Top 10 Films of 2009

#10

Whether you want to look at Blomkamp’s debut as an allegory for the treatment of refugees in South Africa or just as a bad-ass sci-fi film that ignites new life into the genre, there’s no denying one thing; a star is born in Sharlto Copley.

#9

The most quotable film of 2009. The performance of Peter Capaldi made me think of a foul-mouthed, British version of Dr. Cox from Scrubs; just non-stop, brilliant verbal beatings. The scary part is thinking that our governments could actually work like this.

#8

If anyone else calls this “The Movie of the Moment” I will punch them in the face. Yes, the film is timely, but that doesn’t affect it’s lasting power, in my opinion. Clooney and Farmiga are both fantastic, though I really think it’s Kendrick’s performance that anchors the film, and actually makes the other two better. Who would’ve known something good could’ve come out of Twilight?

#7

The best British film of the year also happened to produce the straight-up, in any category, best performance of the year, and that is Carey Mulligan as Jenny. Obviously, she’s getting lots of comparisons to Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (all deserved), but she’s not the only great one here; Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson (though woefully underused) both give fantastic performances. The script by Nick Hornby (if you don’t like to read, you probably won’t like this movie) and the assured direction by Scherfig make this one of the best films of the year.

#6

Anchored by Colin Firth’s heartbreaking performance, Tom Ford’s directorial debut has been called too “cold” or “calculated” by some, but in my opinion, the perfection with which every scene is put together fits the film perfectly. A gorgeous score by Abel Korzeniowski and a stellar supporting cast (particularly Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode) round out the best-looking film of the year.

#5

Greg Mottola’s beautiful coming-of-age DRAMA was easily the most woefully misadvertised film of the year. It was basically billed as Mottola’s followup to Superbad, which in a sense it was, but aside from having the same director, they are two completely different films. While Superbad was an over-the-top but overall sweet comedy in the vein of Knocked Up or The 40 Year-Old Virgin, what was here was a smartly written drama that happened to have some comedy tossed in for good measure, almost in the vein of something from Noah Baumbach or Whit Stillman. Jesse Eisenberg is great as the lead, and Kristen Stewart as the love interest is better than she got credit for (SHE DOES NOT TOUCH HER HAIR THAT MUCH). But the performance of the film comes from Apatow regular Martin Starr as Joel. Not many people could make an atheist Russian literature major sympathetic, but he pulls it off with flying colors. Add in Mottola’s script and the best soundtrack in some time (seriously; Lou Reed, Yo La Tengo, The Cure, BIG STAR? How can you beat that?) and you have 2009’s most underrated film.

#4

In my opinion, A Serious Man just cements in stone the fact that the Coen Brothers are the best living American filmmakers working today. Ignoring a few minor missteps (The Ladykillers and Burn After Reading) the amount of masterpieces they have produced is astounding; The Big Lebowski, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, etc. You can add this film to their list (if not up in the top 5) based on powerful, wryly funny script (based in part on the brothers’ experience growing up Jewish in Minnesota in the late 60s), great performances (Stuhlbarg and Kind are particularly fantastic, as well as Fred “Sy Ableman” Melamed in the most chill performance ever), and fantastic set design and cinematography. I truly think the Coen’s are on a roll that may not be stoppable.

#3

Much like Synecdoche, New York last year, Michael Haneke’s masterpiece is a film that not only rewards repeat viewings, it DEMANDS them. I’ve seen this film twice, and haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of all the themes Haneke is exploring here, be it death, childhood, the evilness of man, etc. Also, I can’t think of a film sinceSchindler’s List that featured more gorgeous black and white cinematography.

#2

What is there to say, really? Anyone who knows me knows what an enormous Tarantino fanboy I am (I have seen Jackie Brown five times; that is my least watched of all his films). And if it wasn’t for two certain performances, this would undoubtedly be my #1 film of the year, and no, Mike Meyers is not one of them. That opening sequence will be studied in film classes for years to come. Roth’s performance is the most subdued terrifying piece of acting since Javier Bardem in No Country. Melanie Laurent is equally fantastic. The abundance of references to other films makes repeat viewings a treat. I admit, I was wary about this right up to the point the opening credits started to roll; six viewings later, I should have known better than to doubt one of the greatest filmmakers of my time.

#1

It’s been a toss up between this and my #2 for awhile now, but after a second (and third with commentary) viewing of Bigelow’s Iraq war masterpiece The Hurt Locker, it was clear it was the best film of the year. As an action director, Bigelow doesn’t waste her time obsessing over the politics and political views of the war; she just focuses on the men in the SHIT. Which has always been (and always will be) the most interesting focus of war movies. While it’s Jeremy Renner’s film, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty are nearly as good in their supporting roles. When are people going to realize how brilliant an actor Mackie is? And finally, to people who were bugged by the ending, two things; one, it works, so just shut up. And two, even if you think the supermarket scene feels out of place, it’s 2 1/2 minutes in a 2 hour movie. If that’s enough to ruin a movie for you, then you have some problems.

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A Single Man

Tom Ford, 2009

plot synopsis: A story that centers on an English professor who, after the sudden death of his partner tries to go about his typical day in Los Angeles.

The debut film from fashion designer Tom Ford shows nothing less than the birth of a brilliant new filmmaker, whose every new project will now be right at the top of my to-see list. Being from the world of fashion, Ford’s film (adapted from a 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood about an English professor (Firth) who contemplates suicide one day following the death of his long-time lover) is filled with gorgeous shots, perfectly planned set decoration, and a gorgeous score. While it has come across to some critics as “overly-calculated” or “cold,” I found it added to my appreciation for George’s situation; without his partner, he no longer feels any real connection to the world. As is demonstrated in the opening scene, every morning he has to do everything in his power just to “put himself together.”

Colin Firth gives, plain and simple, the performance of his career here. I always knew he could act, but I never knew he could ACT. This is the best male performance of the year, right there with Carey Mulligan for best performance of the year, PERIOD. Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode are also fantastic in (small) supporting roles.

Tom Ford’s debut plays like the work of a veteran filmmaker, so knowing it’s just the first in a (hopefully) long line has me extremely excited.

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The Headless Woman

Lucrecia Martel, 2008

plot synopsis: After running into something with her car, Vero experiences a particular psychological state. She realizes she might have killed someone.

There’s not much in the way of plot here, nor much development of several important events/characters, but the cinematography is meticulously gorgeous, and the performance of Maria Onetto, as a woman who’s own guilt at something she may or may not have done is creating a minor mental breakdown, is something to marvel, and one of the best performances of the year.

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A Serious Man

Joel and Ethan Coen, 2009

plot synopsis: A black comedy set in 1967 and centered on Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel when his wife prepares to leave him because his inept brother won’t move out of the house.

With A Serious Man, the BRILLIANT new film from the Coen Brothers, I think they officially pass Tarantino as the greatest filmmakers of the past twenty years. With the exception of two missteps (The Ladykillers and Burn After Reading), all of their output is at least good (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn’t There), but, more often than not, brilliant (Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, etc.). Here, they draw on their life experiences growing up Jewish in Minnesota in the late 60s, to create an extraordinary meditation on the meaninglessness of life and the inevitability of death. Everything is incredible; the always slightly disturbing but never over-the-top score, the over-meticulous (in a good way) set design and art direction, Deakins’ obviously perfect cinematography, the pitch black comedy of the script (“It’s gonna be FINE.”), and, most importantly, the lead performance of Michael Stuhlbarg. The Coen Brothers made the smart decision of filling a large portion of their cast with stage actors, and they couldn’t have made a better choice with their lead. A lot has been said of the ending, that it’s too bleak, out of place, etc., etc., but I think it works just fine, and keeps with the feeling of dread hovering over the entire film. Overall, one of the best movies of 2009, and quite possibly a new inclusion into the Coen Brothers top 5 films.

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Police, Adjective.

Corneliu Porumboiu, 2009

plot synopsis: A police officer refuses to arrest a young man for offering drugs to his friends.

If the films of Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy) and Ramin Bahrani (Chop Shop, Goodbye Solo) represent a recent resurgence of neo-realism, then the new film from Corneliu Porumboiu (12:08 East of Bucharest) drops the neo part and just goes for straight realism. I swear, at times this film felt like someone just started following an undercover police officer everyday to see what he did. Yes, the film can (at times) feel a bit like watching paint dry (though it’s not nearly as actionless as something like Jeannie Dielman), it does end up being an interesting study of whether a police officer should follow the law, unblinkingly, even when his conscience tells him he’s doing something wrong.

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Summer Hours

Olivier Assayas, 2009

plot synopsis: Two brothers and a sister witness the disappearance of their childhood memories when they must relinquish the family belongings to ensure their deceased mother’s succession.

I’ve sat for the past hour or so, trying to find the words to describe why I loved this film so much, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t. And for some reason, I’m okay with that. I’m sure they’ll come to me eventually, but right now, I really can’t. There’s just something about intelligent, gorgeously shot, beautifully acted French films that almost ALWAYS seem to do it for me. One of the best films of the year.

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Big Fan

Robert D. Siegel, 2009

plot synopsis: Paul Aufiero, a hardcore New York Giants football fan, struggles to deal with the consequences when he is beaten up by his favorite player.

Unlike his breakout script The Wrestler, which created a real heart (and sadness) about the world of amateur wrestling, Robert D. Siegel’s sophomore effort (and directorial debut) never made me care about the fringe group of people he focuses on here; obsessive (sometimes scarily so) football fans. The script also can’t ever really seem to decide on it’s tone; is this a black comedy? A drama? Hell, a thriller? A lot of people have called the film disturbing, but I feel like whenever it came close to making me uncomfortable, really oddly placed bits of humor were tossed in to lighten the mood. On the acting front, Oswalt is fantastic; there’ s absolutely no denying that. If you’ve ever listened to a sports call-in show, you know how much he nailed this character. His interactions with his mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz) are particularly good. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast (his extended family in particular) never seem to come across as anything more than poorly drawn caricatures.

A film for the performance, and not much else.

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Trucker

James Mottern, 2009

plot synopsis: A truck driver looks to turn her carefree life around after she takes in her estranged 11-year-old son.

While James Mottern’s Trucker does (more-or-less) fulfill the promise of the hype for Michelle Monaghan’s performance (she can act, and I have a feeling will get better, juicier roles in the future) and feature one of the best supporting performances of the year in Nathan Fillion, the script is too mediocre and riddled with cliches to recommend this for anything other than those performances. Really wanted to punch that kid after awhile.

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Invictus

Clint Eastwood, 2009

plot synopsis: Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

I don’t have a good history with “Oscar Bait.” You know, biopics, big stars, legendary directors, late-in-the-year release dates, films like this always seem to have been made for one reason and one reason only; to win Oscars. Frost/Nixon, Ray, Seabiscuit, etc.; there’s nothing wrong with these films. They’re well made, finely acted, but they offer absolutely nothing new to the world of film. I was hoping this wouldn’t be the case with Clint Eastwood’s Invictus; unfortunately, it was.

The film is perfectly sound on the surface; good performances all-around, Eastwood’s direction is sound, the story is uplifting and inspiring. But when you try to go beyond the surface…you can’t. There’s nothing else. I knew everywhere this film was going an hour before it got there. It’s like an amalgam of a bunch of different great movies rolled into one. Aside from Freeman’s performance (which is really great, he truly does embody Mandela, and in a weaker year, would certainly be the frontrunner for Best Actor), I just didn’t care. AT ALL. These films get made, and it seems like people lavish all this praise on them solely because they think they’re SUPPOSED to. Critics seem to think, “Eastwood? Freeman? Damon? 3 1/2 stars, there you go.” The fact is, Invictus is a slow, overlong, straight up boring film that would actually probably work much better as a documentary.

It’s still a lock for a Best Picture nomination. Politics as usual.

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The Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call: New Orleans

Werner Herzog, 2009

plot synopsis: Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.

I don’t really know where to start with this review. This movie is INSANE. Crooked cops? Check. Hooker with a heart of gold? Check. Coke, Heroin, Weed, etc.? Check. Iguanas and dancing souls? CHECK and CHECK. Clearly, there’s no way to try to explain the film; it’s practically an exercise in excess, like Herzog wanted to see how far he could go to try and make people hate his movie; the acting here ranges from fucking terrible to SO fucking terrible that it actually comes all the way around again and becomes one of my favorite performances of the year (Cage, who else?). Just see it. I feel this whole review is just one big ramble because I’m still trying to process the past two hours.

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