Film Faves: 2009
Welcome to my first edition of a new feature called Film Faves. In this feature, I will list my favorite films of a given year and talk a bit about why each is a favorite.
Now, every time somebody tries to create a top ten list of movies there's always those "honorable mentions", those films that just barely got edged out of the group. Well, I thought I'd cut down on all that and instead of listing 10 movies of each year, I'll list 12! A dozen films from each year; sometimes easy, sometimes... not so easy.
Now, unlike my feature The Best of the Decade, this is not to be taken as a serious, unbiased, objective statement on movies. This is a favorites list, not a best-of list; the films I enjoyed and gravitate to most. So, let's have some fun!
2009
12. Where the Wild Things Are
This was a rare entry in the children’s movie genre; it was quiet and understated, and avoided talking down to kids and being cloying. It also had a very indie aesthetic to it, sort of the Sundance version of a fantasy film, if you will. I wasn’t as overwhelmingly moved by the film as I was with the trailer, but I did find so much to appreciate and love. The story was excellently fleshed out into something unique that was less directed at children as it was about what it’s like being a child. It’s a children’s story for older kids and adults. I took my 10 year-old to it and he was able to pick up on the creature’s metaphors for Max’s emotions and personalities. And Max Records is a treasure, avoiding the typical cutesy and precious angle on the story’s nuanced emotions. He is every boy you see playing in your local playground. I truly enjoyed this underappreciated gem.
11. Avatar
I've gotta say right off: I found the story completely predictable the whole way through. And there were about four or five lines of dialogue that fell flat. But this was the only film last year that I saw twice at the theater (once at a real IMAX screen). That’s because this movie rose above its flaws to become one of the most rousing, most enjoyable times I had at the theater. There are decent arguments about the film’s lasting appeal, but for now I can’t help but marvel at its CGI; the detail of the Na’vi is incredible (from pulsing veins and tendons, to the texture of the skin). Pandora is just eye-candy at its purest and greatest. And I'm a sucker for great sci-fi battle scenes.
10. Up in the Air
This was all about the performances for me. George Clooney continues to validate his status as a star, channeling something akin to Cary Grant. And Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are both equally intriguing and avoid playing second fiddle to Clooney. Jason Reitman scored again with a story that is timely and open to interpretation. We rarely see a film this classy these days.
9. Star Trek
This was simply a blast! Yes, if you think about the villain’s story and the continuity-altering storyline too much it shows its share of cracks. But Star Trek doesn’t allow you to think about it while you’re watching, because it is non-stop fun! I went into most of last year’s summer blockbusters with mild interest and this one impressed and surprised me the most. I am looking forward to the sequel to this reboot.
8. I Love You, Man
Easily, the funniest comedy I saw last year (no, I haven’t yet seen The Hangover). No movie said more about man/man friendships (or spoke truest to me) than this one. But, then again, I am a lot like Paul Rudd’s character. And who wouldn’t want Jason Segel as a friend, anyway?
7. The Hurt Locker
Of the two greatest films I saw of 2009 (the other being Inglorious Basterds), this was the one I enjoyed the most. I have no doubt that Kathryn Bigelow has made her finest film with The Hurt Locker. It in no way moralizes or takes sides on a particular war. It simply gives the viewer an insight into the kind of problems soldiers face in war and three different ways it affects them. Jeremy Renner was fantastic as a commanding officer who’s got some serious thrill-junkie issues underneath the surface that will some day lead to his demise. This should win at least half of the Oscars it's nominated for.
6. Zombieland
While it may lack the heart and character-development of its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead, this film is still a lot of fun. More of a comedy than a horror, this film is all about the joys of killing zombies – and the rules one must abide by in order to survive. Pure escapist fun.
5. Up
There were plenty of animated movies that I enjoyed last year, but I have to rank this one as my favorite. Greatly detailed, beautifully presented, plus a funny and touching story with grand adventure mixed in. And probably the only animated film of the last year to truly move me – twice.
4. Watchmen
My fiancée and I are fans of the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, so when we saw the first trailer for this film, we went nuts and re-watched it, frothing in anticipation of the film’s release. This was perhaps the most geek-tastic experience I had this year at the movies and only because director Zack Snyder worked so hard at being true to the source (unlike those behind X-Men Origins: Wolverine). Now, it was not perfect (a couple music queues hurt the experience a bit), but the overall experience was spectacular. And it got even better with the Director’s Cut (only one music queue still stung – the sex scene – and the film lacks levity, which can make it a difficult watch). But there is no way this film could’ve been pulled off any better. Dark, ultra-violent, lengthy, layered, and based on a property little-known by the masses - I'm thrilled this movie exists.
3. Paranormal Activity
Up until now, Arachnophobia was the scariest movie I’d ever seen (seriously, spiders are stay-up-all-night scary!). And then this movie came along and scared me more than any other film I’ve seen my entire life. Each time the shot changed to that night-vision green, I was literally on the edge of my seat, uncertain if I could handle what would happen next. This movie plays on elements of home invasion, loss of control, and sells the idea that demons are much more dangerous than ghosts. Some people weren’t affected by this, but it affected me and I had a great time for it (as did the friend who went with me).
2. District 9
So, the circumstances in which I saw this film (which I won’t go into) wasn’t so great. But this was the smartest alien-related sci-fi film I’ve seen in years. The apartheid parallel was a great story device. And the movie just flew by for me; not a single boring scene. This, Moon, and Paranormal Activity were great examples of how you can do so much with very little money (admittedly, District 9 had the bigger budget of the three with $30 million). Of the year’s sci-fi films, this was the closest to perfection. I can’t wait to see this one again.
1. (500) Days of Summer
All right, anybody who knows or works with me should not be surprised that this is my favorite film of 2009. After listening to the /Filmcast interview the director, Marc Webb, and glowingly review the film, watching the trailer, and buying the soundtrack, I was already in love with this movie – before I had even seen it! Why? Because so few romance movies are this smart, have this much heart in it, music that serve the story so well, characters this believable, and look at love and relationships in such a way that this film did. Not only was the story effectively told in such a way as to convincingly convey Tom’s (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) perspective – and how he blinded himself to reality – but there were really great devices that were used to execute the story (musical number, split-screens, non-linear editing) that you won’t find in any Nicholas Sparks, Garry Marshall, Kate Hudson, Sandra Bullock, Stephanie Meyer, Jennifer Lopez, or (I’m sorry) Jennifer Aniston film. Smart, funny, well-acted, and wholly relatable – this is the best romance movie I’ve seen in a long time and I love it.
Those are my favorite films of 2009. I will continue this monthly feature, going year-by-year back in time. That means, next month Film Faves will focus on films of 2008! Let me know what you think.
Now, every time somebody tries to create a top ten list of movies there's always those "honorable mentions", those films that just barely got edged out of the group. Well, I thought I'd cut down on all that and instead of listing 10 movies of each year, I'll list 12! A dozen films from each year; sometimes easy, sometimes... not so easy.
Now, unlike my feature The Best of the Decade, this is not to be taken as a serious, unbiased, objective statement on movies. This is a favorites list, not a best-of list; the films I enjoyed and gravitate to most. So, let's have some fun!
2009
12. Where the Wild Things Are
This was a rare entry in the children’s movie genre; it was quiet and understated, and avoided talking down to kids and being cloying. It also had a very indie aesthetic to it, sort of the Sundance version of a fantasy film, if you will. I wasn’t as overwhelmingly moved by the film as I was with the trailer, but I did find so much to appreciate and love. The story was excellently fleshed out into something unique that was less directed at children as it was about what it’s like being a child. It’s a children’s story for older kids and adults. I took my 10 year-old to it and he was able to pick up on the creature’s metaphors for Max’s emotions and personalities. And Max Records is a treasure, avoiding the typical cutesy and precious angle on the story’s nuanced emotions. He is every boy you see playing in your local playground. I truly enjoyed this underappreciated gem.
11. Avatar
I've gotta say right off: I found the story completely predictable the whole way through. And there were about four or five lines of dialogue that fell flat. But this was the only film last year that I saw twice at the theater (once at a real IMAX screen). That’s because this movie rose above its flaws to become one of the most rousing, most enjoyable times I had at the theater. There are decent arguments about the film’s lasting appeal, but for now I can’t help but marvel at its CGI; the detail of the Na’vi is incredible (from pulsing veins and tendons, to the texture of the skin). Pandora is just eye-candy at its purest and greatest. And I'm a sucker for great sci-fi battle scenes.
10. Up in the Air
This was all about the performances for me. George Clooney continues to validate his status as a star, channeling something akin to Cary Grant. And Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are both equally intriguing and avoid playing second fiddle to Clooney. Jason Reitman scored again with a story that is timely and open to interpretation. We rarely see a film this classy these days.
9. Star Trek
This was simply a blast! Yes, if you think about the villain’s story and the continuity-altering storyline too much it shows its share of cracks. But Star Trek doesn’t allow you to think about it while you’re watching, because it is non-stop fun! I went into most of last year’s summer blockbusters with mild interest and this one impressed and surprised me the most. I am looking forward to the sequel to this reboot.
8. I Love You, Man
Easily, the funniest comedy I saw last year (no, I haven’t yet seen The Hangover). No movie said more about man/man friendships (or spoke truest to me) than this one. But, then again, I am a lot like Paul Rudd’s character. And who wouldn’t want Jason Segel as a friend, anyway?
7. The Hurt Locker
Of the two greatest films I saw of 2009 (the other being Inglorious Basterds), this was the one I enjoyed the most. I have no doubt that Kathryn Bigelow has made her finest film with The Hurt Locker. It in no way moralizes or takes sides on a particular war. It simply gives the viewer an insight into the kind of problems soldiers face in war and three different ways it affects them. Jeremy Renner was fantastic as a commanding officer who’s got some serious thrill-junkie issues underneath the surface that will some day lead to his demise. This should win at least half of the Oscars it's nominated for.
6. Zombieland
While it may lack the heart and character-development of its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead, this film is still a lot of fun. More of a comedy than a horror, this film is all about the joys of killing zombies – and the rules one must abide by in order to survive. Pure escapist fun.
5. Up
There were plenty of animated movies that I enjoyed last year, but I have to rank this one as my favorite. Greatly detailed, beautifully presented, plus a funny and touching story with grand adventure mixed in. And probably the only animated film of the last year to truly move me – twice.
4. Watchmen
My fiancée and I are fans of the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, so when we saw the first trailer for this film, we went nuts and re-watched it, frothing in anticipation of the film’s release. This was perhaps the most geek-tastic experience I had this year at the movies and only because director Zack Snyder worked so hard at being true to the source (unlike those behind X-Men Origins: Wolverine). Now, it was not perfect (a couple music queues hurt the experience a bit), but the overall experience was spectacular. And it got even better with the Director’s Cut (only one music queue still stung – the sex scene – and the film lacks levity, which can make it a difficult watch). But there is no way this film could’ve been pulled off any better. Dark, ultra-violent, lengthy, layered, and based on a property little-known by the masses - I'm thrilled this movie exists.
3. Paranormal Activity
Up until now, Arachnophobia was the scariest movie I’d ever seen (seriously, spiders are stay-up-all-night scary!). And then this movie came along and scared me more than any other film I’ve seen my entire life. Each time the shot changed to that night-vision green, I was literally on the edge of my seat, uncertain if I could handle what would happen next. This movie plays on elements of home invasion, loss of control, and sells the idea that demons are much more dangerous than ghosts. Some people weren’t affected by this, but it affected me and I had a great time for it (as did the friend who went with me).
2. District 9
So, the circumstances in which I saw this film (which I won’t go into) wasn’t so great. But this was the smartest alien-related sci-fi film I’ve seen in years. The apartheid parallel was a great story device. And the movie just flew by for me; not a single boring scene. This, Moon, and Paranormal Activity were great examples of how you can do so much with very little money (admittedly, District 9 had the bigger budget of the three with $30 million). Of the year’s sci-fi films, this was the closest to perfection. I can’t wait to see this one again.
1. (500) Days of Summer
All right, anybody who knows or works with me should not be surprised that this is my favorite film of 2009. After listening to the /Filmcast interview the director, Marc Webb, and glowingly review the film, watching the trailer, and buying the soundtrack, I was already in love with this movie – before I had even seen it! Why? Because so few romance movies are this smart, have this much heart in it, music that serve the story so well, characters this believable, and look at love and relationships in such a way that this film did. Not only was the story effectively told in such a way as to convincingly convey Tom’s (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) perspective – and how he blinded himself to reality – but there were really great devices that were used to execute the story (musical number, split-screens, non-linear editing) that you won’t find in any Nicholas Sparks, Garry Marshall, Kate Hudson, Sandra Bullock, Stephanie Meyer, Jennifer Lopez, or (I’m sorry) Jennifer Aniston film. Smart, funny, well-acted, and wholly relatable – this is the best romance movie I’ve seen in a long time and I love it.
Those are my favorite films of 2009. I will continue this monthly feature, going year-by-year back in time. That means, next month Film Faves will focus on films of 2008! Let me know what you think.