Editorial
Front Page - Friday, January 8, 2010
Critics Corner
David Laprad
Every December, film critics feel compelled to publish their lists of the best movies of the year. If you compiled these articles into a single document, you’d have to level an entire forest to acquire the necessary wood pulp. Of course, that’s not going to stop me from throwing in my two cents!
But I’m going to do something different. Since I didn’t see every new film in 2009, I’m going to publish a list of my 10 favorite features of the past 12 months. I’m not going to present them in any particular order, as I want to avoid all appearances of critical assessment.
Imagine we’re at dinner and the conversation turns to movies. These are the films I’d say I enjoyed the most in 2009:
“Star Trek” — After eight bad movies and four so-so spin-off series, it took a filmmaker who knew almost nothing about the beloved “Trek” canon to inject the franchise with new life. Not only did director JJ Abrams make a terrific movie, filled with action, humor and pitch perfect acting, he pulled off the impossible by winning over hard-nosed fans and new audiences alike.
“I Love You, Man” — “I Love You, Man” made me laugh harder than any other movie, ever. It also hit me on a personal level, as I identified all too well with the tongue-tied Peter Klaven, who found it hard to make male friends. The dialog was more vulgar than I can usually stand, but the heartfelt “bromance” that formed between the main characters and the subtext about the challenges of male bonding won me over.
“Knowing” — Four. That’s how many times I saw this captivating, suspenseful and visually stunning sci-fi adventure. It starts out slow, tightens into a ball of dread and then explodes, culminating in one of the most intriguing endings of the year. Were they angels? Were they aliens? I like that director Alex Proyas (“I, Robot”) doesn’t spell it out.
“Drag Me To Hell” — I gave up on horror films years ago, but I really dug this modestly budgeted effort from director Sam Raimi (“Spiderman”). It was more silly than scary, but Raimi kept his warped sense of humor in check enough to allow for some great shocks along the way, including an ending so good, I watched the movie a second time to see it again.
“(500) Days of Summer” — I wish there were more movies like “(500) Days,” a romantic comedy with a non-linear structure, beautifully written dialog, humor that grows organically out of the relationships, creative visuals and an ending that both makes sense and comes out of left field. It’s not for the “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” crowd, but viewers with an appreciation for more complex fare should eat it up.
“The Hurt Locker” — For years, we’ve had great movies about World War II and great movies about the Vietnam War. Now we have a great movie set during the Iraq War, thanks to director Kathryn Bigelow. It’s not ABOUT the Iraq War, however. Instead, it explores the mentality of soldiers who take a little too much pleasure in their work. After seeing “The Hurt Locker,” I went outside and took a deep breath, glad to be living on this side of the world and feeling a deep respect for our men and women in uniform.
“Inglorious Basterds” — I loved this movie, set during the Second World War. From the brilliant dialog, to the remarkable pacing and direction, writer and director Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction”) captivates from beginning to end. My only question: Did he pay attention in history class?
“Paranormal Activity” — I like the story behind this movie more than the film itself, but it’s still the creepiest experience I’ve had in a theater since seeing “Poltergeist” in 1982. Made for $11,000, it ended up grossing $107 million. I don’t know if it’ll work as well on DVD, but in theaters, it had some viewers in tears.
“The Princess and the Frog” — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Disney still has the magic! Good songs, great animation, delightful characters, a well-told story and plenty of humor and drama make “The Princess and the Frog” the best Disney film since the studio’s glory days of the late ’80s and early ’90s.
“Avatar” — At the end of “Avatar,” a character opens his eyes and beholds a faraway world that’s no longer alien to him. That’s what you need to do. See this movie in theaters, and watch it in 3D. You’ll miss an extraordinary cinematic experience if you don’t.
Almost made the list: “The Blind Side” and “Moon.”
Acclaimed movies I missed: “A Serious Man” and “Up in the Air.”
Next week: the movies I hated. That way, you’ll have two lists to check when making DVD rental choices.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.
com.
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