BAM’s top 10 films of 2009: “Inglourious Basterds” tops the list
“Inglourious Basterds”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Tarantino tops
For cinephiles, 2009 got off to a slow start but fortunately finished strong, with many memorable movies finally filling multiplexes.
Several directors offered innovative takes on tired genres, from J.J. Abrams’ thrilling “Star Trek” reboot to Ruben Fleischer’s uproarious horror-comedy “Zombieland” to Sacha Gervasi’s shockingly touching rock-doc “Anvil! The Story of Anvil.” And those are a few of the fantastic films that didn’t make my surprisingly, and thankfully, competitive top 10 list for ’09.
1. “Inglourious Basterds.” Auteur Quentin Tarantino offers his magnum opus with his history-rewriting World War II revenge fantasy about a ruthless Nazi Jew hunter (the Oscar-worthy Christoph Waltz), an orphaned French Jew (Melanie Laurent) hellbent on retribution and a bloodthirsty group of Jewish-American guerrilla fighters led by a hick lieutenant known as Aldo the Apache (Brad Pitt). Tarantino demonstrates his usual penchant for outlandish violence, hilarious dark humor and near-torturous pacing, but his vision has never been bigger or bolder.
2. “The Hurt Locker.” Director Kathryn Bigelow and embedded-journalist-turned-screenwriter Mark Boal deliver not only the best Iraq War film to date but also one of the most thrilling and thought-provoking combat movies in recent memory. Jeremy Renner gives a career-defining performance as the maverick leader of an Army bomb-disposal unit working the dangerous Baghdad streets in summer 2004.
3. “Up in the Air.” Writer-director Jason Reitman improbably soars even higher than his unforgettable 2007 Oscar contender “Juno” with this affecting dramedy. And star George Clooney elevates his game beyond even his intense turn in ‘07’s “Michael Clayton” as a consultant compelled to rethink his disconnected existence as a frequent flier who fires people for a living.
4. “(500) Days of Summer.” In his feature film debut, Marc Webb casts off the wretched conventions of modern-day romantic comedies, crafting an emotionally resonant love story with a nonlinear plot line, amazing soundtrack and strong performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.
5. “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” This harrowing but ultimately uplifting drama about an pregnant Harlem teen (astonishing newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) trying to overcome incest, abuse, obesity, illiteracy and poverty may be stomach-turning and heart-breaking to watch but should be required viewing in the so-called land of plenty. Mo’Nique deserves an Oscar for her bowel-loosening turn as Precious’ vicious mother.
6. “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Auteur Wes Anderson shows a delightful knack for animation, using eye-popping stop-motion techniques, along with his trademark dry wit and quirky sensibilities, to craft a subversively funny film based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book about a chicken-snatching fox (voice of George Clooney) and the farmers who want to kill him.
7. “Up.” The brilliant minds at Pixar continue to propel animated films to new heights with the imaginative, tender and madcap tale of a grieving balloon peddler (voice of Ed Asner) who turns his house into a makeshift airship and takes an exotic journey to South America.
8. “District 9.” Writer-director Neill Blomkamp revolutionizes the alien-invasion subgenre while mining the classic tradition of the best science-fiction films: His feature film debut employs immersive, documentary-style realism to tell an otherworldly tale with relevant themes about the human capacity for prejudice, exploitation and cooperation.
9. “Invictus.” As a director, Clint Eastwood is renowned for dark fare like “Gran Torino,” “Unforgiven” and “Million Dollar Baby.” With help from stalwart stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, Eastwood proves he can make an inspiring yet meaningful crowd-pleaser with his true-life story of South African President Nelson Mandela’s (Freeman) efforts to use the power of sport to unite his divided nation.
10. “The Brothers Bloom.” Watching the first half of writer-director Rian Johnson’s con-man caper was the best time I had at the movies all year. Through the intricate plot twists of the second half, the film’s eccentric characters, raucous good humor and magical realism keep it a sublime cinematic experience.
-BAM
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I love (500) day’s of summer