If you read this blog regularly, you'll know that every year, I post my own personal Oscar nominations. These are basically the films and performers that would receive nominations if I was solely responsible for handing them out. These are not the films that I think will actually be nominated (indeed, the majority of them probably won't) but instead, my own personal selections based solely on the eligible films that I've actually seen.
Tomorrow, I will be posting my personal nominations for the films of 2009. However, before I do that, I want to share my thoughts -- good and often bad -- on the movies that I saw last year and which, in theory, could show up nominated for either the actual Oscars or just my own imaginary version of them.
The 58 films reviewed below, from 2012 to Zombieland, are listed in alphabetical order. I know a lot of people with disagree with some of my reviews, especially regarding such films as Avatar, the Hurt Locker, and Precious. However, the freedom to hate what everyone else loves is one of the frequently unsung joys of going to the movies.
And now... the movies:
2012
Again, Roland Emmerich destroys the world and again, he proves that, as a director, he is incapable of creating a world that you regret seeing destroyed. We get to see all the usual landmarks decimated in style (except, of course, for any landmarks in the Middle East because, as Emmerich explained when the movie came out, that might have proven offensive to Jihadists) but who cares? The film is probably most notable for featuring Danny Glover as a stand-in for Barack Obama and then promptly killing him off. (Emmerich, it should be remembered, previously killed off Hillary Clinton in Independence Dayand then Dick Cheney in The Day After Tomorrow.)
Adventureland
One of the unexpected and underrated gems of 2009, Adventureland is a funny and often touching coming-of-age film. A young college student gets a summer job at a run-down amusement park and experiences life, love, and all the rest. While the plot is nothing new, the movie is well-acted by a talented cast and distinguished by a script that never takes the easy way out. It also features one of the best endings of 2009 as well as Rock Me Amadeus.
Avatar
James Cameron's Avatar is perhaps the most overrated piece of shit film since James Cameron's Titanic. Yes, it's visually impressive and all that but really, who gives a rat fuck? I would have traded a few of the perfectly rendered little blue guys for just one line of interesting dialog, one unexpected plot twist, or one performance that wasn't mediocre. The film's environmental message is silly (how can one take seriously a film about trying to save the "hometree?"), the attempts to comment on the invasion of Iraq are almost as juvenile as Titanic's attempt to comment on the differences between economic classes, and why would people be using slang from the 1990s in the 22nd Century? Also, wouldn't somebody have realized that naming a planet Pandora was a sure way to guarantee some sort of trouble? Why didn't they just call it Satan if they felt like being edgy? Avataris a great film as long as you've never seen a great film before. In the end, it's basically wish-fulfillment for overweight, pimply-faced virgins everywhere. This probably explains why it's currently the most financially successful movie in history. (That said, Paul Verhoeven probably could have made this into a great movie. James Cameron, quite frankly, is just too middle class to pull it off.)
Away We Go
A surprisingly low-key film from the usually bombastic Sam Mendes, Away We Go never quite got the attention it deserved when it was released last June. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are a young couple that travel across North America in search of the "right" place to raise their unborn child. While the film is a bit too smug at times (as should be expected from a Mendes film), it's still a rather likable film and Rudolph gives one of the best (if sadly unacknowledged) performances of 2009.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
A remake in name only of Abel Ferarra's infamous shocker, this is a truly bizarre film. Nicolas Cage plays the crooked, drug addicted cop of the title and, unlike Harvey Kietel's in the original, Cage appears to be having the time of his life. Indeed, his lunatic performance elavates this performance beyond mere pulp to the point where it becomes a near masterpiece of the unhinged. Director Werner Herzog transforms post-Katrina New Orleans into a jungle as dangerous and oddly beautiful as the Amazon that defeated Klaus Kinski in Aguirre, the Wrath of God. If nothing else, this film will always be rightly remembered for the Iguana musical sequence (just check out the odd smile on Cage's face) and the image of a man's soul breakdancing. This is one of the unexpected great films of 2009.
The Blind Side
The film's basic plot -- wealthy white people adopt a poor black kid -- makes the movie sound like yet another condescending Hollywood film in which whites are redeemed by the suffering of blacks and, in many ways, it is. However, the movie still works quite well because of an excellent turn by Sandra Bullock (who is so feisty that you don't really think about the movie itself until after it's long over) and the fact that story is loosely based on a true story.
Bright Star
Jane Campion's film about the doomed love affair of John Keats and Fanny Brawne features an excellent lead performance from Abbie Cornish, a wonderful supporting turn from Paul Schneider and a sense of pacing that could best be described as glacial.
Brothers
A pretty bad film that gets worse the more you think about it. So, let's not.
Crazy Heart
Jeff Bridges is excellent as a wash-ed up alcoholic country singer but he can't save a film that is largely a by-the-numbers affair. IT doesn't help that the presence of Robert Duvall continually reminds one of Tender Mercies, the movie that set the standard for alcoholic country crooner films.
The Damned United
Given that I'm not a fan of soccer or sports movies in general, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Damned United. Michael Sheen gives another excellent performance in a movie that proves that the English can make any activity -- even professional sports -- into an exploration of existential angst.
District 9
In the year of Avatar and Star Trek, 2009's best science fiction film was an unheralded, independent film from South Africa. A group of aliens end up getting stranded on Earth where they are, quite realistically, viewed with a lot of hostility. As opposed to the New Age smurfs of Avatar, District 9's aliens are believable as both aliens and individuals. The film skillfully mixes action and special effects with mock documentary footage and the end result is an exciting and rather poignant parable that puts the collected works of James Cameron and Steven Spielberg to shame.
Drag Me To Hell
Director Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots with this movie. Alison Lohman is a loan officer who ends up getting cursed by a wonderfully over-the-top gypsy. Raimi again proves that he is one of the few directors who knows how to mix both comedy and horror without shortchanging either. I could have done without the dead cat but Drag Me To Hell is still an entertaining (and fun) horror movie.
Easy Virtue
Yawn. Adapted from a play by Noel Coward, this is one of those films where characters occasionally start singing for no particular reason. Not even Kirsten Scott Thomas and Colin Firth at his Firthiest can bring any life to the movie.
An Education
Sadly, this movie has been overshadowed by the geek appeal of Avatar and the undeniably American pathos of Up in the Air. This is a shame because An Educationis truly one of the best movies of 2009. Carey Mulligan plays a bright, if naive, schoolgirl who, in 1960s London, embarks on a relationship with a much older man (brilliantly played by Peter Sarsgaard). Full of unexpected comedic moments and memorable details, the film succeeds in brilliantly recreating a moment in time. Mulligan is, quite simply, amazing as the main character and she is supported by a brilliant supporting cast. Special mention must go to Alfred Molina (poignant as her ineffectual but well-meaning father), Dominic Cooper (as Sarsgaard's shady business partner), and especially Rosamund Pike (as Cooper's glamorous but dim girlfriend).
Everybody's Fine
No, they're not and Robert De Niro discovers this when he decides to take a trip around the country so he can check up on his kids. This is a sweet movie but also a rather forgettable one.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
This is perhaps the best and most enjoyable animated film since Wall-E. Wes Anderson, again, proves himself to be one of the most underrated filmmakers around.
(500) Days of Summer
A funny and genuinely sweet movie about a man trying to deal with the end of a relationship. Well-directed by Marc Webber with excellent lead performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.
Funny People
A genuinely underrated film. Yes, it does go on for too long and yes, director Judd Apatow does seem to struggle occasionally balancing the humor and the pathos. But, despite that, Adam Sandler gives a great performance (even if he does seem to be playing himself) and, despite only being in a few scenes, Eric Bana is hilarious. Funny People is a flawed movie that will be appreciated in the future.
The Girlfriend Experience
One of the most underrated films of 2009, Stephen Soderbergh's the Girlfriend Experience is almost a time capsule of America in the days leading up to the election of Barack Obama. It's not a pretty or hopeful picture as every character is ultimately revealed to be, in some cases literally, a commodity. Adult film actress Sasha Grey is compelling as a high class prostitute who not only understands that selling out is the only way to get ahead but also has absolutely no problem about doing so.
The Hangover
The sleeper comedy hit of 2009, the Hangover actually improves on subsequent viewings. While undeniably bawdy, there is an underlying sweetness to this movie about four friends trying to recover from the wildest bachelor party in the history of Las Vegas. You believe these four guys are actually friends and, as such, the movie actually becomes oddly touching.
The Hurt Locker
Avatar wasn't the only criminally overrated film of 2009. The Hurt Lockermay indeed be the best movie made about the Iraq War but that's almost a back-handed compliment when you consider the competition. Jeremy Renner fully deserves all the praise he's received for his lead performance but the movie itself is a predictable mess that rather robotically goes through everything we expect to see in a war movie. Right when I was thinking, "I wonder if there going to get around to any Pat Tillman friendly fire," Renner ended up shooting Brian Geraghty in the leg. Kathryn Bigelow (formerly married to James Cameron and you bet we'll hear about that a lot once the Oscar nominations are announced) has yet to top Near Dark as a director.
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
As someone who thinks Brazilmay be the greatest film ever made, I really tried to love Terry Gilliam's latest but, unfortunately, I couldn't. It's an overlong mess of occasionally compelling set pieces that never quite comes together despite an lively performance from Tom Waits as the devil. Heath Ledger, in his final role, seems to be playing Roberto Calvi, the notoriously crooked Vatican banker who died mysteriously in the early 80s.
The Informant!
Matt Damon is brilliant as an unbalanced corporate whistle blower in this satirical gem from Stephen Soderbergh. Blessed with perhaps the best original score of the year, the Informant!also features excellent supporting performances from Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, and especially Melanie Lynesky (who was also excellent, this year, in Away We Go and Up in the Air).
Inglorious Basterds
This is one of those films that is almost impossible to properly discuss in just a short, capsule review. So, I'll just say that this was Quentin Tarantino at his best.
Invictus
One of the most acclaimed films of 2009 is also one of the most forgettable. Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela who, according to this film, healed South Africa of its racist past through the shrewd use of rugby. For the most part, it would seem that reviewers reacted more to Mandela himself than to the film they were actually watching. Acclaim and awards aside, this is probably the least interesting film Clint Eastwood has ever directed.
Is Anybody There?
This is a low-key English film about the friendship between a senile magician (Michael Caine) and a boy who is obsessed with death. Caine gives an excellent performance and the overall film is occasionally quite moving (and occasionally rather maudlin as well).
The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson's film version of Alice Sebold's book is one of the biggest disappointments of 2009. Despite the poignant source material, Jackson's film never quite seems to come together. What was touching on the page comes across as shallow on screen. The film, however, is not a total disaster as Stanley Tucci gives a truly horrifying performance as a serial killer (no Hannibal Lector cuteness here) and, as the main character, Saoirse Ronan shows that she is one of the best young actresses working today.
Lymelife
This is an odd coming-of-age film. In the late 70s, Rory Culkin deals with his bombastic dad (Alec Baldwin, doing his usual bit), the girl he has a crush on (Emma Roberts), and an overprotective mother (Jill Hennessy). While Culkin and Roberts are likable and Timothy Hutton gives a brilliant performance as Roberts' father (who has Lyme Disease), it's hard to forgive a movie that makes the Falkland War a major plot point despite the fact that 1) the movie takes place in 1979 and 2) the war was not (despite what the movie insists) between Argentina and the U.S.
Me and Orson Welles
Christian McKay is simply amazing as Orson Welles in this fictionalized account of the Mercury Theater's famous version of Julius Caesar. Though it's McKay's film all the way, Claire Danes (who has often seemed miscast in previous films) gives her best performance to date as the love interest of the Me of the film's title.
The Men Who Stare At Goats
A strong contender for the worst film of 2009, The Man Who Stare At Goats takes some truly interesting source material and basically squanders it. George Clooney is not a bad actor but wacky comedy is not one of his strengths and this movie proves it.
Moon
Sam Rockwell gives the best performance of 2009 in this poignant sci-fi film from Duncan Jones. Playing two clones of the same man, Rockwell proves that he is one of the best character actors working today.
My One and Only
Who would have guessed George Hamilton had such an entertaining childhood? The movie itself is fun (if somewhat old-fashioned) and Renee Zellweger has a ball as Hamilton's mother.
Nine
There's a great movie lurking in the unwatchable mess that is Nine and that movie is Fellini's 8 1/2. Director Rob Marshall revived the screen musical with Chicago and with Nine, he may have killed it. For all the talent on display, Nine only comes to life when Kate Hudson gamely performs the ludicrous but undeniably catchy Cinema Italiano.
Ninja Assassin
The title pretty much tells you all you need to know. He's a ninja and he's an assassin. Sadly, this movie did not come out of Hong Kong and was actually made by a bunch of Americans so it pretty much sucks.
Paranormal Activity
A young woman deals with her demonic possession. Conveniently for the audience, her boyfriend is an idiot who insists on filming it all. This low budget, improvised movie was one of the great con jobs of 2009. Was it scary? Not really. Was it interesting? Hardly. Did it make a lot of money? You bet.
Pirate Radio
A glorious mess of a movie, Richard Curtis's film was originally known as The Boat That Rocked. If nothing else, Pirate Radio is at least a better title. The movie actually has a few moments of isolated charm (and a fun turn by Philip Seymour Hoffman as an iconic DJ) but -- even after some obvious last minute editing -- it's still far too long, features too many indistinguishable characters, and never convinces the audience to care as much about the boat that rocked as Curtis obviously does.
Precious
Yawn. Yeah, it's gotten a lot of acclaim and yes, Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe are both excellent in the movie. That does not change the fact that the film itself is rather predictable and Lee Daniels directs with a painfully heavy hand. Because of its subject matter and the fact that it's a film about African-Americans made by African-Americans, a lot of reviewers and audience members have convinced themselves that Precious is the masterpiece that it clearly is not. Good intentions do not necessarily translate into a good movie.
Public Enemies
Johnny Depp is well-cast as John Dillinger in Michael Mann's biopic but the movie itself never quite comes together. As well-made as it was, I still spent the entire movie thinking that Jon Milius did it better.
The Road
What if civilization collapsed and a long, dull, and painfully somber film was made about it? The results might resemble The Road. Read Cormac McCarthy's novel instead.
A Serious Man
Perhaps the Coen Brothers best film to date, A Serious Man is about a neurotic college professor who attempts to deal with his collapsing marriage, his mentally unhinged brother, and his son's upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Using this simple premise as a springboard, the Coens proceed to examine questions of life, sin, and happiness and somehow manage to keep things from getting pretentious or overwrought. This is their most mature film to date (and, unfortunately, far too mature for audiences that consider Avatarto be a work of art). The movie also has the best ending of the entire first decade of the 21st century.
Sherlock Holmes
Finally, Guy Ritchie has made another entertaining film. Featuring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson, this movie is far more enjoyable than any Sherlock Holmes film has the right to be. Downey, wisely, plays up the eccentric side of Holmes and, as such, he never becomes as insufferable as previous film Holmes. Jude Law makes stodgy old Watson into the perfect everyman. Don't try to make sense of the plot. Just enjoy the way Ritchie recreates 19th century England and the odd chemistry between Downey and Law.
A Single Man
Colin Firth plays a gay man who spends one eventful day trying to recover from the death of his lover before promptly dying himself. Based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood and marking the directorial debut of Tom Ford, A Single Manis a movie so bad that you know it's going to receive some serious critical acclaim. With it's deliberately grainy cinematography and heavy-handed symbolism, A Single Manplays almost like a parody of an overrated arthouse film.
The Soloist
Based on a true story, this is a painfully well-meaning film, in which a journalist (Robert Downey, Jr.) befriends a schizophrenic homeless man (Jamie Foxx). Downey and Foxx both give good performances but the movie is a bit too earnest for its own good. While hardly deserving the scorn that it was initially greeted with, it's still a largely forgettable affair.
Star Trek
Brilliantly directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek successfully reboots the entire Star Trek franchise while managing to stand as an entertaining and exciting movie on its own as well. Abrams actually manages to make Star Trek fun for once.
Sunshine Cleaners
Forgettable movie in which Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are two sisters who clean up crime scenes. Adams is cute but the movie is predictable and dull.
Taken
One of the better examples of the "lone-man-on-violent-mission" movie genre, Taken features an angry father saving his daughter from white slavers and killing a lot of really ugly people in the process. Fortunately, the father is played by Liam Neeson and his cerebral performance elevates the entire film. The movie is pure pulp in the best sense of the term. Add to that, in these times, there is something undeniably cathartic about seeing a man who, instead of negotiating with his enemies, simply kills them.
Tony Manero
In 1970s Chile, a brutish psychopath develops an unhealthy obsession with the movie Saturday Night Fever. This is a deeply unpleasant film and often rather difficult to watch but it also has an undeniable power. A lot of this is due to Alfredo Castro who, as the film's lead, manages to bring some life to a character who has no soul.
Up
2009's Pixar film was sweet-natured, funny, and yet somehow oddly forgettable. The talking dogs, however, were undeniably hilarious.
Up In The Air
This is perhaps the anti-Avatar, a low-key film about real people with real lives. Well-directed by Jason Rietman and featuring outstanding performance from Vera Farminga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, and George Clooney, Up in the Air is ultimately a sad-eyed look at an America where people are afraid to connect and status symbols have replaced relationships.
Watchmen
Watchmen is, in many ways, a remarkable film. Based on Alan Moore's brilliantly satirical comic book, Watchmen remains remarkably faithful to its source material and doesn't compromise on just how surprisingly bleak and cynical Moore's vision really was. Billy Crudup (providing the voice of Dr. Manhattan) and Jackie Earle Haley both give brilliant performances. However, director Zack Snyder is a bit too indulgent for his own good (slow-mo action sequences are only effective when used sparingly) and Matthew Goode's villainy is a bit too obvious. The result is a flawed film with enough flashes of brilliance to be redeemable.
Where the Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze adapts the iconic children's book and the end result is a sad, rather adult film. Though definitely not for everyone, Where the Wild Things Are is ultimately a powerful movie about growing up and being forced to leave the wild things of youth behind.
World's Greatest Dad
This extremely dark comedy from Bobcat Goldthwait is prevented from achieving greatness by two unfortunate sins. First off, it has a happy ending that feels rather artificial and, as such, tends to make one forget how wonderfully cynical the movie had been up until that point. Number two, it features full frontal nudity from Robin Williams.
The Young Victoria
The latest entry in the popular Iconic-Figures-In-British-History-Had-Sex-Too genre of films, the Young Victoriashows some early promise before drowning in it's own attempts to keep royal history straight. Finally, at the film's conclusion, the filmmakers give up and end up fictionalizing a historical occurrence to such an extreme that it ends up cheapening everything that's come before it. Emily Blunt gives a good performance as Victoria but one never buys that she's going to grow up to become Judi Dench.
Zombieland
Finally, a movie about zombie has been made by zombie fans for zombie fans. A small group of living people (including a typically out-there Woody Harrelson) struggle to find happiness and love in the world of the undead. If nothing else, this movie deserves credit for addressing something I've often wondered about: when the dead walk the Earth, what happens to all the famous people?
