Best Films of 2009

A slow-paced but beautiful portrayal of a family that is too busy for each other. I enjoyed the ironic dialogue throughout.

An epic movie that fell short on real drama amongst its impressive battles and imagery.

An improvement over the second one. I bypassed "Tokyo Drift" and saw this one with the recommendation of my wife. It's at least good enough to consider the next one...

While not a great movie, it looked good and I'd like to see more of Caan's screenplay work.

Different enough from the original to make it their own, but I felt like I was just watching another Tony Scott movie from the 90s.

Like the doc a few years back, "Fog of War", this doc is essentially an interview with a man who has very strong opinions that are frightening and have an achingly large amount of realism to them.

This indie semi-doc is cute and the interviews are fun.

A well-paced gross-out flick that proves Raimi still has it (unlike Ramis).

Giamatti plays himself and it ain't pretty.

With such a solid cast I can't believe how few laughs there were in this movie. Still, the actors are likable enough to get us through it without being in pain.

I basically enjoy any movie about baseball and this one is completely different from any I've seen. I really liked getting to know foreign players' upbringings and how they succeed or fail getting to the big leagues.

Director: Marc Forby
His 1st movie
My 1st movie watched from the director

An important movie to watch about the Hawai'i and USA relationship. Q'orianka Kilcher is likable in the lead, the costumes are great, and the story moves along fine. The ending is its strongest part.

Added to Lists:

The Creation of the United States

__________

Location: Honolulu, HI, USA; Brighton, UK

Emphasis on the weird.
This movie has some really cool action sequences and is unique in blending Italian Westerns, US Westerns and a Manchurian style.

A dark comedy that will have you asking "what the fuck?" down to the very end.

Another Sode experimental film that met expectations. About a dude going out with a call girl, knowing what she does he still thinks it will work out... idiot.

I've always liked the story and have always liked Carrey, but they focused way too much on cheap 3D thrills. I almost walked out ten minutes into that ridiculous chase scene near the end.

Director: Lasse Hallström
His 20th movie
My 9th movie watched from the director

Added to Lists:

A Dog's Perspective
Top Ten Performances - Richard Gere
Top Ten Performances - Joan Allen
Top Ten Films - Lasse Hallström

__________

Location: Rhode Island, USA

Likable characters and beautiful scenery. Reynolds seems to be making some decent choices lately.

Having fun with horrible movies like Troll 2 and The Room can be a good time.

A wild premise that has you agape throughout. Plus a whole bunch of Nazi zombies get their shit kicked.

Bobcat can direct a strange movie, no surprise. It's a bold movie that works in most cases.

I laughed enough to find this mid-grade animated film a comedy. Colbert of course is the best part.

Blunt and Adams are lovable, even with the dark subject matter that tries its hardest to be light.

Nothing too original here but the acting kept me interested.

Berenice is my new favorite French actress, wow!

There are some great moments in this low budget film about fanboys. The third act is weak, but the final line is perfect.

A typical wordy Woody Allen movie with the just-as-neurotic Larry David. They should pair up more often.

Nancy Myers knows how to do a romantic comedy. This is entertaining yet nothing too memorable comes from it, including still-likable performances and a familiar story.

A surprisingly funny movie that knows when to hit both the dramatic and comedic notes, many times within the same scene.

Sienna and Keira are two of my favorite lovely British actresses out there and they pull in some great performances in this terribly unseen film.

Wacky and a bit messy at times, this military jaunt is good for the soul, but not for goats.

Beautifully made film with ugly subject matter.

The ending is affectively cringe-worthy and the main character is well-developed.

Sam Rockwell is no doubt awesome. This is a fun basketball movie that may have some cliches but spends more time cleverly avoiding them or making fun of them.

Possibly my least favorite of the Potter movies so far; but obviously still good enough for #53

Three guitar legends from three generations come together and talk about music. It's an awesome doc for any modern music lover.

As a fan of early-mid 90s hip-hop I loved reminiscing through the timeline of how it all went down. Fantastic performance by mostly unknown actors/actresses.

I love this contrast in music and the personalities behind it. Down-to-earth Canadian good-old-chaps who love to rock hard in arenas across the globe.

A smart story with a hell of a cast, but there aren't any standout scenes and dialogue for this movie to be too memorable.

Willis pulls off this cool look at how ridiculous the human mind can be. It's damned scary.

An under appreciated animated film that has just as good a story as 'Avatar" and holds some pretty impressive animated sequences

A wonderful imaginative world with creative animation and good use of 3D.

As most docs are, this film is very one-sighted; but I found it very intriguing and alarming.

Outrageously and obnoxiously weird; and inane. I loved it for those reasons!

Not award-winning but a good performance by Bullock and inspiring story.

Swank pulls off the Earhardt tale. It's a bit of a meandering tale; but Mira Nair shows she has what it takes to create an epic.