After developing a list of thirty incredible films from 2009 that I enjoyed more than the rest, I was forced to choose only fifteen of those to call my “favorite films” of 2009. Like choosing fifteen orphans to take home and love and fifteen orphans to march off a cliff, I begrudgingly chose my fifteen favorite films of 2009. Staring at the list for what seemed like hours on end I ultimately decided to stop even trying to make a “final” decision and stick with my gut. Even if my gut immediately disagrees with my brain and vice-versa. As painful as it was to decide on these films and leave out so many other great ones, whether you agree with what is on my list or the order of my list is really not too important. What is important is that you see these films. 2009 was a great year for cinema. To only see the large films that had the budget to saturate your daily dose of advertising mania, no matter how great those films may be, would be a shame. 2009 proved the art of cinema is still alive and well, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. Don’t take my word for it — go see these films. You may not love them as much as I did, but joining in on the discussion, whether for or against, is all that really matters. So without further avoidance of the inevitable, This is my fifteen favorite films of 2009. I really enjoyed them and I hope you do too.
Honorable mentions: The Girlfriend Experience, Up In The Air, Observe and Report, The Cove, The Hurt Locker, The Road
15. Humpday
Friends who haven’t seen one another in a decade have grown apart and developed into different men since college. Mark Duplass is married and establishing his life as a stable family man, and Joshua Leonard still lives his promiscuous single life free of worry or obligation. Reunited they make a pact, while drunk, to enter a local art porn festival by filming themselves having sex. Unfortunately, both of the long time buddies are heterosexual and both of them refuse to blink in this perverted game of chicken. Humpday runs head first into the issues that naturally arise in questioning the extent and boundaries inherent in male friendship and intimacy.
14. Away We Go
Sam Mendes portrays a poignant and pitch perfect representation of the struggle to find your place in the world amidst the confusion of relationships, the difficulty of parenting and the unending journey of discovering where you truly belong. Heartfelt and endearing performances by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph will either fly past you in a breeze of misunderstood indie fare or they will connect with you on a deeply personal level of which few films have been able to recently. It displays the reality of coming to terms with the fear and worry of a future that is unknown and unavoidable and the hope and optimism we all must find in spite of it. Beautiful, understated and minimal, Away We Go is a solid indie romantic comedy that tries to invoke an introspective feel in the audience with the level of charm and heartfelt emotional resonance that Sam Mendes is known for.
13. A Serious Man
When your life is on autopilot for too long you begin to lose sight of reality. Day to day you continue on in your routines and your safety net unaware that the world may be changing around you. Larry Gopnik was guilty of this and Larry Gopnik woke up one day to a whirlwind of realization — his world was unraveling and it was too late. Burdened with a clearly tragic fate, yet a clearly warranted one at that, Gopnik struggles to understand why everything is falling down around him. He tried so hard to be a serious man; or so he thought. Rich with theological themes and the harsh reality of the world in spite of faith, The Coen Brother’s most recent and possibly best film yet asks a loaded question: What’s the point?
12. The Class
Editor’s Note: I am aware that The Class had a limited U.S. release on December 19th, 2008; however, It was not released in my location until well into 2009. That being said, I really wanted to include it; as it was, obviously, one my favorite films of the year. So please be gentle, as these are my “favorites” more than they are the “best” films of 2009. Thanks for reading!
The struggle to win the minds of children and educate them in a society where the poor urban areas are growing and the economy is in decline is not an issue isolated to any one country. The Class is a lesson in cinematic realism that feels so natural and relaxed that it could be mistaken for a documentary. Engaging and often exhilarating in its exposition of conflict, The Class offers a glimpse into the struggles of breaking through to students in the widely diverse classrooms that are common place in the world today.
11. Gomorrah
Organized crime that is far from the glamorous worlds of the Corleones or Sopranos we’ve became accustomed to, Matteo Garrone‘s Gomorrah has one thing those other crime films could never attain: the brutal reality of the Neapolitan mafia — real circumstances that people live with everyday. A disturbing look into the everyday life of many slum inhabiting Italians in the south of Italy, the Comorra is a real world mafia and Garrone’s depiction is unflinching in its naturalistic realism and brutality.
10. Star Trek
No one expected the reboot of the Star Trek franchise to be so well received by the mainstream and the Star Trek fans. The film had to either cater to the mainstream and abandon its real followers or stick to its roots and continue the Star Trek reputation of being a property accessible only by a pre-established demographic. J.J. Abrams defied all the odds and did both. Satisfying the needs of the Trekkers and bringing in new fans in droves, the Star Trek reboot is one of the most fun and re-watchable blockbusters of 2009.
9. The Brothers Bloom
The Brothers Bloom is an eccentric new installment into the con artist genre that is ripe with charm and intelligence. Great performances by Adrian Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz make this one of the most enjoyable films of the year with a wealth of substance for those interested in the romantic side of the story as well as those interested in the mystery and cleverness of these master con artists. Rian Johnson maintains his reputation of creating solid, unique and original films following his well received Brick of 2005, and will surely establish himself as one of the great American filmmakers of this generation.
8. Sin Nombre
It is nearly unbelievable that Sin Nombre is Cary Fukunaga’s breakout film. The level of detail of this film is that of a seasoned filmmaker or at least someone that has a long established intimate knowledge of the world he was creating; neither was the case. Fukunaga spent two years researching the film by traveling and living in the same dangerous world he brought to screen. With a very real and personal feel, Sin Nombre shows the heartbreaking and dangerous life of immigrants heading north to the United States to where they believe they will have a better life. Very naturalistic performances and cinematography lends a near documentary drama feel to this striking and harrowing account of survival in a world where poverty and crime are king.
7. World’s Greatest Dad
World’s Greatest Dad is one of the most shocking, perverse and wry dark comedies of the decade with a twist that is totally unexpected and will blow you out of the water. Not everyone could handle a film that has no qualms with proudly wearing such horrible depths of depravity, but if you can stomach it, Robin Williams’ performance and the insanity of the screenplay make this an unbelievably audacious film.
6. (500) Days of Summer
Marc Webb created one of the most refreshing and inventive date movies of the past few years with great performances by Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Lighthearted but at the same time deeply affecting and personal to nearly everyone who watches it, (500) Days of Summer isn’t a love story; it’s a story about love. We all love the happy endings that most romance movies give us, but they are far from reality. Sometimes we need some reality to give us perspective. Love isn’t always clean or hopeful, and Webb expertly captures the naiveté and innocence that we fall victim to in heartbreak and the effect it has on our lives.
5. Where The Wild Things Are
One of the most beautiful and pure films in recent memory, Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s timeless children’s story is an incredible achievement in cinema and a heartfelt journey to the best, and darkest, moments of your childhood. Max is ten years old and the weight of dealing with his family not paying much attention to him pushes him to create a world of monsters to escape to. A world where he is king. Where The Wild Things Are is a short children’s book of only 48 pages and around 340 words total, brilliantly expounded on by Dave Eggers and vividly brought to life by Spike Jonze.
4. Moon
A science fiction film of the purist order that asks thought provoking questions of existentialism and the nature of paranoia. Duncan Jones’ directorial debut reminds the world that classic sci-fi is not dead and it doesn’t take a budget equivalent to the GNP of a small Central American country to succeed at it. This Philip K. Dick-esque throw back to the classic sci-fi of yore was made with an astounding meager sum of $5 million dollars. If Duncan Jones can skillfully create so much with so little I am truly excited to the direction his career takes him.
3. In The Loop
The spot on political satire of In The Loop with the witty and snappy comedic dialogue the British are known for creates what could easily be the funniest film of the year. Vicious in its depiction of the day to day power struggles of The United States and The United Kingdom, we can only hope that if our governments are this asinine and over-the-top that they are at least this funny as well. In The Loop is a grown up comedy that points out the scariest realities of our world with an extremely tight and brilliant screenplay that could only be scribed by a British hand.
2. Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire
Precious is the cinematic equivalent of being punched in the gut. Precious doesn’t pity herself and she has came to terms with the realities of her life so she is rarely openly emotional, but she has a life that is hardly imaginable. Finding hope and a drive to continue in the dark depths of humanity where Precious lives everyday seems nearly impossible yet somehow she keeps going. At the end of this movie you will be an emotional wreck and thankful for the what now seem like minor problems in your life.
1.Inglourious Basterds
The meticulous care and knowledge that Quentin Tarantino puts in his films not only makes incredibly enjoyable pieces of cinema with a quality and charm that is almost completely snuffed out of Hollywood, but in his films he always pays his respects to the films and filmmakers that paved the road for him to be where he is today. Tarantino is the ultimate film geek’s filmmaker and he is dedicated as well as unapologetic in the pursuit of his craft. Every frame of Tarantino’s alternate reality World War II experience is rich with life and all the fervor you can possibly stomach. Incredible performances from an ensemble cast create a palpable world that ellicits a physical reaction every time you watch. Tarantino’s masterful dialogue is executed perfectly in multiple languages throughout the film with a standout performance by Christoph Waltz. There is never a dull moment in The Inglourious Basterds and the climactic scene the most insane and awe inspiring moments of rewritten history ever put to film. As Brad Pitt said in an interview, to Quentin “the set is church, the script is the bible, and he [Tarantino] is God.” The skill, energy and personal care that Tarantino puts in his films reminds us what the cinema is and reminds us why we still line up to buy his tickets.
Do you agree with the list? What were your favorites this year?