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1. Inglourious Basterds — Who hasn’t wanted to sneer through the smoke like a cackling spectre while burning down a cinema full of people? Uh, Nazis… I meant Nazis.
2. Antichrist — The feel-good date movie of the year for misanthropes. Mutilation, night terrors, disemboweled foxes… and yet, Lars von Trier’s grind/arthouse horror was somehow less excruciating than (500) Days of Summer.
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox — Not as funny as Lars von Trier’s fox, but definitely better-dressed. Wes Anderson could make these forever.
4. Coraline — Stop-motion ruled animation this year. Did Up have a circus of jumping mice? No, it did not.
5. A Serious Man — Just like The Neverending Story, except with Jews versus the Nothing. When the existential tornado arrives, I hope they’re playing Jefferson Airplane.
6. Up in the Air — A recession zeitgeist movie starring a corporate life crisis — who cares, right? Jason Reitman makes it feel like Lost in Transit for anyone without a fixed abode.
7. Jennifer’s Body — Critics can be such schmucks. This isn’t horror, it’s a hormonal high school apocalypse and Hell is a teenage girl. How very.
8. Adventureland — This is what the cast of Freaks and Geeks would have grown up to become, rather than so many Apatow bros.
9. The Box — Moon was great ’70s sci-fi, but this went way loopier… and with Scott Walker on the soundtrack. Richard Kelly may be the Orson Welles of parallel-world nonsense yet.
10. Public Enemies — Jean-Pierre Melville is spinning in his grave — and he’s got a high-def camera and Marion Cotillard with him.
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1. Inglourious Basterds — Because Quentin Tarantino improved on history. I understand that vengeance is not a healthy emotion but I want in on this revenge story. Also, he used cinema as a weapon. The scene in the Parisienne movie house is a Jewish cinephile’s wet dream!
2. A Serious Man — Beautifully shot, occasionally excruciating to watch, a tad indulgent but clever enough to get away with it…pretty typical Coen brothers fare. Its message about personal responsibility inspired me to take definitive action in my life. It changed me, which is pretty much what you want from a movie.
3. Star Trek — I am not a Trekkie. In fact, this was my first real introduction to the franchise. Watching J. J. Abrams tackle deep space was like watching John Ford make a Western. Also, at one point, I had to sit on my hands to stop myself from punching the air.
4. Watchmen — I honestly don’t understand why the whole world did not fall in love with this movie. It was like watching the graphic novel leap into life. Sure, it got a little operatic towards the end but I suspended all disbelief and was immersed by its beauty and soundtrack.
5. Ponyo — This movie made me smile for three days straight after watching it. Everything in life should be this sweet. I only saw the Japanese subtitled version. I was scared that if I saw the English dubbed version that it might make some sense and I would lose the magic.
6. Coraline — Because creepy beautiful is the most beautiful of all. I loved the grotesque art and the sinister characters and, most of all, those little black button eyes. Also, it was an excellent example of how 3-D can be used to enhance a story, rather than throwing it in just because you can.
7. Anvil! The Story of Anvil — Because I expected to laugh at them but ended up admiring them immensely. Also, I laughed so hard I almost peed.
8. The September Issue — Anna Wintour is a legend and I was desperate to have a sneak peek at her. In the end, she did not interest me nearly as much as everyone else’s reaction to her. It was about her power, not her. And Grace Coddington. I want to be Grace Coddington when I grow up.
9. Samson and Delilah — It felt like being punched in the face for most of the viewing but ultimately it was so hopeful that it made me believe in the resilience of youth and love.
10. The Class — The lines between the real and the performed slip away in this faux doco set in a tough, inner-city Parisienne school. I was fascinated not just by the struggles of the children but also the banal disputes of the teaching staff. Almost a year later and I still think of it.
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1. Mesrine — Vincent Cassel delivers a powerhouse performance as notorious French gangster and ‘Public Enemy Number One’, Jacques Mesrine. Running over two parts (à la Ché), Jean-Francois Richet’s non-stop, high-octane ride screamed Best Foreign Language Oscar for 2009, but missed out. Outstanding, regardless.
2. A Serious Man — Was it the fact that the Coen brothers were exploring their own Jewish roots/routes in the Mid West which made this their finest film yet? The characterisation is classic quirky Coens, the finale far bleaker that we could have possibly imagined. Utter genius.
3. Inglourious Basterds — It had been five long years since Kill Bill, but Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious’ return to form didn’t disappoint. Among the many highlights: Christopher Waltz’s outstanding comedic performance as Colonel Hans Landa — and the sublime use of David Bowie’s original “Cat People” to take us home. Bang!
4. Antichrist — Always up for a spot of shock, Denmark’s Lars von Trier outdid himself with this horrifically bleak take on loss, longing and insanity. Charlotte Gainsbourg deservedly won Best Actress at Cannes — and a pair of scissors would never look the same again. Cut!
5. Gomorrah — Crime, crime and more crime — life on the projects in southern Italy is anything but fun and general life expectancy is brief. Echoing the brutal grit and harsh realities that we saw so vividly in City of God, Gomorrah just made it all 10 times more real and disturbing. Breathtaking stuff.
6. Tyson — Brutally honest to-camera confessionals with the fallen former boxing champ, presented in a highly imaginative, split-screen fashion, James Toback’s astonishing film rewrote the rulebook for documentary filmmakers (Tyson was to suffer further tragedy after its release). A knockout.
7. Let the Right One In — While the world was going gaga over Twilight‘s vampiric teen pin-ups, Sweden’s Tomas Alfredson quietly delivered this fang-tastic modern classic. It’s poetic, it’s atmospheric, it’s beautiful — and it’s utterly unmissable.
8. Anvil! The Story of Anvil — A rock ‘n’ roll love story of mateship and unbreakable loyalty featuring two of the most likeable characters you’re ever likely to see in music. Anvil was the band that never quite made it — the perennial underdogs who refused to quit. Thirty years later, they finally get their chance — all thanks to this triumph of the human spirit. The finest music documentary yet.
9. The Box — After the misfire of Southland Tales, Donnie Darko‘s Richard Kelly was beginning to seem like a distant memory. That all changed with this very welcome return to form, boasting fine performances from Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella, and a killer script that left the conspiracy theory door wide open.
10. Up — James Cameron reinvented the wheel with 3-D and global dystopia (albeit with some trademark sugar coating), and animation was everywhere in 2009 — and none better than Pixar’s typically assured stroke of storytelling genius. Kids and grown-ups alike applauded this ace crowd-pleaser. Wonderful.
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1. Avatar — As a sci-fi fan, this had an emotional impact, as well as the obvious visual one. It ticks so many ‘sci-fi’ boxes in a stylish way, it’s hard not to get carried away. A new level for blockbuster films to aspire to. It’s The Jazz Singer of 3-D. No blockbuster will ever come out in 2-D again.
2. Let The Right One In — A beautifully unsettling film, masterfully directed; swelling any Swedish-born heart with pride.
3. District 9 — Tremendous fun, a carefully built story, great special effects.
4. Star Trek — The used universe and the shiny new look coupled with plenty of swash and buckle to produce a slam dunk.
5. Moon — Duncan Jones took it back to 1973, Sam Rockwell gave the performance of the year. Better than most of the films it pays homage to.
6. Up — Did you cry? I didn’t. I held the tears back. Any movie with Zeppelins and talking dogs gets the big thumbs up from me.
7. Gran Torino — Clint Eastwood is still the toughest tough guy in the history of tough guys.
8. The Box — Stylish tension in a wonderfully crafted suspense thriller — a rare lamb in the current film environment.
9. Zombieland — Zombie slaying has never been more fun. Will resolve to work on my cardio.
10. Inglourious Basterds — Christoph Waltz’s performance, the sheer attention to detail and the glorious romp through a cinematic history of violence made this a tremendous return to form for Quentin Tarantino.
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1. Up — Pixar perfection. It’s as simple as that. Though it’s still baffling to note how the story of a cantankerous old man, a boy scout and a talking dog can be fodder for the funniest and most touching film of 2009. Point!
2. Bright Star — Jane Campion’s latest portrait of a lady is utterly sublime. Grieg Fraser’s resplendent cinematography and evocative lead performances breathe life into the love shared of Fanny Brawne and John Keats, as well as the luminous letters and poetry it spawned.
3. Moon — Zowie Bowie (aka Duncan Jones) delivers a stellar debut with his one man meets moonrock play. The Sam Rockwells shoulder the story superbly, while Jones’ restrained pacing doesn’t overstay its welcome on the moon.
4. An Education — Lynn Barber’s youthful dalliance with an older man makes for superb viewing in the hands of Nick Hornby and Lone Scherfig. Pitch-perfect performances all round. Oscar for Carey Mulligan please.
5. District 9 — Neill Blomkamp’s explosive debut is a near-perfect sci-fi action adventure as well as a provocative parable of post-Apartheid South Africa. Oh, and a kick-ass shoot-’em-up. I’m no gamer, but someone needs to let Blomkamp make Halo. Stat.
6. Inglourious Basterds — Though overly talky and utterly self indulgent, there’s no question that Tarantino delivers. His heretically revisionist take on WWII is stylishly shot, with brilliant banter and great performances (excepting Eli Roth, who shouldn’t give up his day job). Oscar for Christoph Waltz please.
7. Che — Steven Soderbergh’s biopic of the infamous revolutionary is an epic achievement. Beautifully realised on the RED camera, Benicio Del Toro embodies the icon as well as the distinctly more fragile man.
8. Genova — Michael Winterbottom’s langorous, contemplative ode to grief is as sophisticated as it is simple. The slow pace and observational style allows the audience to take part in the mourning and healing that takes place within Genova’s winding streets.
9. Balibo — Robert Conolly’s taut, captivating political thriller had better enjoy a cracking DVD life, for it went scandalously unnoticed at the cinema. This fascinating look back to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and the Australian journalists caught in the middle absolutely deserves to be seen.
10. (500) Days of Summer — This shameless indie rom-com puts a smile on the face of this Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel and The Smiths fan. Toying with time and the fourth wall, this is a wry and very fun story about love (not a love story).
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Thanks to Zombieland I know how to survive the possibility of a zombie apocalypse. The Hangover was equally amusing by shaking up the tired old road trip comedy genre with some much-needed fresh humour. A Serious Man had the perfect recipe of dark comedy, human drama and Coen brothers expertise. An Education also took me on a compelling journey, this time through a young girl’s bumpy rite of passage, played impeccably by newcomer Carey Mulligan. (500) Days of Summer was exactly how a love story should be told, with a sense of humour, realistic characters and brutal, unflinching honesty. Moon made me feel as though I were trapped in an incredibly haunting dream, much like Avatar (apart from the tedious dialogue), District 9 and Lars von Trier’s Antichrist did. However, my number one film of 2009 is definitely Tarantino’s masterpiece, Inglourious Basterds. By far the most exhilarating film that I saw all year, Basterds was exciting, original, artistic (without being overly pretentious) and, most importantly, it was a fun ride.
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Moon
3. A Serious Man
4. Zombieland
5. Antichrist
6. District 9
7. The Hangover
8. An Education
9. (500) Days of Summer
10. Avatar
