Top 10: 2009

More than most years, 2009 seems to be a year that no one can agree upon. Usually there seems to be a very strong consensus among critics what the top 10 or so movies of a given year are, but not this year. I can look at a top 10 list by a critic I respect and have it not match at all with another critic's list. And what's funny is that neither really matches with mine, nor does mine match with any of my friends'. This was such a diverse year in film that nothing stood out ahead of the pack. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe not, but either way, there's no denying there were a lot of interesting movies this year.

The running theme I noticed was how many messy, ambitious films came out this year. Filmmakers were really trying to be ambitious with their projects, and many failed to reach their lofty goals. And yet, those films became something more special for having tried to be bigger, different. Films like Funny People, Watchmen, Antichrist, The Informant, and Where the Wild Things Are were incredibly ambitious, and all failed on some level. And yet, those shortcomings made the films all the more fascinating. I will always take a failed masterpiece over something that plays by all the rules. While none of those films made my top 10, they deserve special mention for at least trying something.

So, without further ado, here are the greatest films of 2009.

10. Coraline

2009 may go down as one of the great years for animation. So many delightful animated films were released, and on top was Coraline. From Henry Selick, he who brought us Nightmare Before Christmas, this is a wonderfully weird and dark family film. In the character of Coraline, Selick found an offbeat and engaging heroine, one you could both route for and shake your head at simultaneously. The use of 3-D in this film also made me realize just what sorts of things were capable with the technology. Never used to beat you over the head, it brought you into the dual worlds Coraline exists in. Stop motion animation is a very exhausting and time consuming process, but I sincerely hope that Selick continues to champion it in the near future.

9. Adventureland

No film gets at the post college-grad life quite as perfectly as this one does: you know you've accomplished something great by getting a degree, but now what? Perhaps it is because I too had a pointless summer job post college graduation, but this film rang incredibly true to me. Sold as a raunchy Apatow comedy upon release, it is anything but. Filled with heartfelt moments, subtle humor, and engaging, conflicted characters, it is incredibly astute in its examination of a very specific moment in life. I admit, I can be a sucker for films that tap into a nostalgia for something in my past, and this film cut right to my heart. There are moments in life where you pause for a while and do something that seems meaningless at the time, but in retrospect it ends up being one of those great moments in your life. Adventureland gets the allure of those fleeting moments.

8. The Brothers Bloom

Following up his breakout film Brick, Rian Johnson makes a caper film that is every bit as fun. Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz are in top form, and the script is incredibly intelligent. It hits at a theme that I think resonates with everyone, yet few, if any films really tackle: life, if we're being honest, has no narrative. No matter how many biopics we see that try to turn a life story into a cohesive narrative, we all know it isn't true. And yet, we all try to make our own internal narratives anyway. We find important meanings to our lives, and we try to construct our own story based on them. The Bloom Brothers understand this, and they feed off of it to create elaborate cons in which the mark can play into their own imagined life narratives. It is such a life affirming movie.

7. Paranormal Activity

I am something of a horror film buff. Every October I put a dozen horror films at the top of my Netflix queue and just enjoy the most macabre and silly films I can find. I have seen essentially all the "Scariest Moves Ever," from The Exorcist to Nosferatu to Halloween. None scared me as much as Paranormal Activity. None even came close. The experience of seeing this in a theater with a large audience is something I will take with me for the rest of my days. People were shaking, people were sobbing. This film was overwhelming. Of course, the backlash will ensue, but those of us who saw it in a darkened theater when it was still this small thing know that it is terrifying. I know it's a film I will break out every few years for Halloween, hopefully scaring some unsuspecting friend who hasn't seen it yet.

6. The Cove

I know a lot of people can be quite resistant to documentaries. Docs can be so dry and dull, so full of themselves. And how could something that examines dolphin slaughtering in Japan not be that? Well, watch The Cove and find out. Framed like it is a heist film, a group of filmmakers and activists decide to find out what exactly goes on in a hidden cove in Japan. They all know that dolphins are being captured in that cove, but they have no proof of what becomes of those animals. The film is breathless in the way it shows how these people sneak into this forbidden cove and set up hidden cameras to document the slaughter going on. It is an eye opening film, but one that is equally entertaining. It's one of the few documentaries I would recommend to those who don't like the genre.

5. Moon

What a great year for sci-fi 2009 was. While we had big spectacle films like Star Trek and Avatar, Moon went a different route. More in the vein of Kubrick's 2001, Moon is small, quiet, thought provoking sci-fi. There are no villains, no action set pieces, just a lot of stuff to chew on. Somehow it was released without its central premise being given away, so I will keep to that in the hopes that you won't spoil it for yourself and just experience it. Sam Rockwell gives the best performance of his career, as a man working alone in a station on the moon. Things that seem like plot holes (why would anyone allow one man to work alone on the moon?) turn out to be major plot points, asking you to consider certain aspects of human nature. If you like your sci-fi small on scale but big on ideas, this film will delight you.

4. (500) Days of Summer

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is quickly becoming my favorite actor. 2009 was his break out year, thanks in large part to this film. What could have been a slight romantic comedy instead turned out to be a great meditation on what it means to be in a relationship with someone, and what that does to the two people. This film was filled with a number of year best moments, from the post-coital dance number to the devastating reality vs expectations scene. Like 2007's Once, this film is for anyone who knows what it's like to be in a relationship, and all the ups and downs that come along with that.

3. District 9

On the opposite spectrum from Moon, District 9 is the kind of grand sci-fi action film that, when done correctly, can really tap into the zeitgeist. Not content to just be empty spectacle, this film tackles racism in a new and interesting way. Framed as a documentary about the relocation of alien refugees in South Africa, the film features a breakout performance from Sharlto Copley. This is a rousing picture that never skimps on all the important things: characters, ideas, story. I am generally against sequels, but this is the rare film that actually demands to be continued. In a year filled with exciting new directors, director Neill Blomkamp is the one to really watch.

2. Up in the Air

As you have probably heard in a number of reviews, this is the film of the moment. There are certain films that you can watch if you want to know what the world was like at a specific moment in time, and Up in the Air is that to 2009. The idea of a man who fires people for living, himself uncertain of how long he has left in his own job, is a great way to look at these uncertain times. Filled to the brim with great performances, it is George Clooney who anchors it all. I like to watch actors stretch and try new things, but sometimes playing a variation of your persona is the most effective way to go. Director Jason Reitman rightly realizes that by utilizing Clooney, he is able to align us with this character much more easily than if it had been played by someone who had to stretch to play the part. Funny, emotional, intelligent, and just a great time at the movies, Up in the Air never misses a step from beginning to end.

1. Inglourious Basterds

What more can be said about Quentin Tarantino at this point? It's safe to assume that when he is gone, he will be looked back at with reverence and fascination in the same way we do with Kubrick, Hawks, Truffaut, and other iconoclasts of cinema. His best film since Pulp Fiction, this is a layered, unusual, and exciting film. For those simply looking for a good time, you have a great story told with exciting flourishes and dynamic acting. But for those willing to dig a bit deeper, you have a meditation on the power of language and propaganda. Every chapter in the film plays a part in Tarantino's examination of how we use words to our advantage. Be it that brilliant opening scene (May we switch to English?), or the first meeting between Hans Landa and Aldo (Bonjourno!), how people use language is the dominating factor throughout the movie. And indeed, Landa (played to perfection by Christoph Waltz) may be the character of the year. I can think of no character that was more engaging, more interesting, and more unpredictable, than he. Inglourious Basterds is just that perfect fusion of filmmaker, concept, actors, and ideas that comes around all too rarely.

Paranormal Activity

When a horror film is done right, when it hits exactly all the right notes, it is the best movie going experience. Fear is such a powerful emotion, it is fascinating to experience it. Films like The Exorcist, The Haunting, or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can bring out a stronger emotional reaction from an audience than just about any other movie, period. Unfortunately, films like those come around maybe 3 or 4 times a decade, if we're lucky. The vast majority of horror films are simply made up of copious gore and jump moments. This decade especially has been devoid of any real classic horror films, with studios opting instead to remake every horror film imaginable. So when a little film called Paranormal Activity popped in out of nowhere, I took notice. It seemed to rely more on atmosphere than violence, something that goes a long way in a good horror film. Still, a film that derives scares from loud noises and lights flickering has to be exceptionally well done to avoid looking very silly. It's not an easy thing to pull off, especially on such a low budget. Thankfully, Paranormal Activity doesn't look silly at all. Indeed, it is downright terrifying.

The film, as you have probably heard, owes a lot to The Blair Witch Project. Like that film, it's a low budget indie film that some friends decided to make over a week. It's shot as if it is found footage from a couple who decided to look for paranormal activity in their house. You have to get into the right mindset for this kind of film, or else it won't work on you. However, if you can embrace it, it will frighten you like few other films have. It follows the couple as they realize that their house is haunted not by a ghost, but by a demon. One might wonder: why not leave the house then? That is answered in such a simple, logical, and terrifying way that it makes you feel almost as helpless as the characters in the film. There is no escape for the characters, and thus, none for the audience as well.

The film is basically a series of tension building scenes that just become more and more unbearable as the film progresses. At first we see doors open and close or hear loud stomping coming from the hallway, but these things become more and more intrusive and dangerous. There are so many moments that stand out as utterly scary, that it becomes useless to list them. One that I will mention is when the demon decides to grab somebody and take them with him down the hall. We've assumed up until this point that the demon will only interact with the object in the house, not the people. So when it happens, this moment comes seemingly out of nowhere and hits you very hard. And it's only the tip of the iceberg. While the demon in question is never seen, its presence it palpable. The filmmakers used very trick they could think of to make this thing feel so menacing, and it pays off.

I can honestly say I've never been this scared by a movie before. It took me by complete surprise. The way it draws you into the experience, it becomes overpowering at times. The screams from audience members were constant throughout the film, and people were physically shaking after it was over. Given how many horrible horror films we've had the last decade, I think a lot of people have forgotten just what it's like to be genuinely scared by a movie. I'm not talking about things jumping out at you and making you jump in your seat. This film creates honest dread in you as you watch it, and it is hard to shake once it's over. It's not the most eloquently put together movie, but as a horror film, it stands out to me as one of the most effective - if not the most effective - that I have ever seen. If you care at all about horror films, you owe it to yourself to see this movie. Because, honestly, who knows when we'll ever get something quite this scary again.