The year (so far) in film, 2010

In the homestretch now before awards season, and a few enjoyable films are worth mentioning. "True Grit" will make for a terrific holiday outing when it is released during Christmas week. Jeff Bridges does a sensational job in the John Wayne role, and Hailee Steinfeld is sure to be nominated in the supporting categories, though her role is really a starring one. We laughed so much at the sharp dialogue that we'll have to see it again to catch the parts we missed. The ending is rushed a bit, but it is still an A to A-minus. "The King's Speech" is a wonderful story, with fabulous writing and the acting of Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter is out of this world. BAFTA's galore, for sure. "Black Swan" got mixed reviews in our house, with Barbara giving it one of her rare A's, and me thinking it was creepy and overheated. Hard to knock the training and preparation of Natalie Portman, however, and the ending made us gasp with ir's spot-on suddenness. "The Town" and "Inception" were crafty, smart films, but not the kind which Hollywood usually rewards. "Harry Potter 7-a" was disappointing and incomprehensible if you had not read the books. "Hereafter" bored Barbara but I liked it, thinking of it as Clint Eastwood's European fim. "The Kids Are All Right" was okay, but really just a soap opera. We laughed and enjoyed "Red", but is simply summer fare. We have not seen all of the notable animated films, but "Toy Story 3" did not let us down. The film most likely to be below the radar until critics' lists come out is "The Social Network". The story and characters are compelling and credible, which is good, given that it is based on a (continuing) real life drama. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its two sequels are must-see action for those who have read the books, and that includes about half the world now. There are many films we have not yet seen, and some of them will have to wait for Netflix, what with the holiday season and the Palm Springs International Film Festival hard upon us, but we'll be listening for comments on "The Fighter", "Somewhere", Another Year", "Winter's Bone", "127 Hours", "Get Low", "Waiting For Superman", "Biutiful", "Rabbit Hole", and "Bluie Valentine".