Catching Up With Movies From 2010

The Fighter: **** stars

If anyone is feeling the love for second chances, it's the director of The Fighter, David O.Russell. Here is a man who before this movie, seemed to be down-and-out. Not only is he up-and-in with this fantastic real life drama about Irish boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) of Lowell, Massachusetts and his struggles of dealing with family ties and professional disappointments, he delivers one of the best movies of the year. Micky's brother Dickie Eklund, the man who knocked Sugar Ray Leonard down (or did he trip?) has spiraled down to rock-bottom with his crack addiction. The performance of the year belongs to Christian Bale. His portrayal of Dickie is nothing short of a revelation. Every mannerism and word spoken by Bale is not only played to perfection, but his supporting role often becomes the key focus of the movie. Dickie was once hailed as the Pride of Lowell for years. Unfortunately, his addiction eclipses any sign of the man everyone once knew. Micky and Dickie's mother Alice (a phenomenal Melissa Leo) is not only one of the most overbearing mother's in recent film history, but also a ruthless manager. She feels Micky can't do anything without her or Dickie. Through this, Mickey starts to question whether or not they have the best intentions for him. He meets a pretty local named Charlene (Amy Adams) and through her love and support, he realizes that it's time to start taking control of his own life. The journey is exhilarating. The Fighter is no doubt the best film of the holiday season.

Tron: Legacy: **1/2 stars

Here is an unique example of how visuals and music can create more of an emotional impact than the actual story. Tron: Legacy, a sequel to the 1982 box-office flop (but did receive positive reviews) is a visually stunning spectacle with an amazing soundtrack by Daft Punk. Other than that, there really isn't much here for story. It's great to see Jeff Bridges rule the holidays with this and True Grit, but even he can't save Tron: Legacy from its cheesy one-liners and underachieved plot. If you're looking for an IMAX-3D fix, look no further. Anything more than that, like seeing Jeff Bridges, head over to the next movie on this list...

True Grit: ***1/2 stars

Lately, The Coen Brothers are the only filmmakers on the planet who deliver not just on every movie but literally every year. Since 2007, they have given us No Country For Old Men, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, and now True Grit, a remake of the 1969 John Wayne western. Jeff Bridges re-teams with his Big Lebowski duo and delivers a oddly captivating performance. Featuring Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, the cast is electric. Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a stubborn old man who helps young girl Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) track down her father's killer. Texas Ranger Lebouf (Damon) comes along for the ride, but not without troubles. Through the journey, his alliances are challenged. Once they discover Mattie's killer Tom Chaney (Brolin), the film takes unexpected turns that shows the Coen Brother's faithfulness to the original film and to their ultimate mission to challenge an audience. While I found the ending to be a little abrupt and slightly out-of-place from the rest of the story, I did enjoy the unique vision of the Coen Brothers. The movie has already steamed pass the $100 million mark, indicating that people still want to see Westerns. The genre never really died, the Coen Brothers just brought the life it needed back into it to survive.

The King's Speech: **** stars

In the past couple weeks, I had this gut-wrenching feeling that I wasn't going to be able to see this movie until after the Academy Awards. I'm so thankful that I finally saw it. Colin Firth is on his way to a possible Oscar with his portrayal of King George VI of Britain. In the decade leading up to World War II, King George VI came to power after his fathered passed away and after his brother gave up the throne for love. Although he is now is power, he suffers from a serious speaking deficiency. His stutter has limited his voice to the world, and in a time where his country (and even the world) seemed to be in unrest, they needed a leader who sounded like a one. His wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) seeks out help from a controversial speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) who helps the monarch create a voice for the people, and for himself. The conversations between these two characters are heartfelt, sincere, and fascinatingly real. At first, I was hesitant over all the buzz this film was receiving. I didn't know what to expect. But once Colin Firth took to the screen, I was hooked. He is turning in the best work of his career, which is something I thought would be impossible after his tour de force performance in A Single Man. If this film is playing in a theater near you, see it. It will please an audience of any age.