By Nick Ubels (Online Editor)
Paul Brammer (News Editor)
& Paul Falardeau (Arts & Life Editor)
Email: cascade.arts at ufv dot ca
1. Toy Story 3
Pixar’s poignant final instalment in one of the best trilogies of all time struck a chord for its humour, meticulous construction, and startlingly mature outlook. Toy Story 3 is a powerfully moving, landmark film for the animated genre.
2. The Social Network
The Social Network is an engaging character study about power, loneliness, betrayal, and Facebook. Well acted, written, directed, shot, and scored, David Fincher’s latest film moves beyond its technical achievements to ask important questions about how we interact in the 21st century.
3. Inception
Christopher Nolan’s mind-blowing adventure through the world of dreams was easily the most exciting and innovative film to hit theatres this summer. Hans Zimmer’s iconic score is some of his finest work to date.
4. True Grit
The Coen’s latest seems to point to a recent-career rhythm of alternating weighty and funny movies. After last year’s dark mini-masterpiece A Serious Man, the Brothers Coen returned to more humourous territory with an adaptation of the already-adapted novel True Grit. Theirs cleaved closer to the book and was blessed with another great performance by “The Dude” Jeff Bridges. The plaudits, however, must go to youngster Hailee Steinfeld, who carried the brunt of the film’s emotional weight on her shoulders. Laughs, thrills, and drama came in plentiful supply in this fabulous film.
5. Shutter Island
When a cinematic genius like Scorsese wants to make a genre movie, you pay attention. And what a genre movie **Shutter Island** is – adapted closely from Dennis Lehane’s riveting book, our Greatest Living Director produced a sumptuous visual feast that was hewn with horror and dread, and paced perfectly, each reveal the equivalent of a master magician displaying his talent in his time off. Di Caprio’s performance once again solidified him as the best actor of his generation.
If this is Scorsese slumming it, what are we in for once he decides to make another masterpiece?
6. A Prophet
7. The Ghost Writer
8. Cyrus
9. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
10. The Town
