Top 10 Flicks I Missed in 2010

10) REMEMBER ME

I hear that Robert Pattinson is quite an actor. I thought he made a good Cedric Diggory and all, but I have yet to see any of the Twilight movies in their entirety, and I don’t mind it staying that way. But I am looking forward to Water For Elephants, and I’ve heard lots of great things about Remember Me. And thankfully no one has spoiled what I understand to be a remarkably divisive ending (some loved it, others hated it). I also think Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan ain't half bad most of the time.

9) DUE DATE

Zack Galifianakis reteaming with director Todd Phillips for more comedic misadventures? The only thing that could possibly make this any better was if Robert Downey Jr. were to some how get involved? Say what? He is? This can’t fail, right? What? Not as good as The Hangover? So it goes, I suppose, but maybe this means they'll aim with a little more precision towards making Hangover 2 a success.

8) CATFISH

I like docs, even (purported to be) fake ones. Obviously I don’t know if this one’s good or not, since I’ve been hearing all sorts of good and bad about it. But if for no other reason, I wanted to see it so I could compare and contrast a movie about the skewing of perception via Facebook with a movie skewering our perception of the guy who made Facebook (The Social Network).

7) LET ME IN

Like all good film geeks, I fell unfailingly in love with Let The Right One In. Unlike many enthusiasts, however, I did not get frothy with rage when I heard that Matt Reeves (of Cloverfield) was going to be directing the inevitable American remake. Neither was the original Let The Right One In’s author (yup, it was a boook first). It seems like we were both close to correct, since the response has been mostly positive. Thirteen-year-old Chloë Grace Moretz continues to impress me with the movies she chooses – I’m looking forward to her performances ten, twenty and maybe even thirty or forty years from now. And I always enjoy me some Richard Jenkins and Elias Koteas.

6) HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1

This isn’t the first HP movie I failed to see in theaters, but I’m a little surprised that I didn’t make it to this one. I’ve always enjoyed the Potter films, and since I’ve stopped reading the books after Azkaban (don’t ask me why I stopped or haven’t picked them back up, cos I enjoyed those more than the movies), I rely on the movie to feed me my magical mythos. I also enjoy multi-part feature length films. Kill Bill, Smoke/Blue In The Face, John Woo’s awesome Red Cliff… will Harry Potter’s final film be amongst the most epic two-parters?

5) THE FIGHTER

I’m a major David O. Russell fan, so I’m surprised I didn’t check this one out in theaters, especially since we all missed the chance to see his “politically-charged romantic comedy” Nailed when production was halted before completion. The Fighter looks fantastic, not just for Russell reteaming with the remarkable Marky Mark, but also for him working with Christian Bale as a recovering crack addict ex-con who trains his brother to box. Bale is usually at his best when working with extremes, as is Russell. I’m sure their pairing is inspired.

4) HOWL

James Franco as Allen Ginsberg + one of the world’s most infamous poems being read & defended (and glances into the origin of the artist behind a revolution) + the cinematic mixture of storytelling, documentary and animation + fantastic supporting cast (David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, and Mary-Louise Parker? Nice!) = I’m not sure how I missed it.

3) THE ILLUSIONIST

I’ve been waiting a while for Sylvain Chomet to show us some more of what he’s got. After The Triplets Of Bellville (and a short piece in Paris, Je T’Aime), I was excited to see something new in hand-drawn animation, and was curious to experience some cartoons not from America or Japan. This story about a magician being outed seems well suited to Chomet’s distinct sketchy stylings, and I hope he has some more tricks up his sleeve than just a solid debut.

2) ANIMAL KINGDOM

Quentin Tarantino and Greg Dulli both called it one of their favorite films of the year. That alone tells me how good this Australian crime drama must be (that, and Guy Pearce is in it).

1) TRON: LEGACY

Of all the films I managed to not see, how did I not see this? I loved Tron growing up. I love The Dude now. And I enjoy remakes. Even if they aren’t artistically satisfying, they can be culturally, and who can disagree that Legacy looks amazing? Throw in a skillful score by Daft Punk and I’m amazed that I wasn’t overcome by whatever disease turns a movie lover into a drooling fanboy waiting in line weeks before the premiere. And more so than any other movie, I know I missed out on something by not seeing this one in theaters. I can watch every movie on this list tomorrow, but I can’t go back to when this film was first blowing collective minds wrapped around 3D glasses. My bad.