I'd be anticipating this one for quite some time prior to release and what can I say...I loved it. Boyle's direction was edgy and beautiful. I really liked the way he interjected montages of the same scene. It really helped to highlight Aaron's anguish and desperation. James Franco was perfect in his role, exuding empathy and generating sympathy.
Inception
Inception blew me away. I am a massive Leo fan and whilst he obviously delivered, the rest of the cast is phenomenal. Christopher Nolan has rightfully earned himself a great amount of credit for his impeccable writing and film making skills.
Love and Other Drugs
This really surprised me. I really enjoyed the story and found the script very witty in places. Jake Gyllenhall and Anne Hathaway have a really great on set chemistry which helps enhance the emotional impact. Whilst there are a lot of flaws in this film and the music is very cheesy in parts, it is still on the whole a very enjoyable watch, one that I would happily do again.
Four Lions
This is a very funny, low budget British comedy. Whilst it is funny, the reality of the story is heavily impacted at the end. A very cleverly crafted script, executed brilliantly with a great cast.
Shutter Island
Whilst this film has been shunned as heavily overrated and one of Scorsese's lesser films, I still regard it as one of the best of last year. I personally didn't think the twist was particularly obvious unless you deliberately looked for it and I thought the story as a whole was very engaging. It was tense and the perfect amount of intrigue was created. Dicaprio never fails to blow me away, and his on screen relationship with partner Mark Ruffalo was fantastic. I really liked Scorsese's direction for this, it was very reminiscent of his remake for Cape Fear, as it echoed the same fear and darkness the was illuminated through Robert De Niro's character.
Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky is a very beautiful director. His films really are a work of art and Black Swan is the one that allowed everyone to fall in love with him last year. Natalie Portman is a deserving Best Actress winner for her role in this, her performance really is stunning. The story itself is engaging and the metaphorical indulges are what makes this film really great.
Tangled
I absolutely LOVED this film. Upon watching, I felt all the same excitement and emotion that I did when I watched a Disney film as a child. Tangled managed to recapture the classic Disney magic with the loveable princess, handsome hero, magical story and memorable songs. It was an exciting journey and one that I could happily watch over again just like my old favourites such as, The Lion King, Little Mermaid, Aladdin etc.
Buried
Whilst 127Hours had interjected scenes of Aaron's memory, Buried is simply just one man in a box. Whilst the idea of this seems boring, the execution was brilliant. Aside from director Rodrigo Cortes, a lot of credit for this has to go to Ryan Reynolds. His performance is captivating. I was completely drawn into Reynold's anxiety and anguish for the full 90minutes. A challenging idea that was done very well. I incredibly enjoyed this.
The King's Speech
There is no doubt in my mind as to why this film was one of the biggest of the year and racked up a massive four Oscar wins. It is so fabulously made. The story of King George VI as he tries to overcome his speech stammer is very heart warming. It has A-Class performances all around accompanied by a top notch script and impeccable direction from Tom Hooper. Something I was a bit apprehensive about before seeing, but fell in love with instantly upon doing so.
Catfish
This documentary is a piece of intrigue and beauty. The whole journey is engaging and the visual touches that accompany it are truly wonderful.
