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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Ten Best Films Of 2009
By Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
fourTHE COVE
2009
Roadside Attractions
Louie Psihoyos' documentary plays like a horror movie, a suspense thriller and
an action drama all in one. It's difficult for any documentary which takes
itself seriously to be all of these things, and "The Cove" was one painful
experience to endure, bringing to light the mass-killings of dolphins in Taiji,
Japan. A riveting adventure film with heartbreaking scenes (including a
wrenching four-minutes of unblinking bloodshed), "The Cove", which features
former "Flipper" television star and dolphin trainer-turned activist Ric O'Barry,
is a testament to the power to change through both subtle and unsubtle means.
Activism is the heartbeat of "The Cove", which is also a primer on politics,
corruption and privacy. One of the best films of its kind, you'll have a
hard time eating dolphin meat again after you see it.
U.S. Distributor: Roadside Attractions. Initial release date: July 31.
threeINGLOURIOUS
BASTERDS
2009
The Weinstein Company
Everything, from the spelling of the title to the overly-theatrical dialogue to
the cartoonish situations, are pure Tarantino. The director wickedly
imagines an alternative experience in World War Two as he weaves multiple
stories: a German SS colonel officer on the hunt for Jewish families in
Nazi-occupied France; a troupe of soldiers led by an Apache commander (Brad
Pitt) looking to scalp Nazis as a revenge trophy, and one Jewish woman (Melanie
Laurent) who begins life anew in France. As SS Col. Hans Landa
Christoph Waltz superbly fits within the hyper-violent
madness with acting that is sheer brilliance. Mr. Waltz is an odds-on
favorite to win the Oscar for best supporting actor in 2010. When he does,
it will be richly deserved. He's even better here than Javier Bardem was
in "No Country For Old Men".
U.S. Distributor: The Weinstein Company. Initial release date: August
21. Starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth,
Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Melanie Laurent, Jacky Ido, Mike
Myers, Rod Taylor and Sylvester Groth.
Original Popcorn Reel review
twoUP
IN THE AIR
2009
After an overrated and disappointing "Juno" Jason
Reitman comes back with his best film. A mature and highly confident
movie about intimacy and disconnection, "Up In The Air" is comedy, drama and the
search for peace in the human heart. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) flies
around the U.S. for 270 days of the year firing people at various companies.
Bingham is bloodless but soothing as he coldly dispatches of an unknown's
livelihood. Mr. Clooney shines in his best acting to date, but there's
also a good performance from relative newcomer Anna Kendrick. Mr. Reitman
balances his third film with jazz and an industrial music score by Rolfe Kent.
"Up In The Air" soars but never hits auto-pilot status. The first air-trip
movie, and a memorable one.
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures. Initial release date: December 4
(N.Y., L.A., S.F.) Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick,
Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Zach Galifianakis, Danny McBride, Melanie Lynskey.
Original Popcorn Reel review
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