantastic in The Town (it's also directed damn well, also). In a movie with powerhouse acting performances, Affleck manages to never let you forget that there was a time he was THE leading man in Hollywood. He seems to be more careful with the roles he chooses these days, and that means he's just getting better.

04. Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter - Although this is very much CHRISTIAN BALE'S MOVIE, Wahlberg manages to shine as well. I've never been a fan of his dramatic work. I think Wahlberg is a damn good comedic actor (see: I Heart Huckabees, i.e., the performance of his career), but he also proves me wrong here. His Micky Ward is so torn in his alliances, and you see that pain in his face at all times. He just wants to make it as a boxer and be loyal to his family and he plays that internal struggle so perfectly well.

03. Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception
02. Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island - So, maybe not so much of a stretch. In one, he plays a U.S. Marshall with a dead wife who still haunts him. In the other, he plays a theif with a dead wife who still haunts him. But, come on, whether you still hold the whole "pretty boy / Titanic" thing against him or not, you have to admit that DiCaprio has been one of the best actors around for at least the last decade. This year, he gave us a sublime one-two punch of great performances, each nuanced and intense. You literally can't take your eyes off him when he's on screen, and, really, who would want to? He is long, long, long overdue for an Oscar!

01. Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network - Is Mark Zuckerberg a huge asshole? Or is he just a geek-genius who is uncomfortable in social situations? Because of Eisenberg's complicated, perfect, mysterious performance, we really have no idea. Not only did Eisenberg give the second best performance of the entire year, but also he was involved with the best acting ensemble of the year (and every single one of them was under 30!!). I've been a fan of his since The Squid and the Whale, but all of his previous film work pales in comparison to what he does in this film. Maybe it's director David Fincher pulling the best out of him, or just that amazing script, but Eisenberg shines. He strips away his constant neurosis and adorableness and disappears into a cold, determined genius who will stop at nothing to create the defining creation of the 21st century. A perfect performance in a perfect film.

Tomorrow - Best films!

Top Ten List: Best Actress 2010

10. Carey Mulligan in The Greatest - In such an underground movie, one that not many people have seen or even heard of, it sure has some great acting by the entire cast. Best of all is Mulligan, an actress who is slowly making a name for herself thanks to last year's An Education. She's even better here as a young woman, pregnant, mourning the death of the man she loved but didn't really know all that well. She struggles to find out the most about him while dealing with his mourning family. She's simply excellent.

09. Rebecca Hall in The Town - Sure, Jeremy Renner is getting all the buzz (and rightfully so), but Hall is damn good as a bank manager dealing with being taken hostage and then falling in love (unknowingly) with one of the men who took her. The layers of her performance are so impressive, it's hard to believe she isn't a bigger more famous star at this point.

08. Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer - Although I enjoyed The Ghost Writer, I had my problems with this film (sort of typical, right down to the male casting). However, Williams was a truly wonderful addition to the film. As the sexy and vulnerable wife of a prime minister, she steals every single scene from two men (Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan) who are far more famous than she is.

07. Noomi Rapace in The Girl Who Played with Fire - It's no surprise that I have sort of latched onto Lisbeth Salander as a character that I admire. She's badass, tough, and lives life by her own rules. I was very concerned with who they would choose for the American remake. While I'm not positive I approve of Rooney Mara, it may just be because she will never ever live up to Noomi Rapace who is pure perfection. As you can imagine, more later...

06. Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right - She may be the only person who could beat Natalie Portman at the Oscars, but she didn't even crack my top 5. Bening is good, sure. She's always good. And that's part of the problem. We've all seen her do this type-A personality role before. I don't want to take anything away from her wonderful performance but, honestly, there were better this year.

05. Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right - While Bening played the exact same character she always plays, Moore struck out and paved new territory as the slightly ditzy, underappreciated wife of Bening's. She's a free spirit always changing her mind about everything, including her profession. And, I mean, kudos for all those super sweaty sex scenes!

04. Emma Stone in Easy A - Since she broke out, we knew she could be the funny girl (Superbad, Zombieland). But in Easy A, she is the funny girl but also the smart girl and the sexy girl and the girl who you really want to be best friends with. She takes what could have been a cliche teen comedy character and turns her into a real person, someone you feel like you know personally. Plus, she's got perfect comedic timing, but that should be no surprise!

03. Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone - So, I didn't like this movie. I mean, I didn't hate it either but like The Kids Are All Right, I don't get all the buzz. Also like The Kids Are All Right, one thing I can't complain about is the acting (her co-star John Hawkes just missed my Best Supporting Actor list yesterday). Lawrence is a revelation. It's the sort of breakthrough role that will most certainly send her into a whole new stratosphere, playing a tough teenger in the hardened mid-West, trying to take care of a sick mom and her younger siblings, all while searching for her father amidst some really creepy and crazy people. Lawrence truly shines.

02. Noomi Rapace in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Like I said, she's the perfect Lisbeth. Rapace manages to make the most of playing the badass computer hacker with the traumatic past by basing her performance in real emotion. She's got tattoos, an intimidating stare and an "i don't take shit" expression on her face at all times, but there is something so much more behind those eyes and Rapace manages to get that across to the audience which is why she is so brilliant here. Plus, there's the way she deals with a sexual predator that will truly make you want to stand up and applaud her badassery.

01. Natalie Portman in Black Swan - Portman, for me, has always been a little rigid on film. She sort of reminds me of Nicole Kidman in that neither actress really breaks out of their comfort zone too often. But when they do (Kidman in Moulin Rouge, Portman in Closer), it's a pure pleasure. This is Portman breaking out of her comfort zone BIG TIME. As Nina, a ballerina who wants nothing more than to be perfect, she walks the perfect line between sweet, naive, soft spoken little girl and, later, a woman full of passion and danger and sexuality. Her transformation is truly impressive and something that everyone is taking about (and for good reason). As a girl cracking under so much pressure, Portman hammers it out of the park and here's hoping Oscar rewards her.

Tomorrow - Best Actor!

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actor 2010

10. Kieran Culkin in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Despite being very uneven, there were parts of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World I liked very much. The thing I liked most about it was Culkin as Scott's gay best friend Wallace. Kieran has always been my favorite Culkin, and I think he's a terribly underrated actor. He was spot on in this film with his dry humor and perfect comedic timing.

09. Chris Cooper in The Town - In only one scene, Cooper manages to almost steal the entire movie away from a bunch of younger dudes. These younger guys are trying to act tough and be tough but Cooper IS tough. He makes you believe that he is a hardened criminal, stuck in jail like a lion in a cage at the zoo. So raw and so, so good.

08. Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right - I'll admit, I don't quite understand the fascination with this movie. I liked it, in a Lifetime movie sort of way. One complaint I don't have, however, is with the acting which is excellent all around. Ruffalo, who was also excellent in Shutter Island, is all free spirit, a man who has done his best to not get tied down, finally coming to terms with being an adult.

07. Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island - As a slightly menacing doctor, Kingsley plays into the general feeling of paranoia that is found in every little piece of this film. He walks this perfect line between being a trust-worthy, good doctor and being someone who might harm you, or even kill you, if given the opportunity. In a film with great acting, he shines.

06. Vincent Cassel in Black Swan - Cassel plays Thomas, the artistic director of a ballet company. Sure, he's a cad, putting the moves on Nina and Lilly and Beth and Lord knows who else. But he is also incredibly charming. And kind of frightening. He's intense and enigmatic. Cassel plays all the different facets of his character with such impressive ease.

05. Armie Hammer in The Social Network - I know there was a body double involved and also a whole lot of technical wizadry from David Fincher and his tech friends, but it's still pretty damn impressive that Hammer is playing TWO characters! He manages to make the Winklevoss twins completely seperate entities to the point where you swear they are being played by two different people. Plus, he gets one of the most fun lines in the whole movie.

04. Tom Hardy in Inception - Okay, so Inception was already an amazing movie. But then in walks Tom f-ing Hardy with that swagger and those lips and he all but steals the entire damn movie right away from so many bigger, more famous stars. He's hilarious and also charming. He is such a chameleon and here's to many more projects from Hardy in the future!

03. Jeremy Renner in The Town - Renner is electric as Jem, an explosive bank robber. He takes a character that could have been so one-note, so boring, so cliche and manages to turn him into someone you can't keep your eyes off of. Renner has been one of the best working actors for at least a decade. Thank Lord, someone else is finally noticing.

02. Andrew Garfield in The Social Network - Okay, so Garfield gets to deliver the absolute best line in the best script of the year. But, from the first frame, you can't take your eyes off Garfield and his mesmerizing performance of Eduardo Savrin, a young college co-ed who becomes a millionaire and then loses all of it. He also loses his best friend in the process. Since he's probably the only fully likeable character in the movie, his performance really burrows into your brain and you find yourself rooting for him through the entire film.

01. Christian Bale in The Fighter - So, if I was an actor I would probably quit the profession after seeing Christian Bale BECOME Dicky Ecklund in The Fighter. I haven't always been fond of Bale but I was completely blown away with him in this movie. I read an article about how when people who grew up with Dicky saw Christian on set, they thought it was really him. Then at the end of the film, they show a clip of the real Dicky and by God, he looks and moves and talks exactly like Christian in the movie. This is not only the best performance by a supporting actor, it's also the single best performance of the entire year.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2010

10. Blake Lively in The Town - Going about as far away from Gossip Girl's Serena Van der Kamp as she can possibly get, Lively proves she's an actress to watch out for in the superb The Town. Lively's character is a tough Boston single mom, who wants ex-boyfriend Ben Affleck back in her bed. A big theme of the film is loyalty but can Lively's drunken, tough talking character be loyal if she's secretly bitter about Ben's new lady love?

09. Emily Mortimer in Shutter Island - In a movie with a huge ensemble of great actors giving great performances, Mortimer shines as Rachel Solando, an escaped mental patient who murdered her children. She only has one really juicy scene but damn if she doesn't steal it straight from Leonardo DiCaprio. One moment she's sweet and loving, and then, in the blink of an eye, she's ready to cut your throat.

08. Chloe Moretz in Kick Ass - Can you think of anything more fun than a 10 year old who curses like a sailor and likes to play with knives and guns?? Me either! Moretz knocks it out of the park as Hit Girl, a total bad ass who will kick your ass while listening to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation."

07. Patricia Clarkson in Easy A - Okay, listen, I love my mom. I love her more than anything. But I will admit that there was a moment of weakness while watching Easy A when I said, "Man, I wish Patricia Clarkson was my mom." She's just so damn... cool. Whether she is giving out relationship advice or admitting to her daughter that she was a teenage slut, Clarkson totally nails the hippie/awesome/mom thing.

06. Barbara Hershey in Black Swan - We go from a perfect mom to a not-so-perfect mom. Hershey is the epitome of a stage mom in Black Swan. She doesn't do anything evil, per se, but she does baby her daughter and push her to perfection so severly that her sweet little daughter ultimately loses her damn mind. Hershey is amazing.

05. Melissa Leo in The Fighter - And here's another mom that I just wouldn't want. Leo proves boxing isn't just a man's world as the mom / manager of two Massachusetts boxing legends in The Fighter. She may love her kids a little too much. She's intense, tough as can be, and also a little crazy, especially when she sends her seven crazy daughters after her son's new girlfriend!

04. Rooney Mara in The Social Network - I haven't always been a fan of Mara's work. I thought she single-handedly ruined the remake of The Nightmare of Elm Street (which had potential but her lifeless performance sucked it dry). However, I take it all back. With just one substantial scene, Mara breaks hearts and steals scenes. She's thoughtful, frustrated, and hilarious as she shows you how to REALLY break up with someone.

03. Mila Kunis in Black Swan - This role is about as far away from Jackie on That 70s Show as you can possibly get. The starting point for so much of the intensity in Black Swan is the demented friendship / rivalry between Natalie Portman's sweet, tightly wound Nina and Kunis' wild and unrestrained Lilly. She's utterly seductive and plays the different facets of her character with ease.

02. Marion Cotillard in Inception - There is a reason her characters name is Mal, meaning she just might be evil. Cotillard is perfection as the crazy dead wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom. She is pure passion - being so very needy one moment, erupting with anger the next, then weeping uncontrollably in the next second. There is a reason that Dom can't get her out of his head. Anyone who has seen the movie can't either!

01. Amy Adams in The Fighter - Amy Adams always plays such sweet, lovable characters. First there was Junebug. Then there was Enchanted. Even when she's playing a nun (Doubt), she's giving bunnies and the little girl who plays Lily on Modern Family a run for their money in the "cutest things ever" department. But, in The Fighter, Amy Adams shows a completely different side to herself. She's tough as nails as the former wild child party girl who knows tends bar and falls for a boxer. She stands up to his impossibly intimidating mom, she teaches her man how to grow a little backbone and become a better man, all while being completely and totally sexy. She can seduce and then beat the crap out of seven crazy sisters. In a career that is already stellar, this is Adams' best role yet!

Coming tomorrow... Best Supporting Actor!