NY Times Critic A.O. Scott Chooses His 10 Best Movies of 2010« FirstShowing.net

Ah yes, time to get into some Top 10 lists. One of the most prominent critics still (successfully) writing for a major newspaper nowadays isA.O. ScottofThe New York Times, who just published his10 Best Moviesof 2010 list. Scott also names his Top 10"trends"as part of aCinematic State of Thingsrecap, with various topics like:"We are all figments ofLeonardo DiCaprio's imagination"and"Only a great director can make a great movie, but a good actor can make a bad or mediocre or not-quite-great moviemuch better."It's a wonderful reflective article overall (read it here), but first let's check out his 10 Best Movies of 2010.

1.Inside Job(Charles Ferguson)"The crisis of finance capitalism as a great crime story."

2.Toy Story 3(Lee Unkrich)"The triumph of consumer capitalism as an epic love story."

3.Carlos(Olivier Assayas)"The failure of global revolution as farce, melodrama, erotic thriller and music video."

4.Somewhere(Sofia Coppola)"An eccentric, perfect poem about fame, loneliness and cross-generational need."

5.The Kids Are All Right(Lisa Cholodenko)"An eccentric, perfect comedy about love, betrayal and cross-generational confusion."

6.Greenberg(Noah Baumbach)"A deliberately imperfect comedy about an eccentric fleeing from love, running from betrayal and wallowing in cross-generational confusion."

7.127 Hours(Danny Boyle)"It's all fun until someone loses an arm. And then, strangely enough, it's even more fun."

8.Last Train Home(Lixin Fan)"The future of global capitalism, in China and elsewhere: a family tragedy in the form of a documentary, as full of anger, dignity and pathos as a play by Arthur Miller."

9.Secret Sunshine(Lee Chang-dong)"A family tragedy from South Korea, in the form of a melodramatic crime story. As dense and gripping as a great novel."

10.Exit Through the Gift Shop(Banksy)"All of the above. None of the above. Everything and nothing. An elaborate art-world stunt in the form of a documentary. Or vice versa."

Some very interesting selections on Scott's list this year, but that's what makes him such a unique critic that still remains incredibly relevant today. I'm surprised to not seeThe Social Network(which has beentopping a lot of lists recently) on here or any other mainsteam hard-hitters likeBlack Swan,The King's Speech,Blue Valentineor evenInception. Hedoesexplain why, by also taking a jab at the film:"It was more fun to read the impassioned, geeky arguments aboutInceptionthan to endure a second viewing of that film."Scott also talks about how all of the discussionThe Social Networkcaused was a lot more riveting than the film itself. I won't agree, but that's just me and I've got my own Top 10 list in the works, too.Thoughts on his picks?

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