MaxReview’s 2009 Top 10

Critics are saying that this has been a weak year in film.  Perhaps there aren’t as large of a set of films that normally are nominated for Best Pictures, but I found it easier than last year’s Top 10 to come up with 10+ films that I really enjoyed.  This is the everyman’s movie site, after all.  Once again, I’m pretty happy with the number of films I was able to see this year even if I didn’t get to see some of the smaller films that are more of the usual award-show types. So, before I get to my Top 10 list…

The ‘No One Saw These But They Should’ consolation prize:

• Up In The Air - I’m going to see this soon, and I’m sure it will lead to a revision. Stay tuned.
• The Road – Post-apocalyptic dreariness, walking out of the theater wondering what the point of life is – my kind of movie. Too bad it didn’t play anywhere.
• The Hurt Locker - Called by some the best war film of all time. We’ll see.
• Sherlock Holmes – I love Robert Downey Jr. too much to let this one slip by.
• Precious – Doesn’t seem much like my cup of tea, but the actress playing the main character was pretty entertaining on Conan and swung this film into the ‘I’ll get around to it eventually’ category.

The ‘Close But No Cigar’ Honorable Mentions:

• Where The Wild Things Are – Charming and sad, it captured the loneliness of childhood very well and had a great soundtrack and amazing monster costumes. It just felt a little too melodramatic for its own good.
• Funny People – An undeniably very funny film at points, it doesn’t seem to know who its main character is as it shifts back and forth from Seth Rogen to Adam Sandler. The ending trailed off weakly. With all of the talent, this film tried to pack too much in and was ultimately a disappointment.
• Zombieland - Another entertaining movie, but didn’t fit in my Top 10. The Bill Murray cameo was great, but (and this is a nitpick) after the great Zombie Survival Guide and 28 Days Later in which the zombie-infested world is realistically investigated, my one complaint after this film was wondering how there was still electricity.
• Paranormal Activity - A fun film to see in theaters, but do I ever need to see it again? No. This film was a flash in the pan; a pop-culture phenomenon that will be distantly remembered but ultimately left behind.
• The Blind Side – My personal dislike of Sandra Bullock probably played into me not liking this film as much as I should have. However, it was a solid (though very sappy) football drama and I’m calling for Bullock to win an Oscar for her performance.

The Worst Film of 2009

• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – You know what, Megan Fox’s acting wasn’t even my least favorite part of this movie. After this and Jennifer’s Body, I think 2009 will be the year that Megan Fox proved that she isn’t just  a low-cut shirt. But Transformers 2 still sucked. Occasionally funny with occasionally engaging action, but mostly just bad writing and one-liners that surrounded soulless action scenes. Huge disappointment, but then again it’s Michael Bay. I should have seen it coming.

Finally, the MaxReview Top 10 Films of 2009

10. Adventureland

In my review, I noted how this wasn’t the usual coming of age tale. Directed by Superbad director Greg Mottola, and starring Zombieland‘s Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, star of the vampire film that won’t be named, this film is both funny and touching. Sadly, it was forgotten in its early year release.

9. I Love You, Man

Jason Segel and Paul Rudd team up again after my #4 film from 2008, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, to similarly awesome results. The chemistry between Segel and Rudd is basically pee-in-your-pants hilarious. I dare you to try to watch it without saying ‘Slappa-da-bass’ after it gets done.

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8. Watchmen

This film didn’t get the love it deserved. This was the film I was most excited for in 2009, and I wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t a perfect adaptation of the novel, but it was beautifully shot and had great visual effects complimented by a soundtrack of classics. The best dissection of the superhero genre ever put to film.

7. Moon

I’ve been coming around to appreciate Sam Rockwell as an actor, coming a long way since playing the gross crazyman in The Green Mile. This may be his best performance yet. In it, he is nearing the end of his solitary 3-year mining mission on the moon until an accident forces him to face the reality of what happens when his mission ends. It takes cues from 2001, but is solidly its own.

6. Star Trek

This has been the 2009 movie that I’ve watched the most since it was released on home video. The plot is a bit complicated (my review), but the visuals (even with excessive lens flare) and music are amazing. The performances of the cast range from passable with Zachary Quinto’s Spock to great in Karl Urban’s McCoy. I can’t believe it, but I actually like Star Trek. God help me.

5. Avatar

I didn’t write a separate review for this. I know from all of the email I got wondering where it was (…) that the readers are incredibly disappointed. However, everyone and their mom probably already saw this, so who needs me to tell them what they saw? Here it is – a fairly predictable though exciting plot and really (really) amazing visuals make for a movie that needs to be seen. I’m still not sold on what the point of 3D is, but this was a great film. My skepticism was misplaced, and I was never happier to be wrong. This just better not win the Best Picture Oscar.

4. The Hangover

Believe it or not, this was the film I saw the most in theaters in 2009. And it was more hilarious the second time. I’m happy to say that the success of the this movie rode completely on the back of Zach Galfianakis because this guy has been doing hilarious and off-beat work for a long time and deserves to get recognized. Hopefully the upcoming sequel can keep the same feel of the first without feeling forced.

3. District 9

Maybe it’s not the most cleverly veiled political allegory about immigration rights (or apartheid, or whatever) but it’s definitely an original story about an alien ship being stuck over South Africa. Past that, the film was made for approximately .00001% of the total of Avatar but has great special effects. Also impressive was newcomer Sharlto Copley as main character Wikus van der Merwe. I also have the film to thank for whenever I see seafood I have to say ‘Fookin prawns!’

2. Up

I guess Pixar doesn’t know how to make bad movies. I was wary, as this was the first Pixar film to focus on normal people – not superheroes, not obese future-people – just an old guy and a chubby Asian Boy Scout. And it turned out to be another absolute winner: sad and hilarious. I guess it’s not even worth trying to rank them – they all have been great. However, with the Oscars’ recent change to 10 Best Picture nominations, this will probably be the first to nominated.

1. Inglourious Basterds

They’re in the Nazi-killin’ bizness, and cousin, bizness is a-boomin’. Quentin Tarantino’s first film since his really-not-that-great half of Grindhouse is also his best since Pulp Fiction, if not his best ever. There’s been a bit of a backlash against this film with people calling it pretentious and overrated, but I just can’t get myself not to like it. This should bring in at least a few Oscar noms, including Best Picture and for the awesome performance as the Nazi ‘Jew Hunter’ Col. Landa by Christopher Waltz. Like he said – “That’s a bingo!”

And there it is. See something I didn’t mention? Think I’m completely wrong? Let me know. Hope everyone has a great 2010.