Writing this list was nothing short of headache inducing. Why? Because this has been nothing short of a fantastic year for movies. If you told me earlier this year that Adventureland, Watchmen, World’s Greatest Dad, 500 Days of Summer and even Drag Me to Hell wouldn’t be making my favorite films list I would have called you crazy. That goes for another handful of excellent to even great films that aren’t on this list. This was a fantastic year to be a cinephile or even the average joe movie goer. More importantly, this year was another reminder of why we love movies. There’s been a countless number of films that have transported us to other worlds and introduced us to new characters that we loved and felt for. That is a part of the magic of cinema and this year is proof of that. With all that smaltzy intro fluff out of the way, here are my favorite films of the year and even more mentioning of very good to great films that aren’t in the final fifteen:
Another batch of honorable mentions: An Education, The Informant, Coraline, Antichrist, Public Enemies and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
15. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
It’s crazy, dark and insanely hilarious. After a long streak of duds, Nicholas Cage finally made a triumphant return to greatness with his creation of Terence McDonagh. Bad Lieutenant has very little to do with the 1992 film and is a fantastic parody of the “dirty” cop genre. This won’t go down as one of Herzog’s best films, but will definitely stand out as a highlight in his already great filmography.
14. The Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson’s follow-up to the great Brick lived up to the promise he showed in his feature film debut. The Brothers Bloom was disappointingly overlooked in theaters and divided critics, but will most likely soon find an audience. This is a film that is sure to gain a following that will cherish it — as they should. It’s not overly quirky, it’s not emotionally hollow and yes, the script is wonderfully smart. Who couldn’t like Bloom, Penelope, Stephen and even Bang Bang?
13. Funny People
Funny People is Judd Apatow’s best film yet. Unlike his previous films, it has a genuine sense of style and extremely well executed drama. Adam Sandler gave another reminder of his range as a dramatic actor. Apatow also still shows his true knack for hilarity and crafting characters we can care for and invest in. It’s an excellent film.
12. Avatar
It’s no Aliens, it’s not Terminator 2: Judgement Day and it isn’t even on the level with the first Terminator film… With that said, Avatar is still a fantasy epic that defines a movie going event. The same old story worked. Jake Sully was a compelling hero, and of course the visuals were awe inspiring. The dialog isn’t nearly as sharp as it should be and it holds the film back, but Avatar still remains a highly entertaining and emotionally involving journey.
11. District 9
District 9 may not have been so good when it came to subtlety nor making the relationship between Wikus and his wife contain emotional weight, but even with that baggage Neil Blomkamp’s directorial debut is still nothing short of exhilarating. From the racist and unlikable protagonist, the photo real prawns and the terrific action sequences Blomkamp managed to create a wonderful new world.
10. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The past few films in the Potter series have been getting more mature and, more importantly, better. The Half Blood Prince is the latest and best entry into an already excellent franchise. This is undoubtedly on level with or possibly even tops The Prison of Azkaban. Harry Potter is still the lead we can easily cheer for, Ron is still a sidekick that doesn’t annoy us and Hermione is still that pretentious student we love.
9. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson past two films didn’t quite rank up with the greatness of The Royal Tenenbaums or Rushmore, but The Fantastic Mr. Fox did. If there was ever film that was consistently hilarious and yet completely beautiful to look at it, it would be The Fantastic Mr. Fox. That’s the type of film like that doesn’t come around too often and they deserved to be embraced. As a quick side-note, I happen to love The Life Aquatic but it’s no Rushmore or Royal Tenenbaums.
8. The Hurt Locker
Besides the excellent Strange Days and the ultra cool Near Dark, Kathryn Bigelow’s filmography has mostly consisted of fun B-movies. The Hurt Locker changed that. It defines intensity. The Hurt Locker is a look into the psyche of soldiers. Does one have to be crazy to do what William James does in the film? That’s a question the film poses along with plenty of more left for interpretation. There’s also plenty of great action set pieces that make one feel quite disoriented.
7. Moon
Duncan Jones’s directorial debut is ambitious and original. Jones made a five million dollar film that is a few leagues ahead of the other science fiction films we’ve seen this year. Another reason why it’s so great: Sam Rockwell’s performance. His Sam Bell ranks amongst his best with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Snow Angels and who could forget his iconic Guy Fleegman from Galaxy Quest? It didn’t quite get its due in theaters, but will soon inevitably gain the attention a gem like this deserves.
6. A Single Man
A Single Man was another addition to this year’s long line of great directorial debuts. Tom Ford made a heartbreaking tale on grief, loss and ultimately death. Ford filled the screen with striking imagery and made sure it was supplied with a wonderful score to support these themes along with Colin Firth’s incredible performance. Everyone is spot on when they hail it as Firth’s best performance.
5. Up in the Air
Can George Clooney do no wrong? From the looks of it, not anymore. Ryan Bingham easily could have been hateable, but like most of his films Clooney brought along a sense of charm and sadness. This was a great year for Clooney and this is one of his best performances yet — up there with Three Kings and Out of Sight. Jason Reitman seems to be improving with each feature and this is his best yet.
4. UP
Who’s not a sucker for Pixar? Obviously people with no souls and a cold black heart. Anyone who’s inept of falling in love with Carl Fredricksen and Russell should have their mental state questioned. They’re a duo for the ages. They’re nothing short of lovable and even the dog Doug earns that status of pure lovability. Lovable is the best way to describe Up. It’s a beautiful film and that fact is established from the glorious opening.
3. Inglorious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino’s best? Maybe not. But another Tarantino classic? Most likely: yes. This ensemble was somewhat miss-marketed as the “action event of the summer” and in retrospect, in many ways it was. Tarantino’s dialog and build ups are exciting and blow away any other action sequence seen during that season of Transformers and G.I. Joe. Three other reasons why this is a great film ensemble: Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, and Michael Fassbender. Their show stealing performances deserve the overused term: tour-de-force.
2. A Serious Man
Another great Coen brother’s film? Really? Who would’ve thought. A Serious Man ended up being the cliché most people predicted — aka another terrific film from the Coen brothers. Their latest is a darkly comedic and profound tale of a man’s life that’s on autopilot and he’s finally having to deal with the repercussions. It’s hilarious, sad and the ending is utter brilliance.
1. Where the Wild Things Are
Simply moving, heartfelt and full of pure beauty. Spike Jonze once again delivered a magnificent film that may also be his best. It’s not too often a realistic look on childhood is shown in films. We generally get the annoying smart kids (the sister in 500 Days of Summer) or just the average goody-too-shoes. Max Records is neither of those things. He needs someone to emotionally rely on, can’t express himself, and even talks like an actual kid kid. Where the Wild Things Are is truly magnificent.
What did you think of this list? Did you agree with it? What would you omit, change or add in?
