| MV Top 10 of 2009! | |
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Containing our trademark mix of the big and the small, the clever and the crowd-pleasing, our favourite films of 2009 are (in ascending order):
It's always refreshing to see a good animation come from somewhere other than the all-conquering Pixar studios, but to see one quite so funny, engaging and brilliantly realised is an utter joy. A complete surprise among this years' family features, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs combined superb writing, excellent animation and outstanding voice acting to create a film that's enjoyable on all levels for audiences of all ages. Expect a bellyache from the laughs and imagination overload from the insane storyline.
It's been an outstanding year for documentaries, and this was undeniably one of the best. A playful look at the Junior Eurovision song contest, Sounds Like Teen Spirit follows young contestants from Bulgaria, Georgia, Belgium and Cyprus as they compete for fame and glory. Transcending its comic pretext, the film produces an endearing portrait of young children searching for their place in the world. The best thing about this film is that, unlike so many peers in the genre, it utterly lacks pretensions. Director Jamie J. Johnson goes into the competition with an eye for the wry and an ear ready to listen, and this shines through in every second of footage that reached the screen.
Is there any superlative that hasn't been applied to the Coen brothers? They apply themselves equally well to madcap comedies as to dark Westerns and even remakes of one of the oldest stories in the world (lest we forget the origins of O Brother, Where Art Thou?). One thing that stands out, however, is their superb characterisations. Idiosyncracies cry out with individuality as they paint their portraits of the bold, the brave, and the blunderous. A Serious Man represents a welcome return to this strength, and an ambitious leap in their subject matter as they deal with the strange combination of the confusing complex and the frustratingly banal that comprises most of our daily lives. Making that funny deserves recognition: and we're here to give it to them.
7. In The Loop Political satire is a dangerous game, try and be too funny and you risk being flippant about real issues that matter; try to address global concerns and your material withers faster than Margaret Thatcher. In The Loop is a rare treat that treads the line perfectly, and also manages to provide one of the most memorable characters of recent years in foul-mouthed spin doctor/whip Malcolm Tucker. Infinitely quotable filth spews forth from this demon character in ways we never thought possible, and for that we salute Armando Ianucci's creation. Well done sir!
6. Let the Right One In It's been a big year for vampire films, and even competing against the great Park Chan-Wook Tomas Alfredson's atmospheric Scandinavian take on the genre came out on top of the pile. Telling the story of young Oskar, a lonely child who is bullied at school, as he embarks on an unlikely friendship with blood-sucking Eli Let The Right One In displays a mastery of atmosphere and suspense amidst the snowy Swedish landscape. Traditional vampiric relationships are enhances, distorted and questioned as Alfredson uses all of his skill to spin this exciting new take on an audience favourite.
5. The Hangover When faced with the marketing campaign that preceded this film, I don't think many of us expected much of The Hangover. It was therefore an enormously pleasant surprise when it turned out to be a hilarious comedy mystery that breathes new life into what is essentially an old concept as Phil and Stu take their best friend Doug to Vegas for his stag night, accompanied by Doug’s strange almost-brother-in-law Alan. When they wake up in their devastated hotel room the next morning, they have no idea what happened the previous evening... or what happened to Doug. It’s a tightly-woven and well-plotted script that will keep you guessing (and laughing) until the end.
Movies about war are a dime a dozen, but Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker is a sparkling gem amongst the tide of films in the genre. The film follows a three-man bomb disposal team in Iraq, working against the clock to disarm roadside bombs and booby traps. Combining edge of your seat suspense, gripping drama and compelling storytelling this film is one of the best war movies released about the Iraq war. Need we say more?
Yee-ha, holy crap and blow me down! This is one of the most rip-roaring, seat-shaking, spine-tingling horrors of recent years. It lets rip with a shitstorm of spills, scares and even belly-laugh absurdities as Sam Raimi cuts loose after too much time attached to the stifling Spiderman franchise and produces a horror that wows with old-school carnage as loan manager Christine Brown is pursued by an evil goat-demon after being cursed by a gypsy woman. It's undoubtedly one of the most enjoyably visceral films of the year, and is guaranteed to have you leaping out of your seat.
OK, so we may have already praised Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs for challenging Pixar, but that doesn't mean we don't still have a little respect for the dominators. In fact, it's fair to say we'd go even further than that and say that we are consistently bowled over by their consistent ability to churn out animated genius. Up, the story of elderly widower Karl Fredrickson, blends delirious excitement, joy, fun and enough jokes to keep all age levels entertained with moments of genuine heart-wrenching tenderness; it also opens with one of the most moving 20 minutes of animation ever made. 1. District 9 Back in August our man Jez already touted this as a sci-fi masterpiece and a strong contender for the best film of the year, and he wasn't wrong. In Neill Blomkamp, Peter Jackson has discovered a director with a creative vision to rival his own. District 9 sends the alien invasion genre spinning off on a unique trajectory as aliens arrive on earth as refugees, and are set up in the far-from salubrious Dirstrict 9 internment camp which quickly develop into slums. A refreshing change from the usual belligerent beasts hovering over the White House, this film is exciting, entertaining, visually stunning and incredibly clever. Blending traditional fears of the unknown with a scathing commentary of apartheid-scarred South Africa, Blomkamp's film tapped into that magical combination of political relevance, plot originality, and outstanding action. A deserving number 1 if ever there was one.
Look out for our alternative top 10, comprising the best films of 2009 you may have missed, and the 5 stinkers unanimously decried by the writers of MovieVortex.
And for more fantastic films check out the Mike's Noughties Top 10 and Cassam's Top 10 of the Decade...
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The votes are in, the points are tallied, objections raised, debated and concluded and, finally, we have come up with our collective Movie Vortex fully certified Top 10 of 2009!
10. 
