Top 10 Films Of 2009

Welcome back….. to me I guess. It’s been a while since my last post, and I promise that in 2010, they will come more frequently (hopefully daily, but I’m not going to make broken promises). The holidays can be stressful and who the hell has time to write a blog when you have to worry about getting a gift for your best friend’s brother’s fish or something. But the holidays don’t always bring stress; they bring some pretty good movies. The big blockbusters have come and gone and now we are getting into the greatness that films can, and should be. I’ve seen a lot of good movies this year, a lot of bad ones, and many that I have still yet to see. In following the award season “buzz” films, I have come across many “Top Ten Of ‘09” lists and I figured why don’t I make my own “Best Of ‘09” list?!?! So I did. Now keep in mind, there are still a few that I have yet to see and hope to see in the coming weeks, so the list is bound to change. But as of right now, right this second, this is how my Top Ten looks…….

#10) HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

First off, this movie should have been on last year’s list, if the original November release date had been kept. But I guess it’s true, good things come to those who wait. I may be a bit biased on this one, being a long time HP (Harry Potter) fan. However, I must be honest; I got on the Hogwarts Express late in the game. It took the second movie to really suck me in. Having read all the books and knowing what happens in the end off it all, I am always interested in how the director will translate it from book to film. I think that director David Yates did a great job bringing this book to life. While most people may have found it too dark, too slow and too boring, I found it to be the buildup to what is to come with the final two movies (final book). It makes me wish that next November would get here quickly, and that July 2011 will get here even quicker.

#9) PRECIOUS

I kind just wrote about this one. Well, not just wrote about it, it was my last entry…..about a month ago! Anyways, this movie is about as real as it gets. It captures the struggles of a sixteen year old African American girl living in the city, ghetto if you will. Living on welfare with her extremely abusive mother, played flawlessly by Mo’Nique (I smell Oscar) and pregnant with her second child, Precious is just trying to deal with the struggles of her young life. Believe it or not, Mariah Carey gives an incredible performance as the social worker trying to help Precious. If you know me, then you know that I hate Mariah, so I wasn’t expecting much from her (especially after GLITTER), but she definitely blew me away in this film. “A+” acting in a very emotional film.

#8) EVERY LITTLE STEP

I had not heard of this one before the award season “buzz” started, but I’m glad that I finally got to see it. I have always said that documentaries are some of the best pieces of film around, and this one is no exception. EVERY LITTLE STEP follows the audition process of the revival of A CHORUS LINE on Broadway. Not only does it follow the auditions, but it gives you background on how the musical was created. If you have seen A CHORUS LINE, then you know that it is about an audition and about the dancers vying for a spot in the show (“God I hope I get it”). It’s amazing to see how life imitates art in this film. How real these characters are, and how the show and its characters have touched the lives of the dancers auditioning. EVERY LITTLE STEP is definitely one of the best and most entertaining documentaries of ’09.

#7) THE INVENTION OF LYING

Imagine a world where everybody tells you what they are thinking and nobody could lie. That is the world that Rickey Gervais’s character lives in in this film. The opening scene to this is one of the funnier moments of 2009. The interaction between Gervais and Jennifer Garner is pure entertainment. Gervais figures out how to lie by accident and then begins to see the results of lying in a world where nobody knows what lying is. Defiantly one of the more creative ideas for a movie this year, not to mention a great cast with perfect comedic timing (Gervais, Garner, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, and Jonah Hill).

#6) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

Or you could just call it “Blair Witch 2009 – The Possessed House.” I gotta give props to the director and marketing team behind this movie, not since THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT has a film come out that was made for so little and got popular by word of mouth. Now, I wasn’t as scared at this movie as much as I was just plain freaked out. I went into this movie knowing that they were actors and it was not real, but it almost didn’t matter. Every time they would show Katie and Micah in bed and the time started to tick away, my heart would always stop in anticipation of what was to come. Even though sometimes what happens wasn’t that scary, it’s the build-up that gets you. And that is what makes a good horror film, anticipation.

#5) THE HANGOVER

Probably one of the hands down funniest movies I have seen in a long, long time. A perfect concept for a comedy too; bachelor party in Las Vegas so crazy that they don’t remember what happened, in addition to losing the groom, two days before the wedding. Every once in a while, a movie comes along that just has so many great one liners that you find yourself quoting it daily for a good month or more, this is one of those movies. “Is this hotel pager friendly?”

#4) ZOMBIELAND

I personally am not a huge fan of the “zombie” genre of movies, I kind of thought that they were all too similar. Some virus takes over the world and everyone gets infected except for a choice few who come through and save the day. It’s been done, like a hundred times. But something about the previews for ZOMBIELAND sucked me in, and I’m glad it did. The basic set-up of this one is the same as the others (see above), they put a nice comedic twist on it. Great performances all around, but in the end it was really Woody Harrelson’s movie (although, there is a surprise cameo by a comedic great that I wont spoil because it’s just too classic). I could watch this one over and over, but I just need one thing……..a Twinkie.

#3) (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER is the story of a relationship from start to finish, kinda. Who would have thought that a romantic comedy told out of order could have worked so well? With great performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, this movie speaks to love in our generation. I think that this movie could have gone a completely different direction with a different director, but Marc Webb filmed it beautifully. One of the more interesting scenes is when the director chooses to do a split screen about how the character of Tom sees a “date” with Summer compared to the actual encounter. Not to mention that this movie includes one of the greatest spontaneous dance numbers that I have ever seen.

#2) THE HURT LOCKER

Iraq War movies are a little touchy, understandably. But this is a beautifully made movie that dives into the life of a young man, Sgt William James (played wonderfully by Jeremy Renner), as part of the U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit. This is an intense, raw, and gritty movie that doesn’t hold anything back. Director Kathryn Bigelow took a risk in making this film, due to the topic of the war being so controversial. But in the end, the movie is about the people and not the war. The war just provides a more intense backdrop. I, obviously, have not been over there, but I can imagine that this film captures the horror of war dead on. Look for this one to win the Best Picture Oscar, but that’s my opinion.

And MY #1 movie of 2009 (drum roll please………..) is……………………..

#1) INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Quinten, Quinten, Quinten……Why are you such a genius?!?! Without question this is Quinten’s best work since the legendary PULP FICTION. In my opinion, you MUST be a Quinten Tarantino fan to really enjoy this film. I could sit for hours and listen to the brilliant dialogue that Quinten writes, and there is plenty of it in this film. I think that most people are fooled by the previews for it. It is advertized as a full throttle action filled ride, however that is just part of the movie. My guess as to why they did this is because a good 80% of the film is in subtitles. Now I’m not a fan of subtitles, but if its Quinten’s dialogue, then subtitles it is. I do love how it is so not historically accurate, but it doesn’t try to be. It tells a story that could have happened. Wonderful acting by a stellar cast that includes Brad Pitt and a surprise cameo by Mike Myers. Overall a fine piece of film making.

Films I still have yet to see………

• Up In The Air
• Avatar
• Nine
• An Education
• The Messenger
• District 9
• The Lovely Bones
• The Road
• Pirate Radio (aka The Boat That Rocked)
• Brothers
• Invictus

Films that just missed the cut………….

• Coraline
• Phoebe In Wonderland
• Star Trek
• 9
• Michael Jackson’s: This Is It
• Fantastic Mr. Fox

Films that just didn’t do it for me………

• I Love You, Man
• Adventureland
• Up
• Away We Go
• Where The Wild Things Are
• Bride Wars

My absolute worst film of the year is…….

• The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard