by no means have I even come close to seeing all of the films released in 2009, but of the films I have seen, these are my favorite in no particular order
1. A SERIOUS MAN
The laws of the universe. Marshak's study. Dreams. The Goy's teeth. A tornado threatens. The next door neighbors come home with a freshly killed buck. Larry's brother drains a cyst. The Red Owl. Sy Ableman's car accident. The parking lot. Madness. Guilt. How much can a man take? Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you. My favorite film of the year.
2. TRASH HUMPERS
One of the trash humpers forces the conjoined twins to eat pancakes drenched in dish soap. A child preacher hits a doll repeatedly in the head with a hammer.
3. ANTICHRIST
What we find in the depths of human suffering is the gaze of nature. A hunger for gore and anarchy, the need to drink blood, sacrifice and carnage. We punish ourselves, we mutilate our bodies, we yearn to escape our madness. Chaos reigns.
4. THE MESSENGER
Captain Tony Stone [Harrelson] can barely finish a cheeseburger as he chokes back tears. Sgt. Montgomery [Foster] and Olivia [Morton] share their first kiss in her kitchen. A faraway war is brought straight to our doorstep. Quiet families in small homes. Kids in the playground stop swinging on the monkey bars to look at the soldiers walking down the street. What are they doing here?
5. AVATAR
Visually, the most beautiful film ever made.
6. BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS
McDonagh [Cage] shaving behind a closed door. An alligator crosses the road and causes a deadly accident. A magical spoon is buried treasure. What if fish had dreams? What would your parents say if they saw you? Getting fucked. Smoking crack. To the break of dawn baby.
7. SIN NOMBRE
Someone did their homework. This is the result.
8. SILENT LIGHT
The animals shriek as the new day begins. A family sits down for breakfast. Prayers first. A flower slowly comes into focus. A man feels a woman. A woman sees a man. It is a time of wonder. We are all naked. The world does not stop spinning. God's creatures stand indifferent to the struggles of man.
In my humble opinion
ReplyDelete1. A Serious Man - nothing more to say
2. The Messenger - made a star out of ben foster
3. Trash Humpers - possibly the only movie in history to get away with what it got away with
4. Bronson - see it, it's amazing
5. Sin Nombre - has their ever been a better debut, besides maybe laughton
6. White Ribbon - bobby complimented the cinematography without seeing it
7. Inglorious Basterds - 10 of the most satisfying minutes in the history of film
8. Bad Lieutenant - because i saw it twice and it only got better
Hell yes, those are great.
ReplyDelete9. Where the Wild Things Are
ReplyDelete10. Big Fan
Sadly, I haven't seen a lot of the ones on both of your lists, but from the almost exclusively hollywood movies I saw, I say:
ReplyDelete1. A Serious Man - boo yah. I remember when we three read the synopsis on imdb before they had even begun filming and we all thought it sounded a tadboring. It just shows that they can take the simplest story and fill it with so much friggin' subtle insight and humor.
2. Where the Wild Things Are - cause it's tone and mood were different than any movie I've ever seen...which is probably why so many people hated it. And the details show you how he could have spent nearly 10 years making it.
3. Drag Me To Hell - Better than all the Evil Deads. I have never seen humor and horror mixed so well.
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox - It is similar to everything else he's done, but so radically different than most animations these days. I just love that he never does things conventionally.
5. Avatar - I can't argue with how swept up in it I got. Thank you front row IMAX 3D.
6. Sin Nombre - I agree with Ben. And side note: although I didn't like the story of "Crazy Heart," as a debut its pretty impressive - Scott Cooper got great performances on camera from everyone involved.
7. Up In the Air - You give me any existential movie, and I'm sorry to say, it will always make my list. I love me some philosophies of life.
8. The Hangover - Vomit if you want at this choice, but I can't deny how much I laughed, both in theaters and when I saw it again months later.