Film
The biggest disappointment for me this year was in cinema - I thought it was a terrible year, even by recent standards. 3D seems to be everywhere (and I loathe it) and most mainstream fodder seems like light entertainment. I have zero interest in the superhero/effects/avatar/inception nonsense that everyone seems to get so worked up about, but there were some gems in the dungheap...
1. Dogtooth. I loved this pitch black Greek story of family imprisonment and psychological torture.
2. Henri-Georges Clouzet's L'Inferno. Wonderful documentary about the great French director's doomed production that went badly off the rails. Full of amazing experimental test shots and Romy Schneider is amazing. Gorgeous.
3. White Material. Colonial nightmare nail-biter from Claire Denis, with superb performance from Isabel Huppert.
4. Katalin Varga. Rape revenge in the Carpathains - looked like it could have been shot in the middle ages. One brilliant scene on a rowing boat. Good effort from brit director Peter Strickland.
5. The Kids Are Alright and Please Give. Two US comedies from female directors that both had their moments. Whilst a lot of fuss was made of the lesbian relationship under scrutiny in TKAA, the film was at heart a fairly conservative family film, but very funny. PG had some laugh out loud moments and Catherine Keener was, as ever, great.
Gainsbourg was surprisingly inventive, but the film tailed off towards the end, much like Serge's life . I haven't seen The Arbor or Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, but have heard good things about them. I was really looking forward to the Mexican Cannibal family horror We Are What We Are... but it failed on so many levels.
Art
Spoilt for choice in 2010 - clearly my favourite show was Ordinary Monsters in Brick Lane. However, I also liked this lot...
1. Surreal House / Barbican
2. Marina Abramovic / Lisson
3. Paul Nash 'The Elements' Dulwich Picture Gallery
4. Gauguin / Tate Modern
5. Van Doesberg / Tate Modern
Music
A great year for music in all formats - especially live. So much out there but I particularly enjoyed...
Albums
1. Beach House / Teen dream
A truy wonderful thing - if Fleet Foxes were actually any good, they'd sound like this.
2. Gil Scott Heron / I'm New Here
Slim pickings - only about 4 great tracks - but an astonishing re-invention.
3. Eels / Tommorrow Morning
There's very little in this world in my opinion as good as a good Eels album - and Tomorrow Morning is great.
4. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse / Dark Night of the Soul
Moody and effective collaboration with guest singers including Iggy Pop, David Lynch, Black Francis, Flaming Lips etc What's not to like?
5. Edwyn Collins / Losing Sleep
Edwyn continues to rediscover his groove with this punchy, punky pop album stuffed with his famous music pals
Music - live
1. Patti Smith / Sepentine Sessions & Union Chapel
2. CW Stoneking / Borderline
3. Arcade Fire / Hackney Enmpire
4. The Caesarians / Bardens
5. Edwyn Collins / Bloomsbury Ballroom
The Readers, British Sea Power, John and Jen, Gil Scott Heron also very good
Books
1. Just Kids / Patti Smith
2. When Marina Abramovic Dies / James Westcott
3. Goodbye London: Radical Art and Politics in the Seventies / Peter Cross, Jon Savage, Astrid Proll
4. Shock Value: A Tasteful Book About Bad Taste / John Waters, Simon Doonan
5. Almodovar on Almodovar