My Top 10 for 2009

This is my top 10 for 2009. Keep in mind, I did not see all the movies that were released in 2009. So if I left The Final Destination: 3D off the list, don’t get mad; I can only rank movies that I have actually seen. So, without further ado . . .

10. Star Trek
Was it a Star Trek movie? No, not really. But it was an awful lot of fun, and it breathed new life into a dead franchise. Chris Pine (after a lot of complaining by staunch and irrelevant Trekkies) turned out to do a pretty decent job as Kirk, and Zachary Quinto seemed like he was born to play Spock. For me, Star Trek was the only palatable summer blockbuster last year. Compared to stinkers like Wolverine, Transformers, and GI Joe, that may not be saying much, but it is a sign that the studios haven’t completely lost touch with what makes good cinema.


9. Sunshine Cleaning
Just so you know, this is not a sequel to Little Miss Sunshine. This was a quiet little inde film featuring Amy Adam’s first lead performance, and she does very well as the former high-school cheerleader who never did anything with her life. When she finally decides to get some self-respect and start a new business, cleaning up crime scenes seems doesn’t seem like the most likely of professions. But with the help of her sister, played brilliantly by Emily Blunt, she comes to feel the real value of family, and she finds that she is a much stronger person that she ever thought she could be. This is fantastic inde fimmaking that would be hard to sell to a major studio, but it works all the better because of it. This movie is wonderfully heartfelt and emotionally engaging. Amid all the blood and body fluids, there is a beautiful message about believing in yourself and truly coming to understand who you really are.


8. Inglorious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino’s WWII movie took me by surprise. Although Tarantino’s films are all pretty solid, I’ve found it hard to get really worked up about any of his films since Pulp Fiction (Although Kill Bill vol.2 was pretty good). However, Tarantino’s foray into the war movie genre kept me riveted. I never knew what to expect around each bend in the script and felt myself engrossed in Tranatino’s signature intimate dialogues that seem to wander far from the action of the story but then wind back on themselves in a way that makes them seem like they were relevant the whole time. Sure, it wasn’t historically accurate, and Eli Roth’s performance was not believable at all, but two fantastic performances by Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz elevate some of the movie’s pitfalls to high art.


7. Where the Wild Things Are
I know there was a lot of head-scratching on the part of long-time fans of the book when this movie was released, and there are rumors that the studio wanted to can the entire movie altogether, but I feel that this was one of the most important films of the year. For me, this movie was an impressionistic voyage into the conflicting and oft-times uncontrollable emotions of a child. For some, it was a story of a little boy who actually got a on a boat, sailed to an island, and hung out with a pack of monsters who seemed to be at each other’s throats a lot. For others, it was a rough and raw voyage into Max’s psyche where we were able to see Max’s conflicting emotions interact in physical ways. I found beauty in Max’s conflicted self and the chaos of the wild things (not to mention the fantastic world created by Spike Jonze and the special effects team). And in the end, Max’s smile says it all—things may not be perfect, but he’s come to better understand himself. And I think he’ll be OK.


6. The Hurt Locker
I have to admit, the shaky cam got me a little sick at times, but The Hurt Locker was as good a war movie as any I’ve ever seen. But unlike many of the recent Iraq War movies, director Katheryn Bigelow doesn’t sink to politicizing the war. Instead, she gives us a raw character study of the soldiers who are fighting, the danger they face, and the effect that the stress of their adrenaline-filled lives has on them, their relationships, and their life back at home. But more than the excellent script and the superb directing, Jeremy Renner’s performance as Sgt. William James, the tortured explosives expert, is a real stand out. You may not agree with him, but by the end of the film, you come to understand that he is making the only decision he can make.


5. Up In the Air
I don’t really know what to say about this movie except, great writing, great directing, and great performances from George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and (especially) Anna Kendrick. This movie was smart, artistic, funny, and emotionally engaging throughout—a rare combination in today’s studio madness over remakes and flashy blockbusters. It’s not very often that a big studio film like this can make me excited to go to the movies, but it did just that. Amid all the explosions and action figures, maybe Hollywood still has a heart.


4. District 9
Some estimates put the cost of James Cameron’s Avatar at close to $500 million. District 9 cost only $30 million to make, and proves that you don’t have to put your entire studio up as collateral to make a visually and emotionally engaging and exciting sci-fi film. As much as I was blown away by the world of Pandora, Neill Blomkamp’s insect-like aliens seemed more “real” to me. And the story of the hapless Wirkus Van De Merwe, who—at first—seems kind of annoying, becomes a supremely empathetic character who you root for, even though you know he is still mostly self-interested. It’s a beautiful and exciting piece of filmmaking by people who know the power of sci-fi to question current social, historical, and political practices and use it well.


3. Zombieland
OK, so I’m a sucker for a good zombie flick. But this is more than just another zombie movie; it’s fun, funny, and completely, deadpaningly self-aware. It’s the kind of movie that you walk out of with a smile on your face, simply because you just had a really good time. I found myself sad to leave Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock behind as I walked out the theater, and I desperately wanted more. And—really—isn’t that what we all want from a movie? Throw in some zombie and it just makes it all that much better.


2. Moon
Three reasons why Moon was one of my favorite movies of the year: Sam Rockwell, Sam Rockwell, and Sam Rockwell (oh yeah, and the script, cinematography, set design, and directing didn’t hurt either). The afore-mentioned actor carries the entire film quite literally. He is, in fact, the only live actor in the entire movie. But more than Sam Rockwell’s awesome performance, Moon is a great throwback to the classic sci-fi films of the 70s, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris. It uses the sci-fi genre to explore what it means to be human. It’s not flashy. There are no big explosions of action set-pieces, just solid moviemaking at its best. And unlike a vapid summer blockbuster, Moon stays with you, makes you think, and is not easily forgotten. See it.


1. (500) Days of Summer
Again, this movie represents everything I love about the movies. Call it a postmodern romantic comedy. Sure it’s a story of boy meets girl, but that’s where all the usual romantic comedy clichés stop. What I loved about this movie is the fact I had no idea what to expect from one moment to the next and loved every minute of it. Although we’re told at the very beginning that “this is not a love story,” we still root for Tom and think, “Maybe, just maybe, he’s going to walk off into the sunset with Summer anyway.” Well, there is a happy ending. It’s not the ending you might expect, but it still leaves you rooting for Tom and believing in the magic of love. At this point it is probably needless to say that the writing and directing were great and that Joseph-Gordon Leavitt’s performance as Tom is fantastic. And Zooey Deschanel may just be playing Zooey Deshanel, but that doesn’t bother me a bit. All that, plus french new wave, animation, YouTube-style testimonials, a kicking soundtrack, and the best musical dance sequence this year make this movie my number one for 2009.

My Oscar Post

So, I guess I'm obligated to do this. So here is my Oscar post.

Slumdog Millionaire was awesome and deserves everything it got (except maybe bast song, "Jai Ho"!?). Five words: Danny Boyle is the man.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button deserved to win best special effects and it did.

Sean Penn blindsided me. I totally thought Mickey Rourke would win, even if he is kind of slimy.

Heath Ledger: nuff said.

Seth Rogan and James Franco: nuff said.

Still miffed that Bruce Springsteen's song from The Wrestler wasn't nominated.

Still mad The Dark Knight wasn't nominated for Best Picture (It wouldn't have won, but still, one the most highly reviewed movies of 2008 and grossing $1 billion at the box office deserves some recognition).

Hugh Jackman was alright. The opening musical number was amusing (Anne Hathaway stole the show), but next year, I think they should get a comedian again.

And next year, I hope they nominate some films that people actually cared about.

The Curious Case of the Special Effects

If you've seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, you probably sat there going, "I know that's Brad Pitt's face on that little old man, but that is not Brad Pitt's body." I was amazed and curious as to how they achieved the whole effect. Now there is a website set up by the Benjamin Button people that shows you exactly how they did it. And not only that, but you'll be amazed at the number of things that you didn't even realize were special effects. I was astounded. I thought the FX were good, but I didn't realize how far they had gone. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is truly a huge leap in the area of movie special effects, as big a leap as Jurassic Park or Forrest Gump were in the 90s.

Visit Benjamin Button FX here, and be amazed.

Video of the Week: Joaquin Pheonix on Letterman

So this is about the weirdest thing I've seen in awhile. I realize that Joaquin Phoenix has said that he is retiring from acting so that he can pursue a career in hip-hop, but it looks like he's checked out a little early. Here he is on Letterman, pretty much despondent and maybe a bit angry about something (even before Letterman mocks him). I expect this kind of thing from people who aren't used to being interviewed, but it's not like he hasn't done this before. Watch the video below and be completely dumbfounded by Phoenix's complete lack of . . . well, anything.



What did you think?

A Racist Exploitation Film up for Best Picture?

If you haven’t seen Slumdog Millionaire yet, I urge you to see it, either now at your local art house movie theater or eventually on DVD. It is a great movie by one of my favorite directors, Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Millions). It is one of my favorite movies of 2008 and is the favorite for winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.

That being said, since Slumdog has been nominated for Best Picture and it has received almost universal acclaim from critics nationwide, a few dissenting voices have arisen, calling the movie exploitative of India’s poor and blaming it for the perpetuation of negative Indian stereotypes in the west.

Jamal, the main character, rises from the poverty-stricken slums of Mumbai and there are depictions of police torture, child mutilation and exploitation, and Indian gangsters. Some Indian critics have accused Boyle of taking these negative images of India and using them to his advantage to play on the heart strings of a western audience, to excite their emotions improperly.

Although it is true that some of the power of the movie derives from the depiction of Jamal and his brother’s surroundings as they face a hard life of child labor, crime, and fear of Hindu violence against Muslims, it is also true that the movie focuses on Jamal’s struggle to overcome these circumstances.


Personally, I don’t see a lot of Bollywood movies. In fact, I have never seen a Bollywood movie—unless you count Bend it Like Beckham, which I don’t. As a result, I don’t know what kind of image Indian filmmakers are trying to portray to western audiences. As well, I’ve never been to India, so I can’t testify as to the truth of Boyle’s depiction of India. But I do know that Boyle has said that this movie is a “love letter to India.” And in interviews, I’ve seen he has been nothing but respectful of Indian culture. (Let me note that Boyle is British.) In fact, because India does not have the strict child labor laws that are enforced in the UK and US, Boyle decided to use western-style child labor laws while shooting the child actors in the movie, in order to avoid even the suggestion of impropriety.

When was the last time you saw an American movie that depicted a person rising above their station? A victim of child abuse or poverty who grows up to make something of him or herself? This is a very common theme in western cinema, especially American cinema (In fact it is a key American mythological archetype). Maybe part of the problem lies in the idea that Indian critics do not appreciate the archetype that resonates so well with western audiences. To back this up, I have heard that at screenings in India the movie has been perceived as boring and confusing by the general population.

I don’t know. I would like to say that the film transcends time and place because it is really about the triumph of the human spirit and the will to rise about your circumstances. It is a celebration of life (both the good and the bad) that just happens to be set in India, but could have been set anywhere. But am I being culturally insensitive when I say I don’t think the movie was exploitative of Indian society?

Come Oscar night, sitting among the bowls of dip and chips on my couch, I’ll be rooting for Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Picture, for Danny Boyle to win Best Director, and for Simon Beafoy to win Best Adapted Screenplay, because—in the end—I think Boyle’s film is a superb example of what movies should be: uplifting, unflinching, visually beautiful, well written and well acted. But a small part of me will also be wondering if I’m a perpetuating cultural ignorance. I hope this is not the case.

Trailer posted below.


Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire? What did you think?

Screenplays Galore!

We've already established that I'm a geek, right? Well here's some more geekiness to add to the case against me. I happened to hear about this website that archives movie scripts: simplyscripts.com.

Mind you, these are not synopses or plot outlines or novelizations, but the actual shooting scripts of big movies free for download in pdf. For example, the site has the complete scripts for all the Golden Globe nominated movies, and has an archive of past Oscar winners for best screenplay.

Usually these types of scripts are not available to the general public; it's not as if you can walk into your local Barnes & Noble and walk into the screenplay section. But now they are all available for free download.

Granted, I really wanted to see the script for The Fountain, one of favorite films of all time, but it was not available. So not all film scripts are in the archive, but a good portion of them are. If you get a chance, click the link above and visit the site and have fun comparing the script in your hand to the movie you see on screen (but, of course, only real film geeks do that sort of thing).

Video of the Week: The Business of Being Born

I thought I would post a movie trailer this week for a documentary that my wife and I saw recently. It's called The Business of Being Born. The documentary examines the business of birthing babies in the united states and questions our current system of OB/GYNs and hospital deliveries. It's eye opening to see that the US has the 2nd highest infant mortality rate in the developed world, it has the highest rate of C-sections, and lowest number of natural child births in the world—by a wide margin. The documentary is very obviously on the side of midwives and home births, but it presents its message in a very loving and informative way. It doesn't finger wag, or call for the eradication of OB/GYNs. And although, you may roll your eyes and think that this kind of thing is only for hippies, this movie shows you that it's not and backs up its argument with great research and interviews. It is very informative and well made, and I highly suggest watching it. (It is currently available on Netflix.) Check it out below.