Recap: Top 10 movies of 2009

10.) ‘The Hangover’ (“I didn’t know they gave out rings at the Holocaust”)

After a string of comedies that have tried to inflict lessons about love and life within a decent amount of mediocre laughs, “The Hangover” shoves all its raunchy humor right down your throat with no mercy whatsoever. You don’t learn anything, and you don’t walk out feeling better about yourself. If nothing else, Tom Shadyac sends you home feeling the way you did after “Old School” only instead of stripping down and streaking, you feel pumped and ready for a wild trip to Las Vegas!

9.) ‘Avatar’ (“I see you”)

James Cameron’s new epic didn’t quite reach the same level of excellence as his previous work, but it certainly broke new ground for a new dimension of computer-generated imagery effects that are sure to be matched at some point in the coming years. I credit it for its highly creative vision and the patience required to make such an effort possible, but the plot and storyline are about as predictable as a toddler’s bedtime story.

8.) ‘District 9′ (“We just want to go home”)

The most original film of the year. Neill Blomkamp makes a stunning directorial debut in this alien invasion saga that mixes a documentary structure with a human infiltration story that will keep you at the edge of your seat from the first to last shot.

7.) ‘Invictus’ (“How do we aspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do?”)

After making the top 10 on two separate counts last year, Clint Eastwood lightens up a bit on his speechless form in this stand-up-and-cheer film about a very forgiving leader who believed in a sport to help his struggling nation. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon deliver a pair of iconic performances in a film that would’ve easily been an absolute cliché in the hands of someone else.

6.) ‘Up In The Air’ (“I live here”)

This is likely to be the most overlooked film of the year as it snuck in at the last minute. Jason Reitman has been to the big show already with “Juno” and with George Clooney at the head of a stellar cast, “Up In The Air” is sure to be his second chance.

5.) ‘The Road’ (“How many people do you think are still alive?”)

The Coen brothers fared better when they took the No. 1 spot two years ago with “No Country For Old Men,” but John Hillcoat leaves nothing undone in this vivid adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It is a dark and quiet film about a father and son who have nothing left but each other as they make their way to the coast in the aftermath of the apocalypse. Some have criticized it for feeling empty, but anyone who really understands the book ought to know that this is not a story of epic adventure; it is a story of human survival, and an ideal vision of mankind hanging on its last limb.

4.) ‘Up’ (“Did that dog just say ‘Hi there?’”)

The best animated film since ‘Monsters Inc.’ Amidst the recent obsession with 3-dimensional style and form, Pixar delivers a very real story with a strong theme at the heart of its narrative. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and even for the adults, you won’t forget it.

3.) ‘The Hurt Locker’ (“War is a drug”)

The most solid post-9/11 war movie to date. Focusing on the tour of a bombs expert in the War on Terrorism, there is not a single moment in “The Hurt Locker” where somebody’s life isn’t in danger. Whether it’s watching Jeremy Renner defuse bombs, or seeing the aftermath trauma that comes with such a job, Kathryn Bigelow plants us right in the middle of a world where religious conflicts and personal duties collide on a nerve-wrecking path that could end within moments for those who follow it.

2.) ‘Public Enemies’ (“Tell Billie for me… bye bye Blackbird”)

In one of his most well-crafted films, Michael Mann clashes a few memories of “Heat” with one of history’s most beloved/hated criminal figures. Critics were sharply divided on how the characters remained on the same note throughout, but I don’t understand why. “Bonnie & Clyde” didn’t bother developing its title characters any more than it enjoyed counting the number of people they killed, and yet nobody seemed to complain about that. What’s wrong with a good old-fashioned gangster picture that focuses on what they do as criminals, and not who they are as people? In my view, not one thing; especially when you’ve got two icons like Johnny Depp and Christian Bale going head-to-head.

1.) ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (“Once Upon A Time… in Nazi-Occupied France”)

A war movie that is about anything but war. Quentin Tarantino’s epic WWII fantasy is an artistic mise-en-scene that celebrates the thrill and enjoyment of making a war movie. From an opening scene that introduces one of the most memorable characters of the decade all the way to the closing line that says it all, Tarantino makes the absolute best of every last second. Using a solid cast of international stars, “Inglourious Basterds” proves to be what the man himself describes as “my masterpiece.” And to that I say … “that’s a Bingo!”

Posted by Chris Moskaly on Jan 22 2010. Filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry