2009 IN FILM

Time to take a critical look at the movie spreadsheet, come to final decisions and deliver my top ten for 2009.

Before I can begin, here are my usual,pat disclaimers:

Disclaimer #1: I haven't seen all of the critically lauded films. As of today, I haven't seen the following films that could potentially get onto this list. As I see them, the list below will be modified:

A Serious Man
An Education
Broken Embraces
Crazy Heart
Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The
In The Loop
It's Complicated
Lovely Bones, The
Me and Orson Welles
Nine
Precious
Sherlock Holmes
Summer Hours
The Last Station
The Messenger
The White Ribbon

Disclaimer #2: Of the 189 films I tracked in 2009, 63 appear on the 'I Don't Care if I Never See' List. Alphabetically, the first is Aliens in the Attic and the last is X Games 3D.

Disclaimer #3: Films not on my top ten that appear on a lot of other top tens aka Where's Avatar? Here at the end of the year, many films are eeking their way into mass pop conversation, but, for whatever reason, they're not on my top 10. Maybe you're curious where Avatar, etc. is since they're not on the top 10.

Avatar - For a 29 minute discussion about Avatar, listen to Episode 38 of The Movie Hour podcast. To summarize, Avatar is a beautiful movie that must be seen on the big screen. Cameron dazzles visually and elevates the field of CGI for every CGI-laden film to come. The issue is that since Cameron directed Terminator 1 and 2, and Aliens, no one has more potential to bring smart, groundbreaking action to the screen. Avatar does indeed have some smart, groundbreaking action particularly the final battle scene. When the film steers away from action, and the same holds true with Titanic, it's a mess. The script, the telescoped story, the kum by yah nature nonsense, the over the head political message muddy what should have been a balls out action film.

Up - Up is great. Wall-E, Toy Story 1&2, and The Incredibles are better. Up is disjointed and hodge podge in a way that dilutes it. It is here because people believe a Pixar film should be here every year even if this year's Pixar film doesn't deserve to be.

So all that said, here they are. Joe's top 10 films of 2009:

#10. Food, Inc. - There are two documentaries on my top ten list that should be seen by every American. This is the first. Wonder why America is getting so fat? Remember when super fat was a novelty? Now we've got The Biggest Loser. It's because we are being fed food that is designed (as per our body's chemical make up and ability to digest it) to get us fat. Watch this and change the way you eat forever. Available on DVD now.

#9. Moon - A 'small film' with a large scope. Sam Rockwell is a man alone on the moon harvesting valuable minerals. When his clone arrives, he must figure out what's going on. Is there a conspiracy to kill him or is he just going mad alone in the most isolated place in the world?

#8. Star Trek - The most fun summer action, popcorn film around. No thanks Transformers 2, Angels and Demons, Terminator: Salvation, Wolverine--we reject your mindless nonsense. Like Iron Man last summer, rather, this one happens to be really, really good.

#7. Cove, The - The second doc that 'every American should see'. Half social awareness commentary/half nail-biting heist, you will never (and should never) go to Sea World again after you learn the 'business' of getting bottlenosed dolphins into those tanks.

#6. Adventureland - Tailor made for me, an awkward young man work coming of age in the 80s while navigating the workplace politics of an amusement park. Kristen Stewart CAN be compelling.

#5. Up in the Air - A quiet film about relationships with great performances and dialogue. It's just not that hard to do, Hollywood. Entertainment can be quiet. What elevates this is the constant humor, doled out correctly as our lead's entire life philosophy unravels.

#4. District 9 - What Avatar should have seen before it was released. Aliens, Action, Cutting-Edge Special Effects, Class Struggles, Politial Commentary...with no cheesy distractions or speed-bump effect dialougue clunkers.

#3. It Might Get Loud - If you consider yourself creative (you create something significant or, at the very least, strive to) then run to redbox to rent this film. The concept is simple: get three of the best contemporary guitar players--Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White--together to discuss the electric guitar. What makes it interesting is archival footage of three great bands. What makes it incredible is the subtext: what inspires masters of their field to innovate and create.

#2. Hurt Locker, The - Hey 'Iraq film' filmmakers! When your 'message' is more important than story, script and characters you make a film no one wants to see. Make a film with great characters, script and story that happens to be set in Iraq and the message will flow out naturally and effectively.

#1. Inglourious Basterds - It took a while but it made the top of the list. Viewing #1: a disappointment with all this useless talking and not enough Basterds being basterds. This was a marketing issue. My expectations were just set incorrectly. The opening farm scene and Christoph Waltz's performances are incredible. Viewing #2: OK...the 'too much' dialogue is gorgeous and it's OK if we're not scalping nazis every 30 seconds. That Melanie Laurent and Brad Pitt are pretty good too. Viewing #3: OK...this is a modern classic.

What will Viewing #4 do?

2009 down with a few stragglers coming in, Bring it on, 2010.