Top Films of 2009. (So far)

As 2009 is now finished, I have started to get requests from readers for my “Top Movies” of the past year. While I would love to write an entire post about my favourites from last year, the fact of the matter is that I haven’t yet seen all the 2009 films that I want to see. (I have a long list of flicks that I’ll have to wait to see until I can get my hands on a dvd.) However, I have seen several amazing movies, so I’ve decided to take a moment and let you know what I thought were the best that I have seen so far. (Since this list is incomplete, I’m limiting my list to only 5 instead of the usual 10.) Here we go:

1. The Hurt Locker
Not only is this the best movie of the year, but it is one of the finest war movies ever made. The suspense, the drama, and the characters all feel incredibly real, and you should definitely see this movie.

2. Where the Wild Things Are
A beloved children’s book comes to life in a way that truly inspires the imagination. Spike Jonze shows us a world where things are very beautiful and serene and at times, frighteningly… wild.

3. Up In the Air
This is the best that George Clooney has ever been, and with his resume, that is saying something. The life of Ryan Bingham is both enticing and repulsive, and it leads to a movie that is sometimes funny and sometimes depressing, but always realistic and moving.

4. Up
Pixar has a history of making great movies, but Up is something else. It transcends its animated origins, and becomes a film that is so heartbreakingly emotional, you can’t help but feel something. It is profoundly sad, and it is a great adventure, but at its heart is one of the best love stories of 2009.

5. District 9
There were a few good sci-fi films in 2009, but District 9 is a stand out in a genre that usually brings nothing new beyond the typical genre clichés. However, this movie is anything but a cliché, and the political allegory of the story is more thought-provoking than one would normally expect from a movie with aliens and spaceships in it.

Well, there you go. Stay tuned for more as I get around to the others on my list, and stay tuned for another post that will be coming soon as I unveil my Top Films of the DECADE! Which movie was my favourite of the last 10 years? You’ll find out soon.

My name is Danny, and I loved 2009.