2009 has been one of the better years for films. Not that it was filled with masterpieces, in fact, I really can’t think of one masterpiece being released this year. However, there were plenty of great films that made it to theatres.
For the first time in several years, I have made up a ten best list. I have seen most of the major films, with a few minor exceptions.
The list is in order of their release. I’m not going to attempt to rank them.
Here are my ten best films of 2009.
I LOVE YOU, MAN - Paul Rudd and Jason Segal in the funniest comedy of the year.
SUNSHINE CLEANING - Amy Adams and Emily Blunt starred in this wonderful offbeat family drama.
ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL - The documentary on a heavy metal band that refuses to give up on their dreams. Even though I'm not a heavy metal fan, I loved this film.
ADVENTURELAND - Greg Mottola’s look back on summer jobs of the 1980’s. A perfectly realized look at the era.
THE HURT LOCKER - The best of the recent Iraq war films, although I hesitate to say that as it is so much more. This is one of the most suspenseful films of the past decade. And, one of the best.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - While not a perfect film (I could have done without every scene involving the overacting Brad Pitt) this was Quentin Tarantino’s best film since JACKIE BROWN.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER - A romantic comedy for those that hate romantic comedies. It features the year's greatest scene, the “expectations vs reality” party scene.
WHIP IT - When I made up my ten best list, I added this to my first draft. Then I thought “Wait, do I really want to add Drew Barrymore’s roller derby film that no one saw?” Then, I realized, “Yeah, I do. It was that good”. Since then, I’ve seen it turn up on other ten best lists. It may turn out to be the year’s most underrated film.
UP IN THE AIR - George Clooney’s best role in years in the year’s most timely film.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: FANTASTIC MR. FOX, THE ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION
7 comments:
I'm soliciting bloggers' favorites (of their own posts) for my year-end round-up at The Dancing Image. Here's the explanation (with a bit of a mea culpa):
http://thesunsnotyellow.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-of-blogosphere.html
Feel free to leave your own selection there - links to all submissions will be posted around the 30th, but I'll certainly be taking them after that too.
Thanks & happy new year!
I'm glad you put WHIP IT on your list. It didn't make my Top 13, but I was extremely fond of it and it reminded me of one of my favorite movies, BREAKING AWAY. It used some familiar tropes but presented them in a fresh and heartfelt way, and I think it will be solid viewing for families and especially growing girls for years to come.
I will go out on a limb and post my Ten Best for 2009:
Up
Sunshine Cleaning
(500) Days of Summer
The Princess and the Frog
Whip It
Away We Go
Up In The Air
Fanboys
Fast & Furious
Race To With Mountain
I haven't seen Anvil or Adventureland yet, but will be renting them soon. Now, not all of the movies I listed were perfect but just better than most of the other ones I saw. (I do have two for the worst movies of 2009.)
I almost had "Adventureland" in my top ten. Great film! It simply got squeezed out. "Up in the Air" now tops "Bruno" ( a choice I've gotten LOTS of flack for) as my film of the year. "The Hurt Locker" is also in my top ten. Amazingly enough, a conservative commentator said it was 'the best right-wing film of 2009.' I'm still trying to figure out that one!
Well I rented Anvil and Adventureland.....no change to my Ten Best.
Anvil wasn't that good at the start and I almost turned it off. Plus, finding out that the director played with facts and put a few things out of the order they really happened, doesn't help my opinion of a "documentary".
Adventureland has director and script problems. Kristen Wiig and Ryan Renolds should have had more screen time, mainly Kristen Wiig. In several scenes you could see she was going to take it to the next level but the camera was then moved off of her and/or what she did was edited out. I was impressed with Kristen Stewart but believe this movie came up short and could have been better.
Mark, did you happen to see the extras on the DVD of ADVENTURELAND? There is a great bit with Wiig that was edited.
Yes, I thought the "drunk mom" scene should have been in the movie and had a lot of potential for Kristen Wiig to get some big laughs from it.
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