Top 3 Movies of ‘09

I think it’s safe to say I can finally decide on my top 3 films of the year.

Keep in mind though that I have yet to partake in James Cameron’s feast beyond feasts, Avatar. To be completely honest my excitement for that film rests, potentially, in the negatives. I don’t have any dislike for it, I’m simply uninspired by what I’ve seen. I have trouble shaking the Fern Gully feel and have creepy ‘Blueberry Jar Jar’ nightmares whenever I close my eyes after having seen yet another sneak peak. The reports coming in are good though so what do I know? So top 3…

STAR TREK – This film gets top marks from me for two reasons. One, for the first time in my life Star Trek is cooler than Star Wars. Seriously, WTF. JJ and the boys schooled Lucas up and down the field and wrote a new how-to on reboots. Two, it’s the first ‘blockbuster’ I’ve seen in years that I’ve gone to see more than once. I walked out of this film with the strangest of feelings. It took me a few minutes to put my finger on what it was…I’d just seen a multi million dollar Hollywood blockbuster and it hadn’t assumed I had the reading level of a retarded five year old. I’d bought my ticket, watched the film and, damn, I felt good about it!

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS – Tarantino’s best. Hands down. He was stylised but not excessive, violent but not gratuitous. I really felt like I was watching the maturing of a great voice in Hollywood and loved every minute of it. Plus, two words: Christoph. Waltz.

UP – Pixar has been up and down for me over the last few years. Toy Story and Monster’s Inc were genius however Finding Nemo seemed a little confused and Cars & Ratatouille were the most ‘Disney’ of their outings. All solid films but they lacked that Pixar flair that made the team really stand out from the crowd for me. Incredibles is a wonderful piece of work but, as any comic book fan would tell you, it was the Fantastic Four (right up to having Dr Doom as a brilliantly irritating red head). Don’t get me wrong, it was an amazing film, it just didn’t feel…new. Then we had Wall-E which was an outstanding piece of work and a return to sheer brilliance. Up was yet another amazing step forward and easily the most emotional of any of their films. I’m going to come right out and say it, I cried. Boy did I cry. And I loved it. The film brought back a lot of painful memories of losing my mother but not to the point where I found the film difficult to watch. It was sad and painful but also sweet and careful in its handling of such a delicate topic. Bravo, Pixar.

Special mention goes to Zombieland. Woody Harrelson is king.