My Top 10 Films of 2009 (and Oscar picks!)

First off, an apology and an explanation for the lack of posts this month. I’ve actually been hard at work trying to write about our experiences with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as the general political climate in Israel, and those aren’t topics that lend themselves to a small little post. Instead, this has evolved into a multi-part series that I intend to post over the course of about a week, in the very near future. I realize that I should have been posting about smaller topics in the meantime, and that’s my mistake. But in the meantime, hang in there for that forthcoming epic.

In the meantime, in honor of tonight’s Academy Awards, I thought I would go ahead and post my very late top 10 films from 2009. Now, I’m no film critic (that would be my friend Steve at Movie Muse Reviews), but I do happen to have a love and appreciation for film. (Sidebar: This is where my girlfriend would call me a dork. But that’s another story.) I’m the kind of film aficionado/loser that makes it a priority to see every film nominated for Best Picture, whether I want to see it or not. (Sidebar: This led to me having to go see The Reader last year against my will, which at least gives me the authority to comment on how much I hated it.) This year was a bit more of a challenge, seeing as there were 10 nominees and, you know, I’m in ISRAEL. However, through the magic of iTunes and keeping a close eye on Israeli movie releases, I was able to see 9 out of the 10 (The Blind Side doesn’t come out on iTunes until the end of the month, and let’s be real, a movie about an American football player raised by evangelical Christians isn’t going to be a big hit over here). So, please enjoy my thoughts, and feel free to let me know where you think I’m an idiot!

#10: Salad Daze

Salad Daze Trailer from BTS Post Production on Vimeo.

Technically a late 2008 release, this film found more widespread release in the spring of this year. A small independent film many of you may not have heard of, the film deals with a recent high school graduate’s summer before college, as he deals with a recent breakup, a highly dysfunctional family, and the sudden death of his grandfather. As serious as those topics might be, the writer/director manages to make the film a comedy, filled with quick-paced dialogue, entertaining and realistic characters, and numerous humorous situations along the way. In fact, it’s hard to watch this and not find a character you closely relate to. Luckily, the production company, Be the Shoe, has made the film available for download online at their website for just $5. Trust me, it’s well worth it.

#9: Adventureland



Here’s a movie that I think a lot of people either forgot about or just didn’t see. It’s a shame too, because this was one of the more realistic looks at college-aged life in a while. The characters are extremely relatable, and it’s easy to watch the movie and find situations that you’ve been through yourself. The entire ensemble is great, especially Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, who felt like they were in a long version of an great SNL skit. If you missed this one, check it out.

#8: Star Trek



The first of three science fiction movies on here – and I’m really not much of a sci-fi fan! I had never seen an episode of Star Trek or a single one of the movies before, so I was amazed at how much I liked this movie. In fact, my ignorance towards the Star Trek universe probably helped, allowing me to just enjoy the movie for what it was and not end up trying to compare it to anything. And what it was was a well-written and exciting summer blockbuster of the best kind.

#7: Avatar



Here’s a film that’s steadily dropped down my list as I’ve gotten further away from seeing it. You’ve seen it already, so I won’t bother recapping, and if you haven’t seen it, congratulations on being the only one. It seems like there are two camps for Avatar: OMGGreatestMovieEver and OMGThisSucksItsJustDancesWithPocahontas. Truth is, they’re both right and wrong. You can’t deny the visual amazingness that was this movie. I read one review saying that this must have been what viewers felt like when they saw King Kong in 1933, and I agree. When I saw the movie we ended up in the 2nd row, so it pretty much felt like everything was coming right at me. However, you can’t deny the importance of a good story and screenplay, and the truth is that this story has been done many times before, with very little variation. So, while it might be an amazing piece of work, without that screenplay it goes slip sliding down the list.

#6: District 9



Not only do I have three sci-fi films on here, but they’re all in a row! This was maybe my biggest surprise on the list, as I saw this one late and didn’t think it would live up to the expectations. Boy, was I wrong. I was really, really, wrong. The suspense in this film is unbelievable, as I was on the edge of my seat at many points wrapped up in what was happening. There were some definite faults – the switch back and forth from faux-documentary to traditional narrative was very abrupt, and I felt like the ending sequence could have packed a little more punch. But really, those are issues that I thought about afterwards, as the film itself managed to completely sweep me away.

#5: The Hurt Locker



For the record, this is the film I think will win Best Picture tonight, and well deserved (although I’m hoping for #1 on my list to pull the upset). This was another edge-of-your-seat film, and if you say it wasn’t suspenseful, then you’re just a liar. Hurt Locker is almost the opposite of Avatar, as the farther away from it I get the more I like it. Jeremy Renner is incredible in it, and as much as we all love Jeff Daniels, I would love to see him pull an Adrian Brody-type of upset.

#4: Up



I’m actually a little surprised that this one is so low. Pixar just continues to pump out great film after great film, and while I’d rank this one just 5th in their lineup (Sidebar: Wall-E, Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Toy Story 2 are ahead in my book), that still makes it better than 99% of animated movies out there. The animation continues to get better and better, and I have no shame in admitting that it’s hard for me to hold back the tears during that unbelievable 10-minute sequence at the beginning. I almost hope that the 10 BP nominees continues, just so that Pixar can have an annual seat at the table.

#3: Up in the Air



Jason Reitman continues to impress, as all three of his movies have become some of my favorites. George Clooney is pitch-perfect in this along with the rest of the cast, and the screenplay hits all the right notes. I particularly loved all the scenes in St. Louis, as was obvious by the fact that I was often the only person laughing in a theater full of Israelis. Besides that, this film just struck all the right notes with me, and I was left with a film that I’ll be able to watch again and again… Which happens to be a theme with the final two films as well…

#2: (500) Days of Summer



OK, realistically, this was not the 2nd best movie of the year. However, it is one of my favorites. Something about this movie just hit everything the right way, from the music to the acting to the screenplay to the directing. Sometimes a movie just puts you in a good mood, and that was this for me. I can see why someone might see it as a negative view on romance – after all, they tell you up front that this is not a love story. However, look at it another way – this is really a story about a boy who becomes who he needs to be to find real love. And how can you not get behind that?

#1: Inglourious Basterds



Quentin Tarantino’s best work since Pulp Fiction and easily my favorite film of the year. You want replay value? I’ve already watched it 4 times. The first time watching it, it felt like all the air was sucked out of the room at least three times during the film, usually by Christoph Waltz’s terrifying Hans Landa. Tarantino goes a little overboard at times with the title cards and narration, but for the most part he holds his considerable quirks back and, for the first time in a while, lets his words and actors carry the show. Plus, how could I not get behind the ending of the film? This just might be his masterpiece, indeed.

Well, if you got this far, I might as well go on record with my Oscar picks for tonight…

Best Short Film Live-Action: Miracle Fish (why not?)
Best Short Film Animated: A Matter of Loaf or Death (it’s Wallace and Gromit, they won’t lose)
Best Short Documentary: Rabbit a la Berlin (I dunno, sounds like a cool idea)
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Foreign Film: The White Ribbon
Best Animated Film: Up (obviously)
Best Visual Effects: Avatar (what was the point of nominating anyone else here?)
Best Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Sound Mixing: Avatar
Best Song: “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart
Best Score: Up
Best Makeup: Star Trek
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Editing: Avatar
Best Cinematography: The Hurt Locker
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds (Screenplay is where Reitman and Tarantino will get their well-deserved due)
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique in Precious (Truly deserving, but who else is looking forward to Phat Girlz 2 featuring Academy Award winning actress Mo’Nique?)
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds (I want to see the last three winners here face off in a movie. Anton Chigurh, the Joker, and Landa. SCARY.)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep in Julia and Julia (My upset pick. Everything seems too neat and tidy. Besides, I think enough voters will say, “Are we really going to give the award to The Blind Side?” to hand it to Streep.)
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart (No upset here. Lifetime achievement award, probably, but who’s going to complain?)
Best Director: Kathleen Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (Regardless of who wins BP, this will be the pic here. And well deserved.)
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker (Although, truthfully, could be an Avatar win. Or an Inglourious Basterds upset. Who knows?)