Two chief pleasures of loving movies are being able to share them with other people and to engage in what Manohla Dargis refers to as “the rationalization of taste into theory.” Truth be told, there might not be any 2010 film more important than the excellent, non-partisan editorial documentary INSIDE JOB (which every American should see), but my taste tends toward bold artistry and unconventional filmmaking choices, and so that’s what I’ve chosen to discuss. These are the best (by which I mean my favorite) films of 2010, and I hope you’ll seek them out.

1. CARLOS

As it turns out, the most masterful, ambitious, intricately designed, politically resonant, densely philosophical and aesthetically pleasing film of the year is also the most entertaining: CARLOS, a five and a half hour epic about the hypocrisies and glamour of leftist revolution, is a big, fast, energetic, loud, sexy, globetrotting action flick—absolutely peerless in 2010.

[Olivier Assayas / France / 2010]

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