Over the next few weeks there will be many award shows honoring the best of what Hollywood had to offer in 2010. I have picked six films that I feel are true standouts. Some of these films have been reviewed in the last year here at Fashionado, and there are a few on this list that were not featured. You still have a few weeks before Oscar night. So as the winter storm begins to melt away head out to theatre to ease your cabin fever!

6. The Social Network

Director: David Fincher

When I first heard about the facebook movie I remember thinking, why would someone want to make a movie about that? I use facebook every day to stay in contact with friends. So the idea of watching a movie about something I see everyday does not really do anything for me. My only reason for initially going to see The Social Network was Aaron Sorkin. The writer behind A Few Good Men and The West Wing is unmatched in Hollywood for his fast and witty dialogue. The exchanges in the film were quick and sharp and more than once I found myself laughing out loud. Jesse Eisenberg's performance of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is brilliant, but Sorkin's script is what makes The Social Network worth watching and remembering. I can not imagine Sorkin not winning an Oscar for best screenplay.

*

5. Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky

This dark drama took me by total surprise! A ballerina movie was not something that I thought I would be able to sink my teeth into, but Darren Aronofsky completely sold me on this twisted tale. The dichotomy of the white and black swan personas and their impact on an impressionable young woman was the surprise hit of the year for me. To read my previous review of Black Swan, click here

*

4. Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

This film is a stylized mind bending adventure and the most fun I had watching a movie last year. Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins and Memento) deserves to be nominated for a best director Oscar. I hope once Nolan finishes his highly anticipated third Batman adventure, The Dark Knight Rises, he will return to the world of Inception. I would love another chance to figure out whose sub conscience I am in... for my complete review of Inception, follow the link here.

3. True Grit

Director: The Coen Brothers

The Coen Brothers (Fargo and No Country For Old Men) are brilliant, and their movie based on Charles Portis’ classic western novel is now their highest grossing film. Jeff Bridges won a best actor Oscar last year for Crazy Heart and he should be nominated again this year for his portrayal of the one eyed US Marshall Rooster Cogburn. New comer Hallie Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross. The young girl hires Rooster to track down the man that murdered her father. The true testament to this film's success is that it breaks away from John Wayne’s 1969 version, for which he won his only Oscar. The Coen's True Grit is not better or worse than the original. The Coens do follow the novel more faithfully than the John Wayne adaptation. It is darker in tone and they do not shy away from the traumatic injury suffered by one of the main characters. This is easily the best western in the last fifteen years.

127 Hours

Director: Danny Boyle

When I think about what the human spirit is capable of I will always think about Aron Ralston. His ordeal of being trapped, alone, and committing an unthinkable act all for the chance to see another day is a true inspiration. I still wonder if I would have what it takes to survive in a similar circumstance. James Franco is at his career best in this role. After his performance here and in Milk, I think I can now forgive him for Spiderman 3. Follow the link for my original review of 127 Hours.

1. The King's Speech

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter

Director Tom Hooper has created a classic with The King’s Speech. The upcoming awards season will shower acolades all over this production and they will all be deserved. The King’s Speech tells the true story of George VI who reluctantly assumes the throne when his brother abdicates due to his love for a divorcee. Imagine being thrust into the role of King just prior to the start of World War II. Then imagine not being able to communicate or speak to your subjects because of a debilitating stammer. The prince, as a grown man, endured several embarrassing public speaking engagements. With the support of his wife, the future Queen Mum, he sees a speech therapist who is able to help him rise above his condition.

Oscar nominee Colin Firth (A Single Man) manages to convey the strength of a future king and the insecurity of a man with a humiliating condition for someone who must live in the public eye. If I was a gambler I would put all my money on Firth for a best actor Oscar. Oscar nominee Helena Bonam Carter (The Wings of Dove) is the wife to the prince and the future Queen. It was a thrill to see Carter playing a relatively normal character, albeit royalty. In recent years, she has been The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, chopped up victims for her meat pies in Sweeny Todd, and has managed to outshine "He Who Must Not Be Named" to be the most wicked villain in Harry Potter’s universe. Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) portrays the commoner approached by the future Queen to assist her husband in overcoming his stammer. The relationship between Rush and Firth is astounding. Rush's character does not playcate to the prince. He treats him in a direct manor and does not pandor to the future King. In real life, the relationship between the King and his therapist spawned a life long friendship. The film is uplifting and does so without trying to make you feel sorry for the future King but by understanding what he overcame at a time when his country needed him the most. Listening to this King's speech is well worth it. A flawless movie and in my opinion the best film of 2010.

fashionadofilm score 10 out of 10

fashionadofilm Jamie Clemons