Bombippy’s Best Films Of 2009

2009 was a great year for film. I saw some fabulous movies at TIFF that won’t get a theatrical release until 2010 but here is a list, in no particular order of the best films I saw in 2009.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Nicolas Cage and Werner Herzog - it doesn’t get any weirder or crazier than this. Finally, Nic Cage makes a decent film.

Up
Squirrel! Does Pixar ever make a bad film? Up has a great story and some of the most incredible visuals to date from Pixar Animation Studios.

Inglorious Basterds
Tarantino’s film was the best thing on the big screen this summer. And where has Christopher Waltz been all these years? His portrayal of a Nazi was incredible! North American audiences have been missing out, until now.

The Cove
I saw this at Hot Docs back in the spring. After the standing ovation, I knew I had just watched the Man On Wire of 2009. I missed a lot of great documentaries this year but this one is a must see. You’ll never watch a dolphin show at a marine park again.

Up In The Air
Director Jason Reitman can do no wrong. This carefully crafted film and the performances by George Clooney and Vera Farmiga are pitch perfect. Just go and see it already.

The White Ribbon
Michael Haneke’s black and white drama about the strange events in a German village before World War I is fascinating. It won the Golden Palme at Cannes this year and is a satisfying follow up to his last film, Caché.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
This was a tough film to watch about an overweight, sexually abused and illiterate teen from Harlem. The performances were incredible and the film is going to provide some serious competition at the Oscars. Highly recommended.

Tyson
Is it possible to make a bad film about Mike Tyson? James Toback took a stab at it and the result is a fascinating and entertaining look back at the life of Mike.

District 9
This was the sleeper hit of the summer for me. I didn’t know what to expect and I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. A lot of people couldn’t stand Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) and didn’t see what all the fuss was about. I thought Wikus was awesome and loved the film. So did a lot of film critics.

The Hangover
This was my pick for best comedy of the year and guilty pleasure. I saw it twice and can’t wait to see it again on Blu-ray. Great fun!

Posted in Movies at 1:04 PM