Chris knipp's 2009 movie best lists

[Chris Knipp]

MY 2009 BEST MOVIE LISTS

(Not ranked.)

FILMS IN ENGLISH
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Werner Herzog 2009) R
Bright Star (Jane Campion 2009)
Disgrace (Steve Jacobs 2009) C-S
Goodbye, Solo (Ramin Bahrani 2009) C-S
Hurt Locker, The (Kathryn Bigelow 2009) R
Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino 2009) R
Limits of Control, The (Jim Jarmusch 2009) R
Road, The (John Hillcoat 2009) R
Serious Man, A (Ethan, Joel Coen 2009) C-S
Somers Town (Shane Meadows 2008) R
Two Lovers (James Gray 2009) C-S

BEST FOREIGN
35 Shots of Rum (35 rhums, Claire Denis 2008) R-V
Anichrist (Lars von Trier 2009) NYFF
Divo, Il (Paolo Sorrentino 2008) R
I'm Gonna Explode (Gerardo Naranjo)
Lake Tahoe (Fernando Eimbcke 2008) FCS
Lorna's Silence (Jean-Pierre, Luc Dardenne 2009) R
Sun, The (Alexandr Sokurov 2005) R
Tulpan (Sergei Dvortsevoy 2008) NYFF 2008
Revanche (Götz Spielmann 2008) FCS
White Ribbon, The (Michael Haneke 2009) NYFF

SHORTLISTED
Adoration (Atopm Egoyan 2009) R
Adventureland (Greg Mottola 2009) C-S
Education, An (Lone Scherfig 2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson 2009)
Humpday (Lynn Shelton 2009) R
Moon, (Duncan Jones 2009) R
Precious (Lee Daniels 2009)
Séraphine (Martin Provost 2008) R-V
Single Man, A (Tom Ford 2009) R
Tetro (Francis Ford Coppola 2009) R
Tokyo! (Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, Bong Joon-ho 2008) C-S
Up in the Air (Jason Reitman 2009) R
Vanished Empire, The (Karen Shakhnazarov 2008) R

BEST DOCUMENTARIES:
Beaches of Agnes, The (Les plages d’Agnès 2008) R-V
Capitalism: A Love Story (Michael Moore 2009)
Collapse (Chris Smith 2009)
Cove, The (Louie Psihoyos 2009) R
English Surgeon, The (Geoffrey Smith 2009) R
Food, Inc. (Robert Kenner 2008) R
Garbage Dreams (Mai Iskander) R
Herb and Dorothy (Megumi Sasaki 2008) R
Tyson (James Toback 2009) C-S
Valentino: The Last Emperor (Matt Tyrnauer 2009) R

BEST UNRELEASED IN US
Belle Personne, La (Christophe Honoré 2008) BAM-Cinematek
Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold 2009) London Coming January 16, 2010
Frontier of Dawn, The (La Frontière de l’aube, Philippe Garrel 2008) FCS
Hadewijch (Bruno Dumont 2009) NYFF
Life During Wartime (Todd Solondz 2009) NYFF
Mesrine, Part 1: L’Instinct de Mort (Jean-Francois Richet 2008) R-V
Mesrine, Part 2: L’ennemi public No 1 (Jean-Francois Richet 2008) R-V
Ne Change Rien (Pedro Costa 2009) NYFF
Prophet, A/Un prophète (Jacques Audiard 2009) Paris (coming Feb. 2010)
Stella (Sylvie Verheyde 2008) R-V
Trash Humpers (Harmony Korine 2009)
___________________________________
Instead of linking to my comments or reviews I put a code to show where I saw it,
NY Film Festival, R-V=Rendez-Vous with French Cinema (Lincoln Center), FCS=Film
Comment Selects (Lincoln Center); R just means I wrote a review of it and C-S just
means I have a review of it on www.cinescene.com.

Everything I've seen on the big screen and a few others are listed with links to my
comments or reviews on my website here (http://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1407).
http://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1407

I may revise these lists but I'm putting them out there for people to think about and comment on if they like.

[oscar jubis]

*Perhaps you want to make (some of) the following changes:
Move WALTZ WITH BASHIR to your 2008 list.
Move TRASH HUMPERS to your unreleased list
Move LAKE TAHOE to your Foreign list

*The surprises in the context of general critical reception would be: ANTICHRIST, THE LIMITS OF CONTROL, BAD LIEUTENANT, and THE ROAD. Perhaps you would argue these films were under-rated...and perhaps it can be argued that you respond particularly to the sensibilities of these films or their directors, actors, writers, etc.

*THE SUN not in your Best Foreign?

[Chris Knipp]

I thank you for your corrections on dates and categories. I've revised my lists accordingly.

No, I probably paid less attention to general critical reception this time than some other years. Of course the rating for THE HURT LOCKER is sky-high and I included that. I would rate it very high too along with LIMITS OF CONTROL and TWO LOVERS and GOODBYE, SOLO. I'd guess THE HURT LOCKER and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS are the two in English that exemplify brilliant, complex filmmaking (elaborate productions, difficult conditions). And the two foreign language films that stand out far above the others in every aspect are THE WHITE RIBBON and THE PROPHET. Cannes got it right.

To be honest, I'd never seen a Todd Solondz film till LIFE DURING WARTIME at the NYFF, which impressed me for everything, acting, directing of course, integrity of concept, design, cinematography, writing, and I've now watched all his films and he's become one of my favorites.

In answer to your question let's see now:

Metacritic:
BAD LIEUTENANT 69
LIMITS OF CONTROL 41. (But note: they rate Hoberman's review an "80".)
ANTICHRIST 49
THE ROAD 64

Yes, those are very far off indeed, though BAD LIEUTENANT less so. LIMITS OF CONTROL just got screwed. Nobody saw it; it's a miracle that I caught it in a theater. I think people may come around in time on both that and ANTICHRIST, whereas on BAD LIEUTENANT, people will probably be too shocked at the falling off from the high seriousness of FITZCARALDO etc. but will consider this a rolicking good B picture (like Nimród Antal's ARMORED, only more idiosyncratic) rather than anything to be taken seriously, and that may have to do. THE ROAD was a pleasant surprise. That is a very hard novel to film. Some think the film was too faithful, but with Cormac McCarthy the texts are worth being faithful to. I feared the worst when reviews weren't so good, but I was moved.

Actually 69 and 64 are "generally favorable" in Metacritic's system, and rottentomatoes' higher grading system got Herzog's BAD LIEUTENANT an 85 and THE ROAD a 72. I do look up these ratings sometimes, usually just on Metacritic, but I haven't been reading a cross section of reviews regularly lately as I used to, just the reviews in a few publications I get -- NYT, NYObserver, The NYer. I looked up Hoerman's reviews of Solondz; I was disappointed. But he was on the jury that chose LIFE DURING WARTIME of course. I looked up foreign and VARIETY reviews when I was writing mine of the NYFF films.

I will be going back over and revising. I forgot THE SUN; I've been listing it so long. I need just one more foreign film now if I add that and LAKE TAHOE. I have left off everything by the elderly "greats" included in the NYFF, Olivieira, Resnais, Wajda, Rivette, because they didn't do it for me (Breillat and Denis neither); of course to diehard fans they'd have to be listed but I'd rather find new people. Unfortunately the Romanian everybody's listing also didn't do it for me; I think POLICE, ADJECTIVE is overrated.

However I haven't included a "most overrated" list -- yet -- because it tends to look negative and offend people. I'll tell you that two of them begin with "U" and one begins with "A."

[oscar jubis]

I appreciate your added explanations of films included and omitted. I read everything you write with attention and interest, as you know by now. Rosenbaum also liked The Limits of Control, by the way. I have to stay true to my experience of watching the film and my own thoughts afterward.My 2009 list is, as you would expect, more than a month away. However, you'd be able to predict what's in it and what is not based on multiple posts. My Best of Decade (foreign) is ready to be posted as soon as discussion on that thread needs to be revived.

[Chris Knipp]

I did not know that Rosenbaum wrote an excellent review of THE LIMITS OF CONTROL ("immensely pleasurable and mesmerizing"), because I don't look him up as often as you do and it was in his blog,not Chicago Reader from which he's retired: hooray! I'm glad to see that.

I think it is true as arsaib said here years ago that what's interesting is not which films somebody likes but the reasons one gives for liking them and thoughts one has about them in relation to other films. So I hope to expand on my thoughts about this list in this thread./

[Howard Schumann]

Without extensive comments on each film, I will say that your list on Cinescene may look similar to mine.

There are only two I basically disagree with: Bright Star and A Serious Man

I agree strongly with the following:

Goodbye Solo, Hurt Locker, Two Lovers, Limits of Control, 35 Shots of Rum, Lorna's Silence, White Ribbon.

Somers Town and Tulpan are 2008 films

I haven't seen the following: Bad Lieutenant, Disgrace, Inglorious Basterds, The Road, Anti-Christ, Divo, Lake Tahoe, The Sun, Revanche and many others.

Where's Sin Nombré? Not a favorite or not seen?

[Chris Knipp]

Howard,

Thanks for your comments. I'll respond to them one by one.

Bright Star and A Serious Man are films many are less positive about, seeing the first as a superficial romance, and unable to "get" A Serous Man -- it's widely taken as pointlessly cruel black humor. I see it as an honest portrait of aspects of American Jewish experience and, beyond that, of all human experience. Bright Star is just lovely, and full of pleasures as well as a celebration of English poetry. But I'm not surprised you differ on those two.

Yes Somers Town and Tulpan are 2008 releases, but they had their limited US theatrical releases in 2009.

I've seen Sin Nombre and reviewed it, but it isn't one of my personal favorites. Of the ones you have not seen (some by definite choice I believe) I think The Sun would be a must, though I don't know if you'll like it or not. Lake Tahoe I think you definitely would like.

[Howard Schumann]

I would like to see Lake Tahoe very much. This is the first that I've heard of it but fortunately it is available for rent here in the best video rental store in North America, Videomatica so I will see it. I cannot see how this could be considered a 2009 film. It played at 18 film festivals in 2008 and did not have a general release in 2009.

Before I see it, however, I first want to finish my Shakespeare project. I am presently watching the Scofield/Johnson 1974 version of Antony and Cleopatra and have three more left after that to complete the cycle of seeing all 37 plays on film and stage. These films are quite long and will take up most of the rest of the week and probably part of next since I can only view films on DVD one half hour at a time because of my ear condition.

You have seen my review of Bright Star which was on Cinescene but you probably haven't seen my review of A Serious Man, so read it and weep (or not).

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?article_class=12&no=385806&rel_no=1

[Chris Knipp]

To respond to your concern about Lake Tahoe: I saw it in the FCS series at Lincoln Center early in the year but it had a limited US release in the summer of 2009; the festival showings are often a year before the US theatrical releases. I saw it on other 2009 best lists and that's how I realized it was a legitimate US release. But not "general" (wide) release; lots of films don't get those: see the two Metacritic columns. See the US reviews on IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1101675/externalreviews). It's available o n Netflix too. The Voice reviewer's description is good: "Eimbcke's droll rhythms are reminiscent of early Jim Jarmusch and Aki Kaurismäki." Unfortunately Sokurov's The Sun is not yet on Netflix, though it's listed as coming. Good luck with the Shakespeare watching.

Your Serious Man review: I read and wept. Your opinion on Bright Star is not unusual, as I said. I guess you read and recall my Cinescene review -- of A Serious Man (http://www.cinescene.com/knipp/serious.htm)? Rather than evaluating the film as a dismissal of life's questions and answers, I take it to be both an embracing of life's mysteries, and a wry account of the Coens' experience with rabbis growing up, which gibes with the experience of some of my Jewish friends who saw the film, they told me.

[Howard Schumann]

Your Serious Man review: I read and wept. Your opinion on Bright Star is not unusual, as I said. I guess you read and recall my Cinescene review -- of A Serious Man (http://www.cinescene.com/knipp/serious.htm)? Rather than evaluating the film as a dismissal of life's questions and answers, I take it to be both an embracing of life's mysteries, and a wry account of the Coens' experience with rabbis growing up, which gibes with the experience of some of my Jewish friends who saw the film, they told me.

Well, this Jewish friend considers it demeaning to the tribe.

By the way, I am dying to be able to see the newest film by Argentine director Juan Jose Campanella called "The Secret of Their Eyes" (El Secreto de sus Ojos) but it has no DVD release as yet. I loved his earlier film from 2001 I believe "Son of the Bride". Have you seen either of those films?

[Chris Knipp]

It's hard to read.

Don't know about that one, though I may have heard the name. Let us know how it is. Oscar may know... No have not seen either one.

[oscar jubis]

Sony Pictures Classics bought the rights to El Secreto de sus Ojos. It looks as if they intend to release it in theaters. Campanella is just a few years older that the directors of the Nuevo Cine Argentino but he operates well within the mainstream. He is an industry director who directs a lot of television in Hollywood in between films. Campanella's films are solid, mainstream fare with impeccable acting and production values.This is what I wrote when I watched the film he made between El Hijo de la Novia (which had a wide release in the US for a foreign-language film) and the new one:

Moon of Avellaneda (Argentina, 2004) at Cosford Cinema
The title refers to a sports and social club, a meaningful and important place for a whole community which is, like Argentina, experiencing economic woes. The club is a metaphor for the country in director Juan Jose Campanella's follow up to the well-received Son of the Bride. Moon of Avellaneda is the third collaboration by Campanella, screenwriter Fernando Castets and actors Ricardo Darin and Daniel Fanego. This team has managed again to make a film that strikes a perfect balance between comedy and drama, between personal and social problems, between nostalgia for the past and contemporary reality. Darin and Fanego play modern quijotes with inner demons and relationship problems who fight to reject a generous proposal to turn the decaying club into a casino. Here's hoping a distributor will recognize the quality and obvious commercial potential of Moon of Avellaneda.

[Howard Schumann]

That's very good news. Campanella may film in a conventional manner but I am not always looking for originality, just a good story with a message that comes from the heart.

[Howard Schumann]

It's hard to read.

Don't know about that one, though I may have heard the name. Let us know how it is. Oscar may know... No have not seen either one.

What's hard to read? You should see Son of the Bride, a very deeply engaging film.

[Chris Knipp]

I've added one to make ten on the best foreign list, Gerardo Naranjo's I'm Gonna Explode, after noticing that J. Hoberman lists it, meaning it's an official US theatrical release, which I had forgotten; I saw it in the 2008 NYFF (http://www.filmleaf.net/showthread.php?2339-New-York-Film-Festival-2008&postid=20784#post20784). This Mexican reworking of a theme of walk children on the run inspired by Jean-Luc Godard is fresh and original and involving , and is more polished and complex than Naranjo's 2006 Drama/Mex, which I saw as part of the London Film Festival of 2006 and briefly summarized (http://www.filmleaf.net/showthread.php?1888-London-Film-Festival-50-2006) back then. Hoberman reviewed (http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-08-11/film/disaffected-youth-in-i-m-gonna-explode-the-headless-woman-may-make-you-lose-yours/) I'm Gonna Explode last summer.

BEST FOREIGN
35 Shots of Rum (35 rhums, Claire Denis 2008) R-V
Anichrist (Lars von Trier 2009) NYFF
Divo, Il (Paolo Sorrentino 2008) R
I'm Gonna Explode (Gerardo Naranjo)
Lake Tahoe (Fernando Eimbcke 2008) FCS
Lorna's Silence (Jean-Pierre, Luc Dardenne 2009) R
Sun, The (Alexandr Sokurov 2005) R
Tulpan (Sergei Dvortsevoy 2008) NYFF 2008
Revanche (Götz Spielmann 2008) FCS
White Ribbon, The (Michael Haneke 2009) NYFF

[Howard Schumann]

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), this one is not available at my local video store which has about every release known to mankind and makes my list of films to see grow exponentially each week. I'm gonna explode.

[Chris Knipp]

Ha. I'm afraid it may not get to a US DVD. We'll have to see about that. But his previous film, Drama/Mex (http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&safe=off&q=dvd+drama/mex&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=nzdhS5bBFo3CsQO9yfGtCw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CB8QzAMwAg), is out on DVD, so that's hopeful.
http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/8134/1203018.jpg

[Howard Schumann]

Ha. I'm afraid it may not get to a US DVD. We'll have to see about that. But his previous film, Drama/Mex (http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&safe=off&q=dvd+drama/mex&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=nzdhS5bBFo3CsQO9yfGtCw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CB8QzAMwAg), is out on DVD, so that's hopeful.
http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/8134/1203018.jpg Oops! They do have it - under the title "I'm Going to Explode". - I'll have to add it to my list which has become very long. Do you think I could handle the "jerky camerawork?

[Chris Knipp]

Let us know, if you would be so kind, when you find out, who put out this DVD, because I couldn't find it listed online.

[Howard Schumann]

Let us know, if you would be so kind, when you find out, who put out this DVD, because I couldn't find it listed online. It was put out by E1 Films of Canada (www.E1films.com) Their website says this:

E1 Films, an Entertainment One company, is a growing presence in Canadian film and fast becoming one of Canada's leading film distributors. The company holds the Canadian distribution rights to a diverse range of titles from Summit Entertainment, IFC, Yari Film Group, Fortissimo Films, Lakeshore Entertainment and Cinetic Media. E1 distributes its filmed product theatrically, on DVD, via television broadcast and online.

[Howard Schumann]

In the film Voy a Explotar, how bad is the hand held jerky camera? Do you think I could handle it?

[Chris Knipp]

It was put out by E1 Films of Canada (www.E1films.com) Their website says this:


So I found it finally for sale on Amazon Canada:

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=I%27M+GOING+TO+EXPLODE&x=0&y=0

though it is partially out of stock. I'm signing up for info on E1 Entertainment releases.

Don't remember the camerawork as "jerky." That's an unnecessary smear by a detractor.

[oscar jubis]

IFC releases on DVD all films they distribute theatrically, which includes I'M GOING TO EXPLODE. It should come out in a couple of months. BTW, the best Mexican film I saw all year is PARQUE VIA. It won the Golden Leopard and FIPRESCI prizes at Locarno but has no distributor.

I attended the press conference for the MIFF today. Campanella's new one, mentioned by Howard, is the Closing Night selection.

[Chris Knipp]

Aha, that's good to know. Maybe it's just as cheap used from Amazon.ca now though. The other movie you should tell us about when it becomwes available on a US DVD. It was shown at the Oct. 2008 LFF.

[Johann]

I saw The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus today and was very underwhelmed.
Despite promising artistic flourishes, it left a me bit cold.
I was looking very forward to being whisked away on a Terry Gilliam expedition of fine fantasy.
And I was. Sort of.
There are some convincing special effects/animations and I loved the costumes of everyone involved.
There was zero connection with the audience in my humble opinion. The lines just don't connect.Especially Verne Troyer's.
And as good as Heath Ledger is in this final role, I felt he was still bogged down by the enormity of the role he just finished on The Dark Knight.
I could hear the Joker's voice through his accent.
Big thumbs up for production design and colors. It's bright and dazzling that way. But the story just seemed to be pedestrian to me.
Maybe I need to see it again later, who knows. Maybe it just didn't jazz me up enough as a movie.

[Chris Knipp]

Well, it's not on my Best Lists anywhere, so what are you talking about it here for on my Best Lists 2009 thread? It is a somewhat damp and boggy fantasy; I was pleased that it was not as uninvolving or as boring as some reports had led me to believe. The best part was the wandering in and out of the mirror kingdom; the mirror itself. The idea that a tacky fantasy device could really work, be real. I also liked having Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell all do versions of Heath Ledger and the way the writers worked in explanations for why the character looked different those times; the idea that these hunky cute guys are all sort of interchangeable. Johnny actually did look like Heath at first and so did Jude, but when when Colin came in with his slick features and distinctive moth eyebrows, he didn't fit any more. I don't agree that Heath Ledger still had the sulfurous steam of the Joker rising from his tired flesh; you're reading too much into it. But having the three other hotties dance around his character helps us to see what defined him as a man: he is the most inward-looking and strong and soulful. The others are slick deceivers: he felt more deeply. He was imploding all the time, like his character in Brokeback Mountain, and it ate him up inside. But it made him beautiful and touching.

I liked the boy character Anton played by Andrew Garfield, and now I realize yes, this was the young actor with the long neck born in the US but partly raised in England, so he does a good English accent, and he starred in the excellent English movie Boy A, as well in the not successful preachy Iraq war movie, Lions for Lambs (Rob Redford: stick to Sundance, man). He has a future, that boy, and his enthusiasm is fresh. Christopher Plummer was more than adequate for the role. He's having a rich old age as an actor; I'm looking forward to seeing him ham it up as Tolstoy in The Last Station.
Big thumbs up for production design and colors. It's bright and dazzling that way. But the story just seemed to be pedestrian to me. I agree, only I'm not sure the word is exactly "pedestrian." Too rambling, yes. And the imaginary landscapes were great. To tell the truth, I liked them better than Pandora, James Cameron's "Maxfield Parrish" world as Armond White wittily calls it in his Avatar review, Blue in the Face. (http://www.nypress.com/article-20710-blue-in-the-face.html) Read that and weep.

[Johann]

I mentioned Parnassus here because there's no thread mentioning it (that I've noticed, anyway) and I didn't want to start a whole new thread just for my short expression of being underwhelmed. I didn't mean to take anything away from your "BEST LISTS" work here. My comments are unrelated, uninspired and completely lacking in substance. Disregard if need be. We agree that Dr. Parnassus is a rambler.

In another unrelated note, I'll be seeing AVATAR today finally. Last night was too many people. I exchanged my ticket for today instead.
But I don't have my hopes up...it's a weekend screening,the film is still doing the wicked biscuits for business.....

[Chris Knipp]

You took nothing away. My comments re AVATAR don't fit here either.

[cinemabon]

Just in passing... I looked over cinescene web site, where you and Howard write reviews. Interesting. Good points: You list some great film links (except this site is not mentioned nor IMDB, although they hardly need a link). I like the visual format. The reviews have great depth with collegial level vocabulary not really intended for the general public (unless you actually believe people can actually understand passages like: "...forever tag it by its moment of creation and tangential cultural detritus, rather than its more essential and deep criteria, missing the work’s continuing relevance." Exsqueeze me? Why not simply say the film breaks from the cultural norm of its time?

What I didn't like about cinescene was the inability of anyone to comment on what was written. In this blogosphere, response is nearly as important as the critic, which many of us realize.

Here's a good DVD release site: http://www.dvdverdict.com/ If you click on the upcoming releases tab you will find a plethora of titles that include nearly everything and anything that will be released on DVD (also not mentioned at cinescene)

[Howard Schumann]

"...forever tag it by its moment of creation and tangential cultural detritus, rather than its more essential and deep criteria, missing the work’s continuing relevance." Exsqueeze me? Sheesh! Can't image who could have written that.
What I didn't like about cinescene was the inability of anyone to comment on what was written. In this blogosphere, response is nearly as important as the critic, which many of us realize. Keep in mind that the site is run by one individual, Chris Dashiell. He tried a forum at one time but it got very little response, certainly not enough to justify its maintenance.

[Chris Knipp]

..forever tag it by its moment of creation and tangential cultural detritus, rather than its more essential and deep criteria, missing the work’s continuing relevance.
I do not know Dan Schneider, the author of those words , in an apparently recent piece about the movie High Noon. "Criteria" doesn't seem like a good choice of words. http://www.cinescene.com/reviews/highnoon.htm. I do say indeed, that's a run of ill phrases! In defense of Cinescene, relatively very few pieces by Dan Schneider have ever appeared on the site.

[Chris Knipp]

P.s. I have occasionally put a link when one of my reviews here appears on Cinescene. On my own website, I always do, or it's been published in one or two other places. But I don't want to tout other sites here.

[tabuno]

My belated favorite 2009 movie list. I could just string this out until I see a few more movies, but well...it's already getting near March 2010. The rather surprising news this year is that while there might be one great movie this year (FUNNY PEOPLE), there really weren't any terrible movies that I had the fortune to go see, just some that were disappointing. On the whole, most movies in my opinion are getting better.


BEST MOVIES OF 2009 and others

1. Funny People (2009). Adam Sandler's offers one of his best performances with a great script that has Sandler playing a seriously ill-stand-up comic and hires an assistant (Seth Rogan) in this black comedy that that has elements from PUNCHLINE (1988), PHILADELPHIA (1993), THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (1995), and LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003) and helping to make this one of the best movies of 2009.

2. Coraline (2009). Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher voice this 3-D animated family drama where Fanning's young girl character discovers a secret door to an alternative universe with button-eyed people behind whose seemingly perfect world likes a darker secret. This 3-D animated experience is rich with visual effects and an emotionally layered movie that is fascinating to watch. In the tradition of the creative and innovative animated movie "Spirited Away" (2001).

3. All About Steve (2009). This mainstream movie is a powerful character study performed by Sandra Bullock which carefully weaves comedy with drama with a character that appears out of the mainstream, but offers the audience a valuable growing experience in humanity and human relationships (if audience members make the effort and openness to actually notice).

4. The Informant! (2009). Matt Damon gets to play a corporate executive (based on a true story) where he becomes an FBI informant in a role this is brings out another side of Damon. This light 50s musical score dependent dramatic-comedy set in the 90s, richly develops complexities of corporate intrigue and legalistic and public consequences. This many layered movie is an unusual blend of drama and a sprightly voice-over by Damon that makes for a creatively but risky and appealing movie.

5. Public Enemies (2009). Another strong but underplayed performance by Johnny Depp in an intimately, compelling, crime action period drama about John Dillinger. However a number of technical weaknesses prevent this movie from becoming a solid movie classic.

6. Up (2009). A deeply moving 3-D animated movie with strong comedic elements dealing with an old man's quest to fulfill a past promise to go to South America and accidently brings along a naive boy scout on this adventure. The real deep adult themes sometimes reside somewhat uneasily along with the usually animated but unrealistic action scenes.

7. The Soloist (2009). Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx offer excellent, strong performances in this melodic, relational drama about a former Julliard student who dropped out because of schizophrenia and a newspaper reporter who befriends him.

8. Inglourious Basterds (2009). Quentin Taratino directs another overly violence, and in this instance a depressing movie set in World War II with a fictional historical context that contains some of the best psychological and riveting performances this year, that retains a skewed mentality towards all Nazis which may political permit such wholesale slaughter of the enemy.

9. The Blind Side. (2009). Based on the true story of Michael Oher, a National Football League player, starring Sandra Bullock [Oscar nominee], presents a strong mass audience, populist movie that hits a multitude of emotional buttons in this captivating family drama.

10. Sherlock Holmes (2009). Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law combine together in this riveting action, mystery, occult thriller based on a intelligently tight script with good editing and pacing, except for some confusing fight scenes and difficult understandable dialogue, Downey and Law brings a new vibrant and strong presence to the screen.

Honorable Mention

Angels and Demons (2009). An intensely mental and low-tech action adventure that is riveting for his powerful suspense. Except for unnecessary second twist at the ultimate climax of this movie, the storyline is solid and the emotional thrills intensely appealing with from frustration and relief. Just edged out of the top ten list.

Avatar (2009). James Cameron returns in this sci fi blockbuster that dazzles and takes special effects and dazzling visual alien imagery and almost seamless character and their background into a new level of amazing immersive brilliance. However, the movie is let down by a weak script and a pretty derivative fusion of various classic movies leading to a more populist, action adventure, and empty headed blockbuster.

Ghost of Girlfriends Past (2009). A fun comedy romance, with Matthew McConaughy playing the playboy instead of Scrooge the businessman in this Christmas Carol update. Except for an overly eccentric Robert Forster military character, this movie is nicely balanced with a bit of dramatic flare, with good editing and pacing with a decent message about sex and marriage.

He's Just Not That Into You (2009). The ensemble comedy/drama about romance, love, and marriage is stuffed with too many characters with an uneven tone, but is revealing in asking and answering the right questions in an entertaining way.

Julia and Julie (2009). Meryl Streep brings a lively, joyously entertaining depiction of Julia Child to the screen (another performance worthy of a Golden Globe nomination) while Amy Adams presents an ambitious wife who attempts to cook from the entire Child's book. A challenging dual movie that follows two couples in different eras. An intelligent, humorous, and smart summer-time movie.

Law Abiding Citizen (2009). Gerald Butler (also a producer) and Jamie Foxx headline this solid crime thriller that has Butler conducting assassinations from prison in retaliation for a mis-carriage of justice that saw his wife and daughter murdered. With a few weaknesses, this action charged movie has a great twist and emotional intensity.

Men Who Stare at Goats, The (2009). This quirky, light, paranormal war movie is a feel-good entertaining movie with a subtle message starring George Clooney with engaging youthful flashback scenes, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges. [Almost made top ten list].

Moon (2009). A riveting if somewhat flawed movie that has a great storyline and Sam Rockwell offering up delightful performances that by the end of this sci fi movie a rewarding feeling is likely. Alone, Sam Rockwell, is overseeing mining operation, and who later discovers he is not alone. Worth seeing. An enduring movie.

The Proposal (2009). An entertaining and very funny comedy starring Sandra Bullock (an uptight, strict, inwardly closed off but respected book editor) and Ryan Reynold (her assistant) who end up in an arranged marriage to allow Bullock's character to remain in the United States. This fusion of Green Card (1990) and The Devil Wears Prada (2008) with a weird Betty White scene and a strong but not spectacular ending is a warm comedy that director Anne Fletcher allowed the humor extended time to flourish.

Star Trek (2009). Remarkable casting except for Captain Kirk. Almost the entire cast captures the very essence of their older count parts of the original series. Exciting action, decent plot, but with a few weaknesses in technical details.

Sunshine Cleaning (2009). Amy Smart and Emily Blunt are two sisters who end up in their own business cleaning up after crime scenes. This is a family drama that incorporates a different venue to relate a small story about these sisters, their growing and relating to each other. There is a hint of humor, a good dose of drama, a sprinkle of drama that makes for a sometimes, slowly paced beginning and a not outstanding, but interesting, rewarding human interest storyline.

The Surrogate (2009). A solid, above average sci fi high tech action thriller that is well balanced with Bruce Willis coping with relational issues and a murder mystery that has an on the edge of your seat ending.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009). This is a challenging and fascinating time travel romantic fantasy movie that captures the shifting chaos of time quite successfully in new ways.

The Ugly Truth (2009). Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler are television personalities who are thrown together in this sexist romantic comedy that actually has something to say about real relationship. Some great comic scenes in this predictable, but meaningful story.


Good But Failed to Make the Grade

2012 (2009). Some of the best disaster visuals and gripping action, even if some unbelievable, scenes. Not quite as substantive as THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004), almost too long, almost boring, but overall entertaining and solid storyline, if somewhat predictable.

Duplicity (2009). Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in this corporate espionage romantic thriller that while decent didn't have classic written all over it. The industry and the denouement weren't really overly amazing. Roberts and Owen's interplay were rather novel and hopefully will be used in a superior future movie. Entertaining, decent, above average film.

Inkheart (2009). Brendan Fraser, Helen Mirren star in this child's fantasy about a person who can bring to life characters from books by reading the books aloud, but in this case with tragic consequences that Mr. Fraser's character attempts to repair, taking along with him his daughter on this dangerous adventure with a few brief humorous lines. There are a few problems in the music in places and editing, less about the fantasmagorical and more about the serious trials of honor and honesty and repairing relational losses.

Monsters v. Aliens (2009). A visually exciting sci-fi animated feature for children with solid humor and decent action, but somehow lacking in chemistry and balance for the primary characters.

Knowing (2009). A decent, above average sci-fi, disaster movie that attempts to avoid the typical stereotypical cliques, but can't completely escape from somewhat two-dimensional characters, plot devices, and special effects.

Taken (2009). Liam Neeson plays a retired intelligence operative who goes in search of his kidnapped daughter in this above average but derivative action-thriller.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2007). This summer action-adventure blockbuster has the explosions and stunts, introduces some emotional intimacy components between brothers and boyfriend-girlfriend, employs a number of shocking twists and turns more than usual which unfortunately led more to a feeling of overdoing it, being done it, and uncertainty as to understanding the motivations behind each characters' actions and behaviors.

Disappointments

17 Again (2009). An uneven comedy with an unnecessarily intrusive dumb nerd character side-kick surprisingly had potential that was brought down by character development gaps and a decent, but less that superb performance by Zac Efron.

Amelia (2009). Too much quantity and not enough quality in this biographical drama of the famous female pilot, the strong ending sequence cannot make up for the unnecessary and sometimes confusing flashback technique used in this movie and the underdeveloped parts of the wide swathes of Amelia's life that was attempted along with a chemistry that never really caught fire between the main characters.

Crank 2: High Voltage (2009). Jason Statham returns in a gyrating, psychedelic mindless martial arts action thriller that is filled with cinematic film gimmicks that wear thin with a few creative, experimental scenes.

District 9 (2009). An overly melodramatic, inconsistent, clumped together sci fi alien movie that has an unsympathetic main character and distracting pseudo-documentary style approach to presenting its story. While visually compelling and with some gripping raw, CLOVERFIELD (2008) photographic techniques, it remains one of the worst movies of the year.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009). Besides a distancing color tone scheme used in this movie that removes the immediacy of the action, this movie seems like more of a collection of character relation and storyline plot scenes than a well presented story. While it has some great moments with eerie, horror motiff sequences, the convoluted plot makes this movie difficult to follow unless one understand the background story or read the book. This is a movie that uneasily stands alone and depends much on the movies which preceded it and the one to follow.

The Hurt Locker (2009). A overly stereotypical scriptwriter's fantasy about an American bomb squad in Iraq that is too incredible with manipulative scenes to project an political correct, to create audience sympathy but without authenticity. A huge disappointment.

The International (2009). This international corporate intrigue/thriller makes the audience suffer through the many rather sophisticated injustices only to leave it hanging with a rather unbalanced underwhelming climax.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009). This mostly unfunny, underdeveloped character-driven comedy falls mostly flat without much new creative and humor. An average, overused prat falls and action gimmicks that do not really entertain except for perhaps young children.

Race to Witch Mountain (2009). A derivative movie with nothing much new except some great casting and acting alien from the children actors. Only adequate special effects, plot points covered, but otherwise an entertaining but average movie.

Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen (2009). This sci-fi, toy robot writ large block-buster action movie is an uneasy blend of compelling serious military action and big special effects along with a more teenage plot sub-text and periodic crass humor that usually falls flat.

Terrible

None.

Missed/Haven't Seen Yet

500 Days of Summer
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Invictus
The Last Station
The Lovely Bones
Paranormal Activity
Precious
Up In The Air

[Chris Knipp]

Bal directed by Semih Kaplanoglu. Have not heard of it or the Turkish director. Has anybody?

[oscar jubis]

Honey | Variety Review by Derek Elly
Berlin
Honey / Bal (Turkey-Germany)
By DEREK ELLEY

The final seg of self-styled Turkish auteur Semih Kaplanoglu's "Honey, Milk, Egg" trilogy (shot, natch, in reverse order) deals with its blank central character's childhood in the heavily wooded mountains of Rize province, northeast Turkey. The best-looking of the three and the most conventionally structured, this is still grindingly slow, content-light fare for card-carrying minimalists. Fest sidebars and Euro pubcaster slots loom.

With new d.p. Baris Ozbicer on board, Kaplanoglu appears to have discovered the visual merits of narrow depth of field and foreground framing devices, especially in the many schoolroom scenes and home interiors centered on its lonely protag, 6-year-old Yusuf (Bora Altas). Tyke's dad, Yakup (Erdal Besikcioglu), is a beekeeper who works deep in the forest; his mom, Zehra (Tulin Ozen), works on a tea plantation.

Shamed at school by his stutter, Yusuf takes pleasure in accompanying Dad on his honey rounds, finding the forest a place of mystery. When his father goes off alone in search of more bees, Yusuf feels isolated and retreats further into his own world.

More info about the small community's life -- and especially its religious/devotional background -- is in the pic's press materials than ever reaches the screen. Dialogue is at a premium throughout, Kaplanoglu typically holds fixed shots way beyond their usefulness, and music is rigorously avoided in attempting to sketch the kid's sense of wonder and inquiry.

As with "Egg" and "Milk," the pic's biggest flaw is that the viewer has no idea what the main characters are thinking or feeling and therefore tunes out emotionally at an early stage. The real star of the picture is writer-director Kaplanoglu -- which would be OK if he had anything to share with auds apart from auteurist mannerisms.

[Chris Knipp]

Doesn't explain why it would win the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, does it?