Top Ten Movies of 2009

Here we are firmly entrenched in awards season, as we careen towards the Oscars, through the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, the DGA awards, the (insert metropolitan city here) Critics Choice awards, the PGA awards, and whatever else you can think of. I figured it was time to drop my top ten list of the year.

First a warning; this list is not reflective of anything other than the films that spoke to me this year. That affected me in some way. What was most interesting about this year in film, aside from how totally crappy most of it was, is that all the films on my list stuck with me well after the fact, something many movies don’t do for me.

And looking over my list I get another striking thing, a lot of these movies, all deal with similar themes, fears, and obsessions. For me, 2009 in film dealt primarily with how we humans connect with, or don’t connect with other people. Beware of spoilers.

Enough of my preamble here it is my top ten of 2009:

10.) Watchmen – I’m still flummoxed as to how this totally anti-commercial, totally anti Hollywood movie made it onto movie screens funded by a major studio. Zach Snyder made a dark, disturbing movie looking at how it may not be a good thing to have super heroes. A somewhat flawed but extremely ambitious film. And the opening five minutes possibly are the best five minutes on film this year.



9.) Up – Does Pixar even have a bad movie in them? I mean seriously. Here’s a sweet, fun tale about an old man, a boy and a house. Another movie with an opening so incredible it makes the list simply for that.




8.) Avatar – It’s really no secret that I loved this movie. Yes, the story and characters are simple, but on the whole I found it to be a well-told story, and I was totally engaged from minute one. Yes the special effects are spectacular but the heart and soul really belongs to Zoe Saldana as Neytiri. James Cameron has made the Star Wars of our generation.




7.) Star Trek/The Hangover - J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek takes what made the original Trek work(the characters) and then adds a serious layer of fun to the proceedings. What makes it best film worthy though is that the characters are so well realized and acted that these characters, this ship feels fresh and new again. Todd Philips The Hangover takes the Apatow style comedy we’ve grown all too used to, and adds something unexpected, a mystery. A brilliant hilarious character study.





6.) District 9 – An extremely effective allegory; about, racism and trust, oh, and it has kickass action to boot! Sharlito Copely is amazing in Neil Blomkamps fully realized alternate history that will have you; disgusted, laughing, and on the edge of your seat.


5.) Zombieland/Adventureland – An impossibly well structured coming of age story involving zombies. Add a hilarious and heartbreaking turn from Woody Harrelson and Zombieland makes the list! Adventureland is another coming of age story but more realistic. What makes the script work is how complex its characters are, a totally unexpected touching movie.





4.) 500 Days of Summer – A movie about being in love with someone who is not exactly on the same page. A brilliant, clever, modern take on relationships. Zoey Deschenal and Joseph Gordon Levitt are brilliant as the two lovers in question. The script by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber jumps backwards and forwards through time, making the movie surprising, and Marc Webb’s direction is grounded with a hint of whimsy.




3.) Inglourious Basterds – In Quentin Tarantino’s bloody World War II fantasy cinema is a weapon both literally and figuratively. Possibly Tarantino’s most mature film, with some of the tensest scenes ever. It makes World War II surprising, and interestingly enough, fun. With a breakthrough performance by Austrian actor Christoph Waltz you’ve got a sucker punch of a movie.



2.) The Hurt Locker – Speaking of sucker punches. Kathryn Bigelow’s story about an IED bomb squad in Iraq is possibly the tensest movie I’ve seen. Bigelow imploys Hitchcockian levels of suspense to make a story of why people go to war. Jeremey Renner is fantastic as the warrior addicted to the drug of war. Possibly the manliest movie ever made, and the best Iraq war film, mainly because it is always first and foremost a thriller. For my money this movie should win the best picture Oscar.



1.) Up in the Air – However, for me this movie just hit home. Jason Reitman’s film about how much of life is becoming impersonal and the man who changes his heart and suddenly wants to connect, with the backdrop of the anxiety of recession and losing your job. Make this a funny and bittersweet movie, which feels like a modern Preston Sturges movie.



Runners up:

Black Dynamite – I don’t think I laughed that hard in a movie theater.

Away We Go – A sweet, funny, charming movie.

Drag Me to Hell – Sam Raimi’s return to horror is hilarious scary and totally awesome.

Moon – Featuring an amazing performance by Sam Rockwell, this sci fi flick in the vein of 2001 is weird, loopy, and pretty darn cool.

Me and Orson Welles – I was totally charmed by this movie.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Another utterly charming movie.

Now, there are a couple movies I have not seen: Invictus, Precious, The Lovely Bones, The Messenger, or A Serious Man, An Education. And while I expect to like or seriously love these movies, I don’t think it will change my list one way or another.