Best Films of 2009

So I realize that I have been lacking a bit on the rankings portion of the blog, but lately I've been trying to watch as many films as possible from 2009 so that I could form my personal list of my favorites from last year. There are still a number of movies that I would like to see that could possibly make my list but have yet to come out on DVD such as A Prophet, The Road, The White Ribbon, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Most Dangerous Man in America, Ajami, and Me and Orson Welles. When I get the opportunity to watch these films I'll be sure to include them on the blog and also mention if they would have ended up making my top 10 list of 2009. Overall, I though 2009 was a fairly weak year for Hollywood. Here are my personal favorites beginning with number 10.

10) The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is easily the best film ever made about the war in Iraq (I don't consider Brothers a war film). Not only does it give the audience a feeling of what life is like as a soldier in Iraq but it also works as a character study of a man who is obsessed by his desire to fight. The film has earned all the rave reviews and awards it has received and I believe it will go down as an important film in American history.

9) Brothers
One of my favorite directors is Jim Sheridan , who more often than not successfully captures the hardships of human emotions (Check Out My Left Foot if you have not seen it). In Brothers Sheridan explores the relationships between a family plagued by the memories of war. After returning home from severe trauma in Iraq, Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) begins suspecting his wife (Natalie Portman) of having an affair with his brother (Jake Gyllenhaal). Are his instincts correct or has the hardships of being in Iraq left him paranoid? This film successfully demonstrates how war can affect one's personal life and an individual's family. It is also another great film by one of Hollywood's best filmmakers.

8) Watchmen
Unlike most other superhero movies, the heroes within Watchmen are not necessarily good or evil but are simply human beings (with the exception of Dr. Manhattan). Every one of the so-called heroes have different reasons for dressing up as a Batman wannabe, yet from one degree or another they all feel as if they need to try and make a difference in the corrupted world they live in. This film is a massive character study as well as fictionalized look at criminal life in American cities (the city is meant to be New York). This was easily the best superhero film of 2009.

7) Avatar
Sure the story may not have been original, but the visuals are by far the most impressive of any film ever made. Avatar is like a spectacular fireworks show, you may have seen them before but never as big or as awe-inspiring. One of the best times I had at the movies this year.

6) Moon
Moon is a superior small budget film thanks to its original story, clever dialogue, great visuals and a fantastic performance by Sam Rockwell. Besides District 9, this was the best science fiction film of 2009. Although it was made for less than a couple million dollars, it is much more entertaining than the majority of high tech films released.

5) Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Bad Lieutenant is one of the most interesting pieces of filmmaking of 2009. At times it can get a little weird, but if you enjoy movies that challenge viewers and keep you guessing, Bad Lieutenant should not be missed. Both Herzog and Cage are allowed to unleash their inner creativity and the result is unlike anything you've ever seen before.

4) Sin Nombre
What I love about foreign films is that they often make viewers realize the hardships of common people in other parts of the world. Sure most of us have our day to day problems but the majority of Americans do not have to worry about starving to death or getting killed in a war. Sin Nombre follows a Latin American family as well as a young gang member who are all attempting to escape the brutal criminal life and poverty plaguing most Latin American cities. After watching this movie I completely sympathized with all illegal immigrants who are simply trying to make a better life for themselves. This is an amazing movie and one of the most powerful films of the year.

3) (500) Days of Summer
There was no film over the past year that I could relate to more than 500 Days of Summer. The emotions felt and expressed by the main character in this film are exactly what most people go through after a hard break-up. Yet the great thing about this film is it demonstrates the humor in those situations and despite how miserable you may be at the time, everyone goes through the same thing and eventually learns from it. There is something unique and superior about a film that strives to be honest. In this aspect 500 Days of Summer is one of the best romantic comedies of the decade.

2) District 9
Sure the action sequences are visually stunning but District 9 is so much deeper because it demonstrates how people naturally treat anybody or anything dissimilar as less superior. The aliens in this film are not necessarily evil, but because they look different and have their own way of life they are treated as savages. When the main character begins transforming into an alien himself, the scientist do not attempt to help him but want to use his body as a means to acquire power. Despite being a film about aliens, this film feels realistic because it explores pragmatic human instincts and emotions. It is easily the most original and best sci-fi film of the year and decade.

1) Up in the Air
Up in the Air is not a movie that supports the actions of a particular character. Instead it simply presents realistic relationships and allows the audience to decide for themselves who is right and who is wrong. This is what makes Up in the Air so clever. This movie is one of the smartest movies I've seen in years, which for me makes it one of the best films of the decade.

Review of Mulholland Dr.

Before viewing Mulholland Drive (2001) I was prepared for a bizarre experience primarily because David Lynch has made some of the most abnormal movies ever created (Blue Velvet and Eraserhead). Although I was one of the few people who hated Blue Velvet I went into viewing Mulholland Drive with high expectations because the film was met with such high praise from critics. I was disappointed to say the least. After watching the film I immediately went to Roger Ebert's review of the film to see if I had missed anything within the story or in Lynch's camerawork. I had not but I was intrigued by Ebert's last paragraph in which he states that if you need your movies to contain logic, Mulholland Drive is not the film for you. Personally for me I enjoy movies in which the connections are made clear between the characters as well as a storyline which makes sense. In my opinion Mulholland Drive has neither, which made it almost impossible for me to care about what happened within the plot. I'll admit that there is some interesting camerawork done as well as some entertaining scenes, but the majority of the time I was so distracted by the ridiculous occurrences in the story that I simply did not care what was happening on screen by the time the movie reached the half-way point.

I am all up for films that require you to come up with your own interpretation to what is happening but there is a difference between challenging the viewer and straight up confusing the audience beyond words. Mulholland Drive falls in the latter category. So if you like asking yourself the question, What the fuck is going on? every five minutes, Mulholland Drive is the film for you. Otherwise avoid it at all cost.

RANKING: 2.2/5.0

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Review of Panic

It has long been debated whether genetics or the environment have more of an effect on childhood development. Although there are many cases supporting and disapproving both theories, it is hard to argue against the fact that children raised in a hostile environment are usually aggressive themselves. In Henry Bromell's Panic (2000) Alex (William H. Macy) was trained to be an assassin at a very young age by his father (Donald Sutherland). After a childhood of practicing on squirrels, rabbits, and other animals, Alex becomes the primary hitman in his father's family business of contract killing. Years go by and Alex never complains about having to assassinate numerous people (some innocent). However, eventually Alex realizes that he is suffering from severe depression and he can't figure out why. He has a loving family, yet he aspires for a dramatic change in not only his occupation but his entire lifestyle. In an attempt to transform his life, Alex begins forming a romantic friendship with a young girl (Neve Campbell) he meets at his psychologist's office. Also, for the first time he begins to stand up to his parents, who have always demanded perfection from him especially when working on the job. The relationships that Alex has with the people closest to him including his psychiatrist and his new love interest are what make Panic a superior thriller.

Personally my favorite scenes are the flashback sequences in which Alex's father (Donald Sutherland) teaches his son the art of murder. All of these scenes have a very creepy undertone caused by the way Sutherland reacts lightly to the murdering of innocent animals and people. Very few actors are able to pull this off to the same extent as Sutherland does, which can also be seen in one of my favorite films from the 1980s called Eye of the Needle (1981). Overall, Panic may be hard to find at Blockbuster or Movie Gallery since it was such a low-budget film, but if you are a member of Instant Netflix it is definitly worth your time. Although there are not many action sequences, it is more thrilling than most films.

RATING: 4.0/5.0

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Review of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

It is a hard fact of life that respectable people do not always come out on top. The same is true for law enforcement officers. Many times it is the bad cops who are willing to plant false evidence, kill unarmed criminals, and take bribes, yet it is these negative actions that often lead cops into receiving praise from both their superior officers and/or their community. In Werner Herzog's new film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Terence McDonagh (Nicholas Cage) is a crooked detective who uses his status as a police officer to obtain illegal drugs, steal money, and gain sexual favors from prostitutes. Yet despite being coked up all the time, McDonagh is one of the highest ranked detectives in the New Orleans police force because he is willing to break all the rules including wrongfully abusing civilians to obtain information and murdering unarmed criminals he knows to be guilty.

There are crooked police officers in every U.S. city, but Nicholas Cage's Detective McDonagh is truly a disturbed human being to say the least. It is scary to think that there is even a possibility that police officers such as him could exist. There are certain scenes, such as the pharmacy sequence (link below) that truly display McDonagh's erratic behavior. This film really gives Nicholas Cage a chance to demonstrate why is he known as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. There are many times where you can actually see the evil bearing behind Cage's eyes. Sometimes he can be hard to watch because his insanity adds so much suspense to the film. You never know what he'll do and often you feel a little nervous to find out. Personally I think Cage should have been nominated for an Oscar this year for his portrayal of McDonagh. It is one of his best performances ever.

On the other side of the camera is Werner Herzog, one of the most experienced and bizarre filmmakers in cinematic history. There are very few directors who have done such variety of works as Herzog. For example, Herzog is known for doing very successful documentaries such as Grizzly Man (2005) and Lessons of Darkness (1992). However, he is also known for creating some very successful recreations of historic events such as Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) and Rescue Dawn (2006). Perhaps most foreign to Herzog are main stream non-fictional works, yet he still has made several successful pictures that portray non-realistic occurrences. In Bad Lieutenant, Herzog combines elements of the different kinds of movies he has created. For example, in scenes in which animals are involved, he uses a handheld camera to give the movie a documentary style. He often intertwines this with long shots that feel much more main stream. Herzong is known for taking a lot of chances and Bad Lieutenant is no exception, yet the risks all pay off to form one of the best films of the year.

Overall, Bad Lieutenant is one of the most interesting pieces of filmmaking of 2009. At times it can get a little weird, but if you enjoy movies that challenge viewers and keep you guessing, Bad Lieutenant should not be missed.

Pharmacy Scene

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RANKING: 4.2/5.0

Review of Green Zone

By now it is basically a fact that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction and that the United States government under the Bush administration falsified evidence in order to invade Iraq. Now to what extent Bush and Cheney knew that there were no operational WMDs is not clear. Perhaps they were lied to by other high ranking government officials or perhaps they knew the entire time that Iraq posed no immediate threat. Paul Greengrass' Green Zone pulls out all the punches in the direction of the Bush Administration and openly declares the Bush administration as war criminals for sending troops to Iraq without proof of any WMDs. Intertwined with the political statements are intense action sequences, in which Greengrass uses a shaky handheld camera style (as seen in the last two Bourne movies and United 93) to add a sense of realism to the film.

Personally I enjoy action sequences in long, progressive takes such as the action scenes in Children of Men because it allows the viewer to feel as if they are right along side the characters (the camera acts as the eyes of the audience) without any cuts between takes. In my opinion, longer takes allow the viewer to become more fully engrossed within the cinematic experience. However, there are benefits to the quick editing found in all of Greengrass' films. First of all the fast paced cuts and shaky camera may not make you feel like you are personally watching the action, but you do feel as if the camera is actually part of the story. Whenever I watch a Greengrass film I almost feel as if I am watching a documentary because of the handheld camera use. I sometimes forget I'm viewing a multi-million dollar motion picture and not the nightly news. The documentary style used by Greengrass worked perfectly in United 93 because the filmmakers were attempting to recreate the events of 9/11 as realistically as possible. The problem with Green Zone is that it pretends to be a documentary, yet the events it covers are fiction. Even if some of the events that take place were true, Green Zone tries so hard to make political statements that it is often hard to take it seriously.

Overall, Green Zone is not as entertaining as the Bourne trilogy, but it still remains an effective and thoughtful thriller. So although the action scenes may give you a headache, it is hard to not be impressed by the original and fast paced camera work.

RATING: 3.4/5.0

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Review of Precious

I sometimes question why I am usually really entertained by films focusing on depressing subjects. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I like films that portray realistic events such as Schindler's List, Das Boot, and Munich, which all focus on historical, yet depressing topics. I think another reason why I tend to like dark-themed films such as Se7en, Zodiac, and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is because depressing films are often shocking and succeed in putting the viewer on the edge of his/her seat. However, as much as I seem to like films covering depressing topics, it only works when the story has either a powerful message, is a realistic account of a historical event or is thrilling. Precious is at times shocking over how terrible a young, teenage African-American girl (Precious) is treated, yet I wish it focused more on how Precious is able to overcome the odds instead of concentrating on how the many hardships she must endure. By the end I simply felt sorry for Precious, instead of feeling like she overcame her horrific upbringing.

The film Precious is based on the book Push by Sapphire. From what I know about the book, the film follows it almost down to the last word. From the moment she was born, Precious was given almost no chance to succeed in life. Her father began sexually abusing her when she was just a young girl and by age twelve Precious was pregnant with her first child (her father's). Her mother does not have a job and spends her time sitting at home awaiting her welfare check. Even when Precious has an opportunity to attend a good school, her mother simply wants her to stay at home and cook. Despite all these setbacks, Precious eventually finds a mentor at an alternative school named Ms. Rain. With the help of her new teacher, Precious gains the courage to stand up to her abusive mother and takes control of her own life. Now even though Precious learns something about herself, there are certain points within the story that prevented me from believing that Precious was going to be okay in the long term. In short, I didn't feel hopeful for her future.

Overall, Precious is a powerful story about a young girl who learns that the only person she needs to listen to is herself. Unfortunately, I often felt the film tried to hard to push the personal difficulties that Precious had to go through. Still it succeeds at showing the life of a broken home in Harlem during the 1980s and how one mentor can affect the life of young adolescents.

RATING: 3.3/5.0

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Review of The Crazies

Although recently I have seen quite a few horror films, I am not very familiar with the original horror classics made by George Romero. Most of them are supposed to be thrilling and much better than the modern day remakes, yet I did enjoy Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead (2004). Originality is hard to develop in horror films because most audiences have seen everything before in previous motion pictures. You can make a blood-splattering zombie, vampire, or serial killer movie but chances are another filmmaker has already created a film with a similar story, bigger stars, and more gore. Yet every once in a while a director will come up with a clever story in order to make up for the lack of innovation in modern horror films. Last year's Paranormal Activity (2009) is one of those exceptions and so is Breck Eisner's The Crazies (2010).

If our own government accidentally dropped a biological weapon on a small country town, would it take precautions to cover it up or would it admit the mistake and take necessary measures to help those infected? This is the situation in The Crazies, in which each family of a small town in Iowa begin developing violent symptoms and start losing their minds. One day at a high school baseball game a local farmer comes onto a baseball field with a double barrel shotgun. After failing to talk the crazed man out of dropping the gun, the local sheriff named David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) is forced to shoot him. At first it is believed that the incident was a consequence of the farmer drinking too much but soon other citizens of the town begins acting in a familiar way. One man burns his house down while his wife and child are locked within. Another man appears to have lost the ability to speak. Confused about what is happening, David and his deputy go searching for possible leads to what could be causing the disturbing behavior of the locals. In their search they discover a crashed plane underneath the town's river and they soon see that it is no coincidence that those who live closest to the water supply are slowly developing symptoms of the strange disease. A few days after the first signs of the virus, military personnel suddenly appear and take everyone in town into custody. At the military base, David and his wife are separated because it is believed that she has been infected. The rest of the film follows David's journey to try and save his wife. Can he trust the government to do the right thing and take care of his wife or is he the only one who can save her?

Although the Crazies themselves are entertaining, it is nothing viewers probably haven't seen before. They basically act exactly like zombies minus the biting. What separates this film from other horror films are the emotions shared by the main characters and the political questions brought up about how our government might handle the accidental insurgence of biological weapons on U.S. soil. Naturally every character begins to become paranoid over the fact that his or her friends and family may have become infected, yet how to you deal with knowing that your loved ones will soon become uncontrollably disturbed and may try to kill you. It is amazing, yet understandable how people's personalities can suddenly change at the first sign of any danger.

Overall, The Crazies has enough action and gore to satisfy horror movie fans, but is also clever enough to separate it from most other modern horror remakes. So far this has been the biggest surprise for me in 2010.

RATING: 3.4/5.0

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