Every Year Around This Time

My friend Jesse Walker has started his top ten movie lists.  Not for 2019--he doesn't have enough perspective.  But he'll look back at every year that ends in 9.  In fact, he's been doing this list thing long enough enough that this isn't the first time we'll be seeing some of these years.

Starting, in reverse chronological order, with the best of 2009.  Hardly seems like a decade ago.

1.  Up
2.  Inglourious Basterds
3.  A Prophet
4.  Coraline
5.  A Serious Man
6.  Jennifer's Body
7.  Broken Embraces
8.  Funny People
9.  Four.Five.Three.Six.Five
10. Daddy Longlegs

I liked Up, but maybe top twenty. It had some great moments, but the second half bogged down with some story problems. (You'll see below there were other animated features I preferred.)

Inglourious Basterds is QT's best since Pulp Fiction, and deserves a spot on the list.

Coraline I liked a lot (a rare film worth seeing in 3-D) but, once again, top twenty.

Like every Coen Brothers' film, A Serious Man has some fascinating moments, and it's aged well, but I don't think it's great, or even especially good.

Broken Embraces is decent Almodovar--not top ten or even twenty.

Funny People throws a lot at you.  Judd Apatow has defended its length, but I'm sorry, two and a half hours is too long for a comedy. (Don't tell me that people binge watch sitcoms for hours--a series of sprints is not the same as a marathon.) There's a decent 90 minute comedy in here. Too bad he didn't go for it.

The rest I haven't seen, though, except for #9, I had plenty of chances.

Here are the honorable mentions:

11.  Ajami
12.  The Fantastic Mr. Fox
13.  Cropsey
14.  Moon
15.  The White Ribbon
16.  Life During Wartime
17.  The Thick Of It 3
18.  Universal Soldier: Regeneration
19.  Sherlock Holmes
20.  Teclopolis

Haven't seen 11, 13, 17 or 20.

12 was a lot of fun--makes my top ten. (I'm not in the habit of correcting Jesse, who's usually meticulous, but there's no "The" in the title.)  14 was a curio. Worth watching, though I'm not sure what to make of it.  15 was overrated, like so much of Haneke.  16 was a weird sequel/non-sequel (to a superior film).  Solondz' films are often better on second viewings because the characters disappoint you so much the first time around it can be hard to take.  18 and 19 were, to varying degrees, disappointing commercial efforts.

Here are some films that would have made my top ten or twenty

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

The Hangover

In The Loop

Ponyo

Star Trek

Up In The Air

World's Greatest Dad 

Here are other films I liked

An Education, Every Little Step, (500) Days Of Summer, Taken, Two Lovers, Monsters vs Aliens, Zombieland, Paranormal Activity, Good Hair, The Princess And The Frog, The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus, Big Fan, Julie & Julia (liked half of it)

Here are some other notable films of the year:

2012, Sunshine Cleaning, Gomorra, I Love You Man, The Class, Adventureland, Duplicity, Terminator Salvation, Year One, Public Enemies, Bruno, District 9, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, Whatever Works, Surrogates, Whip It, Law Abiding Citizen, The Messenger, A Single Man, An American Affair, He's Just Not That Into You, Bride Wars, The International, New In Town, State Of Play, Angels & Demons, Couples Retreat, Planet 51, Invictus, Confessions Of A Shopaholic, Old Dogs, It's Complicated, Tyson, The Boys, Pressure Cooker, The Damned United, Brothers, Defiance, The Brothers Bloom, The Great Buck Howard, White On Rice, The September Issue, 2012,

Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans, The White Ribbon, Me And Orson Welles, Land Of The Lost, The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3, Watchmen, Fanboys, Taking Woodstock, Extract, The Informant!, Where The Wild Things Are, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Pirate Radio, Creation, The Road, Observe And Report, Cold Souls, The Baader Meinhoff Complex, The Invention Of Lying, Antichrist, The Misfortunates, Avatar, Precious, Police Adjective, The Blind Side, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Crazy Heart, 17 Again, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Previous, Crazy Heart, The Last Station, The Messenger, Nine, The Lovely Bones, The Secret Of Kells, The Secret In Their Eyes, The Milk Of Sorrow, Food Inc. The Most Dangerous Man In America, Coco Before Chanel, The Cove, The Young Victoria, Bright Star,