Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Scott's Top 25 of 2009

by Scott Gleine

As some of you may know, it has been a little while since I’ve contributed here at The Aspect Ratio.  And as others may just now be realizing, there is someone other than Ari and Bob Clark that writes for this site on occasion.  Despite my total lack of a best of 2008 list (hint: it would have had something to do with “Batman”), here are the top 25 films that I saw in 2009.  I was tempted to pick 29 for 2009 in the same vein as my 27 for 2007 list, but decided to show just a tiny bit of restraint for once.  There were films I’m sure I’d enjoy from this year that I have yet to see and a revised best of ’09 list made somewhere around the middle of 2010 would probably be more accurate.  However, this is always the case and I’m chiming in well after anyone cares about such lists anyway, so I might as well get on with it.
 
25.   WORLD’S GREATEST DAD (d. Bobcat Goldthwait)
Believe me, I didn’t think I’d be typing that line either.  Far from a perfect film, Goldthwait’s little seen satire stars Robin Williams (the sedated version, not the zany over-the-top version) as a struggling writer/teacher who happens to have the most perverted and obnoxious son on the planet.  From there, the film goes to many places you would not expect.  Again, not a tremendous film but has strong moments and is worth checking out.

24. STAR TREK (d. J.J. Abrams)
            Once again, something I thought I would not be typing.  When it comes to any and all things Star Trek before the release of this film, you might not meet anyone more indifferent to its universe than myself.  I just flat out do not care.  That being said, Abrams made a surprisingly entertaining sci-fi action blockbuster.  Despite the way too easily resolved climactic battle, it was quite a fun ride and now I actually do care to see a sequel.

23. FUNNY PEOPLE (d. Judd Apatow)
            Well Judd, you almost pulled it off.  You almost made a solid, coherent “real” film instead of just setting up a camera and letting your buddies improvise.  The first 80 minutes or so are quite good and feature nuanced, understated work from Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. Then, and this was a common complaint, things go off the rails a bit for another hour or running time.  Even though I liked this second half (or 2nd movie entirely, as you could make a good argument for) quite a bit less, the film is still sort of an interesting trainwreck because of it.

22. TETRO (d. Francis Ford Coppola)
            Speaking of interesting trainwrecks, here’s Coppola’s latest “I swear to you guys, I’m totally indie now” effort.  I love the black and white look of the film, but hate the look of the color segments.  I also enjoy the mood and atmosphere early in the film.  And Vincent Gallo, one of our most underrated actors, turns in a phenomenal performance.  But the film just keeps going and going, and getting more operatic and far-fetched as it progresses.  Yes, I realize this is supposed to be a list of films I liked instead of my complaints.  I really do like this film for the most part, and it almost makes Coppola relevant again.

21. CORALINE (d. Henry Selick)
            The story may not be remarkable, but the stop motion work and the overall imagination and creativity in the design of this film are more than remarkable.  And it wasn’t even the finest achievement in stop motion work this year (more on that later).

20. AVATAR (d. James Cameron)
            Ok, so MAYBE I have some sort of resentment towards Cameron’s record-shattering “game-changing” opus.  And MAYBE I’m putting it lower on the list than it deserves because of some sort of backlash inspired discontent.  Yes, the film is beautiful to look at, and the technology is impressive.  We all love the shit out of blue people and fluorescent dinosaurs, but that doesn’t excuse a lazy hackneyed story with a predictable outcome.  I’d start listing other films that have used a similar storyline before, but then I’d just feel lazy and hackneyed myself.  All I’ll say is nice work Mr. Cameron, but I’d still rather watch “ordinary” movies any day.

19. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (d. David Yates)
            Ok, so MAYBE putting this just ahead of Avatar is another slap in the face.  I’ll stop now, I promise.  I do genuinely like the Harry Potter series though (books and films) and think that this was one of its stronger entries, second only to Cuaron’s Prisoner of Azkaban.  It continues effectively setting the darker tone leading up to the action-packed final chapter.  Bruno Delbonnel (of Amelie fame) deserves much credit for his superb cinematography.

18. THE HANGOVER (d. Todd Philips)
            One of those rare instances in recent memory where a mainstream comedy that made a butt load of money was actually funny and entertaining.  Without Zack Galifianakis, the whole thing might have fallen apart though.

17. BLACK DYNAMITE (d. Scott Sanders)
            Sanders and Michael Jai White put together a 100% balls to the walls blacksploitation homage that doesn’t try or pretend to be anything more than what it is:  funny, exciting, and completely crazy.  A new cult classic is born.

16. THE BROTHERS BLOOM (d. Rian Johnson)
            The second film from Brick director Johnson is, much like his first film, destined to be a love it or hate it kind of film.  One easy way to put it is “Wes Anderson meets The Sting”, but that doesn’t even begin to cover all of the influences whose fingerprints are all over this film.  Like many con man movies, things get a little convoluted.  However, I was entertained the whole way through and Johnson actually got me to care about his lead characters by the end amidst all the quirkiness.  I’ll take “derivative but interesting” over “original but boring” any day.

15. IN THE LOOP (d. Armando Ianucci)
            I’m not usually big on political satires, but this one about the U.S. and the U.K. potentially starting a war because of one misinterpreted comment does the trick.  Great work by a large ensemble cast, including standout performances by James Gandolfini and British actor Peter Capaldi.

14. BIG FAN (d. Robert Siegel)
            Comedian Patton Oswalt shines in a very serious role as Paul Aufiero, a mentally troubled man who loves the New York Giants a little bit too much.  After an unfortunate (and mildly contrived, but whatever) incident his loyalties are put to the test.  This debut from the writer of The Wrestler is one of the year’s stronger examples of successful low budget indie filmmaking.  Also features a solid supporting performance from one of my favorite character actors, Kevin Corrigan, as Paul’s best friend.

13. SUGAR (d. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden)
            Fleck and Boden follow up their terrific debut Half Nelson with an unconventional “baseball” movie.  It follows a Dominican ball player, nicknamed “Sugar”, as he is brought to Iowa to try and make his way through the minor leagues.  Rather than build up to some big game climax, the film goes in a different direction and is much stronger for doing so.  The filmmakers are more interested in exploring the fleeting nature of athleticism and different interpretations of the American Dream.

12. PIRATE RADIO (aka THE BOAT THAT ROCKED) (d. Richard Curtis)
            Curtis’s ensemble comedy about the disc jockeys of an illegal off shore radio station in 60s England was cut down from its original UK release, shelved, had its name changed, and then got dumped with a crappy release in the US.  It’s a total shame, because the end result was one of the most enjoyable and entertaining times I had in a theater all year.

11. MOON (d. Duncan Jones)
            Anyone who doubted Sam Rockwell’s acting chops might want to reconsider after his work in Moon.  He pretty much has to carry the film entirely on his own, and does a damn good job.  Also worth mentioning is the old school approach to the effects used to make the film.  In a year with many overrated and expensive science fiction films, this low budget work was better than all of them.

10. UP (d. Pete Doctor)
            Once again, Pixar offers a touching, funny, exciting, and beautiful movie.  Moving on…

9. THE WHITE RIBBON (d. Michael Haneke)
            Haneke’s latest is a bit of a slow burner, and even though the pieces might not completely come together in the end, that’s part of the point.  The film examines the bizarre happenings in a small German village circa pre World War 1.  Haneke does a remarkable job of creating a sense of time and place as this spare and haunting story unfolds.  It may not be the most entertaining film this year, but it is without a doubt an example of exceptional filmmaking.

8. GOODBYE SOLO (d. Ramin Bahrani)
            Great indie about the relationship that forms between a Senegalese cab driver and an old man who hires him to drive him to the destination where he plans to kill himself.  Roger Ebert frequently refers to Bahrani as one of the best new voices in American cinema.  With Goodbye Solo, I think Bahrani finally earns that praise.

7. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER (d. Marc Webb)
            Many people classified this film as “this generation’s Annie Hall,” and that claim was not too far off.  However, 500 Days of Summer does just enough to stand on its own.  Webb tells this out of order break up story with the kind of go for broke, try anything, French New Wave inspired style that I love to see in my cinema.  The highlight is a clever and surprisingly heartbreaking split screen sequence in which the hero’s expectations of a situation play out on one half of the screen, while reality unfolds on the other.  It’s relatable moments like that one that make the film stand out and overshadow the one or two annoying “indie quirks” that otherwise could have ruined the film.

6. A SERIOUS MAN (d. Joel & Ethan Coen)
            The Coen Brothers continue to confound expectations and make interesting films.  A Serious Man is the most unapologetically “Jewish” film I’ve ever seen, to the point where I felt like I was missing something at times.  But that’s ok.  I feel as though it is a film I will only enjoy and understand more after further viewings.  Michael Stuhlbarg gives a great breakthrough performance.  And the final act (including the greatest bar mitzvah sequence of all time) is another tremendous example of the Coen’s filmmaking talents.

5. ADVENTURELAND (d. Greg Mottola)
            Mistakenly marketed as a silly raunchy comedy, Mottola’s film is really an honest look at that uncertain gray area between youth and adulthood that ranks up there with the finest works of John Hughes and Richard Linklater.  In fact, between this and Superbad I think that Mottola is already lining himself up to be this generation’s Hughes.  That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t have its fair share of silly comedy.  It’s actually very hilarious.  Adventureland is definitely one of the many overlooked gems of 2009.

4. THE HURT LOCKER (d. Kathryn Bigelow)
            The director of Point Break ended up making the best and most definitive Iraq war film.  This isn’t something that surprises me, I just like to bring up Point Break any chance I get.  The film features many meticulously crafted and highly intense bomb diffusing sequences that offer fine examples of Bigelow’s talents as a director.  But what really impressed me about this film is the way that it manages to be very character driven as well.  Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty as the members of the bomb squad all turn in memorable work.

3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (d. Wes Anderson)
            Those that know me well know that I am indeed a big Wes Anderson fan.  But even I was willing to admit that he was starting to get a bit trite with his last two films.  Even though there are shades of Anderson’s previous work all over Fantastic Mr. Fox, the switch to stop motion animation and the adaptation of a Roald Dahl story seem to have loosened him up a little.  He made a film that is both entirely his own and entirely different from anything I’ve seen before.  Apparently he took some flack in the stop motion community for doing things you “aren’t supposed to do” in stop motion, such as using real fur for the animals.  His gambit paid off, as far as I’m concerned.  The animation is consistently unique throughout, and makes the film even more memorable.  It also helps that the script is solid and the voice work is top notch.

2. UP IN THE AIR (d. Jason Reitman)
After making two pretty good but overrated films, Reitman makes a great film to shut up the naysayers like myself.  With the current decline in the economy and the loss of jobs around the country, this film can almost serve as sort of a time capsule for 2009 in the years to come.  But the film is much more than that.  It’s also a great character piece, featuring what will probably go down as the quintessential George Clooney performance.

1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (d. Quentin Tarantino)
The most shocking and exhilarating cinematic experience I had all year was seeing Inglourious Basterds for the first time.  And on further viewings, I find myself loving the film more and more.  From the much buzzed about breakthrough performance by Christoph Waltz to the less hyped but equally impressive breakthrough by Melanie Laurent, Tarantino once again proves that he has a remarkable knack for casting.  Other than those two, the rest of the very diverse and multilingual cast shines.  And I love that it was billed as some action-packed blood fest revolving mainly around Brad Pitt’s crew of Nazi scalping Basterds, but turned out to be something much deeper than that.  I’m not even going to begin to go into analyzing all that there is to discuss concerning its use of revisionist history or the power of cinema itself.  Or the implications contained within the image of a room full of Nazis being trapped and burning alive during the film’s final act.  There are many things that can be saved for possible future essays.  But for now, I just want to pop in the Blu Ray and enjoy this film a few hundred more times.