Me-Movies Best & Worst Of 2009
Posted on: December 31, 20092 comments so far (is that a lot?)
Another great year in film has come to a triumphant end. 2009 gave us new classics and clunkers all at the same time. We at Me-Movies have awarded the best movies of the year, some of the worst, and a handful of special honors given to those special things of the year deserving of mention.
So here’s Me-Movies’ Best & Worst Of 2009!
Note – Keep in mind that this is a list based on the movies that we had the opportunity to see in the U.A.E. It does not include movies like Up in the Air, Invictus, A Serious Man, The Road etc. not because they weren’t amazing (I’m sure they were), but because we never got a chance to see them yet.
TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2009
10. Anvil!: The Story Of Anvil
How many documentaries have ever made you cry? This year, the distinction goes to the rockumentary ‘Anvil!’ about a failed rock band hoping for a comeback and the trials and tribulations they face along the way. It’s an underdog story in the classic sense and for anyone who has ever dreamed of doing something in life, this inspiring documentary will prove that nothing is impossible with perseverance and hard work.
9. Adventureland
Coming of age comedies are too many to mention, but it takes a lot to craft a charming and unique one that doesn’t have all the genre’s clichés. Adventureland was sadly mismarketed as a sex comedy by the studio but it was a delightful surprise that brought back nostalgic memories of the 80′s and all the odd part-time jobs we all have done. Bill Hader, Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds and Kirsten Stewart bring their own unique charm to the story and make it one of the most underrated films of the year.
8. The Hangover
This movie was the most successful comedy of the decade for a reason. Bring together hilarious characters and casting actors with great chemistry and throwing them into a premise ripe for all kinds of humor and set-ups, The Hangover managed to charm audiences of all kinds and proved that a movie with no big stars can be just as funny (if not more) as star-laden comedy vehicles. A laugh riot all the way through, The Hangover was a triumph in an otherwise mostly disappointing year for comedies.
7. The Hurt Locker
Who knew that the most tense and action-packed sequences in any film this year would be directed by a woman? Katheryn Bigalow’s ‘The Hurt Locker’ is an intense and most realistic depiction of the situation in Iraq so often glamorized by Hollywood. Not only does it deal with the underrated and rarely publicized bomb disposal unit to dramatize its point, its hands-down the best movie made on the Iraq War to date. Emotional, gripping and visceral all at the same time.
6. Watchmen
Yes, it was way too faithful to the graphic novel. But considering the graphic novel itself was one of the best pieces of fiction written in the last century, that was never a bad thing. Zack Synder brought his stylistic visual flair along with a brilliant a truthful realization of the alternate reality depicted and did what was professed as ‘impossible’ – he made a movie based on the complex comic. It’s unfortunate that the movie failed to find a large audience after its opening weekend, but just like the comic was when it was released, I guess the film with its unconventional length and narrative structure was ahead of its time.
5. 500 Days of Summer
In a year with god-awful romantic comedies being watched by millions, the best romantic comedy of the past few years was largely overlooked. 500 Days of Summer is a charming and heartfelt love story told in a refreshingly original manner and manages to enlighten the audience in the process. The casting with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel was perfect and together they managed to craft a brilliant example of a romantic comedy done right.
4. Up
This list would be incomplete without mentioning Pixar’s another brilliant achievement in filmmaking. ‘Up’ is a masterful tale with enough humor to please everyone, yet manages to dig deep into darker issues like dealing with the loss of a loved one and manages to bring a tear to your eyes in its very first scenes itself. Even in a year filled with quality animations, Pixar still takes the cake.
3. Avatar
Bound to be remembered as the most revolutionary film to end a decade, Avatar gives us unmatched visuals combined with a world so rich and unique that our own fails miserably in comparison. Add photorealistic animation and an emotional story to the mix and we’ve got a modern classic that’s not to be missed in theaters and once again proves the filmmaking prowess of director James Cameron.
2. District 9
While Avatar may have dazzled us with its technical revolutions, the most original sci-fi that came out of Hollywood in the past couple of years has to be Neil Blokamp’s brilliant debut ‘District 9′. Setting the film in the slums of South Africa and tackling issues of race among others, it showed us that great sci-fi actioners can be intelligent too and won us over with a unique storyline and an underdog story to top it off. The aliens looked amazing considering the budget and Sharlto Copley give a shattering debut performance. All in all, District 9 was the sci-fi masterpiece the genre really needed.
1. Inglourious Basterds
– 2012