Favorite Films of 2009

I always try to write my favorite films list last simply because most of the prestige pictures don't come out until after the year is out. It's a sad fact of movies, especially to us Alaskans. We're subjected to delays upon the already delayed nature of those movies.

What does that mean for my list? Well, before I get to my favorite films of 2009 list I'll list out the movies that would likely be contenders for my list. Also, the movies that just missed the cut are below.

Note: This was a weird year for movies. It seems like there weren't as many movies later on in the year that blew me away like last year with Let the Right One In and Slumdog Millionaire. No less, it was a good one, just weird.

Haven't Watched Yet: The Road, The White Ribbon, The Lovely Bones, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, The Informant!, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, In the Loop, Precious, Invictus, A Single Man

Missed the Cut: A Serious Man, Coraline, Zombieland

Best Documentary of the Year: The Cove

Why it's the best: I won't go into any details because a lot of this movie is based off the shock value and going in blind, but I can tell you this: when I was little I wanted to be a Marine Biologist because my affinity for Cetaceans (whales and dolphins, essentially). This movie is essentially a look into their treatment by certain communities in Japan and what the world is doing to confront these travesties.

What goes on in this hour and a half long documentary is horrific and heartwrenching, and really deserves to be watched. Some have called this film manipulative and even propaganda, but I disagree. It is an often beautiful film with a very important message. Highly recommended by yours truly.

15. Where The Wild Things Are (Directed by Spike Jonze, Written by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers)

14. I Love You, Man (Directed by John Hamburg, Written by John Hamburg and Larry Levin)

13. Moon (Directed by Duncan Jones, Written by Duncan Jones and Nathan Parker)

12. The Hangover (Directed by Todd Phillips, Written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore)

11. The Brothers Bloom (Written and directed by Rian Johnson)

10. An Education (Directed by Lone Scherfig, Written by Nick Hornby)

9. Star Trek (Directed by JJ Abrams, Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman)

8. Avatar (Written and directed by James Cameron)

7. The Hurt Locker (Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Written by Mark Boal)

6. District 9 (Directed by Neill Blomkamp, Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell)

5. Away We Go (Directed by Sam Mendes, Written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida)

Why It's #5: This film didn't get the esteem that it deserved in my mind. It shouldn't be surprising that this film could be a success given that it is co-written by literary giant Dave Eggers and directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes, but I think some discount it because of the rather unassuming leads in The Office's John Krasinski and Saturday Night Live's Maya Rudolph and the fact it is perhaps a bit twee.

One way or another, it is a movie to me that feels very real and easy to relate to. This film finds Rudolph five and a half months pregnant (but looking VERY close to labor) and Kransinski perpetually jovial as they are faced with the reality of starting a family without really having a home. Not a home in the sense of a having a house, but in having a place that emotionally and spiritually feels like the place they belong. What transpires in the length of this film is a journey from location to location to find the right place for themselves, and it is often hilarious and touching.

It also features an exceptional supporting cast, as we're given appearances from Jeff Daniels, Catherine O'Hara, Allison Janney, Paul Schneider, Jim Gaffigan, Melanie Lynskey, and more, all of whom do their jobs just as well as you expect them to. The soundtrack is mostly Alexi Murdoch, and his Nick Drake like sound really connects with the central themes of the movie.

Sure, this isn't a movie that is going to earn any nominations come Oscar time, but it is the type of movie that will connect with you as a viewer if you find yourself at the right point in your life. For myself, it is something that resonates.

4. Up in the Air (Directed by Jason Reitman, Written by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner)

Why It's #4: I wrote a more extensive review in December of this film, but I can summarize my feelings pretty well: this is a movie that finds writer/director Jason Reitman building on the considerable abilities he has demonstrated so far in Thank You For Smoking and Juno. The skills he shows within this film are of a master storyteller, ably handling the pacing and the look of the film to perfectly convey the emotion and power of the story on screen.

George Clooney gives another patented Clooney performance, although this time he mixes a bit of vulnerability into his concoction of effortless charm and complete self control. However, he is possibly overshadowed by his supporting cast, as the ridiculously sexy Vera Farmiga and the incredible Anna Kendrick frequently steal scene after scene. Kendrick in particular is excellent, as she manages to create a character that is a know-it-all on the surface and filled with regret and doubt internally. She wears it on her face like a seasoned veteran, and she has a hell of a future as an actress - not just in the Twilight films.

As I said to close my previous review, "This film is poignant, hopeful, funny, touching, and occasionally devestating. While it is predictable at times, I think that stems greatly from Reitman's naturalistic storytelling ability. It is a movie that demands you as a viewer to reassess your life and to think about what you want in your backpack. Powerful stuff, and in my mind is deserving of every accolade it has received so far."

3. Inglourious Basterds (Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino)

Why It's #3: If you've seen this movie you know why it deserves to be near the top of everyone's Best of 2009 list. This is Quentin Tarantino at his very best, as he manages to make a film that doesn't fall in love with its own voice and is incredible assured, yet is still incredibly cool and badass. I mean come on, this movie features a number of different stories at the beginning (the Basterds, Hans Landa and his quest to be the biggest badass ever, Shosanna and her revenge, Frederick Zoller and his quest to make Shosanna love him) that all converge at the end for a completely awesome finale. Even the chapter's name is fantastic - Revenge of the Giant Face. How is that not awesome?

I do want to note: while everyone in the cast is great, from Brad Pitt to Diane Kruger to Daniel Bruhl to Michael Fassbender to Mélanie Laurent, they are all greatly overshadowed. Christoph Waltz dominates this film as Hans Landa in a way that is rarely thought possible. His creation is one of the greatest villains I've ever seen, as he is fiercely intelligent, wildly unpredictable, despicable, and strangely hilarious. Every scene he is in is appreciably better than the ones that surround it, and to me, if he doesn't win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar they might as well simply stop the festivities because that would delegitimize the whole experience.

Amazingly enough too, this movie gets better every time I watch it. And I LOVED it the first time. To quote Tony Shalhoub in Galaxy Quest, that's a hell of a thing.

1 (tie). Up (Written and directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson)

Why It's Co #1: You can read my full review here, but really, if you've seen Up or know me, you know why it is finishing at the top of my list. Up is perhaps Pixar's finest hour, taking maybe their most outlandish plot yet (yes more so than talking cars) and turning it into something that is quotable, touching, hilarious, action packed, and incredibly rewatchable.

Better yet, they managed to create some of the best characters in their history. Whether you're talking about Kevin, Dug, Russell, or Carl Fredricksen, you have four characters who are on par with Woody and Buzz, Wall-E, Mike Wazowski, Remy, and all of their other masterful creations. Their relationships form the backbone of this film, and if this isn't the year Pixar finally earns their Best Picture nomination, I'll just assume it's never going to come.

In short, I hid under Up's porch because I love it. If you've seen the movie you know what I mean.

1 (tie). (500) Days of Summer (Directed by Marc Webb, Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber)

Why It's Co #1: Every year there is a movie that comes out of nowhere that I connect with entirely. It's always a quirky, charming romantic comedy with leads I've previously liked and it always features an awesome soundtrack. This year? It's (500) Days of Summer, and unlike previous years this movie has managed to have legs for me and hasn't fallen off the face of the Earth upon further viewings.

I think one of the main reasons is because unlike previous quirky romcoms that have sucked me in, this one has a strangely universal feel to it. Who hasn't found that one girl who when you think of her, you can't think of anyone else? That one girl who has no flaws and only stunning positives? That one girl who makes everything else go away? This movie captures that feeling, and the feeling of how you feel when she's no longer in your life.

I've been told by others that it is a kind of depressing movie, but I disagree entirely. I think it's an extremely hopeful movie in fact. By the end, you really get the feeling that all involved really are telling you that no matter what happens, the one for you could easily be right around the corner. There's something magical about that, and I think this movie does that and captures the wonders of love (like dance sequences the day after you first sleep with someone or IKEA ridiculousness) as well as any movie in recent memory.

While the cast is across the board great, this movie wouldn't be the same with a different lead. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has long been a very underrated actor (possibly because he started with 3rd Rock From the Sun), as he has blown people away throughout the years in under the radar films like Brick, Mysterious Skin, and The Lookout. This film earned him the spotlight for once, not to mention a Golden Globe nomination. He carries this movie on his back, selling every scene from an emotional standpoint as well as any male lead this year in my mind.

While he almost certainly won't earn an Oscar nomination this year, his performance helped make this my co-favorite film this year. Well done sir, and here's hoping DJ Caruso stops taking crazy pills and casts you as Yorick Brown in his adaptation of Y the Last Man.

Top 5 Films of 2009 (So far...)

With nearly three quarters of the year completed, most mediums of pop culture will have developed a pretty solid list of what exactly is going to be on end-of-the-year lists (if you're the type of person who is into that sort of thing...which I am). Yet movies are one medium in which typically you'll have almost no idea what are the "best" movies of the year until the very end of the year, or for Alaskans three months into the next year when those end of the year movies are released in the good ol' AK.

With awards season upon us, I figured I'd address the year so far. The year can still be split into two halves: before awards season and after awards season. I reserve the right to completely and utterly alter that once we move into the latter half, but I feel pretty strongly about my top five so far. Expect to see them again when we get to the end of the year.


#1 - (500) Days of Summer (Directed by Marc Webb, written by Scott Neustadter Michael H. Weber)

Every lover of movies has a niche that they like a little bit more than the rest. You have your action heads, your musical aficionados, your drama enthusiasts, and many others. Then you have myself, who is a dual sided connoisseur - kids/family films and quirky romantic comedies. While the former is something I enjoy always, rarely does it transcend into my all-time favorite movies range, while quirky romantic comedies always seem to creep in there. Whether you're referring to Rushmore, the Hudsucker Proxy, Garden State, or whatever, they always tickle my fancy.

Given that, it should be wholly unsurprising that (500) Days of Summer is my favorite movie of the year so far, as this fills the quirky, romantic and comedy aspects about as well as any movie I've ever seen. Throw in the fact that it is bolstered by two exceptional lead performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (an actor I love and my personal choice to play Yorick Brown in Y the Last Man) and the love of my life Zooey Deschanel, that it is told in an idiosyncratic and engaging structure, and that it has one of the best score/soundtrack combinations in recent memory, well...this is a film that hit me hard.

If you're a hopeless romantic such as myself, mired in a world where everyone around him is getting married and I'm left to my own devices, this will really speak to you. It's about fate, it's about love, it's about finding the one and figuring out if she's the right one. It's about life and being young and discovering what it is that you really want, no matter how hard it hurts. Through it all, it's a movie that speaks directly to me as a viewer and allows you to project yourself as the lead, not unlike the scene where the main character Tom imagines himself as the protagonist to various depressing French films.

A truly wonderful and unique film filled with innovative flair, I really never thought something could top Up, but this did.

Plus, any movie that demonstrates what a young man feels like after the first time he sleeps with the girl of his dreams with what goes on in the scene depicted below is assuredly going to be a winner in my book.




#2 - Up (Co-directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, written by Bob Peterson)

Arguably Pixar's finest film yet, this movie is at times touching, hilarious, action packed and about as close to perfection as you can get for a family film. Basically, if you don't like it you are a heartless monster.

Check out my full review here.


#3 - District 9 (Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp)

This movie never would have happened if the Halo movie wasn't scrapped because of Peter Jackson's insistence that unknown Blomkamp directed it. In that case, I'm very happy it was scrapped as Blomkamp shows the world what you can do with a lot of creativity and $30 million - make one of the best sci-fi flicks in recent memory.

Check out my full review here.


#4 - Inglourious Basterds (Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino)

Inglourious Basterds has been a film that has long been rumored to be in varying levels of production, as QT had the script developed for quite some time. After rumors aplenty about it starring anyone from Adam Sandler to Arnold to Sly Stallone to "unknown mega star x", the fact that it ended up pretty much starring Brad Pitt and an assortment of random, smaller level actors (including Hostel director Eli Roth and Ryan from the Office) is actually quite refreshing.

So is the fact that this is arguably QT's most assured directing job ever. While the film is two and a half hours long, its pace is always brisk and every scene is layered with import. Leading the film off with an introduction to the villain in a fifteen minute scene of slow burn intensity and tragic reality was jarring, but a brilliant decision that proved to be a very good barometer of everything to come after it.

Of course, given that it's QT, it's still filled with massively entertaining stylistic choices (such as the hysterical introduction to Basterd Hugo Stiglitz), a bizarre and fitting score, intense violence (most of which as carried by Roth, whose Basterd is known as the Bear Jew), and almost incomparable character work.

Speaking of incomparable character work, Christoph Waltz' performance as Col. Hans Landa has to be considered the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor at this point, because his work as the intelligent, cunning, dastardly and vile "Jew Hunter" is completely engrossing. His work provides the film a villain that is on par with almost every one I can ever think of, giving us the slow build intensity of Darth Vader matched with the simmering brilliance of Hannibal Lecter. Every time he is on the screen, the movie steps up to an entirely different level.

While this is still not on the Pulp Fiction level, I could easily see myself eventually settling on this as my second favorite QT flick. That's really saying something right there. I also reserve rights to move this up my rankings upon a second viewing. At the very least, you need to see this film to hear Brad Pitt's Italian accentm, which is Venezia by way of Nashville.

"Uh-Ree-Vuh-Dare-Chee" indeed.


#5 - The Hurt Locker (Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, written by Mark Boal)

This intense study of what it takes to survive in war features assured direction by Bigelow, sharp character work in the script by Boal and incredible performances by Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie.

Check my full review for this here.

Honorable Mentions: Coraline, Star Trek, I Love You, Man, Star Trek, Moon.