Merrill’s Top 10 Of 2009

Say what you will about 2009 but there have been some amazing films. So I decided to give you my top 10 favorites of 09.

Honorable Mentions:

Watchmen

UP

(500) Days of Summer

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Top 10:

10 – Taken

Any film that can turn Liam Neeson into an ass kicking, no holds bard, killing machine gets an A in my book. A film that came out of left field and completely wowed anyone who saw it. Truly a classic in the action genre.

9 – Precious

A film that says so much, Precious deserves all the praise it gets. It has a lot to say about inner city life and pulls it off with spectacular precision.

8 – The Hangover

A laugh out loud comedy that shows off the true talent of Todd Philips. This comedy hits every note with amazing whit and intelligence. A film that is real proof that Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith aren’t the only ones who know how to do good R rated comedy.

7 – Public Enemies

Michael Mann’s newest film is filled with amazing performances and is fully aware of what it’s going for. Mann wanted to separate this film from all the other period pieces out there and with the use of digital cinematography he did just that. The video adds a true sense of depth to the film that makes it feel all the more real.

6 - Zombieland

I honestly can’t remember the last time I had so much gut busting fun at the theater. While The Hangover is a real comedy classic, Zombieland is non stop laughs from start to finish. This is also one of the few times where 100% of the audience was in sync with the jokes. It wasn’t a case of some would laugh at one part and some would laugh at another. Everyone laughed at everything at the exact same moment. Also, Woody Harrelson is at the top of his game in this film. Zombieland is a must see.

5 - Star Trek

I wasn’t a big Trekkie growing up. I liked Voyager (which to all Star Trek fans is grounds for lynching) but that was about it. When I heard that J. J. Abrams was doing a reboot to the franchise I was both intrigued and worried. I was worried because if it has flopped, it would of flopped hard and hurt him big time. But not only did he succeed in making a great summer blockbuster, he also made Star Trek accessible to your average movie goer. Congrats J.J., congrats.

4 - District 9

District 9 is an amazing film full of excitement and adventure. Proof of what can be done with limited resources. Also proof that CG is officially at a point that we ca be used effectively on a tight budget.

3 – Inglourious Basterds

I would make a case for Taratino’s latest being on this list but I would probably just end up repeating what EVERYONE else has already said. It is great, if you haven’t seen it yet, then why are you not at a Best Buy right now buying it?

2 – AVATAR

AVATAR is the true definition of an event film. AVATAR does for 3D and motion capture what Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 did for CGI. The fact that AVATAR was able to do what it did is truly something extraordinary. While I still think is doesn’t deserve and major Oscar WINS, it definitely deserves all the praise it has received.

1 – The Hurt Locker

Every generation has its war film, and before this, all there was, was Black Hawk Down. But The Hurt Locker is a truly extraordinary piece of work. Creating a very, very realistic feel for what soldiers fighting the war on terror go through today. Kathryn Bigelow knocked it out of the park on this one and it won’t soon be forgotten.

It has been an amazing year for film. Not on the big scale (except for a few exceptions) but rather on the small scale. I can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store.