My Top 10 Movies of 2009 Part 1
I have to start by saying that these are MY Top 10 movies of 2009 and therefore may or may not make sense or align to your Top 10. In fact, I would like to hear if you agree with my list, but would LOVE to hear if you disagree. As well, this is about as far from empirical as you can get. My ratings and feelings are guided only by how I felt on first viewing and after concurrent viewings of the movies. Now, on to the AV goodness of 2009…
Number 10: State of Play
YIAG Rating:8.0/10
A seasoned Washington reporter, an up and coming political star and a scandal.All these things come together in this smart and intense political thriller. From Kevin Macdonald, the director of the 2006 standout The Last King of Scotland and the lesser known, but still very enjoyable Touching the Void.
Initially, I was a little concerned that an actor of Russell Crowes’ chops would completely overwhelm Ben Affleck, but my misgivings were quickly proven misguided. Rachel McAdams played the eager New Media reporter as she plays everything: extremely well. Helen Mirren was…well, she was Helen Mirren (read: fabulous). Overall, I really enjoyed the look and feel of the movie, the pacing was excellent and the performances were engaging and genuine.
Number 9: Taken
YIAG Rating:8.5/10
From the director of The Messenger: Pierre Morel comes this fairly linear tale of vengeance. While I say linear, I definitely don’t mean that in a negative way. This movie sticks deliberately to a proven formula for action slicks: a father’s mission to save his daughter from those that would hurt her all the while reaping hurt onto the bad guys.
While formulaic and predictable, the action, tension and most of all Liam Neeson make this a thrilling and entertaining movie. Liam Neeson, who never ceases to surprise me with his power and charisma, was absolutely convincing in this role as a retired CIA agent. My only wish would be to see him in more roles like this (could we ever see something like a Bourne trilogy starring Neeson?).
Note: Although this movie was released in 2008, it wasn’t released in Canada until January of 2009.
Number 8: The Watchmen
YIAG Rating:8.5/10
I never read the comic/graphic novel, so I didn’t go into the movie with the expectations many others did. Having said that, I did go in with some heightened expectations based on the previous flashes of brilliance from Zack Snyder of 300 and the Dawn of the Dead remake. Frankly, at first screening at the Imax, I found the movie to be beautifully produced, but lacking in certain areas. It was hard to put my finger on at the time, but later I realized that I was almost distracted with the visuals and over-the-top action sequences. After rewatching the movie at home on Blu-Ray, I was able to take in the movie on different levels and came to appreciate the substance that was lost (at least on me) under all the visual and audio stimulation. This film definitely deserves multiple viewings at home, but has to be seen in hi-def audio and video to truly be enjoyed.
Number 7: The Hangover
YIAG Rating:8.75/10
Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of comedies and therefore usually only watch them with my wife to bump up my point tally… Having said that, this was a great flick on a night that is probably not unlike a night or two that we have all experienced with our buddies at some point in our lives. From stolen tigers, to Chinese mafia, kidnapping and overall debauchery, this movie is a new level of hilarious. Although much attention has been paid to new breakout actor Zach Galifianakis, the real genius to me came from a familiar face from the Office: Ed Helms. Director Todd Phillips brought us the light and very quoteable Old School (YAY!), but also brought us Starsky and Hutch (ick). With The Hangover, he has definitely earned himself some major creative stock in Hollywood. Here’s hoping we see more of this kind of quality in the future from him.
Number 6: The Hurt Locker
YIAG Rating: 8.75/10
On the surface, The Hurt Locker would appear to be an action flick about a bomb disposal unit in Iraq. As you continue to watch though, you realize that there is so much more going on under the covers. Although there was a ton of positive press around this release from Strange Days and K-19 director Kathryn Bigelow, I had been a little leary of the subject matter. I’m not sure whether it was my previous disappointment with movies like Jarhead from the great Sam Mendes or Three Kings or just a fatigue around war movies centered on such a recent and troubling war.
Whatever the case, once I finally sat down and watched the Blu-ray version of The Hurt Locker, I was pleasantly surprised with the title. Unfortunately for the uber-talented Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker didn’t get the release attention it deserves and didn’t fair all that well in the box office. Fortunately, it seems to be enjoying an increase in popularity now that it has hit the home theatre crowd. With standout performances from Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie and set design/production that immerses the viewer in what looks overwhelming like Iraq (or what I would think it looks like). As a side note for all you home theatre geeks like me, this is one of the best movies since Black Hawk Down for demoing a well calibrated 7.1 setup. The surrounds (side and rear) get a tremendous workout during much of the movie and the sub is…lets just say it’s the bomb (bwah bwaahhh).
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