A Single Man
Star Trek
In my opinion the best reboot for a franchise ever. Full of action, more accessible to the mainstream but yet maintained the imagination and intrigue that Star Trek fans loved about the franchise.Are you outta your Vulcan mind (Bones)
Watchmen
Zack Snyder's masterpiece. It was the unfilmable graphic novel but I think Zack accomplished what nobody thought anyone could. He filmed a beautiful movie and brought the graphic novel alive. Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach was a thing of beauty. Also had one of the year's best trailers.
Zombieland
Closet thing to the American version of Shaun Of The Dead. Hilarious with a great cast (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson) and a cameo that takes this movie to a whole new level of amazing!
500 Days Of Summer
2009 was the year for some amazing trailers. This trailer here had me sold on the movie a month before Sundance. I probably watched this trailer 20 times before Sundance and another 20 times after seeing the movie at Sundance. Two of my favorite rising stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Mysterious Skin) and Zooey Deschanel (She & Him, Elf). Not only are they both hott but seriously talented.
The Box
To me Richard Kelly is the new David Lynch (I know to many thats blaspheme, but its true). Though still rough around the edges his movies are beautifully landscaped, based in the "what if" and layered in existentialism. After seeing a Richard Kelly movie I'm always left with this feeling that I can't shake for a few days, a longing to live in the world that he's created. The Box is no exception, its dark, bizarre, beautiful and will live you with more questions then answers but thats what makes me love Richard Kelly.The Road
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a sucker for a good post apocalyptic movie. Hands down this is the best post apocalyptic movie that I have probably ever seen. The Road is dark, depressing as hell and true to Cormac McCarthy's book by the same name.
Adventureland
The "Say Anything" of our generation. Coming-of-age comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. Movie solidified in my head how much better of an actor Jesse Eisenberg is than Michael Cera and showed that contrary to her Twilight performances, Kristen Stewart can actually act.
District 9
Surprise indie sci-fi flick of the year. The movie was written and directed by newcomer Neill Blomkamp for under 30 million yet the movie had the look and feel of something costing 2 to 3 times that. Which always amazes me how much crap can be put out there costing hundreds of millions yet movies like District 9 can blow them away. Rotten Tomatoes pretty much sums it up "Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic."
Rudo Y Cursi & Sin Nombre
Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal were busy in 2009 with 2 movies. First one was Rudo Y Cursi which was the directorial debut of Carlos Cuarón brother of Alfonso Cuarón, which reunited Diego and Gael on the screen for a "drama/comedy about two brothers from a rural lower class Mexican family with roots in a little "banana town" on the coast of Mexico, and fighting over who performs better in professional soccer." (Wiki)
2nd movie was the award winning "Sin Nombre" in which Diego and Gael were executive producers.
Sin Nombre was like the Mexican version of "City of God," a realistic portrayal of migrant life and the cancer that is the gangs of Mexico. Apart of the movie made me miss the streets of Juarez Mexico but at the same time seeing the movie also served to remind me everything that I hated about Mexico.
The Mystery Team - One of the funniest indie comedies I have ever seen. I think it was pretty much made on "no budget" which makes it even more amazing. Watch the Trailer
Drag Me To Hell - It was the return of the old Sam Raimi, back with a new classic. Not a horror movie but a celebration of all things Sam Raimi, if you loved the Evil Dead series but were disappointed with his Spiderman era, you'll love this movie.
Other great movies
Let The Right One In
The Hurt Locker
The Hangover
A Vicious Kind
Moon
Up In The Air
What are your top movies of 2009?
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1 comment:
I think your list is awesome. I've only seen a few of the movies listed: District 9, Watchmen, but I definitely want to check out the others now. And I will. Anyway, you rock, Alex. Keep up the sweet blogs.
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