marc's top 10 movies on 2009

You can thank Matt Ravier for reminding me to get my shit together to write up my favourite films of 2009.

Many of the movies on my list are not ones I regard as universally flawless. Actually if you look at my star-ratings over the year many of these movies dont even rate the highest. However, A 'best-of' list is about how well a movie stands over time and these are the films that I found myself reliving in my head as 2009 wore on.

So without further carry on... this is the list:

BEST RELEASED

1. Up (Peter Docter, USA)
2. District 9 (Neil Blomkamp, USA / New Zealand)
3. Balibo (Robert Connolly, Australia)
4. Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, Sweden)
5. Star Trek (J.J. Abrams, USA)
6. Milk (Gus Van Sant, USA)
7. (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb, USA)
8. Avatar (James Cameron, USA)
9. The Baader-Meinhof Complex (Uli Edel, Germany)
10. Mary And Max (Adam Elliot, Australia)

BEST UNRELEASED IN CINEMAS IN 2009

1. Fantastic Mr Fox (Wes Anderson, USA)
2. In the Loop (Armando Ionnucci, UK)
3. Bigger Stronger Faster* (Chris Bell, USA)
4. Sita Sings the Blues (Nina Paley, USA)
5. Tokyo Zombie (Sakichi Sato, Japan)

So, why did these films make the list? Well, Mary & Max had one of the most heartbreaking suicide attempts ever commited to film. Balibo gave us our first decent political thriller in nearly decade. Up for being the only film to meld tangible, aching sadness with talking dogs. Occasionally too-schmaltzy 500 Days of Summer for its spot-on deconstruction of a devolving relationship. Let The Right One In almost purely for that closing pool sequence. Baader-Meinhoff for mixing broadstroke socio-political filmmaking with incredibly hot Germans. Star Trek for finally injecting Trek with something it's sorely missing for a decade - personality (and lens flares). And of course Avatar - for a movie quasi-based on Pocahontas, it was pretty fucking amazing.


As we all know, lists are pretty damn subjective so lemme know what your top 10 is so we can compare notes.

Update - The 'Nearly-But-Not-Quite' list included The Class, Inglorious Basterds, Where The Wild Things Are, An Education, The Girlfriend Experience, Public Enemies, The Reader and Synechdoche NY,

sherlock holmes

Hope your Boxing Day sees you as bloated and unable to move as I. Cos, you know what's good for that? Seeing a movie! Guy Ritchie's take on ye olde detective of Baker St is reviewed down below.

Would love to read your review down in the comments if/when u've seen it.

And you can subscribe to the reviews at the triple j movies podcast. (No iTunes? head here)

embedded with the jedi

So, according to the last UK Census there are more Jedi in the UK than there are people of the Jewish faith. But what is it really like to be a Jedi? I went along & embedded myself with Australia's very own Jedi Master Roar.




Update - Yes, the handshake was a genuine accident

avatar

It cost well over $600 Million to make, so is it worth a watch? Does the 3D really make that much difference? and don't those aliens look a lot like Ferngully? All answered (mostly) down below:



I'd love to know how you guys found it, hit me up down below.

And you can subscribe to the reviews at the triple j movies podcast. (No iTunes? head here)

the morgan freeman chain of command

Enlarge this. (via Maxim.com)

tablets. take two with breakfast

So, Apple is rumoured to be releasing a Tablet version of their Mac line-up at some point.

If it's half as usable/cool/mouth-watering as this then I will drool non-stop for about a week in the line outside the store while waiting to buy one.

with that obscene image in your mind, enjoy this...

where the wild things are

Can Spike Jonze' long-awaited adaptation of the cult picture book live up to the ludicrious weight of indie-hipster expectation?

Can it DAMNIT?!?!?!



I'd love to know how you guys found it, hit me up down below.

And you can subscribe to the reviews at the triple j movies podcast. (No iTunes? head here)

new moon. yes, it is that bad

Sorry, here is my very belated and kinda arsehole review of New Moon, it really is pretty bad.



Please go for your life in the comments section:)

And you can subscribe to the reviews at the triple j movies podcast. (No iTunes? head here)

serco: the biggest company you've never heard of...

the (united) liberal party

i'll send a minty to anyone who can pick where I am in this piece.