Top Ten Films of 2020

10. True History of the Kelly Gang
Starring - George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Charlie Hunnam, Russell Crowe
Director - Justin Kurzel 
With sweeping, stunning visuals and a story about Australia's legendary rebel, True History of the Kelly Gang is a brutal, yet beautiful film.  It has a feel of anarchy surrounding it, and though it is a bit cliché from time to time, the gorgeous filmmaking and killer performances elevate it to something truly worthy of praise.  George MacKay (who broke out in a big way in 1917) carries the entire film on his back, giving a master class in acting.  Essie Davis is impressive (in one of two great performances this year), and Nicholas Hoult manages to somehow always be entertaining (and sexy!).  Violent, beautiful, sexy!  

09. The Assistant
Starring - Julia Garner
Director - Kitty Green
The plot may sound boring.  Let's follow around a pretty, young assistant.  We will watch her leave her house in the morning and watch her make coffee and watch her reheat food in the microwave.  But there is something lurking in the corners of this #metoo era movie.  It's subtle uneasiness that becomes more and more palpable as the movie goes on.  There are hints and rumors and whispered gossip... kind of like what these situations would be like in real life.  It's a quiet movie, but an important one. 

08. The Way Back
Starring - Ben Affleck
Director - Gavin O'Connor
Stop me if you think you've heard this one before - down on his luck, alcoholic, one time golden boy becomes unlikely mentor for struggling teenage sports team with one kid that could be a star, with a little luck and the right coach.  Yes, we've seen movies like The Way Back before, but we haven't seen a performance like the one Affleck gives.  It's real and it's raw and it hurts so much.  O'Connor elevates the material as well (what more do you expect from the guy that gave us the very Shakespearian Warrior?).  This could have been another cliché sports movie, another story of a drunken mess of a man, but it manages to find a new way to tell a familiar story.

07. Swallow
Starring - Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, Denis O'Hare
Director - Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Hunter has it all.  She has a successful, nice guy husband, a gorgeous new house, and a baby on the way.  Her life looks perfect (sort of your like your picture perfect Instagram friends).  But then she develops a disorder where she starts to eat inedible things - batteries, thumb tacks, you name it.  You can't take your eyes off of Bennett in this tale of a woman's struggle to gain control of her life.  It feels like a spiritual sequel to Rosemary's Baby.  

06. Emma. 
Starring - Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Bill Nighy 
Director - Autumn de Wilde 
We've all seen Gwyneth Paltrow's turn as Emma in the 90s, and we've all seen Clueless which famously updated the story to make it SO VERY 90s, but this latest version of Emma is the feel good romance we didn't know we needed in this dreadful year.  It's colorful, it's fun, it feels fresh and modern.  It's beautiful to look at (those costumes are exquisite) and every character is cast perfectly.  It's comforting and charming and an absolute delight. 

05. Babyteeth 
Starring - Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Essie Davis, Ben Mendelsohn 
Director - Shannon Murphy
A simple love story about a dying teenage girl who falls in love with a boy her parents don't approve of (he is older, and a drug dealer, after all).  This movie is an emotional roller coaster that knocks you off your feet.  The performances are top notch and every moment feels weighted with such a heavy amount of raw sadness.  I could watch these actors play these roles forever. 

04. Saint Frances
Starring - Kelly O'Sullivan, Charin Alvarez, Ramona Edith Williams
Director - Alex Thompson 
Imagine if Hannah from Girls was actually not a completely terrible person and we wanted to root for her to get a happy ending?  O'Sullivan (who also wrote the script) plays a woman who makes a lot of really terrible decisions who ends up taking a job as a nanny to a 6 year old while her lesbian parents struggle with their relationship, post partum depression, their careers and a newborn.  Of course, O'Sullivan's Bridget starts off making every mistake you can imagine, but soon bonds with Frances (and one of her moms).  It's a movie that will have you smiling ear from ear.  Everyone in the movie is so likable, and you really want them all to have a happy ending.  For me, it's the feel good movie of the year.  And kudos, for talking about so many things concerning women that movies usually shy away from.  More movies like Saint Frances, please! 

03. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Starring - Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder
Director - Eliza Hittman 
I watched this movie months and months ago, but it's so quietly powerful that it has stayed with me throughout the year.  The story is simple - a 17 year old girl with an unwanted pregnancy travels with her cousin from rural Pennsylvania (shout out Shamokin!) to New York City to get an abortion.  That's it, that's the plot.  Nothing exciting happens.  There are no big plot twists or reveals.  This is just a very good movie, about a very real situation, with very great performances.  

02. Possessor 
Starring - Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Bean
Director - Brandon Cronenberg 
You know I'm excited that this is one of the most bleak movies of the year!  Possessor is a wild ride and a movie that is certainly not for everyone.  It follows Riseborough as an assassin who enters the mind of an unsuspecting host in order to kill someone close to them.  Her newest host is Abbott's Colin, who starts to struggle for control of his body, when he has to kill his girlfriend and her powerful father.  The plot alone is powerful, but Cronenberg (son of David, obviously!) manages to make this a visceral (violent, and very bloody) experience that is powerful to watch.  The performances are killer (this is one of two great performances from Abbott, who may be one of my new favorite actors) and that ending?  The best of the year. 

01. Black Bear
Starring - Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon
Director - Lawrence Michael Levine
First of all, I want to have sex with all three of the stars of this movie.  Second of all, I didn't know Aubrey Plaza had this sort of performance in her.  Third of all, as soon as I finished watching this mind fuck of a movie, I wanted to watch it again.  It's sexy and it's funny and it's ambitious and it's artistic and it's intriguing and it's just damn good.

Top Ten Movies of 2019

10. The Last Black Man in San Francisco - The best under the radar movie of the year, The Last Black Man in San Francisco follows two friends who try to buy the grand house that one of the men think their grandfather built, and that was his childhood home. But to say this movie is about a house, is like saying Jaws is just about a shark. There is so much more going on in this movie, including a study of male friendship, toxic masculinity, gentrification, and the lies passed down through generations of family. If you get a chance to see this low budget gem, do it.

09. Booksmart - No, Booksmart is NOT the female version of Superbad. Sure, it has a few things in common - both are super funny movies about two high schoolers who are looking to experience one big party. But Booksmart is a hilarious feminist leaning movie about female friendship. It manages to be progressive and inclusive without seeming preachy, and it manages to be heartfelt, without feeling cheesy. A lot of this has to do with the performances from leads Beanie Feldstein adn Kaitlyn Dever, but a whipsmart script certainly helps as well.

08. Marriage Story - The perfect storm of auteur directors meets pitch perfect script meets killer performances, Marriage Story manages to be both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It's smart as hell and sad as hell, and if you don't leave thinking Adam Driver gave the best performance of the year, then I'm not sure we can be friends anymore. Sure, it's a little bit too long, and yes, it does feel more like a play than a movie, but this is closer to a masterpiece then the sum of it's flaws.

07. The Peanut Butter Falcon - If you know me at all, then you know I don't necessarily like "nice" movies. But The Peanut Butter Falcon is so goddamn likable that it is hard to not root for it in every sense of the word. It's a very Tom Sawyer / Huck Finn esque story about a mentally challenged teenager on the room from his group home and the troubled man he meets up with, who is running from something much more dangerous. Throw in the social worker with a heart of gold, and you've got yourself the makings of a really great, heartwarming, sweet drama, filled with beautiful moments, sad moments, exciting moments... basically everything you could want from a movie.

06. Ad Astra - Ad Astra is a essentially a space movie with daddy issues as Brad Pitt prepares to travel into deep space searching for his revolutionary astronaut father (Tommy Lee Jones) who may or may not be a persona non grata. Ad Astra is spectacularly filmed, and also terribly sad. It's a bleak drama with one of the most pulse pounding action set pieces of the year. It manages to feel both existential and larger than life, and wildly intimate at the same time. If you like your dramas slow, sad and pretty, then this one is for you.

05. Knives Out - This movie was essentially made for me and all of my particular interests. Agatha Christie esque plot? Check. Alfred Hitchcockian twists and turns? Check. Michael Shannon stealing every scene and being amazing? Yep! Chris Evans looking handsome in knit sweaters? Got that too! Rian Johnson's perfect genre dialogue? Check again. Knives Out is a fun, funny, big ensemble piece that is crowd pleasing and completely satisfying in every way. It's a must watch, whether you are a fan of the genre or not.

04. Parasite - I'm not sure what it is about Korean movies, but when they are good, they are so much better than almost everything else. Parasite is one of the best I've ever seen. It starts out as a sort of comedy of errors, a think piece about class and upward mobility. But it takes a twist and becomes about something else entirely, before ending in a way I never would have predicted in a million years. I don't want to write any more, give away any spoilers, but if you can handle subtitles, then this is a must watch.

03. Midsommar - Ari Aster is on a role. He gave us last year's fantastic Hereditary, and followed it up with this slow burn tragic gem. Hereditary may be a more accessible horror movie, but Midsommar is a more technical achievement. It follows a group of Americans, one grieving an inconceivable family tragedy, who go to Sweden where it's daylight for 24 hours a day, and they are celebrating their summer solstice. Things get creepy, and then creepier and then downright terrifying. Florence Pugh gives a killer performance and all I have to say about that ending is - good for her (in my best Lucille Bluth voice).

02. Little Women - Look at me, putting TWO nice movies in my top 10! That is called personal growth, I guess. But Little Women is the sort of movie where you have a non-stop grin on your face for the first half, and then you are constantly trying to be subtle while crying your eyes out in the second half. Director Greta Gerwig tells the story in a non-linear fashion which somehow makes it seem more modern. And this is the first adaptation I've seen where every single character is cast perfectly from leads to supporting, even changing the professor to a sexy Frenchman was a great idea. This is an instant classic retelling of an iconic book that has been famous for nearly 200 years for a reason.

01. Uncut Gems - The world is currently a trash place, but at least we are alive at the same time as the Safdie Brothers, who are unabashedly becoming my favorite directors. They are young and gritty and raw and they keep making movies like the rule breaker directors did in the late 60s and early 70s. Each movie they direct is better than the one before it, and Uncut Gems is so damn good, it's hard to believe how they will top it (although I'm sure they will find a way). If you had told me that Adam Sandler would star in my favorite movie of 2019, I would have laughed in your face, but he absolutely kills it as a jeweler who is going through some shit. Uncut Gems is basically a non stop roller coaster ride in which your heart is pounding the whole time. The intensity never once lets up and adrenaline will be coursing through your veins. I don't know how the Safdie Brothers manage to keep that pace for an entire movie, but they do it, and the finished project is a masterpiece.

Top Ten Films of 2018

10. Widows - What we need more of are smart, well written films for adult audiences. Unfortunately, these sorts of movies don't do super well at the box office, so we don't get them often enough. I'm not sure how much money Widows made, but it is definitely the kind of movie I'm referring to - well written (by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn), smart, thrilling, intricate plot, and, of course, super entertaining. Part of the entertaining part is that exquisite cast - Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, stand out Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert DuVall... I could go on. The cast is stellar and every one of them holds their own in one of the best ensembles of the year.

09. Black Panther - I do know how much money Black Panther made at the box office: all the money. Comic book movies tend to do that (especially Marvel), but very few comic book movies are THIS DAMN GOOD. There are so many superhero movies these days, it's easy to get bogged down. In my opinion, there are only a few that really stand up above the rest: Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, The Captain America trilogy, and, now, Black Panther. This movie is seeped in and celebrates African and black culture. And let's not forget about the women! Each strong and independent and capable in different ways - none of them need a man to save them, thank you very much. Black Panther needs them as much as they need him. Black Panther is what America needs right now - a hugely entertaining, bad ass comic book movie that has one of the single best villains (see Best Supporting Actor), AND strong women, AND celebrates equality.

08. Leave No Trace - A small, quietly intimate story of wilderness survival, a loving portrait of a modern American family, Leave No Trace is the best movie you've never heard of this year. Starring Ben Foster and newcomer Thomasin McKenzie as a father with PTSD and his daughter who live in the Portland woods, Leave No Trace has little dialogue, very few other characters and slow burns it's way through their story, as they eventually try to reintegrate themselves into a society that doesn't know what to do with them, and that they are far from comfortable in. It's a solid little movie worth checking out.

07. First Man - The story of the first man on the moon, First Man starts slow, but once it hits the half way mark, it starts to find it's footing and becomes a completely enthralling look at the origins of the space program and the struggle it caused the families of the original astronauts. It might not be as enrapturing as Damien Chazelle's first film Whiplash. And it is definitely quieter and more settled than his last effort, La La Land. But Chazelle is one of the best young directors working today, and First Man shows his talents and range (there is a particular parachuting scene that is so beautifully directed, I still think about it on a regular basis). There is a whose who of supporting actors in this film, but the solid work of a strong and silent Ryan Gosling and his stressed, but feisty wife played by Claire Foy elevate the film.

06. Lean On Pete - Look, I thought this was going to be a nice movie about the love between a down on his luck kid and a horse, but instead it was the saddest movie I've seen all year and I spent the entirety of a Friday night weeping on my couch. So, there's that. But Lean on Pete is wonderful: a small movie about a boy who doesn't have a very great family life, who finds a job working for a horse racer, and finds solace in a relationship with a horse that is about to be slaughtered. He steals said horse, and embarks on a cross country journey to save his life and find his long lost aunt. It's touching and moving and beautiful and sad as hell. It features a truly star making performance from Charlie Plummer. Remember that name. He's going to be huge.

05. Hereditary - Every year, some movie gets touted as "the best and scariest horror movie of the decade." A few examples of this include The Witch, It Follows and The Babadook. All of those were highly disappointing for me as they were neither scary, nor the best anything. But Hereditary finally lives up to the hype. Sure, it may not stick that crazy ending (there's a better ending in there somewhere, even if I can't think of what it is), but it IS 100% truly terrifying, and that's a start. There is a particular scene (let's call it the car crash scene) that still sends shivers up my spine. Hereditary is a throwback horror movie, reminiscent of the greats like Don't Look Now, Suspiria, Rosemary's Baby, back when filmmakers understood that scary was more than a jump scare, it was a tense feeling that permeated through your bones and stuck in your head for weeks, months, years. That's Hereditary.

04. Blackkklansman - Spike Lee has been making movies for decades, and Blackkklansman is his masterpiece. It's the most timely movie I've seen this year (literally watched it on the 1 year anniversary of the white supremacist rally that turned deadly in Charlottesville). It's the true story of a black cop who infiltrated the KKK by telephone, and then used a white cop as his double to attend meetings and rally's. It seems too bizarre to be true, but it is, and it's a compelling story filled with haunting visuals and absolutely textured, complicated performances.

03. Eighth Grade - If you've ever been awkward. If you've ever desperately wanted to fit in although you knew you never would. If you've ever felt utterly alone. Then this movie is for you. Eighth Grade is a great movie, a timeless movie that will never go out of style because it's about the most painful part of many people's lives (and some of us still feel this day on the regular). Not much happens plot-wise in the movie, but everything feels vital and important, just like that time period in your life. Elsie Fisher is going to be a huge star, and I credit the movie for almost taking her over the edge in a painful way, but never quite going there. Eighth Grade is a coming of age film bound to become a classic.

02. A Star is Born - I hope someone in Hollywood continues to remake A Star is Born every decade for the foreseeable future (next reiteration, hear me out, role reversal - Timothee Chalamet as the young ingenue and someone like Amy Adams as the washed up has been). It's just that kind of timeless tale of love and loss and stardom. I was obsessed with the Barbra Streisand / Kris Kristofferson version growing up, and was worried I would be disappointed by this version, but I wasn't. It lived up to my expectations, and then some. It's not a perfect movie, but it is the most enjoyable time I had at the movies all year. The performances are superb, the chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga is perfect, the songs are all wonderful. And that ending, well, it just rips your heart out, doesn't it?

01. Blindspotting - I heard co-writer, co-star and scene-stealer Rafael Casal describe this movie as two characters who want to be in a buddy comedy, but the world around them won't allow it. I like that, because the chemistry between Casal and Daveed Diggs is very bromance. Diggs is Colin, a good man who did a stupid thing and is now a felon, trying to get through his last few days of parole without his live wire of a best friend (Casal) getting him into any trouble. But when Colin witnesses an unarmed black man being shot by a white cop, his mind starts to fracture and his world spins out of control. There are a lot of heavy topics in a movie that is so funny. There's a lot of discussions to be had about race relations, gentrification, and a whole slue of heady topics. Blindspotting should be essential viewing, right down to that frenetic energy finale that is so mesmerizing you might have to watch it twice. It's the best ending of the year, and the best movie of the year.

Top Ten Best Films 2016

10. The Edge of Seventeen - I will never not relate to awkward and angsty teenage girls. This movie feels like it could have been directed by John Hughes. It feels retro and modern and timeless, all at once.

09. The Invitation - I remember watching this and having an overpowering sense of dread. I had no idea what was going to happen and the slow burn feel of the first half is well rewarded with that gut punch ending.

08. The Lobster - The weirdest, darkest, funniest movie of the year is a love story about a man who must find love in 45 days or he will turn into the animal of his choice. The first half is stronger than the second, but it's still a movie you'll be thinking about for months. In a world where there are so many sequels and reboots, at least someone has an original idea.

07. Hell or High Water - This feels like it's a movie from that rebellious late sixties / early seventies period, and if this movie was made back then it probably would have starred Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper. Who doesn't love a good old, well written story about bank robbers??

06. Nocturnal Animals - It's like a Hitchcock fever dream - beautifully filmed and endlessly unsettling, violent and gorgeous and strange and warped and absolutely killer. This is fine, tense story telling.

05. Green Room - The first good movie I saw in 2016, it's been squarely in my top 5 since March. This is such a kick ass thriller, about a punk band who witnesses a murder and their fight for survival after wards, that I tell everyone I know to watch it. RIP Anton Yelchin.

04. Arrival - What we need more of in film is smart sci fi written for adults, not silly comedies that make light of it. Arrival is probably the smarted and most well crafted movie of the year. It left me mesmerized and dazzled with it's complicated, yet simple story.

03. American Honey - My boyfriend says this movie is terrible because it's not "about" anything. I disagree and say it's about everything. It's about being young and wild and free and lonely and curious and in love and jealous and feeling desperate to find a place or a group of people that make you feel okay about yourself. This movie is gorgeously filmed, and it's like if Terrence Malick directed a Larry Clark movie.

02. Manchester By the Sea - My favorite thing about Manchester is how easy it could have delved into melodrama. This movie could have had so many scenes where characters just screamed and cried and they surely would have been guaranteed their Oscars. But so much of what makes this movie feel like a punch to the gut is that so much of it is off camera and we are left with the results, and they are quiet and reserved, but no less effective.

01. La La Land - The first perfect movie I have seen since The Social Network. This is a big, loud, joyous musical and an intimate little love story. How can a movie feel so full of life and joy that it has you smiling from the very first second, and then leave you crying with gut wreching bittersweet agony in the end? That is the power of La La Land. And I am STILL singing City of Stars to myself everywhere I go.

Top Ten Films 2015

Honorable Mentions
The Gift - A Hitchcockian thriller with a gut punch of an ending that will leave you thinking months later.
Inside Out - A hilarious and truly heartwarming/breaking tale of the way joy and sadness go hand in hand.
Amy - A documentary about the short life of Amy Winehouse who was crazy talented and lost too soon.

10. Creed - Sometimes nostalgia goes a long way, but you need more than just fond memories and an iconic character to make a story that truly matters. And Creed, the tale of the son of Adonis Creed training with his old frenemy Rocky Balboa, is more than just feel good nostalgia. It's a truly great movie, the tale of fathers and sons, underdogs, the love of a good woman, and the family we create for ourselves.

09. Mad Max: Fury Road - You won't find a more action packed movie anywhere this year, and you won't find a movie that is this fucking cool either. Sure, the plot is pretty stupid, but when the women are this bad ass,  the visuals this mind blowing and the creativity so off the charts cool, a silly thing like plot could fall to the way side.

08. Straight Outta Compton - This biopic traces the roots of the groundbreaking rap group N.W.A. From their rough teenage years, to their rise to fame, to the way jealousy and backstabbing tore them apart, this is the finest biopic in years. From the music, to the fantastic performances from a cast that is virtually unknown, Straight Outta Compton is not to be missed.

07. Steve Jobs - Sometimes making good movies is simple. Take a visionary director (Danny Boyle), add a thought provoking and perfect script (by Aaron Sorkin), mix in two Oscar worthy performances (Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet) with a whole bunch of great supporting players and you've got yourself a damn good movie.

06. Spotlight - The true story of the group of journalists who broke the priest molestation scandal doesn't necessarily seem like a movie you will want to rush out and see. But it's a great film, filled with great performances and a great story that is as smart and interesting as it is disturbing.

05. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - It's fitting that Star Wars came out near Christmas this year since it had the ability to reduce adults to feeling like kids on Christmas morning. Episode 7 manages to feel fresh and nostalgic all at once with bad ass new heroines, charming rogue pilots, complex bad guys, and tons of familiar - and greatly missed - faces. Star Wars is epic and crowd pleasing, but more importantly, it's fun.

04. The Revenant - Yes, it's too long. Yes, the Native American spiritual aspect is a little much. But this is, technically, the best movie I saw in 2015. Director Alejandro Innaritu has made an epic, gorgeous revenge film, shot entirely with natural lighting. From the opening violent attack scene to the brutal, bloody finale, this movie which should FINALLY get Leo that Oscar, is a must see.

03. The Big Short - The smartest, funniest, weirdest movie of the year which also includes quotes from Mark Twain and pop star Selena Gomez explaining advanced economic principals, The Big Short is a rollicking, highly entertaining take on the mortgage crash of 2008. Featuring the years most stellar collective cast and a dazzling script, The Big Short is a surprising, complex masterpiece.

02. Ex Machina - Ex Machina is the smart, sexy Sci Fi movie you didn't know you needed in your life. Featuring a trio of top notch performances by a crazy talented cast who was EVERYWHERE this year, Ex Machina is a powerful, unforgettable experience. Come for the delightful mind games, stay for the random Oscar Isaac dance sequence.

01. Brooklyn - A profoundly special film, beautifully filmed with moving performances, Brooklyn is a perfect meditation on the notion of home and belonging. As heart-breakingly sad as it is joyously entertaining, Brooklyn is the rare movie with an epic, continent spanning scope that still manages to feel intimate.

Top Ten Films 2014

Honorable Mention
Foxcatcher - An over the top real life story becomes an intimate realistic slow burn documentary feeling drama in the hands of director Bennett Miller.
Locke - Tom Hardy on the phone driving in a car for 90 minutes.  Sounds awful? It's nothing short of mesmerizing.
The One I Love - Starts off as a character study about a couple struggling to save their marriage. Becomes so much more than you can expect. Go in blind! No spoilers makes it so damn good.

10. Selma - The story of Martin Luther King Jr. and his struggle to legalize voting for blacks, focusing on the days leading up to the peaceful march from Selma, Alabama. Brilliantly directed with a star turn from David Oyelowo,  this movie manages to feel both epic and intimate. The Oscars showed it no love yesterday, but it's Bloody Sunday scene is a better movie than at least 4 of the other nominees.

09. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Not only the best action movie of the year, but also the best Marvel movie ever. The Winter Soldier is a fun ride as it follows Captain America and Black Widow's showdown with a deadly assassin. The movie is everything a summer blockbuster should be: fast paced with awesome action sequences and funny, charming moments.

08. Under the Skin - When I first saw this movie, it made me angry. I turned it off swearing that I hated it. But then a funny thing happened. That was probably more than 6 months ago, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it; it's tragic beauty, it's unabashed lush seductive quality. It's like a song that gets stuck in your head that you can't stop singing, and try to fight it, but you really don't want to.

07. The Drop - Tom Hardy's second ignored knock out performance of the year! Here he is a lonely bartender who works at a bar where mobsters drop their money. A stolen dog, a Super Bowl mega drop and James Gandolfini's final performance make up this slow burn thriller with a gut punch ending.

06. Snowpiercer - If you had told me five years ago that Chris Evans would be in not one, but two of my best movies of the year, I never would have believed you. But he stars in Snowpiercer, a movie that takes place in the future when all of society lives on a train because the Earth is inhabitable.  A modern Sci fi masterpiece, this is a dark and twisted action extravaganza. 

05. Blue Ruin - This movie starts out as a stark and artistic meditation on one man's loneliness and turns into an every man's search for vengeance.  Wearing it's Coen Bros. inspiration proudly, Blue Ruin is a slow burn turned violent movie that feels lived in and real, and features one of the best performances of the year.

04. Nightcrawler - A shocking study of and morally challenged man trying to make it in America, Nightcrawler is one of the darkest and best movies of the year. Lou Bloom is a self made man with a great work ethic who becomes obsessed with car crashes and burning buildings, selling the footage to news stations. It's a startling take on the modern American dream.

03. Gone Girl - Everyone knows all about this book turned movie by now. I loved the book and I loved the movie just as much. It's one of the best adaptations I've ever seen. This is three movies in one : a meditation on the modern marriage, a takedown of media sensationalism and, of course, a twist filled wonderful thriller.

02. Birdman - With a fabulous cast, a script filled with verbal acrobatics and a filming technique so fresh, it feels like a legitimate game changer, Birdman is one of the best movies of the year. It follows a washed up actor trying to make a comeback and it's part behind the scenes drama and part real life breakdown. It's a creative, artistic, spinning mazelike juggernaut. 

01. Whiplash - Hands down, the most enjoyable movie of the year by far. With amazing intense performances and so much frenetic energy, this movie never lets up and never feels boring. The story of obsession and perfection, by the time it reaches it's epic climax, you will be on the edge of your seat, ready to jump up and applaud and yell Bravo! 

Top Ten Films 2013

10. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - A lonely day dreamer finally escapes his dull life and enters on the adventure of a lifetime while trying to find a missing photograph negative. That's Walter Mitty in a nutshell and the film is a great experience filled with laughs, action and the most beautiful scenery. It's visual overload with volcanoes erupting and boats at sea. Walter Mitty is a sweet movie for the daydreamer in all of us.

09. Captain Phillips - If you like your movies intense, than Captain Phillips is for you. The true story of a cargo ship boarded by Somali pirates, Captain Phillips is the most intense film of the year. Tom Hanks is charming and heroic. Newcomer Barkhad Abdi makes his presence felt as the empathetic villain. But it's the hand held camera work and gut-wrenching emotion that makes this one of the year's best. And once you see Tom Hanks last ten minutes on film, you'll wonder why he was snubbed by Oscar this year. It may be the best ten minutes in all of movies this year.

08. Disconnect - Interwoven stories tell the tale of how we are all so dependent on technology for connection, and really, how lonely and disconnected we all feel on a day to day basis. Disconnect is a little, indie movie that I happened upon that ended up being so much better than I ever could have imagined. It's got a great ensemble featuring the likes of Jason Bateman, Paula Patton and Alexander Skarsgaard. But, mostly it's the story that you can relate to se easily. If you have ever been lonely, or bullied, or made mistakes, or wanted to escape your life... than there is something in this movie for you.

07. The Spectacular Now - This past year has been a remarkable year for coming of age stories and The Spectacular Now is the best of the bunch. It's the story of the most popular guy in school (Miles Teller) who falls for a smart and sad outcast (Shailene Woodley). And while that may sound cliche, this movie manages to avoid feeling like something you've seen a million times before. Perhaps it's the chemistry of the stars, or the fact that everything just feels real. This is a great movie about two teenagers on the cusp of becoming adults, with great performances, especially by a scene stealing Kyle Chandler.

06. Inside Llewyn Davis - The Coen Brothers have always loved unlikable men, and the folk musician at the center of Inside Llewyn Davis is no different. He's, more or less, a self-destructive asshole who angers and upsets just about everyone he comes in contact with. The fact that we can root for Llewyn at all says a lot about the amazing performance of Oscar Issac. Inside Llewyn Davis is yet ANOTHER Coen Brothers masterpiece, and this time, it's got a great, sing-along soundtrack as well.

05. 12 Years a Slave - I still believe that 12 Years a Slave has its flaws, but it's so close to being a masterpiece that it barely even matters. Not only is it an Important Movie (with capital letters!), but also it is a beautiful one. Never has something so ugly looked so pretty. The cinematography, the acting, the directing, the script: it's all wonderful. My only hesitation with it initially was thinking it was a little too pretentious. But that's nearly an afterthought now. Years from now, when people talk about the year 2013 in film, they will be talking about 12 Years a Slave.

04. The Place Beyond the Pines - Another flawed epic of a movie, The Place Beyond the Pines follows the lives of two men whose lives intersect and then, years later, their sons whose lives intersect as well. The Place Beyond the Pines is a refreshing sort of movie that is absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish. It's also unpredictable, and while the female characters seem like a sort of afterthought, the movie itself is a breath of fresh air in this day and age of remakes and sequels and unoriginality.

03. The Wolf of Wall Street - The most brazen, ballsy, out of control movie of the year is also won of the best. Martin Scorsese is still making movies like he's in his twenties with something to prove and star Leonardo DiCaprio has never been so free, completely letting go of his inhibitions to give one of the best performances of the year. The Wolf of Wall Street is an absolute masterpiece of greed and debauchery. The men at the center of the film are awful people, but that doesn't make watching them any less enjoyable.

02. Frances Ha - I don't know exactly what it is about this little black and white movie that struck me so much. Perhaps it's just how much I seem to relate to Frances (Greta Gerwig). Frances is a lonely girl living in New York City with big dreams, and although she has ambition, nothing ever quite works out for her. It's the story of struggling through life when all your friends seem to have their shit together but you can barely get out of bed some days. But mostly it's the story of a girl who is just trying to get her life straightened out. Frances says it's okay to have no idea what you're doing on a daily basis, and I thank her for it.

01. Her - The newest love story from Spike Jonze follows the story of a lonely writer desperate to make a connection (just like so many films I loved this year). He ends up falling in love with the new operating system for his computer. Her is just about everything a movie should be: smart, funny, intimate, quirky, original, sweet, and sad. This is the sort of lovely, wonderful movie that will have you crying one moment and laughing the next. Anchored by the joyful performance of Joaquin Phoenix and featuring the best screenplay of the year, Her is an absolute little gem of a movie.

Best of 2012: Best Films

Honorable Mention:
Chronicle - For proving you can be low budget AND mind blowing.
End of Watch - For giving us the best chemistry of the year.
Life of Pi - For being stunning, and reminding me why 3D isn't all that bad in the right hands.
Magic Mike - For being a movie about male strippers that is both fun and good.
Killing Them Softly - For being a beautiful, violent stunner.

10. Silver Linings Playbook - For being sweet and fun, romantic and silly, like the best screwball comedies (like a modern day Bringing Up Baby); and for that joyous dance scene, the one moment this entire year that had me grinning from ear to ear.
09. Moonrise Kingdom - For being so lived in and memorable, for being a sweet love letter to childhood when everything was innocent and sweet; and for inspiring my desire for saddle shoes.
08. Django Unchained - For being big and brassy and ballsy; for giving us that rich, memorable Tarantino dialogue and so many characters that live so vividly in our minds.
07. Beasts of the Southern Wild - For being a mystical fairy tale, beautiful and aching; for giving us the most scene commanding performance of the year in the form of a tiny, little dynamo.
06. The Dark Knight Rises - For completing a trilogy with an epic, exciting final chapter; for having a female character - in a world of so many tough guys - stealing the entire show.
05. Argo - For being exciting and thrilling and crowd pleasing, and above all, smart (we need more smart crowd pleasing blockbusters).
04. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - For making every misfit in the entire world feel like someday you will find a group of people to whom you belong; for perfectly depicting high school, first loves, and above all, friendship.
03. The Master - For being the most beautiful, challenging, thought provoking film released this year, hands down.
02. Zero Dark Thirty - For being the most controversial film of the year; for being intelligent and action packed; for that finale with the Navy Seals in which it feels like Kathryn Bigelow is controlling your pulse.
01. Looper - For being a movie that is smart, action packed, highly enjoyable, and emotionally stimulating; for being as close to perfect as we came during this year full of absolutely stunning films.

Best of 2012: Best Supporting Actress & Actor

Best Supporting Actress
10. Kelly Reilly in Flight - For making the cliche junkie with a heart of gold feel more raw and lived in than anyone else in a very long time.
09. Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman - For being the fairest and bitchiest queen of all.
08. Susan Sarandon in Arbitrage - For being the devoted wife, until she decides to blackmail her lying, cheating husband.
07. Jacki Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook - For being the devoted wife and mother... no, for real.
06. Judi Dench in Skyfall - For proving that M is the only Bond girl that matters.
05. Sally Field in Lincoln - For the scene in which she gives it to Tommy Lee Jones real good.
04. Emily Blunt in Looper - For being equally terrified of and devoted to her son.
03. Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables - For that killer, heart breaking rendition of I Dreamed a Dream.
02. Amy Adams in The Master - For taking the least showy role and quietly stealing the show from the boys.
01. Samantha Barks in Les Miserables - For being the girl everyone can relate to, and singing On My Own in the rain, and actually being able to sing, and actually showing true, real emotion. And finally, for being the best thing about a terrible movie.

Best Supporting Actor
10. Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike - For being completely fearless and having a blast in his most fun role of a stellar year for him.
09. Samuel L. Jackson in Django Unchained - For being an even nastier villain than the main villain.
08. John Goodman in Flight - For being the worst influence of all time.
07. Nate Parker in Arbitrage - For coming out of nowhere and being absolutely electrifying.
06. Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower - For taking what could have been a cliched gay teenager role and turning it into something so special.
05. Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln - For putting his money where his mouth is (and being the only amusing thing in a boring movie).
04. Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained - For playing his first villain so perfectly, walking the fine line between hilarious and terrifying.
03. Robert DeNiro in Silver Linings Playbook - For giving us all one more great DeNiro performance (see you can still be a great actor and make a comedy!).
02. Ewan McGregor in The Impossible - For being such a natural talent that it's almost like watching someone really live through this stuff, and for THAT SCENE, that one scene which will tear your heart out.
01. Jason Clarke in Zero Dark Thirty - For giving the single best performance of this year regardless of gender or lead/supporting classifications. For giving a ferocious, sexy, vulnerable, mysterious performance that just left me wanting so much more.

Wednesday - Lead Actress & Actor!

The Best of 2012: Director & Ensemble

Best Director
10. Andrew Dominik for Killing Them Softly - For making the best Tarantino movie not directed by Tarantino.
09. Rian Johnson for Looper - For being the most original writer/director working today.
08. Wes Anderson for Moonrise Kingdom - For continuing to create singular, definitive modern day masterpieces.
07. Ben Affleck for Argo - For proving that Gone Baby Gone and The Town were certainly no flukes.
06. Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises - For finishing out his epic trilogy in bad-ass style.
05. Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained - For making a movie as bloody and violent as it is beautiful to watch.
04. Behn Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild - For making a gorgeous, wondrous fairy tale.
03. Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master - For continuing to not give a f**k and churning out the most divisive, but gorgeous, film of the year.
02. Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty - For making the most controversial and thrilling movie of the year (and having bigger balls than all the boys).
01. Ang Lee for Life of Pi - For taking a movie that sounds utterly ridiculous and unfilmable and creating a 3D masterpiece.

Best Ensemble
10. The Hunger Games
Elizabeth Banks, Wes Bentley, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Toby Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci.
09. Looper
Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Pierce Gagnon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Piper Perabo, Noah Segan, Tracie Thoms, Bruce Willis.
08. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton.
07. Silver Linings Playbook
Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Anupam Kher, Jennifer Lawrence, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Jacki Weaver, Shea Whigham.
06. The Dark Knight Rises
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Nestor Carbonell, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Mendelsohn, Matthew Modine, Gary Oldman, Juno Temple.
05. Moonrise Kingdom
Bob Balaban, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis.
04. Magic Mike
Matt Bomer, Cody Horn, Gabriel Iglesias, Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash, Alex Pettyfer, Adam Rodriguez, Channing Tatum.
03. Zero Dark Thirty
Kyle Chandler, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Mark Duplass, Joel Edgerton, James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt, et al.
02. Argo
Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Kerry Bishe, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, John Goodman, Zeljko Ivanek, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Titus Welliver.
01. Lincoln
Joseph Cross, Daniel Day-Lewis, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, Walter Goggins, Lukas Haas, Jackie Earle Haley, Jared Harris, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Lee Pace, Gloria Reuben, James Spader, David Strathairn.

Tomorrow - Oscar nominations! Next Week - Best Supporting Actor & Actress, Lead Actor & Actress!

The Worst of 2012

SPOILERS (probably)

10. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - This is mostly a harmless little movie. For much of the running time, the biggest thing going against it is that stars Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley have zero chemistry. And then the end happens. Carrell puts Knightley on a plane to send her to her family before the world ends. I thought, "Aw, what a sweet ending to a mediocre movie." Then the damn girl comes back and ruins it! I'm just anti-happily ever after, even during the apocalypse.

09. The Raven - What could possibly go wrong with John Cusack playing Edgar Allen Poe, you ask? Well, the answer is everything. The concept is the only interesting thing about the whole thing - a serial killer copying the work of Poe. The acting is all around terrible and Cusack, who I genuinely love, brings nothing to the role. It's just one long boring disaster of a movie.

08. Wanderlust - I get that this is the movie where Jennifer Aniston met Justin Theroux and they fell in love and lived happily ever after and all of that. So at least something good came out of the whole thing, because the movie most certainly is not good. It's just not funny, mostly awkward and and just plain predictable.

07. The Grey - Here's another case of the ending ruining a perfectly fine film. The Grey was actually a pretty interesting character piece. Except you saw the trailer a thousand times so you are waiting with bated breath for the big showdown where bad ass Liam Neeson kicks some wolf ass. Well, that never really happens. They size each other up and then... blank screen. The end. And while I normally love ambiguous endings, I wanted to see bad ass Liam Neeson kick some wolf ass.

06. Les Miserables - Believe me, I wanted to put this much closer to number 1. The rage I still feel after seeing this movie (weeks later!) surprises me. I can't remember the last time I had such a strong reaction to a movie. Samantha Barks and Anne Hathaway are the only reason this isn't number 1 or 2. Other than them, this is a dreadful, awful, boring opulent movie with random close ups for NO REASON and 3 hours of non stop singing songs that all sound EXACTLY THE SAME. I just need to think of the one bright spot in the whole movie - Barks singing On My Own in the rain - to calm down my rageful feelings.

05. Sinister - The scariest thing about Sinister is the Super 8 found footage, which is genuinely creepy. Other than that, Sinister suffers from what every mainstream horror movie suffers from - having to dumb down the movie and the scares so that the scardey cats who go to horror movies can be scared while those of us who were raised on horror movies roll our eyes at the lame "scares."

04. Ted - I know, I know. Everyone absolutely loved this movie. They thought it was the funniest thing of the year. I wasn't so impressed. I think I might have laughed once, maybe twice. This might be the most pretentious thing I've ever said - but the movie was just so low brow. I prefer my humor a lot darker than the stoner lite comedy presented here. Also, Seth MacFarlane annoys me, so there's that.

03. The Devil Inside - This movie made a ridiculous amount of money at the box office, but here's another one I just don't get. I can usually sit through any horror movie because most of the time they are so bad they are good. But The Devil Inside is just bad. Bad acting. Bad script. Bad plot. Bad everything!

02. Gone - To be honest, this movie was so bad that I did my best to shut it out and I don't even really remember all that much about it. I remember thinking that Amanda Seyfried is a bad, bad actress. But it probably had more to do with the terrible script than it did with her abilities. When it's so bad, you blocked it out, you know it's one of the worst of the year.

01. Damsels in Distress - And then there's this. I love Greta Gerwig so much that I really tried to get into this movie. But it's just so unwatchable. It wants to be Heathers, it wants to be the sort of movie that defines a generation but instead it's a terrible movie with dialogue that no real person would ever say. This movie is so bad that it is literally unwatchable. Seriously, don't even try.

Wednesday - moving on to much nicer things... Top Ten Ensembles & Directors!

Ranking the Halloween Franchise

Every October for the last five years or so, I have devoted the entire month to watching (and re-watching) as many horror movies as I possibly can. My Netflix queue is filled up and ready to go. I have a Dario Argento double feature waiting patiently for me for this weekend. While Texas Chainsaw Massacre has sat atop my Best Horror Movie list for, well, ever, my favorite horror movie franchise happens to be Halloween. I will watch and re-watch (and re-watch, and re-watch, and re-watch) all of those movies as often as possible. It's virtually unheard of by a franchise of any kind to still be churning out quality films by the time you reach the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th installments but that's exactly what sets the Halloween films apart from every other franchise. So, to kick off Horror Movie Month in style, I have decided to compile my top ten list ranking the Halloween films. Here we go...

10. Halloween II (2009) - Not the original follow up, but Rob Zombie's re-imagining in which he manages to continue to make the beloved characters of Laurie Strode and Dr. Loomis absolutely abhorrent and in which he includes ghosts and horses and I don't even remember what else. I mostly managed to block it out of my consciousness, thank goodness.

09. Halloween: Resurrection (2002) - The red-headed step child of the Halloween franchise, Resurrection is a complete mess of a movie that is only saved by Jamie Lee Curtis' cameo. She was contractually obligated to appear so she probably begged and pleaded to be killed off (although that could be easily fixed in future installments). Basically this movie involves Michael returning to his childhood home to find a bunch of college kids - and Busta Rhymes (no, for real) - filming a reality program there. And that about sums up how much it sucks.

08. Halloween (2007) - When I first heard that Halloween was being remade, I was furious. Then I heard Rob Zombie was remaking it. I was a huge fan of his film House of 1000 Corpses so I sort of thought, "Well, if SOMEONE has to remake Halloween, I'm glad it's him." And I can admit when I'm wrong because I was wrong. His remake is an atrocity to everything the Halloween films stand for including, but not limited to, Taylor Scout-Compton's Laurie becoming an oversexed hyper-annoying character instead of the stale-fast and virtuous survivor we remember.

07. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - As far as horror movies go, this isn't bad, per se. However, as far as Halloween movies go, it's at the bottom of the barrel, mostly because it has absolutely nothing to do with Michael Myers. Based on the blazing popularity of the first two, someone decided the best idea would be to do a series of movies based around the holiday and having nothing really to do with the original characters. The movie was a failure so that idea was abandoned. So Halloween III, about a mask that will turn those wearing it into homicidal maniacs when a certain commercial plays on Halloween night, remains as the one that doesn't quite fit in.

06. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) - I'm in the minority here but I enjoy the continuity of characters in this, the sixth, film. Remember Tommy Doyle from the original Halloween? The little boy that Jamie Lee's Laurie babysits? Well, he's all grown up and the protagonist of this film and played by Paul Rudd. Also, remember Laurie's daughter Jamie (played in 4 and 5 by Danielle Harris, who would grow up and be the best thing about the Halloween remakes)?? Well, she's all grown up (and not played by Harris for some reason) and has a baby of her own and Michael is on her trail. Of course, this movie suffers from a bit of ridiculous pandering, i.e., Michael suffers from some sort of disorder which gives him the urge to kill off every single one of his family members. The one downside of the franchise is the continual need to explain everything and build mythology upon mythology. Sometimes, the less you know is scarier.

05. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) - After the failure of Halloween III, the series was relaunched with the return of Michael (hence the title). He discovers that his sister Laurie was killed in a car crash but left behind a daughter named Jamie (Danielle Harris) and he feels the urge to go after her. I always loved the scenes with the lynch mob in this movie, and of course, that frightening ending that shows maybe some things do run in the family.

04. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) - This picks up right where 4 leaves off and Jamie is now mute and safely tucked away in a home for troubled children. Of course, it is Halloween night and so she won't be safe for long because Michael has a very real connection with her and is out to find her. While 4 and 5 are not the best of the series, I've always had a soft spot for them and I think these two films show how much the series thrives, even as it grows older. Also, given my mood, these two films can be reversed in their order.

03. Halloween II (1981) - Taking place almost directly after the original film, Halloween II was great in so many ways. Laurie Strode is in the hospital being treated after the horror that was Halloween night. However, Michael will soon find her, and he will kill everyone that stands in his way. It's a great and classic slasher film. The only downside of the movie is that this is where it's established that Michael and Laurie are brother and sister, a development I'm not exactly fond of. I don't think it's necessary at all, but it is what it is.

02. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) - If you pretend that Halloween 3, 4, 5 and 6 don't exist then Halloween 2 leads right into this installment. We meet Laurie who goes by an assumed name after faking her death and is currently the headmaster at a prep school in California. She has a son (Josh Hartnett) who attends the school and a new boyfriend and is fairly happy. So, of course, Michael comes and finds her. The ending of this movie is so great and cathartic (even though Resurrection eventually reverses it) that it's an all around great, fun movie. Her real life mom, the ORIGINAL scream queen in Psycho, Janet Leigh even makes a cameo.

01. Halloween (1978) - Was there ever any doubt that the original Halloween would top the list? It just has to be. It's a horror movie classic and the second best horror movie of all time (in my opinion) for a reason. It stands the test of time. Without all the mythology that later gets heaped upon the series, Halloween was simply about a little boy who snaps and kills his family and goes to live in a mental institution and then breaks loose. He returns to his hometown and fixates on a sweet high school girl and eventually goes on a rampage in which he kills all of her friends and tries to kill her. There is no reason for any of this, which is why Halloween is one of the scariest films ever made. It's just a crazy guy with a knife who wants to kill you. You have no idea why. And that's terrifying.

Top Ten List: Best Films of 2011

Honorable Mention - The Ides of March, Bellflower, Young Adult, 50/50, The Help.

10. Warrior - If MMA had existed during Shakespeare's time, he would have written a play about it and this movie would have been based on that play. Warring brothers? Check. Sons with major daddy resentment issues? Check. Lots of melodrama and tragedy? Check. An epic final showdown between said brothers? Check. Just throw in some witches or something, and it's a Shakespeare play!

09. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I still think I prefer the original Swedish version and Noomi Rapace's performance as Lisbeth better, but that's not to take anything away from David Fincher's punk rock, edgy, anarchy filled remake. It's dark and brutal filled with amazing performances from Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig and Stellan Skarsgard.

08. Take Shelter - One of the quieter films of the year, Take Shelter is a fantastic take on one man's life. He starts having nightmares and then struggles to discover if he's seeing the end of the world or just going schizophrenic like his mommy. Would this movie work without Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain's Oscar worthy performances? Maybe not. So thank God we've got them!

07. Beginners - You know how all movies about parents dying of cancer and love stories about starting over and trying again are terribly cliched? Well, not this beautiful filmed based on director Mike Mills own experiences with his 70-something dying dad coming out of the closet and his thirst for life in his final months that influences him to seek love with a quirky adorable French actress. Plus, there's a dog that talks in subtitles!

06. Bridesmaids - The goddamn funniest movie of the year, hands down! Months later and Bridesmaids is still so far into the collective minds of society that it's being nominated for a well-deserved ton of awards! Kristen Wiig is outstanding (and her performance, I relate to, maybe, a bit too much) as a woman struggling with the feelings of her best friend getting married and getting her life together while she still hasn't figured anything out. Throw in Maya Rudolf and Melissa McCarthy and you will never laugh harder.

05. Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen is back! Although, he hasn't gone anywhere, really, Midnight in Paris is his most creative, most enjoyable movie in years. Owen Wilson stars as a writer engaged to a terrible woman (Rachel McAdams) who is obsessed with 1920s Paris. One night, he suddenly finds himself transported back there to hob nob with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and, of course, a very hilarious Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway. A delightful, fantastic film from my favorite director.

04. Drive - I remember when I was in the college and I swear every dorm room had a poster of either Fight Club or Dazed and Confused. Those were the cult masterpieces of my college days. I always wondered what movie poster kids these days would have on their walls. Well, thanks to Drive and it's gritty, violent, urgent storytelling and performances, plus it's generally too-cool vibe, I think it's safe to say everyone next fall will have a Drive poster on their wall.

03. The Tree of Life - What can you possibly say about such a flawed masterpiece? A movie that so many people love, but just as many people hate. Well, The Tree of Life is so big, so urgent, so beautiful, that it's really almost above film. Director Terrence Malick has made, yet again, a piece of art. And that you got to sit there and watch it, should make you grateful.

02. Moneyball - Maybe it's because I love baseball so very much but Bennett Miller's tale of an aging baseball star and current coach who breaks the rules and tries to create his very own system for picking players is a great movie. It's not just a baseball movie (although it's the best movie about baseball since Bull Durham), it's a movie about life, being the underdog and trying your hardest to win.

01. Hugo - When I heard that Martin Scorsese was directing a children's movie, I was shocked. After all, this is the man that made Raging Bull and Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. But it IS Martin Scorsese so I should have realized really quickly that his children's movie would be the best of the year. Hugo is enchanting and beautiful and a celebration of film and movie making with exquisite performances. Also, he finally made me think 3D wasn't such a waste of time and money.

Top Ten List: Best Actor 2011

10. Tom Hardy for Warrior - Hardy, who has previously done such great work in films like Bronson, is electric in Warrior. As a mysterious former Marine who joins the ultimate MMA battle, he is like a caged lion in the ring, all aggression and rage and heart.

09. Michael Fassbender for X-Men: First Class - I know, I know. Fassbender again?? But he was great as the young Magneto, a former prisoner of the Nazi's who starts out as a friend to Professor X but ultimately becomes a very very (sexy) bad man.

08. Michael Angarano for Ceremony - This movie made me realize that in a few years Michael Angarano is going to be just like Sam Rockwell. Watching his performance here, as a young man in love with an older soon to be married woman who shows up at her wedding to wreck havoc, you would think you were watching a young Rockwell. And that's definitely a good thing.

07. Ryan Gosling for The Ides of March - In the second of Gosling's one-two punch this fall, he played a good man working for a bad politician. So when he decides to fight back and manipulate certain events, what does that make him? Luckily, Gosling is just as good as the script, so it's fun trying to figure it all out.

06. Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50 - I've been a fan of Gordon-Levitt's since day one, years ago when he was a young kid on 3rd Rock from the Sun. He did the indie circuit, and wowed everyone with performances in Brick and then moved on to blockbusters like Inception. It's great to see him flexing his considerable acting skills in a very good (highly underrated) comedy about cancer.

05. Ryan Gosling for Drive - The first of Gosling's amazing performances this past fall, he stars as a mysterious man only known as the driver. He's a stunt car driver who gets caught up in a huge scheme involving the local mob and a very scary Ron Perlman and an even scarier Albert Brooks. He doesn't have much dialogue but the movie is still so alive thanks to his expressions and subtlety.

04. Brad Pitt for Moneyball - I don't always like Brad Pitt. For every Fight Club and Seven, there are movies like Seven Years in Tibet and all those awful Oceans movies. But this is the perfect role for Pitt - an aging golden boy, former star who is trying desperately to hold onto to his former glory days on the baseball field and craft a new generation.

03. George Clooney for The Descendants - Clooney is perfection as Matt King, a man struggling with his wife being in a coma she may not come out of, two semi-out of control daughters and a big upcoming real estate venture. This is the single best performance of his career and the reason why he'll most likely win an Oscar in a few weeks.

02. Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar - DiCaprio should win an Oscar for his very versatile performance as J. Edgar Hoover. Unfortunately, the movie is lackluster and so he probably won't win that long, long, long deserved Oscar. However, that doesn't make his profound performance any less impressive.

01. Michael Shannon for Take Shelter - Michael Shannon is transcendent in Take Shelter, as a family man who suddenly begins having nightmares of the end of the world. Is he losing his mind like his schizophrenic mother? Or is he a modern day prophet? This performance is so restrained, so quiet, so simple (not over the top like he can be once in a while), so intense, so beautifully done. It's a shame he's not a bigger star because if he was Hollywood's best character actor would give Clooney a real run for his money in February.

Top Ten List: Best Actress 2011

10. Michelle Williams for Meek's Cutoff - Williams gave two great performances last year, the first of which was as a strong, silent pioneer woman in the visually stunning but ultimately flawed Meek's Cutoff. Her performance is largely in her eyes and expressions and she is flawless as usual.

09. Emma Stone for The Help - Emma proves she's not just a one hit wonder with Easy A by starring in one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It's also, arguably, the best acting ensemble of the year and she holds her own with a bevy of wonderfully talented women.

08. Saoirse Ronan for Hanna - 2011 was a great year for younger actors and actresses, with Ronan as a huge standout. She is going to be a huge star and her performance as the deadly child assassin, who has no idea what the radio is and only really wants to kiss a boy, is mesmerizing.

07. Elle Fanning for Super 8 - Another young actress that is talented beyond her years, Fanning is amazing as the wannabe actress who causes all the boys in the neighborhood to fall in love. She's also acting within her acting here, and it's simply a joy to watch.

06. Viola Davis for The Help - Another amazing, layered performance in The Help, this time Davis as a maid who has recently lost her only child and wants nothing more than to keep tending to the white child of the family she works for. Davis will most likely be nominated for an Oscar in a few weeks for her great performance.

05. Carey Mulligan for Drive - Ryan Gosling isn't the only one who smolders in drive. Carey Mulligan, as the object of his affection, is pretty damn great too. She plays a young, working mother who is caught between her deadly neighbor and her baby daddy, just released from prison.

04. Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids - Bridesmaids is the one movie that gives The Help a run for its money in the best ensemble category. It's also the funniest movie of the year and that is thanks to its star (and co-writer) Kristin Wiig. Anyone who has ever watched SNL knows that Wiig is funny but here she is also deeply touching and sympathetic. Also, I probably related to her character more than any other in the entire 2011 movie season.

03. Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I still think I prefer Noomi Rapace - the original girl with the dragon tattoo - but Mara, who was practically a nobody before this role, was definitely the right choice for Lisbeth. She is sensational as the tough, empowering computer hacker. With her tattoos and mohawk and black clothes, she's an unlikely but understandable female heroine.

02. Charlize Theron for Young Adult - I very nearly almost gave Theron the top spot on this list. She's the best she's ever been (yes, better than her Oscar winning role in Monster) as Mavis Gary, a very likely mentally ill failing Young Adult writer who goes back to her hometown to steal her high school boyfriend who is married with a newborn baby. Likeable?? Not at all. Hilarious?? Totally.

01. Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn - Ultimately, the top spot had to go to future Oscar winner (yes, as in, in less than two months) Michelle Williams who doesn't just play or portray or impersonate Marilyn Monroe... she becomes her, right down to her wiggle and her breathy voice and her seductive everything. She's perfection in every single way. If she doesn't win an Oscar in February than something is very, very wrong in Hollywood!

Top Ten List - Best Supporting Actor 2011

10. Michael Fassbender for Jane Eyre - Maybe it's my huge crush on Fassbender or maybe it's his really huge year, but he smolders in a boring period piece like Jane Eyre. He manages to make the rough and unlikeable (at least I always disliked him) Mr. Rochester sexy and mysterious.

09. Jonah Hill for Moneyball - Everyone knows Jonah Hill is funny. But the guy can actually act! Thanks, probably, to Aaron Sorkin's fantastic script, Hill brings the character of a dorky math whiz who uses his skills to assess baseball players to life on the screen.

08. Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Ides of March - Hoffman has also had a great year, also stealing his few scenes in Moneyball, but in The Ides of March, he is sneaky and manipulative and loyal and just plain fantastic.

07. Kenneth Branagh for My Week With Marilyn - Sure, this movie belongs to Michelle Williams and her fantastic portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, but there is room to talk about Branagh, too. He plays Sir Laurence Olivier perfectly - mean, surly, ridiculously talented, in love with and jealous of Monroe.

06. Stellan Skarsgard for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Elegantly creepy, Skarsgard was the perfect choice to play the seemingly nice member of the despicable Vanger family, Martin. In his big scene near the end, he manages to be terrifying and funny and classy and intelligent and disgusting, all at the same time.

05. Patton Oswalt for Young Adult - Yes, Patton Oswalt can act and he creates one of the best oddball chemistries ever with Charlize Theron. He's a handicapped former bullied kid who grows up to be a guy who makes moonshine and loves action figures. He is disgusted by Theron's character, but also worships her. It's a great performance to watch.

04. Ben Kingsley for Hugo - Kingsley has been one of the greatest actors of his generation for years. But, after years and years in film, Hugo may just be his finest performance ever. As a toy maker and former revolutionary director, Kingsley is fierce and sentimental and just amazing.

03. Albert Brooks for Drive - Brooks is devastatingly scary in one of the best movies of the year. As a mobster type, he terrifies in a controlled way, which is really the most terrifying way to scare people after all.

02. Corey Stoll for Midnight in Paris - My personal favorite performance of the year, Stoll steals the entire movie away from more well known actors. His Ernest Hemingway is absolutely and undeniably hilarious. It's a shame he wasn't nominated as part of the ensemble at the SAG Awards, but here's hoping he goes method and shows up in character, drunk and yelling, "WHO WANTS TO FIGHT??"

01. Christopher Plummer for Beginners - Plummer is exhilarating as a man in his 80s who finally comes out of the closet, only to find out he's dying, and manages to inspire his son to start over because he won't let a little thing like death slow him down from finally being happy and finding true love and starting movie clubs and having parties and being just plain amazing.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2011

10. Judi Dench for J. Edgar - J. Edgar was a huge disappointment. Not a disappointment? The expectantly great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Judi Dench, as his tough love mother who loves and berates him and adores and terrifies him. It's a splendidly layered performance.

09. Bryce Dallas Howard for The Help - Howard is fabulous as the ultimate mean girl in the 1950s, treating her servants, friends and even family members like crap. But don't worry. She more than gets what she deserves.

08. Judy Greer for The Descendants - Greer doesn't show up until about three quarters of the way through the movie. She doesn't have a very big part, but she plays her few scenes with so much substance and subtlety that you can't take your eyes off of her.

07. Allison Pill for Midnight in Paris - As the flamboyant, fabulous Zelda Fitzgerald, Pill is a delight with her Southern accent and hatred for Ernest Hemingway. Even when she's having a break down, she's charismatic.

06. Anna Kendrick for 50/50 - This under the radar movie was so underrated and so is Kendrick's performance as a newbie therapist who maybe needs a little therapy herself. Her performance is warm and sweet and awkward and lovely.

05. Jessica Chastain for The Tree of Life - Chastain came out of nowhere this year and managed to give a handful of spectacular performances. In The Tree of Life, she holds her own opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn as a loving, beautiful, caring mother.

04. Octavia Spencer for The Help - So much sass! Spencer plays the role of Minny to perfection. Her maid is spunky and has more than enough moxie to go around.

03. Jessica Chastain for The Help - The Help was probably the best ensemble of the year. And the stand out? Chastain, of course, as the ditzy, brand new rich girl who would do anything to fit in. She's funny and sweet and loveable.

02. Shailene Woodley for The Descendants - I wasn't buying the hype either. I thought, no way is this little girl from that pregnant teenager show on ABC Family THAT good. But, she is. As Alexandra, daughter of Clooney, she plays angsty teenager so naturally that you forget she's playing a character and think she's just herself.

01. Jessica Chastain for Take Shelter - The Oscars may be burned out on Chastain's ubiquitous year by the time nominations are announced, but I'm certainly not. Chastain glows in so many outstanding performances this year that it's hard to pick just one as THE performance. But, opposite Michael Shannon, she proves she's a force to be reckoned with and one to watch for years to come.

Top Ten List: Worst Films of 2011

10. Beastly - I guess this movie is supposed to be a young and hip remake of Beauty and the Beast. Instead it's a wooden, terribly written, terribly acted awful movie starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer as two pretty people who can't act their way out of a paper bag and have no chemistry whatsoever. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris completely embarrasses himself by being a part of this mess. When Mary Kate Olsen is the best actor in your movie, you know you've got problems.

09. Insidious - Yes, it lives up to its name. This movie stops being good the minute the opening credits end. It's boring and trite and the last third of the movie is so overly ridiculous that it made me want to laugh out loud... and not in a good way.

08. Hesher - I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love Natalie Portman. So this quirky indie drama couldn't go wrong, right? No way. I was so wrong. Hesher was a VERY BAD MOVIE starring very good actors about a rebellious asshole who befriends a mourning child and steals the grocery store clerk he's in love with. Unlikeable characters, less likeable script.

07. Your Highness - Or, What can go wrong when you have a movie directed by David Gordon Green (who directed two of the best movies I've ever seen) and starring Justin Theroux, James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Zooey Deschanel?? The answer, by the way, is everything.

06. The Dilemma - Watch Vince Vaughn make gay jokes while he struggles with the idea of trying to tell his best friend that his wife is cheating on him. Also, try to suspend disbelief and believe for even one second that a schlub like Kevin James can land a hottie like Winona Ryder.

05. Battle Los Angeles - I can't really say what this movie is about other than shaky cam alien invasion, or some shit. Mostly, it's just a really, really, really bad action movie filled with characters you don't care about doing stuff you don't care about.

04. Paul - Or, the biggest waste of time and the talents of a long list of people including, but not limited to, Bill Hader, Jason Bateman, Simon Pegg, Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, etc. etc. etc.

03. Super - Super, it is not. Instead, it's a disgusting, unfunny, unnecessary movie about a man that wants to be a super hero to save his wife from a drug king pin. Also, watch Ellen Page OVERACT so bad that I just had to capitalize the word.

02. Drive Angry - Nicolas Cage escapes from hell and takes a road trip in order to save his baby granddaughter from a cult that wants to sacrifice her to the devil. I'm not even remotely kidding about that synopsis.

01. One Day - I honestly don't know how this catastrophe of a movie was even made. One Day is one of my absolute favorite books. I don't know why they would make a movie version if they were planning on cutting out three quarters of the book. I don't know why they would cast Anne Hathaway who was absolutely terrible, but also, in her defense, totally wrong for the part. I just don't know why this movie was ever made in the first place.

Best of 2011 - MVP's, Directors, Scenes

MVP's of 2011
10. Cosmo! - Okay, I just needed to include him somewhere because this Jack Russell from Beginners is just about the cutest dog of all time. He even talks via subtitles!
9. Judi Dench - Her performance in J. Edgar almost made everyone forget how awful the movie was. She also stole scenes as a sweet aging actress in My Week with Marilyn and a helpful maid in Jane Eyre.
8. Bryce Dallas Howard as a villain - Okay, villain is a strong word, but Bryce brought the super bitch as a super polite racist in The Help and a cheating girlfriend in 50/50.
7. The Dark Knight Rises trailer - If you haven't watched it yet, then stop reading this and go watch it now. No, seriously.
6. The Cast of Bridesmaids - Not only did these ladies make the most hilarious movie of the year, they also kept us laughing everywhere. Melissa McCarthy not only stole the movie, but also stole the Emmy's when she won Best Actress in a Comedy. She was part of the best moment of the Emmy's, when all the nominated actresses lined the stage as if they were competing in a beauty contest. Kristen Wiig kept us laughing all year on SNL. Rose Byrne turned up everywhere - including the excellent X-Men: First Class and the awful Insidious.
5. Child Actors - This year was a fantastic year for kid actors. Hunter McCracken held his own opposite Chastain and Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life. Chloe Grace Moretz and Asa Butterfield were phenomenal in Hugo. Then there was the entire, great, amazing cast of Super 8: Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills. Not to mention scene stealer Amara Miller from The Descendants.
4. Emma Stone - I love my Emma! She was adorable opposite Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love. She almost stole the show in Friends with Benefits. And she proved she was a bonafide box office sensation with The Help.
3. Ryan Gosling - He had the most ridiculously great second half of a year. First he showed off his crazy, stupid, sexy abs in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Then he broke up a street brawl in NYC. Then he turned violent and sexy in Drive before charming the pants off everyone in The Ides of March.
2. Jessica Chastain - Last year, I had no idea who the hell she was. This year alone she starred in The Debt, Take Shelter, Coriolanus, The Tree of Life, The Help, and Texas Killing Fields. Plus, she's all over my Top Ten Lists (coming next week!).
1. Michael Fassbender - Entertainment Weekly described him best: "Smoldering in Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame, A Dangerous Method and our very elaborate fantasies." Really couldn't say it any better myself!


Best Scenes of 2011
10. Scream 4 - The Opening Sequence - I'm not trying to say Scream 4 is one of the best movies of the year or anything but the opening sequence (featuring Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Lucy Hale and more) is the most creative opening sequence in a series that does a hell of a good opener!
9. My Week With Marilyn - The Bedroom Scene - In which Michelle Williams manages to be sexy, vulnerable, insecure, seductive, funny, charming, and paranoid all at the exact same time. This scene alone should win her an Oscar.
8. Take Shelter - Michael Shannon Flips Out - Shannon's character is either going crazy or predicting the end of the world. All of the people in his small town think it's the former. So, when they stare at him accusingly and try to ostracize him at a fire hall dinner, he flips the hell out... and flips a table!
7. Bellflower - The Opening Sequence - Sure, you won't understand it at the time. It's a lot of very powerful images in reverse set to some haunting music. Eventually, you'll come back to all of those scenes and everything will make sense. But, the beginning of this super low budget, fantastic film sets an immediate tone that will stay with you for the entire film.
6. Drive - Elevator Scene - Ryan Gosling's strong and silent type finally kisses Carey Mulligan's sweet intentioned young mom in an elevator. However, there's a creepy gentleman in there with them and immediately after the sweet kiss, the movie turns suddenly and very seriously violent.
5. The Tree of Life - The Beginning of Time / Creation of Earth - Yes, there are dinosaurs. Yes, this minutes long segment may not seem like it fits in, except it totally does. Leave it to Terrence Malick to tie in the creation of the Earth with the very real small town life of a Texas family in the 50's. That's why he doesn't just make movies, he makes art.
4. Hugo - The Films of Georges Melies - Three quarters of the way through this great movie, we finally get to see those fantastical early movies that the toy maker made with his wife at this glass studio. And they are a love letter to old school cinema, creative and beautiful and awe-inspiring.
3. Bridesmaids - The Airplane Scene - I have seriously never laughed so hard during a movie in my ENTIRE life. Not just the funniest scene of the year, but probably of all time.
2. Take Shelter - Discussion About Opening the Storm Door - Or - Why Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Should Win Oscars.
1. The Descendants - Alexandra Underwater - Shailene Woodley plays Alexandra King with such an ease that you almost forget she's acting. Her best moment is when she finds out her mom's coma is permanent. She's in the swimming pool and slowly sinks under the water. The camera follows her and catches her crying meltdown underwater. It's heart aching and unforgettable.


Best Directors of 2011
10. George Clooney for The Ides of March - Seriously, what can't this man do?
9. J.J. Abrams for Super 8 - He crafted the best coming of age movie of the year.
8. Alexander Payne for The Descendants - A great, funny, family tragedy.
7. Bennett Miller for Moneyball - A baseball movie with heart.
6. Mike Mills for Beginners - Could have been another cliche, but not in his hands.
5. Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris - His most creative and inspired movies in years.
4. David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Proving, again, he's the most bad ass director in Hollywood.
3. Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive - For creating a future cult classic with style and substance.
2. Martin Scorsese for Hugo - For proving that he can make a kids movie and for making me think 3D isn't so terrible after all.
1. Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life - The movie may not be every one's cup of tea, but Malick is more than a director. He's an artist and he makes art we can watch at a movie theater.

Happy Birthday Meryl!

Today is Meryl Streep's 62nd birthday. Since she is the greatest living actress, I decided to make a top ten list of what I think are her best performances. No time for explanations, just a simple quick list in celebration of Queen Meryl!

10. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
09. The Hours (2002)
08. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
07. Doubt (2008)
06. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
05. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
04. Sophie's Choice (1982)
03. Manhattan (1979)
02. The Deer Hunter (1978)
01. Ironweed (1987)