Ronald Short's Top 20 Movies of 2009

I know I know. It's February and I'm just now getting around to putting up my best movies of 2009 list. You try moving to a new state without a job and see if you can see afford seeing an ass ton of movies that are released in January! Try it! I dare ya!

I feel like I have to give this "warning" every time I write a list like this, but these are my choices for best films from 2009. These are my opinions I'm putting out there for the world to see. There are some popular choices on here, but also some off the wall stuff. Then, there's the films I'm surprised I haven't seen on many other lists.

Last year I got made fun of for having SPEED RACER on my list. What can I say? That movie is boss. So, remember: THIS IS MY LIST, BITCH! Back off.

And here...we...GO!

20. THE BROTHERS BLOOM


I'm not sure why this film isn't getting more recognition. It's a fun, euro-styled con movie with a great twisty ending. The writing is a blast and you can tell the actors are just having a hell of a time. In my opinion, this is a great follow-up to BRICK.

19. BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL: NEW ORLEANS


Look at those two madmen up there! Who ever thought the crazy over-the-top antics of Nic Cage could ever mix well with the just pure insanity of Werner Herzog? The man of many awful haircuts meets the man who got shot in the gut during an interview and didn't even notice. The man who dressed in a bear suit and punched a woman in THE WICKER MAN meets the man who had a gun to his head, was forced to speak French in order to not get shot, and regretted speaking the French vowing to never to do it again. You can imagine what kind of movie they made and it's pure cocaine for the movie goer. A fun time through a hell of a trip.

Iguanas, break dancing souls, Nic Cage threatening the lives of old women in a nursing home, and drugs galore. This is truly a great time at the cinemas. It's actually a legitimately good flick with a crazy ass lead and a crazy ass director behind the lens.

18. CRAZY HEART


A movie that has shown the world how truly awesome Jeff Bridges can be (though, I've known that for a long time. He deserved his first Oscar nom for the Dude, lets be honest). Unlike other movies in this genre, this film is more about the moments in this performer's life rather than a story where every scene influences the next. Sure, there's a solid beginning, middle, and end, but this is more about these happy/sad moments this guy, who is struggling like crazy, is having. He comes to terms with problems from his past and tries to create a new life for himself. It's a happier version of THE WRESTLER and it works really well.

17. FUNNY PEOPLE


A lot of people were hating on Apatow for the last half of this movie. In my opinion, the movie wouldn't have been nearly as good without that last half. It's what makes us realize what kind of people George Simmons, Ira Wright, and Laura really are. They act on impulses that they might not necessarily think through. Be it pursuing the one that got away, getting intimate with your long lost love, or just trying to further your comedy career, we are watching them learn from their mistakes and grow. Not to mention, this movie is just fucking hilarious. Kudos to Apatow for trying to do something different and I hope to see more of this in the future.

16. PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE


A complete 360 from FUNNY PEOPLE, PRECIOUS is a dark dramatic piece that isn't afraid to show you how it is. People still live like this and it's extremely sad. This girl was born into this situation and didn't choose the life that's forced onto her. Thankfully, now that she's older, she's fighting to get out. Much like any drama, this film relies heavily on its performances. Thankfully, it never feels like acting and the whole cast is phenomenal, making this dark ride through Precious' life real and heartbreaking.

15. UP

I could be lazy and just re-post what I wrote about this (and the others) on my "Best of Summer" list, but I won't.

I hereby dub 2009 the year of the intelligent kids movie! With this film and many others following, filmmakers have proven they are willing to make movies that don't talk down to kids and that aren't filled with poop and fart jokes. UP is a very emotional film for me, one that I have trouble sitting through, especially that opening! If you've ever been in love, this film will make you shed a tear at least. The emotion the Pixar team put into this film is just amazing. They keep surprising me by making animated characters that are capable of giving a wider range of emotions than big name celebrities. Keep it up Pixar and I'm sure you'll be seeing TOY STORY 3 in a couple of my lists next year.

14. UP IN THE AIR

People have claimed that George Clooney is merely playing George Clooney in this movie. Let's be clear, he is George Clooney. No matter what character he plays, he will always be George Clooney in the end. Unlike some actors out there, George really can't hide that fact. You will always know it's him. However, I think this is the best George Clooney performance to date. You are transported into his world, see life through his eyes, and then see him begin to change. He starts to open up to someone and embraces the changes he has been experiencing. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned. Clooney and Reitman are pure gold with this film.

13. MOON


First, let me state that I hate the fact that when I searched "MOON movie poster" in Google I was bombarded with images for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON. Disgusting. Second, I hate how a movie like this will never get the recognition a piece of shit like NEW MOON gets. This is a rockin' Kubrick-inspired science fiction flick. Just because it wasn't on the fifteen story high IMAX screen in 3D doesn't mean it isn't worth your time. This is a sci-fi piece with an excellent story, well written dialogue, practical effects, and an Oscar worthy performance, no matter how ignored Rockwell was by the Academy. I can't wait to see what David Bowie's seed does next.

12. BIG FAN


I called this film "surprisingly surprising" in my original review after I saw it and I stick by that sentiment. I knew it was going to be a good film seeing how much praise Patton Oswalt was getting for his performance and how Robert Siegel, the man who wrote THE WRESTLER, had written and directed it. However, I didn't realize how good of a film it was going to be. This film goes to some dark places, but thankfully it doesn't go over the edge like Travis Bickle in TAXI DRIVER. That wouldn't have worked for this. It has a nice middle ground that works so well and made it an unpredictable experience.

11. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

The next "intelligent kids movie" on my list is a real doosie. This is one I haven't really seen on many other critics' lists and I can't figure out why. Sure, it's a lot darker than a lot of kids movies out there, but that's what makes it so great! It isn't afraid to take the different emotions of childhood head on with a realism you'd swear was written by a kid. However, it was Spike Jonze who created this world.

I recently had a discussion with a friend about how depressed this movie made me. He found it surprising that a movie with Muppets bouncing around a forest could depress me. And when you boil the film down to those bare aesthetics, then sure. I'd be surprised that I got depressed by it, too. But this film isn't about that. It's about a child lost in his emotions and his imagination. He doesn't understand what he's going through and these "Muppets" represent those parts of his life he's still trying to get a grasp on. I find it incredible that Spike Jonze and his team were able to make me feel the way I felt while watching. That's proof of a real filmmaker right there: Being able to make me remember and relive moments of my childhood through giant puppets. It's an incredible experience, one that no adult needs to fear their kids experiencing.

10. THE HURT LOCKER

I feel like I've been writing about this film a lot, and with good reason. This film is topping a hell of a lot of critics' lists from 2009 which is proof enough on why it deserves this praise. It's not my number one film of 2009, but that doesn't mean that it's not a damn good film. Kathryn Bigelow shows that her ovaries are bigger than most male filmmakers' balls out there by giving us one of the best modern war films to date. War has evolved into an idea where there's no longer mass amounts of people running at each other in an open field/desert with guns blazing. War is now bombs being hidden in the middle of cities, near embassies, at military bases, and so on. War is now about surprise attacks and never knowing who the enemy is. This movie shows you what war boils down to today and Bigelow does a hell of a job presenting it.

9. AWAY WE GO

I truly adore this little indie gem that has been over looked by most, if not all, critics last year. And seeing how situations in this film have recently become real conversations in my life, it has begun to mean more to me. I love these two characters dearly and I long for them to find a place where they're both happy. Taking these little adventures with them to see the possible places they may raise a child just made this an incredibly enjoyable experience.

8. DRAG ME TO HELL

Some people have called this film a study on an eating disorder or anti-feminist. I call this film a hell of a time at the movies. Sam Raimi back in his comfort zone blowing me away with a horror comedy only he can do. If only there was a Bruce Campbell cameo. That would have been the cherry on top of the cake. This was the best horror film I saw last year. It's just a blast.

7. STAR TREK

JJ Abrams did what most people rebooting a franchise couldn't do: Made it fit into the original cannon! This was my favorite summer blockbuster last year. This is a science fiction film with a pretty well written story, good dialogue, great acting from the cast, and, lens flare haters be damned, great cinematography. However, because JJ didn't pay off the academy, he didn't get nominated for mostly anything. What a shame.

6. A TOWN CALLED PANIC

No matter how silly this film gets, I still consider it as one of the "intelligent kids films" from last year. Some might argue that, because of some of the language towards the end and the fact that the dialogue is in subtitles, that this may not be a kids movie. To that I say fuck you! This is a kids movie. There's like one or two curse words at the end and this could be a great time for your kid to learn how to read! This movie had me rolling in the aisles at the Drafthouse and the crude animation gives it a charm unmatched by most. It's pure happiness on celluloid. Horse is possibly my favorite character from an animated film last year.

5. THE HANGOVER

The best comedy of 09 hands down. I have watched this movie at least 5 times now and I laugh just as loud as I did the first time I saw it. The chemistry between the leads is remarkable and their comic timing is impeccable. The one downside is Galifianakis no longer being a secret amongst the people who were fans long before this movie was released. The upside is more movies with Galifianakis in them! I'm pumped for the sequel, not going to lie.

4. DISTRICT 9

Another well written science fiction piece with believable dialogue, fantastic acting, awesome special effects, and brilliant direction that, thankfully, got nominated for a best picture Oscar (you see a running theme in my sci-fi movie reviews on this list?). This is the only science fiction film in the nominations that I feel actually deserved the nom. Neill Blomkamp provides social commentary without making it obvious or forced. He knows how to mix science fiction with a political message without being preachy. Some filmmakers getting a little old and senile could learn from a film like this.

3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX

This is the last "intelligent kids movie" on the list and is, obviously, my personal favorite. It was a little disheartening to hear rumors of Wes Anderson's lack of visits to this set, but after seeing the film and it feeling exactly how each and every film of Anderson's felt before it proved to me he was more involved than some wanted to let on. This film screams Wes Anderson. There's no way he wasn't highly involved with this thing. This thing is just a special piece of work to me. From the voice acting, to the looks and aesthetics, to the funny moments and the way the characters say "cuss" in place of an actual cuss word, it is all just a magical experience I can't wait to share with my kids someday.

2. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

I have been told by a few people that they thought this film reminded them of scripts I have written. First, I usually respond with the fact that there's not nearly enough "fucks" for it to be like my scripts. Then, I start to see similarities, especially to my script MIX TAPE. Perhaps that's why I like it so much? Is that egotistical? I don't mean it to be. I just mean that this is the type of film I'd really like to make someday and that I enjoy. I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel so much and they're awesome here. This story is a realistic representation of the ups and downs of a relationship and I can't wait to see what Marc Webb does with the SPIDER-MAN reboot. Yeah, I said it.

1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS


If you ready my Oscar hopefuls list last week, you already saw this coming. And really, I've written about this film enough. If you want to know why this is my favorite movie of the year, watch it. You'll see.

Other picks that didn't quite make it in no particular order:
CORALINE, OBSERVE AND REPORT, TAKEN, I LOVE YOU, MAN, SUNSHINE CLEANING, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, ADVENTURELAND, SHALL WE KISS?, BRUNO, BEST WORST MOVIE, WATCHMEN, WORLD'S GREATEST DAD, THE ROAD, SHERLOCK HOLMES, HUMPDAY, ANTICHRIST, HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, A SERIOUS MAN, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, TRICK R' TREAT, WHIP IT, JENNIFER'S BODY, THE INFORMANT, ZOMBIELAND, TAKING WOODSTOCK, IN THE LOOP

I hope you enjoyed the list! What were your favorite movies that might not have made my list?

My Oscar Hopefuls

The Oscar nominations have been released for 2009 and this is the first time in a while where I was pretty happy with most of the Academy's choices overall. My biggest complaint would be the inclusion of THE BLIND SIDE and any of its cast and/or crew. This is the nomination where the Academy was trying to appeal to the mindless side of their audience.

Now, onto my hopefuls. These aren't my predictions for who will win, because God knows the last year I predicted most awards correctly was when LORD OF THE RING: RETURN OF THE KING was nominated. These are merely people/productions that I hope win. Also, I'm not going to get into all the technical awards, the short films (I haven't seen them), the documentaries (haven't seen them), or the foreign films (once again, not released for me to see).

You can find all the nominations at: http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nominees

Writing (Original Screenplay):


For me, this category is no contest. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is Tarantino's best screenplay since PULP FICTION. The mixture of his signature dialogue, the way the story is told (classic Tarantino), how Hans Landa was realized, and that climax! Man, what a climax! It all adds up to my favorite original screenplay from 2009.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):


My choice for this category would be UP IN THE AIR. I haven't read the novel, but I've read the comparisons and know of the changes Reitman made in his version of the story. I feel like he made the right choices for the cinematic retelling. I loved the "Can, sir?" reference to a certain storyline in the book, but I'm glad that's the only mention of it.

Visual Effects:


This category, in my opinion, is the only one AVATAR should be nominated for. The effects are breathtaking, especially in IMAX 3D, and they certainly have changed the game on how one works on an effects heavy picture.

Music (Original Song):


CRAZY HEART's "The Weary Kind" is such a beautiful song to me. Jeff Bridges does a hell of a job performing the thing and I like this a lot more than any of the other choices.

Music (Score):


I'm going to have to give this one to Hans Zimmer for his score on SHERLOCK HOLMES. If you didn't like the movie (I enjoyed it highly) you have to at least give kudos to Zimmer for capturing the spirit of Holmes through his music. It's a lot of fun.

Film Editing:


DISTRICT 9 deserves this one seeing how flawlessly the film goes from mockumentary to narrative with ease. You hardly notice the change while you're watching.

Directing:


This is going to be the year. I can feel it in my bones. We will finally have a female film director taking home the gold and I can't wait to see it happen! So, obviously, I'm pulling for Kathryn Bigelow and her film THE HURT LOCKER. She deserves it.

Cinematography:


Following my choice for Directing, I'm going to give this category to THE HURT LOCKER as well. The documentary style works tremendously, throwing the viewer into this tense experience that Jeremy Renner's character absolutely loves. You almost start to see why.

Animated Feature Film:


I was really hoping A TOWN CALLED PANIC would get nominated for this (does it being foreign disqualify it?), but I'm really hoping FANTASTIC MR. FOX will get this one. That's just a hell of a film that tends to be more for us hipster adults than kids. I loved UP, but Pixar already has a ton of gold statues and I feel it's one of their weaker films. CORALINE is amazing, but FOX beats it for best stop motion this year. It's old school and has a love for the subject matter that was unmatched.

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Mo'Nique is hands down the absolute best choice for this award. She put everything into her role in PRECIOUS and she deserves it. I actually really like Mo'Nique because of the image and message she gives to women. She has a great voice in the feminist movement and I really hope she pulls this off.

Actress in a Leading Role:


Sandra Bullock really puts her all into her role of Leigh Anne Tuohy as a white woman who must show a black kid how to live his life properly in white suburbia. Seeing the film makes me wish all black kids could have a white woman in their lives to show them how to live. This is why Bullock deserves it for THE BLIND SIDE.


All kidding aside, I really want Gabourey Sidibe to win this award. This is her first film and she shows herself to be a hell of force to be reckoned with. Seeing her in interviews and realizing how sweet of a person she is and then watching PRECIOUS and seeing the kind of character she portrays proves her incredible acting ability.

In reality, though, Sandra Bullock will probably win. It upsets me, but it's a harsh, idiotic world we live in sometimes and I have to come to terms with it now rather than be upset later.

Actor in a Supporting Role:


Christoph Waltz, no contest. Have you seen INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS? Then you know he deserves this sucker. No explanation needed.

Actor in a Leading Role:



This is the first award where I'm really torn. On one hand, you have the incredible Jeff Bridges giving his best performance since The Dude in CRAZY HEART. On the other hand, you have Jeremy Renner blowing everyone away with his role in THE HURT LOCKER. I'll be happy for either of them to win, but I'm secretly hoping Bridges will be the one taking it home.

Best Picture:


In my opinion, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS was the best film of the year (spoiler alert for my top movies of 2009 list!). However, I would be happy if that film, THE HURT LOCKER, DISTRICT 9, or UP IN THE AIR pulled out with the win. They're all great films that deserve it.

There you have it. My hopefuls for the Oscars this year. Who knows who will actually grab the gold in each category, but I always have fun creating my list.

Who do you think/hope will win these awards?