best films of 2009

i'm planning to start a yearly list of top 5 best films. so for 2009, take note it's not in order, here's my top 5 best films.

1) avatar
this film is basically just fern gully meets pocahontas. but i included this in my list because it’s game-changing. we can’t deny the fact that avatar forever changed the industry. it dazzled the audience with it’s visual wizardly. 3d animation was never this seamless. let’s thank james cameron for giving us a glimpse of the future of cinema.

2) up
the first 10 minutes of the film where no words where uttered was actually enough to put this movie in my list. a fun-filled film with a lot of heart.

3) 500 days of summer
i’m tired of the usual romance bullshit. certainly, it’s time for change... 500 days of summer offers a fresh perspective on the complex dynamics of modern day relationships.

4) the hurt locker
this film is critically acclaimed but flopped in the box office. maybe because of it’s honestly. it’s brutally honest !!! (remember the scene where a young boy’s dead body had to be cut open for the bomb to be retrieved and deactivated) i know it’s downright disgusting... but sometimes we need to see things as they are.

5) inglourious basterds
best movie of quentin since pulp fiction. welcome back. It’s two and a half hours of pure cinematic bliss.


special mention:

coraline – dark tale creatively executed by director henry selick.

gran torino – I was tempted to include this in my list but decided not to because it’s technically a 2008 film. clint eastwood should not stop making movies. At age 80(I think), he still has a lot of juice left in him.

two lovers – joaquin phoenix never fails to impress me. he perfectly portrayed a lonely man desperately in love with the wrong woman.

star trek – the rebirth of the star trek franchise. live long and prosper. hehe.

the hangover - a witty wacky twisted tale of a bachelor's party gone wrong.


on my need to watch list:

a serious man – by the coen brothers. this should be interesting

bright star – jane campion’s latest work

fantastic mr. fox – fantastic reviews for this 2d stop motion animation film

up in the air – george clooney had a great year with two critically acclaimed films in his belt (the other one is fantastic mr. fox)


generally, 2009 is not a good year for movies. because of the economic crunch, major studios were afraid to be adventurous and take risks. oh well, let's see how things will go this year.