Strat's 20 of 2009

The last year of the decade, while not on the same level as the last of the 90s, certainly had its fair share of strong films from around the world. It's amazing that 10 years ago an independent movie was shot on video (The Blair Witch Project) and 10 years later, several movies nominated for Best Picture were shot on video (District 9 and Avatar).

20. Tokyo! (foreign drama)

What happens when French sensibilities meet Japanese culture? Here's the answer: a little surrealism, a little existentialism and a little artsy in 3 short films about the city.

19. The Informant! (comedy)
Soderbergh is truly a hit or miss director. This is where he returns to the form of making entertaining films.  Matt Damon delivers an wonderful performance as a FBI informant that doesn't quite know how to confess the truth.

18. The Men Who Stare At Goats (comedy)

I'm sure the pitch to make this movie with Ewan McGregor learning "Jedi mind tricks" from George Clooney was enough to get this made. It's almost as funny as "Catch-22" back in the day.

17. The Cove (documentary)
If you've ever wondered why Japanese fisherman are so obsessed with dolphins and the government cover up of capture and slaughter of these creatures this is the definitive take on this matter.

16. Invictus (drama)

Oh, Mr Eastwood has returned to tell us about history, national pride and sports - in South Africa. Or you can just see it because Morgan Freeman is awesome. 

15. Art & Copy (documentary)

If you ever studied advertising or work in the field or just appreciate the emotional power and creativity of ads this is the documentary that you should see.

14. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (animated comedy)

So George Clooney is done trying to rob casinos. Now he does chicken coops. Best stop-motion animated film I have since since Corpse Bride.

13. TiMER (sci-fi/comedy)

I discovered this movie on Netflix so I'm not sure you'll find it through other means. It's very low budget, but the story is simple yet effective. Not often comedy visits sci-fi without being a spoof, but this movie manages to not only do that, but tug at your heart.

12. Gomorrah (foreign drama)

So what would Goodfellas be like if it were set in modern Southern Italy? Here ya go.

11. Funny People (comedy/drama)

I heard this movies wouldn't be that funny. It isn't. However, it is a fine drama with enough comedic touches.

10. Precious (drama)

What can I say? The acting is phenomenal and a testament to the screenplay and direction. I didn't even realize who Mariah Carey was in it, until I looked it up later. Wow.

9. Star Trek (sci-fi/action)

Probably the most "fun" movie of the year. No real message, just a great popcorn movie in space.

8. Avatar (sci-fi/action)

It's definitely a technical achievement that must be seen at the highest quality possible. Cameron paints a beautiful world that you really want to live in if it weren't so damn dangerous.

7. An Education (drama)

So are our parents really looking after our best interests? Do we really know what's best for ourselves? Is education really more important than wealth? Great questions explored here along with the emergence of the film's budding young starlet.

6. Brothers (drama)

Absolutely the best pure dramatic film of the year. Solid acting all around from a star-studded cast including Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tobey Maguire in a surprising role. Never in this film do you feel like a choice was made just to try to manipulate you in an insincere way.

5. 500 Days of Summer (comedy)

The best movie I will probably not see again for a long while for personal reasons. Other than that, it's the best tough love indie comedy since Garden State.

4. The Hangover (comedy)

This movie really is the revitalization of the screwball comedy set in the wackiest place on earth for one: Las Vegas. It's fun to watch again and again.

3. Inglourious Basterds (action/comedy)

Tarantino's best movie since Pulp Fiction. It's no surprise that the movie begins with a a pretty evil character engaging in a cat and mouse dialogue with another man, before killing people just like a certain Jules did 15 years earlier. Leave it to Tarantino to make a historical movie that purposely thumbs its nose at major historical facts for story and laughs.

2. Up in the Air (comedy/drama)

Meet Ryan, the man who sits in first class and does the most dastardly deed imaginable - he lays people off for a living. Not only that, but he lives his life without any real connections to other people. Until he picks up a few cute sidekicks out on the road.

1. Up (animated/comedy)

What can I say? After the first 10 minutes of the movie if you haven't cried you don't have a soul. If by the end of the movie, you haven't laughed you don't have a sense of life. Best Pixar movie ever. Probably only until the next one? Those Pixar guys are that good.

Lupe's Top 20 of 2008

20. Towelhead (drama)
Your pubescent daughter can learn a lot by watching this argument for female circumcision; just, for God's sake, don't watch it with her if you ever expect to look her in the eye again.

19. Burn After Reading (comedy)
The unofficial sequel to Life is Beautiful-- Life is Meaningless.  With all the suffering and ignominious death, the Coen brothers have become Buddhists without the enlightenment.

18. Valkyrie (drama)
I thought the Germans were supposed to be industrious, well disciplined, basically infallible.  But maybe that's only the ones that worked for Hitler.

17. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (comedy)
True love is so boring compared to porno, it makes me think it's all simulated.  Except Justin Long's man smooch, that was totally real.

16. The Wrestler (drama)
Dating a stripper doesn't change the fact that you oil yourself up, put on tights, and roll around on a mat with other guys.  No one tell Barton Fink the true theme of wrestling.

15. Quantum of Solace (action)
A bunch of green pansies are no substitute for SPECTRE.  I'm not quite clear on how their evil scheme to withhold water from Bolivian peasants is supposed to pay off, but it's fun to watch them get foiled.

14. Be Kind Rewind (comedy)
Jack Black is Magneto, amateur filmmaker.  If they can just remake the plots of other movies, can I simply plagiarize Leonard Maltin's reviews?

13. Gran Torino (drama)
Clint Eastwood is so coherent and levelheaded about human conflict, but he lacks the presence of mind to only sing in the shower.

12. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (fantasy, adventure)
C.S. Lewis should have written a Reepicheep spinoff, where he, I dunno... writes letters about Christianity to a demonic bureaucrat.  Um, anyway, Reepicheep is badass.

11. Wall-E (animated)
A thinly veiled allegorical future world where Apple ascends to the heavens and Microsoft is consigned to the quite literal dustbin of history.  Though if a PC can keep plant life from dying in the vacuum of space, I guess they're not all bad.

10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (comedy)
It might be hard, getting dumped by a celebrity.  But if I could date Mila Kunis on the rebound, I'm sure I'd get over it.

9. Doubt (drama)
I hate it that Meryl Streep keeps doing Oscar worthy stuff.  You're a good actress, we get it already!  Now go away and do more Mamma Mia! so I can forget about you.  Let someone else be nominated for once.

8. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (teen comedy)
This makes me nostalgic for that era of youthful callowness when you hang out in clubs all night with beautiful people and listen to music.  All of which I could have done, if only I was ever cool.

7. Pineapple Express (comedy)
No message here, stoners.  This is live action Bugs Bunny with Adult Swim sensibilities, which makes it not only brilliant in a Three Stooges kinda way, but Judd Apatow's best.

6. Iron Man (superhero action)
About time we got a capitalist superhero instead of the usual lame do gooders always sticking up for "social justice."  Get a job, Peter Parker!

5. Frost/Nixon (drama)
A heroically plucky media underdog has the hubris to take on the most devious and evil (naturally Republican) president since Rutherford B. Hayes.

4. In Bruges (crime)
Organized crime attracts a variety of personality types.  Some of them are interested in art, culture, and history, and some only like rascist midgets on drugs.

3. Tropic Thunder (comedy)
In Ben Stiller's Vietnam, it's hilarious when people step on land mines and pandas get slaughtered.  Robert Downey Jr transcends race in a way Barack Obama could only dream of.

2. Slumdog Millionaire (romance)
Good material for India's tourist board: thieves, beggars, unsanitary conditions, endless mountains of garbage and filth.  But even amongst all that, you can still be destined for true love, so that's nice.

1. The Dark Knight (superhero, crime)
The Joker might be gay for Batman, but he's way more interesting than Heath Ledger's Bareback Mountain cowboy.  Most awesome superhero movie ever, even edging out Superman 4: The Quest For Peace.