My Pick for Top Flicks

This year, I didn't see too many movies, I was dealing with drama, moving back to Colorado and working on my Guitar Hero skills. But of the few movies I saw, here is my list of the top 10.

10. The Invasion. I know I'm pretty much alone on this one but I thought this movie was pretty good. Could it have been executed better? Sure but was entertaining, thrilling and effective in making me believe in conspiracies again.

9. No Country for Old Men. I am completely convinced the Coen Brothers are the best storytellers right now. I didn't know much about the movie going in (and I'm like everyone else - I was puzzled by the ending), but this movie just was awesome. I had no idea where it was taking me and unlike most movies, its characters weren't recycled, they were fresh and lived and breathed the same air as I did.

8. Mr. Brooks I am in the Keven Costner fan club. Sure he has his misses but he has plenty of hits to make up for the Dragonfly and Postman flicks. This movie was sharp. Though I usually frown on imaginary characters, William Hurt playing Costner's subconscious (or was it his conscious?) was well done. Though I was really turned off by the final ending, the ride that took me there was fun.

7. The Simpsons Movie No way was this movie just an overblown, 90 minute version of the show. It's refreshing to be able to see an animated flick with fart and penis jokes. I mean I love Pixar but sometimes I want to laugh at middle school jokes. I can't really remember the plot of this movie but it was the jokes that put this movie on my list.

6. Knocked Up Yay. I loved this movie. I loved the characters. They should totally just make a sitcom based on this movie, just so I could enjoy 30 minutes with them every week.

5. American Gangster As soon as I saw the preview to this movie, I was already convinced it was going to be kick ass. Russell Crowe AND Ridley Scott? HELL YEAH. Sorry, I am not a big Washington fan, in fact he was kinda boring in this movie. It felt like to me he was just reading his lines instead of acting. Too bad Daniel Day Lewis isn't black, or he would have been kick ass! This is the kind of movie where you know how it ends but if the journey is awesome, it's worth it. Man, writing this makes me want to see it again.

4. Zodiac Yes, I am impartial because I'm a journalist and this movie is kinda a journalism wet dream. Can you imagine being a reporter and trying to track down the Zodiac killer? Plus Robert Downey Jr. is the kind of reporter I want to be but you know without the whole drug and drinking problem. It was really cool because I saw this movie while living in California (just two hours away from the Bay area) and the town I was living in was in the movie was in it. And David Finch proves again he knows how to move a camera and tell a compelling story. This movie is up there with Fight Club.

3. 300 This movie is the reason why they make movie screens so fucking big. Yeah, was this the most though-provoking, cerebral movie? No. But it was by far the most beautiful movie in terms of what was on front of my eyes. Finally, moviemakers are putting to better use green screens and CGI. Instead of just putting an actor in front of a fake image, this movie surrounded the actors in front of a new world, making it engrossing and breathtaking. No way could you get the same experience if you were to watch this movie at home.

2. I am Legend I'll admit this movie might be my No. 2 only because I saw it two weeks ago but it still, the movie was great. Will Smith is the only actor besides Tom Hanks that could carry a movie almost singlehandedly. Luckily, the worst part of the movie, the "zombies," were hardly in the movie, but when they were, I felt like I was watching a bad horror flick. I mean, why do these "infected people" who are starving have superpowers and can climb walls and jump 300 feet? But anyways, the best parts were when Smith was on camera, doing what he does. Just following this character, his two struggles of trying to save the world and trying not to go crazy. Epic movie.

1. Bourne Ultimatum This movie could stand alone as a single movie and not part of trilogy. Matt Damon became a superstar with this movie. It was smart, had adrenalin and made you want to capture every second of it. It didn't need gimmicks or a surprise ending - it was just a great movie.