My 10 Favorite Films of 2009 plus some other crap...

My 10 Favorite Films of 2009 plus some other crap…
This list is in no particular order…read away!

Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino’s fictional take on the fall of the Third Reich stands out as the year’s best and my favorite. It was a horrible time in the history of the human race however to see history re-written like this was very satisfying. Tarantino’s characters are so well developed that you can’t help but connect with them. Bloody and disturbing with moments of humor make this a unique creation. Sadly, Mike Meyers cameo falls flat but the film succeeds on many levels and is definitely going to be nominated for Best Picture. See my review for more detail.

Up
Disney/Pixar continues its successful streak of beautifully written and rendered animated films. I can still remember the tears and laughs coming from the audience (and myself) upon first viewing. The movie was a sight to be seen in its 3D form. Living artwork and thrilling sequences made this a must for movie lovers. See my review for more detail.

Star Trek
Wow a lot of hardcore fans wanted this film to fail without even seeing it. And guess what, It became one of the biggest hits of 2009 with critics and audiences alike. It was spectacular, witty, emotional and all together a perfect resurrection to a dying franchise. Thanks J.J. for breathing new life into Roddenberry’s vision. Also thanks for bringing some of the hottest new talent to light (Chris pine anyone?) See my review for more detail.

Coraline
Director Henry Selick took a surprisingly dark children’s story by Neil Gaiman and made it digestible to the masses. Although it’s still a pretty eerie children’s tale, it has a lot going for it. Beyond the technical aspect of stop motion animation, the story reminds children to be careful what they wish for. Completely immersive in 3D and well worth the time at the movies.

The Hangover
This is one of the funniest and most unpredictable movies of the year. Todd Phillips creation just keeps building and building and ends on a surprisingly warm note… then bam!, more raunch! It’s an interesting construct which works because of its characters. The great thing is a lot of us can relate to similar stories of a drunken forgotten night in sin city. It’s just craziness!

Avatar
Writer/Director James Cameron returns to bring us a somewhat generic story about greed, inhumanity and love. Although the story has been told many times, its Cameron’s telling that changes the game. The use of technology, motion-capture, face-capture, CGI and 3D makes the film all the more special. All of it would be nothing without engaging characters and incredible sequences. Awesome job James.

District 9
Social commentary within a gritty Science Fiction film succeeds in this Neil Blomkamp film. Don’t get me wrong, its chock full of amazing effects, bloody violence and incredible CGI Prawns lol. The movie is grounded in the real world and its authenticity makes the entire story work. See my review for more detail.

The Road
A post-apocalyptic tale based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy about the survival of one man’s family. Viggo Mortensen and child actor Kodit Smit-Mcphee turn in amazing performances within this dark subject matter. As heavy as the film can be, it has moments of sincerity and truth that show humanity in its true light.

(500) Days Of Summer
One of the most romantic movies I saw this year. Its hits on all the right notes and shows the truth behind those subtle times with a new love. It’s the little moments that amount to so much in a relationship but are they enough to label it as “the one”. Zooey and Joseph deliver casual, likable, and believable performances. The soundtrack alone can transport you into many moments you’ve had yourself. A relatable film about creating a relationship in a young professional’s world.

Guilty Pleasures of 2009

2012- Don’t blame me for loving the destruction of Los Angeles but the effects and sound work were awesome. Cheesy dialogue be damned!

G.I. Joe- True to the over the top cartoon of the same name. A popcorn flick that doesn’t need to be taken seriously, and if you do, it’s your loss.

Jennifer’s Body- Diablo Cody Dialogue and Bloody boy eating Megan Fox add to this crazy cool movie. Also thanks Amanda Seyfried for playing the “straight” girl.


Worst Movies of 2009

Wolverine- Why in the world was this movie so full of crap? You have some great characters but let’s just throw in every single mutant we can. Wtf! Not good, not fun and an overall waste of a movie.

Terminator: Salvation- Effects aside this movie had so many awful boring moments. Bad acting and sub-par directing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

New Moon- The most overhyped piece of cinematic garbage to ever make 300 million. Here’s hoping Eclipse will get New Moon out of my head.


Movies I have yet to see in 2009
Up in the Air, Precious, Brothers, A Single Man, The Hurt Locker


Movies I’m looking forward to in 2010

Clash of The Titans
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Iron Man 2
Inception
Toy Story 3
The Wolfman
DayBreakers
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1
Alice in Wonderland
The Crazies
Rapunzel
Tron: Legacy
Twilight: Eclipse
Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Jennifer's Body

It's never easy to blend horror with comedy. Many films try and fail. This year luckily movies like Drag Me to Hell and now, Jennifer's Body have succeeded.

Director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Aeon Flux) and writer Diablo Cody (Juno) take us into the sad and fcked up world of high school, now with demonic possession. Megan Fox plays Jennifer, The hot girl that all the girls strive to be and all the boys want. Amanda Seyfried plays Jennifer's nerdy best friend, Needy. The girls have been best friends since childhood and its apparent how close they are, but for what reason?



We meet Needy in the opening scene at the looney bin. She's gone completely crazy after all that has happened with Jennifer and all that the town has gone through. We are taken by flashback to the very beginning to see how it all went down. Cody's writing is perfect in the scenes of day to day high school life. I mean some laugh out loud stuff which would fit in with a darker telling of Mean Girls or Jawbreaker. These two best friends are inseparable, until the bar scene where they meet the band, Low Shoulder. Here is where things change and we get into some fantastic horror. Kusama's directs this in such a deceptive way. She really ramps up the tension because unlike most horror films this one is pretty unpredictable. The more the story reveals itself we see whose really at fault for Jennifer's craving for boy meat (Settle down perverts!)



The thing that works about this movie is its creative approach to the typical scary movie. Yes you get scares but in those scares there is this offer of light. The dialogue sparks in these darkest moments. Like the sacrificial scene. Its brutal but punched with one liners which really adds to the evil of the whole situation. The movie was an R rating, thank goodness. You get all the profanity and bloody violence you can handle. Although I wish the gore level was a little higher but I can see why they pulled back. There is a great cameo by Amy Sedaris as Needy's mom. Overall, a fun horror film that I will definitely watch again. If just to hear some of the dialogue again. The final scene kicks in with the Hole song, Violet. Perfect. The end credits cap off the story with a satisfying conclusion. My Grade: B+

Inglourious Basterds

I've been a fan of Tarantino's work since I laid my teenage eyes upon Pulp Fiction. The mixture of story, quick wit dialogue and memorable characters makes for a pretty damn good movie.

Inglourious Basterds is great addition to his library of work (Pulp and Kill Bill being my favorites followed by Death Proof) Although this film is very different for Tarantino. This story has a complete narrative marked by his love of chapter titles.

There are two stories to follow:



The first, a teenage Shosanna Dreyfuss (Melanie Laurent) has escaped the wrath of Nazi Officer Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) only to come face to face with him in her later years. Shosanna runs a movie theater in Paris where she is ordered to only play films by German/Austrian directors. She meets a young war hero who is smitten with her. She denies him any real attention until she is forced to dine with him as well as meet the infamous Dr.Joseph Goebbels. After all, this is Nazi occupied France and their will is law. Eventually, her movie theater is chosen for the premier of the film version of the young war hero's exploits, produced by Goebbels. Shosanna concocts a plan to do in the Nazi high command.



The Second, Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) enlists the help of a group young Jewish-American soldiers, "The Basterds", to land in France and take out the Nazi high command, including the fuhrer himself, Hitler. Of course, Aldo has an unconventional way of inflicting some well-deserved pain to the Nazis. Just as the Native Americans did to the settlers and soldiers of the past, they scalp the head of each kill. If you were lucky enough to be set free from the Basterds, they would leave you a mark you could never erase. Another great scare tactic at Aldo's command, The "Bear" Jew played by Eli Roth (Writer/Director of Cabin Fever and Hostel). The Bear's weapon of choice, a baseball bat. Together this group of Americans kills its way through the French countryside to reach its ultimate goal.

There is a third story involving a rogue Nazi, a British Actor and German Actress who join the Basterds cause. Their story is interesting on its own but I won't go into it here. (The Basement Bar scene is excellent) The finale has our two main stories come together for an over the top, surprising and violent end.



Tarantino has cast some amazing actors in this film. The are two real standouts for me. Christoph Waltz as the delightfully evil Col. Landa. This actor is so beyond brilliant. He is able to speak French, German, English and Italian to perfection. His scenes are riveting. He will be nominated for best supporting actor, no question. The other, Melanie Laurent as Shosanna. She is given this story line ripe for any actress. She commands scenes and you are drawn to her story. One of my favorite scenes is the "Glam Rambo" scene heightened by Tarantino's fitting use of the David Bowie song Cat People (Putting Out the Fire). Shosanna is getting ready for the opening night of the Nazi film and it will be night no one will soon forget. I also loved the portrayals of some of histories greatest villains. Hitler is played as an over the top buffoon. Goebbels is this douchey prick who really needs Hitlers praise and approval. The one scene which just doesn't work for me involved Mike Meyers. It was just waste of casting, another actor could have easily played it better. Overall, the use of music and some amazing scenes make for a fantastic movie. Also if you are not used to subtitles, it has those too. A great film that I thoroughly enjoyed. My Grade: A-

9

Animation is so much more than a child's medium or simple form of entertainment. It can tell any kind of story and can take you anywhere.

9 plays more like an animated drama than anything else. Director Shane Acker has fleshed out this harsh post-apocalyptic landscape and detailed his characters down to the last stitch. It is directed with a cinematic scope that other traditional films rarely use to their advantage.



9, the title character voiced by Elijah Wood, is the last creation made by a recently deceased scientist. Humanity has been eradicated by the machines they created. Machines that were made specifically to destroy their human enemies during war. All that survives are these hodge-podge machines and little sack covered gear-bots. Each one with a distinct personality. 9 meets 2, voiced by Martin Landau, on the day of his birth. The first of his kind he has ever met, but not the last. As these two get to know each other, they are being hunted by a motley machine with the skull of a cat. 2 is taken and 9 enlists the help of the other, um, numbers to help get him back. We meet 1 (Christopher Plummer) who is the leader and the law maker of the little survivors. His cowardice, he believes, is keeping the survivors safe. 9 convinces 5 (John C. Reilly) to join him on his quest to retrieve 2. They arrive to the machine's home base and 9 accidentally awakens the master machine. The survivors are now forced to destroy the machines or meet their demise.



The action is crazy. I mean these scenes are impeccably choreographed and thrilling. The voice work is very well done. Especially in Elijah's case as he gets most of the dialogue. Jennifer Connelly voices 7 with a bravery and fire, she is the action star of the movie. This is a technically brilliant computer animated movie. It is full of atmosphere and tension. One scene showcases an element of heart that drives the story home. These little guys have to succeed. The future depends on them. Overall: A great dramatic sci-fi film light on humor but full of detailed imagery. My grade: A-

Coming Soon

Lets take a look at some fall releases which only means one thing, Oscar contenders anyone?


Brothers

You really can't go wrong with a strong young cast like Gyllenhal, Maguire and Portman. Looks like a very powerful story. Release Date: December 3, 2009

Amelia

Hilary Swank may be on an Oscar role with this bio-pic. The fascinating story of one of the 20th Centuries most iconic females, Amelia Earhart. Release Date: Oct 23rd, 2009

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra

It's true, sometimes the trailers for a movie look way better than the film itself. Sadly, when I saw the first G.I Joe preview I was like WTF is this? Are you kidding me? I completely dismissed the movie from my summer viewing options. After some disappointing films like Wolverine and Transformers 2, I thought that I might as well give the Joe's a chance. I'm happy I did.

After an unnecessary opening back story scene, we are thrust into this fantastical, glossy, action packed, live action cartoon world. What works here is that they have literally brought the 80's cartoon to life. There is absolutely no basis in reality. It's not dark and gritty and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It free's your brain from being too critical or even rational. This is the G.I. Joe world.. not ours. If you are a "techy" or gadgetry freak you'll love this movie. Its full of cool stuff like sleek vehicles and high tech weapons that do cool shit. It's like being a little kid in your backyard playing with your G.I. Joes. There were no limits to what you could do.



Sadly the actors don't really matter in the movie. The characters are throw-aways if anything. Cheesy dialogue, shoe-horned sentiment and unexpected twists kind of weigh down character moments. Its simple, Sienna Miller as the Baroness is hot and delightfully cold however missing the Russian accent from her cartoon counterpart. Channing Tatum is Duke and lets face it.. he's hot and does his best to act with the material given. Marlon Wayans borders the token black character as Ripcord. I didn't find him as offensive as those two "Step n Fetch It" robots in TF2 but he was still funny. Cobra Commander isn't that menacing. Destro's evolution is kinda cool...very Fate of Anakin (for my SW geeks out there) type of deal. The two real standouts as far as actors goes are Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. Wow these two are just awesome. They get the best fight scenes and the coolest back story (with some talented young actors/fighters).



Lastly, the special effects and cgi are killer. There are scenes so big and action packed its like visual overload. Stephen Summers directed this movie just like his previous ones (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns). Big effects shots and hyper kinetic action push the movie along without really slowing down. The movie goes by fast for being 2 hours long. The last battle is everywhere. In the air, underwater, on land.. I mean just everywhere. It makes for a satisfying popcorn flick and a fun night at the movies and I'm eagerly awaiting a sequel. My Grade: B

Coming Soon

Some love for Foreign Cinema and a new wild things trailer!!

Coco Before Chanel

I love Adrienne Tatou and this looks like a beautiful movie. Tres Chic!

Taxidermia

Twisted Russian movie. Lots of imagination at work here to tell what seems like a gruesome story.

Where the Wild Things Are - Trailer 2

Great second trailer. hurray for more Wild Things. This looks like such a special movie. OCT 16th can't come soon enough!

Rich-It Rental Bites 8/4/09

Frozen River
Melissa Leo plays Ray, a recently single mother looking to make ends meat. She meets a coarse young Native American woman who forces her into a human trafficking job. When Ray sees how good the money is, she finds herself in a moral downward spiral. This movie was fantastic. Melissa Leo's performance makes the movie. As the story unraveled, I was glued to the screen. I can't imagine what some people go through and the sacrifices they make morally to survive. A fascinating and heart wrenching story. My Grade: A-


Race to Witch Mountain
Holy crap. What a movie! Oh Disney how could you rape your own fabulous franchise from the 70's. Bette Davis must be spinning in her grave. lol Quick recap: Earth is in trouble, Aliens need their spaceship back to go home, The Rock is hot, Effects are pretty cool, queue really bad musical score. My Grade: D


Fanboys
Its 1999, 4 Friends from Ohio decide to steal the first print of Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace from Skywalker Ranch in California. I know silly premise right? Well its a silly road trip movie. I think the only people able to appreciate it are star wars fans, sci-geeks, or high as hell star wars fans. Its like the geek version of Harold and Kumar. Occasionally funny if only because of the thousands of SW references. The are some great cameos by many sci-fi film veterans. The story isnt very coherent but who cares... My Grade: B-


Zona Rosa
A defunct documentary about gay clubs in Mexico City's Zona Rosa gay-borhood. However, the filmmakers get lost in there own narrative. We go from gay clubs in a conservative city to the life of straight male strippers who perform in them to one particular stripper with a heart of gold. In the end, its the full frontal nudity and hot guys that keeps your interest( well if your female or queer).. other than that. avoid it..My Grade: D

Whoa!- Anatomy of Hell

I know the title screams horror film right? Well let me say although many scenes in this film are quite terrifying, they come at the hands of two very interesting human characters.

Opening scene: one man giving another man a blow job near some Parisian alley. The best way to start a "Whoa!" film. Your probably thinking "Oh its a gay flick?" Wrong. This scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Director Catherine Breillat is going to take you into some graphic territory.



A very handsome gay man (Played by Rocco Siffredi, Adult Film Star) interrupts a woman (Amira Cesar) who is slitting her wrists in a bar restroom. She knows he's gay but she doesn't care, she wants him and needs him. Well being a gay man he denies her advances but when she's willing to pay, he reluctantly changes his mind. Our two leads are nameless. Its not important who they are. All that matters is what they are about to do. After another full frontal fellatio scene, this time executed by the woman to the pleasure of her new gay employee, we are taken to her home on the seaside cliffs.



She states that him being a gay man is the easy way out of ever loving a woman for all her intricacies. Now that she has employed him, he must watch her at her most fragile, natural, and repulsive state. Here we go.. If you are afraid of blood or violent sex.. look away now! She tortures him with her femininity. While on her menses, she makes him feel her vagina so that he may feel what a woman goes through. He then proceeds to have sex with her at which point.. I can't even write what happens! haha. You have to see it. Anyhow, they spend four nights together and each night a new adventure for him to tackle. One scene uses a broom handle to shocking employ. Eventually he is enlightened as to what a woman is. She is not just some hollow beautiful creature. She has layers. All women are complex and never really allow their male lovers see certain sides of them for fear of dismissal.

This film was gripping and shocking. If you can get through it, I commend you. If you can't, its completely understandable. If you do catch it somehow, be prepared to say .. Whoa!

Whoa!

Okay I know its not a very original title but I had to create this new feature. Whoa is about movies that push the boundaries. I mean, movies that really push the audience's buttons or comfort meter by crossing into territories some might call taboo. So be on the look out for this new feature because I've got some real doozies to review. Believe me, this is some crazy cinema!

Enjoy!

Rich-It Rental Bites 11/25/09

Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this story about an elderly racist widower coming to terms with his changing neighborhood. His new neighbors are a very traditional Asian family (Hmong to be exact)with a young son defying to join the local Asian gang. When his initiation goes wrong, he becomes the target of these unruly thugs that inadvertently involves the angry old man next door. Eastwood delivers a good performance and the story is somewhat interesting. I think the relationship he builds with the young boy, Thao (Bee Vang) and his sister, Sue (Ahney Her)is the heart of the story. He lived as a man blind to real care or feeling from his own kids. It takes this Hmong family to finally find his redemption. My Grade: B-


Grey Gardens - HBO Films
Based on the documentary of the same name as well as other resources, Grey Gardens is the story of the Bouvier Beales, the reclusive relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Having seen the documentary, I was familiar with the story but this is a fresh cinematic take on a truly fascinating American socialite family. This bittersweet tale is achieved with fantastic makeup effects and profound performances from its two leading ladies. Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore are exquisite. I've never seen Drew give so much to a character, it is incredible to watch. Brilliant and Sad, this film deserves a lot more attention from the masses. My Grade: A


Friday the 13th (2009)
Recently the remake recycle machine is running on overload in Hollywood. After some disappointing remakes(I'm looking at you Rob Zombie's Halloween) we get Friday the 13th. This is definitely more of re-imagining than anything. Jason Voorhee's doesn't lumber along at a snails pace to get his victim.. This bastard runs!! I mean he comes at you, no mercy! And it works. The movie works as a slasher film that's actually pretty scary while being entertaining. Sure its full of stupid token characters and cheesy dialogue, but its makes it all worth it when these "teens" get their just desserts. My Grade: B


Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
The chemistry between Nick (Michael Cena) and Norah (Kat Dennings)is perfectly simple in this romantic comedy. Nick has been dumped by the pretty, popular girl at school and doesn't know that Norah has been secretly crushing on him for sometime. It takes a wild night of bar hopping and a quest to find Norah's drunk best friend, to bring Nick and Norah together. This is a sweet funny movie about the love we can't seem to get to. It's almost always in the last place you look. My Grade: B+


Taken
Liam Neeson stars in this no nonsense thriller about a Father searching for his kidnapped teenage daughter in Paris. That is pretty much the plot but its the action that drives this story home. The energy created by slick editing and some pretty violent confrontations make this a must see. You know, the story can be a bit over the top and preposterous but its done well enough for you to throw logic out the window. A satisfying movie overall. My Grade: A-

Coming Soon

This weeks trailer selection is a bit Disney-centric but none the less, damn cool and geeky delicious.

Alice in Wonderland

Visionary director Tim Burton takes us on another wild journey with his spin on the classic Lewis Carroll Alice books. I love the design work and the lighting in this trailer. Even cooler, we get to witness this in Disney Digital 3D. March 2010

Tron:Legacy

Wow, just wow. What a trailer! Well its more of a visual effects test footage that debuted at last years comic-con. If this trailer is any indication of what Disney has in store well, this is going to be huge.