Top 20 of 2009
20. Funny People
recently rewatched this, while i wasnt really liking the stuff with jonah hill and schwartzman, the sandler scenes are effective, really exploring the life of this character, his scenes are genuine, as george simmons mirrors sandlers own career
19. Me and Orson Welles
I love movies with a small group of characters that all work towards a greater goal. Efron is actually pretty good here and the guy who plays welles is amazing, sounds just like him
18. Star Trek
all the cast, minus anton yelchin, makes this work theyre all personable and fun to watch and id love to see a sequel, just to see more of them, not as much character interaction here as I wouldve liked
17. Made in China
really liked the main characters determination and drive, he was really good as was guy who played angus
16. Precious
Had really no interest to see it, but was better than I thought, it really involved me and I was caught up in the plight of Precious, some strong stuff
15 Moon
Great performance by Rockwell, and an ingenious story that is one of the best sci fi films ive seen, not relying on effects, but on story
14. Adventureland
Not really a comedy, but works as a drama, eisenberg was really good, i empathized with him a great deal, and stewart gives a much more complex performance than youd think, hader had some laughs and some good songs on soundtrack
13. (500) Days of Summer
A rom Com that works, thanks to a great performance by JGL and how i was able to relate to him, the soundtrack and other nice creative touches by the director, and minka kelly as autumn
12. I Love You, Man
first saw it at the hoopla of sxsw opening night, where the atmosphere was all positive for the film, i enjoyed it then, but i also enjoyed it watching it a week ago. Its very funny, and i lovethe whole concept of a "date" film but with a guy looking for a guy friend. I just felt good and happy after this, just good natured
11. The Hangover
In addition to being funny, also has a good story, which is the key to any good comedy. Galifiniakis is hilarious, tho it has been over exposed of late, holds up relatively well upon further viewings
10. Brothers
This movie succeeds from the performances of the 3 leads, theyre all very good and I cared about them, the story is also very tragic, made all the more tragic that it happens to basically good people
9. District 9
Really loved this when this first came out, tho the enthusiasm has fallen, mainly cuz theres some problems with the plot. Still, its an overall creative twist on the alien genre, with seamless cgi, and a good performance by copley in the lead
8. A Serious Man
This really stayed with me for a while, just the overall tone and style of the film is very strange but in a good way, not a lol comedy but very involving that has no easy answers about life and a great performance by the lead, should expect nothing less from the Coen brothers
7. We Live in Public
saw it at sxsw, but still hasnt been released, but might be my all time fave doc, i had no idea this man existed and the things he did blew me away. I was so drawn into this, more than most narrative films. A great film
6. The Hurt Locker
One of my all time favorite war movies because of its decision to focus on the characters, at a human level, rather than generals/strategy. It also focuses on an aspect rarely seen in war films:bomb squads and develops several tense sequences and has some great cameos. Also doesnt throw a message in your face
5. Up
The best pixar film by far, it involved me on an emotional level more so than any pixar film or most films. Its a tragedy at times but also very uplifting, with great characters that I was cheering for. I love how the characters arent your standard types
4. Up in the Air
Just saw this and wrote a review which states my main reason, but mainly it touches on some key issues in life and features some great performances, left me thinking.
3. Inglourious Basterds
The promotion of this film really intensified my disdain of Quentin Tarantino, but just having recently rewatched this, I cannot deny the overall quality of it. It's really just 5 set pieces put together, but they are all very well made. Theres a great amount of suspense in several scenes, Waltz is just superb and deserves the oscar, and its just very entertaining and all comes together in a very satisfying manner
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I'm a big Harry Potter fan, both the books and the films, I just enjoy being in that world. That's why I love this film, as it copies the successful formula of the 4th film by taking its time in Hogwarts, and not just rushing the plot. while I admit this strategy is not for everyone, I enjoy it and I enjoy spending time with all the characters
1. Watchmen
Really blew me away the first time I saw it, tho I hadnt read the novel at that point, so I had no idea where the story was going. I then read it and rewatched the film. I still enjoyed it immensely. It follows the novel very closely and the visual style is amazing. While Akerman and Goode are the least best of the actors, they dont detract from the film and the other actors are very good, especially Haley. In short, no film matched the emotional response I felt the first time I saw it, and I was still able to love it after reading the novel, so I can safely say its my favorite film of 2009
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