• 2010 Movies - top picks

I rate the movies I have seen on the traditional scale of 1 - 5, an imperfect system in an imperfect world. Then at the end of the year, I put them all in a spreadsheet and revise my numbers relative to the others that fall into the same numerical grouping, just to make sure I like the list. My list won't be as comprehensive as those compiled by critics and awards groups, because I haven't seen every movie that will eventually make it on my list, principally foreign films and documentaries. But I watched about 200 movies this year, including most of the front runners. So: here's my take on 2010 -- the films rated "5" are my undeniable favorites, but had I done this on a different day, some of those in the "4.5" category might have migrated up that last half-point; and so, I present them all with love.

A Prophet 5

Black Swan 5

Carlos 5

I Am Love 5

Inception 5

The King's Speech 5

The Social Network 5

The Fighter 5

Animal Kingdom 4.5

Blue Valentine 4.5

Marwencol 4.5

Red Riding Trilogy 4.5

The Cove 4.5

The Ghost Writer 4.5

Toy Story Three 4.5

Exit Through the Gift Shop 4.5

True Grit 4.5

Restrepo 4.5