Top 50 Films of 2009 (10-1)

#10. The Informant! (Directed by Steven Soderbergh) - One of best performances of the year comes from Matt Damon (The Departed, The Bourne Identity). He's hysterical as a regular joe-schmo, who's an informant for the FBI. This is an incredible true story based on a best-selling book. The writing is tremendous and I love Soderbergh's (Out of Sight, Solaris) film making style.

#9. Funny People (Judd Apatow) - This film wasn't funny enough for some people, but not me. Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) is one the best in the business and he shows us a different side of him here. Sandler (Punch-Drunk Love, 50 First Dates) is at his very best and Rogen (Observe and Report) shows us a different side as well. Apatow's script is so witty and observational. The last hour of the film is maybe a little too serious, but it doesn't ruin the film. If you like Apatow, than you'll love 'Funny People'.

#8. (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb) - One of the best romantic comedies ever made. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, Brick) and Zooey Deschanel (Elf, Winter Passing) have so much chemistry together. An incredible script and phenomenal performances make this one of the best films of the year. I recommend this film to anyone, please do yourself a favor.

#7. I Love You, Man (John Hamburg) - The bromance is finally put into perspective. The awkward Paul Rudd (Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer) and the confident Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up) make a good one-two punch. There are many hilarious performances along the way by Andy Samberg (Hot Rod), J.K. Simmons (Jennifer's Body), Jon Favreau (Made), Jaime Pressly (Joe Dirt), Rob Huebel (Human Giant), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!), and especially Joe Lo Truglio (Superbad). A must see for all comedy fans.

#6. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow) - The best Iraq war film to date. Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later) has a breakout performance to remember. Is it worthy of best picture? I don't think so, but it's still a phenomenal film. There are some nice short performances by Ralph Fiennes (In Bruges) and Guy Pearce (Memento). If you enjoy war films, than you'll love this multiple Oscar-award winning film.

#5. Brothers (Jim Sheridan) - Oh, what a treat this film is. I was lucky enough to see it in theaters. Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man trilogy) puts in the performance of his career. Natalie Portman (Garden State) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead) are both on top of their game. Sam Shepard will make your blood boil in a few scenes. There are many heart-pounding moments in this film. This an incredible achievement that you must see.

#4. Adventureland (Greg Mottola) - A great follow-up to Superbad for Mottola. The hilarious Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, The Social Network) leads the way in this coming-of-age tale about a confused 18-year-old kid. This is Kristen Stewart's (Twilight, Into the Wild) best performance yet. The always hysterical Bill Hader (Hot Rod) is ridiculous as the theme-park manager. See this film!

#3. Up in the Air (Jason Reitman) - There are three, terrific Oscar-nominated performances here by George Clooney (Solaris, The Good German), Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), and Vera Farmiga (The Departed). This film will live on for many years and is a great period piece for our time.

#2. The Hangover (Todd Phillips) - I'm a sucker for a hilarious comedy. This film serves one purpose, and that is to make us laugh. Well, that it did! Absolutely hilarious from start to finish. This comedy goes down as one the best. 'The Hangover 2' is in the making and I'm already on board. The comedy of the year is, 'The Hangover'.

#1. Avatar (James Cameron) - Easily the best picture of the year. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that statement. James Cameron (Titanic) continues to baffle us with his film making. This film goes down with the likes of 'Star Wars' in my book. If you don't like this film than we're not friends, it's that simple.

Up in the Air

Brothers

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Top Horror Films

Now on DVD

Top 25 Films of the 1990's