Let’s Talk Cinema: The 2010’s

“But to make yourself feel nothing so as to not feel anything—what a waste.”

-Mr. Perlman, Call Me by Your Name

Let’s Talk Cinema was born from a simple idea: if we talk about films, we can share our experiences and learn from one another. It’s easy to look around and see chaos, division, hatred, and pain, all of which make it harder to find meaning, beauty, and peace. Our souls long for those things, yet too often we cope by masking what hurts. When given the chance, we usually choose comfort over honesty, avoiding the struggles we all face.

But movies have a way of breaking through those defenses. They lay bare the feelings we hide and unlock the emotions we’d rather ignore. For me, that’s the power of cinema—the subjectivity that turns every discussion into a kind of mini-therapy session. Each time you watch a movie, you bring your lived experiences with you, and those experiences shape how the film affects you. Only you can have that reaction, and if you share it, you might change the way someone else sees the world. That, to me, is one of the true wonders of cinema.

Not every film carries deep meaning for everyone—it depends on your life and what you bring to it. When I first discovered my love for movies, and even television, I began to understand why this art form matters. I felt a bit like William Miller in Almost Famous: his passion was rock music and chasing fame as a writer, while mine was cinema, with a dream of one day having a voice in that world. I remember how American Beauty pulled back the curtain on the perfect-image lifestyle, showing how the polished home and smiling family often hide brokenness behind closed doors. As the son of a preacher, that struck me deeply. La La Land reminded me of the cost of pursuing dreams—the sacrifices you make along the way.

Those films—just a few of my favorites—made me feel things I didn’t expect and couldn’t always put into words at the time. And that’s the point: they opened me up. Around here at AD, I’ve gotten a reputation for being the “feelings” guy, and it’s largely because of this idea. In today’s world, FILM MATTERS. Maybe now is the time to be more transparent with one another, to share the films that revealed truth to us, and to pass on what we’ve learned through the lens of cinema. Don’t waste the pain, or the joy, or the heartache of the films that touched you—feel them, and share them.

The 2010s were a pivotal decade for me, and cinema became the lens through which I viewed the world. The Oscars often celebrated films I loved, but just as often they overlooked movies that opened my heart and mind. There were painful snubs and ignored blockbusters, but also performances that moved me, inspired me, and spoke directly to my soul.

Was the 2010s the best decade for cinema—or even for the Oscars? No, not really. But that doesn’t diminish the impact of the films that left their mark on me, and for that I’ll always be grateful. With that in mind, the lists I’m about to share will be my final ones for the 2010s. We’ll circle back with something fun in the future, but after a month-long journey through this decade, this feels like the right place to pause.

So, to close out the 2010s, I leave you with a three-part assignment:

1. Top 10 Favorite Films of the Decade
   List or rank your top ten favorites—Oscar winners or not, blockbusters or box office flops, international or American. Extra credit if you explain why a film impacted you. SHARE with us!
2. Top 10 Favorite Performances of the Decade
   Again, list or rank—Oscar winners, nominees, egregious snubs, or performances that never got the recognition they deserved. Extra credit if you explain how and why these performances moved you.
3. Top 5 Favorite Oscar Speeches of the Decade
   Courtesy of our very own Rufus, list your five favorite speeches—the ones that shocked you, wowed you, or filled you with joy.

Jerm’s Top 10 Favorite Movies of the 2010s

1. La La Land
2. Inside Llewyn Davis
3. Django Unchained
4. Little Women
5. Crazy, Stupid, Love.
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
7. Interstellar
8. Get Out
9. The Way Way Back
10. Zootopia

I’ve raved all month about several of these films, so let me highlight a couple I haven’t really touched on.

Mad Max: Fury Road was a complete surprise. I only rented it because so many people here at AD praised it and it kept showing up on top 10 lists. The dystopian genre has never been my thing, and I had zero history with the original Mad Max films—I wasn’t even born when they came out. But on my “24-hour DVD New Release Rental” from Family Video, I ended up watching it three times. I couldn’t get enough. The action never let up, there wasn’t a dull moment, and George Miller absolutely should have won the Oscar for directing. I had never seen anything like it, and it left a permanent mark on me.

Then there’s The Way Way Back, which might surprise you. It’s simple, it’s small, there are no big “wow” moments—but I revisit it every summer. At first, I wanted to dismiss it, but the chemistry of Steve Carell, Allison Janney, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, and Maya Rudolph won me over. It stirred memories of youth, of trying to figure out where you belong, and how sometimes the most unlikely people become your people. I’ll shamelessly love this overlooked little gem until my dying day.

As for the rest:
– La La Land is the best film of the 21st century—sorry NYT, though I do love Parasite (it nearly made this list).

– Inside Llewyn Davis (see last week’s “The Snubs” article) is brilliant from start to finish.

– Django Unchained, my third favorite Tarantino film, it’s funny, shocking, brutal, and wholly unique.

– Little Women—where’s Ronan’s Oscar?! I’ll say it again: I want more Gerwig/Ronan/Chalamet collabs ASAP.

– Crazy, Stupid, Love. and Interstellar—yes, I’ll die on those hills.

– Get Out was one of the defining cultural moments of the 2010s. Peele gave us a suspenseful, somehow at times funny, and unforgettable film about racism that’s impossible to ignore.

– Zootopia became the most-watched film in my house—an imaginative and creative way to explore racism and celebrate differences through the eyes of animals.

The highs and lows of life touch us all. Though we often try to avoid the lows by numbing the pain, it’s only by embracing challenges that we grow. Every film on this list offered something true about life and moved me deeply. Pain is one of life’s greatest teachers—what we do with it is our choice. That’s what I love about cinema: it shows us truths we might otherwise run from and gives us space to face them.

When you’re down, watch a movie. When you’re lonely, watch a movie. When you’re feeling anything at all, there’s almost always a film that can open your heart and mind—if you have the courage to let it in.

Jerm’s Top 10 Favorite Performances of the 2010s

1. Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
2. Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
3. Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Viola Davis, The Help
6. Natalie Portman, Black Swan
7. Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling, La La Land
8. Amy Adams, Arrival
9. Christian Bale, The Fighter
10. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

-Rosamund Pike’s turn in Gone Girl remains, to me, the biggest Oscar robbery of the decade—maybe even the century. I’d argue it’s the best performance of the 2010s, period.

-Casey Affleck was heartbreakingly brilliant in Manchester by the Sea, as I’ve said before.

-Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis—how he didn’t even get nominated is still a gut punch.

-Leo’s role in The Wolf of Wall Street should have been the one to finally win him Best Actor, stretching his comedic chops in ways people didn’t expect.

-Viola Davis in The Help—it frustrates me that she now looks back on that role as a mistake, because I thought she was absolutely Oscar-worthy. To me, that performance proved Doubt wasn’t a fluke—Viola is a force of nature.

-Natalie Portman in Black Swan gave a tour de force performance that still haunts me.

-Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in La La Land—the duo of the century, in my favorite movie of the century.

-Amy Adams in Arrival should have finally brought her the long-overdue Oscar.

-Christian Bale in The Fighter—one of the greatest character entries I’ve ever seen. The instant he appeared onscreen; he was no longer Christian Bale; he was someone entirely new.

-Saoirse Ronan in Little Women—what more does she have to do to win an Oscar? For me, that’s her finest performance.

Each of these actors carried their roles with precision and emotional weight. They delivered everything I ask for in a performance: make me feel, move me, and make it true. None of these felt forced or overdone—it all just flowed naturally, which is what makes great acting. Sure, camp and over-the-top theatrics have their place, but those performances don’t usually hit me on a personal level. These ones, though? They live rent-free in my brain forever.

Jerm’s Top 5 Oscar Speeches of the 2010s

1. Olivia Colman — Best Actress, The Favourite
   I’ll never forget this moment. I’ve talked about it before, and maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to share my live reaction (it’s completely embarrassing). The shock was twofold: the Academy finally did the right thing by giving Colman the Oscar for the year’s best performance, but in doing so, they derailed what felt like Glenn Close’s crowning moment—her 7th nomination after 40 years of brilliance. After winning the Globe, SAG, and Critics’ Choice, Glenn seemed unstoppable, and I was ready to see her win—even at Olivia’s expense. But then, shock: Olivia won. And no one was more stunned than Olivia and Glenn themselves. Olivia was flabbergasted, Glenn was gutted, and the looks on their faces are seared into my memory. What followed was Olivia’s hilarious, charming, and wonderfully real off-the-cuff speech.
2. Moonlight vs. La La Land — Best Picture Debacle
   Has there ever been a bigger live-TV blunder? I’ll always feel bad for Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, who got saddled with the blame even though someone handed them the wrong envelope. The confusion on stage was unlike anything I’ve ever seen at a live event. I remember yelling at the TV: “What is happening?!?!” Not only was it chaos, but it came at the expense of La La Land—a film I love more than Moonlight (though Moonlight is still a fine film). La La Land is what I call a “heart movie”, and I always follow my heart, true to Jerm fashion. In the end, we got two Best Picture speeches and one unforgettable fiasco.
3. Quentin Tarantino — Best Original Screenplay, Django Unchained
   A deserved win, and a great speech. Tarantino reminded us that it’s his characters that people remember, and that having the right actors bring them to life is what matters. Most people outside the Oscar bubble don’t think about screenplays or technical achievements, but they remember the lines and the performances. Writing is one of the hardest parts of filmmaking—you have to create a believable world, real dialogue, and full characters who carry a story from beginning to end. Tarantino always delivers on that, and his speech underlined a timeless truth: we carry characters with us long after the credits roll, and that’s the power of great writing.
4. Viola Davis — Best Supporting Actress, Fences
   This was always meant to be. Viola had swept every precursor, so her Oscar win wasn’t a surprise—it was just coronation day. Her speech was everything an acceptance should be: poignant, tender, and deeply moving— FRISSON worthy. I wish everyone could deliver a homerun worthy speech like this! I was thrilled to see her win, and completely captivated by her beautiful speech.
5. Christopher Plummer — Best Supporting Actor, Beginners
   His speech was better than his performance—and that’s not a dig at the performance. It was just that good. Witty, charming, and warm, Plummer owned the stage like the world’s coolest grandpa, the kind who’d sit you down and tell you funny stories about life. After 70 years in film, and only one nomination two years prior, it felt wonderful to see him finally take home the Oscar. Captain Von Trapp as an Oscar winner—at last, it felt right.

With that, we bid the 2010s a heartfelt fare thee well. It was a life-changing decade for me—becoming a husband, a father, and a true lover of cinema. This era will always hold a special place in my heart.

I got to see a trilogy bookend my life: starting with Toy Story, the first film I ever saw in theaters as a kid, and closing with Toy Story 3 as I entered adulthood alongside Andy. I witnessed the IMAX brilliance of Gravity and Interstellar. I saw the Queen of the Oscars, Meryl Streep, finally win her long-awaited third. I watched films filled with love and heartbreak, stories about the ups and downs of relationships and the sacrifices we make. I braved films of loss and grief, and celebrated cultural moments like Get Out and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There was so much to see, so much to be moved and inspired by. But for now, it’s time to say goodbye to the 2010s—and hello to the films of the first decade of the 21st century!

My friends, you have your assignments: share your favorite films, performances, and speeches of the 2010s, and tell us why they matter to you. As always, thanks for reading, and of course—Let’s Talk Cinema!