Best of 2010

Out of the 123 I saw...

20. Daybreakers--Creative and exciting, this is a notable entry in the vampire genre and a great film for most teen and adult audiences.

19. The Last Exorcism—It’s a little abrupt at times; but this fauxumentary horror is riveting, thought-provoking, and original.
18. Extraordinary Measures--Artistically this medical drama may struggle; but it is still an exciting story of what is justifiable when saving lives. It does not appear that the combining of several different characters truly upset anyone, seeing as they changed the name and events.
17. Iron Man 2--The second installment in the blockbuster super-hero genre; Iron Man 2 improves on the atrocious original by effective retconning, better themes, and faithfulness to the comic. In other words, they added War Machine.
16. The Winning Season--While its tone shifts a bit too much, this story of an alcoholic coach (Sam Rockwell) of a high school girls basketball team becomes a touching and down-to-earth sports dramady.
15. The Warrior's Way--The nice themes provide a great bonus to the artistically magical action extravaganza featuring ninjas fighting cowboys. Ninjas vs. Cowboys!
14. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole--Zack Snyder's beautiful animated fantasy epic manages to make talking owls perform legendary action in a fool-proof (if predictable) story that delights the post-five-year-old kids as well as anyone fortunate enough to check it out.
13. City Island--This hilarious darkish comedy manages to bring along a nice message on family.
12. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader--It may be far inferior to its predecessors as well as far too tame, but the third (and probably last) installment in the big screen adaptations of C.S. Lewis's fantasy epics keeps much of the book's powerful messages and is entertaining to boot. I really give the creators of this film my appreciation for not editing out the movie's powerful spiritual themes.
11. It's Kind of a Funny Story--This dramady of a boy who checks himself into a psychiatric hospital is touching, funny, moving, and enlightening.

10. Monsters--The ending is unnecessarily grim and the engaged girl's kiss to another man is, despite the circumstances, a bad message. Why is Monsters a good movie then? Well, there are a lot of reasons. The film is engrossing and the character interactions (between real life couple Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able) are believable. The decision to show a post giant monster attack movie not where everyone is reacting the attack but where the people are still struggling to get by is a new take done in a creative way. The messages on US indifference to Mexican troubles is done so effectively it is not preachy and I believe could get a few people to act. The improvisational dialogue from ordinary people hired by Director Gareth Edwards right off the street makes the movie relatable and disturbingly realistic. The octopus-like aliens are believable and original. And the whole movie was shot for the incredibly low $500,000--an amazing feat. Definitely one to check out!

9. Animal Kingdom--One of the best crime dramas of all time, this film is an excellent representation of what motivates and runs modern gangs. On top of that, it is a powerful story with magnificent performances (especially Jacki Weaver, who has been nominated for an Oscar for her work in this film). A should-be classic, this Australian picture barely touched American theaters, but the DVD is something that should be at the top of every American's wish-list.

8. True Grit--The story is intense and entertaining. The acting is perfect all-round. The cinematography is excellent. The directing (done by the Coen Brothers) is brilliant. Furthermore, there is the awesomeness of a good, straight-forward western coming around when the genre was nearly dried up. But best of all is the fact that the movie does its job of exploring what true grit really is.

7. Toy Story 3--I do not think this is a family movie. I think it is far to intense and emotionally taught for children. I think Toy Story 3 is such a complex, heart-wrenching tale of moving on and the flow of life that it is meant for older audiences and anyone trying to right it off a tear-jerking kid fair should really take a closer look. I am saying this since I doubt anyone has not yet seen it.

6. The Karate Kid--The most fun movie of the year, this is the perfect family film. But it is also a truly great movie with some truly great morals that do not need to be difficult to see. I have never seen an audience laugh more, cheer more, and have a better time than at this movie.

5. The King's Speech--This is a feel-good story, but it is also more. It is about getting treatment for and overcoming one's problems. It blends story and themes with ease. It is something you should definitely see.

4. The Joneses--Both a powerful drama and a bitingly funny dark comedy, The Joneses provides a great metaphor on the commercialization of society and how it secretly affects us.

3. The Book of Eli--I completely agree with the belief that like True Grit this is a great 21st century western. It has some of the year's best action and an exciting plot. But what is more, this post-apocalyptic thriller has powerful messages on God and spirituality. Best of all, it uses them in a story that people really do want to see.

2. Let Me In —I nearly picked this as my top choice, and if I had it would have been very deserving. This is the story of the corruption of innocence; the entry of evil. Make no mistake: It is also an excellent horror fantasy and a true vampire story. The reason it is so incredible, though, is the themes it has to back it up.

1. Winter’s Bone—I had a very, very hard to pick my top choice and I only just decided on this movie. On first viewing Bone is very good, but it is only months later that you realize the true impact it has. There are, of course, the deep explorations of family and drug addictions—themes which in and of themselves make for a great story. Deeper, though, there are the ideas of responsibility and the little amount of control we have in life. Ironically, this movie is a great contrast to my favorite film from last year, The Brothers Bloom. While Bloom cheerily showed how in many ways we have far greater control over our destinies than we think, Bone grimly depicts the ways in which we should not fight the path we are on. There is hope, though, in its story. Ree, the teenage protagonist who is raising her siblings in a dark and dangerous area of the rural Ozarks, sees that she is always bound to the Ozarks and her family (including the violent extended relatives). There is a hint, though, that this does not have to be something to despair over—that everyone, like Ree, always has the choice to do everything we know we should and then spend the rest of our time simply viewing in wonder at the rest. The last scene in Winter’s Bone explores these ideas so deeply, ties everything together so well, and has such a profound impact months later that when you think back on that moment it is clear just how amazing this movie is.

Black Swan (B-)

Many a time in the past year I have cringed at some graphically sexual moments in film and sayid “That was totally not necessary.” That is not the case in Black Swan. Every moment in this brilliantly crafted horror-thriller builds to its deep exploration of the makings of insanity. Still, I think everyone should all ask themselves if it is really worth it.
Black Swan centralizes around a ballerina named Nina’s quest for perfection that brings her deep into insanity. There is little else to the plot for writers Andreas Heinz and John McLaughlin focus much more on story. The audience feels every bit of Nina’s pain, they see the various manifestations of culture in Nina’s shattered psyche, and they can’t help but react. Most will probably just stop there, shuddering at the distinctly unpleasant experience, but I think many (and I am not saying I am one of them) will develop new ideas when the themes of obsession become so apparent in the movie. The film is definitely in the category with Inception as being far more about style than giving a clear message, but something with this much depth cannot help but have something to tell.
Much of the reason Black Swan gives such an impact is through the brilliant directing of Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) and cinematography of Phone Booth’s Matthew Libatique (though I find it difficult to see why they could get Oscar nominations when the writers do not, seeing as it is their story being told). The lighting and tone are so vivid and intimidating that the viewers truly shake with all the pain Nina feels. Furthermore, Aronofsky and Libatique use CGI frequently but effectively. I do not quite know why watching someone morph into a swan Wolfman-style has a deep impact and conveys something for more powerful than words ever could, but it does. The daring risks taken could have easily looked stupid, but instead it is something great.
While many, many actresses could do the job of playing Nina; Natalie Portman (The Closer, V for Vendetta) still has done a tremendous amount of work in being able to convey so much with her body. There is very little for anyone else to do (it is peculiar Mila Kunis could get awards when Aronofsky chooses to photoshop Portman’s head on her body whenever the scene gets intense); still everyone does everything to the best of their ability.
Black Swan contains graphic content in every sense of the word. In terms of violence, Swan is the year’s most extreme; one agonizingly long moment where Nina compulsively peels the skin of her finger still sticks in my head. The faint of heart should not attend, but I feel this is necessary for the rest of us in being able to feel the story. Equally necessary but more concerning, though, is the sex. Since so much of Swan’s story lies in the sexuality in Nina’s exploration of her darker half, it would not be the same story if we did not see Portman’s body as her character’s confused mind seduces itself. I understand why it is in there and I completely get the message could not be conveyed in quite the same way if it was not.
That should not be an excuse for it. Just because they can does not mean the filmmakers should affect the emotions and—in continuation—actions of their viewers in every way possible. A lot of effort has gone into the film--it is not a cheap trick to get males into the theater. Still, it does the same thing to the audience as any other cheap sex scene and that is not ok.
As crazy as this may seem, we (society) do not know all the affects these kind of images have on us. It is known that they have repercussions far more than we really understand. There is a reason such sights were, up until recently, taboo.
The fact of the matter is art is not a word one can use to justify obscene acts. It is for that reason Black Swan is not a good movie.

And now, simply for amusement, this awesome pic from a Lego Black Swan short someone made:

Exploring the Themes of The Social Network

Four months ago I wrote my first review of The Social Network. I think in many ways that review conveyed my point well, but perhaps I was a little too indistinct at times. With the movie winning the Golden Globes and becoming an Oscar contender, I decided now was the time to take a comprehensive look into why it is one of the worst things to mar cinemas. I completely understand that you may not agree with this, but I just want you to understand why someone could object. That way, I hope, you will not let its negative elements affect you. Anyway, this new response is different from my original review in that it contains spoilers (something I generally do not do in my reviews). I doubt there is anyone out there who still cares about such things in regards to this movie, but I'm warning you anyway.

1. Historical Inaccuracies What separates The Social Network from most other historical dramas is that the events it discusses were very recent. That should have been a reason for Writer Aaron Sorkin and Director David Fincher to take extra care in providing as detailed and truthful a look as possible, seeing as their writing is going to affect how living people are seen. Instead, The Social Network lacks any basis in reality. Below are some of the inaccuracies included in the film.
A. Mark Zuckerberg did not blog a lengthy diatribe about his ex describing her breasts and comparing her to animals. All he did was call a classmate who he does not appear to have dated "a b---h." Not a nice or intelligent thing to do, but not anything as sexist and vulgar as what the movie shows.
B. Mark Zuckerberg was not motivated in his creation of Facemash and Facebook by a break-up. This is because the girl the opening scene shows dumping him did not even exist. In fact, the real Zuckerberg spent most of the time shown in the movie in a deep relationship.
C. It is true that Zuckerberg participated in underage drinking. This does not mean that every genius moment he had was fueled by copious amounts of alcohol.
D. There is no evidence to show Mark Zuckerberg's California house had 18-year-olds smoking marijuana at all, especially every noon. In fact, interviews point to the contrary.
E. Eduardo Saverin refused to move to California. At least partially as a result from that, Facebook began to struggle financially.
F. Sean Parker was arrested for cocaine use, but not at the same time or place as the movie portrays, and certainly not for sniffing it off an underage employee's breasts.
G. Mark Zuckerberg doesn't talk like movie-Mark Zuckerberg and he doesn't insult everything that crosses his path. David Fincher encouraged Jessie Eisenberg to do that for artistic reasons, even though they were both aware it was not accurate.
Fincher and Sorkin may be able to admit their film is fiction, but they are bearing a double standard. If they seriously wanted to create a peace of fiction, they would not have "based" it on real events. The fact of the matter is people now think terrible things about Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker due to Fincher and Sorkin, who fully new they were making it up.
Furthermore, though The Social Network was billed as non-biased (Fincher said as much in an interview with Time). That is not true. The non-fiction book that Fincher and Sorkin skimmed so they could say they did their research was made with consulting and interviews with non other than Eduardo Saverin. Yup, the guy who sued Mark Zuckerberg and ends up the star of the film. Of course, Fincher and Sorkin did not make the movie in order to expose injustices. They have both said they did it as a work of art--probably a reason for why even Saverin's biased account was so distorted.
This movie is morally wrong. There is no way around that. Making art does not justify slander and libel. The Social Network spreads hurtful lies and it knows it.
2. The Idea that the US Court System is a Popularity Contest It really fits into the flow of everything if at the end Zuckerberg is told he needs to pay Saverin and the Winklevosses because he is just too abrasive to win a trial. That can convey all sorts of meanings, and show a symbol for whatever Fincher and Sorkin think the new American generation is. Unfortunately for the story writers, it is not true.
The whole point of judges and lawyers is to make sure the legal system is not a popularity contest. If a lawyer started giving a speech on Zuckerberg's character or brought up inconsequential evidence they would be told to shut up. If they continued they would be thrown out.
Furthermore, people allowed into juries are checked and educated to use logic instead of opinion. Fincher and Sorkin might think that everyone else is too stupid to judge the facts but they are wrong. People understand what the point of a court case is and they can make good decisions. And even if one jury or judge decided to make their decision based on personal taste the case would just go to a higher court and be retried.
If Saverin and the Winklevosses had a case, the movie did not show it. It was just easier to pass off the whole "unfair society" idea legend. But that is wrong. The two reasons Zuckerberg made an out-of-court settlement were either a) he knew he would lose or b) he wanted to keep the press from dragging his name through the mud. I am inclined to go with the latter, but either way it is NOT because the US legal system is run by the characters of Mean Girls.
3. Reckless Behavior Let me make it clear, I have no problem with a movie showing bad things. I loved Winter's Bone despite its dark atmosphere and rampant drug use. I enjoyed The Expendables and all its violence. I laughed at The King's Speech's profanity-laced tirade.
The difference is it is not portraying such things as commonplace and socially acceptable. No one watches Winter's Bone and then goes and takes meth. No one sees The Expendables and then blows up a South American island. No one takes a private talk in The King's Speech to be an argument for using those words at the church picnic.
People will watch The Social Network and think its reckless behavior is commonplace. Many of the film's viewers will go to college and get offered a drink or receive sexual advances from strangers and will think such things is okay. Yes, some people do those things. But the vast majority of us do not spend their Friday nights vomiting beer during their winter strip poker matches. Even in college. And the people who do: It isn't good for them. Some will grow out of it and think back on what they thought was "harmless fun." But many will suffer the affects of alcoholism, mental illness, STDs, college expulsion, or an unplanned pregnancy for the rest of their lives. You shouldn't choose not to get wasted just because you might embarrass yourself--the only reason given by Fincher and Sorkin. You should do it because you understand that there is a strong possibility you will be feeling the consequences ten years later.
4. The Next Generation is Not Lost There are negative consequences of Facebook and electronics. That is not something that should be denied. However it should not be used as a scapegoat either.
If I decide to use Facebook to describe my classmate's breast size I will look like a jerk. I might even end up getting denied from a job because my potential employee found this in a lengthy google search. But you know what? Chances are if I was the kind of person to do that I would have said it to the wrong person and everyone at school will know I'm a jerk regardless of whether I post it. I might even be inspired to do something truly nasty because I don't have a computer to vent on.
Anyway, for the vast majority of us it is a non-issue. Most people figure out not to write stupid things; not to post stupid pictures; not to have their friend videotape their romantic exploits. Most of us use the internet to make connections.
A large moral of The Social Network is that while the internet can provide a reason for people to obsess over their connections is they are really losing them. This is shown by moive-Zuckerberg spending his life getting into the science and logic of relationships without trying to make them. I am sure that is true for some. I could obsess over who has friended and defriended me on Facebook and not talk to my brother or best friend.
I don't though. Most people don't. Most people use Facebook and the internet to meet new friends and improve their existing relations. Fincher and Sorkin may have had such a booming social life in high school and college they fell confidant condescending to those who need the internet for such interactions. I am not like that. After leaving a hospital I spent months lonely and depressed. I was able to get through those times by talking to friends who were far far away over Facebook--people who truly cared about me. And I am not alone. Many of my friends do. Still others use Facebook to find people they met once and would have forgotten, developing beautiful new relations with them. In fact, many people now form lasting marriages over relations forged online.
The Social Network will not destroy the internet. But it will have lasting repercussions. People could stop using Facebook. Too many will associate with a pathetic outlet full of perverts and bullies. Facebook will most likely be phased out for some slightly different social network (likely not as good), and this movie will have a large piece of the blame.
It may seem cool to blame the new generation's existing problems on the internet, and make up new ones to fit that idea. But it is not true. Today's social network is vibrant and innocent, full of people--people who would have been lonely--making friends.

This is why The Social Network is the worst film of 2010 and one of the most destructive of all time. Please don't support it, and if you do at least consider its flaws. Or at least remember that the internet and Facebook are there for you to find friends, share moments, and make connections like never before.

For my original review of The Social Network click here: http://cinetim.blogspot.com/2010/10/social-network-f.html

True Grit (A)

Hailee Steinfeld faces off against Jeff Bridges

With messages you don't usually see in modern films, True Grit manages to ride above a typical revenge flick to become a new classic western.
The introduction has a middle-aged woman telling a story from when she was fourteen and her loving father had been unjustly murdered by a hired hand named Tom Chaney. The film then cuts to the lady as a fourteen-year-old in a very tough wild west Arkansas where no one seems to care or sympathize at her loss. The girl, named Mattie Ross, is intent on both securing her father's assets and hiring a bounty hunter to capture the killer and bring him back for trial. For the second half of her to-do list she goes to Rooster Cogburn who, despite his heavy drinking, is rumored to be the best hunter around. Chaney has a head start, though, and Mattie is clashing with another bounty hunter--La Boeuff--who had pursued Tom without success from Texas, so the mission seems risky at best.
It is somewhat uncomfortable seeing that the entire basis of the movie is a girl getting retribution; that said, we are told Chaney leaves a trail of bodies all over the nation. Even so, Mattie doesn't seem to concerned with stopping future crimes--she is motivated by vengeance and vengeance alone. This already awkward scenario is further amplified by the use of hymns throughout the film. These might serve as a mockery of religion in a dark world, but could be accepted as merely to show that no one but God cares for anyone (such as Mattie) or anything (such as justice). Both objections are valid and could provide a good reason to skip the film; it must be pointed out though that justice and spiritual allusions are not in and of themselves the worst things to grace cinema (as anyone who sees Little Fockers instead of this will be sure to notice).
A more obvious problem with the film is the character of Mattie. Though acted well and fascinating to watch, she is unrealistically smart; secure; and emotionally-balanced. I doubt many if any fourteen-year-olds would calmly negotiate when having their recently deceased father's goods being unjustly taken away, or keep their cool after waking up to a government official in their room insulting and threatening to both sexually and physically abuse them, or show no emotions when shot at, or take any of the trials Mattie faces as well as she does.
These faults shown, it must be said True Grit manages to rise above "cynical revenge-flick" and become an exceptional movie. Good contributing factors are that it is well-made, and also is good fun, and also has some excellent acting. That last point should be reiterated: Jeff Bridges as Cogburn and Matt Damon as La Boeuff are both exceptional (Josh Brolin as Chaney is barely shown), but Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie is so amazingly in depth and able to convey so many emotions the character is practically believable and we can ignore the doubt to enjoy the story. Probably the biggest atrocity of the year is the choice to have Steinfeld be submitted for awards as a supporting actress when she is undoubtedly not the just the star of the movie but one of the acting champions of the year.
The best part of the film is a bit more original, though. With such an undoubtedly cool character as Cogburn it would have been very tempting for the movie to follow the trends and revel in a general contempt for the law and organized government. Fortunatly, the writer/directors are Joel and Ethan Coen (O Brother, Where Art Though) who hate being predictable almost as much as they hate the G-rating, and choose to faithfully adapt Charles Portis's novel with a balanced portrayal of authority. Sure, the more legal heroes have natural corruption, but we see just a bit more beneath all that. It is hard to explain more without spoilers, but hopefully just knowing the movie manages not to be such an Avatar will make one want to see it.
While not a negative point, it seems imperative that a warning should be given: The PG-13 rating is a stretch here. The language squeaks under the MPAA barrier and sexual content is (shockingly!) absent, but the violence is graphic. Younger viewers (and squeamish older ones) will doubtless be disturbed by the splattering flesh, severed fingers, and other bloody images as well as painfully harsh treatment to a child. Most of us can simply enjoy the excitement of it all, but it seems necessary that everyone knows what they are getting into.
The violence is not a substitute for plot, though. It is simply there to build setting, and the picture has perfect pacing and an excellent story, making it both riveting and entertaining.
While it seems shocking that I am giving a movie with so many negative elements an A, I have to say the True Grit is an unusually good film as well as an enjoyable one and is definitely worth a look.

Little Fockers (C+)

Do you choke up with giggles when you remember that most men have penises? Do you guffaw with laughter when someone passes gas? Do you pay eight bucks to hear a couple play-on-words involving "f---" and see Jessica Alba in her underwear? If the answer to any of these is no, then don't see Little Fockers.
The sheer amount of talent in this third installment of the Meet the Parents series is intriguing, mostly in the sense of intriguing that occurs when we laugh in schadenfreude and say "What were they thinking?." Of course, it is also a bit infuriating considering 10% of Americans are unemployed and somebody (actually two somebodies) got payed more than you will make in a life-time for dictating a two-year-old's 90 minute potty-joke and then calling it a screenplay. Ben Stiller returns as Gaylord (don't think they are gonna miss a chance to make a joke on that name) Focker, or Greg as he is known to most everyone including his wife (Teri Polo), his father (Dustin Hoffman), his mother (Barbara Streissand), his old friend (Owen Wilson), and his mother-in-law (Blythe Danner). His father-in-law Jack Byrnes (Robert Da Niro), on the other hand, thinks his name-change is just another trick and spends his life (and his weakening heart) seeing if his suspicions that Greg is a cheating flake are true. Byrnes's suspicions seem to be coming true as Focker's coworker (Jessica Alba) becomes a bit too flirtatious. Written by Larry Stuckey and John Hamburg (the first two Focker-flicks), the movie is directed by Paul Weitz (American Pie, Cirque Du Freake).
There is a positive element in Fockers 3: the touching relationships between each couple. This is far to menial in a film that lacks any touches of true comedy and thus substitutes with Alba's breasts.
While it is still making tons of money, anyone who wants to save time and money should skip this utterly humorless and artistically empty threequel.

The Warrior's Way (A-)

Fantastic art direction and awe-inspiring visuals make this truly an action adventure.
Yang (Korean star Jang Dong-gun) had been trained as an assassin since a young age, and was really good at it. Really good. He looks at a perfectly tranquil pond and is able to spot the nearest killer lurking in its depths and slash him in half. He is unfazed when the entire pond comes alive with a score warriors. And he calmly cuts them down in less than thirty seconds. In fact, Yang is so good he practically single-handedly takes down an entire tribe of trained murderers--except for one. Upon seeing an adorable little infant (Analin Rudd), he finds himself unable to do his usual tricks, and instead decides to adopt it (seeing as his sword just snipped her parent's lives short a few years). This action is inexcusable with his tribe and master, and him and the child are now the most wanted men in Asia. So Yang leaves Asia. Enter The Wild West.
The touching-yet-melancholy ending might turn off some, but one should probably realize that the film is more about Lynne (Kate Bosworth of 21), the vengeful cowgirl (in the sense of having guns and liking sand, not in tending cattle) who's life is touched by the child and her foster-parent. Is there romance? Duh. But there is quite a bit more. First off, you have that mysterious town drunk (Geoffrey Rush of Shine and Quill), and that pesky swordsman chasing Yang (Ti Lung), and the vicious gang-leader (Danny Huston) who murdered Lynne's family ten years ago when she burned half his face off during an attempted rape.
Other than perhaps Legend of the Guardians, this film is the most beautiful picture this year. The scenery, the costumes, all the surreal imagery...It is truly incredible. Desserts are usually ugly and unpleasant to the eye, but in this film it seems like a combination of Middle Earth and Neverland. The art direction (from Phillip Ivey and Writer/Director Sngmoo Lee) is award-worthy and a reason to see the film in and of itself.
Of course there is a far bigger reason to see it: the action! Aside from the inherent FREAKINGSWEET!ness of cowboys versus ninjas (if that is what the Asiatic assassins are), the film finds every possible way to kill a person and then a few ways that I think would be rather difficult. This is all beautifully choreographed as if it is a ballet (with blood), a nice contrast from the blunt barrage of beatings generally offered in movies.
As for the story, it is nothing incredible, but it has a good message and can be quite touching--if you keep in mind the previous warning. Of course, the movie is more show than substance, but it has real themes and it is a show like you have never seen before.
An additional plus is Huston's performance and character, which rivals the Joker in being a truly horrifying person who twists your heart around every moment he is on the screen. He lacks Joker's depth, but if you are just looking to squirm and really, really want to see someone's face get smashed in, the character serves this purpose perfectly.
Beautiful and beautifully violent, The Warrior's Way is the right way to make a movie.

Best Movie Posters of 2010

With the year winding to a close, its time to look back at all the best things of 2010's cinema. And yes, that includes movie posters. While most are mere advertising (and some are truly horrible), these pictures can convey all sorts of themes (or just be cool). Having to tell the premise for the story, the reason to see it, and be genuinely artistic is a tough job to fill. However, the guys behind these ten posters did it excellently.

10. Clash of the Titans: "The Clash Begins"

Sure, "the clash begins" is not a brilliant tag-line, and it uses all the tricks (including having most of the image either black or blurred nothing), but it still is the film of the year that screams EPIC the most. It is so cool, and so big, one (who is male) feels compelled to see it. Look at the Kraken. Isn't it incredible?

9. For Colored Girls: "Many Voices. One Poem"

It shows all the heartbreak, abuse, and strife--but in a creative way with remarkable beauty. It is far better than the "depressed, naked girl in a bathtub" one Lionsgate also released.

8. Eat, Pray, Love: "Let Yourself Go"

Don't get me wrong, the film was awful; this, though, abstains from showing someone happily running with a bright background (or Julia Roberts and James Franco kissing). Instead, it gives us an image with such surprising depth--and makes you want to experience the world like Julia Roberts seems to beginning to. Unfortunately, the movie fails at that task; still, it's a good poster.

7. The Human Centipede [First Sequence]: "The Human Centipede"

This both shows the horrifying monster but keeps its secrets as well--it makes you HAVE to see the film (when maybe not, but awfully close). It also has that "100% Medically Accurate" note, which makes it all the more interesting (or else I am a complete sicko).

6. Black Swan: "Swan Lake"

This is not the only Black Swan poster on this list, but I felt it had to mentioned. The innocence of the ballerina contrasting with the overpowering dark evil of the black swan--and all depicting a scene from the ballet. This is beautiful.

4. Devil: "Down"

This creates both a sick little joke (congratulations if you got it by now; it took me three minutes) while conveying its premise of a devil in an elevator. Two birds (and their souls) in one stone!

3. The Expendables: "Choose Your Weapon"

This movie needed to convey that it was the ultimate action event with the most awesome kills out there. So what better way to express that then by showing a skull surrounded by practically every single weapon that can be found in a five-year-old's fantasy. The instant I saw this poster, I knew this was one film I could not miss.

2. Harry Potter Saga: "It All Ends Here"

An entire generation has grown up on the wonders and the charm of the Harry Potter Universe--what could be more devastating and yet more captivating than to see than Hogwarts, the Wardrobe of the 21st century, looking like that? Well, they could always show a screen-shot of a dead Dobby, but other than that I think this is the best we can get. So beautiful yet so terrible--and so destined to rake in millions of dollars.

1. Black Swan: "Insanity"

What better shows the haunting spirit of insanity as this image. I know the basic purpose of a movie poster is to sell the movie, but this is art.