These are my personal favorites from 2009. I’m still debating if these types of lists are actually necessary. Part of me feels that you can’t compare apples to oranges and attempting to do so creates a list that is likely to change dramatically overtime. The other side of me feels like I owe the readers a list because our culture is way more likely to enjoy lists than standard. People love this stuff.
Expect this list is likely to change by the next time you see me, nonetheless these are my favorites entering the end of the year.
Honorable Mentions: Avatar, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Humpday, I Love You Man, Moon, Watchmen, Up and Zombieland.
Top 10 of 2009
10. The Brother’s Bloom: This one could basically be interchanged with any of the Honorable mentions above but it squeezed its way onto the list today. Creative and quirky writing that created characters I loved spending time with. Left the theater with a smile I couldn’t shake.
9. Star Trek: I had too much fun with this film to keep it off my list. Chris Prine turns in the most charismatic performance of the year and J.J Abrams proves himself to be one of the most entertaining directors of the decade. The hardest film to hate of 2009.
8. The Hurt Locker: My pick for the most likely to win Best Picture this year. This action-filled thriller not only qualifies as the best war film of the 2009, but possibly the best film ever featuring the Iraq war. Look for Jeremy Renner in the Best Actor category at the Oscars.
7. Sugar: Here’s on you might not have heard of. Follows the story of Miguel Santos, a.k.a.
Sugar, a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro De Macorís, struggling to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. The best sports movie of the 2009 that is supported by an impressive performances and interesting insights into the immigration experience.
6. Up in the Air: The most impressed I’ve been in theater all year. Everyone brings their A game to a project that deserves all the hype surrounding it. It’s characterization of a 21st century loneliness won’t soon be forgotten. The strongest film of the 2009.
5. The House of the Devil: The one legitimate reason a critic should make this kind of list is to introduce his audience to new films. If I had my own theatre, I’d be promoting and screening this thing well into 2011 just to spread the good word. A slow-building throwback to 80’s Slasher films that gets everything just right.
4. 500 Days of Summer: My hipster pick of the year. I don’t like the criticism that this film is too “Indie”. It’s like saying a horror movie was too scary. This project had me intrigued from its witty opening to its achingly perfect ending. Also featured my favorite soundtrack of the year.
3. District 9: My blockbuster pick of the year. I feel a lot of people may have missed this one, or forgotten about it with the Star Trek and Avatar hype. As far as large budget projects go, it has the strongest script, characters, and direction of the year. Bring on District 10!
2. Inglorious Basterds: Didn’t make my top 10 after the first experience, but after a few more viewings it slowly crawled to the #2 spot. Definitely a movie for film nerds. This is a classic Tarantino genre-bending thrill ride that makes my geek out a bit too much.
1. Adventureland: A very personal pick this year for my top spot (opposed to last year’s universal pick of
The Dark Knight). Full of humor and nostalgia, this is a sweet, insightful coming-of-age comedy that resonated with me to a degree I didn’t think was possible. I came in expecting a raunchy comedy
Superbad wanna-be. I got an Indie Romcom that put my life in a different perspective.
Top 10 2009 Films I Still Need to See
Now, I confess to the Top 10 films that I still really need to see. I’ll be hunting them down in small theaters or waiting for them to be released to DVD.
10. The Girlfriend Experience: Steven Soderbergh's latest low-fi production. An interesting character study I couldn’t ever find the time to see in theaters.
9. The Proposal: A romantic comedy I may have written off too soon. I’m next expecting anything revolutionary, but I’m still intrigued to see the chemistry between the two leads.
8. The Cove: Every year there’s always one documentary that I miss. Excited to take a look at what looks like the Dolphin Holocaust.
7. Coraline: Can’t believe I haven’t seen this. Buzz around this movie suggests that it can hold its own against the other animation giants
Up and
Fantastic Fox.
6. Brothers: My respect for the hosts of Filmspotting and my love for Natalie Portman tell me I might have missed something by not seeing this one.
5. Drag Me to Hell: Looked like a lot of fun but I could never round the gang up to see it. I’ll pop it in on a cold dark night when I’ve gotten nothing else to do.
4. Crazy Heart: Excited for Jeff Bridges performance. I may have missed my chance to see this one in theaters.
3. In the Loop: A political comedy that I can already tell I’ll like. It’s at the top of the Netflix queue.
2. An Education: This one has the potential to be one of my favorite films of the year. It also could be a boring exploration of the mediocre. I’ll see how the award season treats it.
1. Bronson: I’m dying to get my hands on this one. It was featured in the Milwaukee Film Festival and I was out of town! Supposedly a gripping tale featuring an exploration of prison, art and lies.
