Fine in Oh Nine: The Year’s Best

Each January, every film critic on the planet takes it upon oneself to compile a list of the best movies of the past year. Each of these lists is different, yet somehow, all claim to be the definitive listing of the year’s best films. I, unlike my more egotistical piers, do not take this approach. Film criticism is subjective by its very definition. No matter the work, there will be no single opinion on it. Some movies will have more of a consensus than others, but a disparity will always exist. Therefore I offer not a list of the best films of 2009, but the ten films that I feel contributed the most. I am confident enough in my ability to recognize quality to say, without reservation, that these films will be enjoyed by nearly all who view them.

Before I jump right in to my top ten, I think it is only fair to mention some of the movies that didn’t quite make the cut. These films are all must-see works, and, in a different year, may have even cracked the top ten. In unranked, alphabetical order, these are 2009′s Honorable Mentions:

Adventureland, Away We Go, Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos), District 9, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Food Inc., Humpday, Observe and Report, Sunshine Cleaning, Whip It.

And so brings my list of the ten best movies of 2009. All of these movies are absolutely fantastic, and all bring viewers something completely unique. 2009 was a mixed bag at the cinema. The quantity of good films was a bit less than in past years; however, there seemed to be a few more than usual that I would describe as suburb. These are, in my opinion, the finest films of 2009:

10. Where the Wild Things Are

This movie isn’t for kids and it may even alienate some adults, but it is one of the most astonishingly accurate portraits of childhood captured on film. Jonze perfectly illustrates a child’s struggle between feeling complex emotions and actually being capable of processing those feelings. This is a film more about the emotions of its characters rather than their actions. Jonze somehow convinced a studio to give him $100 million to create a beautiful art-film.

9. Up

Up is Pixar doing what Pixar does best: creating movies simple enough to entertain children, yet complex enough to fascinate even the pickiest grown-ups. This fun adventure story is perfectly paced, wonderfully funny and as adorable as you’d expect from Disney. Not to mention, the first ten minutes feature the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful sequence found in cinema last year.

8. Zombieland

A perfect blend of gore and wit, Zombieland has something for everyone, including one of the funniest cameo appearances in cinematic history. This surprisingly intelligent comedy is the most fun I had at the theatre all year.

7. (500) Days of Summer

This (anti?) romantic comedy is fun, thoughtful and, most importantly, features characters I care about. In an age where most movies feature romances that I really don’t give a shit about, it is refreshing to see a movie with characters who seem like real people (rather than odd caricaturizations of people) falling in and out of love. For lack of better prose, I think it’s best to just say that this movie simply works.

6. Up in the Air

Up in the Air is a very smartly written dramatic comedy (or comedic drama, it is really impossible to decide which) featuring richly developed characters (made even more convincing by the film’s stellar ensemble cast, highlighted by Anna Kendrick’s unmatched performance), with whom audiences are sure develop genuine connections. Such connections allow the film to exploit the entire range of human emotion, without ever feeling exploitive or dishonest. This movie forces its audience to evaluate their own relationships in a way that is as unsettling as it is enlightening.

5. Moon

This is perfect science-fiction. A hard genre-film that is unafraid to fully explore what could happen to a man’s psyche when subjected to complete isolation. This movie acts as a stunning exhibit of Sam Rockwell’s talent as an actor, as he is able to enthrall an audience despite being the only character in the entire movie.

4. A Serious Man

Who knew that watching every facet of a man’s life collapse around him could be so hilarious? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though, as this movie was helmed by the Cohen Brothers. I should clarify though: this movie isn’t “ha-ha” funny, it’s “oh-my-God-I-feel-so-uncomfortable-the-only-reaction-I-can-muster-is-laughter” funny. Joel and Ethan Cohen have crafted a film that is so effectively written, you literally feel every moment of disappointment the protagonist feels, as he feels it. Yet, somehow, all of this despair and utter hopelessness doesn’t leave you depressed. Instead, after watching this movie, audiences will be inexplicably satisfied. A Serious Man is easily the duo’s funniest work since Fargo.

3. A Single Man

Colin Firth gives an Oscar-worthy performance as a gay man struggling to cope with the loss of his partner of 16 years. Set in 1962, “A Single Man” follows George during what would be the last 24 hours of his life, as he plans to commit suicide that evening. As time creeps closer and closer to his final hour, George examines himself and his relationships, forcing him to question the decision he has made. First-time director Tom Ford’s experience as a designer is apparent in every single frame of this films flawless cinematography. A Single Man is among the most aesthetically rewarding and thematically complex films of 2009.

2. Avatar

James Cameron has created a world so complete, I half believe he understands Pandora better than we understand Earth. He has given audiences a film that is not only visually mesmerizing, but is accompanied by an equally beautiful (albeit somewhat generic) story about a people desperate to protect their home and, more importantly, their culture. Cameron’s use of groundbreaking special effects and game-changing direction will literally alter the way filmmaking is approached. This greater effect on cinema as an art-form earns Avatar it’s place among the best films of 2009.

1. Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino, perhaps more than any other director in the business, takes such complete ownership over his work, that audiences are never allowed to forget that they are viewing his film. Tarantino so loves the movies he makes, viewers are convinced, often unwittingly, to love the film as well. Inglourious Basterds is no exception. The complex story is told with so much conviction, by flawless writing, through talented actors, and all at an ideal pace. This is the closest thing to a perfect film that Tarantino has ever constructed.

Before I let you go, it wouldn’t be any fun to just let the year’s worst movies slip by unscorned. So, do your very best to avoid the following:

The Box, Bride Wars, Halloween II, He’s Just Not That Into You, Miss March, Obsessed, The Stepfather, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Year One.

There you have it: a list of can’t miss movies, all from 2009. Configure the Netflix queue, get comfortable and enjoy!