Dear, Hollywood: 2009 wasn't the year either of us hoped it would be. Your summer blockbusters were ho-hum, your dramas were so-so and your comedies were bland. So many of your movies were just alright, but few were worth a second viewing. Here's five from 2009 that really stood out from the pack and give me hope that 2010 can be a better year for us.
5. Gran Torino
Even at 78, Clint Eastwood is tough as nails. Though his old ass barely looks human any more, I'm sure his character from Gran Torino could beat the hell out of me. A mature, modern-day western, Gran Torino is supposedly Eastwood's last foray into acting and it's a fitting finale to his career. Despite its serious-sounding story, Gran Torino is unexpectedly funny, and it has something more grown-up to say about redemption and the difference between revenge and justice.
Even at 78, Clint Eastwood is tough as nails. Though his old ass barely looks human any more, I'm sure his character from Gran Torino could beat the hell out of me. A mature, modern-day western, Gran Torino is supposedly Eastwood's last foray into acting and it's a fitting finale to his career. Despite its serious-sounding story, Gran Torino is unexpectedly funny, and it has something more grown-up to say about redemption and the difference between revenge and justice.
4. Timecrimes
This crazy Spanish-language time-travel drama opens as a man notices a woman stripping in the woods behind his home. When he goes to investigate, i.e., get a better look at some boobies, he's stabbed by a mysterious figure. As he attempts to hide from his assailant, the man is lead into a machine that sends him one hour into the past. Like most time traveling stories, this one may not hold up to too much scrutiny after it's over, but it's a trippy ride and one of the best time-travel flicks I've ever seen.
This crazy Spanish-language time-travel drama opens as a man notices a woman stripping in the woods behind his home. When he goes to investigate, i.e., get a better look at some boobies, he's stabbed by a mysterious figure. As he attempts to hide from his assailant, the man is lead into a machine that sends him one hour into the past. Like most time traveling stories, this one may not hold up to too much scrutiny after it's over, but it's a trippy ride and one of the best time-travel flicks I've ever seen.
3. Up
For me, Pixar's Up came out of nowhere; I didn't know what to expect from cutesy and colorful computer animated images in front of me. What I got was like a punch to the heart. The first 10 minutes alone may be the most tear-jerking bit of cinema I've ever seen. Things get sunnier after, thanks to a talking dog and a chubby boy scout, but in the end, Up was the most real, potent and touching movie I saw in 2009.
For me, Pixar's Up came out of nowhere; I didn't know what to expect from cutesy and colorful computer animated images in front of me. What I got was like a punch to the heart. The first 10 minutes alone may be the most tear-jerking bit of cinema I've ever seen. Things get sunnier after, thanks to a talking dog and a chubby boy scout, but in the end, Up was the most real, potent and touching movie I saw in 2009.
2. District 9
It's probably best that Neil Blomkamp and Peter Jackson's attempt at a film adaptation of the video game Halo fell through. Instead of a generic tale of space marines fighting alien brutes, we were treated to District 9, one of the best science fiction movies in recent memory. Blomkamp's apartheid-inspired flick could have ended up being preachy, but District 9 proved to be a blast the whole way through.
It's probably best that Neil Blomkamp and Peter Jackson's attempt at a film adaptation of the video game Halo fell through. Instead of a generic tale of space marines fighting alien brutes, we were treated to District 9, one of the best science fiction movies in recent memory. Blomkamp's apartheid-inspired flick could have ended up being preachy, but District 9 proved to be a blast the whole way through.
1. Inglourious Basterds
The Girl Talk of directors gets a lot of flack from movie buffs for stealing from other directors, but, like most Quentin Tarantino films, Basterds excels at entertaining because of devilishly good dialogue. Add to the clever script some killer performances from Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Melanie Laurent, and you've got one of the most memorable movies of 2009. Despite the claim of the film's final line, Inglourious Basterds may not be Taratino's masterpiece, but it is damn fun.
The Girl Talk of directors gets a lot of flack from movie buffs for stealing from other directors, but, like most Quentin Tarantino films, Basterds excels at entertaining because of devilishly good dialogue. Add to the clever script some killer performances from Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Melanie Laurent, and you've got one of the most memorable movies of 2009. Despite the claim of the film's final line, Inglourious Basterds may not be Taratino's masterpiece, but it is damn fun.
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