Emily's Top 10 of '10: Part 2

5. 127 Hours

I saw Danny Boyle's latest heart-yanking film on an especially special evening at TIFF, attended by both it's star (James Franco) and it's inspiration (adventure enthusiast and Between a Rock and Hard Place author, Aron Ralston). After the screening the mega-moving one-man-show, in which Franco (as Ralston) amputates his own arm after having spent an excruciating 127 hours with it lodged under a rogue boulder, Ralston (and his hook hand) came on stage all bright and teary-eyed. He was just so grateful to see his true triumph of the human spirit come alive on screen for the world, and most importantly, his family to see. As he told the still-recovering audience (the fainting rumours are true!), he was blown away by Boyle and Franco's hyperactive and hallucinogenic treatment of his story, as it managed remain loyal to his reality even when delving into fits of hysterical fantasy. I couldn't have said it better myself.

4. Blue Valentine

This dark, depressing love story is not for the faint and or fantastical of heart. This film, which was nearly unfairly slapped with a NC-17 rating (America's version of R), is rough, raw and ridiculously real, to the point that sometimes, you feel as though you're Rear Windowing in on your loud, obviously unhappy neighbours. Blue Valentine takes us on a tour through the shards of a never-really-true romance, which starts as an unhappy accident and ends in unsolvable screaming match. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling pour their hearts and bodies (the duo totally transform in the later sections) into playing the couple in question (Cindy and Dean), giving us what may be the most genuine representation of modern love - and loss - I've ever seen.

3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I still can't believe this movie wasn't a huge hit. It's 100 times better than Tron, Iron Man 2 and every other big budget action flick that came out this year. It's not a remake (although it is based on a series of graphic novels). It's not a mindless star vehicle (although Mikey Cera does get some sweet mega-closeups!). It's a true original - with some perfectly timed homages (Mortal Kombat! Seinfeld!) thrown in. Featuring a kick ass (not to be confused with Kick-Ass, which didn't quite live up to its name) plot - Toronto-based hipster 20-something has to defeat his new girl's seven evil exes - awesomely awkward dialogue, video game visuals and an insanely addictive soundtrack, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has future unironic indie kid favourite written all over it. And it knows it.

2. Toy Story 3

This June, Woody, Buzz and the toy friends we've grown to love for over a decade rode back into Tinseltown for one last cinematic play date. And I don't know about you, but I'm searching for tissues. While the first two films in the animated series were undoubtedly superb, this installment was even better as it took us through most devastating moment of any toy's life: being put away in storage by their once-dedicated owner (in this case, Andy).  For my generation, who grew with the courageous cowboy and the sometimes-Spanish space cadet and kind of consider them our own, the bittersweet story hit so close to home it still hurts. 

1. The Social Network

A deliciously zeitgeist-y story, based on the controversial back story behind the most addictive website, ever? A wicked smart cast fronted by the next generation of hot nerds, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield - and former Model Behaviour star and triple threat, Justin Timberlake? A talky, intelligent, Gilmore Girls speed script by West Wing scribe, Aaron Sorkin? What's not to 'like'? If this doesn't win Best Picture, I'm going to de-friend the Academy for at least a week.

ALSO AWESOME: The Other Guys, The King's Speech, Black Swan, Inception, Tangled, Shutter Island, Youth in Revolt 

*All photos from allmoviephoto.com

Emily's Top 5 of Summer '10

When you think summer, you probably think sun, sand, shorts and Sandy and Danny doing falsetto in the quad (well, maybe not the last one). When I think summer, I think great movies. When it's too hot to even think about being outside (or even when it's not), there's nothing better than grabbing a ice-cold Coke, a few like-minded friends and a light cardi (A necessity nowadays thanks to Cineplex's ridic AC settings) and plopping down for a two-hour cinematic vacay. And this past summer has given us some instant classics, at least on a totally guilt-free This-is-So-Freakin'-Entertaining level.

5) Piranha 3D 

Yes, yes. It's ridiculous. But in the most perfect way possible. I don't know about you, but I think every summer needs movies like this. We usually have to sit through movies that are unintentionally campy and emotionless during the hot-ass holiday season, but it's rare to find one that is overtly conscious of the fabulous frivolity. Or that features a feral fish eating and regurgitating a runaway peen.  Piranha 3D may not be Oscar-worthy, but it was the most fun I've had at the movies all summer. And I'm not the only one who thinks so - it's got a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes! Here's hoping Machete amps up the excitement for the terribly awesome trend and makes Hollywood realize that crass acts aren't so bad after all. In fact, they're delicious.

Photo: Worstpreviews.com 

4) The Other Guys

A few months back, I was sure I was going to guffaw my way through Summer 10'.  There seemed to be some really cool, indie comedies coming out (Cyrus, The Kids Are All Right) and well, that new Adam Sandler flick (I don't even dare speak it's name now). Unfortunately, none of those seemingly-destined-for-major-post-popcorn-quotage fllicks really managed to tickle my funny bone. So when The Other Guys came out, I assumed the worst, anticipating the awful aftertaste of recycled comedic cheese. I was SO wrong. Dirk Diggler + Ron Burgundy = the funniest movie of the summer, hell, maybe even the year.

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com

3) Inception 

Although I usually bow down to low-brow flicks during beach season, I also make a point to find at least one thought-provoking drama. Usually that requires several trips to a seriously-out-of-the-way rep cinema and a majorly open mind. But this year, I just had to drive to the closest Cineplex.  Two years after giving us the brilliant Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan brought us the perfect summer thinker's movie - Inception.  With it's wickedly in-depth script, way-too-real special effects and award-bait cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Marion Coittilard, Ellen Page), Inception blew every pretentious art house movie out of the water, making me, and billions of others, question their sense of blockbusters, gravity and personal reality. I mean, am I really writing this right now? Or am I knee-deep in subconscious sabotage? LEO!?

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com

2) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 

Inception may have changed the way I think about reality, but Scott Pilgrim vs. the World did something even cooler - it changed the way I see movies. I may never be able to enjoy a movie again without overhead onomatopoeias explaining every karate chop, head bang and phone call. Or a pee bar regulating the main character's bathroom break. Or 3D hearts flowing out from under a stolen kiss. Or a famous laugh track randomly interrupting a seemingly unfunny conversation.There are just so many things about Scott Pilgrim we've never seen on-screen before, which is way too uncommon these days. The ads claim it's an "epic of epic epicness" and I couldn't agree more. Make you see it before it becomes too cult cool for you.

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com

1) Toy Story 3

A perfect ending to a perfect series. Two words: Spanish Buzz.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Photo: Allmoviephoto.com
(Great Scott!)

Starring Michael Cera, Mary Stuart Winstead and Kieran Culkin. Directed by Edgar Wright. 112 minutes. PG

I don't think I have ever seen a movie that was more tailor-made for me than Edgar Wright's (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) mega-fun, meta-hipster action-comedy, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Sure, I'm not a nerdy boy bassist. And I don't have to fight a bunch of evil ex-girlfriends for the love of my current-life using light sabers and alterna-pop. But I am Torontonian twenty-something. And this movie is pretty much a Lite Bright love letter to partying pre-quarterlife crisis style in the GTA.

Like the six-part cult comic series it's based on, Scott Pilgrim vs. the. World, takes place on the smog-covered streets of T.O. But unlike most movies shot here, it doesn't try to hide our landmarks with fake signs or subtle blurs. When they walk by Honest Ed's, we see the obnoxious lights and punny advertisements in their full, embarrassingly comforting glory. When they hit up Pizza Pizza, we can tell which intersection it's at. When they take the public transit, we know they're on the TTC. And when they go to Casa Loma, everyone tells you it's Casa Loma. The Hogtown love can be bit too much sometimes (see: the blatant CN Tower cameo), but most of the time it's just flattering. And trippy. Especially when you walk out of the theatre and see these places manifest themselves right in front of you.

But you don't have to be from Canada to get a kick out of Scott Pilgrim. Although, you might have to fit a certain age bracket. Wright has crafted a near-perfect early '90s throwback, a nostalgia piece perfect for the pre-ADD generation, who remember the days when video games weren't as high-tech and cool as we wanted them to be and that was more than okay. Like the opening, when the Universal logo gets pixelated to look like it's straight out of an old-school Nintendo game. It's surprising and awesome, but also hard to appreciate if you didn't grow up with a ghetto gaming system for a best friend.

Then again, there is so much going on in Scott Pilgrim, it's hard to focus on any particular joke, visual or plot point long enough to think that hard about it. The story is straight-forward - Scott (Michael Cera) falls hard for a bright-haired alterna-girl named Ramona (Mary Stuart Winstead) and finds out that in order to get to her heart, he has to physically defeat every one of her seven exes, including Superman (er, Brandon Routh with a bad dye job), Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman and her (I mean, Egg. I mean, Ann!) - and constantly engaging, save for the last fight scene, in which Scott takes on the film's Big Bad Boss.And the cast features some of the most talented young actors out there today - Oscar-nominee Anna Kendrick, Rory Culkin of Igby Goes Down, Alison Pill (Milk), Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - all of which are charming in that slacker, Ethan-Hawke-in-Reality-Bites kind of way.

Although the writing and acting are solid (and superbly self-deprecating), the most impressive part of Scott Pilgrim is undoubtedly the visuals. Looks wise, this film is a dorky mutt, the result of a hot night in with the most manic manga you can find and the shittiest Street Fighter machine in the arcade. It could have easily been done in 3D, but Wright, being the geek god that he is, is too cool for that. He goes for the standard dual-dimension treatment and manages to brings us the most insanely interactive flick in years.

Using graphic novel staples like panel-crossing onomatopoeias, random thought bubbles and bubblegum-toned graphics, Wright playfully shoves Scott Pilgrim's precious little post-adolescent life in our faces, creating what can only be referred to as a pop cultural equivalent of Pop Rocks, exploding with tastefully artificial energy and startling deliciousness. And I don't know about you, but I love me some Pop Rocks. A