The big clash at the end of the year was between Avatar (the largely forgettable but phenomenally successful blockbuster, which was at the time -- unadjusted for inflation -- the biggest hit of all time and The Hurt Locker, an ambiguous Iraq War drama that didn't even make $20 million but managed to overcome the odds and win Best Picture and a historic Best Director win (for Kathryn Bigelow) at the Oscars the following year.
Avatar held the all-time box office spot for six more years, which is hard to do these days, where grosses keep hitting astronomical heights, especially with spiked ticket prices, and will eventually spawn as many as three sequels that I'm not sure who exactly is clamoring for.
Meanwhile, Bigelow was vaulted to the ranks of A-list auteurs, hitting big with Zero Dark Thirty but stumbling a bit with the unfairly maligned Detroit.
Alas, neither film was my among my favorites of this year.
In fact, I remember while all the hype was around whether Bigelow's film would triumph over her ex-husband James Cameron's (a surreal drama, to be sure), I remembered thinking that the movie that should have won was Quentin Tarantino's ambitious war film, Inglourious Basterds, more on that later.
10) Precious - I haven't revisited in years -- it's undoubtedly a tough watch -- but I remember this very brutal and provocative movie being a pretty unabashedly moving viewing experience. Gabourey Sidibe is heartbreaking in the lead role of an abused girl fantasizing about a way out, and say what you will about her, Mo'Nique really was incredible as her horrifying mother. This is a film that certainly made people uncomfortable then and now, and maybe that's a good thing.
9) Zombieland - This was just a fun, unexpected surprise -- the rare horror comedy that worked. It's cast was stocked with reliable veterans like Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray (in an unforgettable cameo) and rising talents like Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone. It was a clever little romp that connected, and it arrived right before the zombie genre became totally played out.
8) Up - I saw this movie shortly after a very ugly breakup and it had me bawling my eyes out, especially after its infamous opening 10 minutes which were a high water mark for animated storytelling at that time. I haven't revisited this one in years either, but I remember thinking its conceit about an old man played by the -- still alive! -- Ed Asner whose house is lifted up by balloons was endlessly charming and whimsical.
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| Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek |
7) Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - There are Nicolas Cage performances that are bad because he's phoning it or bad because he doesn't seem to have control of his instrument. This is a great performance that might be mistaken for a bad one by people aren't paying attention. Not so much a direct remake of the Harvey Keitel classic but a spiritual one, is a darkly funny, strange outlier in director Werner Herzog's filmography. It's little seen but those who have seen it will never forget it.
6) Star Trek - Director JJ Abrams demonstrated his ability to resurrect moribund franchises and to infuse massive blockbusters with lots of wit, style and character development with this wonderful reimagining of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the iconic Star Trek crew. It seems like a no-brainer now, but it could have easily crashed and burned. Instead it was the perfect homage that also managed to point to an interesting new future, not unlike what he'd do with Star Wars six years later.
5) In the Loop - Fans of Veep should check out this British comedy (featuring some great Americans like the late James Gandolfini, too) which brilliantly lampoons the run-up to an Iraq-like war. Ironically, the new film Vice fails where this movie succeeds in really underlining the lack of humanity, the craven careerism and sheer stupidity which defined the Bush era. An amazing, foul-mouthed script which always has me howling.
4) Where the Wild Things Are - This artful adaptation of the children's classic by director Spike Jonze may have been too offbeat for mainstream audiences, but I was deeply moved by it. Jonze wisely uses puppetry and other more tactile resources to create the fantasy world of the book, employs incredible voice actors (such as Gandolfini, again) and a fantastic child performer -- Max Records -- who is both authentic and riveting in the lead role. So-called kids movies almost never are this adventurous.
3) Fantastic Mr. Fox - ...With the exception of Wes Anderson's first full-length foray into stop-motion animation, this wonderful Roald Dahl adaptation showed that his singular, precise style was the perfect fit for this format. He recruited a dream cast (George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray, just to name a few) and made a beautiful-looking, fast-paced romp that ranks among his most thoroughly enjoyable films.
2) Up in the Air - A compelling (and understandably divisive) time capsule of America circa 2009 couched in a winning character study. This is one of George Clooney's best leading man roles -- as an emotionally closed-off professional firer of people. It's witty script and pathos powers a tricky balance of real-life anxiety and a more traditional, romantic narrative. And the turn it takes in the last act is a great gut punch.
1) Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino's first real attempt at historical fiction (previous films like Pulp Fiction felt like period pieces, but weren't necessarily). It's a bold, brash and deliriously entertaining, balls-to-the-wall WWII movie which demonstrates the director's love for the genre but also his desire to improve upon it -- hence multilingual exchanges, balletic action sequences and some very badass women (Melanie Laurent and Diana Kruger) at the center of the action. One of Tarantino's best and my favorite of this year.
PAST TOP 10 FAVORITE LISTS
1974 #1 movie - The Godfather Part II
1975 #1 movie - Nashville
1976 #1 movie - Taxi Driver
1977 #1 movie - Star Wars
1978 #1 movie - The Deer Hunter
1984 #1 movie - Ghostbusters
1985 #1 movie - Fletch
1986 #1 movie - Blue Velvet
1987 #1 movie - The Untouchables
1988 #1 movie - Coming to America
1994 #1 movie - Pulp Fiction
1995 #1 movie - Heat
1996:#1 movie - Fargo
1997 #1 movie - Boogie Nights
1998 #1 movie - The Big Lebowski
2004 #1 movie - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005 #1 movie - A History of Violence
2006 #1 movie - Casino Royale
2007 #1 movie - There Will Be Blood
2008 #1 movie - The Wrestler
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