NYC Film Critic

Summing up 2010’s best and worst and everything in between.

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My final film review of a 2010 release has arrived and it’s for…Gulliver’s Travels?  I guess that’s one more reason to look forward to the new year.  Read my review of Jack Black’s version of Jonathan Swift’s immortal satire over at Film Journal.  And check back here on Monday when my big Year in Review–with my Top 10 of ’10 along with a host of other lists–will finally be ready for public viewing.  Happy holidays!

With the holiday hiatus fast approaching, here’s a big batch of reviews of some of December’s most interesting offerings (leading off with Sofia Coppola’s latest film Somewhere, starring Stephen Dorff), some of which will be rolling out in the next two weeks, while others have already opened.  Look for two more posts to come before the New Year, a Film Journal published reaction to Jack Black’s Gulliver’s Travels and, last but not least, my 2011 Year in Review.

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The Coen Brothers toss moviegoers another change-up, following up their brilliant black comedy A Serious Man with the meditative Western True Grit, which sports one of the year’s best screenplays and most beautifully photographed images.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

It’s taken 28 years for a Tron sequel to make its way into theaters.  Is Legacy worth the long, long wait?  Find out in my review over at Film Journal.

Another year, another vintage cartoon character is unnecessarily given the live-action treatment.  In 2010, it’s Yogi Bear.  Next year, it’ll be The Smurfs.  And after that, who knows?  (My money’s on The Shmoo.)  In the meantime, read my review of Yogi Bear over at Film Journal.

In a strong year for animated films, Sylvain Chomet’s beautiful adaptation of an unproduced Jacques Tati script may be the best of the bunch.  Read my review over at Film Journal and see the movie when it starts unrolling in limited release on December 24.

The New York Film Critics Online, of which I am a member, met today to single out the best 2010 had to offer.  To no one’s great surprise, The Social Network took home the big three awards–Screenplay, Director and Picture.  But we did spread the wealth around a little, handing Actor to James Franco for his terrific turn in 127 Hours, Actress to Natalie Portman for her poised work in Black Swan (although, to be honest, I was pulling for Blue Valentine‘s Michelle Williams or Another Year‘s Lesley Manville) and Breakthrough Performer to Noomi Rapace, the best thing about the film versions of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy.  The win I was most thrilled about?  Exit Through the Gift Shop‘s squeaker victory in the Documentary category.  The win I was least thrilled about?  John Wells as Debut Director for his solid, but unremarkable drama The Company Men.  Read the full list of winners–as well as NYFCO’s collective Top 10 of 2010 list (not to be confused with my own list, which I hope to post here within the next two weeks)–after the jump.

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David O. Russell has been in movie jail since I Heart Huckabees bombed at the box office, but he’s hitting back with a strong boxing picture entitled, simply, The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg and this year’s likely Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner, Christian Bale.  Read my review over at Film Journal.