The last 12 months haven’t been kind to movie fans.
We didn’t get a “Dark Knight” or “Lord of the Rings,” let alone a “Sideways” or “Ray.”
Instead, films with great promise like “Invictus” reminded us classic movies aren’t created in a pitch meeting.
But a few terrific movies rose up from the mediocre pack, and WWTW wants to salute them via the traditional Top 10 format:
- “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” – The beauty of film is how it can tell a thoroughly depressing story and make you feel alive at the same time. Stark performances, and director Lee Daniels’ vibrant storytelling, make this tale of an obese young woman (Gabourey Sidibe) trying to create a life worth living into a transformative experience.
- “Up in the Air“ – George Clooney finally fulfills his potential as a leading man in yet another beautifully crafter film from Jason Reitman. It lacks a killer soundtrack, and the ending could have been tighter, but the small, simple pleasures strewn across the film add up to a richly satisfying story.
- “I Love You, Man” – The Oscars rarely reward comedies, especially ones with the occasional crude joke or Rush musical reference. That’s a shame, since this beautifully crafted bromance delivered big laughs, a sweet story and the kind of fully realized characters too rarely seen these days.
- “Crazy Heart” – Jeff Bridges is one of our best, and most overlooked, actors. His latest film should change all that. Bridges plays a burned out country crooner without succumbing to cliches in this richly drawn character study. Bridges sings, he woos a lovely lady (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and proves his long wait for an Oscar is likely over.
- “Star Trek” - How’s this for an imposing checklist? Reboot a tired franchise … cast unknown actors to play some of the most beloved characters in pop culture … bring a space opera’s core mission into the 21st century. Done, done and done. “Star Trek” begins with a blistering action sequence, one that also touches the heart. And the adventure is just beginning.
- “(500) Days of Summer” – This indie romance isn’t perfect, but in yet another year where mindless rom-coms ruled the cineplex, this blast of fresh air proved intoxicating. And could any red blooded male not fall as hard for Summer (Zooey Deschanel) as poor Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) did?
- “Up“ – The latest confection from Pixar is perfect for the first 30 minutes and merely engaging the rest of the way. But the sumptuous visuals and richly drawn humor make it a singular achievement all the same.
- “Zombieland“ – Simply the most fun I had at the movies in 2009 – “Best Worst Movie” came in second in this category, but the film wasn’t screened in traditional theaters this year.
- “Paranormal Activity“ – The nicest surprise in the horror genre, a no-budget, single cam exercise that created relatable characters and some truly creepy moments.
- “Avatar” – It makes the list for providing the most immersive movie experience of 2009 – and maybe the decade. It’s a visually stunning masterwork, but one shot through with director James Cameron’s clunky dialogue and leaden ideological memes.
Honorable mentions: “World’s Greatest Dad,” “The Hangover,” “The Cove” and, despite massive flaws, “Inglourious Basterds.”
(Photo: Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe shines in “Precious,” the best film of 2009.)
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Good list. Now I’m even more intrigued to see Precious.
Glad Paranormal Activity made your list. And I am ashamed I missed Zombieland in the theatres.
Making the list was a chore … just very few excellent movies this year. And I had to resist the impulse to follow my peers and only pick movies that had that “Oscar” feel. It’s a trap too many critics stumble into.
Excellent list. Unfortunately, 1, 2, and 4 haven’t made it to my neck of the woods just yet. I’m gonna be paying a visit to LA next month and I hope to get them all seen.
That’s a huge problem, James … most folks can’t see many of the movies up for Oscar noms.
Have to disagree with “Avatar”..I was bored about 45 minutes into it having figured out the whole story and the 3D, while impressive, got tiresome.
I’m sure somewhere Howard Zinn is smiling to himself at this bit of backrubbing revisionist history wrapped up as a sci-fi adventure. Cameron got VERY lazy (right up there with Lucas, Spielberg, and Zemeckis)
Zombieland was my fav film of the year. Flawless in what it set out to do. Glad to see it in your list CT, but surprised it isn’t making most others.
Thanks for the list. I may be repeating myself here, but I can see how this years list must have been a tough call… and I can see how I never would have made it as a critic. If a film features “clunky dialogue and leaden ideological memes” or is “merely engaging” after 30 minutes, it ain’t on my list and it isn’t worth writing about. There are so many other things to do (like developing a taste for inspiring or invigorating music, or assembling a really good audio/ DVD system, or taking great hikes and walks or writing better comedy bits or…)
Each years crappy non-achievements makes me feel that much older (thus the need for a hike!), mainly because there are so many older films to buy/ rent and watch (another never ending task: figure out why RedBox or DVDPlay cannot get enough copies of decent movies into their rotations. Time for iTunes?)