2009 was as has been an exiting and rejuvenating time for the cinema. Many films have come out that have been groundbreaking in terms of the technologies used in filming, animation and sound recording. As a film student and film journalist I was blown away by the quality of quite a few 2009 Hollywood films, and a number of foreign films as well.
Here is a list of what I personally thought were some of the best films of 2009 in no particular order.
(1) Avatar
James Cameron's magnum opus, Avatar, still currently in release at time of writing, has the entire world in a whirlwind of frenzy. With one of the biggest budgets ever for a feature length movie, Avatar is being hailed as having the best animation and computer generated images that audiences has ever seen. This one hundred and sixty plus minute movie seems to fly by for audiences of all ages - the film is that good.
(2) Where The Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze's adaptation Maurice Sendak's famed children's book of the same name is, surprisingly, not entirely a film for children. This is a quiet, solemn and lonely film that shows the themes of anxiety, fear, apprehensions and confusions of being a child living in modern suburbia, and what they will often do to get away from it all. Where The Wild Things Are is a powerful and surprising film that has quite often left audiences in tears.
(3) Up!
Pixar's centre piece for 2009, Up! is a beautifully animated story about youth and old age, and the similarities and connections that still exist between the two. This film is being held in high regard to take out the Best Picture Nomination, and is a sublime and heart warming (and at times, heart breaking!) film that has held the captivation of children and adults from around the globe.
(4) Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino's rewritten version of history in Inglourious Basterds is a perpetually entertaining, edgy and provocative piece of cinema that slides in nicely next to his earlier works. A cleverly told story set in War World II ravaged Europe, Inglourious basterds is witty, funny and Tarantino's most unique film to date.
(5) (500) Days of Summer
"This is not a love story. This is a story about love." Thus begins 500 Days of Summer, an incredibly fresh and original film that steers clear of the clichés and predictabilities of most modern romantic comedies. This is a real film, about real characters, and the audience feels their elation and heart break with them.
(6) Invictus
Clint Eastwood is one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood, and Invictus is testimony to that fact. Taking the true story of Nelson Mandela's attempts to unite South Africa, Invictus is a powerful, inspirational and thought provoking film. As a side note, Morgan Freeman was born to play the role of Nelson Mandela. This is a must see.
2009 has been an amazing year for cinema.
Kim Hanna is a film critic and journalist. When he's not exercising his passion for cinema, he's working hard on product bases online sites such as fridges for sale and fridge freezers for sale.