The year 2009 provided many highlights from the silver screen. These include the awe-inspiring debut of Avatar and the death of Adolf Hitler in Inglourious Basterds, among other moments. Also included in this are hidden gems, such as A Serious Man and The Hurt Locker, and innovative cartoon epics Up and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Overall, this has been one of the best years in recent memory for Hollywood. Here are my picks for the top movies of 2009.
1. A Serious Man
Possibly the most overlooked film of this past year, which is also a personal ode to the Coen’s Jewish upbringing in 1960s Minneapolis. Michael Stuhlbarg plays Larry Gopnik, a Jewish physics professor who watches his life spiral out of control. He seemingly lives a life reminiscent of Job (from the Old Testament), as bad things continually happen. Events include his wife requesting a divorce, his appointment for tenure being up in the air, his brothers legal problems, amongst many other things. The film leaves more questions than answers at the end, as the Coen’s leave the ending up for intepereation. With that having been said, it’s a unique film in that Hollywood doesn’t always tackle issues involving religion.
2. Avatar
After watching Avatar, I’m convinced that James Cameron’s 12 year absence from film was well worth it. The film is literally great on experience alone, however, I was extremely impressed with the plot and the character development, which normally are ignored in blockbuster films. Scottish actor Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, a former marine who is brought to Pandora. He undergoes a transformation in the movie to become part of the Navi, eventually taking on the humans who brought him to Pandora for their colonization of the planet.
3. Inglourious Basterds
One of the most creative efforts of the year is this film. Quentin Tarantino mixes in a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor along with his usual blood, guts, and gore, and in the process pulls off what many thought was impossible: a film contemplating the Nazi upper echelon being overthrown. Christoph Waltz, in particular, stands out as a nihilistic SD officer who literally “kills” people with his kindness. Also worthy of mention is Brad Pitt as 1st Lt. Aldo Raine, a Tennessee born soldier with an extreme liking for killing Nazi soldiers.
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
The second film of Fall 2009 to adapt a children’s book (the other being Where the Wild Things Are), Fantastic Mr. Fox stands out as one of the best examples of a film that can delight both adult and kids audiences alike. George Clooney provides the voice for the title character, with other voice performances from Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, and others. Particular attention should be paid to the animation, as director Wes Anderson employed the use of stop-motion in making this film, while mixing in other types of animation as well,
5.The Hurt Locker
This film should be familiar to some Michigan Tech students, as the Michigan Tech Filmboard screened this film during fall semester. Jeremy Renner gives an amazing performance as a cocky Staff Seargent assigned with the seemingly innocuous task of leading a team that dismantles IEDs in war torn, post-invasion Iraq. Also headlining the somewhat non-descript cast are Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, and Guy Pearce, with cameo appearances from Ralph Fiennes and David Morse. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.