Ah these yearly best-of lists; I hate them. I will write more on hating these lists when I post my own Top Albums List later this week, but let me tell you what I want from these lists for the readers of Target Audience Magazine. I want you to become familiar with the tastes and styles of our staff writers and contributors. What one needs to look for from any review is the source. The writer who can slant, perceive, and expel that perception into words for the rest of us. What did you really think about the last great movie you saw? “It’s GOOD!” usually sums it up, but we writers tackle the arts with critical thinking. We judge, and, yes, we judge mostly what we have to judge from so that often leaves many movies/films/books unregistered for these best-of lists. BUT, personally, I plan to check out several movies on David Feltman’s list below as well as on his Top Albums of 2011 List because I can tell from his style or writing and reviewing that his suggestions pertain to me. Here’s hoping our readers enjoy all our content! – Ellen Eldridge, EIC
“Tree of Life”
I don’t normally worry about putting these lists in any order, but if I did then “Tree of Life” would be number one. No contest. In fact, I’m putting it first anyway. What Malick has made here isn’t so much a film as a religious experience. The basic story is small and ordinary, about a man reflecting back on his childhood in Texas. But the scale on which this story is told is beyond measure. This film is nothing short of a masterpiece.
"Hugo"
"Super 8"
"Rango"
These three films revel in a cinematic fervor that would make any film geek smile. Though not overtly, these are films about films. From the hyperkinetic references and Brechtian nature of “Rango,” the sense of wonder and discovery of “Super 8,” to the love and loss of creation in “Hugo,” these movies remind us why we love movies.
“Troll Hunter”
I think it’s a good sign for indie-films everywhere when a small Norwegian horror flick is capable of presenting a well-crafted story with such surprising special effects. “Troll Hunter” overshadows the overwrought CG of “Green Lantern” and “Transformers in execution alone. But that’s not why it’s on the list. The cultural love and the modern twist on Norwegian folklore make this story irresistible. Plus any film where trolls lust for the blood of Christian men and billy goats are used as troll bait gets a gold star in my book.
“Moneyball”
If you’re a parent and you don’t tear up when you watch this film then you don’t really love your kids. Sorry. On the outside this is an engrossing baseball movie that demands zero knowledge of baseball to enjoy. That’s mostly because the inside is all about the relationship between a father and daughter. Screen writer Aaron Sorkin, the man who turned the potentially disastrous “Facebook: The Movie (The Social Network)” into a Greek drama, once again proves he can adapt anything into an excellent movie.
“Poetry”
Warning: this is a fantastic movie, but it will make you feel like shit and may possibly result in tearful “I love you!” phone calls to your grandma/mom. There is no “feel good” anything in this one. It’s a bleak and incredibly sad movie about the depths of self-sacrifice. Screw all that “Atlas Shrugged” crap; this is how you make a movie.
“Tucker and Dale vs Evil”
I have no doubt this little indie horror film flew right under most people’s radar and it’s definitely not the Oscar bait of say “Tree of Life,” “Hugo,” or “Moneyball.” It’s just a fun movie. More fun than just about anything else that came out this year. Turning the typical slasher conventions on their ear, “Tucker and Dale” has more in common with Abbot and Costello than Freddy and Jason. What begins as a typical “drunken teenagers in the woods” movie quickly unravels into a comedy of errors. If you missed it, then go find it.
“Win Win”
This is a movie that you’ve seen before, but it’s been a long time since you’ve seen it executed so well. “Win Win” is part underdog sports film, part coming of age film, part “this is what it means to be a good parent” type film. The plot, while cliché, is character driven. And the characters in the driver seat are interesting and well-rounded. The result is a heartfelt film that never feels sappy, with a little surprise Bon Jovi love thrown in for good measure.
“Paranormal Activity 3″
This is the little indie film that could. I know a lot of people hate this series, but it has consistently blown away the competition at the box office. For an ultra-low budget film series that has little more than some camcorders and a house, that’s a hell of an achievement. One may think that the third iteration of this found-footage in a haunted house gimmick would be pretty stale by now, but this is by far the best entry yet. The creators have consistently found interesting ways to extend the mythos behind the story and innovative ways of keeping the suspense running high. I don’t see how they could possibly follow this one…of course I said the same thing about the last two.
Movies I’m sure are awesome and should be on this list, but I just haven’t seen yet
“Drive”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“A Dangerous Method”
