Joseph Gordon-Levitt Brings The Cool To Looper

When he turned 7-years-old, Joseph Gordon-Levitt landed his first role in television film Stranger On My Land, starring opposite Tommy Lee Jones. In the years that followed, he enjoyed limited, yet sustained success with roles in such well-known TV series’ as Murder, She Wrote, Dark Shadows and Quantum Leap, building up a strong portfolio and an honest passion for his art. It was his role as the awkward, yet unchaste Tommy Solomons in 3rd Rock From The Sun Continue reading “Joseph Gordon-Levitt Brings The Cool To Looper”

Review: The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) – a woman like none he’s ever known.

But just as he realizes he’s falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of fate itself – the men of ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ – who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together.

In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path…or risk everything to defy fate and be with her.

Adapted from Philip K. Dick’s short story Adjustment Team, George Nolfi’s directorial debut has all the typical elements of a traditional thriller, but instead –  and to its merit – shifts focus onto the sincerity of its love story, the intensity and sting of its dialogue and the poignancy of its two lead characters.

Nolfi’s script is compellingly light on its feet, merrily skimming over any laboured exposition on the deep, underlying questions in an old-fashioned Hollywood way; and there’s a wonderfully pleasant, authentically believable echantment between Damon and Blunt.

Visually, the film is stylishly shot by John Toll. The sumptuous New York backdrop is bathed for all its worth, resolving the action sublimely with a peerless top-of-the-world, eloquent climax, thanks in no part to the pulsating score and symbolic use of natural lighting through mise-en-scène.

In terms of drama, The Adjustment Bureau doesn’t quite set all lights blazing, and the overall story lacks in the kind of gut-wrenching twist or moment of pathos that would propel it to a higher stature. But in no way shape or form does this infringe upon the overall point of the film – the sincere, clever and unique romantic nature.

The heart of the film, and the films most impressive element, is the plausible relationship between David and Elise, so exquisitely played by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, who both exude a captivating level of warmth and naturalism that makes their potentially life-threatening romance instantly credible and captivating to behold.

Damon sturdily channels David’s bruised side, contrasting this with his level-headed political disposition, giving an extraordinarily full-bodied, comprehensive performance, one that will undoubtedly be shamefully overlooked.

And Blunt, in arguably her most enthralling role since The Devil Wears Prada, undercuts Elise’s cutting, untrustworthy exterior with her honest, vulnerable inner heart to perfect, pertinent avail. Her ballet skills may not be the best, but she more than makes up for that in other, more necessary areas.

The supporting actors, most notably a very impressive Anthony Mackie, a slick and crafty John Slattery, and an always on-form Terence Stamp, deliver committed, uniformly ardent turns as various members of ‘The Adjustment Bureau’.

The Adjustment Bureau is a fun, thought-provoking uniquely discerning and superbly acted entertainment romance-thriller. Unlike the marking campaign suggests, it isn’t Bourne meets Inception, but it does have the necessary ingredients to stand out as a solid piece of filmmaking.

83rd Academy Awards: Winners

Best Picture

  • The Social Network
  • Winter’s Bone
  • The King’s Speech – WINNER
  • Black Swan
  • The Fighter
  • True Grit
  • Toy Story 3
  • The Kids Are All Right
  • 127 Hours
  • Inception

Best Director

  • Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
  • Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) – WINNER
  • David Fincher (The Social Network)
  • Joel & Ethan Coen (True Grit)
  • David O. Russell (The Fighter)

Best Actor

  • James Franco (127 Hours)
  • Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) – WINNER
  • Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
  • Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
  • Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Best Actress

  • Natalie Portman (Black Swan) – WINNER
  • Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
  • Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
  • Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)
  • Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)

Best Supporting Actor

  • John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
  • Christian Bale (The Fighter) – WINNER
  • Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
  • Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)
  • Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Best Supporting Actress

  • Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
  • Melissa Leo (The Fighter) – WINNER
  • Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
  • Amy Adams (The Fighter)
  • Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Best Original Screenplay

  • Mike Leigh (Another Year)
  • Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg (The Kids Are All Right)
  • David Seidler (The King’s Speech) – WINNER
  • Christopher Nolan (Inception)
  • Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson & Keith Dorrington (The Fighter)

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) – WINNER
  • Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy (127 Hours)
  • Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3)
  • Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (True Grit)
  • Debra Granik & Anne Rosellin (Winter’s Bone)

Best Animated Film

  • The Illusionist
  • Toy Story 3 – WINNER
  • How To Train Your Dragon

Best Foreign Language Film

  • Dogtooth
  • In A Better World – WINNER
  • Biutiful
  • Incendies
  • Outside The Law

Best Documentary

  • Inside Job – WINNER
  • Exit Through The Gift Shop
  • GasLand
  • Restrepo
  • Waste Land

Best Art Direction

  • Inception
  • Alice In Wonderland – WINNER
  • The King’s Speech
  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  • True Grit

Best Cinematography

  • Black Swan
  • The Social Network
  • Inception – WINNER
  • True Grit
  • The King’s Speech

Best Visual Effects

  • Hereafter
  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  • Iron Man 2
  • Inception – WINNER
  • Alice In Wonderland

Best Costume Design

  • I Am Love
  • Alice In Wonderland – WINNER
  • The King’s Speech
  • True Grit
  • The Tempest

Best Editing

  • The Fighter
  • Black Swan
  • The Social Network – WINNER
  • 127 Hours
  • The King’s Speech

Best Makeup

  • The Wolfman – WINNER
  • Barney’s Version
  • The Way Back

Best Short Film (Live Action)

  • Na Wewe
  • The Confession
  • Wish 143
  • The Crush
  • God Of Love – WINNER

Best Short Film (Animated)

  • Let’s Pollute
  • The Gruffalo
  • Day & Night
  • The Lost Thing – WINNER
  • Madagascar, A Journey Diary

Best Short Film (Documentary)

  • Killing In The Name
  • Poster Girl
  • Strangers No More – WINNER
  • Sun Come Up
  • The Warriors Of Quigang

Best Original Score

  • How To Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
  • Inception (Hans Zimmer)
  • The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
  • 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
  • The Social Network (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross) – WINNER

Best Original Song

  • Coming Home (Country Strong)
  • I See The Light (Tangled)
  • If I Rise (127 Hours)
  • We Belong Together (Toy Story 3) – WINNER

Best Sound Mixing

  • Inception – WINNER
  • Salt
  • The Social Network
  • True Grit
  • The King’s Speech

Best Sound Editing

  • Toy Story 3
  • Inception – WINNER
  • True Grit
  • Unstoppable
  • Tron: Legacy

64th BAFTA Film Awards: Winners

Best Film

  • The King’s Speech

Outstanding British Film

  • The King’s Speech

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer

  • Chris Morris (Four Lions)

Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema

  • Harry Potter

Director

  • David Fincher (The Social Network)

Fellowship

  • Christopher Lee

Original Screenplay

  • David Seidler (The King’s Speech)

Adapted Screenplay

  • Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)

Foreign Film

  • The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Animated Film

  • Toy Story 3

Leading Actor

  • Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Leading Actress

  • Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Supporting Actor

  • Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Supporting Actress

  • Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Original Music

  • The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)

Cinematography

  • True Grit

Editing

  • The Social Network

Production Design

  • Inception

Costume Design

  • Alice In Wonderland

Special Visual Effects

  • Inception

Sound

  • Inception

Make Up & Hair

  • Alice In Wonderland

Short Film

  • Until The River Runs Red

Short Animation

  • The Eagleman Stag

Orange Wednesday Rising Star

  • Tom Hardy

83rd Academy Awards: Nominations

Best Picture

  • The Social Network
  • Winter’s Bone
  • True Grit
  • Black Swan
  • The King’s Speech
  • 127 Hours
  • The Fighter
  • Toy Story 3
  • Inception
  • The Kids Are All Right

Best Director

  • Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
  • David Fincher (The Social Network)
  • Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)
  • Joel & Ethan Coen (True Grit)
  • David O. Russell (The Fighter)

Best Actor

  • Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)
  • Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
  • Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
  • James Franco (127 Hours)
  • Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Best Actress

  • Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
  • Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)
  • Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
  • Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)
  • Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)

Best Supporting Actor

  • John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)
  • Christian Bale (The Fighter)
  • Jeremy Renner (The Town)
  • Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
  • Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Best Supporting Actress

  • Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
  • Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
  • Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
  • Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)
  • Amy Adams (The Fighter)

Best Original Screenplay

  • Another Year (Mike Leigh)
  • The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg)
  • The King’s Speech (David Seidler)
  • Inception (Christopher Nolan)
  • The Fighter (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson & Keith Dorrington)

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • 127 Hours (Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy)
  • The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
  • Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich)
  • True Grit (Joel & Ethan Coen)
  • Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik & Anne Rosellin)

Best Animated Film

  • Toy Story 3
  • How To Train Your Dragon
  • The Illusionist

Best Foreign Language Film

  • Biutiful
  • Dogtooth
  • In A Better World
  • Incendies
  • Outside The Law

Best Documentary

  • GasLand
  • Inside Job
  • Exit Through The Gift Shop
  • Restrepo
  • Waste Land

Best Art Direction

  • Inception
  • Alice In Wonderland
  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  • The King’s Speech
  • True Grit

Best Cinematography

  • Black Swan
  • Inception
  • The King’s Speech
  • True Grit
  • The Social Network

Best Costume Design

  • The Tempest
  • I Am Love
  • Alice In Wonderland
  • The King’s Speech
  • True Grit

Best Editing

  • The King’s Speech
  • Black Swan
  • The Fighter
  • 127 Hours
  • The Social Network

Best Short Film (Live Action)

  • The Crush
  • Wish 143
  • Na Wewe
  • The Confession
  • God Of Love

Best Short Film (Animated)

  • The Gruffalo
  • Day & Night
  • Let’s Pollute
  • The Lost Thing
  • Madagascar, A Journey Diary

Best Makeup

  • The Wolfman
  • Barney’s Version
  • The Way Back

Best Original Score

  • Inception (Hanz Zimmer)
  • How To Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
  • The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
  • 127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
  • The Social Network (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

Best Original Song

  • Coming Home (Country Strong)
  • I See The Light (Tangled)
  • If I Rise (127 Hours)
  • We Belong Together (Toy Story 3)

Best Sound Mixing

  • Salt
  • Inception
  • The King’s Speech
  • True Grit
  • The Social Network

Best Sound Editing

  • Toy Story 3
  • Inception
  • Unstoppable
  • True Grit
  • Tron: Legacy

Best Visual Effects

  • Hereafter
  • Alice In Wonderland
  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  • Iron Man 2
  • Inception

64th BAFTA Film Awards: Nominations

Best Film

  • Black Swan
  • Inception
  • The King’s Speech
  • True Grit
  • The Social Network

Outstanding British Film

  • 127 Hours
  • Another Year
  • Four Lions
  • Made In Dagenham
  • The King’s Speech

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer

  • The Arbor – Clio Barnard (Writer), Tracy O’Riordan (Producer)
  • Exit Through The Gift Shop – Banksy (Director), Jaimie D’Cruz (Producer)
  • Four Lions – Chris Morris (Writer/Director)
  • Monsters – Gareth Edwards (Writer/Director)
  • Skeletons – Nick Whitfield (Writer/Director)

Director

  • Danny Boyle – (127 Hours)
  • Black Swan – (Darren Aronofksy)
  • Christopher – Nolan (Inception)
  • Tom Hooper – (The King’s Speech)
  • David Fincher – (The Social Network)

Original Screenplay

  • Black Swan – (Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz & John McLaughlin)
  • The Fighter – (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson)
  • Inception – (Christopher Nolan)
  • The Kids Are All Right – (Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg)
  • The King’s Speech – (David Seidler)

Adapted Screenplay

  • 127 Hours – (Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy)
  • The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – (Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel)
  • The Social Network – (Aaron Sorkin)
  • Toy Story 3 – (Michael Arndt)
  • True Grit – (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen)

Foreign Film

  • Biutiful
  • I Am Love
  • Of Gods And Men
  • The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
  • The Secret In Their Eyes

Animated Film

  • Despicable Me
  • Toy Story 3
  • How To Train Your Dragon

Leading Actor

  • Javier Bardem – (Biutiful)
  • Colin Firth – (The King’s Speech)
  • Jeff Bridges – (True Grit)
  • Jesse Eisenberg – (The Social Network)
  • James Franco – (127 Hours)

Leading Actress

  • Natalie Portman – (Black Swan)
  • Julianne Moore – (The Kids Are All Right)
  • Noomi Rapace – (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
  • Hailee Steinfeld – (True Grit)
  • Annette Bening – (The Kids Are All Right)

Supporting Actor

  • Christian Bale – (The Fighter)
  • Andrew Garfield – (The Social Network)
  • Mark Ruffalo – (The Kids Are All Right)
  • Geoffrey Rush – (The King’s Speech)
  • Pete Postlethwaite – (Inception)

Supporting Actress

  • Amy Adams – (The Fighter)
  • Lesley Manville – (Another Year)
  • Barbara Hershey – (Black Swan)
  • Miranda Richardson – (Made In Dagenham)
  • Helena Bonham Carter – (The King’s Speech)

Original Music

  • A. R. Rahman – (127 Hours)
  • Danny Elfman – (Alice In Wonderland)
  • Wally Pfister – (Inception)
  • Danny Cohen – (The King’s Speech)
  • Roger Deakins – (True Grit)

Cinematography

  • 127 Hours – (Anthony Dod Mantle, Enrique Chediak)
  • Black Swan – (Matthew Libatique)
  • Inception – (Wally Pfister)
  • The King’s Speech – (Danny Cohen)
  • True Grit – (Roger Deakins)

Editing

  • 127 Hours – (Jon Harris)
  • Black Swan – (Andrew Weisblum)
  • Inception – (Lee Smith)
  • The King’s Speech – (Tariq Anwar)
  • The Social Network – (Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall)

Production Design

  • Alice In Wonderland – (Robert Stromberg & Karen O’Hara)
  • Black Swan – (Therese Deprez & Tora Peterson)
  • Inception – (Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias & Doug Mowat)
  • The King’s Speech – (Eve Stewart & Judy Farr)
  • True Grit – (Jess Gonchor & Nancy Haigh)

Costume Design

  • Alice In Wonderland – (Colleen Atwood)
  • Black Swan – (Amy Westcott)
  • The King’s Speech – (Jenny Beavan)
  • Made In Dagenham – (Louise Stjernsward)
  • True Grit – (Mary Zophres)

Special Visual Effects

  • Alice In Wonderland  – (TBC)
  • Black Swan – (Dan Schrecker)
  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 – (Tim Burke, John Richardson, Nicolas Ait’hadi & Christian Manz)
  • Inception – (Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley & Peter Bebb)
  • Toy Story 3 – (TBC)

Sound

  • 127 Hours – (Glenn Freemantle, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Steven C Laneri & Douglas Cameron)
  • Black Swan – (Ken Ishii, Craig Henighan & Dominick Tavella)
  • Inception – (Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo & Ed Novick)
  • The King’s Speech – (John Midgley, Lee Walpole & Paul Hamblin)
  • True Grit – (Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F Kurland & Douglas Axtell)

Make Up & Hair

  • Alice In Wonderland – (TBC)
  • Black Swan – (Judy Chin & Geordie Sheffer)
  • Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 – (Amanda Knight & Lisa Tomblin)
  • The King’s Speech – (Frances Hannon)
  • Made In Dagenham – (Lizzie Yianni Georgiou)

Short Animation

  • The Eagleman Stag
  • Matter Fisher
  • Thursday

Short Film

  • Connect
  • Lin
  • Rite
  • Turning
  • Until The River Runs Red

Orange Wednesday Rising Star

  • Gemma Arterton
  • Emma Stone
  • Tom Hardy
  • Andrew Garfield
  • Aaron Johnson

16th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards: Winners

Best Film

  • The Social Network

Best Director

  • David Fincher – (The Social Network)

Best Actor

  • Colin Firth – (The King’s Speech)

Best Actress

  • Natalie Portman – (Black Swan)

Best Supporting Actor

  • Christian Bale – (The Fighter)

Best Supporting Actress

  • Melissa Leo – (The Fighter)

Best Young Actor/Actress

  • Hailee Steinfeld – (True Grit)

Best Acting Ensemble

  • The Fighter

Best Original Screenplay

  • The King’s Speech – (David Seidler)

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • The Social Network – (Aaron Sorkin)

Best Cinematography

  • Inception

Best Art Direction

  • Inception

Best Editing

  • Inception

Best Costume Design

  • Alice In Wonderland

Best Makeup

  • Alice In Wonderland

Best Visual Effects

  • Inception

Best Sound

  • Inception

Best Animated Film

  • Toy Story 3

Best Action Film

  • Inception

Best Comedy Film

  • Easy A

Best Film Made For Television

  • The Pacific

Best Foreign Language Film

  • The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Best Documentary Film

  • Waiting For Superman

Best Score

  • The Social Network – (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

Best Song

  • If I Rise – (127 Hours)

Review: Inception (2010)

Inception is the latest film from movie mastermind Christopher Nolan. After directing such acclaimed and commercially successful films as Memento, The Dark Knight and The Prestige, Nolan returns to cinema screens with another mind-bending summer blockbuster, this time putting the emphasis on dreams, allowing his action to take place across several layers, or levels as they’re referred to in the film.

Centering on Dom (DiCaprio), a superior “extrator” who’s hired by a businessman, Saito (Watanbe) to carry out an “inception”, which is to plant an idea, that will cause Robert (Murphy) to collapse his fathers (Postlethwaite) company following his death.

For around the first hour of the film we’re introduced to Dom and his efforts to assemble a team to accompany him, which eventually include Arthur (Levitt), Eames (Hardy), Yusef (Rao), and Ariadne (Page) who’s hired by Dom to design the dream they’ll be entering to carry out the “inception”.

Dom’s late wife, Mal (Cotillard), who we’re introduced to early on in the film, flits between the dreams, haunting Dom’s mind as a “projection”. Eventually, we learn the backbone to their story, how she died, and why Dom won’t let her go. Although Cotillard doesn’t have much screentime, she brings a mysterious, almost dreamy quality to Mal’s nature, allowing viewers to understand her position within the narrative.

It’s when we enter the first level that the action really gets going and Nolan’s imagination comes to life. Playing off wondrous specticle and the studios freedom, he concocts a thinking man’s blockbuster, one that will keep you hooked for it’s entirety, leading itself to a memorable, explosive, bewildering, yet assured, ending.

Despite the heavy running time, the film runs smoothly enough, seamlessly gliding along as the team delve through different levels, getting deeper and deeper withing the subconscious in an effort to plant this idea inside Robert’s mind, deep enough for it to stick long after they’ve awoken.

DiCaprio’s performance as Dom carries the film, showing a new side to his superior acting skills, as he inforces Dom’s ideals, while restraining himself somewhat, especially against the action-laded backdrop. Supporting performances from Page, Levitt and, most notably, Hardy are remarkable, hopefully enough to make them stick in critics’ heads come awards season.

In terms of style, it’s truly spectacular to see someone like Nolan’s vision come to life on the big screen. You could spend the whole film marvelling at the set designs, CG effects and cinematography, but it never gets in the way of the film’s purpose. A remarkable feat to behold.

Inception is not only visually impressive but, with a sterling cast, innovative narrative and mind-blowing set-pieces, also a winning cinematic experience all-round. Worth entering with an open mind.

Feature: Top Ten Films Of 2010

In total I’ve seen a lot of films in 2010, but here are the ten I consider my favourite:

1. The King’s Speech

The King’s Speech is an altogether clever, humorous and emotional film, supported by tremendous performances from it’s central cast. A must see, by all accounts.

2. The Kids Are All Right

The Kids Are All Right a fantastic film, exuding charm, wit, love, insecurity and anguish at every appropriate corner. In essence, it’s a film about the struggles of human relationships, and shows a family’s love has the potential to overcome any obstacle.

3. The Social Network

The Social Network is a film that deserves your attention. It’s not only a film about Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook, but also one of morality. One that requires your full attention and questions your beliefs and values;  but also one that rewards you with its passion, attention-to-detail and humourous nature.

4. Another Year

Mike Leigh’s measured, and scarily realistic human nature drama is impossible to dismiss. Leigh’s laid-back approach let’s the characters and on-screen drama speak for itself. The central leads invite you into their lives and take you on a emotionally and wholly real journey through old-age. Lesley Manville, in particular, is breathtaking.

5. Winter’s Bone

Winter’s Bone is a film of true craftsmanship. Haunting, gritty, yet oddly inspiring, featuring a nuanced and captivating performance from newcomer Jennifer Lawrence.

6. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Edgar Wright stepped up his game with this genre-crossing comedy film. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a zany, mis-construed film that explores deep, poignant ideas, inter-cut with lots of crazy, heart-pounding action scenes, hundred of popular culture nods and hilariously odd performances from its central cast.

7. Toy Story 3

Defying expectations, Toy Story 3 proved sequels can be successful. Directed by the incredibly talented Lee Unkrich, the film manages to be a fitting, touching and honest conclusion to one of the most beloved, and inspiring, franchises of all time.

8. Inception

Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending science fiction, Inception is a singular accomplishment from an extraordinarily talented and game-changing director. It’s a visually stunning, intellectually challenging and emotionally engaging triumph, one that truly exemplifies modern filmmaking.

9. Monsters

Monsters is an incredible achievement in more ways than one, showcasing fine performances, an afflicting narrative, wholly real character interactions and special effects that rival those used on Blockbusters

10. I Am Love

Possibly one of the most overlooked films of the year, I Am Love is an incredibly well shot, acted, portrayed and directed. Tilda Swinton provided a flawless, and incredibly raw performance. One to seek out.

Honourable Mentions:

Easy A, How To Train Your Dragon, Four Lions, Kick-Ass, Piranha, Lebanon, Despicable Me, Bad Lieutenant – Port Of Call: New Orleans, The Runaways, Please Give, Cyrus, Splice, Mary & Max, The Hole, Exit Through The Gift Shop, The Killer Inside Me, The Illusionist, Whip It, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Somewhere, Dogtooth and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1.