It's a new year, people. A new year, bringing renewed enthusiasm for updating this puppy. Tomippen.com will live again, and breathe the sweet air of 2010! Though, before I get carried away, perhaps I should take a moment to reflect on the past year, with all its procrastination and creative kryptonite. It may seem counterintuitive to kick off a new year of writing with a memorial to the wasteland that was this blog's last 365 days of nothing, but you've got to take these things slowly, no? As an important creature once said, " It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." Even though I don't think Bilbo said that in the books, he says it (or is quoted as saying it) in the movie.
Fellowship was a good movie.
Speaking of movies, another year of new ones is done with, and I've been keeping careful track of all the film I cram into my little noodle in 2009. RottenTomatoes has been a useful tool to keep track of the arbitrary rating I bestow on each movie I see, (you can check for yourself by looking up Tom I. on rottentomatoes.com) and I've taken all that raw data and compiled it into a sweet lil' list I call "Tom's Top 10 Movies of 2009."
All in all I saw 62 movies that were released in the last calendar year, (not all of them in the theatre) and looking at the average for the list, it must've been a pretty rotten year for movies, or at least the movies I subjected myself to. Admittedly, the list is a little embarrassing when you consider some of the choices I made. Looking back, I can't for the life of me figure out why Land of the Lost and The Proposal are on this list, while Precious and An Education I've yet to see. In moments of boredom I'd truck out to a theatre to check out whatever seemed "easy to watch." I'm not perfect, guys.
That being said, I suppose in the long run this list could change a bit. I still intend to see some of those probably good movies that eluded me before the decade turned. Most noteworthy of the unaccounted are A Single Man with Colin Firth, which I hear is mind-blowing, and the aforementioned An Education.
Enough jibba-jabba. Let's get to the point. I'll provide, in descending order, my top 10 movies of the year, with the accompanying score I gave them on Rotten Tomatoes.
Tom's Top 10 Movies of 2009 (for whom it may concern.)
10. Paranormal Activity. 70%
On nobody's radar, and then all of a sudden on everyone's radar, Paranormal Activity was a legitimately suspenseful, relatively sincere/credible first-person horror. The cinderella story of a budget under $11,000 creating this subtly attentive film really excited me, and I really wasn't let down. It may walk a fine line between "real" and "cheap," but I bought it, and thought the "two steps forward, one step back" pacing perfectly set up the climax, which is the closest I've been in recent memory to legitimately soiling myself.
9. The Hangover 80%
I guess this one was a sleeper for most people, though it's gross would say otherwise. I (and everyone I've talked to about it) was pleasantly surprised to find it not nearly as akin to Dude, Where's My Car as expected. Zach Galafinakis' surprise perfect performance makes the movie memorable, and the very capable comedic ability of Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper bring it home. Certainly the very best comedy of it's specific type (dude-comedy? bro-comedy?) that I'd seen in a while.
8. District 9 80%
Of all my top 10 list, this is admittedly the one I last saw longest ago. I wouldn't exactly say my memory is foggy, though, as there are some scenes in this puppy I'm not likely to ever forget. The world Neill Blomkamp created here is just incredible. Fuck James Cameron–this is universe building. Maybe that's unfair, as the world is perhaps less far-fetched, planted firmly in metaphor and social commentary as it is. Though I suppose that's what makes it remarkable: the fantastic, near-supernatural supposition shown to us through such a disturbingly recognizable lens. Though in my opinion the film breaks stride a little in the second half and becomes too focused on the singular narrative and action scenes, the story and world as a whole are brilliant.
7. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 80%
Listen, I understand that this one might surprise you. It certainly doesn't have as much to say as District 9, but it does it's own thing with confidence and masterful timing. There must be 50 of these CG family movies (often 3D, nowadays) every year, and they're all at the same level of quality: not bad, not great. And they all prioritize the entertainment they offer, usually a ratio of 70-80% aimed at children, with the scraps thrown to the adults present to keep them alive while their kids clap and scream. This one, however, is constantly hitting one of two areas; when it's not making poignant political or cultural references with a quick neo-comedic edge, (bolstered by the likes of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, and Neil Patrick Harris) it's using it's gorgeous and unique animation style–an incredible fluid and consistent one–for physical and situational comedy that doesn't miss a beat. Also: it's got Bruce Campbell.
6. Moon 80%
Sam Rockwell, baby. Apparently this dude can be amazing when he needs to be. A stellar contribution by the always wonderful Kevin Spacey isn't too shabby either. Performances aside, this is a very complete film. The aesthetic is closely attended in every shot, and the film fits right into that difficult but appreciated nook of a conceivable and rational yet mystifying and slightly unnatural Sci-Fi. When I walked out of the theatre, I personally qualified it as having an "industrial sci-fi" feel to it, and I stand by it. It was intelligent and thoughtful, and though perhaps predictable at times, it challenged preconceived notions of "typical" science-fiction. We need more movies like Moon.
5. In the Loop 90%
British comedy has hit a new high. I hadn't even heard about this film until a week ago, and rented it with a friend. I'm having trouble coming up with anything to say other than that I was completely blown away, and existing in that place between howling laughter and broken-down-scream-laugh/crying the entire time. Not many people I've talked to have heard about it, and I don't want to give anything away; what I want is for you to go and rent this movie immediately. It's a British political farce-comedy that takes place either half a decade ago, or in a semi-fictitious present day. You will die laughing. This is all you need to know. Funny is funny.
4. Up in the Air 90%
I'm one of those few people who really didn't care for Juno, Jason Reitman's previous film, and Up in the Air is certainly of the same ilk, but where the former felt obnoxious and over-assertive, the latter is approachable, charming, and maybe a little profound. Obviously George Clooney is more than capable at portraying a calm and confident, well-spoken man. The two leading ladies, Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga, both give stunning performances, and the gestalt of the trinity provides a incredibly fleshed-out discussion on isolation and personal growth. No movie I saw this year generated more post-viewing discussion on ideas of human attachment and codependence. It is also worth noting that, while on this "soulful journey of discovery", you will laugh your ass off.
3. Inglourious Basterds 90%
Quentin Tarantino has been making the same movie for years now, but luckily, it's a pretty solid one. This, like the others, is a film of conversations. The dialogue is great, the story is entertaining, unpredictable, and definitely unique, and the attention to detail in every single shot is, I think, the film's greatest achievement. The milk, the strudel, the devonshire cream, the champagne: these components are just as memorable and well delivered as the knives, the guns, and the scalps. The performance of Cristoph Waltz as Colonel Hans Landa is the highlight, for certain, though Brad Pitt definitely does a bang-up job and has some very memorable lines. My favourite Tarantino movie to date, this could be called a masterpiece. It could also be called "revenge porn." Both would be accurate.
2. Watchmen 90%
I have not read the graphic novel. I found this film artful and gorgeous from start to finish. If any one frame were turned into my desktop wallpaper it would be a marked improvement over my current stock background. There were strong performances across the board, but my particular favourites were the Comedian and (obviously) Rorschach, who's presence in modern film will undoubtedly alter the face of chaotic-good heroes yet to come. The historical fiction was a flawless construction that brought the world to a similar realm Moon did, in that it walked the tightrope between unbelievable fantasy and stifling, gloomy reality; Nixon's 4th term in the 1980s felt real. I understand that the narrative already existed before being put to the screen, but I'm not saying I love Zack Snyder, I'm saying I love this movie.
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox 100%
I'm a big Wes Anderson fan, but this is far and away the best film he's completed (in my humble opinion). I can't recall a single moviegoing experience where I've had a smile on my face the whole way through. The animation and voice acting brought so much life to each character that I was dreading the moment it came to an end. Every joke was a winner, every situation part of a hilarious, masterful plan, and every character flawed in the most loveable and laughable way.
Now, 100% doesn't mean it's my "perfect movie," and that all others will be measured by its greatness. I rank a few others at the same mark, There Will Be Blood, In Bruges, and Frost/Nixon to name a few from recent memory) but this year, there was only the one that really hit that sweet spot of "I want to watch you until I die."
Those ten lil' puppies made 2009 pretty good, I suppose.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 11:18AM