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Post by Jack Burton on Jan 7, 2010 3:28:19 GMT -5
There have been so many critics babbling on about their Top Ten Films of the Year. Why not post yours? Here's mine:
Note: Since I live in the boonies and probably won't get to see a good chunk of the Oscar contenders until Feb., I want it to be known that I have not yet seen (but really want to) the following films: The Road, Up in the Air, The Hurt Locker, and Moon. If I do happen to catch any or all of those films and they do make it on the list, I'll be sure to update it.
1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS 2. CHOCOLATE 3. NINJA ASSASSIN 4. CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE 5. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D 6. BRUNO 7. TAKEN 8. WATCHMEN 9. AVATAR 10. ZOMBIELAND
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 7, 2010 7:39:31 GMT -5
I'll give this some thought - there's a bunch I haven't seen as well, so my list could be subject to change as well.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Jan 7, 2010 13:13:31 GMT -5
1. Avatar 2. Extract 3. Taken 4. Star Trek 5. Watchmen 6. Zombieland 7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 8. 9 9. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 10. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
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Post by Captain Hygiene on Jan 7, 2010 13:48:23 GMT -5
I didn’t see enough movies that I’d call great last year to put together a full top ten. There were a lot of fun films, but here are the five or six that I’d consider classics:
1. Up - Still the best film I've seen in ages. Heck, the opening ten or fifteen minute summary of Carl's life was the best movie of the year, not even counting the rest of the film.
2. Avatar - Some cliched story elements and more cheesy spiritualism than I normally like, but that's all ignorable. It's just such a fun ride, I couldn't help but like it.
3. Moon - Great character drama disguised as a 1970s science fiction movie.
4. District 9 - Interesting social commentary as well as a quality action movie.
5. Watchmen - I thought it was pretty great, with some reservations, when I first saw it. It's rounding out the list, but I've kind of cooled off towards it and really need to give it another viewing to see whether or not it should stay on the list.
?. A Serious Man - Reserving a place in the top five for this. I really need to watch it again and think about it some more, but it could easily be up there.
The biggest disappointment for me was Public Enemies. This wasn’t a bad movie by any means, but it was just kind of…there. Perfectly adequate, but rarely much more than that, and nowhere near what a gangster movie with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale should have been.
The Road is one that I haven't seen, that could well be added to the top list from the looks of it.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 7, 2010 14:44:54 GMT -5
I don't think I saw 10 films in 09. I saw some that made me want my 2 hours back, like The Informant and Men Who Stare at Goats. Just awful.
However, even if I saw 50, I don't think I would have seen any better than A Serious Man and Up. Definitely the top 2 of the year.
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Post by Trumpy's Magic Snout on Jan 7, 2010 15:31:48 GMT -5
I went and done a list on my film blog. The films are: 1) Let The Right One In 2) Up 3) In The Loop 4) Moon 5) The Wrestler 6) A Serious Man 7) The Hurt Locker 8) Zombieland 9) Drag Me To Hell 10) District 9 I explain myself here: splicechuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/films-of-year-2009.htmlI thought 2009 was pretty darn great for movies, just not Blockbusters or "Indie" movies. The best stuff tended to be genre films that tried to bring something new. It was quite hard picking just ten actually. I've taken some flak from mates for not including Slumdog Millionaire or The Hangover. Cold Souls was quite interesting and Watchmen was flawed but quite an experience. The thing is I missed quite a lot of films as well. I really need to see Avatar just for the experience even though I'm not that hopeful of really liking it that much.
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Post by Satchmo on Jan 7, 2010 19:29:01 GMT -5
I can only think of six (I don't go to theaters much).
1. The Road- Haunting, dark, sad, and often hard to watch. In other words, it's everything you could hope for in an adaptation of Cormac McCathy's novel.
2. District 9- Absolutely brilliant. It's smart, self aware, and featuring the best special effects I've ever seen (I have yet to see Avatar, but judging by the trailers, the effects don't even come close).
3. Inglourious Basterds- Funny, gleefully violent, and surprisingly complex (you know, considering the storyline).
4. An Education- A very nice little film with great performances all around.
5. Up- If there's a God, I'd like to thank him profusely for the gift of Pixar.
6. Zombieland- I never thought I'd say that I liked this, but it was a pleasant surprise.
I'm still waiting to see The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; with Terry Gilliam at the helm, and Tom Waits playing the Devil it could take the number one spot easily. Hell, if it lives up to the hype, it could be my new favorite movie (though Memento is a damn hard movie to top).
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Post by callipygias on Jan 7, 2010 21:15:11 GMT -5
Excluding Rifftrax movies I think the only things from 2009 I saw were Watchmen and Inglorious Basterds. Watchmen is excellent, but Basterds I LOVE. It's definitely in my top five for the decade. I'll order A Serious Man and The Road as soon as they come out on DVD. 1. The Road- Haunting, dark, sad, and often hard to watch. In other words, it's everything you could hope for in an adaptation of Cormac McCathy's novel. Great news.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 8, 2010 1:26:25 GMT -5
2009 was a great year for animation; strangely “Up” didn’t wow me as much as it has everyone else. I liked it, I thought the opening was great, but overall I didn’t wet my pants over it. The 10 that did make me wet ‘em (and I don't seem to have much in common with mainstream thought this year) 1. The Girlfriend ExperienceI’m not a fan of Soderbergh’s big budget features, but I love his indie, experimental films which seem to exasperate certain folks. This one really polarized critics. Reading over reviews its as if the half who hated it are seeing a completely different film from the half who dug it. The story concerns an escort. But GFE has no linear plot, it’s like a documentary, it zips back and forth, future to past and back again. Its lead actress is rather flat and lacks charisma, but that’s exactly what she supposed to be – it adds to the mystery of who she is and why she does what she does (something I don’t believe she knows herself). It has no true ending, it leaves plot threads unresolved… it’s the kind of movie I should be so frustrated with that I hate it – and yet I was completely mesmerized by it all. Held in thrall, I was never bored, never actually frustrated by the pacing or jagged narrative. 2. The Secret in Their EyesThis Argentinean production won the best foreign film Oscar last year. It opens with a man writing these beautiful words about a woman. He gets frustrated, crumples up the paper and continues writing a description that is more beautiful than the last. He crumples this up as well and then suddenly something terrible intrudes on his memory - and the juxtaposition of great beauty and great ugliness is jarring. It’s one of the most powerful opening sequences I’ve ever seen in a movie. The man -we soon discover- is a retired criminal investigator, haunted by an old case. In addition to the detective story, the film is also about love: Having regrets about it, being haunted by it, being consumed by it. This is a captivating film that hits me where I live because I love mysteries - and love stories, (not soap opera love stories but) mature ones which examine both the beauty and hurt that can encapsulate love. 3. (500) Days of SummerA romantic comedy, but not in the traditional sense as SPOLIER the couple here don’t have a happy ending together. It’s smart, funny and heartbreaking as it shifts back and forth through moments in the relationship. 4. An EducationThis has some of the most sparkling dialog I’ve ever heard and the performances are rich with depth and vibrancy. A callback to the British coming of age stories of the 60s (which I've always enjoyed), I was charmed by Jenny and felt her awakening and heartbreak to my core. This is a story that lingers long after it’s over. Oh, and Sandra must have been amazing in “Blind Side” (haven't seen it) because Carey Mulligan was Oscar (win) worthy. 5. Two LoversThis popped up briefly in theaters back in Feb, faded away and hasn’t made much of a splash with viewers. But it’s a smart, well-written movie about a guy named Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix) who becomes involved with 2 women. Gwyneth Paltrow is great as a screwed up gal who has Leonard twisted in knots. But it’s Phoenix with those dark haunted eyes -and who does squirrelly so well, that’s absolutely spot on. 6. Up In The AirGeorge Clooney is a guy who flies all over the states just to fire people. Outstanding flick, funny, but also very moving with solid acting. It’s a movie that I couldn't stop thinking about after I'd seen it, and it’s one that will mean different things to different people - but I like how critic Johnathan Romney summed it up... “Up In The Air is as eloquent about today's executive culture as The Apartment was about that of 1960. It is a brutal, desolate film – but also a superb existential rom-com, and the most entertaining lesson in contemporary socio-economics that you could hope for.”7. PonyoMiyazaki’s animated film is magical and charming as always. It's not a big film like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, it's a return to more intimate material such as Totoro, which is okay. Totoro is still one of the filmmakers greatest (and one of my favorites). The art is more simplistic; it leans on pastels and primary color. Voice work was top drawer 8. Fantastic Mr. FoxQuirky Wes Anderson meets Roald Dahl? What a match made in heaven. Mr. Fox takes on 3 farmers and all curse breaks out. Arguably Anderson’s funniest film, and the voice work from George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray, is stellar 9. The WatchmenI’ve already written a big long review at the SHM – a thematic marvel, with an improved narrative on the directors cut. 10. Whip ItEllen Page in another delightful small film. This one is directed by Drew Barrymore and while it’s not very original and completely predicable, there’s so much charm and spirit that I don’t give a damn and loved it anyway. Page plays a gal who doesn’t really know what she wants or where she fits in this world… until she dons skates and joins the Roller Derby. Honorable Mention #11. ChocolateYeah I knew it would kick ass, I didn’t expect it to surprise or beguile me. Autistic girl is able to imitate any martial arts move she sees, and uses this ability to avenge her parents. It is so much fun to see her channeling everyone from Jackie Chan to Jet Lee. I especially loved her doing Bruce Lee in the Ice House. More Honorable Mentions: 12. Adam * 13. Monsters vs Aliens * 14: Zombieland * 15: Star Trek * 16: The Messenger * 17: A Town Called Panic * 18: Mother and... Julia and Julie, Sunshine Cleaning, Harry Potter, Coraline, Avatar, The Road, Moon, Hurt Locker, Bandslam
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joike
Nanite
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Post by joike on Jan 8, 2010 8:12:19 GMT -5
I don't get out to see movies as often as I'd like but here's mine:
Coraline Watchmen (although I prefer the dvd release with Tales of the Black Freighter mixed in) Where the Wild Things Are Ponyo Up District 9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The other movies I saw last year wouldn't make my top 10 so I have to stop at 7!
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Post by pablo on Jan 8, 2010 18:08:24 GMT -5
1.Star Trek 2.The Brothers Bloom 3.A Christmas Carol 4.Coraline 5.Paris 36 6.The International 7.Surrogates 8.Public Enemies 9.Taken 10.The Messenger 11.Duplicity 12.The Private Lives of Pippa Lee 13.A Serious Man
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 21, 2010 6:04:08 GMT -5
Boy, remember this thread? I'm bumping it for a few final comments – After finally watching most on my 2009 wish list. I’m going to drop Avatar off my top 10 and replace it with “An Education” – And to Honorable Mentions I’m going to add the Road, Zombieland (a surprise) and Moon. So anyone else have a cap to add to 2009?
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 21, 2010 9:24:44 GMT -5
They only thing I'd change is my number ten. A few days after I made that list I saw Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and loved it.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 22, 2010 0:23:32 GMT -5
^Yeah Cloudy was cute, 09 had some top notch animated and stop motion films.
------- Oh and I forgot Adam - Mmm, I'd be tempted to put it #10. Honorable mention at the least.
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Post by Shep on Sept 26, 2010 2:46:10 GMT -5
This was terrific! I haven't seen many films lately but I liked that one (and "Inglorious Basterds").
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