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I realize that 2009 is far from over, but since we are through the summer blockbuster season I figured it would be an appropriate time to come up with a list of the top 10 best movies of 2009 (so far). There are still a few big releases to hit like Sherlock Holmes, so there may be some slight alterations when all is said and done, but overall I am pretty satisfied that this is just about how things will shake out. Without further ado, here are my picks for the best films of the year so far:
10 - I Love You Man - Paul Rudd of Anchorman fame and Jason Segel of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and TV's How I Met Your Mother team up in this classic buddy movie about a guy who gets engaged only to discover he has no friends to stand up for him at his wedding. Under urging from his fiance Peter Klaven (Rudd) goes on a series of "man dates" in a quest to find a friend and a potential best man. After several spectacular failures he accidentally meets up with Sidney Fife (Segel), a painfully honest, but loyal friend. Though seemingly polar opposites the pair hits it off immediately, mostly due to a mutual love of the rock band Rush. However, Peter's fiance Zooey (Rashida Jones) is less than impressed Sidney's influence on her husband-to-be.
The movie is clever and consistently funny throughout, and features a great supporting cast including Jon Favreau, J.K. Simmons, Jaime Pressley, Andy Sandberg and Jane Curtin. If you missed this in theaters make sure to pick it up on DVD as it is one of the funniest movies of the year.
9 - Coraline - One of the best movies of the year is also one of the most unique. Featuring the voice acting of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher and Ian McShane Coraline is an animated film that is quite different than the usual offerings you see from Pixar and Dreamworks. Fanning voices main character Coraline Jones who discovers a secret door in her house, walks through it, and discovers an alternate reality to her real life. The animation is top notch, featuring stop motion stereoscopic 3D, and combined with the voice acting, and the intriguing plot the movie is destined to be an instant classic that will be enjoyed for years to come by children and adults alike.
8 - Watchmen - To be honest when I heard this movie was coming out I thought it would have ended up a lot higher on a list of the best films of the year. That's not to say I was disappointed - I enjoyed the movie immensely - just not quite as much as I thought I would.
Much different than typical superhero films like Spiderman and X-men this film definitely had a darker, grittier side in the spirit of a film like Sin City. The movie isn't quite as action-packed as I expected and tends to wander and/or drag on in parts. However, the acting is top notch and the narration by Rorschach (Jackie Earle Hayley) is particularly good. For fans of the graphic novels this movie might be something of a letdown, but it is still much better than big budget films like GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
7 - Public Enemies - Johnny Depp is one of the most versatile actors working in Hollywood today. Whether he is playing a crazed pirate, a demonic barber, or in this case, legendary villain John Dillinger he is always completely believable. Public Enemies is a very good film, though it will not challenge Goodfellas or other films of that caliber as one of the best gangster movies ever made. Much like Watchmen the film seems to drag in places, but there is enough action throughout to keep views from getting too antsy. Christian Bale as FBI agent Melvin Purvis isn't as good as Depp, but does a serviceable job.
Despite some minor flaws Public Enemies is still very much worth viewing at least once, and the set design and the digital imagery in the film are as good as it gets.
6 - The Hurt Locker - Of all the movies on this list, with perhaps the exception of Coraline, The Hurt Locker is the most unheralded. With names like Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and even Evangeline Lily of television's Lost there is decent star power, but for whatever reason the film didn't get the promotion that it deserved. As emotional as it is thrilling The Hurt Locker gives the audience a vividly portrayed view of an elite unit that has the unenviable job (to say the least) of disarming bombs in the middle of battle. If you are among the many who haven't heard of this film definitely check it out when it hits DVD.
5 - Inglorious Basterds - There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie, and with director Quentin Tarantino and Holly A-list actor Brad Pitt attached to the film, the high anticipation hardly comes as a shock. Tarantino is back in a big way, after lukewarm reviews of his last film Death Proof, with this tale of a group of Jewish-American soldiers who spread terror through the enemy's ranks by brutally killing Nazis. Pitt is stellar in the lead role as Lt. Aldo Raine, and though the film is over 2.5 hours long you'll never find it dragging. If you hurry you can still catch it in theaters. Otherwise you'll have to wait the long months until it sees the light of day on DVD.
4 - Up - As good as Coraline was, it couldn't dethrone the 800 pound gorilla Pixar for the title of the best animated movie of 2009. Pixar, much like Johnny Depp, just never seem to make a bad movie, and no matter how much praise is heaped upon them for one movie they somehow seem to outdo themselves in the next.
Ed Asner, who was so good as Lou Grant on TV so many years ago, proves he still hasn't lost his acting ability, turning in a top notch performance as the voice of Carl Fredricksen, a cantankerous old man who sets out on an incredible adventure in the twilight of his life to fulfill a lifelong promise to his deceased wife. The movie, like all Pixar films, has plenty of humor, but also has moments that will have you blinking back tears. If you are a fan of Pixar films then you've no doubt already seen this one, but if you'd dismissed it as a kid's movie you are doing yourself a disservice, and you should make sure to pick it up on DVD (or Blu-Ray) the day it hits stores.
3 - District 9 - Though there are many that are calling this film the greatest science fiction movie of all time I wouldn't go quite that far. Still, it is an incredible movie and a stunning debut for director Neil Blomkamp. The movie is unusual right from the start for the simple fact of its setting. The story takes place in South Africa, a refreshing departure from other alien "invasion" movies that always seem to take place on U.S. soil. As you can see I've put the word invasion in quotes. This isn't your typical movie where army troops and a few extraordinary civilians must defend Earth from annihilation by unwelcome extra terrestrial visitors. Instead, the aliens purpose is unknown, and they've been segregated and forced into slums under the watchful eye of the military. I won't get into too many specific details, but suffice it to say the film is much different than any sci-fi movie that I've ever seen.
2 - The Hangover - While this might not have enjoyed the critical acclaim of several of the other films on this list, The Hangover deserves its spot as it is one of the funniest comedy movies to come along in years. Starring Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and the outrageously funny Zach Galifianakis the film is about 2 buddies (and one soon to be brother-in-law) who take their friend Doug to Las Vegas for his bachelor party. As often happens in Vegas (even in real life) things get quickly out of hand and after a night of debauchery the sorry crew wakes up and discovers they've lost their friend. Unable to recall what happened they must try and retrace their steps from the previous night to try and find Doug and get him home in time for his wedding.
Don't forget to stay right to the end of this one. The slideshow during the credits is just as funny as the main film.
1 - Star Trek - With so many installments of this venerable sci-fi classic already it seemed unlikely that yet another chapter would come up at number one on a list of the top 10 best movies of 2009. Yet here it is. Why, you ask? Quite simply, this isn't your father's Star Trek. The series has been completely reinvented, much in the way that Batman Begins was a few years back. It is darker, more violent and grittier than any of the previous installments.
This film is actually a prequel to the others, and follows the adventures of a young James Kirk, detailing how he came to the academy, met Spock, Bones, Scotty and the rest of the crew, and eventually came to captain the Starship Enterprise.
If you are not a fan of the original series and have snubbed this film as result you are making a mistake. This movie is great without being a die hard Trekkie, and if you haven't seen it make sure to mark November 17th on your calendar as that is the day it will be available on DVD.
Want more? Be sure to check out my list of the top 100 Best Movies of All Time.