Favorite Movies of 2009

This has been a great year for movies. I had a schedule that permitted me to go see matinees. But there are a few movies I missed like Whip It! and Zombieland that I will see on dvd.

These are the movies I enjoyed the most. I don't care if YOU enjoyed them. (Well, I care--but I'm not about to prove anything as a critic--I'm just telling you these are the movies that made me happy.)

10. Invictus-- in all of my classes at least one student every quarter does a report on Nelson Mandela. I thought this movie was a wonderful introduction to a legend. The movie could have been unfocused and massive considering the breadth of the subject--but Mr. Eastwood kept the story on track and introduced the other elements with grace that will allow other storytellers to tell the other aspects of Mr. Mandela's life.

9. State of Play--I'm partial to a good movie about newspapers. I love Russell Crowe and my little sister was Rachel McAdams' stand in so I got to visit with her while they were filming in DC. I really loved this movie about the end of an era. I can always do without Ben Affleck, but he didn't complete ruin it for me.

8. Pirate Radio-- This movie made my heart sing from the beginning to the last. It's very existence makes the world a happier place to be.

7. The Proposal-- Don't judge me. I liked it! Ryan Reynolds is sexy and Sandra Bullock is hilarious. There were some stupid parts of the movie, but throughout the summer if friends wanted to go to a movie, the majority of the crowd would say, "I haven't seen The Proposal!" And normally, I try to steer people to another movie if I've already seen it--but I managed to see this movie at least 3 times--and it just got funnier every time.

6. 500 Days of Summer--It was refreshing to see a chick flick from a guy's perspective. Guys have such confidence about their love stories. It's such a lovely contrast from the "I hope he likes me!" to the "Of course she loves me! Doesn't she?" Refreshing and delightful. And about half my guy friends felt very close to Joseph Gordon-Levitt after this movie. The girls loved Zooey Deschanel, while secretly loathing her.

5. Inglourious Basterds--Oh. My. My heart. My heart!! It was incredible. In anticipation for the violence I expected from Mr. Tarantino, I spent the movie just cowering--waiting for the axe to fall. The performances, the story, everything was deliciously flawless.

4. Precious--The story isn't happy, but the reflections of life and the performances were so filled with integrity and true humanity that I can't help but applaud this beautiful movie. What a beautiful reminder that life--all life--is worthy of our respect. And everyone's story--when told with humility and truth--has an indefinable magic. The movie was a perfect reflection of raw humanity.

3. The Fantastic Mr. Fox--I laughed so hard!! That's all. It was just funny. and that's enough!

2. Up--It made me happy! Weren't you happier for this movie? Talking dogs? That's HIlarious!

1. The Hurt Locker--No words. Just watch it. From callousness to pure heart. This movie swings your emotions from fire to ice. I couldn't laugh or cry. I could barely breathe. It was an incredible reflection of the war in Iraq--and of the war that rages in all of us. How do you know who to save--who to trust? What is winning anyway? Soooo gooood.

and because I don't want to rewrite this list to start at higher numbers--I have to say that

1a. Up in the Air--You've all read the review. Go see it. I feel a closeness to George Clooney's character. I loved that they finally wrote a movie that reflects the transitory feel of life in these United States right now. Everything really is up in the air right now. And where is home exactly?

and 7a. Sherlock Holmes--I love Robert Downey Jr. And I love Jude Law. Nuff Said.

and 8a. Julie and Julia--I could do without Julie. But I love me some Julia!



As for best performances: Mo'Nique, Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker, Christoph Waltz in The Inglorious Basterds, Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Pirate Radio, and Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock for piling in charming, subtle, and touching performances throughout the year.