Jon's Top 10 Movies of 2010

2010 was certainly a big year for movies. While I didn't come close to seeing everything that hit the big screens, there was more than enough at my fingertips to compose a very strong list of films. All of these might not appeal to you, but many of these capture a very significant slice of our culture in a way that seems unique to this year.

Movie Review: The American

There are some movies that don’t bother explaining motives, characters, or even the most basic of plot decisions. The movie starts, you’re plunked down in the middle of everything, and you’re left to figure it out as the story unfolds. Imagine opening a 400-page book to the middle, skipping every fifth page, and reading to the end. That’s what The American is like. And it works.

George Clooney stars as the eponymous hero, and honestly, the title is about as much information as you’ll get about his character. Is he an assassin? Is he a custom weapons maker for other assassins? Why does he accept orders from his boss without question or argument? How does he know who to kill? None of this is actually very important to enjoying the movie as long as you let yourself relax and take a trip. The American is quite a trip. It mostly concerns itself with placing you in an understanding of mindset, as opposed to a position of sympathy with the main character.