As it is each year, compiling a list of best movies and/or best performances is very difficult to do in a timely fashion unless the compiler lives in LA or New York.

So, working from a momentarily incomplete list (the missing films should open here by the end of the month), here are the ones everyone who loves movies should see:
Christian Bale in The Fighter gives us a stunning, surprising performance that demands our attention in, by the way, an overall excellent film. His talent was never in question but the enormity of that talent is proven here. I don’t understand why he’s talked of as best supporting actor, though. Like last year’s supporting Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, Bale is clearly a lead, the focal point, of the film. In the supporting category, look for Melissa Leo as the fighters’ mom.
Natalie Portman in Black Swan is terrifyingly fragile and, at the same time, strong. It is a wonderful performance in a not-so-wonderful film but it worth seeing.
Robert Duvall’s performance in Get Low as a man planning his own funeral reminds us that great young actors become great old actors (he’ll be 80 this month). The movie came and went all too quietly and that is a pity. Not out on DVD yet, look for it in a theater if Duvall gets the Oscar nomination he should earn.
Winter’s Bone is on DVD and you should get it immediately. Set in the Ozarks Debra Granik’s noir drama keeps us guessing and treats us to a very impressive performance by Jennifer Lawrence as 17 year-old Ree Dolly. It won the 2010 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and has gotten an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Don’t miss it.
Quite likely to be the movie of the year, The Social Network is well-written (of course, Aaron Sorkin is the screenwriter), directed (David Fincher) and acted (Jesse Eisenberg). It is also a rare film in the tradition of All The President’s Men: history made fascinating. Love it or not, Facebook is here to stay and The Social Network tells us how it got here.
Another film that sheds light on history and does it very well is The King’s Speech. Smart, witty and true….a winning formula and the performances of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush (another who is not a supporting player but a star) are just splendid. See it ASAP.
If for no other reason than the performance of Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, the Coen Brothers’ True Grit is also a must-see. It is a wonderful movie, true to the charming Charles Portis book that was the source material. And, really, how often these days do we get a western in the local theater?
The year’s (maybe the decade’s) best prison film is A Prophet (Un Prophète) from France. It is absorbing — gripping, even — and is available on DVD.
Also on DVD is The Ghost Writer. Feel as you will about director Roman Polanski, his movie, starring Colin Firth — who had a very good year — and Pierce Brosnan is terrific. Out on DVD.
The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko’s portrait of an untraditional family with two moms is wonderful. Annette Bening is being spoken of as a potential Oscar winner for it. It is intelligent, honest and warm. It, too, is on DVD.
• I really liked Michael Douglas’ performance in Solitary Man. The guy is a good actor and things like Wall Street just don’t allow him to do so. This one’s on DVD.
•127 Hours both tells a great story and showcases one of — if not the — best young actors today. James Franco’s performance is one for the books.
This weekend more of the 2010 best-reviewed films will open in Las Vegas and we can look forward to them while, at the same time, being grateful theaters like Regal Village Square and Suncoast play the more obscure, indie, foreign flicks. It’d be great to see other theaters follow suit. Surely, a 16-screen (or 12-screen) multiplex can spare one screen for films of this sort.
Finally, with award season upon us, one must be careful not to take the whole thing too seriously. For example, look at the ridiculous Golden Globe nominations — Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp for The Tourist?? Really? Are they among the best? Or, is it that the largely irrelevant Hollywood Foreign Press Association wanted the biggest stars they could think of to attend their bash regardless of the quality of the picture? How can they nominate Michael Douglas in the supporting category for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps? He is the lead.
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