Tradition dictates a 10 Best list at this time of year, but rather than annointing what I think were the 10 best films of the year, I'm going to list the 10 movies that very pleasantly surprised me in a year of generally quite good output. The list tends toward the art house and the foreign, but that is where you're more likely to be surprised, isn't it? Heaven knows, the major studios are going to make good and sure that you know about the big titles. So here they are, in no particular order.
The Lookout. Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays a brain-damaged young man working toward rehabilitation who becomes the dupe of villains planning to rob the bank where he's the janitor. The fascination here is Gordon-Levitt's outstanding performance and the unvarnished feeling for the small town and hard-scrabble rural life.
Waitress. Writer-director Andrienne Shelly creates a witty, poignant, tasty dish of a movie set in a diner famous for the pies its main character creates. It's a delicious slice of life and love served warmly with the knowledge that life is not as easy as whatever, and that we must live with the choices we make.
Knocked Up. Judd Apatow captures our times, our speech, our habits, our attitudes, our sexual and moral confusion, in this laugh-so-hard-you-miss-the-next-line comedy that you've undoubtedly already seen. But whatever you heard about it, wasn't it unexpected fun?
The Host. Beautiful, scary, original Korean monster movie (and what a monster!) that speaks to us about family, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Paprika. Mind-blowing Japanese animated feature that lives half in the "real" world and half in a dream world where the main character becomes the heroine Paprika. The story and images are breathtaking and original.
Once. An Irish street singer boy meets a girl (we never learn their names in the movie) and together they make some beautiful music in an effortless musical that for one, brief, shining moment holds you breathless.
Day Watch. It was the top-grossing Russian movie ever in Russia, a sci-fi fantasy set in Moscow's gritty underworld where the forces of Light and Dark continue their battle begun in "Night Watch" in this second installment of a trilogy. I loved the inventive special effects and imaginative direction that proves that talent and art can more than compensate for budget.
Ratatouille. This cooking rat had me from his first fresh ingredients. I couldn't believe I was rooting for a rat in a kitchen. The animation was superb, and the story delightful.
La vie en rose. Marion Cotillard channels French cabaret singer Edith Piaf in this detailed, thrilling and engrossing bio, which does suffer from a little too much jumping back and forth in time. I was shocked to learn later that many of the songs are lip-synched. If you're too young to remember Piaf, you'll understand what the fuss was all about.
Into the Wild. A great road movie with a remarkable cast of memorable characters that does not preach an easy answer to the questions it raises about the nature of freedom and materialism.
Honorable mention: The Namesake, Starter for 10, Lives of Others, Away From Her, Gone Baby Gone, Talk to Me, Juno.
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