My Favorite Movies of 2010

5. The Town

An executive order was signed by the President that Ben Affleck can only create and star in movies set in Boston -- hence his recent appearance also in The Company Men. Why don't other actors demand such things? Sling Blade was set in Arkansas, but at this point in his career Billy Bob Thornton doesn't make sure that he only work in projects set in Little Rock. Anyway, here's the thing about The Town: It's the film that finally disqualified Affleck's name as a punchline. It took a while, including a great performance in Hollywoodland and a terrific job directing Gone Baby Gone. The only thing left for Affleck to accomplish, his final test for his comeback, is to portray a character who is not a Red Sox fan. I'm not saying he has to be a Yankees fan, but would it be so hard for him to don a San Diego Padres hat with a poster of Marvell Wynne hanging in his apartment?

4. Black Swan

I read as little as possible about Black Swan before attending the screening. I knew it was classified as a "psychological thriller," but I certainly didn't know that it was going to turn out to be the scariest film of 2010. Now, keep in mind, when I have to see a pure horror film (which is rare), I kind of have a way of putting up a defense mechanism before I go in that shields me from truly being frightened. Black Swan took me off guard. It was the equivalent of Han Solo thinking he's going to be eating a fancy dinner on Cloud City only to find Darth Vader sitting at the end of the table. I saw the screening in an office building just off of Times Square, after, walking to the subway, I've never been more terrified that something was going to jump out at me accompanied by terrifying string music.

3. The Social Network

I haven't seen this movie since September and, for the last few weeks, I've really been itching to see it again. (Sure, an in-depth interview with the star will pique some rediscovered curiosity.) The big debate has always been if the Mark Zuckerberg portrayed in the film is a hero or villain. Of course, he's a little bit of both, but I found myself liking the guy only to become angry with him as I would with a friend who secretly spearheaded my departure from a multi-billion dollar company. His ambition is admirable, but his loyalties were maddening. But that's just him.

2. 127 Hours

You know, "The Scene" didn't bother me that much. I mean, I squirmed a couple of times, but I didn't pass out or so much as look away. Now, considering that pretty much everyone knows at least a little of what to expect from 127 Hours, it may seem weird to say that I left Danny Boyle's film in a better mood than I did for any other movie this year. James Franco, as Aron Ralston, who makes more headlines with his media presence than he does with his acting, is about as good as it gets considering that he's the only one on camera for 90 percent of this movie.

1. Toy Story 3

I remember the big Internet question around the time it was released was whether or not it was possible to watch Toy Story 3 without crying. It may or may not be possible, but, if I was trying to prove that it was possible to get through without crying, I failed miserably. No film struck me more emotionally this year than Toy Story 3; I have never seen a film tackle the acceptance of death better than this, an acceptance made all the more affecting considering these are characters we've known for 15 years. Of course, a lot of that emotion is lost on the children in the audience, which prompted one girl to ask her mother, "Why is that guy over there in the corner crying?" (Which led the mother to instruct her daughter, "Honey, don't look at him." Come on, mother of inquisitive girl, I'm only human!)

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