I think the headline is self explanatory so without further adieu, here’s the list:

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox:If you asked me a few years ago who may favorite filmmaker was, i’d likely say either Cameron Crowe or Spielberg. After seeing Fox twice, i’m ready to add Wes Anderson to that list. With Tannenbaums, Anderson took a story of family in turmoil and gave it the look and feel of a children’s book. This time, he takes a children’s book and makes it into an adult drama-dy. I loved this book as a kid, but i love this movie even more as a so-called adult. Now if only i could find my bandit hat.

2. Away We Go:This movie is my Big Chill. What i mean is it captures that weird time in ourlives betwen growing up and growing old. To say this movie speaks to me would be a colossal understatement (i was even inspired to try to grow a Kransinski beard for a while). No i don’t have cardboard for windows, but quite often i do find myself falling asleep wondering just how big a fuck up i really am, just like the film’s two main characters who have to journey from one end of the continent to the other in order to find a home that was always there waiting for them. Best soundtrack of the year, most heartbreaking striptease and best ending. Period.

3. (500) Days of Summer:  There are few things harder to write than a good romantic comedy about a breakup. Swingers succeeded. So did High Fidelity and Better Off Dead. (500) Days may not be as good of those films, but it’s certainly the most realistic, particularly the scene where reality and Tom’s perspective are seperate. Great soundtrack, great acting (Zooey and a pre-cobra commander Levitt), great story and great opening “The characters in this movie are fictional and any resemblance to any real person is purely a coincidence… especially (fill in the blank). Bitch.” Amen.

4. Up in the Air:Another movie that hit close to home. I may loathe flying, but like Clooney i crave the comforts of familiarity and routine and the prospect of change scares me to senseless. Clooney ultimately takes the leap of faith and loses, sort of. Clooney was made for this role. (it certainly wasn’t much of a stretch for him, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t great in it. He barely says a word on the Chicago brownstone steps but you still feel the pain in his gut). Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick were also outstanding. Collectively the best acting and best story of any movie this year. Could have easily been ranked higher if i was judging purely on merit with no weight for personal preference.

5. Inglorious Basterds:Quinton set out to make a speghetti western World War II movie, but what he winds up with is more of a love letter to cinema. The movie is better for it. In fact, it might even be Tarentino’s best save for Reservoir Dogs. Great job by Pitt and Waltz and Melanie Laurent (an aside: was there any actress more beautiful than her this year?)

6. Hurt Locker: The best war movie since Thin Red Line. From me that’s very high praise.

7. Up: Anyone who didn’t get a little misty during the opening has no soul. Proof once more of why Pixar movies are so great– character and story trump special effects.

8. Sugar:How Sandra Bullock and The Blind Side got oscar nominations over this gem of a film is beyond me.

9. An Education:Carey Mulligan– Kitty from Pride and Prejudice– gives us the most appealing female character not named Elizabeth Bennett, Samantha (Garden State) or Holly Golighty (Breakfast at Tiffany’s). Sarsgaard and the dad are very good too.

 10. In the Loop:One of the best political/military satires i’ve seen in a while. Finding a funnier performance than Capaldi’s Tucker is “unforeseeable.”

11. Coraline:Like Fantastic Mr. Fox, proof that a great story doesn’t require realactors . Puppets work  just fine and have no union.

12. Where the Wild Things Are:A few years ago, i would have said Lord of the Rings was unadaptable from book to big screen. i was proven wrong then and i was proven wrong again here. I didn’t like everything Jonze did in his interpretation, but i definitely respect and admire his ability to capture the heart of arguably the greatest children’s book ever written/illustrated.

13. Public Enemies:Michael Mann knows how to capture bank heists and jail breaks on screen. Like Heat, Public Enemies has its slow moments, but the big scenes are worth the wait. I don’t think John Dillinger himself could play John Dillinger better than Depp does here.

14. State of Play:Yes, it had its farfetched moments. (Sharky’s right, the deadline is rediculously long,  not to mention the whole secret recording of a source is a big no no) All that aside, i thought the movie captured some of the thrill and frustrations reporters feel chasing a big story as well as a lot of the challenges and problems the industry faces. What else i liked: Crowe’s desk (it looks just like mind), his accessories (never goes anywhere without a tote bag, notebook and pen) and his car (messy, just like most reporters’)

15. Sunshine Cleaning:Emily Blunt wearing converse sneakers. Need i say more. OK Amy Adams is also very good and Alan Arkin is the best cranky old man ever.

16. Big Fan: Uncomfortably life like. Especially Philadelphia Phil.

17. Julie & Julia:Safe to say i gained a new appreciation for Meryl Street because of this movie and her voice work for Fantastic Mr. Fox. That and lobster soufle sounds awsome.

18. Adventureland: Iwant one of two things: either Bill Hader needs to become my boss or i need to land a new job as a carnival horse race announcer. I definitely feel like i’d be picked as GAMES employee rather than a RIDES one.

19. The Hangover: Laughed my ass off during the trailer. The fact that i likewise laughed throughout the entire movie is why it lands in my top 20.

20. A Single Man:Not nearly as funny as The Hangover, but had many more bare asses. In all seriousness, great acting and beautifully filmed. Colin Firth pulling off his trademark broken hearted depression with a twist– he’s gay — and Julianne Moore proves once again why she is the best living actress not named Meryl Streep.
 
Other notables: I Love You Man, Sherlock Holmes, Great Buck Howard, Julia, Pirate Radio, Paper Heart, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Taking Woodstock, Adam,Star Trek, Duplicity, The Road
 
Not receiving any votes: GI Joe (I don’t think i’m offending anyone when i call it the worst movie ever made; Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Sienna Miller should buy up every DVD and print of this film and destroy them.); Transformers 2 (aka Giant Robot Porn and yet another reason for me to despise Michael Bay and Shia “Mutt” LaBeouf); Avatar (yes i saw it in all its IMAX and 3D glory and yes the special effects were extraordiary. Sorry James, but it still can’t hide your lucas-like dialogue, retred story and Sam Worthington’s flatout awful acting.)

Some things i still haven’t seen:

Precious: Yes it’s suppossed to be very very very good — perhaps even the best movie of the year. I’d like to see it. Maybe someday i will someday. But not anytime soon. You see i’ve been scarred. A few years ago i was taken by a few fellow Orange Streeters to see a movie called Shadowboxer that was directed by the very same Lee Daniels who made Precious. Understand this, Shadowboxer scarred me. I have some real healing to do because of that movie and i vowed never to see another Lee Daniels movie. It’s hard enough to see Helen Mirren after that movie. Those who have seen it understand. Those who haven’t well, do your self a favor and stay away from it. You’ll thank me.

The Blind Side. I know I know, it’s great and Sandra’s great and i shouldn’t judge a movie without seeing it. Yeah, well i don’t care. Because I still don’t believe this movie could possibly be one of the 10 best movies released last year. Academy of Motion Pictures can suck it.

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