Best Films of 2010

Together with roast turkey and the It's A Wonderful Life TV rerun, there is no more ubiquitous Christmas feature than the Best of the Year lists.

For the last weeks we have been hearing about award nominations, film magazines' 2010 top choices and critics' rankings, but it's high time to announce the only list I am going to be fully satisfied with: my own.

Here is Imitation of Life's choice of the best films of 2010.

1. Another Year by Mike Leigh. Another characteristically multifaceted slice of life by Mike Leigh. The filmmaker presents us with an extraordinary, insightful study of a group of late-middle-aged friends confronted with misery, occasional joys and the ultimate limits of our existence: the inclement truth of mortality. Lesley Manville gives an unforgettable, emotionally devastating performance. It takes honours as the best film of the year

2. The Ghost Writer by Roman Polanski. A claustrophobic, compellingly atmospheric thriller Hitchcock himself would be proud of. Atypical but surprisingly inspired cast, with Olivia Williams a stand-out as the wounded but loyal first lady.

3. Un Prophète (A Prophet) by Jacques Audiard. Originally released in 2009, the film obtained international recognition in 2010. A brutal, utterly original twist in the usually repetive prison drama genre. Newcomer Tahar Rahim is good, but Niels Arestrup (surprising winner of the Best Supporting Actor Award from the LA critics) steals the show as the Corsican mobster.

4. Animal Kingdom by David Michod. The most appealing criminal family since the Corleones and the best Australian film in years. The word twist takes on a new meaning in this truly unforeseeable story. Excellent ensemble cast. John Meldensohn is chillingly impressive as the psychotic son and Jackie Weaver is memorable as the incestuous mother, ready to order to whack somebody and to caress them with a 'of course, darling' five minutes later without batting an eyelid. The string of kudos she's been reaping recently, which should lead to an Oscar nomination (or, in an ideal world, a win), could gain the film the attention it deserves.

5. The Social Network by David Fincher. There is hardly a timelier subject-matter for a 2010 film than the invention of Facebook, and there is hardly a team of screenwriter/filmmaker (Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher) who could have achieved a more remarkable film. For a movie that has been given such an unprecedented hype, the biggest achievement is what it has managed to do: to live up to its expectations.

6. The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet. Based in an unproduced script the great Jacques Tati wrote more than five decades ago, The Illusionist takes the prize as the most beautiful film of the year. Delicate and compassionate, this slow-paced, semi-silent gem is also devastating and cruel on account of its humanity. A convincing testimony of the modern possibilities of hand-drawn animation.

7. Poetry by Lee Chang-don. Yoon Jung-hee is excellent as an Alzheimer's disease patient that turns to poetry as only possible drug to deal with her disease and her family crisis. The power of memory (or of its lack) and the function of art in our lives are some of the subjects of this delicate, compelling piece of filmmaking.

8. Winter's Bone. Daniel Woodrell's tale of a girl's search of justice in a desolate land is turned into a A-class film by Debra Garnik. Jennifer Lawrence is perfect in the leading role. The Ozarks location is impressive and adds to the general sense of unease.

9. Des Hommes et Des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) by Xavier Beauvois. There must be something really good in a film that unleashes true emotion from the audience at the view of a bunch of priest getting tipsy while listening to Tschaikowsky's Swan Lake. Inspired in true events (the kidnap and murder of seven French monks in Algeria in the 90s), the film is actually a reflection about the doubts surrounding religious vocation in a hostile, violent world. Despite everything said above, Des Hommes et Des Dieux is a true cinematic achievement.

10. The Kids Are All Right by Lisa Cholodenko. Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg's perfect script tells the story of a Californian couple confronted with the curiosity of their grown-up children about their biological father. Homosexual parenthood presented as a social reality instead of as a political strife is one of the many virtues of this poignant, delightful comedy-drama. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are good as always, while Mark Ruffalo is a delight to watch as the disoriented sperm donor. The kids, by the way, are all right, too.