At The Movies in 2009: John Carney's Top Ten List

(Note: There may be spoilers, but nothing too revealing that will piss you off.)
5 Honorable Mentions:
These aren't my #11-15 best of the year. Just films I felt deserved to be mentioned for one reason or another.
Zombieland – Hilarious, well-written, and well-cast. Woody Harelson at his best, what’s-her-face from Superbad looking good, and Jesse Eisenburg doing his best to keep up with Michael Cera. But most importantly, it’s the winner of my fake award category “most fun at the movies of the year.”

Julia – An intense performance by Tilda Swinton that should earn attention at the Oscars. Check it out just for that. She’s tall and looks like a bird.

Tyson - A deep look into the mind of the complex man that is Mike Tyson. Emotional, thought-provoking, and tragic. It’s also funny to listen to his voice.

Anti-Christ - Most memorable (trust me, there are some things that you can never erase from your memory), due to the hypnotic photography and unsettling subject matter. Dark and terrifying; at times repulsive and difficult to watch, it’s a study of the darkest parts of humanity.

Funny People - Judd Apatow has clearly refined his writing and directing style, delivering his most emotionally-appealing, well-structured, and diverse film, all the while maintaining the usual hilarity. The stand up comedy is served in generous portions, and the film showcases comedy newcomers Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza.

5 Movies That I Have Not Yet Seen That May Have Shaken Things Up:

Fantastic Mr. Fox directed by Wes Anderson
The Informant! directed by Steven Soderbergh
A Serious Man directed by The Coen Brothers
The Brothers Bloom directed by Rian Johnson
An Education directed by Lone Scherfig


10. Avatar

I could not compile a list of the best films of the year without including James Cameron’s incredible technical achievement Avatar. This film quickly became a cultural phenomenon following its release, and it will undoubtedly have an everlasting impact on the film industry; 2009 will be remembered as the year that Avatar captivated audiences and changed everything by expanding the possibilities of on screen entertainment. That being said, I had some major issues with the film.
James Cameron has set the bar high for himself, directing the highest grossing film of all time with Titanic, as well as (in my opinion) the two greatest action flicks of all time with Terminator 2 and Aliens. So I was a bit disappointed with his latest effort. (I’m sure some will nod their heads in agreement with me, others will shake their heads in disbelief.) The bottom line is that his latest movie was extremely conventional and formulaic; it’s always obvious what is going to happen next. (It’s essentially a retelling of Ferngully, Dances with Wolves, The Last Samurai, Pocahontas, etc.). There is no deep emotional core either (the film’s issues are overtly political), and many characters lack depth as though they are simply cardboard cutouts from any other dumbed-down, generic action movie (the muscle-head marine guy who holds a gun and says “come get some!” and “check it out, meals on wheels” should be a sufficient example of this).
However, like it or not, Avatar is more about the sensory experience and the technological achievement that Cameron is able to craft than it is about telling an original, substantial, deeply thought-provoking story. Sometimes, as is the case here, simplicity is best for such an enormous venture. Cameron’s filmmaking is sensational as the viewer becomes absorbed into the world of Pandora much like the lead character does in the film. Avatar is a completely immersive experience that encourages, if not requires, a trip to the cinema to see it on the big screen.


9. (500) Days of Summer

I have been infatuated by Zooey Deschanel and her deep blue eyes ever since I first saw her in Almost Famous. And you will be too after seeing (500) Days of Summer, which also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a love obsessed dreamer who reflects on his failed romance with her. The film’s non-linear narrative format is appropriate as he pieces together the memories of his relationship with the girl he thought was the one, sorting through the good and the bad in non-chronological order. Zooey is spellbinding (at least to me) as the fleeting love who flutters about just beyond his permanent grasps. It’s not very often that a film tells the viewer how it is going to end at its start, but (500) Days of Summer makes a point to avoid the typical Hollywood script of “boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after.” A fresh, bold, honest, and realistic modern day love story that was one of the most original films of 2009.


8. Moon

Who the hell is Duncan Jones? The son of David Bowie for one thing (that must’ve been an interesting childhood), but he is also the director of Moon, his feature film directorial debut. Jones certainly made a great first impression, as his film about seclusion, alienation, and the fragility of the human mind is a must see film of 2009. Sam Rockwell rocks the house in this one (dare I say he ‘rocks it well?’), delivering a convincing one-man show along with Kevin Spacey as a robotic arm reminiscent of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The white walls of the solitary moon base he is confined to resemble that of an insane asylum and serves as the platform for an analysis of what it means to be human. Also, in a surprise twist, the moon is revealed to in fact be made of cheese.


7. Star Trek

J.J. Abrams breathed new life into the franchise with his recharged version of Star Trek. One of the most complete summer action movies that I have ever seen, the film’s success is especially impressive due to having to stand in the shadow of its enormous legacy and high expectations from its fan base. Nerds can be brutal if you mess with what they hold dear (George Lucas will tell you), but Abrams seemed to emerge unscathed. What can this guy not do? Not only did he please the Trekkies, he rebuilt a film franchise for a new generation of fans. Beneath the special effects extravaganza at the film’s surface is the conflict between Kirk and Spock (and the values of their respective civilizations) and how they must work in unison to defeat a common enemy. Plus there are lazers and lots of shiny lights.


6. District 9

The creative collaboration of Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson, District 9 is science fiction perfection, providing action and suspense while dealing with thought-provoking political issues. The film is in an original, immersive format that handles the central plot (an alien spacecraft is forced to land above Johannesburg, South Aftrica) in a cineme verite-style that makes the situation seem real and possible. And although it is about extraterrestrials arriving to our planet, Blomkamp flips the script of generic alien movies by focusing the film primarily on the worst parts of ourselves; greed, racism, exploitation, and a tendency of war. The setting of South Africa is thus appropriate as the film dives deep into these philosophical issues, following the lead character Wikus as he is transformed from one side of the conflict to the other. It takes losing his identity as a human being to, in a sense, become more human than ever.
The majority of the film reaches out to our emotional core and stimulates meditation, while the third act supplies the action sequences we crave in a summer popcorn flick. Part Starship Troopers, ET, and The Fly, District 9 was one of the most inventive films of 2009.


5. The Road

Sometimes hopelessness, fear, and sadness can be the most powerful of emotions. The Road makes you feel all of those things as it tells the story of a father and son trying to survive in a bleak post apocalyptic world. Viggo Mortenson laced up his work boots for this one, delivering an Oscar-worthy performance of a wounded, vulnerable father guiding his young son through what is left of the ravaged landscape. He becomes so consumed with protecting his son that he begins to deteriorate himself, becoming an extension of the dying world around him. Specifically, he loses sight of the principles that he teaches his son as they appear to be less and less relevant. Fear consumes him, while the boy remains optimistic of the good that still exists in the world somewhere amongst them. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Cormac McCarthy, the film version of The Road is a powerful story about the two paths of good and evil. It’ll also make you appreciate that can of cola you’re drinking.


4. Up

As an animated film company, Pixar continues their impressive run of success by utilizing the filmmaking methods of old, cultivating artistry on film that is both aesthetically appealing and smart. The happiest film of the year, Up covers the full spectrum of emotions; you laugh, you cry, you laugh because you’re crying. Not that I cried or anything like that. My uh, contacts were bothering me that day.
Up doesn’t need to rely on zany humor or a sensory overload of visuals and sounds to solicit an audience response. Instead it features a well-refined script, a plethora of consistent, emotionally-linked visuals, and charming characters. Seeing it in 3D was a good choice, too. A near perfect adventure film, Up is a movie about making dreams come true, letting go of the weight from the pain of the past, and cherishing every one of life’s moments. Awww yeeah.


3. The Hurt Locker

Director Kathryn Bigelow proves that female directors can produce in a big way with The Hurt Locker. The best words to describe The Hurt Locker are visceral and real; you won’t find meaningless explosions or giant CGI robots here (Check out every Michael Bay movie for that mindless garbage). The acting performances are noteworthy, as Jeremy Renner makes a name for himself in the courageous role as an anti-hero soldier who has an unquenchable thirst for the adrenaline of war. However, it is Bigelow’s direction that powers this film; she builds suspense and tension by placing the camera in the middle of the action and by offering multiple perspectives in moments where danger is seemingly everywhere. The atmosphere is tense and the surroundings unfamiliar, resembling a version of hell on Earth. There is an eerie calmness to the film as well, which is reflective of the lead character and bomb disposal unit it follows. The best film yet to be made on the Iraq war, Bigelow fashions an exhilarating experience that was a critical gem amidst the weak crop of summer action flicks.


2. Inglourious Basterds

With Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino once again creates his own uniquely stylized world draped in film references spanning the decades, an abundance of significant mise en scene visuals, and his trademark slick dialogue. A film geek's wet dream; a celebration of cinema.
Inglourious Basterds is a revenge flick that takes place in an alternate universe which incorporates real ideas from our own world (much like the tangent reality created in his masterpiece Pulp Fiction), thus allowing for Tarantino to recreate events in history at his own liking. There is so much depth to this film; every scene has substance, every utterance of dialogue has meaning, and every action ties directly to the theme of revenge. However the genius of this film can be broken down simply to the art of performance.

Tarantino emphasizes acting in the sense that the characters themselves exist as actors, just as we ourselves exist at times as actors in real life. In his breakthrough film, Reservoir Dogs, Tim Roth's character must go undercover as a bank robber. To do this, he trains as an actor would; Tarantino shows the process of him creating a persona, rehearsing possible situations, and refining mannerisms. In Inglourious Basterds, Col. Landa, the key villain of the film, furnishes a false image of himself as a calm conversationalist, overshadowing the maniacal "Jew-hunter" persona beneath the surface. Shoshanna, the young Jewish fugitive, seeks refuge in Paris with a false identity as a French woman. Several of the lead Basterds, (Pitt, Roth) act as Italians to escort the spy Bridget von Hammersmark, who is under a cover herself. This theme is most significant smack in the middle of the film, where von Hammersmark and several others play a game with a clearly deranged, suspicious Nazi, role playing by putting playing cards featuring names of characters on their foreheads. It is here with this game of role playing (as well as specifically in the final act, which takes place, of course, in a theater) that Tarantino drives the point home that this film is all about the performance. "Fiction or reality, what is the difference?"- Some Nazi
Throughout the film, Tarantino uses the Nazis as a universally hated enemy, allowing for the viewer to rejoice in their defeat as much as the Nazi-killers within the film. However, he also offers a parallel to our celebration of their destruction with their own viewing of propaganda war films in the movie.
The most powerful scenes of the film all featured Christoph Waltz, who deserves an Oscar Nom for Best Supporting Actor. The scene at the opening in the farmhouse was an excellent way to kick off the film. Landa sucks the calm air out of that farmhouse; his reputation as "the Jew hunter" is immediately felt. The tension created in this scene (as well as each one he is in) is incredible; Landa exerts his dominance with his sly smile, by calmly drinking a glass of the farmer's milk (which has underlying meaning involving the farmer's cows and daughters, who serve him the milk itself) and by packing a giant, comically elaborate pipe to share in a smoke with the farmer, who Landa already knew smoked out of a pipe. He is taunting his prey with these little things; it is all a display of dominance. His hospitable manners and demeanor are merely a ruse to the efficient, methodical hunter who already has what he came for. Once again, it is all just one big performance. In the end of the film, he tries to forge a new public identity as a savior for the resolution of the war. However, Lt. Raine (Pitt) and Tarantino, have other ideas, carving a swastika into his forehead, forever labeling him as the villainous Nazi he truly is. Tarantino's unconventional good guys win and in this brilliantly constructed alternate reality film, it's good versus Nazi.
When Tarantino is this smart, original, and entertaining, few filmmakers can surpass the depth and quality of his work. That is why for 2009, Inglourious Basterds stands above all but one in my opinion...


1. Up in the Air

The last movie I saw in 2009 was the best movie I saw in 2009: Jason Reitman's Up in the Air. Now I'm sure any one reading this has seen advertisements for "the best reviewed movie of the year" or overheard a lot of the hype about this movie and thus would deem this selection as typical. So what is the big deal about Jason Reitman's Up in the Air? I'll tell you. Skeptics, pay attention; if you didn't see the genius in this film, attention was probably your problem. Or most of it may have flown over your head, pun intended.
Up in the Air is a very real film(unlike the #2 on this list) set in a world familiar to us all, involving authentic, relatable human beings while capitalizing on witty yet realistic dialogue; it's not all hipster-cool annoying like the Diablo Cody-written, Jason Reitman directed Juno.
George Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham, spends a majority of his life up in the air (get it?), living in airports and hotel rooms, his entire life packed neatly into a single bag. He is distinctly separate from the world we all know so well; the world of human connection, where relationships with others guide our decisions and the singular place we call home keeps us grounded. In his eyes, human beings are meant to be free-roaming individuals, constantly on the move, devoid of human connections which only weigh us down. "The slower we move, the faster we die. We are not swans, we're sharks."
Clooney's character is a portrait of what can happen to us if we walk the road less traveled; if we decide to reduce our lives to self-serving goals and materialistic pleasures. He meets Alex, played by super hot Vera Farmiga, a fellow frequent flyer who is a compatriot to his life removed from serious human relationships. They speak their own language; discussing airport terminals, cheap kiosks, car rental services, and the various forms of manufactured comforts they see value in. In the world they live in, product placements are omnipresent and brand loyalties define a person. Young Natalie, played by Anna Kendrick, offers an opposite to Ryan, which is best illustrated in a scene where the two must travel together for the first time. Lovingly talking to her boyfriend over the phone, lugging her clunky suitcase into the airport, and getting stopped by security, Natalie contrasts with Ryan's rehearsed, polished approach to moving from place to place.

Natalie, a hardworking, focused brainiac proposes an idea for a computer based system of doing what Ryan does; firing people from their jobs. This technological method threatens to radically revolutionize Ryan's craft, eliminating the human touch and charm he provides and deems necessary to the job. However, he soon learns that the new formulaic method is effective, reducing Ryan's life work and personal philosophy to a mechanical process, bereft of any real meaning or purpose.
Early in the film and throughout, Ryan is shown lecturing about "what is in your backpack," expressing the significance and self-empowerment derived by eliminating every relationship and connection to any single place. While the first half of the film mostly shows Ryan thriving in his life of alienation, Reitman later takes him to the exact opposite environment; his sister's homely wedding in northern Wisconsin. If you watch closely, it is a consistent pattern of Reitman to frame Ryan in front of large maps of the United States. The significance of this is made clear at the wedding, where a large map is filled with photos of the newlyweds placed at every major city as a substitute for a real honeymoon. The lesson here is that there is no value in a life of travels if you cannot share in those experiences with someone else. "Everyone needs a copilot." Ryan's maps are blank, as if he never existed.
By the film's end, he resolves that he cannot change. He will continue to fly above the rest of us, up in the air (get it?) amongst the silence, as we live our conventional lives with families, jobs, and meaningful human interaction.
With Clooney, Farmiga, and newcomer Kendrick, the acting is terrific across the board. The writing is tight, witty, and with purpose. The direction is symmetrical with the writing, executed at near perfection; Reitman never loses focus. Even the soundtrack and musical score is fantastic. It is a film about defining the purpose of life, about dealing with its best and worst moments. At times emotionally and spiritually moving, at all times entertaining, Up in the Air was simply the best of the bunch in 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6PAqnhIK9s