Top 10 of the Year...So Far

Yep, it's July. But l've seen roughly 40 films from this year so far, so let's go through the ten I think are most worthwhile.

10. Moon

Duncan Jones directs Sam Rockwell to one of the best performances of his career, and adds a good amount of intrigue into a visual feast of a film. I wish the screenplay were a bit stronger, but it's still a worthwhile film.

9. The Great Buck Howard

John Malkovich and Colin Hanks star in this wonderfuuly upbeat and quirky film about a grumpy has-been magician who finds friendship in a young writer. The two form a partnership and go through a lot of strife and heartbreak as well as triumph. It's a wonderfully writen film and has a great heart to it.

8. Coraline

This magical animated film really captures some true tension while weaving a hauntingly beautiful tale as well. Henry Selick is a definite stable in terms of animation quality. It also surprisingly uses 3D very well.

7. Observe and Report

Jody Hill is a hilarious writer, and he manages to make one of the most unfairly maligned films of the year. it's dark, unique, truly engaging, and Seth Rogen breaks out of his usual shell to give a performance that rocks the film. It's far more cerebral and sometimes downright creepy than Knocked Up or Superbad, but I like it that way.

6. Star Trek

One slam-bang action film with good writing and a great mind behind it. It's a true crowd pleaser that has some actual talent at the helm and it delivers far more than just loudness or masturbation jokes (looking at you, Michael Bay). Thank you J.J. Abrams, you are my summer movie hero.

5. Drag Me to Hell

Sam Raimi made a horrific film in Spider-Man 3, a film that he tried to insert his Raimi charm into, but it just doesn't work in a story like Spider-Man. He belongs in horror and really surprised me with this fantastic moral tale that grosses you out, makes you laugh, genuinely scares you, and all-around gives one hell of a ride.

4. Watchmen

Zack Snyder's film has been criticized by Moore's fans and shunned by Moore himself for simply attempting to do something most considered impossible- transferring the pages to the screen. I think it was done impressively with great visual flair and impressive storytelling. How much is due to faith to the source material? Does it matter? Good is good, and this film is nearly great.

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Check my review to see why I loved this film, but in short I found it amazingly real and the characters are so natural. the fantasy is still there, but it's becoming something so much more than just a kids' fantasy. It's a full-fledged epic.

2. Adventureland

Most people expected Superbad 2, but they got much, much more in my opinion. It's one of the best films about relationships between young people I've seen and I fully expect it to be on my final list as well. It's genuine and funny. I recommend it for anybody. Jesse Eisenberg in particular gives a very good performance.

1. Up

Probably the best Pixar film not involving talking toys, this film made me cry multiple times and took me on a huge emotional trip I never expected a cartoon to take me on. It's again another film that captures humanity in all its hardships and triumphs, which seems to be an obsession of mine right now. Great job, Pixar. I consistently look forward to all your projects.