Ten badass women of cinema from 2010

You’d think by now I’d have stopped harping on the 2010 and I’d be preparing myself for 2012 by building a bomb shelter that can withstand the wrath of angry birds. But if MTV is allowed to ham up twitter for a night giving twilight more awards than Meryl Strepe’s earned in her career, I think I can be allowed to backtrack.
I noticed that year after year even though the academy doles out best actress awards for inspiring feminine roles defying societal gender constraints and rising to positions of prestige; little recognition goes toward the BADASS women of cinema. In 2010 in particular I noticed no less than TEN “tough broads” on the screen. For the most part, the characters on this list made their respective movies enjoyable for me and were by all accounts the “saving grace” often lacking the graceful aspect.
More attractive than Tim Burton!
10. Kathryn Bigelow –Director of The Hurt Locker
Ok so technically this is cheating, but sue me this is my blog. It’d be like trying to sue Willy Wonka for murdering the fat kid. You think anyone would believe you that he cast him into a river of chocolate and fed him to orange midgets? THIS IS MY MECCA! But seriously it is pretty cool that she beat her ex, Jim Cameron at his own game. Hopefully this encourages him to take revenge by making Avatar 2 NOT CRAP.
The fact that she wasn't a Padme decoy in the prequels was a missed opportunity
9. Mila Kunis as Lily-Black Swan
While all the attention of this overhyped movie (yes I’ll admit I played into it) was on doe-eyed Natalie, the seductive and dark side of Meg Griffin was the real prize. You never knew throughout if she was just a friendly person or if she was and evil ballet dancer.
Light up T shirts were cool in the 90s...does this make her a hipster?
8. Olivia Wilde as Quorra-Tron Legacy
If someone told me that Olivia Wilde played a computer capable of learning that was eager to learn about the ways of the world in a film I’d say it sounded like the worst thing ever…and yet her performance makes perfect sense given that description. Quirky, open-minded and calculating and able to ride a fucking lightcycle.
Homely as a white Aunt Jemima
7. Amy Adams as Charlene –The Fighter
Another movie that the American public ruined for me before I even saw it, while Amy Adams isn’t the best part of the movie (that seat is reserved for Christian Bale, though he’d probably take it by force even if it wasn’t), we sure did see a LOT of her…And the best part? She slaps down chain-smoking red neck crones on the front porch. Go massholes!
no that's not Adam Lambert
6. Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Sander-The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series
When America found out Russia was planning to send humans into space we had to beat them to it. Sweden may have gotten the jump on us with this franchise, but we’re already flaunting the new version and in a week Rooney Mara’s nipples are some of the most famous in the world. Even so…it might be worth watching the OLD version.
Would you still like this as much if it turned out she was actually a midget?
5. Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl-Kick Ass
I didn’t like this character nearly as much as everyone else did. Not because her use of the C word offended me…nor did her butchery of everyone who opposed her. I just thought it was an over played character that felt out of her element in the movie. Even so…deserves a spot on the list right?
Cockblocked by the aspect ratio.
4. Emma Stone as Olive-Easy A
Never have I seen such charming female manipulation and deceit since Mean Girls until Easy A. What a refreshing little slice of charm…and Emma Stone whores it up in the best way possible. She doesn’t seem to have that transparent hotness that other girls of her looks have. She’s cool. I feel like she’d put someone in her place if they were pouty enough.
She's hunting down Rob Marshall for Nine.
3. Marion Cotillard as Mal-Inception
I’m not a fan of Inception. In fact it shook my entire faith in Nolan as a director. But in a sea of wooden performances and floating people in tight-fitting vests, one character in the film really stood out. Mal is as close as the movie comes to a true antagonist and she’s absolutely chilling. Unforgiving and totally insane, Marion Cotillard proves as this suicidal dreamer that she is one of the most versatile actresses yet again.
Incoming File Transmission from Heaven
2. Michelle Rodriguez as Luz-Machete
I love it when Michelle Rodriguez plays butch, ass kicking roles. I don’t think we’ll ever top seeing her with a shot out eyeball as a resilient taco-selling revolutionary shooting double barreled shotguns from the hip. She’s become a parody of herself, but often times that’s when actors really find their niche.
Matt Damon's waiting it out.
1. Hallie Steinfeld as Mattie Ross-True Grit
This performance blew me away. I think it blew away everyone who saw the film actually. It’s a true shame that they discriminate based on age at the Oscars (believe me they do) with the assumption that the actor or actress will win when they get a little older. Confident, badass, and able to wear the shit out of a hat too big for her, Mattie was not just the best female character of the year, but maybe the best character of the year in general…and generally children ruin movies. Take that Anakin.

Well that wraps up the list. Hopefully I’ll be able to gush about how badass it is when Ron’s mom finally gets Helena Bonham Carter to shut the fuck up and cease her Wicked Witch of the West impression in the Harry Potter series.

FINAL TOP TEN MOVIES LIST

I waffled over (a turn of phrase which I adore) these picks for at least three weeks before I was confident enough in my choices to post them. Movies ended up being very hard to choose this year and I still don't think I'm entirely sure about the ordering of my top five. People complained all year about how 2010 was a "weak year", but now that it's come and gone, I actually really enjoyed a lot of movies this year; certainly more than 2009. I'll proceed to count down from ten for 2010 until I hit my FAVORITE film of the year. I'm judging these purely based on what I enjoyed the most. That means I might be bias to my personal tastes.

10. Kick Ass.
Prior to this film's release I was sure this was hipster garbage/trendy bullshit/etc etc etc. I avoided it for a long time before Sarah got me to see it. Sure it is "popular" and trendy among teens because at the core it is a teen movie; but there's a lot of great satire in this film that pokes fun at the conventions of the superhero genre. Like any other comic book geek, I've spent a while wondering if I were to actually don a cape and cowl how would I go about doing it? Where do you even begin? It's an interesting premise; but rather than go for a realistic angle they went for over the top violence. It works pretty well and makes an entertaining movie. Also, I'm a huge fan of anything CAGE, so the fact that he plays "Batman" was a major plus. Oh...and the last line is a Jack Nicholson Joker quote. Kudos.

9. Tron.
I must admit a bias here seeing the movie under..."ideal" conditions. I'm not a fan of movies that only focus on sight-gags, like Avatar, but unlike Avatar, this movie doesn't try to pretend to be some highbrow poignant piece of art. It's just meant to be fun and sleek and cool...and JEFF BRIDGES.

8. Iron Man 2.
Yet ANOTHER movie I was so ready to despise and I was so satisfied with. This is just rock and roll bliss playing out on screen. Robert Downey is always believable and cool, and I enjoyed Paltrow, Cheadle and the other members of the supporting cast (EXCEPT SCARLETT BLECH) as well. Sam Rockwell really stole the show and made the movie for me as corporate jackass Justin Hammer; easily one of my favorite film characters of the year. The action is good and the tone of the movie knows just what a superhero film should be. It takes itself just seriously enough.

7. Easy A.
Teen movies can be pretty fun if they're done tastefull and if the script is solid. It's been a while since a touching and sincere one has come along, despite the goofy stereotypical portrayls of high school always found in cinema. The last one I loved was Mean Girls, which is almost difficult to criticize; and while I have some problems with characterization and suspension of disbelief, not to mention motivation of the main character in Easy A, the acting carries it. Emma Stone is a natural and Stanley Tucci somehow manages to steal the show despite only being in like three scenes.

6. Black Swan.
Oh. An art film. I guess I'm getting to the meat of the issue now huh? This movie was immersive, surrealist and totally psychotic; and I felt it was Natalie Portman's best acting role to date. It's nice to see she's graduated the George Lucas school of wooden acting and moved on to bigger and better things that really showcase her ability. She's about 90% of the movie and the other ten percent is mostly comprised of her reflection in various mirrors, but it's creepy and it actually has a good message about the impossibility of perfection.

5. 127 Hours.
Horrifying and kinetic, I didn't have great expectations for a Danny Boyle film, but James Franco was totally fantastic; and I feel he gave the best performance in a lead role of the year. It's so much more than a movie about a guy who falls down a hole and cuts off his arm, it's about a guy clinging to life but also struggling to figure out what's worth living for simultaneously and regretting all his careless misanthropic years while staring death in the face. I loved it.

4. Toy Story 3.
Until the most recent revisions to my list, this was fittingly number 3, but I realized my top 3 are all interchangable and I like them all just about evenly. Since I like this movie a little bit less than those, it has to get number 4, but that doesn't mean it's not brilliant. Pixar is just on top of their game with every release. Tear Jerkers for adults and adventure films for kids. I loved Lotso Huggin Bear, the antagonist of the movie as well. A perfect ending to a series I grew up with. If this won best picture, I'd be thrilled.

3. The Town.
I really don't know if this is my favorite or 2nd or 3rd. This was a HARD call, but I have to go by entertainment and gut reactions so this is going to have to get the number 3 spot. Amazing that Ben Affleck co-wrote and directed and acted (very well at that) in this local crime movie. It's a lot of fun to watch and while the plot kind of rips of "Heat" a lot of aspects are just as well done, if not better; especially the romantic aspect. Jeremy Renner is pretty great too, and the nun masks were awesome.

2. True Grit.
I previously said number one, and I may go back to that notion but I loved this movie. The Coen Bros. are always fantastic and quite possibly the most talented directors alive right now with their fantastic pacing and humor. Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon and most of all Hallie Steinfeld are oscar worthy in their respective roles and nothing feels over done or out of place. It's traces of Coen humor scattered across a bleak western with a fairly light hearted adventure story. Unlike a lot of the Coen's recent work, I feel like this one will please just about everyone (except my tasteless friends).

1. MACHETE.
A top ten list ultimately comes down to what I personally had the most fun watching and enjoyed the most as a viewer, and watching Machete I was like a kid in a candy shop. This movie appeals to my sensibilities on so many levels: humor, glorified violence and "lame irony". The casting alone is an absurd joke despite strong leads from Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez (forget Jessica Alba) with unexpected great performances from Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Robert DeNiro, Cheech Martin, and even cameos from the likes of special fx genius Tom Savini. After Grindhouse, the most fun I had at the movies in 2007 I was bloodthirsting for more and Machete delivered. Sure it's not a high concept thinking piece, but what the hell...I bothered to see it FOUR TIMES theatrically. Rodriguez makes the kind of movies that to me as an aspiring filmmaker seem like a ton of fun to work on and the end result just has the cast and audience sitting back and laughing together having a great time.

well there you have it. My wordy top ten, but I really put some thought into this list and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Here are my honorable mentions:

Jackass
Predators
The Fighter
King Speech

and I still want to see Despicable Me, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Blue Valentine and Winter's Bone.

Ghost Rider scares me into insomnia

It's nearly 3:52 in the morning and due to my dutifully inept sleep schedule, which I've long since given up on, I'm writing a blog. I've been deeply disturbed by something I've heard tonight. It started when I was messaging with a friend of mine about a very sensitive subject on aim. It seems aim has gone the way of the dinosaurs in the sense that a select group of trendy beatniks still find them appealing but the height of their popularity died at the turn of the century. The subject of this rousing conversation was taste, something which I like to talk about on a daily basis as a means to come to grips with it and try and determine if everything is subjective or not.


My friend who I was speaking with loves Marvel comics. I'm fairly unphased by them personally and I no longer read them; and the time in which I did hassle myself reading them was brief. I find the stories of the heroes cumbersome and once you know the origin you can get the same value reading the current history of the characters in a wiki entry as you can buying a comic book. Batman always feels fresh to me as long as they don't weigh him down with that sci fi Justice League stuff but that's an aside. Marvel comics are dead to me, other than a couple movies which I happen to enjoy and a wonderful silver age period of comic books inspired by Stan Lee.


Anyways, my friend, who loves everything about life God bless him, said that he was hoping for a sequel to Ghost Rider. I jokingly agreed. Who the hell WOULDN'T want a sequel to Ghost Rider? It would be an event for the whole goddamn family to have a night about town in style. Have a Ghost Rider party and get destroyed before even setting foot in the theater. I nearly walked out of the first one because I was unable to find humor in it upon initial viewing, but a new Ghost Rider would be a splendid outing and a breeding ground online for viral humor. But then my friend wrote back...he was serious. He really wanted a Ghost Rider movie for Ghost Rider to be portrayed as he was in the comic books he is a huge fan of. A true to form Ghost Rider film? God only knows what happens in the pages of a Ghost Rider comic when he's not being weighed down by Nicholas Cage and the confines of a Marvel studio budget (no one correct me on who made the movie. I don't care). So yeah a true to form Ghost Rider film would be just as stupendously bad and over the top as the first movie. It can't be done. I'll over draft my bank account and finance the movie myself for the first person who shows me a script for a movie entitled Ghost Rider that's not a laughable piece of shit. By concept, it's not possible.


Then I began to think about the weight of my friend's desires. He was a "huge fan" of Ghost Rider. How can ANYONE be a huge fan of Ghost Rider? What sort of fucked up annals of America do you have to come from to grow up reading the cigarette-burnt pages of the same stack of Ghost Rider comics over and over and grow up thinking he's some great hero of the ages? NO one loves Ghost Rider. I thought the Marvel continuity only kept him around for the novelty value, like a weird seasonal item. But no...apparently there's sick cult of degenerates, that actually LOVE a flaming skeleton seated atop a motorcycle fighting crime. It's a visual assualt. Utterly ridiculous...and yet people can find something just and appealing in it. In my refusal to believe it I found this:

http://community.livejournal.com/ghostriderfans

Yes. There is a live journal and a blog for the sick crazy people who believe Ghost Rider is capable of supporting some kind of fan base. By all outward appearances they probably appear to be normal people. They probably are literate hominids who hold a 9-5 job in a cubicle and drive a Volvo and then come home and eat dinner and after dinner what do they do? They read comics about a skeleton that rides a motorcycle. With true vested interest too. Then they go so far as to blog about it. Dear god what is this world coming to. In some sickly ironic trap, I too am presently blogging about Ghost Rider, rambling far beyond the point of anyone's attention span. I can see how it becomes some sadist's fascination. What makes Ghost Rider tick? What drives publishers to keep him circulated in the dustier corners of comic shops for the past 20 years or so? Does it feel hot in here? I need some Gatorade.