Top 10 Films of 2009
I didn't get to the theater nearly as much as I would have liked in 2009. In addition, having to forfeit my Netflix account at the beginning of summer also caused me to miss out on more films than I would have liked. In that sense, this list is likely even more contrived than my Top Albums of 2009.
Top 10 Films of 2009
10. Avatar
Avatar was much better looking than the script and dialogue probably called for. There were moments where the main character opens his mouth that are downright cringeworthy and laughable. As far as the acting is concerned, no one here turned in any semblance of a noteworthy performance. However, no one was particularly bad either. You could say that the performances were mailed in, but at least the mail arrived on time and without being mashed or torn open. Visually speaking, Avatar is a nice to look at as any special effects marvel of the decade and really, that is the main reason people should go see this.
9. Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans
Normally, I hate vampires. What the Underworld series has always done right on that front is to make the vampires neither romantic or campy, but completely evil and violent. If you have to have vampires, you might as well make them bloodthirsty killing machines. Like Avatar, Rise Of The Lycans is mostly eye candy with a forbidden love story sandwiched in between all of the bloodshed.
8. Star Trek
This was my first true foray into the Star Trek…well, anything. Having no references or comparisons ready in my mind, I just sat back and watched. It was basically everything I expected upon seeing the first trailer. It felt like the actors actually wanted to be a part of this which made the entire venture that much better.
7. Away We Go
Away We Go was an example of a movie that I expected to not really have an opinion on at best and flat out despise at worst. Instead, the writing was well done and too clever to gloss over. I laughed several times without expecting to laugh at all. I stayed engaged in the story from start to finish. It was a pleasant surprise.
6. Taken
And then, sometimes you just need a nice serving of violence. Liam Neeson is a father on a mission. He also happens to be a former assassin of the highest order and his daughter is mere hours away from disappearing forever. The plot is out of control and Neeson's abilities are as well, but Taken stirs the inner Charles Bronson in me just right.
5. Milk
It's hard to argue with Sean Penn winning Best Actor after seeing this. Aside from having the look and persona of the actual person of Harvey Milk down, he plays the role with balance and grace. Acting as a perfect counterweight, Josh Brolin is better than good (yet again) and Harvey Milk's political adversary and enemy.
4. The Wrestler
The best argument against Sean Penn was Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram". While my past interest in wrestling piqued my initial interest, there is no denying that The Wrestler is just a great film on it's own. Focusing more on the life of a broken down man rather than on his alter ego, The Wrestler gives dimensionality to a character normally seen as cartoonish.
3. Frost / Nixon
In kind of an exercise in tracing human stupidity, I make attempts to learn about history. Especially that of the recent past. Richard Nixon is one of the most lampooned and lambasted characters of the 20th century yet, Frank Langella plays Nixon in a way that it is hard not to feel sorry for the man who seemed to so clearly hate himself. Much in the same way he made Cinderella Man, Ron Howard focused on the David Frost interviews as a sort of historic prize fight.
2. Inglourious Basterds
Watching the roundtable discussion on the extras menu with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvus Mitchell makes one appreciate what this movie does even more. But even without this, Inglourious Basterds was the film that saved the summer for me. Christoph Waltz was hyped as Hans Landa, creating a character that could turn on a dime from almost laughable to deadly serious. The whole concept of a movie that destroys the Nazi regime with a movie seems so ridiculous in short, but it works so brilliantly when executed on screen. This film made me like Brad Pitt again.
1. Watchmen
People either loved Watchmen or they absolutely hated it. Not many were in between on it. Being as it was my favorite film of 2009, I fall onto one very far end of the spectrum. After seeing the film, I read the book and I can say that even in the theatrical cut, Zac Snyder got this movie as dead to rights as anyone could ever have gotten it. Rather than cut a clear distinction between good and evil, Watchmen is about the fragility of costumed heroes and brings up the question as to whether they are even necessary at all. Depending on how one views it, it can be seen as either too complex for it's own good or completely groundbreaking. I view it as the latter.
Avatar was much better looking than the script and dialogue probably called for. There were moments where the main character opens his mouth that are downright cringeworthy and laughable. As far as the acting is concerned, no one here turned in any semblance of a noteworthy performance. However, no one was particularly bad either. You could say that the performances were mailed in, but at least the mail arrived on time and without being mashed or torn open. Visually speaking, Avatar is a nice to look at as any special effects marvel of the decade and really, that is the main reason people should go see this.
9. Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans
Normally, I hate vampires. What the Underworld series has always done right on that front is to make the vampires neither romantic or campy, but completely evil and violent. If you have to have vampires, you might as well make them bloodthirsty killing machines. Like Avatar, Rise Of The Lycans is mostly eye candy with a forbidden love story sandwiched in between all of the bloodshed.
8. Star Trek
This was my first true foray into the Star Trek…well, anything. Having no references or comparisons ready in my mind, I just sat back and watched. It was basically everything I expected upon seeing the first trailer. It felt like the actors actually wanted to be a part of this which made the entire venture that much better.
7. Away We Go
Away We Go was an example of a movie that I expected to not really have an opinion on at best and flat out despise at worst. Instead, the writing was well done and too clever to gloss over. I laughed several times without expecting to laugh at all. I stayed engaged in the story from start to finish. It was a pleasant surprise.
6. Taken
And then, sometimes you just need a nice serving of violence. Liam Neeson is a father on a mission. He also happens to be a former assassin of the highest order and his daughter is mere hours away from disappearing forever. The plot is out of control and Neeson's abilities are as well, but Taken stirs the inner Charles Bronson in me just right.
5. Milk
It's hard to argue with Sean Penn winning Best Actor after seeing this. Aside from having the look and persona of the actual person of Harvey Milk down, he plays the role with balance and grace. Acting as a perfect counterweight, Josh Brolin is better than good (yet again) and Harvey Milk's political adversary and enemy.
4. The Wrestler
The best argument against Sean Penn was Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram". While my past interest in wrestling piqued my initial interest, there is no denying that The Wrestler is just a great film on it's own. Focusing more on the life of a broken down man rather than on his alter ego, The Wrestler gives dimensionality to a character normally seen as cartoonish.
3. Frost / Nixon
In kind of an exercise in tracing human stupidity, I make attempts to learn about history. Especially that of the recent past. Richard Nixon is one of the most lampooned and lambasted characters of the 20th century yet, Frank Langella plays Nixon in a way that it is hard not to feel sorry for the man who seemed to so clearly hate himself. Much in the same way he made Cinderella Man, Ron Howard focused on the David Frost interviews as a sort of historic prize fight.
2. Inglourious Basterds
Watching the roundtable discussion on the extras menu with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvus Mitchell makes one appreciate what this movie does even more. But even without this, Inglourious Basterds was the film that saved the summer for me. Christoph Waltz was hyped as Hans Landa, creating a character that could turn on a dime from almost laughable to deadly serious. The whole concept of a movie that destroys the Nazi regime with a movie seems so ridiculous in short, but it works so brilliantly when executed on screen. This film made me like Brad Pitt again.
1. Watchmen
People either loved Watchmen or they absolutely hated it. Not many were in between on it. Being as it was my favorite film of 2009, I fall onto one very far end of the spectrum. After seeing the film, I read the book and I can say that even in the theatrical cut, Zac Snyder got this movie as dead to rights as anyone could ever have gotten it. Rather than cut a clear distinction between good and evil, Watchmen is about the fragility of costumed heroes and brings up the question as to whether they are even necessary at all. Depending on how one views it, it can be seen as either too complex for it's own good or completely groundbreaking. I view it as the latter.
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