The Best Films of 2009

‘Thirst.’ Photo Credit: Focus Features/Universal Pictures

by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson

Well everyone, here we are again at the end of another year of movies. And essentially, it’s deja vu all over again to me; another year of wasted opportunities and half-hearted efforts from our friends in the movie business. Although to be fair, this was the year for all the ‘Strike Baby’ movies to come out. Remember there was a protracted writer’s strike in 2007-2008 that made sure we would all get poorly/quickly written movies delivered to us in 2009… and in that sense they didn’t disappoint. Most movies this year from “Hollywood” felt premature, underdeveloped and better left dead. But, that sure as hell won’t stop me from picking my favorite ten movies for the year, will it? It’s just too much fun to try to identify who went above and beyond every year.

(By the way, these movies are in no particular order and are just the ten that I think are worth remembering.)

‘Up’ — Pixar is just too good for words. There is a saying that you can or cannot see “the money on the screen” when it comes to movies with big budgets; with Pixar you can always see the care that goes into their movies. As usual, Pixar found a way to make it all matter. Like everyone else, I was cautioned that the first ten minutes or so of the movie were effectively heartbreaking and an Oscar-worthy short in itself. I have a funny gene in that I refuse to cry in movies when I know it will set out to make me cry. That gene was defective on this movie and I cried a quart of tears before the damn movie even got going…

‘Where the Wild Things Are’ — Spike Jonze has proven himself to be a truly original filmmaker and this movie does nothing to damage that reputation. What a revelation this movie was to me. It’s a movie without much plot, and there isn’t much more to it than what is written in the children’s classic. But what Jonze brings out of what is written between the words is the impressive achievement here. The production design and digital effects for the Wild Thing’s faces are some of the best I have seen. It’s a movie that brings to life that unique emotional blend that childhood is for boys (and I assume girls too.) When the boy Max tries to marshal all the conflicting feelings of hurt, happiness, fear, doubt, pride and confidence by declaring himself “king”, he thinks that’s what makes you an adult. He finds that children have to be children before they can be grown up and can’t simply declare themselves an adult. A simple lesson that we can only learn and not just be told. Beautiful.

‘In the Loop’ — a smart, literate farce is worth its weight in gold, even at today’s gold prices. This was one of the best times I had this year being batted around verbally by a film full of double entendres, single entendres and hilarious cultural references. That the movie successfully gets you to laugh at those who hold the reigns of power, when our nation seems to veer to and fro so wildly these days, is a testament to the great writing and point of view this movie owns.

‘The Hangover’ — admit it, you laughed at this movie. And you laughed long, loud and hard. By taking just a bit of a different approach on the ‘Bachelor Party’ theme by exorcising the party as it’s happening and going immediately to the aftermath and backtracking along with the characters, the movie puts  you in just a different enough position to make this feel fresh again. I laughed and enjoyed the movie for all its charms and balls that I am fearful of the inevitable sequel that can never measure up to this outing. I hope, in a way, that we never end up with a ‘The Hangover Part 3′.

‘An Education’ — a seductively simple, old-fashioned movie that was a sweet surprise. Sometimes it’s the simple ones that show how well a well-worn genre (in this case the ‘female coming of age’ story) can still pleasantly surprise the audience if its done with honesty, artistry and truth. People have mentioned that the star of the movie, Carey Mulligan, is the “new” Audrey Hepburn. Well, Audrey will always be Audrey, and a hair style does not a movie star make. But, Mulligan has the chops and deserves more than just an easy comparison to compliment her talents.

‘Up in the Air’ — I think people are responding to this solid movie for one very important reason: it’s as timely as movies get. While I did enjoy the solid writing, film craft and overall story, it was Clooney that drew me in and kept me with the film all the way. I really like Clooney when he’s cooking and this performance is just as strong as the one in ‘Michael Clayton’ even if the overall feeling and subject matter seems more fluffy. It will be remembered for Clooney’s performance alone, I think.

‘A Serious Man’ — if they are reading this my sister and brother-in-law have just had their jaws drop that I would put this on any ‘best of’ list of any year; they hated it and warned me not to waste my time. I am glad I did. I always give the Coen brothers the benefit of the doubt going in and sometimes I get burned for it (‘Burn Before Reading’ and ‘The Ladykillers’ still haunt me) but I really found this semi-modern day retelling of the Biblical story of Job weirdly entertaining. Sometimes, when we are feeling at our lowest, its fun to see someone else taking the jabs. (Plus, it has the added bonus of counting pseudo-intellectual Michael Medved among its haters and any time I am on the other side of an issue from that potato head, I feel vindicated.)

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‘Where the Wild Things Are.’ Photo Credit: Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros.

‘Thirst’ — and here is where Ian’s eyes roll…..and there they go. Another vampire movie. I get his frustration, but like last year’s ‘Let the Right One In’ this vampire movie transcends the genre as well was being a satisfying example of the genre at the same time. A Korean language movie about a Catholic priest who becomes a creature of the night, but somehow finds his affliction to be an agent of morality. Until it’s not.

‘Paranormal Activity’ — I picked this movie not because it’s some amazing achievement of writing, acting and direction, but because it achieves its goals in spite of the limitations imposed on it. A good movie doesn’t have to cost millions of dollars if the idea is pure and it can be executed. I still dare anyone to turn off the lights at home and watch this one in the dark.

‘The Hurt Locker’ — this was definitely the most accessible of the ‘Iraq War movies’ that have come out over the past decade. On the surface it’s about pure action and explosions, explosives and male bravado. But underneath it’s an ongoing discussion about the kinds of men we are/will be bringing back from the wars we are fighting right now. Damaged and broken men are the legacy of every nation’s war. While the script wasn’t the best I have ever seen, the editing and direction gave it a leg up. (Plus, I have been following Jeremy Renner ever since he was featured on the reality show ‘The It Factor’ years ago – he seems like a guy that deserves the accolades he’s getting for this film and that pretty cool.)

Honorable mentions and close calls:

‘Black Dynamite‘ – one of the funniest and on point satires of the year. Upended the ‘Blaxploitation’ genre as well as made sweet, sweet love to it.

‘Gomorrah’ – a dirty faced ‘Goodfellas’ that didn’t make crime look fun or glamorous.

‘Star Trek’ – good fun with some of the best special effects on the screen this year (except for that snow monster…wtf?!)

‘Precious’ – because you have never seen this woman on any screen before in your life, and you pass her by on every American city street every day and don’t think twice. Special kudos to Mo’Nique for a performance that kicked my ass.

‘A Single Man’ – one of the most beautifully shot and self-assured directorial debuts I have ever seen. If it comes out that Tom Ford had Coppola helping him shoot, I won’t be surprised in the least. Colin Firth just might deserve an Oscar for his performance, too.

‘Adventureland’ - just for being an 80s movie that didn’t use typical 80s music and actually had a point of view as well as respect for the young people it featured.

‘The White Ribbon’ – a beautiful and obtuse film about the roots of violence in pre-WWI Germany. Sound like a hoot? Yeah, it’s not, but it is a challenging film that will keep you thinking about what you saw and how small crimes can add up to big ones.

‘Two Lovers’ – IF this is indeed Joaquin Phoenix’s last movie, he picked a fine one with which to exit the stage. A serious and beautiful movie about romance and loss.