TOP 10 BEST FILMS OF 2009
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From big blockbusters to small independent films, they all earned a slot in my Top 10 Best Films of 2009 list. My requirements are simple did the film entertain? Provoke? Cajole? Will I remember the movie years from now? Im happy to report that the films that entertained, provoked, and cajoled me can all be found on my list. And yes, Ill remember these movies for years to come.
1. Up in the Air Writer-director Jason Reitman gives an emotionally satisfying film about a man trying to make a connection. Part social commentary about our economy and part dramedy about failed relationships, the film will make you run the whole gamut of emotions from funny, sad, and everything in between. Great script, direction, and ensemble cast (featuring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick) put Up in the Air on top of my list.
2. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Director Lee Daniels creates an uplifting film that will push you down to the lower depths of despair before picking you up and dusting you off. Lovingly dedicated to all the Precious girls in the world, the film boasts a searing storyline and memorable performances by MoNique and Gabourey Sidibe. I cannot erase the indelible images of the movie from my head.
3. The Hurt Locker Considered the front-runner at the upcoming Academy Awards, this action-packed film about a bomb squad in Iraq makes a great argument about war as a drug. Director Kathryn Bigelow and scriptwriter Mark Boal created the best movie about the Iraq war. Lead actor Jeremy Renner gives an honest portrait of a bomb specialist in search of the next big hit. Kudos goes to Bigelow for making the most tense-filled film of the year.
4. Avatar James Cameron wrote and directed the most gorgeous film of the year. This game-changing movie revolutionized CGI and 3-D filmmaking. But its not all about technical wizardry with Avatar, it also has a compelling narrative about the environment and Mother Nature.
5. Inglourious Basterds Made by and for cinema lovers, Quentin Tarantino crafted a superb revenge fantasy that culminated inside a movie theater. Pay close attention to how the opening scene between a farmer and the Jew hunter (gloriously played by Oscar-ready Christoph Waltz) pulls you right into the diabolical narrative. Tarantino is one of the few directors in the world who can make me utter the line I love movies!
6. Up Pixars latest film cements the studios reputation for making quality animated flicks. The creative team headed by Bob Peterson and Pete Docter explores the subject of death and dying and ruminates on the values of life and living. Yes, heavy stuff for an animated action-adventure that is loved by both children and adults alike. Quite a miracle!
7. Star Trek Six months after watching Star Trek, I still can feel the excitement as if I just saw the film for the very first time. Star Trek is one of the few films this year that made me giddy with excitement. Director J.J. Abrams paid homage to the classic TV show while simultaneously paving the way for the franchises future. Star Trek turned me into a Trekker (Or is it a Trekkie?).
8. (500) Days of Summer First-time feature director Mark Webb surprises with this gem of a movie. What the film does best is subvert the genre by twisting the clichés to come up with a clever and refreshingly sincere movie. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are utterly charming as the leads in this romantic comedy about a man who falls for a woman who doesnt believe in true love. Irony alert yes, the film will make you believe true love exists.
9. District 9 Director Neil Blomkamp has been receiving numerous Breakthrough Director of the Year awards, and he definitely deserves all the accolades. District 9 is so un-Hollywood, the film is fresh, creepy, and oddly sentimental. By portraying extra-terrestrial aliens as members of a racial group, Blomkamp made a message movie about apartheid that is deeply engrossing. Weve never cared for an alien this much since 1982s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Producer Peter Jackson helped make one of the best sci-fi movies in recent years.
10. A Serious Man The Coen brothers play gods to Michael Stuhlbargs hapless character named Larry Gopnik in this gleaming dark comedy. The film is a meditative study on religion, family, and individuality. I adore the narrative style of the Coen brothers where they put the protagonist in incredible situations (Fargo), see how far he or she can go, and then the sibling filmmakers let you mull over the heros fate (No Country for Old Men). Theres no clear cut conclusion in the Coen brothers world, just like life. Brilliant!